Happy Friday Ridgeview families! Here are your weekly updates.

The winners of the $50 gift card for the holidays from our Lunch With A Loved One event were the following: Period 3 Lunch: 8th grader Lillian Brokaw's Family; Period 4 Lunch: 7th grader Joshua Mezquita’s Family; Period 5 Lunch: 8th grader Asier Williams’ Family; Period 6 Lunch: 8th grader Matthieu Fisher’s Family; and Period 7 Lunch: 7th grader Sean Washington’s Family. Congratulations to all the winners! If you missed our event, we’ll have another one during Q3 in early March. Thanks again to those who came! And if you have a minute, please complete this short survey. We want to hear the feedback. Thanks in advance!!

Our orchestra and band students have upcoming Winter concerts at Central High School. The orchestra performs on Dec 17th at 7:00 pm, and the band performs on Dec 18th at 7:00 pm. We hope you’re able to come and support our musical scholars.

We hope everyone can join the district in its annual Night of Engagement. It will be held at the Wigwam Event Center on Tue Dec 17th from 6:00-8:00 pm. More information about the event is further down in the newsletter. The event is free to all Pickerington families.

Our overall building attendance has dropped significantly over the last couple of weeks. Families please understand that students being tardy to school also affects our school-wide attendance as much as students being absent all day. Our goal for this year is 95%. Right now we are nowhere near that goal and our 8th grade class is bringing up the rear (below 90%). We want to finish 2024 strong but we need all students in the building and on time in order for us to meet our goals. If you have questions about student attendance, please contact either me or Sydney Dillard.

As a reminder to our families, everything we do at Ridgeview Jr is based around two things: Academics and Safety. This means that we do not take bullying, fighting, or any unnecessary behavior lightly. Those who like to stir the pot for their own entertainment are not okay either and we will deal with them accordingly as well. Please have conversations with your kiddo about his/her behaviors. We have a lot of work to still do prior to the OST in the spring. We want to be intentional about our work. Negative behaviors get in the way of that work!

Lastly, we’re down to 5 school days left in 2024. We want to be able to see everyone’s smiling faces during those 5 days, but be advised, as mentioned above, Academics and Safety come first. Those who cannot follow T.I.G.E.R. expectations that align with Academics and Safety will have their break start early.

Take care and we’ll see everyone soon! GO TIGERS!

Important Dates:

Dec 17 & 19: PBIS Events

Dec 20: Last day of School / End of Quarter 2 & Semester 1!

Dec 23 - Jan 3: Winter Break - No School!

Jan 6: School resumes / Quarter 3 Begins

Sheila A. Evans, Principal

Ridgeview Junior High School

Our office hours will be different during Winter Break. Please be sure to make a note, in case you need us!

District Policy states that only guardians listed on Infinite Campus are permitted to pick up their student. If your student needs to be picked up early by someone who is NOT their guardian, a guardian must call the office to let us know who will be picking up their child. The other adult must present a valid ID to office staff for the student to be released to them.

Dress Code:

• All students should have shoes that cover their toes and that are appropriate for school (no slides, sandals, or slippers). Crocs are appropriate but must have the strap for the heel.

• Clothes should be appropriate length and cover all parts of the body (ex: no crop tops, spaghetti straps). If writing or pictures are on the clothing, it should be appropriate to wear at school. PJ’s are not appropriate clothing to wear to school.

• Students are permitted to wear hooded sweatshirts to school, but cannot have the hood (or any hat) on their head during the school day.

Personal Communication Devices:

• For this school year, when students enter the building, all devices (phones, wireless headphones or pods, iPads) are to be turned off and put out of sight for the entire school day. Smart watches may be used as a watch only. If it’s used for anything else, it will be confiscated.

• If a student is seen with a device OR uses their smart watch for anything other than a watch, the device will be confiscated and locked up in the main office. The first time it’s taken, the student may pick it up at the end of the school day. After the first time, a parent will have to pick up the device - it will not be returned to the student moving forward.

• Pick-up times for Personal Communication Devices will be Mon - Fri in the main office from 8:00 am - 1:45 pm and again from 2:30 pm - 3:00 pm as long as school is in session. The main office closes at 3:00 pm daily.

• The purpose of this is to have our students more engaged in classes. Devices are becoming more of a distraction every single day. We want to set our Ridgeview students up for success in every class. We believe this will be a better start to doing just that!

• We’re collecting more devices daily. If your student has a device confiscated and it doesn’t belong to them, the person that it belongs to AS WELL AS the student who had it taken from will be added to our spreadsheet for a confiscated device. Please make a note of this.

