Hello Roth Families and Friends,

 

Eleven weeks in. Grades for our first marking period have been posted to School Tool. I encourage you to check your student’s grades this weekend. If you have questions or concerns, please email your student’s teacher directly. Our faculty and staff want all of our students to experience success during their classes and overall Roth experience. Hard work is required to experience success. Please continue to ask your child questions about their school experience, specific classes, and relationships with teachers and peers. Remind our students that the Roth Junior High team wants them to be active participants in our rise to excellence. 

It is also important for me to address some of the challenges that we continue to face in our rise. Several weeks ago, I shared a plea for families to be our partners in educating students on appropriate social media activity. This weekend, I am asking for your support in helping our students take steps toward becoming upstanders instead of bystanders. Years ago, I attended an excellent assembly in which a group of motivational speakers shared the difference between the two. Students are bystanders when they see or hear about something that may lead to conflict, and they do not take an active stand to report it to an adult. Students are bystanders when they stand, stare and (sadly) record an act of aggression. Students are bystanders when they know there is something wrong with a situation, but they ignore it and look or walk the other way. I am asking our families to talk to our students about becoming upstanders. The upstander does not laugh at, record (and post), share, or ignore unsafe and/or harassing behavior. The upstander speaks up for what is right, and what is safe. What is safe is typically what is right. The upstander stands up for what is right, and acts with positive and safe intention. I am asking our students to stand up. 

I am committed to this work. I am committed to Roth Junior High School. It’s students, families and staff. I am only one person. Our rise will be made so much stronger if we work together. Thank you, in advance, for your support.

And now, some friendly reminders:

i-Ready for ELA & Math: We are excited to share that Rush-Henrietta will use a new universal screener for grades 7 and 8 in mathematics and English Language Arts this year. This universal screener, i-Ready, will help us get to know your students and what they know and don't know so we can help them on their learning path! i-Ready will replace the NWEA MAPs test we have used in the past to assess student progress over the school year. It will be offered in the fall, winter, and spring. 

We look forward to sharing i-Ready information with you throughout the year. To learn more about i-Ready, visit the i-Ready page on our district website. If you have any questions about i-Ready, please do not hesitate to contact me or your student's math, reading, or English Language Arts teacher. Thank you for your continued support and partnership in your student's learning!

Visiting Author & Shout-out: I want to give a huge shout out to Mrs. Leader and Ms. Thomas for facilitating this week’s author visit. Young adult novelist, Tiffany Jackson, visited Roth to tell her story, share some of the inspirations and motivations that led to her literary success, and connect with our students. Mrs. Leader and Ms. Thomas continue to find creative ways to draw students to Roth’s library. Please check out the November 2024 newsletter from our library.

Winter Sports Reminder: Registration for the 2024-2025 winter sports season is underway. You can register your student at www.rhnet.org/clearance. Please be sure to have all necessary documentation available.

• Practices for JV/Varsity begin November 18, and for Modified begin December 2
• Please visit the District Website for a list of contact information for winter sports and coaches

Upcoming Events:

• Parent/Guardian-Teacher Conferences: Monday, November 25 (1 - 8 p.m.) and Tuesday, November 26 (8 a.m. - 3 p.m.)
• Roth JHS Concert (Gr. 8/9: Chorus, Orchestra, and Band): Monday, December 9 @ 7 p.m.
• Roth JHS Concern (Dedicated Voices, Chamber Orchestra, and Jazz Band): Monday, December 16 @ 7 p.m.

In closing, I want to share some notes of gratitude. I am grateful to our teachers and staff, our students and their families, and our district leaders. I am grateful for this opportunity to lead, teach, and grow at Roth Junior High. 

Click here for previous E-News communications.

Sincerely,