THE VIEW
Newsletter for Ridgeview MS (Issue 5 12.2023)
The Principal's Post
Dear RMS Families,
As the hustle and bustle of holiday season has approached us, let us all take a moment to reflect on the past year. Our successes, our challenges, and the goals that we have set forth for the coming year. Self-reflection is an important tool to also integrate into our students lives. It helps them to have a better understanding of themselves and to determine a path moving forward in achieving their dreams.
This school year, I started off asking the students, “Why Not You?” Our students can do anything that they set their minds to do with hard work, perseverance, and determination! As we move into a new year, I encourage each family to use the tool of self-reflection with your child and propel them into the new year with a renewed sense of urgency to reach their goals.
“There is truly no endeavor that is too hard or big to do.
Your potential has no boundaries!
You can do it – Why Not You?
–Ciara and Russell Wilson
Be Well,
Natalie M. James
Principal
Today a Reader! Tomorrow a Leader!
Getting Real with Mr. Reese
Ridgeview's Assistant Principal, Mr. Reese, offers these words of wisdom ...
I am in the process of becoming the best version of myself.
--Audre Lorde
Calendar of Events
- 12.13, Wed, at 6:00 pm: Instrumental Music Concert
- 12.19, Tues, at 5:15 - 5:45 pm: Community Board Meeting at Marion Franklin HS
- 12.19, Tues: 30-Minute Early Dismissal
- 12.20.23- 01.2.24: All Schools Closed - Winter Break
- 01.4.24, Thurs: RMS PTA Meeting via Zoom (more information in the "PTA Point-of-View" section in this issue)
- 01.12.24, Fri: End of Quarter 2
- 01.15.24, Mon: All Schools Closed - Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- 01.16.24, Tues: Professional Development Day. Students not in Attendance.
- 01.17.24, Wed: Records Day - Students not in Attendance.
Girls and Boys Basketball begins at 4:30 pm
- 12.11, Mon: Girls and Boys RMS Bye
- 12.13, Wed: Girls Medina at RMS and Boys RMS at Medina
- 12.18, Mon: Girls RMS at World Language and Boys World Language at RMS
- 1.8.24, Mon: Girls RMS at Woodward Park and Boys Woodward Park at RMS
- 1.10.24, Wed: Girls RMS at Dominion and Boys Dominion at RMS
- 1.22.24, Mon: Girls Indianola at RMS and Boys RMS at Indianola
- 1.24.24, Wed: Girls RMS at Medina and Boys Medina at RMS
- 1.29.24, Mon: Girls World Language at RMS and Boys RMS at World Language
- 1.31.24, Wed: Girls Woodward Park at RMS and Boys RMS at Woodward Park
- 2.5.24, Mon: Girls RMS at Mifflin and Boys Mifflin at RMS
CCS Board Meets with the Community
There is one more opportunity for you to attend a Community Board Meeting this year:
- 12.19, Tues: Marion Franklin HS
Families are encouraged to attend this Board of Education meeting beginning at 6:00 pm. There will be a 30-minute open discussion time held from 5:15 - 5:45 pm where families and community members can speak to board members without early sign up.
Families are always welcome to attend regular board meetings at 3700 S. High St. but must sign up to speak by 3:45 pm the day of the meeting. For a full list of board meeting dates, please visit: Board of Education / Homepage (ccsoh.us)
The Counselor's Corner: Mrs. Thomas - Encourages Creating Balance During Winter Break
Later this month our students will begin winter break and that means 10 school days without a structured learning environment. Although a break is nice, it's best to continue to exercise the brain and body so that when your student returns to school on January 3rd, he/she will be prepared to begin school with a fresh and exercised brain.
Here are a few tips to help our RMS students stay healthy during the holiday season:
1. Be Present in the Moment: Encourage your student to step back and enjoy the moment via walks, playing sports, taking "me time", reading books, or playing board games.
2. Set Boundaries: Encourage your student to be picky in selecting activities. It's important to maintain balance and safety, all while enjoying the break.
3. Stay Active: Encourage your child to be active physically and mentally. This will enable the transition back to a structured classroom to occur smoothly.
4. Eat Healthy Foods: It's so easy to splurge and overdue it during the holidays. But eating right provides energy and keeps your student alert. So enjoy, but in moderation.