Thank you to those who have donated already, your contributions help our students daily and we appreciate you! We still have a need for boys socks .

If you are able to help, please drop off your donations to the main office.

THANK YOU!

We’re excited to start compiling this year’s yearbook and need your help! If you have any photos of art projects, tennis matches, or other school and sports events, we would love to include them.

Please send your pictures to aaron_christley@plsd.us or allison_garwood@plsd.us.

Your contributions will help make this yearbook truly special!

Click on the camera to order!

Event Code: FE61024

Questions?

Customer Care

M - F 8am - 5pm:

1-877-515-1447, Option 1

Click on the pictures below to apply!

**If you're paying with Venmo, there will be a fee - $1 for $20 and $1.75 for $40 or more. Please add the extra in your payment.**

Payments of cash and/or check will be accepted in the office with Ms Tiffany.

Email: tiffany_dalton@plsd.us with any questions!

IMMUNIZATION REMINDER: In order to start school, all immunizations must be up to date.

Click HERE for complete guidelines.

School-Based Health Clinic

Pediatric Associates has an office located at Tussing Elementary that is available to all PLSD students and the community of Pickerington. The clinic offers the following services: helping with sore throat, headaches, earache, bad cough, strep test, immunizations, blood work, physicals, well check-ups, sports physicals, medication, asthma, etc.

The clinic is open on Monday and Wednesday from 9:00 - 3:00 and closed from 1:00 - 2:00 for lunch. Walk-ins are welcome or to schedule an appointment call 614-864-3222.

Emergency Resources

Crisis Text Line: text "HOME" to 741741

Nationwide Children's Youth Hotline: 1-614-722-1800

Teen Hotline: 1-614-294-3300

Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673

Safe Schools Tip Line: Call or text 1-844-723-3764

Suicide Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 or 1-614-221-5445

Sheriff Department: 1-740-652-7900

For the last week of 2024, we will host Spirit Week. If your student would like to participate, please send in $5. This money will go towards helping local families for the holiday season. Money was due on December 11th to your students PAWtime teacher.

WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Nationwide Children's (Virtual Options) and Fairfield County (In person in Lancaster) offer free Triple P parenting courses that cover a variety of topics and are delivered in multiple formats (e.g., workshops, seminars, one-on-one consults, etc.)

https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/specialties/behavioral-health/for-families/triple-p

https://www.facfc.org/parent-education-fcfc.html

Hi families. I am reaching out to ask for help in supporting our Girls group at Ridgeview. The ROX Program equips girls with tools to succeed in relationships, academics and life with evidence-based curriculum. This program will also help girls cope with stress/anxiety and address perfectionism while coaching families how to best support their child. Here at Ridgeview, we like to run a 7th grade group first semester and an 8th grade group second semester.

Your tax-deductible gift will help create generations of confident and successful girls who can control their own decisions, relationships, experiences and futures. For all the ways that you are able to give, we are honored to have your support in this work.

A gift of $100 provides a scholarship for 1 girl to participate in 20-weeks of the ROX Program. However, we appreciate any donation you are able to make. If you or your business want to sponsor a girl or make a donation please use the QR code below.

Tiger Athletics Website

Athletic Handbook

Winter Sports Registration is now OPEN!

Please be sure that your student is registered on Final Forms.

YOUR STUDENT MUST HAVE AN UPDATED PHYSICAL ON FILE IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE OR TRY OUT IN ANY SPORT

A friendly reminder!

$77.50 due November 22

$77.50 due January 17

Be sure to register your student in Final Forms so that you get all of the up to date information regarding games and practices.

https://pickerington-oh.finalforms.com/

Students: $5 Adults: $7

Cash/Card is accepted at the gate. If you pay online, there will be additional fees.

Click here to purchase tickets: https://www.pickerington.k12.oh.us/Page/126

You may purchase a Tiger Club Pass ($50/student) or a Central Club Pass ($100/adult) that is good for all regular home games for every sport.

To purchase Club Passes, use the same link as above and select Central. Once there, you will select Purchase Yearly Passes.

**Students are now required to show their student ID card to attend athletic events. If your student does not have an ID card yet, you can show the attendant your Infinite Campus information from your phone until your ID arrives**

TGIF!! We have 5 school days until WINTER BREAK (YAY)!!

Next week we are excited to host our holiday fundraiser - candy gram, candy canes, cookies and cupcakes.

Students will have the option to purchase suckers and candy canes during PAW Time Monday, Thursday, and Friday next week. The cookie and cupcakes are pre-orders and will be delivered on the 19th and 20th.

