Ridgeview STEM Junior High School
September 24, 2021
PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
Hello Ridgeview Families,
We are in the process of developing a parent/community Curriculum Liaison Council. We need your help. I am looking for one parent who is interested!
The responsibilities of the position are as follows:
As a council member your role includes the following:
Provide representative input on key issues and/or topics impacting the quality of education provided to Pickerington students.
Serve as a key communicator in conveying information from the Council.
Provide input in developing parent and community engagement opportunities regarding the issues/topics identified by the Council.
Be familiar with the district website, key contacts, and other sources of information regarding curriculum, programs, funding, and buildings.
Attend 90 minute quarterly meetings.
Please call or email Mrs. Richardson if you are interested.
*Note:
As a gentle reminder - There is no left turns out of Ridgeview in the AM during drop off. We have made this change to help move traffic through. Both exits for parent drop off are now no left turns to try to make sure we can get everyone in and back out quickly. Thanks for being so understanding!
It is a Great day to be a Tiger!
Beth Richardson
Principal
Pickerington Local School District Needs YOU!
PLSD has a critical need for substitute paraprofessionals, health care assistants, duty aides, custodians, and food service employees! Do you love working with kids? Do you need a job that will work around your schedule? If so, please apply online at https://www.applitrack.com/pickerington/onlineapp/default.aspx?Category=Substitute+Positions&fbclid=IwAR0WbQ0l5J_O4KbMRDbQsHphmBptPL5rS5W1pC_yQp8u_QpXTSgLZClEUgE
School wide expectations reminders
Cell phones are off and away all day. If you have any questions regarding cell phones please review Board Policy 5136
One way hallways have been in place for 6 years at Ridgeview, students need to follow the one way hallway traffic all day and that includes going to lunch.
Language there is vocabulary that is not appropriate for school. We continue to remind students curse words are not appropriate at school and give students other vocabulary to vent their frustration. We also are having conversations about what students refer to as "dark humor." If it is inappropriate to say, saying that one was just kidding or only a joke does not negate the conversation from being inappropriate.
Lockers students should access their lockers at the beginning of the day, lunch time and at the end of the day. Students can carry their book bags from class to class.
Hands to ourselves and our own items: Our hallways do get crowded and sometimes students do accidentally bump into each other. However we have made announcements that we cannot play around, play fight, or grab others as it creates a safety concern. We address each of these as they occur, remind them that horsing around or rough house play is not appropriate at school and could escalate into something more so we ask that they do not do that at school. This also goes for our personal items as well and not touching items that do not belong to us.
Message from the Clinic
- If anyone in the household is being tested for COVID-19, do not send your student to school until you have test results!
- If your child is absent from school for reasons due to Covid-19, please be sure to call the School Nurse as soon as possible (614-548-1708). This is very important when recording absences and tracking Covid-19 cases in the school building.
- Please remember to screen your student daily for signs/symptoms of COVID-19 (cough, fever over 100, sudden onset of severe headache, sore throat). If your student has any of these symptoms, please do not send them to school/extra curricular activities.
- If your student is a close contact and has been vaccinated, they may continue to attend school and extracurricular activities if they are asymptomatic. They will be required to wear a mask for two weeks after exposure.
- We received clarification from the health department regarding modified quarantine. If your student is correctly and consistently wearing their mask in the classroom setting, they may be eligible for modified quarantine and continue to participate in school/extracurricular activities.
Trimester Important Dates
At the junior highs, we are on trimesters so our dates for grading periods do not align with the other levels in the district. Here are the trimester dates.
TRIMESTER 1: AUGUST 16-NOVEMBER 5
INTERIMS: SEPT 24th
TRIMESTER 2: NOVEMBER 8-FEBRUARY 11
INTERIMS: DEC 22nd
TRIMESTER 3: FEBRUARY 14-MAY 20
INTERIMS: APRIL 1st
Counselor's Corner
Signs of Suicide (SOS) Program for 7th ad 8th grade. Please click on the link for details.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wbMn8yXHyl8xL3ytPhF2XPSHWqn3Vb3WgFdpCdvKp7g/edit?usp=sharing
District Social Emotions! Learning survey to be completed by all students. The Ridgeview timeframe for Panorama will be Oct. 4th-8th. If students are not here, we will work to complete the survey by the 15th. Click on the links below for detailed information.
The Ridgeview timeframe for Panorama will be Oct. 4th-8th. If students are not here, we will work to complete the survey by the 15th.
English version of Parent Letter
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JZvFQ2dD_qcLOUqzYT0VRQmws2SdYPs3BFq2GXViKUM/edit?usp=sharing
Spanish version of Parent Letter
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GTGCpRohGV6n09iHhg7UoKi1tUK9UAAAr3LbOJZ6hiQ/edit?usp=sharing
National Junior Honor Society (NJHS)
Below is a list of dates for our National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) students to meet in the cafeteria immediately after school this year. This is ONLY for 8th Graders who completed the process last spring.
