Ridgeview STEM Junior High School
January 24, 2020
Coming Up at Ridgeview
Feb. 11-7th grade Parent Scheduling-see below for times
Feb. 12-NO SCHOOL-Teacher Professional Development
*Feb. 17-PRESIDENT'S DAY-no school
*(make up day if we have had a snow day)
Feb. 19-8th grade Scheduling-see details below
Hoodies, Earbuds and Phones...Oh My!
Today, all students were given a warning that moving forward any student with their hood up, earbuds or headphones on their ears while in the hallway or while in the classroom when digital learning is not taking place, will be subject to further discipline. It has become a growing concern across the building. Students are being asked to take their hood down, they turn the corner, and then put it back up. This is a part of our district dress code, and I have reminded teachers that it needs to be enforced by everyone across the building. Students have been reminded often and it's been on the announcements regularly.
Additionally, earbuds and headphones are a growing problem since the holidays. Students are walking in the hallways with these on their ears, which is something we have asked students not to do. It is important that if they need to be addressed or hear something important, their ears are open. Additionally, students are putting in their earbuds during class time, and refusing to take them out when asked to do so. If students do not have their phones, there should be nothing for them to listen to or hear. However, we know that many students are carrying their phones and listening to music while instruction in the classroom is taking place.
Please remind your student each morning about appropriate use of their headphones/earbuds and keeping their hood down while in the building. We greatly appreciate your support with these concerns.
SAFETY AND SCHOOL REMINDERS
Safe Morning Drop Off:
DO NOT DROP OFF IN THE STREET OR PARKING LOT. Please follow the car drop off line and let students out along the designated sidewalk. In an effort to keep the line moving quickly, students should exit their car as soon as an adult motions to them. Car riders should enter the building through the cafeteria entrance.
PLEASE ALLOW ADDITIONAL TIME TO GET TO SCHOOL ON TIME. As the weather gets colder, more students are getting rides and the traffic really backs up. The number of tardy students has dramatically increased. Please build in some extra time for bad weather and additional traffic. STUDENTS ARE CONSIDERED TARDY IF THEY ARE NOT IN THEIR CLASS AT 7:15 a.m. If your child gets breakfast, remind him/her they are able to take their food to the class to avoid being tardy.
Walkers
Please remind your walkers that they must cross at designated crosswalks. It is dark in the morning, and we don't want any Tigers to be injured by crossing at unsafe locations.
Thank you for your support and cooperation!
Scheduling Information From Our Counselors
7th grade Parents-Save the Date-Parents Scheduling Night:
February 11
Last names A-M: 5:00 - 5:45 PM
Last names N-Z: 6:00 - 6:45 PM
8th grade Parents - Save the Date-Parents Scheduling Night:
February 19th from 6:00-8:00 pm at Pickerington High School Central.
Please plan to attend this event so that you may better understand the scheduling process for high school. Students will receive instruction on Feb. 13th in class. After both parents and students understand the process, you will have until Feb 28th to enter schedule requests into Infinite Campus. This is all paperless so it is helpful to attend the meeting.
Global Scholars Pathway at PH
Global Scholars Pathway at PHSC
The course series provides hands-on experiences, simulations, and practical examples and
strategies for global studies and cultural competence. Students will gain a deeper
understanding of and define intercultural competence, explore the "other" and the value of
varied perspectives throughout their school communities, gain insights into cultural nuances
and effective interaction with local-global cultures, and develop a skills toolkit to leverage the
global landscape of their classrooms and school communities to enrich all students'
experiences. For more information, check out this VIDEO!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0wnC7Z6Jxo
Both Pickerington high schools North and Central will be offering the new Global Scholars
Diploma program that aligns with the new State of Ohio honors diploma requirements, which
require a portfolio and field experience. The new Global Scholars Diploma Program will help
to fulfill these two new honors diploma requirements, offer an opportunity to earn a half credit
of flex credit per year, and also provide the student with an integrated global curriculum over
three years.
This sounds really cool! How do I apply?!!!!
You can apply through the link in the course registration guide or at this
https://forms.gle/qMbFzZksHRA44UbE6
Sports Information
Spring Sports are Right Around the Corner!
- Physicals: Make sure your athlete has a current physical on file / turn in a completed physical packet in order to try out.
- Parent's Spring Sports Meeting: February 27th, 6pm @ PHS Central's Gym
- Mandatory Drug Test (if not tested Fall/Winter): March 4th, 2:30 pm @ RV Locker Rooms
- Spring Pay 2 Play: first payment due Friday, March 13th
Spring Softball Open Gyms:
- Sundays, 10 - 11:30, PHS-C Field House
- 1/19, 2/2 and 2/16
- TRYOUTS: week of February 24th
Interested in Girls Lacrosse?
- Stop by the Athletic Office and sign up with Mrs. Holley.
Track Informational Meeting
- Monday, March 2 from 5:00-6:30 p.m. in Ridgeview's cafeteria
Baseball Tryouts
- Baseball tryouts will start on March 2 through March 6th at Ridgeview
- 4:30-6:00 pm at Ridgeview
- Please bring indoor shoes and glove
Check the 8 to 18/Ridgeview website for all updated sports information, dates, cancellations, drug testing times, schedules and forms.