Parents, we need your help with this since our students are not able to use their cash app features during school ~ we hope you will send a treat to your kiddo as the pre-order option starts today. This fundraiser is called "The Gift of a Sweet Treat". We will send out announcements via Talking Points; details will be listed on our PTO Facebook page as well. Also keep in mind that your students can purchase during PAW Time, 12/16 - 12/18, to send a treat of choice to a teacher, staff member or friend.

Cupcakes - $2.50 (with sticker and special treat)

Cookie - $1.50 (with sticker and special treat)

Candy - 3 for $1.00 (airheads or suckers)

Candy Canes - 2 for $1.00

(We changed the pricing and amount that the students will receive for this fundraiser - your kiddo will get more this go round)

Cash App details: $RidgeviewPTO2021

Venmo: @RVJHPTO

You can use the QR codes listed in newsletter as well as the payments will be sent to our accounts.

Final mention, we are looking to do another Teen Night in January and will call it "New Year's After Party" - no date has been finalized. If the dance has to be pushed out to February, we will look to change the name (more to come). Also, PTO has received approval to do our Tiger Walk-a-thon, (originally it was going to be the Tiger Turkey Trot). Due to timing we had to postpone. However we are excited to share that this will happen in the spring.

If you have any questions at all we are always here to support you - Kelly Martin - kelly.martin_rvjhpto@hotmail.com and Qiana Ellis - qsmith6@hotmail.com.

Kelly Martin & Qiana Ellis

Discover the Path to College Success with College Credit Plus!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uywven1ApjA

Imagine your student stepping into college with credits already earned, gaining experience with college-level coursework, and getting a head start on their future—all while still in high school!

Ohio’s College Credit Plus (CCP) program empowers students to earn both high school and college credits simultaneously by enrolling in courses at community colleges and universities, all at no cost to families.

The district will host several informational sessions for students and families to explore how College Credit Plus can unlock academic opportunities, lighten future college costs, and give your student a boost toward their goals.

Join us for the College Credit Plus Parent Presentation meeting on January 8, from 6:30–8:30 p.m., in the Pickerington High School North Performing Arts Center, 7800 Refugee Road. We’re excited to help your family take the next step toward college success—don’t miss this chance to learn more!

• PLSD 2024-2025 District Calendar - click here

• Districtwide Activities Calendar

  Upcoming events and important dates are listed in the Districtwide Google Events Calendar, which is synced with individual building, program and athletic team calendars. Once inside the district wide calendar, to display the events of a particular building, team, program or activity, you will need to check the specific corresponding color-coded box(es) from the list on the left-hand side.

  Pickerington Schools partners with the City of Pickerington and Yodel to bring you the Pickerington Community Calendar!
  

  Visit this link to view all Pickerington Schools activities included on the calendar and don’t forget to “favorite” our Pickerington Schools schedule! Once favorited, Pickerington Schools' events will be front and center on your calendar, enabling you to see what’s coming up.

The Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Department of Public Safety have launched the SaferOH tip line that will accept both calls and texts 24 hours a day.

This tip line allows students and adults to anonymously share information with school officials and law enforcement about threats to student safety—whether that involves a threatened mass incident or harm to a single student.

Every tip can remain anonymous. School safety analysts may ask for additional information, but the caller can remain secret or leave his or her contact information for later follow-up.

Calls or texts to 844-SaferOH (844-723-3764) are answered by analysts in the Ohio Homeland Security’s Threat Assessment and Prevention (TAP) Unit. When action is needed, the TAP Unit immediately forwards information to Pickerington Schools, local law enforcement agencies, and others, if necessary.

Here at Ridgeview Junior High we value being Timely, Innovative, showing GRIT, being Engaged in our learning, and Respect! Notice the letters spell out TIGER! Click on our behavior expectations, and please take a moment to look over and review with your student(s).

Principal: Sheila Evans

Assistant Principal 7th Grade: Henry Lee

Assistant Principal 8th Grade: Kevin Smith

Dean of Students: Sydney Dillard

Building Secretary/Athletics: Tiffany Dalton

Building Secretary/Registrar: Lisa Holley

Attendance: Pat Petrini

Office Assistant: Madelyn Gomez

Counselors: Kris Owen: A-Ga, Erica Reynolds: Ge-N, Meghan Wade: O-Z

Nurse: Rachel Ross/Mindy Stillwell

Safety/Security: Jon (JT) Haynes

School Resource Officer (SRO): Mathew Swaney, Jeremy Collier

Email: Sheila_Evans@plsd.us
Website: pickerington.k12.oh.us
Location: 130 Hill Road South, Pickerington, OH, USA
Phone: 614-548-1700
Twitter: @RidgeviewPLSD