Rochester Public Schools reveal new online mascot and logo

(ABC 6 News) – Rochester Public Schools (RPS) revealed a new online mascot and logo on Tuesday.

RPS Online Chargers was the name chosen after 234 votes were cast between May 18 and 25 by current students, staff, and families.

60 total nominations were submitted from May 2 through 15. Thereafter, 36 of the 60 went on to be reviewed by a team consisting of current students, staff, DEI staff and communications and marketing staff.

The review team met on May 18 to discuss the 36 nominations with each member voting on their top 5 which resulted in the 3 finalists:

• RPS Online Chargers: This mascot name plays on the digital, plugged-in world tied to RPS Online.
• RPS Online Ospreys – Ospreys have a huge range of habitat (just as RPS Online covers the entire state) and are found in many different cultures and regions. They are powerful raptors that also represent fidelity and harmony. They are connected to the mythical Thunderbird of First Person’s lore and the King of Birds in Buddhism. They are often called River or Lake Hawks which fits well with Minnesota.
• RPS Online Pixels – This mascot is based in technology (digital images are made up of small squares called pixels) and represents an untraditional mascot for our untraditional school

The RPS Online Chargers will provide RPS Online with a unique identity both within and outside of RPS, and honor the learning community in which RPS Online resides.

• John Marshall Black
• Mayo Gold
• Century Silver

RPS Online Chargers will be the cornerstone of communication and marketing efforts entering the 2022-2023 school year.