*Note: All dates are Mondays; from 2:10pm - 3:00pm.
September 27
October 25
November 22
December 13
January 24
February 28
March 28
April 24
For any questions, please contact Leanne Ross at Leanne_Ross@plsd.us.
P.A.W. Time Update
For more information check out Common Sense Media. In addition, here is a helpful video that demonstrates how to discuss social media usage with your student(s).
Questions about Close Contacts and Quarantining
Please see the following flow chart that will guide our decision making about quarantining for students and staff who have been exposed to a positive COVID-19 case.
If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to Marcia Stewart (marcia_stewart@plsd.us) our school nurse.
CLASS FEES HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED.
*Note:
7th and 8th grade class fees were assigned this week. In grades 7 - 12, class fees are assigned mid - late September to allow for the class drop/add season at the start of school. This is a change from grades K - 6. The only fee assigned at the start of school is the $40 tech protection plan. Class fee assignments vary depending on the selected courses / electives each student takes.
Winter Sports are Around The Corner
Open gym and tryout dates have not yet been released.
Winter Sports at Ridgeview:
7th and 8th Grade Basketball
Wrestling
Coed Cheer -- tryouts October 12 & 13, 6-8pm @ Ridgeview
Here are your steps to register for a sport so your athlete is ready for open gyms and tryouts:
1. Complete online Final Forms Registration. To do this, go to our athletic website: https://pickeringtontigers.net/
Click on MORE - far right top bar/will give you a drop down
Look to far left: FINAL FORMS -- click this and it will take you to the site to register.
- Sign up for new account
- Parents complete forms online
- Student athlete complete forms online
- Register for ALL sports of interest. This will populate your name to the various coaches so that you receive updated conditioning/practice information.
2. Updated OHSAA physical on file:
- Upload your physical to your Final Forms Account OR
- Email back to Mrs. Holley: @ lisa_holley@plsd.us
*Forms also located on above website: MORE: far left: 20/21 physical form
*Must be completed on the OHSAA physical forms by doctor.
*Must be on OHSAA forms - NOT a general physical print out from doctors visit.
*Physical good for 13 months.
NOTES:
* There is a Pay to Play Fee of $155 to play a sport in Pickerington. This can be paid in two(2) installments. There is a P2P for each season sport.
*There is a mandatory drug test to participate in a school sport. This will be scheduled by the athletic department and held at school. Cost is $16.
For fall sports schedules and tickets make sure to check out the Pickerington Tigers athletic website for upcoming home matches. Students are allowed to come to games to cheer on their classmates, I know many of our athletes would love to see their friends here supporting them! Please visit https://pickeringtontigers.net/event-tickets# to purchase tickets. All tickets will be sold online!
Picture Retake Day: October 21, 2021
This day will be set aside for those students/teachers who have not been photographed and for those who need their pictures retaken. In order to retake your picture -- the first picture packet will have to be returned the same day.
Parents who ordered and would like a retake of their student should return the picture package on retake day to the photographer in order to receive a replacement of the retake picture.
If students are being photographed for the first time and parents would like to order they can go to:
Enter online order code: 63385DA
Here is also a pdf of the fall retake flyer if they would like to print it out and turn it in.
PTO INFORMATION
We would like to thank you all personally for your patience with waiting for updates about our plans for the school year. Below you all will find a Google form for our upcoming meeting on Tuesday, September 28th from 5:30 to 6:15. We will meet at Ridgeview Junior HS in the cafeteria. The agenda is pretty open, so if there is anything you all would like to send to me for discussion feel free to do so, otherwise the Officer’s and I will discuss the plans we have for the year, details about our first fundraiser, and anything we have on the books.
The goal is to hear from each of you, any ideas you may have, events or fundraisers you would like to share, and or feedback you may. We want to do all we can for our students (children) and the faculty and need your help to make this happen! With the pandemic still very alive, we want to have as much fun as we can and be safe at the same time. With that being said, we look forward to meeting and speaking with you all.
Please complete this Google form to let us know if you can attend the first meeting:
https://forms.gle/bFruowZcWseAejSA9
Kelly Martin
PTO President
Want to be a part of the Ridgeview PTO Family??
Please feel free to contact Kelly Martin at kelly.martin_rvjhpto@hotmail.com; Catharyne Henderson at catharyneh@yahoo.com or Qiana Johnson at qsmith6@hotmail.com.
Ridgeview Values
Ridgeview STEM Junior High School
Email: beth_richardson@plsd.us
Website: pickerington.k12.oh.us
Location: 130 Hill Road South, Pickerington, OH, USA
Phone: 614-548-1700
Facebook: facebook.com/RidgeviewStem
Twitter: @RSJHSPrincipal