Waggoner Road Junior High Legends
October 7 Edition 1
Message From Dr. Black
Too often we forget the value of struggle. If plants can move rocks, burst through stone, rise from beneath buildings.....together we should be able to move mountains!
GROW WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED!
(Our school theme for the year!)
Flowers moving rocks!
Flowers blossoming through stone!
Flowers "emerging" from beneath a building!
GENERAL INFORMATION
REMINDER: No School on Friday - Teacher Professional Development Day
Concerns
Parents, please be mindful that we credit ourselves on being a responsive atmosphere. If you have questions, concerns, etc. please connect with us here at the school first. Please give us an opportunity to respond to any questions or concerns you might have before you request assistance elsewhere. We want to have a welcoming environment and do not mind explaining any protocol or clarifying any procedure.Cafeteria
We welcome all parents to come and have lunch with your student. Due to food allergies, etc. no outside (commercialized) food is allowed in the cafeteria. If you decide to bring in commercialized food, you and your student may eat that food in the main office. If you bring a home-cooked dish and decide to eat in the cafeteria with your student you may not share those items with other students. You, as the parent/guardian, are more than welcome to purchase a school lunch while sitting in the cafeteria. Additionally, we are asking that you do not order commerciallized food and have it delivered to the school for your student, nor send birthday cakes and party items for a lunch time festival. We appreciate your cooperation in this effort.
Cellphone/Earbud Policy
We understand that technology is presently a commonality within our society and thus we have permitted our students to utilize their cell phones during specific times of the day. Students are not permitted to have their cell phones and earbuds in-between classes. They are permitted to utilize their cell phones in class if the teacher allows them as a part of the lesson for the day. Additionally, students may use their cell phones during their lunch period but may not have earbuds or headphones on their neck or visible during that time. The only appropriate time for use of head phones is during class quiet time, reading passages, or working through lessons at the direction of their teacher. Parents please note; should we have to confiscate cell phones, earbuds, or headphones for inappropriate usage, we will hold them in the office for parent retrieval.
School Store
WRJH offers students "pendants" for doing good deeds throughout the day, making good decisions, being helpful etc. Students utilize these "pendants" to purchase items in the school store. The school store is open on Thursday's during a student's lunch time. One of the items offered is an "Island Pass" that will allow the students to have lunch in the student lounge where they can play games, watch TV, etc. with their friends (See pictures below of the Island and School Store Items).
If any parent is interested in donating items to the school store for incentive it would be greatly appreciated. We allow students the opportunity to buy items such as:
- large candy bars
- Individual bags of chips
- large candy items
- Small toy items
- Pop
- Cups of noodles for lunch
Please send any donated item to the school. We thank you for supporting positive behavior at WRJH.
EDUCATIONAL UPDATES!
HIGH SCHOOL COURSES
Here at Waggoner Road Junior High, our students have the opportunity to take high school courses which earn them graduation credit. As you prepare your students for 2nd semester or your 7th graders for next year, talk to them about challenging themselves in preparation for 9th grade. Our students need to understand the concept of advanced course work, grades, grade point averages, etc. and how they impact their future.
The high school courses offered here have the same expectations, curriculum and final exams equivalent to those taught in high school. We offer the following high school courses:
Integrated Math I & II
Spanish I & II
Yoga
- Physical Education (PE)
- Health
- English 9
Students who pass these courses and the final exam will be granted high school credit and will not need to take these courses when they enter high school. These grades will be reflected on the student’s high school transcript and included in cumulative GPA calculations. If you have any questions regarding these courses, please contact our guidance counselor, Tammy Wallace, or our Principal Dr. Twana Black.
SPANISH I & II UPDATE
Ms. Carreno, our initial Spanish I & II teacher had to resign due to an unexpected serious medical issue. In Ms. Carreno’s absence we secured a substitute, Miss Rawlings, to temporarily serve in her position. As of Monday September 23, Ms. Frazier, our current FLEX teacher transitioned to the Spanish I & II position full time. Mrs. Frazier has taught Spanish I, II, and III in her previous district at the high school level making her very familiar with the curriculum and providing a fabulous resource to bring our students back to standard.
