Thursday, December 12, 2024

 

Hello Roth Families and Friends,

Our first snow day. If you are homebound for the day, be well. If you are traveling, be safe. 

We are just about through Week 15. In previous posts, I have shared how valuable the five-week check-in is for our students. As a teacher, it presented the opportunity to run grade reports and have discussions with my students about their progress halfway through the marking period. As an administrator, it gives our team a chance to look at attendance, achievement and disciplinary data. If we are happy with what we find, we add on and keep growing. Please use these next few days to check your student’s grades via SchoolTool. Reach out to teachers directly if you have class-specific questions or concerns. Contact your student’s counselor if you have overall questions or concerns. We are all here to support your students. Our students.

It was a pleasure to celebrate many of our students this past Monday evening at our first Winter Concert. We have such talented and hard-working students in our band, orchestra and chorus programs. And we have fantastic leadership from Mrs. Mate, Mr. Kazacos, Mrs. Quinlan and Mrs. Herman. Very well done to all, and thank you for helping to fill our auditorium. Next up will be our Select Ensembles at 7 p.m. on Monday, December 15. 

As a reminder, I will be hosting our 2nd Deck Roth’s Halls event from noon to 3 p.m. this Saturday, December 14. Hot cocoa, snacks and art supplies will be provided. I also plan on playing a holiday-themed movie in the Cafe. This event is open to Roth students and their families. Stop in for a few minutes, or stay the whole time. I look forward to seeing you there, and to adding more art to our halls. 

Here are some gentle reminders, reposts and upcoming events. Take care Roth Junior High.

Re-Posts:

Roth 360: Everywhere our students turn, every peer or faculty member that they encounter: respect is our goal. Roth 360 means that we treat every space as a learning environment, and we present ourselves respectfully in every interaction. For more on Roth 360, click here.

Unplug to Connect: Wow. Fifteen weeks in and I can honestly share that students have responded well to adult requests/reminders to follow our device policy. Please continue to reinforce our expectation, because I truly believe it is in the best academic and social interest of our students. For more on our device policy, click here.

The Impact of Social Media: I do not mean to discount what I just wrote about students responding well to adult requests. I want to share that the vast majority of our students typically do, say and act appropriately. Thank you for what you do at home to instill positive values. And still, we have room to grow. What some of our students post, the videos that they record and the various types of dialogue they engage in via social media makes it difficult for them to experience school the way that our team intends. Please continue to have honest conversations with our students about healthy social media use. For more on my social media thoughts, click here and here.

Upcoming Events and Reminders: 

Washington, D.C. Trip Announcements: Attention 8th Grade Washington, D.C. Parents and/or Guardians: Last week, your child received an updated balance sheet. For some of you, the due date is next Wednesday, December 18; for others, it is not until February 28, 2025. Please check the balance sheet that was provided to ensure the payments are made to keep your child in good standing for the trip. Make checks or money orders out to Roth Junior High. Please feel free to reach out with any questions. Please reach out via email to Mr. Mallaber or Ms. Flood with any questions.

Roth JHS Musical (Correction): I shared incorrect dates in last week’s E-News for our upcoming production of Shrek the Musical Jr. The correct dates for our musical are: Friday, January 31, 2025 and Saturday, February 1, 2025. Showtime for both evenings is at 7 p.m. 

Visiting Campus: Families are welcome to visit Roth JHS for scheduled meetings with our administrators, counselors or other related staff. When coming into the school, all visitors must enter through the main entrance. A photo ID is required to enter the building. *NOTE: During dismissal, we ask that visitors wait until school buses have loaded and departed. This will help us ensure the safety of and smooth departure for our students. We appreciate your willingness to partner with us to meet your student’s learning, wellness, and safety needs.

Upcoming Events:

• Roth JHS Concert (Dedicated Voices, Chamber Orchestra, and Jazz Band): Monday, December 16, at 7 p.m.
• Deck Roth’s Halls: Saturday, December 14 from Noon to 3 p.m.
• Winter Recess (No School): Saturday, December 21, through Sunday, January 5
• Roth JHS Concert (Grade 7): Monday, January 13, 2025 at 7 p.m.
• Roth Musical (Shrek the Musical Jr.): Friday, January 31 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, February 1 at 7 p.m. 

Click here for previous E-News communications.