So while on winter break, help your child to Be RMS--Be Responsible. Be a Member. Be Safe.
To learn more, click on the active link below
Nurse Gina: Flu Vaccines & Holiday Healthy Eating
Greetings,
Now is the time to pay attention to two very important health topics as we enter the winter break and holiday season. Listed directly below is a very brief summary of how you can help your student and family during the holidays. In addition, the entire articles are listed below via the two live links.
1. Flu Vaccines
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends annual flu vaccination for everyone age 6 months or older. The flu vaccine can lower your risk of getting the flu. It also can lower the risk of having serious illness from the flu and needing to stay in the hospital or dying from the flu.
2 Healthy Eating During the Holidays
Ah, the holiday season. A time of year when indulgence abounds. Along with parties, gifts, and decorations, the festive season tends to be associated with food. It can be easy to get so caught up in celebratory feasts and nostalgic treats that we lose track of regular, balanced meals and the other healthy eating habits that serve us so well the rest of the year.
Let's work together to have--
Healthy Bodies. Strong Minds. Long Life!
Nurse Gina
Teacher Spotlight: Ms. Braddix
Ms. Braddix was born and raised in a Brooklyn housing project with two sisters and two brothers. She left New York when she was 30 years old and lived in the following places: Cleveland, Ohio; Nakatsu, Japan; Scottsdale, AZ; and, now here in Columbus. She has found peace and loves Ohio.
She graduated with a degree in Secondary Education and English from Hunter College, CUNY (City University of New York). Ms. Braddx became a teacher because she wanted to make a difference and uplift her community.
An important lesson she learned as a child was to pay attention and learn from other people's mistakes. Today, the important lesson that she is learning is to hear her own voice and follow her heart. She states, “I truly believe I am a spirit having a human experience and an ongoing lesson is always to be true to my uniqueness and not be afraid to toss out rhetoric that does not suit my soul's yearning or purposes.”
She is a newlywed and enjoys time with her husband, 14-year-old daughter, and bonus 16-year-old son. When not having family time, she enjoys her current hobby, which is focusing on writing a book.
Her favorite cuisine is Chinese food and her favorite dish is shrimp with broccoli.
Most would be surprised to know that she is a free spirit who has had a lot of experiences. In Japan, she taught conversational English to Japanese troops who were joining American forces in Kuwait. That was very interesting, to say the least. Ms. Braddix also appeared on local TV in reruns of a local talk show (Shhh! It’s a secret and she won’t tell us the name). Additionally, she enjoyed being a local radio personality on an early Sunday morning program. She states, “I enjoyed being a media personality for a while, but I find now that I don't need or enjoy the attention like I did back then. It was fun and a very exciting, interesting and fulfilling part of my life and I'm glad I had the courage to do it. Now, my goals have shifted.”
In closing, “Absolutely, I would love to write a best-selling novel that will be picked up for a series on Netflix or some other network. They're always looking for content! I want to speak French in Paris (even if it's only "Bonjour" and "Merci"). And so much more!”
After School Athletic Events & Safety Protocols Policy
Pick up time is 5:30 pm. Students who are not picked up on time will be ineligible to attend any after school activities for the remainder of this year.
Note: Basketball Game cost is $3.00.
IMPORTANT: KNOW THE GAME DAY SAFETY PROTOCOLS LISTED BELOW
Use the QR Code below to access tickets available through Local Level.
Special Needs and Services: Help Your Child to be Kind to ALL Students
Teaching children to be kind and accepting towards others is a goal most parents value highly. Read the beginning of this article below and click on the link below for the entire article.
So there we were, boarding one of the last shuttle buses before a charity walk on a warm afternoon, when we heard shouting outside. Some of those waiting for the bus were angry that a family had bypassed the line after their bus had broken down. It was a family with a child with special needs. They were in need of some kindness. It’s easy to get caught up in the heat of the moment, but there are antidotes. One antidote is to make the conscious choice to “pay it forward” with a random act of kindness. Here are 11 acts of kindness that could really help a family with special needs."
For the complete article by Friendship Circle entitled
"11 Random Acts of Kindness for Families with Special Needs"
click here or the live link below.
RMS VISION, MISSION, and CORE VALUES
The Vision: Each student at Ridgeview Middle School will show a year's worth of growth or more in reading and math as measured by District and/or state assessments by the end of each school year.
