Wednesday, September 30th, we invite our Rochester students, staff, and families to wear orange to recognize Orange Shirt Day.

Orange Shirt Day grew from the story of Phyllis Webstad, whose new orange shirt was taken from her when she entered a residential school as a child. Today, the day honors Indigenous children who were taken from their families and communities and recognizes the lasting impact of residential and boarding schools.

The message of Orange Shirt Day is simple and important: Every Child Matters.

In Rochester, this connects closely to our promise that every student will be known, valued, and supported—and know that they belong. 🧡

#OrangeShirtDay #EveryChildMatters #YouBelongHere

🎉 BACK TO SCHOOL BASH! 🎉

It’s time to celebrate the start of another great school year, and we’re kicking things off with a fun-filled evening for our Rochester community! 💙💛

Join us this Friday from 5–7 PM at Grand Mound Elementary for our Back to School Bash! Come enjoy: 🎪 Local vendors from our own community, 🎮 games & prizes, ⛳️ putt-putt golf, 🎨 face painting, 🍔 FREE FOOD…and plenty of opportunities to connect with friends, families, and our Warrior community!

Bring the whole family and come celebrate with us! We’d love to see you there! 💙💛 And the fun doesn’t have to end at 7! 🏈 After the Back to School Bash, head over to RHS for Friday Night Football as the Warriors take on Rainier High School at 7 PM.

Start your evening with us at GMES for the Back to School Bash, then end your night cheering on the Warriors under the lights!
#BackToSchoolBash #WarriorPride #GoWarriors

The Class of 2030 is kicking off their high school journey TODAY!

Our freshmen are officially in the building for their first day at Rochester High School, and we’re excited to see all the energy and excitement that comes with a new school year! Let’s make it a great one, Warriors!

Reminder: All remaining RHS grades will join our freshmen for their first day tomorrow, September 3.

Meanwhile, our K–8 students and families are taking part in Success Conferences today and tomorrow. We’re officially getting this school year underway!

A Huge Thank You to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office!

The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office dropped off a TON of school supplies for our Rochester students, and we couldn’t be more grateful for their generosity!

These supplies will be available to families at ROOF’s Back-to-School Supply Fair on August 20 and will also be available through our schools to support families throughout the school year. We appreciate the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office and their continued support of our Rochester students and families. Community partnerships like this make a real difference, and we couldn’t reach all of our families without you!

Thank you for helping make sure our students have the supplies they need to start the school year ready to learn!

Welcome to the 26-27 School Year

Dear Rochester School District Families,

Welcome to the 26-27 school year! As we prepare to welcome our students back to school, I want to share how excited I am about the year ahead and how honored I am to serve the Rochester School District as Interim Superintendent.

For the families that do not know me, here is a little bit of information about me. My name is Justin Black. I am a husband, father, and educator. I have served the Rochester community since August of 1998 as an RHS Agriculture Teacher/FFA Advisor (9 years), RHS Assistant Principal (3 years), and the Director of Curriculum and Technology (16 years) for a total of 28 years. My wife (Carrie) and I have been married for 21 years, and our 2 daughters are successful and proud 3rd-generation Rochester High School graduates. I volunteer as a member of the Rochester Scholarship Association (RSA) and the citizens’ group Yes For Rochester Schools. When my daughters were young, I spent lots of time volunteer coaching at Hoss Field. My wife and I raised our family here, and I have spent my entire professional career in this community. Rochester is where I want to be and need to be.

The beginning of a school year is always filled with anticipation. It is by far my favorite time of the school year. There are new teachers to meet, friendships to make, routines to establish, and opportunities to discover. Whether your child is walking into one of our schools for the very first time or preparing for their final year in Rochester, we are grateful that you have entrusted us with an important part of their journey.

At the center of everything we do is a promise we make to each Rochester student:

We promise to know, value, and support every student, ensuring they graduate with confidence and skills for a successful future.

This is more than a statement. It is our commitment to your student.

We want to know your child—not simply their name or their test scores, but who they are, what interests them, where they excel, where they need support, and what they hope to become.

We want every student to feel valued. Every child who walks through our doors should know they belong in Rochester, that they have something important to contribute, and there are adults in their school who believe in them.
We also promise to support every student. Children learn and grow in different ways and at different rates. Our responsibility is to meet students where they are, challenge them to grow, and provide the opportunities and support they need to be successful.

Ultimately, we want every Rochester student to leave our schools with the confidence and skills for a successful future—whatever that future may hold. Preparing students academically is essential, and we also want them to become confident young people who can communicate, solve problems, build relationships, persevere through challenges, and make positive contributions to their communities. We can use the lessons of learning the academic content to help develop those skills.

Fulfilling that promise requires a strong partnership between our schools and our families.

You know your student in ways that we never can, and your voice matters. I encourage you to stay connected with your student’s school, communicate with teachers and staff, attend school activities when you can, ask questions, and share both your concerns and your celebrations with us. When families and schools work together, our students benefit.

As Interim Superintendent, I am committed to listening, communicating openly, and building strong relationships across our district and community. I look forward to spending time in our schools, meeting students and families, listening to your experiences, and learning more about what we can do together to make Rochester an even stronger place for our students.

Like every school year, this one will bring both successes and challenges. Through all of it, I hope we will remain focused on what brings us together: our students and their futures.

Every student deserves to be known.

Every student deserves to be valued.

Every student deserves to be supported.

And every student deserves the opportunity to leave Rochester ready and confident for what comes next.

Thank you for your trust, your partnership, and the many ways you support your student and our schools. We are excited to welcome our students back, and I look forward to a wonderful year together.

Welcome back, Rochester Families!

Justin Black
Interim Superintendent
Rochester School District