TJH Update #7
September 4, 2019
A Message from Dr. Mitzner
Every day, my primary role as a building principal is to ensure that students are safe and learning.
Earlier this morning, the local law enforcement had our campus go to a lock out status while law enforcement performed a search in the area. The students and staff were safe inside the building and classrooms during the lockout, and classroom instruction continued as usual. As part of our standard response protocol “lockout” is a directive to place locked exterior doors between students and staff and a threat or hazard found outside the building. We follow these procedures to secure the campus whenever we are informed of these types of threats.
As a parent, grandparent and school principal, know that I am committed to ensuring student safety. Your TJH staff and all students did an amazing job knowing our process and implementing it. As soon as law enforcement gave us the all clear, our campus moved back into our regular schedule.
We also found the owner to the puppy who came to Tays Junior High as a new student today.
Football and volleyball season has started!! I hope to see you cheering on our students!
Regards,
Dr. Kris Mitzner
Principal
Tays Junior High
Picture Day 2019-20!!
Athletic Passes
Support your school by participating in the TJH PTSA FUNdraiser!
We are excited to announce the drawing of one set of WIRELESS CHARGING APPLE AIRPODS! Students are eligible to enter the drawing by donating $20 to the TJHPTSA FUNdraiser by Friday, September 6.
Here’s the catch; the more money the student donates in increments of $20, the more times the student’s name will be entered into the drawing!!! (Example: $20 donation = one entry, $80 donation = four entries).
We will be accepting online donations via our website at www.taysjhptsa.org. Students can also donate via cash/check by turning in donations during their lunch period.
Any student donating $20 will also receive a Bahama Bucks snocup at a TBD date in the coming weeks!
Donations will be used to purchase additional laptops, guest speakers and enhanced programs at Tays!
Thanks for your support and Happy FUNdraising!
Tays PTSA
This Week's Home Base Lesson
This year, Advisory was changed to Home Base, but it is still used to complete classwork and homework. However, it is a 31 minute personal device free period. On Mondays and Fridays for the first 15 minutes maximum, the students do a weekly grade check as well as goal setting/reflection, and on Wednesdays they complete a Home Base lesson. Tuesdays and Thursdays are treated as days where students can be pulled to different classrooms to complete missing work or receive additional support in a subject. We also continue to offer tutorials before and after school.
Sixth Grade Home Base Lesson
Grade 6, Lesson 4 Grow Your Brain
Grade 6, Lesson 3
Family Lesson Summary
This week’s lesson teaches students that they can build intelligence by using new approaches and strategies, trying new things, and working through difficulties. The understanding that they can strengthen their brains can help
them achieve more in school and in life.
Family Lesson Question
Tell your child about a time you had to learn something new. Explain whether it was hard to learn and how you learned it. Ask your child if there’s anything he or she would like to learn to do this year.
Seventh Grade Home Base Lesson
Grade 7, Lesson 3 Making Mistakes
Family Lesson Summary
This week’s lesson explains that learning from mistakes can be useful and helps students understand how to grow from making mistakes.
Family Lesson Question
Tell your child about a mistake you made in the past and what you learned from it. Ask your child to tell you about a mistake he or she made and what he or she learned from it.
Eighth Grade Home Base Lesson
Grade 8, Lesson Identity and Social Groups
Family Lesson Summary
This week, your child will continue to think about identity and how people sometimes “switch” identities to fit in with different social groups. The lesson explains that it’s okay to change identities depending on the group you’re in, but your child doesn’t have to change in ways that don’t feel right.
Family Lesson Question
Ask if your child ever feels the need to switch identities to fit in, and how that feels. Tell your child about a time you felt you had to change in a way that didn’t feel right so you would be accepted by a group.
Click here for research on how goal setting supports student learning.
TUTORIAL SCHEDULE
Tutorials will be offered Monday through Friday. Students may attend tutorials with any grade level teacher - it does not have to be their classroom teacher.
Students are expected to enter through the front doors a 8:10am. Students are welcome to attend any teacher's tutorial within their grade level. Students are responsible for their own transportation to tutorials.
Afternoon Tutorials:
There is not a sign-up for afternoon tutorials, but if students wish to attend, they must be in the teacher's classroom by 4:00. These sessions will end at 4:25 and students will need to be picked up in front of the school in the circle drive.
AMC 8 Test
AMC 8 test is coming up on November 12th from 4-5pm.
AMC test is a nationally administered mathematics test that is based on overall mathematics learning across the nation. AMC 8 tests up to 8th grade level math content but can be given to any junior high student that wishes to participate. This is an optional test that does not reflect on the student’s progress at Tays, their math class nor is it aligned to Texas math standards, TEKS. This is just to see how they rank against students nationwide.
Click here to get your form & more info!
AMC 8 Registration Form and $6- Due by Friday, September 20th!!
TJH TESTING CENTER OPENED!
Purpose: To support teachers and students having more time for tutorials by providing a one stop shop for retests and make-up tests. This will also alleviate students having to miss more instruction time to make up a test they missed.
Location: Room 1155
Hours: Monday - Friday 7:45 - 8:40. Students will enter through the doors closest to the flag pole in the front.
