The Navigator Newsletter
Sycamore Junior High's Parent Communication
April 16-20
COMING UP at the JH!
New Check in Procedure at the JH
Dear Sycamore Families, Friends, and Stakeholders:
The safety and security of our students and staff is one of our highest priorities.
On April 2, we began using LobbyGuard in all of our buildings. The visitor management system runs a background check on each individual that enters the building, looking for individuals who are legally banned from visiting schools (ie. sex offenders, restraining orders) This pilot program will be used regularly for the remainder of the school year and will be fully implemented for the 2018-19 school year.
All visitors will be asked for a state-issued license or identification. If you do not have a license or state ID, you will not be permitted to enter the building unless you are there to attend a meeting/supervised function.
All visitors will be asked to sign in and out using the program. You will be required to wear the photo badge that is printed at the time of check-in during the entirety of your visit.
We understand that there certain circumstances where our families may not have proper identification. Our administrators will work through those unique situations on a case by case basis.
Sincerely,
Lisa Zelvy
Assistant Principal
P.T.O.
In May, we will have a very brief business meeting to vote on the slate of officers and the PTO budget for next school year. Our May meeting will be Wednesday, May 9 at 11:00. Please notice the time change to make it more convenient for members to attend the Volunteer Luncheon immediately following. Please see the invitation below and RSVP to Rhonda Augustin at augustinr@sycamoreschools.org.
Get Involved Next Year!
Rising 8th grade parents: Get involved with the JH PTO! Click on the link below to find out ways to lead (Chair positions) or ways to help (volunteer jobs) next year at the JH. Thanks!
https://www.cognitoforms.com/SycamoreJuniorHighPTO/JHPTO20182019VolunteerOpportunities
SJH Honor Roll
Get Ready!
Our annual 8th Grade Day is scheduled for Wednesday, May 23, 2018. 8th graders will be heading to the Blue Ash Recreation Center for an exciting day of fun! The 8th grade panoramic picture will be taken after returning to the junior high. More details will follow soon.
Counseling Corner
Scarlet Oaks Summer Opportunity for current 8th grade students:
Summer camps are back in June! Spend a week getting hands-on experience in a career! Please check out the flyer and visit their website for more information and to sign up.
From the HS Counselors
High School Scheduling Update:
The SHS administrative team is working on the overall building schedule of classes for next school year. Once this "master schedule" is complete, student's individual class schedules can be created! We wanted to take a moment and remind 8th grade families that the deadline for all class requests is May 15th. That includes academic level changes (accelerated, honors, regular, standards) or elective changes. This date is necessary so that we can finalize class offerings for next year. If your student has changed their mind about any of the classes they chose for next year, please contact their high school counselor by May 15th to request the change.
Immunizations for 7th Grade
around the district: SYCAMORE NEWS & EVENTS
The Aves Hangar Bookstore & Spiritshop
Click here for a complete schedule of store hours
See an online photo album of our current inventory
Where do I park at the high school when visiting the Aves Hangar?
Please visit our webpage for more information.
Stay up-to-date: Like us on Facebook & Follow us on Twitter
Questions? Email: sycamorebookstore@gmail.com
Beginning Weight Lifting Camp
Parents,
We are offering beginning weight lifting camp for 7th and 8th graders. There is still space available in both sessions. Session 1 runs April 3 - April 26. Although this session has already started, students may still sign up. The cost is $10 per class and students may either sign up for as many classes as they wish or pay $10 at a time. The second is May 1 - May 24. Both sessions are 5-6pm in the Gregory Center Weight room at Sycamore High School.
The camp will focus on proper lifting technique, injury prevention, and athletic enhancement that can be transferred to any sport. Athletes can participate in 1 or both sessions. Athletes who complete session 1 will continue to build on that foundation in session 2. You can register online through parent portal. In addition, I have attached the registration form here. I look forward to working with you and your young athletes!
Thanks,
Matthew Johnson
Head Strength Coach
Sycamore High School
Youth Football & Cheer
Community and other information
Substance Abuse
Know! April is Alcohol Awareness Month
The month of April has been designated Alcohol Awareness Month as an opportunity to focus attention on America’s #1 health problem. This year’s theme, sponsored by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCAAD), is “Changing Attitudes: It’s not a ‘rite of passage.’”
Alcohol is the most commonly used addictive substance among adolescents and adults in our country. As much as we hear in the media about the rise in popularity of popping pills and smoking marijuana, alcohol remains young people’s top drug of choice.
If you’re sighing in relief after hearing that your students are more likely to drink alcohol as opposed to using other substances, you’re not alone. But that is also why this tip is so important, as we address the many negative aspects of underage drinking.
