Ridgeview STEM Junior High School
October 14, 2022
Principal's Message:
Hello Ridgeview Families,
We have a couple more days in October that the students are not in school. Here are the dates and the expectations for those days:
Monday, Oct 24th - Professional Development Day (no work assigned on this day)
Tuesday, Oct 25th - Virtual Learning Day (students will have assignments, please have them check their Google Classrooms and school email)
Enrollment Projections Hold True Highlighting Need for Pickerington Schools' Bond Passage
Pickerington Schools’ enrollment has exceeded projections for the 2022-23 school year, and the student population is forecasted to increase by nearly 1,000 students by the 2027-28 school year. By that point in time, nearly every building in the district will be over capacity. The two charts below break down the expected enrollment growth by school year, as well as the enrollment versus capacity in each of our buildings through the 2029-30 school year.
Pickerington Schools’ Nov. 8 bond issue will be used to address this rapid growth in the student population by constructing a new junior high and renovating and expanding existing facilities. Community approval of the bond issue will help our students for years to come, and will help keep our schools and property values strong. Learn more about the bond issue on our website. Don’t forget that early in-person and absentee voting by mail is open now and election day is Nov. 8. More information about voting is available on the Vote Ohio website.
PEF Charity Event Promises an Evening of Entertainment, Food, a Silent Auction and Reverse Raffle, and More! Tickets are on sale now for this year’s fun filled Pickerington Education Foundation (PEF) Charity Auction.
The event includes dinner, drinks, entertainment, silent & live auctions, and a Reverse Raffle. It will take place on Saturday, November 5 from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., at the Wigwam Event Center, 10190 Blacklick-Eastern Rd. NW, Pickerington, OH 43147. The event is a truly enjoyable and fun way to support our schools!
Tickets are $60 per person and are on sale now.
ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR FUN AND PRIZES: You may opt to purchase a Reverse Raffle Ticket for an additional $50. Got a lucky number? Pick it for a chance to win! Using the 'seat finder' application, pick a number between A1 through A300 for your Reverse Raffle Entry number.
Dinner will be catered by Berwick Manor.
The silent auction includes upscale baskets and themed, decorated trees. Proceeds from this event provide grants to Pickerington teachers and buildings for a variety of classroom projects. We hope to see you there!
Thank you for your continued support of the Pickerington Schools!
Sincerely,
Beth Richardson
Principal
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PICKERINGTON CHARITY AUCTION (RECAP)
Get your tickets now for this year’s fun-filled Pickerington Education Foundation Charity Auction! The event includes dinner, drinks, entertainment, silent & live auctions, and a Reverse Raffle. It will take place on Saturday, November 5 from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., at the Wigwam Event Center, 10190 Blacklick-Eastern Rd. NW, Pickerington, OH 43147. The event is a truly enjoyable and fun way to support our schools!
Tickets are $60 per person and are on sale now on the Pickerington Education Foundation webpage.
ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR FUN AND PRIZES: You may opt to purchase a Reverse Raffle Ticket for an additional $50. Got a lucky number? Pick it for a chance to win! Using the 'seat finder' application, pick a number between A1 through A300 for your Reverse Raffle Entry number.
Dinner will be catered by Berwick Manor. The silent auction includes upscale baskets and themed, decorated trees.
Proceeds from this event provide grants to Pickerington teachers and buildings for a variety of classroom projects. PEF awards over $20,000 each year that goes directly back to support our schools. Founded in 2004, PEF is a permanent public charity as a fund within the Fairfield County Foundation. As a public charity, all contributions to the Foundation will receive the maximum tax deduction allowed by law.
We hope to see you at the PEF Charity Auction!
True Goals: Partnership with The Ohio State University
We are pleased to announce that, starting in the second quarter, we have expanded our current True Goals goal setting program so that all PLSD junior high students will be participating in it to set their own goals, track their progress towards their goals, and celebrate their success. The True Goals lessons themselves are short, taking 20 minutes of PAW time, and the students will participate in the program one day a week for seven weeks in either the second or third quarter.
This is a research-based program that has been shown to positively impact students’ motivation, self-knowledge, self-direction, and positive relationships with other students and teachers. The lessons cover 10 principles of goal setting, encouraging students to set and attain their own academic, social, and personal goals. We all have things that we want to work on, and this program equips students to navigate the goal setting process so that they succeed and build on this success with future goals.
We are excited to partner with a team from Ohio State, who has supported us as we train our staff in this program. They will also support us as we evaluate the positive impact of this program. Specifically, we are interested to see how True Goals impacts two factors that are important to student success: sense of school belonging and hope. These are two powerful supporters of success for our students. We know that hope is a better predictor of post-secondary success than GPA, ACT or SAT scores. We know that if students have high levels of school belonging that they succeed in school. So, we are focused on improving all our students’ feelings of hope and school belonging. To better evaluate the program, the team from Ohio State is conducting a research study that involves four brief surveys that students will take over the course of the program to see how students grow. More information on the study is provided below. If you have any questions about the program or if you would like to see the questions from the surveys, please use the information provided by Ohio State below or this link here.
