The Navigator Newsletter
Sycamore Junior High's Parent Communication
August 12-16, 2019
Building Goals
* Provide rigorous learning opportunities
* Respect diversity
* Personalize learning
COMING UP at the JH!
August 14: First Day of School
August 16: PTO Welcome Back Coffee 9:30am
August 20: Open House 6:00-7:30pm (Parent only event, please)
Your New Administrator
Andrew King is the new assistant principal at Sycamore Junior High.
King brings 23 years of education experience to Sycamore Schools. He served as a guidance counselor at Lebanon Junior High School and Berry Middle School for 18 years. He was also the Dean of Athletics at Lebanon Junior High for three years. Prior to working with students and families in Lebanon, King served as a special education teacher at Warner Middle School in Xenia, Ohio for five years.
King received his Master’s in School Leadership in 2018 from Concordia University. He also has a Master’s in School Counseling from the University of Dayton and a Bachelor’s in Special Education from Wright State University.
Quick Link to School Supply List
Open House
We would like to remind you that our Open House event will be taking place August 20, 2019 beginning at 6:00 PM. Please remember that this event is for parents only. You will need a copy of your child’s schedule. Schedules will be given to students on Tuesday, August 20 during the day. Please have your child give you a schedule. You can also see your child’s schedule by logging into Blackboard. Please report to your child’s first bell classroom to begin the evening.
Donations to THE SANDWICH PROJECT will be accepted. This is the 22nd year of the project. Weekly, students make 250 sandwiches in which they are picked up and delivered to St Francis Seraph located on Vine St in Over the Rhine. The sandwiches are then served to the hungry of Cincinnati that evening. It's a great experience for our kids as they demonstrate compassion, humility, and empathy to the less fortunate.
Reunification Plan
Dear Sycamore Families,
Sycamore Community Schools takes the safety and security of our staff and students very seriously. As part of an Ohio Revised Code requirement, the District is required to inform students and parents/guardians before the first day of school each year of our emergency parental notification protocols.
In the event of an emergency where an evacuation of the school building is necessary, students will be transported to safety at Sycamore Community Schools’ reunification site:
Blue Ash Recreation Center 4433 Cooper Rd. Blue Ash, OH 45242
Please watch this short video for important information on our reunification plan.
In the event of an evacuation, families should report to this location to pick up their student(s). A Reunification Information Document will be used in an event of an emergency where a reunification process is required. This document will be made available at the Blue Ash Rec Center to assist us in releasing your child to you.
In any emergency, we will disseminate information through our mass notification system, which includes phone calls, emails, mobile app alerts, as well as the district website and social media. Additionally, we will continue to provide updates through the above avenues as needed.
We are asking parents to verify their emergency contact information is up to date in Final Forms in order to be contacted in case of emergency. If you make any changes to your contact information in Final Forms, please confirm that the changes have been received by your child’s school by calling the front office.
P.T.O. Corner
It was great to see so many people at schedule pick up on August 7 and 8! Thank you to everyone who stopped by to join the PTO.
The Sycamore Junior High PTO is looking forward to a great year. We hope you will be an active participant this year as we connect with Parents, Teachers, Students, Families, and the District to strengthen our community. Any participation big or small is truly welcomed. All information about the PTO can be found by clicking on this link:
http://tinyurl.com/sycamorejhpto
Getting involved is as easy as 1,2 ,3.
- First - join the PTO on the same webpage listed above.
- Second - pay the PTO membership dues via PayPal or check.
- Third - volunteer to help in any capacity big or small. Not as many obligations as elementary & middle school, so a little goes a long way.
Our meetings are typically on the second Wednesday of various months at 10:30 am. Meet other parents, get up to date on what’s happening in our school and throughout the district.
From student recognition events to community service projects to staff appreciation efforts, the PTO keeps busy finding ways to enhance your student’s school year.
We would love to see you at the PTO Coffee on August 16th and at our first PTO meeting on September 11 at 10:30 am.
Questions? Please email jhpto@sycamoreschools.org
Follow us on Facebook!
PTO Welcome Back Coffee
August 16 @ 9:30 am
Join us for coffee and a bite to eat, catch up with friends, meet other parents, and find out what the PTO has planned for this year!
