THE JAYHAWK BLAST
JHS Bulletin - Volume I, Issue 8, 1/24/2020
A Message From The Co-Principals
Good Afternoon and Happy Friday,
We are happy to release the 8th issue of the Jayhawk Blast. It was a busy week at JHS. With the marking period ending today and the new semester beginning on Monday, students had various quarterly exams and assignments due throughout the week. I am sure most students are excited to get through Friday and start the weekend. It will be nice for students and teachers to close out the semester and start fresh on Monday. The timing works out nicely as many of our students and families will be celebrating the start of the Chinese New Year this weekend.
This issue of the Jayhawk Blast is filled with a lot of important information, plenty of reminders, an article about the importance of sleep when considering a teenager’s mental health, and much, much more. Earlier in the week we sent out an email regarding the JHS Testing Schedule Pilot. If you did not get a chance to read the email, there is information within this Jayhawk Blast. Please take a few minutes to read through the entire newsletter so that you can stay on top of all of the upcoming events and important infromation.
Finally, take note of the upcoming events and important dates. The next PTSA meeting will be on Tuesday, February 25 at 7:00 pm in the HS Library.
Wishing everyone a good weekend and a Happy Chinese New Year!
Sincerely,
Joan Rosenberg and David Cohen
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UPCOMING EVENTS
- 1/27 - Senior Day
- 1/27 - Senior Photo (Sam Springer Gym)
- 1/27 - Joint Jericho Septa/Cantiague PTA Meeting (Cantiague Elementary @ 7:00 PM)
- 1/28 & 2/4 - MS/HS Evening Guidance (Hours 7:00 to 9:00 PM)
- 1/29 - HS Winter Bands Concert (MS/HS Auditorium @ 7:30 PM)
- 2/5 - MS/HS POPS Concert (MS/HS Auditorium @ 7:30 PM)
Did you know that JHS has over 55 clubs? Research shows joining a club is a great way to make new friends, gain self-confidence, relieve stress and learn real-world skills. Check out the club calendar below!
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Dear Parents and Students,
With stress and the overall well-being of our students being a primary topic in recent years, we have been particularly focused on the number of tests that any JHS student may have on a given day. In order to address this concern, there has been on-going conversations about implementing a testing schedule. This could provide some relief by assigning “testing days” for specific departments on each day of the week.
Thanks to input from student leaders and through the exploration of various models (including some utilized in other high schools), we will be implementing the pilot of a testing schedule beginning on January 27, the start of the second semester. Preliminary feedback led to an understanding that it is most important for us to focus on tests and therefore, teachers will still have the ability to administer short quizzes with flexibility. Our ultimate goal is to limit the number of tests a student will have to study for and take in a given day.
We believe that implementing an effective testing schedule requires a period of review, opportunities for feedback and the potential for future revisions. Therefore, we will be administering a survey to all students by early April to assess the impact of the testing schedule pilot. We will also be collecting feedback from the faculty throughout the pilot. Based upon the feedback, we will consider any modifications for next school year.
Below is a link to the JHS Testing Schedule Pilot for your review. If students or parents experience any issues or concerns with the testing schedule, we encourage them to communicate with a building administrator, Mr. Cohen, Mrs. Rosenberg or Dr. Artiles.
Sincerely,
Joan Rosenberg. David Cohen and Dagoberto Artiles
Please note that the Jericho School District will no longer be accepting credits or coursework from the Windsor School.
Dear Parents,
We are writing to let you know that, beginning Monday, January 27, there will be a change in pickup procedures of students at the lower lot at the end of the day.
Access to the lower middle school parking lot will be closed every day to traffic from 2:30 PM to 6:30 PM. Students being picked up in this area during this time frame should be picked up in the upper parking lot. In order to maintain the traffic flow in the upper parking lot, parents must pull into a parking spot and have their children meet them and get into their car before pulling out and leaving. Security will be available to help monitor this process.
This change is being made to maintain safety in the lower parking lot as well as to ensure that buses arriving and leaving for interscholastic sports can do so unimpeded.
Reminder: Students may be picked up in the front circle and at the high school attendance circle during these times.
We are confident that you share our concern for student safety as well as the safe and efficient operation of our athletic programs. We know we can count on your support with this procedure.
Thank You,
David Cohen and Joan Rosenberg
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Dear Parents,
We would like to make you aware of some concerns that have been raised regarding student drop-off and pick-up at the high school. Our number one goal is to ensure a safe pathway for our students and therefore, we need your support and assistance. While we ask for drivers on campus to drive slowly, to consistently be aware of pedestrians, and to exhibit patience at all times, these factors for maintaining a safe environment are most critical during the busiest times of drop-off (8:40am - 9:00am) and pick-up (3:15pm-3:40pm).