We will continue to recover as we are now looking for a replacement for our FLEX course.
SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER
We are fortunate to have hired a school social worker. Ms. Samantha Heedy will be coming to us from the Center for Healthy Families division of Columbus. She will assist us in creating support groups for our students while offering family support in multiple areas and assisting in making sure ALL of our students are attending school on a regular basis.
UPCOMING DATES & EVENTS!
Week of October 7 Homecoming Spirit Week Sponsored by Student Council:
Monday October 7
Manic Monday (Dress like your favorite movie or real life villain)
Tuesday October 8th
PTO Tuesday (Done once per month) Neon Day. There will also be an opportunity for students to purchase snow cones for $1 during their lunch period
Wednesday October 9th
Wacky Wednesday (dress in PJs and we will promote a "read in" day across the district)
Thursday October 10th
Throw back Thursday (Its 90s day!!!)
Friday October 11th
NO SCHOOL - TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY
Monday October 14th
Tri-C Catalog Fundraiser will go home to support students going to DC
Please consider buying something from any 8th grader- it will benefit all of them!
Tuesday October 15th
WRJH Eat-out Night. Join us at Chipotle on Broad Street to help raise funds for our students.
HERE IS THE LINK TO THE FUNDRAISER FORM
Friday October 18th
District-Wide Junior High School Halloween Dance
6:30-8:30. All students must be picked up no later than 9PM, else they will not be permitted to attend the next dance. Cost is $5 at the door.
Dine Out at Max & Erma’s Fundraiser to raise money for the 8th Grade DC Trip
Tuesday October 29th
Dine Out at Chipotle Fundraiser to raise money for the 8th Grade DC Trip
Saturday December 7th
Waggoner Road DC Craft Fair
9AM-2PM
BUS AND STUDENT PICK UP INFORMATION
Student pick up takes place in the center lot. We will be wrapping the busses around the building for dismissal so we are requesting no parents park or pull through the lot once busses begin to arrive. Please park IN A SINGLE-FILE LINE in the middle lot and we will have those who are being picked up cross at the cross walk and proceed to their vehicles.
Here is a link to the map which shows how we will line the busses up.
It appears parents who are parking in the bus lanes or creating a second line are making it EXTREMELY DANGEROUS for students to get to their respective vehicals. Please be mindful of students as you are exiting the lot. If we continue to create the single-file line, then students can enter the cars on the grass side and will not be subjected to cars evacuating the lot in rapid succession.
FROM THE PTO
The next PTO Meeting will be Tuesday October 8th from 5:30-6:30 PM. We need as many parents as possible to participate as we work towards increasing our funds that go directly towards the students here at WRJH.
TEACHER SPOTLIGHT
I’ve been teaching for 9 years, 8 here at WRJH. Before becoming an educator, I spent 8 years working as an Environmental Consultant for engineering firms in Cleveland and Columbus. In my previous job, I spent about 90% of my time inspecting school buildings for hazardous materials (asbestos, lead, mercury, PCBs) that required removal and/or remediation prior to renovation or demolition of the school for the Ohio Schools Facilities Commission. I kept hearing and reading news reports about a shortage of science teachers, especially those with “real world” experience in a scientific field. After witnessing lots of student/teacher interaction and spending many hours in school, I made the decision to go back to Ohio State and pursue my education degree. My “Why” is to help students appreciate nature, the world, the universe, etc. and encourage them to be curious about why things happen they way they do.
I’m a huge Ohio State fan. I was a member of the marching band for 5 years, 1997 to 2002. I’m also fan of all the Cleveland sports teams (Indians, Browns, Cavs) having grown up in between Akron and Cleveland. My favorite sport is baseball, having played for years and I’m currently volunteering as a coach for my son’s tee-ball team. I also enjoy cooking, travel and golf.
Contact information
Email: twana.black@reyn.org
Website: http://www.reyn.org/waggonerroadjuniorhigh_home.aspx
Location: 360 Waggoner Road, Reynoldsburg, OH, USA
Phone: (614)501-5700
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WRJHS/
Twitter: @LegendsofWRJH