Flight Fest
Clubs & Activities at SJH
Clubs and activities do not begin until several weeks after school resumes. Dates and times of initial meetings will be announced several days ahead of time in daily announcements so students have the opportunity to attend the first meeting. Daily Announcements can be accessed from the SJH webpage.
New: Mental Health Services at the JH
Sycamore Community Schools is proud to provide families access to private mental health services for students in the 2019-2020 school year at Sycamore Junior High School.
After an extensive interview process with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital (CCHMC), the district is excited to announce the addition of the Kelsie McKinney as an on-site licensed therapist. Kelsie will be joining the staff at Sycamore Junior High School to confidentially serve students with mental health challenges.
“Social and emotional wellness is a priority for all of our students. Providing access to care for students in our schools increases the likelihood of treatment for those who need it, and ultimately, greater outcomes for the kids we care so much about,” said Lisa Zelvy, Pupil Supports Supervisor.
Meet Kelsie McKinney:
McKinney joins the junior high with six years of experience in social work and family therapy. Since 2016, she has served as an inpatient psychiatric social worker at CCHMCl. She has also spent the past four years serving as a multi-dimensional family therapist for Child Focus, focusing on reducing delinquency and substance use issues in adolescents involved with the juvenile court system. Prior to joining CCHMC, McKinney provided school-based counseling for Catholic Charities, Diocese of Covington. She received her Masters in Social Work from the University of Cincinnati, and her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Ohio University.
Our Partnership:
Sycamore Community Schools began collaborating in Spring of 2017 with Children’s Hospital and Mindpeace, a non-profit organization that helps align the partners, infrastructure and processes for children’s mental health solutions between schools and local agencies. The district is proud to announce that all seven schools will be staffed with school-based therapists for the 2019-2020 school year.
Sycamore’s partnership with Cincinnati Children’s will give students an additional option for access to mental health services beyond the services offered by our highly-trained school counselors and school psychologists. The school counseling program is an integral component of all aspects of our schools, as it helps students be emotionally healthy and ready to learn, and as mental health needs increase, so does the need for more acute care.
How families can access care:
The partnership with Cincinnati Children’s and their services does not require any financial support from the district. Students and families needing services can cover therapy visits through private insurance, Medicaid, or private pay options. Assistance may be available for families experiencing financial difficulty.
Parents, teachers and school counselors can make student referrals for service. Students can also self refer for services. Ultimately, the decision to move forward with therapeutic services is up to the family.
Medication Management Services:
Beginning in September, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital will begin offering medication management services to families engaged in school-based therapy. These services include the evaluation, prescription, and management of medication for clients. Medication management services are delivered by an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN).
The APRN will be at our District Office at 5959 Hagewa Drive two half-days per month. If parents are interested in engaging with medication management services, parents can schedule appointments directly through their building therapist. To receive these services, students must be active clients of the school-based therapist.
To discuss services available or with questions regarding services, Lisa Zelvy, Pupil Services Supervisor, can be reached at (513) 686-1700 or zelvyl@sycamoreschools.org. If you are interested in Kelsie’s services, you can contact her directly at Sycamore Junior High School (513) 686-1760 or mckinneyk@sycamoreschools.org.
Immunizations for 7th graders
Thank you to all 7th grade families who have turned in immunization records. As we work to process those records received, please continue to be patient before you follow up. If there is a problem, you will be contacted via email by Amy Bonham. If you have not turned in your child's proof of immunizations from a doctor's office, please do so ASAP.
Requirements:
The Ohio Department of Health requires all students prior to entering the 7th grade to have (1) dose of MCV4 (meningococcal) and a Tdap (Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis) booster.
Proof of immunization from the doctor’s office must be given to the school before the start of 7th grade. Immunization documents can be brought to school or mailed to the JH, emailed to the JH Nurse Amy Bonham at bonhama@sycamoreschools.org or faxed to (513) 792-6192. If immunization records were previously given to EH Greene another copy will not need to be given at Schedule Pickup.
Meet your Counselors
The Aves Hangar
Sycamore Junior High School
Email: jhadmin@sycamoreschools.org
Website: www.sycamoreschools.org/sycamorejh
Location: 5757 Cooper Road, Cincinnati, OH, United States
Phone: 5136861760
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SycamoreJuniorHighPTO/
Twitter: @sycamorejrhigh