LEGACY PARENT ACADEMY
SCHOOL APPROPRIATE CLOTHING
We are excited to get the year off to a great start. In the coming days, grade-level assistant principals will be holding discipline talks to discuss behavior expectations for the year. An important part of these expectations includes appropriate school dress. We know that current trends in fashion can make school shopping a little more challenging, but hope that you will help us by ensuring your child meets the expectations for appropriate school dress when he/she leaves each morning.
Starting tomorrow, if your child is sent to the AP office for a dress code violation, he/she will receive school appropriate t-shirt and/or pants to wear for the remainder of the day.
Here is a video (as well as below) that has been created to show what is and is not acceptable attire for school. Students will be shown this video too, but we wanted to ensure you are informed as well. In addition, we have also included the KISD Dress Code requirements as found in the KISD Student Code of Conduct. The Katy ISD Guidelines can be found here.
If you have further questions, please contact your grade-level assistant principal's office.
We have prepared a video to highlight some of the fashion trends to help you.
Yearbook 2019-20
CRIME STOPPERS OF HOUSTON
Thursday, September 5th, Crime Stoppers of Houston will have a great speaker on current drug trends and how our teens hide drugs and alcohol in plain sight at home in schools.
Register here - https://crime-stoppers.org/event/high-in-plain-sight-current-alcohol-drug-and-concealment-trends-and-identifiers
COUNSELOR BOOK STUDY
Parent Book Study Information
This September the counseling staff will be hosting a book study by author Dr. Michael J. Bradley, Crazy-Stressed Saving Today’s Overwhelmed Teens with Love, Laughter, and the Science of Resilience, If you are interested in participating in the book study please use the link below to sign up. .
Parent Sign up Link: https://tinyurl.com/tjhstress
Book Study Dates/Times/Location
Tays Junior High LGI
Time: 9:30 – 11:00
September 5: Session 1- Welcome Session
September 12: Session 2- Part 1: The Anti-Adolescent Resilience Conspiracy
September 20: Session 3- Part 2: Strategies and Tactics
September 27: Session 4- Part 3: Common Resilience Parenting Challenges-The DO’s & DONT’s
October 3: Session 5- Closing/wrap up session
PTSA NEWS & WELCOME COFFEE
CLOSE-UP PROGRAM - ONLY FOR 7TH GRADERS
Close Up is a dynamic, hands-on, civic education program for students! With over 40 years of experience, almost 15 of them working with Katy ISD, Close Up is the nation’s largest non-profit and non-partisan citizenship education organization; and they are driven by a mission to help students become more effective and informed citizens. This trip will complement the curriculum that will be taught in your child’s next year 8th grade American History class and is designed to inspire and empower your student with this incredible experience.
Close Up’s programs are designed to give students direct opportunities to interact with government and history by traveling to Williamsburg Virginia, Mt. Vernon, Alexandria, Gettysburg and Philadelphia. This is sure to be a fun and exciting experience that will provide lifelong memories for our students.
To learn more about the trip, the district will be holding an informational meeting On Tuesday October 8 at 6:30pm, in the 1200 Rooms at the ESC/Merrell Center to discuss cost, trip dates, scholarship application processes and other program logistics. If you are unable to attend the meeting, please feel free to contact me directly. I can be reached by phone at 281-234-2470 or email at christinemhewitt@katyisd.org
If you have heard about this wonderful opportunity from the past years and are ready to sign up so you are guaranteed a spot – let me know and I will get you the links to put in your first installment!! We have had the LARGEST group 3 years running!
I look forward to working with you to provide this incredible opportunity to the students of Tays Junior High!
Christine Hewitt
Texas History
Tays Junior High
UPCOMING EVENTS
September 4, 2019
Theatre Rehearsal in Cafeteria 4:00-6:00pm
8th Grade Football TJH vs. SLJH at OTHS 5:15pm
7th Grade VB TJH vs. SLJH at SLJH 5:00PM
8th Grade VB TJH vs. SLJH at TJH 5:00pm
September 5, 2019
PTSA Board Meeting in Library Resource Room 9:00-10:30am
Parent Book Study/Counselors in LGI 9:30-11:00am
Theatre Rehearsal in Cafeteria 4:00-6:00pm
Counselor's New Student Orientation in LGI during Home Base
September 6, 2019
PTSA General Board Meeting and Volunteer Fair in LGI 9:00-12:00pm
Theatre Back to School Party at Altitude 6:00-8:00pm
September 9, 2019
Theatre Rehearsal in Cafeteria 4:00-6:00pm
September 10, 2019
Theatre Rehearsal in Cafeteria 4:00-6:00pm
KIC Meeting - ESC Boardroom 4:15pm
7th Grade Football Titans vs. WCJH at OTHS 5:15pm
September 11, 2019
Theatre Rehearsal in Cafeteria 4:00-6:00pm
VIPS Liaison Breakfast at Legacy Stadium 8:10-9:10am
VIPS General Board & Coffee with the Superintendent at Legacy Stadium 9:10-10:30am
8th Grade Football Titans vs. WCJH at OTHS 5:15pm
September 12, 2019
Picture Day!
Theatre Rehearsal in Cafeteria 4:00-6:00pm
Counselor's Parent Book Study in LGI 9:30-10:30am
7th Grade VB TJH vs. AJH at OTHS 5:00pm
8th Grade VB TJH vs. AJH at OTHS 5:00pm
September 13, 2019
PTSA Mailbox Treat - Fortune Cookie Day!
PTSA Katy Council Training in LGI in am