We all know that adolescence is a time of experimentation, and it is very common for people to think of alcohol as a lesser and more acceptable evil – so long as a teen doesn’t drink and drive or get in the car with someone who has been drinking. While drinking and driving is extremely dangerous and often deadly, the risks associated with underage drinking go far beyond cars and can be just as fatal.
Underage Drinking:
- Impairs Judgement: Drinking can lead to poor decision-making, including loud and unruly behavior and property destruction.
- Leads to Risky Sexual Behavior: Alcohol plays a significant role in risky sexual behavior, including unwanted, unintended, and unprotected sexual activity, as well as sex with multiple partners – increasing the risk for unplanned pregnancy and for contracting sexually transmitted diseases.
- Increases the Risk of Physical and Sexual Assault: Underage youth who drink are more likely to carry out or be the victim of a physical or sexual assault.
- Interferes with Brain Development: The adolescent brain, which continues to grow and develop into a person’s mid-twenties, is negatively impacted by alcohol, potentially affecting both brain structure and function in the short and long term.
- Increases the Risk of Alcohol Problems Later in Life: Research shows that young people who begin drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol use disorders at some point in their lives.
- Leads to Problems at School: Skipping school, learning problems, and academic failure are all associated with underage drinking.
- Impacts Health: Alcohol is known to cause a range of physical health consequences from hangovers to alcohol poisoning. Ongoing heavy use of alcohol into adulthood is linked to numerous chronic diseases, neurological impairments, and social problems.
- May Lead to Further Substance Use:Research shows that underage drinking is associated with additional substance use, including the use of tobacco, marijuana, and other drugs.
- Causes Unintentional Injuries: Young people who consume alcohol are at greater risk for getting hurt from falls, burns, and drowning while under the influence.
- Causes Fatalities: According to the CDC, the four main causes of alcohol-related deaths among adolescents are motor vehicle crashes, homicides, suicides, and unintentional injuries that result in death.
We have clear evidence as to why underage drinking should not be taken lightly or considered a lesser evil. The consequences can be life-altering, extremely risky, and can lead to death in a number of ways. It is essential to the health and well-being of our youth that we – as parents and other caring adults – change the way we think of underage drinking and the approach we take with our children on the subject.
In the tip to follow, we will discuss what we can do to help prevent underage drinking and protect our children.
Sources: Centers for Disease Control: Alcohol and Public Health – Underage Drinking. Oct. 20, 2016. John Hopkins, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY): Consequences of Underage Drinking. National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD): Alcohol Awareness Month 2018. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA): Alcohol Facts and Statistics 2017.
The week in sports
**Subject to Change**
Monday: April 16 (No School)
Boys Lacrosse Game (H) 5:00, 6:00 Milford
Girls Lacrosse No Practice
Baseball @ CHCA 4:30 Founders Field
Softball No Practice
Track No Practice
Tennis Green (H) 4:00 Mason White
Tennis Gold @ Mason Green 4:00
Tuesday: April 17
Boys Lacrosse @ Indian Hill 5:00, 6:00 Camp Dennison
Girls Lacrosse Practice 3:15-5:00
Baseball Practice 3:15-5:00
Softball @ Ross 4:30 Ross MS
Track Meet (H) 4:30
Tennis Green @ Loveland 4:00 Normandy
Tennis Gold (H) 4:00 Indian Hill
Wednesday: April 18
Boys Lacrosse Practice 3:15-4:30
Girls Lacrosse Game (H) 5:00 CHCA
Baseball Home 4:30 CCD
Softball Practice 3:15-5:00
Track Practice 3:15-4:30 ONLY GOLDEN BATON COMPETITORS
Tennis Green @ Oak Hills 4:00 Western Tennis Fitness Club
Tennis Gold (H) 4:00 Hamilton
Thursday: April 19
Boys Lacrosse @ Fairfield (B) 6:00 Joyce Field
Boys Lacrosse (A) after school 3:15-4:30
Girls Lacrosse Game (H) 5:00 Indian Hill
Baseball @ Walnut Hills 4:30 Hoffman Field
Softball @ Walnut Hills 4:30 Evanston Park
Track Gold Batons 4:30 @ High School
Tennis Green (H) 4:00 Liberty
Tennis Gold @ Princeton 4:00
Friday: April 20
Boys Lacrosse No Practice
Girls Lacrosse No Practice
Baseball No Practice
Softball Program Day 4:30 HS
Track Practice 3:15-5:00 (Last practice for non-GMC athletes)
Tennis Program Day 3:30 HS
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