NOTICE OF LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE
The opening of the 2022-2023 school year in Pickerington was a great start for our district, and it is because of our awesome students, staff, and families. That's why it is important to me to reach out to you today to emphasize how proud I am of the exceptional teamwork displayed by our entire school community as we welcomed students back for the 2022-23 school year.
It is also important for you to know that with our growing population, we have a Language Assistance Plan for our families that need language assistance. It is the policy of Pickerington Schools to ensure meaningful communication with students and families in order to communicate information related to the education of all students. All services needed to comply with this policy will be provided for students and their families in need of such assistance free of charge. For assistance, please call 614-833-2110.
Let's continue to make it a great school year! I look forward to seeing you in and around the buildings and community!
Dr. Chris Briggs, Superintendent of Pickerington Schools
** Click this link to view/download this letter in a pdf version .
Notice of Language Assistance
Pickerington Schools will take reasonable steps to ensure that persons with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) have meaningful access and an equal opportunity to participate in all services, activities, and programs available throughout the district. It is the policy of Pickerington Schools to ensure meaningful communication with LEP students and families and to communicate information related to the education of all students. All services needed to comply with this policy will be provided for students and their families in need of such assistance free of charge. For assistance, please call 614-833-2110.
Why Bond Passage Nov. 8 Would “Feel” Similar to a Renewal Levy
In case you missed the article in Pickerington Magazine this month, we wanted to share a useful explanation of tax rates as they pertain to Pickerington School’s Nov. 8 bond issue.
As home values appreciate in the district, tax rates are reduced so that the aggregate tax collections for the school do not increase. The graphics at the end of this article show an assumed 24% increase in district taxable value, and the impact on 3 different homes. The graphic is showing ONLY taxes calculated for the district.
As the chart shows, 3 different homes appreciate at 3 different rates — Home A at 15%, Home B at 20%, and Home C at 30%. The taxes calculated for these homes in 2022 are shown at the bottom of the chart.
Although home values are increasing, the calculated taxes are not increasing by the same amount. In fact, Home A's tax bill would fall by 1.37%; Home B's tax bill would only increase 2.91%; and Home C's tax bill would increase 11.49% even though Home C's value increased by 30%. That's because the tax rate falls from 34.769 mills (or $1,217 annually per $100,000 of market value) to 29.784 mills (or $1,042 annually per $100,000 of market value). So, while market values increase by 24%, tax rates will fall by 14.4%.
What does this mean for the Pickerington Schools 2.80 mill bond issue that is on the November 8, 2022 ballot? Even though the levy is a new levy, the existing millage for aggregate bond collections, even if the bond issue passes, is forecasted to fall by ½ a mill. This will make the new levy ‘feel’ like or be similar to a renewal in that tax rates won’t increase while the community continues its commitment.
You can learn more about the upcoming bond issue here. Information about voting is available at the Vote Ohio website. Don’t forget: The deadline to register to vote for the November election is October 11.
If passed, what will the Nov. 8 bond issue cost residents?
Pickerington Schools estimates that passage of the Nov. 8 levy will not increase tax rates (measured in mills) for our residents. The county auditor has estimated that the $89.930 million bond issue will require 2.80 mills for debt payments. But, because property valuations are forecasted to increase by an average of 24% for 2022, and due to the structure of the proposed new debt, district leaders forecast that the county auditor will actually be able to decrease the total tax rate needed to pay district debt service by ½ of a mill.
The tax rate collected by the district to pay debt payments has decreased as outstanding debt has been retired, refunded for better interest rates, and as district valuation has increased. Visit https://www.pickerington.k12.oh.us/bond-issue-info/ under the “What Will It Cost?” section to read more on how the tax rate has changed since 2015, and the forecasted tax rate for the 2022 tax year (which will first be paid in 2023).
Nov. 8 Bond Passage Qualifies PLSD for ~$75 Million in OFCC Funds
Passage of the November 8 bond issue will enable Pickerington Schools to nearly double the money spent on our schools — for free! In addition to building a new junior high and adding classrooms to both high schools, with bond passage the district will qualify for approximately $75 million in future funding from the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission. These funds can be used to address future capital needs in our schools. Community approval of the bond issue will help PLSD and its students for years to come! Learn more about the bond issue on the district's website. And, don’t forget that the voter registration deadline is Oct. 11. Information about registering to vote and how to vote is available at: www.VoteOhio.gov.
Change of Address Information
It is very important that an address be changed as soon as the move occurs. Both Pickerington Schools and Petermann Bus Transportation need the most up-to-date information to better serve our families. Addresses cannot be changed through the Parent Portal. You must contact the Welcome Center to change your address and provide the necessary proof of residency.
