The Navigator Newsletter
Sycamore Junior High's Parent Communication
April 30-May 5
COMING UP at the JH!
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
Safety at Dismissal
For the safety and well being of students, your child can not be taken from a bus if they forgot your plans to pick them up. In addition, any alternate arrangements you need to communicate to your child must be made through the office by 2:45 pm
Thanks for your cooperation!!
A Message from Child Nutrition
Sycamore Junior High parents,
The end of the year is quickly approaching, and the Sycamore Child Nutrition Department is working hard to collect the debt on student's accounts before we are out for the summer. The last day students will be able to charge a meal is May 10th. Starting on Friday, May 11th, if your student does not have money on their account or cash in hand they will receive a courtesy meal which consists of a cheese sandwich, fruit, vegetable, and milk. Please also take a moment to check current lunch account balances and bring cash or check to the school or pay through parent portal. Any debt accrued during the 2017/18 school year WILL roll over to the 2018/19 year. Please call the Child Nutrition Office with any questions - (513) 868-1796.
Thanks for your cooperation!
8th Grade Day
Dear parents of 8th grade students,
Our 8th-grade day activity will take place on Wednesday, May 23, 2018, at the Blue Ash Recreation Center. Students will travel by bus and enjoy activities with staff and their classmates. We will leave the building around 9:45 am and return around 2:00 pm. If you need to access your 8th-grade student during this time, please coordinate with Mrs. Knue prior to that day via email at knuet@sycamoreschools.org or via phone 686-1760.
When the students arrive back to school, the 8th-grade panoramic picture will be taken. Ordering information will be sent out at the beginning of May.
Students should bring:
Towel and swimwear if they wish to swim
Sunscreen
Students are permitted to bring:
Hat
Sporting equipment
Cards
Small bag or backpack to carry their belongings
A sack lunch/snacks
Lunch, snacks, and plenty of water will be available to students thanks to our generous PTO.
Students will not be permitted to return to their lockers when we arrive back at school. Therefore, it is our recommendation that students do not bring valuables to school on this day. We will not be able to respond to stolen or lost valuables, including cell phones. Additionally, students are not permitted to use their phones at this event.
In order to have the privilege of attending this event, students must be in good academic and behavioral standing. At the 8th-grade class meeting, these expectations were reviewed.
Maintain passing grades in your classes. Students with multiple failures for 4th quarter will not be permitted to attend.
Attend school. Students with excessive absences/tardies to school 4th quarter will not be permitted to attend.
Follow direction from adults. Students that are chronically noncompliant will not be permitted to attend.
Demonstrate respect for others. A student who is rude or disrespectful towards others or property will not be permitted to attend.
Be a leader. Model excellence. Students that continue to violate the code of conduct or demonstrate behaviors that are not outstanding examples of what an SJH student exemplifies will not be permitted to attend.
Students should be in good standing with the media center, having returned all books and paid overdue fines.
Please remind your student of these expectations. Additional expectations related to the day may be found HERE.
Students with current class failures will not be permitted to attend. These students will be addressed individually by Mrs. Zelvy on Tuesday, May 22nd. They will be able to remain at school to complete coursework in an attempt to raise those failing grades.
This will be a fantastic day of celebration for our students. If you have any further questions or concerns, please contact Mrs. Zelvy at zelvyl@sycamoreschools.org or 686-1760.
Volunteers Needed: Winton Hills Field Day
Sycamore Junior High will be hosting the 18th annual Field Day for Winton Hills Academy (WHA), our Sister School, on Thursday May 24th. The event is held on Winton Hills Academy grounds, and some of our own SJH students run the games and interact with the WHA students. We need adult volunteers to supervise games and transport equipment. Field Day set-up starts at 7:30am, and tear-down ends by 1:30pm, but volunteers can participate for a portion of the day. If you are interested in helping, please contact Nermine Banke (knbanke@gmail.com).