In order to better ensure efficient drop-off and pick-up procedures and a consistent flow of traffic, we ask everyone driving on campus to adhere to the following recommendations:
- When arriving in the morning, students should be prepared in advance with their backpacks and belongings in order to exit the car quickly,
- If a student driver will create a need for parents to switch places upon drop-off, we ask that they move 1-2 spots beyond the normal drop-off point or use the entrance at the Sam Springer Gym,
- When using the front circle, please do not block the school buses as this could lead to further delays,
- During sports pick-up, do not exit the parking lot using the entrance ramp,
- Refrain at all times from using the oncoming lane to circumvent traffic,
- Please respect our security officers and follow their requests in order to allow for a smooth and safe flow of traffic.
We do hope that everyone’s cooperation and understanding will lead to more efficient procedures each morning and afternoon. Thank you for your attention to this matter and for helping to maintain a safe environment for our students during drop-off and pick-up.
Sincerely,
David Cohen & Joan Rosenberg
Jericho's Robocall System
The district uses the Robocall system only for emergencies and to announce snow closings and delayed openings. If there is a weather-related closing or delay, parents and staff will receive a Robocall and an email with detailed information.
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PARENTAL RESOURCES
Article from US News:
Here is an article from US News regarding the importance of sleep when considering a teenager's mental health
Here is an interesting article from the NY Times about how something as a simple as a glitter jar can provide some calm.
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PTSA CONNECTIONS CORNER
Dear Parents,
Welcome to the PTSA Connections Corner! Here you will find the latest PTSA news and information about upcoming events and happenings that the HS PTSA sponsors and/or supports. We are always available to answer any questions and look forward to a wonderful school year. We thank you in advance for your support.
Sincerely,
Your PTSA Co-Presidents
Tania Schwarzwald
Allyson Edelman
Senior families, please see this important information about the senior party:
Please support our PTSA by sending in your membership dues today. Membership is $10 per person. Membership is mandatory for 4 years of HS in order to be eligible to receive a PTSA Scholarship as a senior.
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HIGH SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS
On Thursday, January 16th the Jericho Chess Club participated in the Nassau County Interscholastic Chess Competition at Friends Academy. As part of the league Jericho Chess Club members; Evelyn Zhu, Sujay Sundar, Richard Wang, Binghui-Eric Du, Ryan Cheung and Weijie-Jay Li play against a total of 7 schools. So far they have won 4 out of 4 matches. At Saturday's event they won with a score of 40 to 5 and earned wins in 5 out of 6 matches!
Jericho's Chess Club have been champions of the Nassau County Interscholastic Chess League 7 years in a row! They also won the Greater New York Scholastic Chess Competition last year and will compete again Feb. 1st and 2nd.
FBLA’s Spring District Meeting was held on January 17, 2020 at Hofstra University. The Future Business Leaders of America Program recognizes and rewards excellence in a broad range of business and career-related areas. FBLA’s competitive events also prepare students for successful careers in business by providing opportunities to apply classroom concepts in a workforce-simulated competitive environment.
Dressed for success, FBLA members took on the competition in various subject areas such as Marketing, Business Law, Economics and Accounting just to name a few. Members prepared for these events during the past weeks by studying subject-specific topics, practicing role-play scenarios, creating resumes and cover letters and rehearsing speeches.
Jericho’s FBLA placed top three in all the elimination events they participated in, including Public Speaking, Intro to Public Speaking, Job Interview, Impromptu Speaking and Basic Decision Making. Jericho took home a total of 32 awards ranging from first to fifth place! This was a great start to FBLA’s competition season, as they now will begin preparation for their state competition in April.
Visit Jericho High School’s award-winning online newspaper: The JerEcho!
For over 50 years, The JerEcho has reported on school, local, and national issues.
Currently, we report the news through a variety of articles, videos, and podcasts. We’re comprised of a dedicated coalition of editors, reporters, and photographers.
We hope you enjoy exploring our site.
-The JerEcho Team
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COUNSELING CORNER
Attention Seniors:
Use the link below to access a document listing all of the Common Application Deadlines and Requirements.
Method Test Prep
Jericho High School is delighted to provide your child with free access to Method Test Prep (MTP), an online SAT/ACT test prep program that helps students build their math, reading, and writing skills. Students can listen to tutorials, watch instructional videos, and take quizzes to test for mastery. The program is highly adaptive and keeps track of a student’s strengths and weaknesses. Students have access to a large pool of practice questions and receive instant feedback upon completion of each question.
Students in grades 9-12 can access Method Test Prep through their Canvas accounts. The link to Method Test Prep is listed on your child’s Canvas account below the link for Naviance. Please have your child see their counselor if they require any assistance in accessing this free resource.
Method Test Prep is interactive, time efficient, and designed to be used independently or as a supplement to other SAT or ACT prep. We encourage you to take advantage of this valuable resource. To view a brief instructional video that highlights the features of Method Test Prep’s online tool visit:
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Jericho High School on the Web
Visit the Jericho High School Website!