To change an address:
- Complete a Change of Student Information form
- Return form to the Welcome Center with proof of new residency (i.e., signed settlement statement, signed lease agreement, current electric or gas bill)
If you have questions or concerns, please contact the Welcome Center at 614.920.6180.
MyPayment Plus Accounts
Please note that the My Payments Plus system will be activated in early August each school year.
If you don’t have an account yet, we ask that you take a moment and create a free account at MyPaymentsPlus. Obtaining a free parent account will give you 24/7 access to information such as the balance in your student’s school meal account and record of what they have purchased in the cafeteria.
Place money on your “MYPaymentsPlus” account
Go online or call 1-866-711-7341. For a $2 fee, through MyPaymentsPlus, you are able to deposit funds directly into your student’s cafeteria account. Deposits can take place both on the MyPaymentsPlus website and via the mobile app. You may also add money to your student’s account on the phone by calling 866-711-7341.
If you prefer auto-payments, you have that ability as well. The system will even allow you to set the parameters for when you would like an auto-payment to take place.
Parent help line
The MyPaymentsPlus Support Team can be reached Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. EST at (877) 237-0946 or via email at: support@mypaymentsplus.com if you require assistance.
We also accept checks for meal payments
Pickerington Schools also accepts checks for payment of meals. Make checks payable to Pickerington Food Service Department. Please include child’s name and ID# on the check.
For more information, visit the Food Services web pages.
*Note: Cafeteria Expectations have been updated. Please review the Cafeteria expectations with your student. As a reminder, all food will stay in the Cafeteria this year, including breakfast.
NATIONAL ASSESSMENT FOR EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS
Ridgeview STEM has been Selected!
Our school was selected to participate in the National Assessment for Educational Progress. Students will be randomly selected by NAEP to participate. Your child could represent our school nationally by taking this assessment. If your child is selected, you will be notified and given details by the 2nd week in November. The assessement will be on Nov. 29th. Please watch this video for general information. What Every Parent Should Know About NAEP
HOLIDAY ASSISTANCE INFORMATION
For the Holidays... Need Help? Want to Help?
CAREER DAY PRESENTERS NEEDED - Link Fixed!
We have been posting about needing career day presenters for a few weeks now and have not gotten many responses. Apparently, there have been some issues with the link. Hopefully, that has been fixed, so if you yourself are willing or want to volunteer a friend or family member, please click on the link below ASAP and volunteer to make our day great! Thanks in advance for your help. Career Presenter Volunteers/Referrals
Emergency Resources
Crisis Text Line: text "HOME" to 741741
Nationwide Children's Youth Hotline: 1-614-722-1800
Teen Hotline: 1-614-294-3300
Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673
Safe Schools Tip Line: Call or text 1-844-723-3764
Suicide Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 or 1-614-221-5445
Sheriff Department: 1-740-652-7900
MESSAGE FROM THE NURSE!!
- 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.
Here is the new website for parents who have questions regarding COVID and return to school policy.
https://sites.google.com/plsd.us/nurse-rachel-tiger-talk/covid-update
Rachel Ross, MSN, APRN, FNP-C
School Nurse
Ridgeview STEM Junior High School
Phone: 614-548-1708
Fax:614-548-1710
Sycamore Creek Elementary
Phone: 614-834-6208
Fax: 614-834-6210
2K/5K WALK/RUN
As many of you know the United Way partners with the district for many events and services for our students. They are hosting their annual 2k/5k walk/run and the wellness warriors would love to see many of our staff out there enjoying wellness while supporting our partners in education. If you sign up, please let us know!
Adults 5k/2k registration - $25 through October 31
Military/Veteran 5k/2k registration - $10 through October 31st.
Price increases to $35 on November 1st.
PTO CONNECTION
Please be sure to join us and help out this school year, we are planning some great things and would love for you all to be involved.
If you have any questions feel free to message us on Facebook (be sure to like our page too) and or contact Kelly Martin at kelly.martin_rvjhpto@hotmail.com.
PTO NEWS & MORE
TGIF Ridgeview Family and Friends!!
What a week – just a few updates and things we want to share. PTO hosted our Teacher/Administration Lunch on Monday with “rave reviews”. We are thankful for all that our Ridgeview Team does for our children and happy they enjoyed their meal, drinks and dessert.
Please check out our Signup Genius for anyone interested in last minute donation for the Pickerington Education Foundation tree auction. Any amount is appreciated and will help toward this great cause and event.
