HOUSE INFORMATION
Principal's Page
We are so excited to get this school year started! Our goal is for every student to feel connected to a group during their years at OJH! We chose our house names based on characteristics we want to see in each of our Bobcats and ourselves! Students randomly drew for the house they would become a part of for their years at OJH!
- House of Amicus
o Amicus is the Greek word for friendship. Our house color is yellow! Our hope is that each of our students strive to be friendly to everyone! “In a world where you can be anything, choose kind!”
- · House of Probitas
o Probitas is the Greek word for honesty. Our house color is green! Our hope is that each of students will be honest even when it is not the easy thing to do! “Honesty is the best policy!”
- · House of Spero
o Spero is the Greek word for hope. Our house color is purple! Our hope is that all students follow their dreams! “Once you choose hope, anything is possible!”
- · House of Veraque
o Veraque is the Greek work for compassion. Our house color is blue! Our hope is that all students learn to feel compassion and empathy for others! “Compassion is an action word with no boundaries!”
Many of our staff members did research and planning during the spring of 2018 as well as during the summer. They worked tirelessly to establish a program for all students to feel connected and know that THEY MATTER! Throughout the year, students and staff members will have the opportunity to earn points for their particular house in a variety of ways:
- · Attendance – House above 96% for the three week period earns them 25 points
- · Grades – 95% or higher with all passing grades on progress reports or report cards earns them 25 points
- · Behavior – House with less than 5% discipline referrals for the three week period earns them 25 points
- · Competitions within their classrooms – teachers are able to issue points within their classes
- · Behavior at lunch/cleaning up their area at lunch
o Each house has a row in our cafeteria. Our goal is to reward the students who are doing the “right thing”
o Each day that their house row is clean and chairs pushed in they earn 25 points for their house
o Students come into the cafeteria and fill in the first available seat. This allows no students to be singled out and not have a group to sit with. It also helps with managing the flow of the cafeteria.
o If the whole grade level earns points on Monday & Tuesday they can have a technology day (have their phones out) or a free sit day (they get to vote on which one) on Wednesday. If the whole grade level earn points on Wednesday & Thursday, they earn a free sit Friday! (They can sit wherever they want!)
o Our goal is that no students sits alone!
- · Being “caught” by an adult exhibiting one of our characteristics!
The house with the most points at the end of the six weeks will earn a house party! The house that has the most points for the year will win the “House cup” to be displayed proudly in our trophy case for the next year! We will have a color out day each six weeks. Students are encouraged to dress in their house color! We will also have several ORANGE out days! We always want them to remember we reside in four houses but WE ARE OFAM!
Our campus procedures are based on the acronym OFAM:
WE ARE:
Outstanding Students
Focused on our goals
Always respectful
Mindful of others
These procedures fit into the characteristics we want to see in all of our Bobcats and ourselves!
We have implemented a system in our hallways to encourage students to travel down the right side of the hallway to help with traffic flow! It has been a hit so far!
We are so excited to be back in our building and able to implement such exciting things for our students! I have been very proud of them just in this first week! During lunches there are a few houses that one student ends up at a table alone! Every time we have gone and asked someone to sit with a student, we have had volunteers to move so that no one sits alone! Your kids are AMAZING!
Thank you for sharing your students with us! If you have questions or concerns, I would love to visit with you. Please contact me at 735-6737 to schedule an appointment. If you are interested in volunteering, please let us know in the office or contact one of our PTO board members! We have lots of fun things planned and will need all hands on deck to make it successful!
Looking forward to a GREAT year!
Deena VanPelt
Principal, Orangefield Junior High
HOUSE OF AMICUS
HOUSE OF PROBITAS
HOUSE OF SPERO
HOUSE OF VERAQUE
UPCOMING EVENTS
- 8/20 - VB parent meeting - 6:00 pm - JH gym
- 8/20 - Meet the Bobcats - 7:00 pm
- 8/31 - ORANGE OUT - We are OFAM; Varsity FB @ Home
- 9/1 - Cross Country meet at Claiborne Park
- 9/3 - Labor Day Holiday - No School
- 9/5 - COLOR OUT! Wear your house color
- 9/7 - Varsity FB @ Livingston
- 9/8 - Cross Country meet at Doornbos Park
- 9/10 - 1st six weeks progress reports; JH VB vs Kountze
Sign up for OJH Remind
Orangefield Junior High
Website: orangefieldisd.com
Location: 7745 Sandbar Road, Orange, TX 77630
Phone: (409)735-6737