Our Mission: We exist to create an environment where students are educated through a lens of culturally responsive teaching, mindfulness, and the use of high-quality data. Collectively we aim to advocate, challenge, and support student growth in all areas of development.
Our 4 Core Values: 1. Create a safe, encouraging, inclusive, and supportive environment. 2. Maintain high expectations. 3. Inspire student success. 4. Demonstrate respect through empathy and inclusivity
CCS Mission & This Year's School Theme
Columbus City Schools Mission: Each student is highly educated, prepared for leadership and service, and empowered for success as a citizen in a global community.
2023-24 School Year Theme: Start Strong. End Stronger!
The RMS PBIS Corner
At Ridgeview, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is the ideal framework for our students to develop social-emotional competencies and improve outcomes. Below you will find our beliefs and monthly fun events and activities.
#1: Be RMS Definition
- Be Responsible
- Be a Member
- Be Safe
This month the focus in THE VIEW is - IN THE CAFETERIA.
BE RESPONSIBLE:
- Come prepared with lunch or your lunch number
- Enter quietly, sit in your assigned seat, and sit 3 people per table
- Leave with a pass, use pass appropriately, and return within the specified time frame
- Keep cell phones and electronics off and put away
BE A MEMBER:
- At the signal stop talking
- Eat your own food
- Do not share food or drinks
- Respect everyone and help one another
- Clean up after yourself, throw trash in the trash can when prompted
- Talk quietly and wait patiently to be dismissed
- Follow the directions of staff at all times
BE SAFE:
- Use hand sanitizer
- Walk at all times
- Keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself and out of aisles
- Remain seated until dismissed
- Push chairs under
- Resolve conflicts nonviolently and with maturity
- in the HALL (check The VIEW September edition)
- in the CLASSROOM (check The VIEW October edition)
- in the RESTROOM (check out The View November edition)
- in the CAFETERIA
- in the AUDITORIUM
- on the BUS
- at RECESS
- at ENTRY AND DISMISSAL
- and AGAINST BULLYING
#2: "Be RMS" Students vs. Staff Volleyball Game
It's another opportunity for students from each grade level.
Qualification Period: December 1 - 19, 2023
Event Date: Tuesday, December 19, 2023
HOW DO STUDENTS QUALIFY TO ATTEND THE EVENT?
- Follow the school rules - "BE RMS"
- Go to class On Time and No Tardies
- Listen to ALL adults in the building
- Display RMS behavior throughout the building, at recess, and on the bus
- Follow the CCS Dress Code
- NO 190s, REMOVALS, SUSPENSIONS, EXPULSIONS, BUS WRITE-UPS, or AFTER SCHOOL DETENTIONS
- Stay out of your lockers in between classes
- Keep your hoods down and hats off
- Leave heavy coats in your lockers
- No headphones, earbuds, or Air pods
- The administration will have final say in who will attend the event.
#3: "Be RMS" Golden Ticket Kona Ice Truck Grade Parties in November
On Thursday, November 30th, students from each grade level were able to qualify for the Kona Ice Truck. See the pictures below.
Tutoring & Academic Support
Do you need academic support for tutoring for your student?
Click on the links below.
Celebrating Diversity in December
INCLUSION is the celebration of DIVERSITY put in action
~ Brookes Publishing
Check out these celebrations in December:
- December 3rd - December 24th: Advent
- December 7: Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
- December 10: Human Rights Day
- December 7 - 15: Hanukkuh
- December 25: Christmas Day
- December 26 - Jan 1: Kwanzaa
Remember, we are better when we work together
PTA Point-of-View
WOW! November was an awesome month! Thank you to all the families who provided donations for the teacher dinner during conferences! The staff really appreciated it.
We were able to raise $481 through our Double Good popcorn sale. Thank you to everyone who shared our shopping link and purchased popcorn!
Watch for communications to come at the start of January for our pizza rollers fundraiser.
Your involvement is important, and we are still looking to fill one vacant position on our board. If you are interested, please send an email to RidgeviewMSPTA@gmail.com expressing your interest.