Winton Hills Academy is a Cincinnati Public School located in the largest low-income housing neighborhood of Cincinnati. The school is a welcoming and safe environment for 400+ students grades pre-K thru 6th. Sycamore Junior High has partnered with WHA as a Sister School since 1999.
Immunizations for 7th Grade
Tennis Camp
We have a couple of tennis opportunities for you this summer. If you are interested in being a part of Aviator Tennis, this is for you! Please see the attached info and let Mr. Teets know if you have any questions.
Thanks!
Michael Teets
Kate Crusius
Dominic Mangano
around the district: SYCAMORE NEWS & EVENTS
Final Master Facility Planning Session
You are invited to attend our final Master Facility Planning Community Engagement Session on May 1 from 6:30-8:00 p.m. Learn more about the state of our facilities and provide input on what our schools should look like in the future! We will also live stream this session at goav.es/masterfacilityplanning
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
STEAM SHOWCASE
You are invited to Sycamore Community Schools first-ever K-12 STEAM Showcase on Saturday, May 12 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at E.H. Greene Intermediate.
The purpose of the event is to spotlight district-wide STEAM learning and local businesses and organizations that utilize STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math) in their work. The showcase will consist of live demonstrations, presentations, competitions, giveaways, and hands-on activities for all ages.
Some of the local organizations who will be participating include UC Blue Ash, Kroger Technology, Apple, Gorilla Maker, and the city of Blue Ash and Montgomery.
We are also excited to show off some of the work that is happening in our classrooms, including live demos of the AVES electric car, Blue Ash GeoCity, Montgomery PBL Carnival, and FIRST LEGO League. There will be opportunities for families to work with robotics, Makedo, and virtual reality. Come make a Mother’s Day present on our 3D printers!
Local food trucks will be serving food and refreshments from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
We anticipate a large turnout for this indoor/outdoor event. A free shuttle service from Maple Dale Elementary to E.H. Greene will run between 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
FIRST Robotics
Apply Now for Sycamore FIRST Robotics Teams for the 2018-2019 School Year
Online applications are now available for the following FIRST Robotics programs at the Sycamore Community School District.
- FIRST LEGO League Jr. (for rising 3rd graders)
- FIRST LEGO League (for rising 4th through 8th graders)
- FIRST Tech Challenge (for rising 7th through 9th graders)
Visit the Sycamore Robotics website at http://sycamorerobotics.weebly.com/ to get started.
The applications include parent and student portions as well as instructions to submit a participation fee.
Apply by May 19 for on-time submission.
Note that junior high students will have the ability to choose between FIRST LEGO League and FIRST Tech Challenge. Be sure to select the program you desire. Note also that applicants who are rising high schoolers will receive additional details following the application submission deadline for joining the high school team.
For information about all of these programs, visit www.firstinspires.org.
Want to see more Sycamore Robotics teams in action? Visit our booth at the district-wide STEAM Showcase on Sat., May 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at E.H. Greene Intermediate.
Questions? Contact the Sycamore Robotics Boosters Board at SycamoreRoboticsBooster@googlegroups.com.
Community Information
AVES Football & Cheer Camp
Know! To Stand Firm Against Underage Drinking
In the previous tip, Know! April is Alcohol Awareness Month, we discussed the negative health and safety risks of adolescents consuming alcohol. In this tip, we will talk about the prevalence of alcohol among adolescents and the steps we can take to protect our children by helping to prevent underage drinking and promote well-being.
Did you know? By the age of 15, about one in three teens will have had at least one alcoholic drink. By 18, more than half of all teens will have experimented with alcohol.
It’s a fact. Underage youth between 12 to 20-years-old are responsible for drinking 11% of all the alcohol consumed in our country. Though this age group drinks less often than adults overall, they tend to drink in much higher quantities, known as binge drinking. In fact, 90% of their alcohol is consumed in this manner.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that alcohol contributes to 4,358 deaths of young people each year and more than 189,000 emergency room visits. The time to take action is now!
Preventing underage drinking is no easy task, as there are many factors unique to each individual to consider, including genetics, personality, rate of maturation and development, level of risk, and social and environmental factors.
There are key pieces to prevention overall however, which include:
- Young people need to feel loved, valued and appreciated - through words and actions – at home, at school, and within their community. At home, it is our job to hug our kids (no matter how big they are), and tell them we love them every day.
- Communication is KEY – Open, honest communication. Children whose parents talk with them early and often about the dangers of substance use – including alcohol and underage drinking – are up to 50% less likely to use in the first place. Talk about the big stuff, talk about the small stuff – talk about the negative consequences of alcohol (refer to the previous Know! Tip for info), and just talk about what is happening in their everyday lives.
- Expectations – Our children have to know what is expected of them. We have to set clear boundaries when it comes to alcohol. Our children need to hear us say that underage drinking is unacceptable. In surveys where youth reported NOT drinking underage – they cited not wanting to disappoint their parents. But they have to know where we stand. And we have to stand against it, or they are much more likely to partake.
- Trust – They have to be able to trust us and know that no matter what’s happening, we are there for them and will help them through whatever situation they find themselves in. This can be tricky because if they do find themselves in a sticky situation and they do come to us, we must remain calm or that trust is broken, and they will not come to us next time. Does it mean that there aren’t consequences? Of course not. Trust also includes them knowing the consequences for breaking the rules and trusting that we will follow through and hold them accountable for the choices they have made.
- Positive Role Models are vital – Parents are a child’s first and most important role model. Believe it or not, our teens pay close attention to what we say and do and how we handle ourselves in different situations. On the other hand, research shows that parents who binge drink are much more likely to have children who binge drink. Be careful of the example you’re setting for your child.
- Friends Matter. We must know with whom our children are spending their time. We must also get to know our children’s friends and their parents – which becomes trickier the older they become.
- Activity Connections – Be it a sport, band, theater, chess club, whatever – we should be encouraging our kids to find their passion and get connected. For the times when a simple “no,” doesn’t feel like enough, their connections give them an ideal way to turn down a drink when offered: “No thanks - coach would kill me,” or “No thanks – I’ve got my play coming up and I can’t risk it.”
Alcohol remains our nation’s number one health problem, for youth and adults. The time to take action to protect our children from underage drinking and set them up to succeed in life is now. By following the steps above, you’ll start to take action to improve outcomes for the children in your life.
April is Alcohol Awareness Month. For more information and guidance on prevention, please visit https://www.ncadd.org/about-ncadd/events-awards/alcohol-awareness-month
Sources: Centers for Disease Control: Alcohol and Public Health – Underage Drinking. Oct. 20, 2016. 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
April 30-May 5
**Subject to Change**
Monday: April 30
Boys Lacrosse Practice 3:15-5:00
Girls Lacrosse @ Anderson 6:00 Clear Creek Park
Baseball @ Seven Hills 4:30
Softball @ Walnut Hills 4:30 Evanston Park
Track GMC 4:30 Lakota West HS
Tennis GMC 9:00 Mason HS
Tuesday: May 1
Boys Lacrosse Practice 5:00-7:00
Girls Lacrosse Practice 3:15-5:00
Baseball Game (H) 5:00 Middletown
Softball @ Nagel 4:30
Track GMC 4:30 Lakota West HS
Tennis GMC 4:00 Mason HS
Wednesday: May 2
Boys Lacrosse Practice 3:15-5:00
Girls Lacrosse @ Indian Hill 5:00, 6:00 Camp Dennison
Baseball Home 4:30 Princeton
Softball Home 4:30 Princeton
Tennis Green (Practice) 3:15-5:00
Thursday: May 3
Boys Lacrosse @ Blue Jays 5:30, 6:30 Clear Creek
Girls Lacrosse Practice 3:15-5:00
Baseball @CHCA 4:30 Founders
Softball Home 4:30 Ross
Tennis Green (H) 4:00 Kings
Track GMC rain date 4:30 Lakota West HS
Friday: May 4
No Practices
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