RBHS BRIDGE Communication
Rock Bridge High School Newsletter: February 22, 2024
Mission: Rock Bridge High School is a community in which ALL students and staff inspire each other to become lifelong learners.
Hello Rock Bridge Families,
We are completing our 8th week of school and will be issuing our first progress reports for second semester today. You will be able to see your student's IPR grades in Infinite Campus. These grades are only a snapshot of the gradebook at a single moment in time, so grades can still change drastically as the semester progresses. Please take a few minutes this week to speak with your student and review their academic goals they set for themselves this year.
In January, we dedicated time during our morning announcements to teach students about SMART Goals. SMART goals are utilized by educators regularly as an effective goal setting and accountability tool. Students are encouraged to employ the SMART Goal process for their own academic goal setting. Of course, this method can be used in all aspects of life. Talk to your student about goal setting and ask if they've created any SMART goals for themselves this semester.
Below you will find information about the following.
- Semester 2 IPR Information
- Attendance Goal Update
- Black History Month at RBHS
- 2024 RBHS CFAE Nominees
- RBHS APR and Climate Presentation
- Performing Arts Celebrations
- Athletics Celebrations
- Courtwarming Dance Information
- January BRIDGE Communication
- March Calendar
As always, we are grateful to partner with you in this important work!
Sincerely,
Jacob
Semester 2 IPR Information
Attendance Goal Update
This year we have a goal that 87% of our students are present at school 90% of the time. Our collective percentage of students who have achieved 90% attendance as of February 16th is 84.2% compared to 82.7% the previous year at the same time. We are excited to report that this is an increase from January of 2024! In the chart below, you can see the attendance data broken down by grade level comparing last year and this year at the same time.
Achieving this goal will require a partnership between RBHS and our families. We hope that we can count on you to help us achieve our 2023-2024 Attendance Goal. Please discuss this openly with your family and help us stress the importance of attending school every day one is able. We know that being present during instruction is one of the most important keys to academic success.
Black History Month at RBHS
We would like to take a moment to thank our Rock Bridge MAC Scholars for our daily announcements recognizing and honoring contributions made by African Americans in shaping our great nation! Earlier this week, we learned about the accomplishments of Sylvia Robinson. If you aren't familiar with her work, we recommend you look her up.
Did you know that February was chosen as Black History Month because the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass both fall in the month's second week? If you are interested in the story behind Black History Month and want to learn more about why it is celebrated in February, you can read the article linked below.
The Story Behind Black History Month
Black History is not something that is only taught in February. There is rarely a grade level in which African American History isn’t taught, but not necessarily in a “stand alone” way rather as an integral part of the larger story being told. No matter the grade level or curriculum focus, CPS articulates a scope and sequence that focuses on identity and “continuity and change” over time, in grades K-12. This allows students to explore the history of all our peoples and the importance and significance of diversity and the changes/effects (including negative) that are outcomes of power distribution, colonialism, imperialism, etc.
RBHS 2024 CFAE Educator Nominees
The Columbia Fund for Academic Excellence was established in the 1979-80 school year with an initial gift from Mr. and Mrs. Ray Lewis. Other individuals, community organizations, and businesses have contributed to the fund since that time. The fund was established for the purpose of making cash awards each year to educators in the Columbia Public Schools who are selected as exemplary in certain categories.
Rock Bridge High School is honored to have 3 CFAE nominees this year.
- Dr. Karen King is nominated for Outstanding High School Educator. Dr. King teaches AP Physics 1, and AP Physics C, and Honors Physics. She also sponsors our Girls Who Code and Medical Club.
- Mrs. Melissa Coil is nominated for Outstanding Educator in a Specialized Area. Mrs. Coil coordinates our RBHS Success Center, where she serves and Instructor and Counselor. She serves on our teacher leadership group, Executive Council, and coaches Girls Golf.
- Mr. Drew Shattuck is nominated for Outstanding First Year Teacher. Mr. Shattuck is a Social Studies Teacher and teaches CIVICs & AP Human Geography. He also sponsors the RBHS Chess Club.
Students and parents, if you’ve shared an impactful professional experience with one of these individuals, please consider writing them a letter of recommendation. Letters of support should be turned into Michele Parker and are due by March 1st.
Thank you for your continued support of Rock Bridge Educators!
APR and Climate Presentation for RBHS
How to Interpret Your Student's MAP/EOC/iReady Results
When you look at the image below, you can see a comparison between attendance and MAP/EOC (End of Course Exams) performance for both Communication Arts and Math in all of CPS. Students who attend school 90% or more are much more likely to score in the "proficient" or "advanced" range on their MAP and EOCs. For example, 42.5% of CPS students who attended school 90% or more in 2023 scored in the "proficient" or "advanced" range for their Math MAP or EOC. Whereas only 17.8% of students in the same year who attended school less than 90% of the time scored in the "advanced" or "proficient" range for the same assessments. We know that students who consistently attend school are able to achieve greater academic outcomes.
Performing Arts Celebrations
Wind Symphony
City Lights
Chamber Orchestra
Athletics Celebrations
RBHS Girls Swim and Dive
2024 CMAC Champions
Sarah Miner
Finished 5th at State in the 500 Free
Tyler Abell
District Champion
Courtwarming Dance
March Calendar
- February 23 - Courtwarming Assembly
- March 1 - No School Teacher Work Day
- March 20 - No School Teacher Work Day
- March 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 - No School Spring Break
- April 8 - No School Teacher Work Day