Here are the 2023/2024 Ridgeview MS PTA board members:
- President: Michelle Manko (parent to 8th grade student)
- Vice President: Adam Newman (parent to 8th grade student)
- Treasurer: Carol Ferry (parent to 8th grade student)
- Secretary: VACANT: shall keep all records of the organization
- Officer: Joanna Newman (parent to 8th grade student)
- Officer: Whitney Wagner (parent to 6th grade student)
Volunteers Needed
Please let us know by becoming a member https://rmsraiderspta.memberhub.com/store and sending an email to RidgeviewMSPTA@gmail.com with the level of commitment you can give. There is no such thing as too little!! We are all working adults who help each other as needed.
Fundraisers
Outside of fundraisers – KROGER COMMUNITY REWARDS – has been our best way to raise money. If you have not done so already, PLEASE, make RMS PTA your organization. Our number is 84721.
Our spirit wear shop is LIVE!! Get your RMS gear shipped directly to you. Shop our link: Ridgeview Webstore
Looking for a Ridgeview Raiders yard sign or a magnet for the back of your car?!?! Sign up as a supporting (magnet) or gold member (yard sign) of our PTA! https://rmsraiderspta.memberhub.com/store
Easy Ways to Provide Support: Here are some no cost/low time way to support the PTA:
--Download the Box Tops app, add Ridgeview PTA as your school and scan all your receipts
- If this is your first-time registering be sure to use our code: HXSC8XH4 – we receive a little bonus
- https://btfe.smart.link/c2jjdifkw?referral_code=HXSC8XH4
- No cost to you and RMS PTA does not receive copies of your receipts.
--Make RMS PTA your organization on the Kroger Community Rewards program.
- At Kroger.com or on your Kroger App, under Rewards, then Community Rewards, add our organization number 84721
- No cost to you and RMS PTA does not receive your personal information.
PTA Meetings and Communications
PTA meets the first Thursday of every month, at 6 PM over zoom. Please join us for these meetings. They are filled with information about fundraisers, events and how PTA funds are being allocated. It is also a good opportunity to meet other families with students are Ridgeview.
If you haven’t done so already, get added to our mailing list! Send an email to us at RidgeviewMSPTA@gmail.com and ask to be added to the list to make sure that you are aware of upcoming events and volunteer opportunities.
Facebook: Join our Facebook by searching "Ridgeview MS PTA".
Mark your calendar to attend our January 4, 2024 meeting via Zoom from 6 to 7 PM.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81196889925?pwd=VGJKaEVkcXV1WllaZkRUcm9Gc052dz09
Meeting ID: 811 9688 9925
Passcode: RMSPTA
Sincerely,
RMS PTA
Got Questions? Call the FACTLine
Need Help? Check Out Our Community Partners
LSS 211 offers services from homeless shelters to senior living. Call 211.
- City of Columbus CARES Act offers assistance with utilities.
- Cap4Kids provides resources for families in the areas of meals, housing, utilities, mental health, and lots more!
- Charity Newsies offers clothing assistance & winter coats.
- Charitable Pharmacy of Central Ohio offers pharmacy services and medicines, counseling on proper medication usage, health screenings, wellness education, and social program assistance for those who cannot afford them. (614) 227-0301.
- Clintonville Resource Center serving all of Central Ohio by providing assistance through the food pantry, child and youth programs, senior services, and kinship care program.
- Franklin County Children Services 2022 Guide provides information on local emergency or non-emergency assistance to families.
- Mid Ohio Food Bank provides food locations by zip code.
- OhioKAN ensures every kinship and adoptive family who wants support navigating the resources available to them can get it.
- Project Connect provides help to families living in shelter, car, motel, campground, and doubled-up families.
- Emergency Broadband Benefit provides relief for broadband services and a laptop, computer, or tablet.
Ridgeview Middle School
Ridgeview Attendance email: attendance.ridgeview@columbus.k12.oh.us
Ridgeview Attendance phone number: 380.997.6994
FACTline Email: factline@columbus.k12.oh.us
FACTline Phone Number: 614.221.FACT (614.221.3228)
Customer Relations Phone Number: 614.365.8888
Customer Relations Email: customerrelations@columbus.k12.oh.us
Family Ambassador Debora Myles: 614.365.5506
Email: ridgeviewms@columbus.k12.oh.us
Website: https://www.ccsoh.us/RidgeviewMS
Location: 4241 Rudy Rd, Columbus, OH 43214, USA
Phone: 614.365.5506
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RidgeviewProud