Friday, March 28, 2025

Hello Roth Families and Friends,

Daylight is stretching longer into each evening. We’ve had a few days of spring warmth, birds chirping, critters crittering, and winter gear stowed away. For the final seven years of my teaching career, I coached all three Modified athletics seasons. Fall soccer started hot and sunny, and eventually tapered off into cold with some freezing rain/early snow. Winter basketball felt like I would never see daylight again. Spring baseball started on cold, wet, and unplayable fields before making way for the greenery and warmth of the approaching summer season. Our student-athletes are either already participating in or getting ready to start their spring season. For many families, this likely means driving all across the county for practice and competitions. And, for our students who do not participate in athletics, these next few weeks present the same beautifully longer days. With more opportunities to engage in safe and productive hobbies, at school or home. For all of us at Roth Junior High, it is time to prepare for our final quarter. Our final marking period of the 2024-2025 school year. 

I’ve written in earlier posts about the importance of self-care. Growing up, I didn’t understand the demonstration that flight attendants would make before each flight. I didn’t understand why any adult would be instructed to put their mask on before helping others. At this stage of my career (and life), I recognize, accept, and embrace that we must take care of ourselves so that we can be of service to others. Local news this week has presented our community of educators – and our students and families – another reminder to check in with each other. To check in with ourselves. We work with students. With teenagers. We have the great responsibility to model appropriate self-care for them. And to teach them to ask reflective self-care questions, such as: How am I feeling today? What are my goals for tomorrow? Do I feel supported? Do I feel valued? 

Roth families and friends, please know that my greatest joy in being an educator comes from the connections that we build as a community: students, teachers, support staff, administrators, and families. So, as always, please feel free to reach out to your child’s team at Roth if you have any questions, concerns, or feedback that you’d like to share. Together, we will continue this rise. Time for some updates and reminders.

UPDATES

Student Council Spirit Week (and Pep Assembly): Our Student Council has voted on Spirit Week themes for our spring dress-up days. This will happen the week leading up to Spring Break. The week will lead into our afternoon Pep Assembly in the big gym. Here are the dress-up day themes:

• Monday, April 7: Pajama Day (think warm, comfy evening wear)
• Tuesday, April 8: Cultural Day (show off some traditional attire from around the world)
• Wednesday, April 9: Anything but a Backpack Day (back by popular demand)
• Thursday, April 10: Teachers Dress Like Students (and vice versa; enjoy)
• Friday, April 11: Hawaiian Day (because we’re ready for summer)

Roth Parent Group, Budget Presentation: Please join us at 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 5, for a Budget Presentation. The online meeting will give Board Member (and Roth Liaison) Mrs. Rachel Sherman an opportunity to present the 2025-2026 R-H budget to our families. I will share a link for the Google Meet as we get closer to the event. Thank you, in advance, for supporting our district and our students. 

Incoming 7th Grade Orientation: Sixth graders from Sherman and their families are invited to an Incoming 7th Grade Orientation meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, April 21, in the Roth Junior High auditorium. This orientation will give families an opportunity to learn about the transition to 7th grade, and will include many of the common questions and differences that students may experience in September. Families will be able to meet our leadership team, tour the building, and gather some helpful information for prepping students over the summer. We look forward to meeting our next group of 7th graders!

Moving-Up Informational Meeting: This event is new this year. Families of current Roth 8th and 9th graders are invited to participate in an informational meeting to learn about the transition to high school. This event will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 23, in the Roth auditorium. At Roth JHS, our 8th graders transition from Junior High to High School, in-house. Our current 9th graders get more of an authentic experience because of the building move to the Senior High School. Coming from a high school background myself, I hope to start a tradition during which we help students and families understand the importance of these first two high school years. More information will be provided as this event gets closer. 

East Henrietta Road Closure: Starting Tuesday, April 1, East Henrietta Road will be closed (in both directions) from Lehigh Station Road to Goodburlet Road. This will have an impact on traffic patterns to and from Roth Junior High. As such, please plan for extra time, especially if you travel to Roth south on East Henrietta Road. Detour signs will be posted. Here are a few likely travel routes:

• Travel south on Pinnacle Road to west on Goodburlet Road to south on East Henrietta Road – Roth will be on the left
• Travel south on Middle Road to east on Erie Station Road to north on East Henrietta – Roth will be on the right

Hope that helps. Our buses will be doing their best to get our students safely and timely to school, so please plan your own transportation routes ahead of time.

R-H Spotlight Theater Presents: Let’s go support our wonderful student performers at the Senior High School this weekend! Forget all you know about the traditional story of The Princess and the Pea and be wowed by this fractured fairytale! Rush-Henrietta Spotlight Theatre’s production of “Once Upon a Mattress” takes place March 27-29 at the Senior High School. Tickets are $12 and can be purchased by visiting www.rhnet.org/onceuponamattress.

REMINDERS

State Testing in April and May: State tests are just a few weeks away! Our 7th and 8th graders will sit for the English Language Arts exam on Tuesday, April 8, and Wednesday, April 9; these same students will sit for the Math exam on Tuesday, May 6, and Wednesday, May 7. Though one month apart, these two exams provide teachers and building leaders with key academic achievement data. Since September, our teachers have been working hard to deliver high quality instruction that gives students the knowledge, skills, and strategies necessary to feel confident and competent in any setting. Though testing is just one such setting, the data that results helps us reflect on and modify our instructional practices. 

2025-2026 District Transportation Forms: This is a reminder. Transportation forms for Child Care and Split Custody for next school year are due on April 1. It’s never too early to start planning for next year. Please complete the appropriate form and send it to the Rush-Henrietta Transportation Department.

Roth JHS Yearbook Reminder: The 2024-2025 Roth JHS Yearbook is still available for purchase. Capture your memories in this year's Roth Jr. High School Yearbook. You can customize your two free pages:

• Add photos from your computer, Facebook, Instagram, Google Drive & more
• Answer fun Memory Questions to help remember the year
• The TWO Custom Pages are FREE and are printed ONLY in your book; Want more pages? Each additional two pages are just $1.98

Click here to purchase and customize your yearbook. Our school passcode is: 101556133544541.

Spring Athletics Reminder: JV and Varsity practices are underway. The Modified athletics season starts on Monday. Please click here for a message from Mr. Onze, R-H Athletic Director, regarding spring sports registration and important information. It’s been wonderful to see students, coaches, and parents after school again. Let’s go R-H!

Budget Vote May 20: We have many opportunities for you to learn more about the 2025-2026 budget proposal and the process that school districts must follow in developing the budget. Please join us at one of these upcoming sessions. Each one begins at 6 p.m.

• Rush United Methodist Church, Thursday, April 3
• Bhutanese Community Center, 201 Scottsville-West Henrietta Road, Friday, April 4
• Henrietta Public Library, Wednesday, April 23
• Guardian Angels Church, Thursday, May 1

You can also ask your budget-related questions here. The annual budget vote and Board of Education election will take place 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, May 20 at the Transportation and Operations Center, 1133 Lehigh Station Road, Henrietta.

Click here for previous E-News communications.

Sincerely,