Halloween Teen Night is October 21st 2022, from 6:00p to 8:00p. This is a Ridgeview Junior High event only! Costumes are optional and students must dress appropriately with no full facial covering or mask, as well as must be normal dress code length. There is a Signup Genius for Volunteer (Chaperones) and donations needed to ensure our event is a blast. As normal we will have a live DJ, open gym for basketball and volleyball, board game room, our dance floor in the cafeteria, food and more. Students are able to purchase items from our school store as well (cash only). As for how to purchase your wristband for your student – we are trying out our cashless option this go round. We have a Venmo account setup for payment which is @RVJHPTO (you will see the purple and white Ridgeview STEM logo). The cost is $10.50 and we will leave this option open until Friday the 21st until 9:00am. NO additional wristband purchases will be eligible as lunches start and this is when wristbands will be handed out to each student. For our families that do not use Venmo – your child can begin purchases on Monday during PAW time which is from 8:50a to 9:30a up until Thursday the 20th. We understand this is a short time window and may be able to accommodate some wristband purchases during lunches pending our administrative staff is available to assist with this – please be sure to check out our Facebook page for date details and I will also ask that a Talking Point message be sent to you all.
A lot of information can be found on our page (Ridgeview STEM Junior High PTO) and you can always email us kelly.martin_rvjhpto@hotmail.com or qmith6@hotmail.com with any questions.
*We still need some volunteers and donated items please sign up and help if you can we appreciate all help and donations – also all volunteers be sure to check in by 5:30p on the 21st.*
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0c4ca5a62ea2fa7-halloween
Final mention, be sure to come out on October 19th 2022 to Chipotle at 1291 Hill Rd N from 5:00p to 9:00p. There is a flyer you can print off, you can complete an online order using the code: EQT7HWC, or go inside and mention Ridgeview JH PTO and we will get the credit. 33% of the proceeds made from the fundraiser goes back to us and into the school.
We are always available to answer any questions and take suggestions you have, please reach out to myself Kelly Martin at kelly.martin_rvjhpto@hotmail.com or Qiana Ellis at qsmith6@hotmail.com.
WHO'S HUNGRY........?
- Ridgeview Junior High School PTO
- 10/19/2022
- 5:00pm-9:00pm
- 1291 Hill Rd N, Pickerington, OH 43147-7989
Do make it count! Four ways to guarantee your purchases count:
- Show the cashier a digital flyer prior to paying
- Show the cashier a paper flyer prior to paying
- Order online and pickup Chipotle for your fundraiser by using the Promo Code EQT7HWC on the Chipotle app or website. Please note that fundraiser online ordering is only valid through pickup during your fundraiser’s scheduled date, time, and assigned restaurant. Ordering delivery for fundraisers is not permitted at this time.
ATHLETICS
To attend conditioning or tryouts, MUST BE...
1. Registered in Final Forms
2. Have a current 22/23 OHSAA physical on file
3. Academically eligible: Q1 grades will determine eligibly for the winter season. Eligible equals passing 5 classes AND having GPA of 1.75 or higher.
Basketball Information for the 22/23 Winter Season:
GIRLS: Conditioning Dates: Week of October 10th and October 17th
Tuesdays & Thursdays - from 2:30pm-4:30pm
BOYS: Conditioning Dates: Week of October 10th and October 17th
Monday, Wednesdays - 5pm-7pm (7th Graders)
Tuesday, Thursdays - 5pm-7pm (8th Graders)
Tryout Dates: Week of October 24 - 28
*specific dates and time TBA
Wrestling Conditioning Tentative Start Date:
Monday 10/17 from 3 - 4:30 @ RJHS
Ridgeview COED Wrestling:
Conditioning Dates:
Tuesdays & Thursdays 3 - 4:30 @ Ridgeview
October 18, 20, 25,27
November 1, 3, 8, 10
First Day of Practice:
Friday November 11th
TICKET PURCHASE INFORMATION
All tickets for Ridgeview home athletic events (Football, Volleyball, Cross Country, Basketball, Wrestling, Lacrosse, Track) will be sold online at: www.pickerington.k12.oh.us/ridgeview-stem-junior-high/ridgeview-stem-junior-high-box-office/
Check out our Central/Ridgeview weekly Athletic Schedules at: pickeringtontigers.net/
2022-2023 SCHOOL CALENDAR
HELP Make Our Schools Safer
The Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Department of Public Safety have launched the SaferOH tip line that will accept both calls and texts 24 hours a day.
This tip line allows students and adults to anonymously share information with school officials and law enforcement about threats to student safety—whether that involves a threatened mass incident or harm to a single student.
Every tip can remain anonymous. School safety analysts may ask for additional information, but the caller can remain secret or leave his or her contact information for later follow-up.
Calls or texts to 844-SaferOH (844-723-3764) are answered by analysts in the Ohio Homeland Security’s Threat Assessment and Prevention (TAP) Unit. When action is needed, the TAP Unit immediately forwards information to Pickerington Schools, local law enforcement agencies, and others, if necessary.
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
Twitter: @RidgeviewPLSD