PTO News
Looking for Service Hours?
The PTO will be opening our school store to the PYAA Basketball games and we need lots of help to cover each Saturday through Feb. 29. We have done this the last couple of years and it has gone over well with those attending the games. If you have a student that needs volunteer hours, we will sign off on those hours for them when they volunteer. Please keep in mind, we require a parent or adult to be with the student throughout the entire shift. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Jennifer Sander ~ jennsanderpto@gmail.com or 937-694-0987 Thank you for your support of the PTO.
Sign Up https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508094EADAA2CA02-pyaa
PTO School Store Volunteers Needed
The PTO is still looking for a volunteer or two for the school store. We have a shift on Thursday morning from 6:50-7:10am and a shift on the 3rd Friday of each month from 10:00am-1:20pm. If you are interested in volunteering during any of these shifts, please contact Jennifer Sander at jennsanderpto@gmail.com We’d be thrilled to have you!
Is it a Snow Day? How to Find Out:
There's no need to call school. See below:
Phone and email alerts
Pickerington Schools will announce emergency closing and delay information through pre-recorded telephone calls to current parents/guardians telephone numbers on file with the district.
The district also sends email messages about any delays or closures via this notification system.
It is important to keep student contact information and contact preferences current by logging into the Infinite Campus Parent Portal and updating your contact information.
District website and social media
Information about school closures or delays will be posted on the home page of the district’s website, on our Facebook page, and on Twitter.
Television and Radio Stations
Pickerington Schools shares any school delay or closure information with local television and radio stations. However, we recommend that parents and students confirm any closure information received from media outlets on the district’s social media sites or website.
Each local television station offers a school closing/delays text message program that sends closure/delay information directly to your phone.
Yearbook Orders
#RidgeviewRestart expectations have been initiated:
- All students will have a sheet of 12 passes they can use for student-initiated requests. The student pass sheet will be for all classes and will be used in six-week time frames. After six weeks, students will receive another sheet with 12 new passes. All student pass sheets will have the students names printed on them already. An example of a student initiated request would be to go get a drink of water or to go to their locker for forgotten homework. Students need to make sure they place their sheets in a safe spot and they do not lose them (Suggestion: in their Chromebook Case). When students request to leave class the teacher will initial their sheet in pen. Once all 12 are used up, there will be no more student-initiated requests for that six weeks. All other passes will be teacher initiated (I.E. - Send to the nurse if ill).
- 10 and 10 rule: No student initiated hall passes will be given in the first and last ten minutes of each class. Again, we value class time and we want each student to know what is going to take place each period so they can be successful in understanding the class expectations for the day. We also value the start of class and we want students to be in class on time. Our goal is to decrease class tardies, class cuts and hallway disturbances.
- The schedule will now have a bell ring at 7:00 am releasing students waiting in the cafeteria to their PAW time. A warning bell will ring at 7:10 am and a tardy bell will ring at 7:15 am. All students need to be in their PAW time class at 7:15 am. Students who are not in class at 7:15 am will be marked tardy unexcused to school. After the tardy bell students not in PAW should report directly to the office to check in.
- During lunch and E/I changes, we will introduce a tardy bell to indicate students who are late to their lunch and or E/I class (This is in between periods 4A/4B, 5A/5B, and 6A/6B). Students need to prepare and plan ahead by gathering the materials they need to take with them so that they can get to all their scheduled courses on time, including lunch. Again, we value the time students have in class and want to make sure they are successful. During this switch we are going to allow students to walk either way in the hallway. There are only a couple of teams in the halls at this time (Again, this is only between periods 4A/4B, 5A/5B, and 6A/6B). We are also going to stress hall behavior during this time so that the volume in the halls does not disturb other classes taking place.
- Lastly, you may start to hear about the R-factor and how students can be disciplined in their mindset by positively responding to events in their lives--hopefully, producing a more positive outcome. Some of you may have already heard E + R = O (Events + Response = Outcomes). This terminology is going to be used more frequently so we can help guide students with their decision making process. Especially with how they are responding to negative events or scenarios in their lives (Example - drama amongst friends).
The staff has covered the new expectations with the students in their PAW times and classes. Mrs. Richardson and Mr. Koch addressed the students to inform them of the expectations moving forward during a team meeting. As a staff, we will also make videos for our morning announcements modeling the expectations for the students. Please help make the #Ridgeviewrestart a success by emphasizing the above expectations at home with your student. We will introduce a couple more expectations as the year continues. We do not want to overwhelm the students to start off the second half of the year so we will be implementing a phase or two at a time. If you have any questions please feel free to contact the administration.
Ridgeview Values
Ridgeview STEM Junior High School
Email: eric_koch@plsd.us
Website: pickerington.k12.oh.us
Location: 130 Hill Road South, Pickerington, OH, USA
Phone: 614-548-1700
Facebook: facebook.com/RidgeviewStem
Twitter: @RidgeviewPLSD