GJH Parent Portal

It's been a great start to the school year! We enjoyed meeting families during our Back to School Nights and welcoming students back to the building. Students have enjoyed reuniting with classmates and teachers, learned what to expect in their new classes, and reviewed school-wide

expectations.

We will again be selling World's Finest Chocolate Bars for our GJH fundraiser. This was a successful fundraiser last year, and we hope to do even better this year!

The fundraiser will run from this Friday, Sept. 1st until Monday, September 18th. All money raised goes directly to support students in clubs, athletics, field trips, rewards, and school celebrations.

Your child should have brought home a flier last Friday (August 25) with a permission slip at the bottom.

When students turn in a signed permission slip, they'll be able to take home a box of 60 chocolate bars to sell for $1 each. By signing the form, you are agreeing to return $60 for the box by the end of the fundraiser. Unsold chocolate cannot be returned.

Students who sell a full box of chocolate bars can bring another signed permission slip to take home another box to sell. There is no limit to the number of boxes each student can sell!

Students who bring their first signed form back by September 1st will be entered in a drawing for extra prizes! Additional prizes are available throughout the event. Every student who sells at least one box will also be eligible for a reward field trip.

The fundraiser kickoff assembly will be held on Friday, September 1st. During the assembly on that day, students will receive more detailed information about the process and the prizes they can win. Students will be able to bring home chocolate that day and begin selling.

Parents are allowed and encouraged to help students sell their chocolate bars by taking them to work or other events to sell.

If you have questions regarding this year's school fundraiser, please email Lisa Herschberger at lherschberger@goshenschools.org

Thank you for your support of our fundraiser!

Every day at school is an opportunity for your child to learn and have experiences that contribute to academic and personal growth. At GJH this year, we will focus on improving student attendance.

The goal is for each student to have at least 94% attendance. This means students should not miss more than 10 days during the school year (excused or unexcused). More information about our attendance policy and support plans will be shared in future parent newsletters.

Here are a few key reasons why consistent school attendance matters:

1. Academic Progress: Attending school regularly allows students to participate in classroom discussions, learn from teachers, and collaborate with peers. Missing even a day can lead to gaps in their understanding, making it harder for them to catch up.

2. Continuous Learning: Lessons in most subjects are built sequentially. Missing school can disrupt this sequence and result in students struggling to understand later topics.

3. Social Interaction: School is not just about textbooks; it's a place where children build friendships and learn to work with others.

4. Routine and Responsibility: Attending school on a regular basis teaches children the importance of punctuality and responsibility. These are skills that will serve them well throughout life.

5. Teacher Support: Teachers are there to guide and support your child's learning. When students attend consistently, teachers can better understand their strengths and challenges, and they can provide help when needed.

We understand that circumstances can sometimes lead to unavoidable absences. However, we request that you prioritize your child's education by ensuring they attend school as consistently as possible. If your child is experiencing any challenges that affect their attendance, please communicate with us so that we can provide appropriate support. Let's work together to make sure students don't miss out on the opportunities that regular school attendance brings!

To communicate more effectively with parents, GCS will expand the district’s fall Parent/Teacher Conferences.

Teachers will be at school to meet with parents throughout the day on Tuesday, October 17.

Students will not have school on October 17. This will NOT be an e-learning day.

There were some errors in the original document listing the GJH concert and performance dates for this school year. Click on the link below to see the corrected calendar.

I grew up in a small logging town in North Idaho. After high school, I went to the University of Idaho, where I met my husband George. We had our first two children, Colton and Kyrie, and then moved to Seymour, Indiana in 1999. I stayed home with our kids and ran my own preschool and daycare. We had another daughter, Alex, in 2002 and then in 2005 our youngest, Ella, was born at 24 weeks gestation. I closed my business and took care of her medical needs for the next 7 years. During this time I became a CASA and learned more about the difficulties families and children in poverty face. In 2013, we moved to Goshen where I took my first public school teaching job as a preschool teacher here. I loved studying how kids learn and got involved in the Elkhart County Early Childhood Committee, which introduced me to Conscious Discipline. I earned my masters in English Language Acquisition and served as an EL teacher at Prairie View for two years. The last two years I was a Master Teacher and really enjoyed working with the adults in our building while also supporting kids with challenging behaviors. All of that led me to this opportunity to put those varied skills together and support kids who need additional skills and support. I love reading, photography, travel, and especially the mountains. I am incredibly grateful for my warm welcome here at GJHS.

Here is a message from Tom, the driver of bus 23.

Today I filled a cooler with ice and bottled water and handed them out to students at all the schools I drive for. The only thing I asked in return was that at the end of the day I didn't want to find a bunch of bottles in my floor and that they please dispose of them at home because my trash can is so small.

I am thrilled to say that when I parked my bus at the end of the day, I did not find a single bottle on the floor.

Thank you to Tom for caring for the students during last week's extreme heat, and thank you to the students for showing respect and responsibility!

As GJHS began this new school year, we welcomed seven new students from outside of the United States. As newcomers, these students take a quick test to determine their level of English so we can help them as they transition to our school.

In this case, three different languages were represented: Spanish, French, and Russian. We are so glad to have teachers like Krista Kempf (Spanish), Dalila Belhadi Salmi (French), and Linda Eby (Russian) who speak these various languages!

When this picture was taken, all three languages were being spoken at the same time as the teachers explained the test to the students. We are grateful to have these talented teachers to help our students feel more comfortable when they are navigating a new school and country.

Goshen Community Schools Dress Code can be found in the online student handbook at https://gjhs.goshenschools.org/about/

Our goal is to help students understand and evaluate appropriate settings for formal vs. informal attire, which is a skill they will use in the world beyond school. Students will see this addressed starting on the first day of school.

We appreciate parents working with us on this. If you have questions or concerns, don't hesitate to contact an administrator.

For the safety of students, car traffic is not allowed in the front parking lot during our arrival (8:45-9:30) and dismissal (3:30-4:30). At any time when there are buses in the front lot, parents must drop off or pick up students in the North or South lot. Please communicate with your child ahead of time so s/he will know where to find you after school.

Students' names are so important to us. We try to pronounce them correctly, spell them correctly, and use the names that our students prefer, such as Liz in place of Elizabeth or Junior in place of Edward, Jr.

Recent Indiana Department of Education legislation (House Enrolled Act 1608) requires schools to notify parents in writing when a student asks to be called by a different name or pronoun at school.

To assist us in this, if you would like your child to be referred to by a name other than his/her legal name, including shortened names or nicknames, please inform our staff. You can do this in by emailing your child's school counselor, administrator, or one of his/her teachers.

Goshen Schools is now using LINQ Connect instead of MySchoolBucks for managing students' breakfast and lunch accounts.

You can create an account at https://linqconnect.com/.

ALL parents should complete the meal application for free and reduced pricing for meals. This can also be done at https://linqconnect.com/ .

If you have questions, please contact GJHS bookkeeper Michelle Strite by calling the school or emailing at mstrite@goshenschools.org .

Requirements:

1. You must have a 23-24 IHSAA Sports Physical completed and submitted before you are eligible to practice or tryout.

2. All forms must be completed on FinalForms. Go to: goshen-in.finalforms.com to complete these forms.

Monday, Sept. 4 - Labor Day, No School

Thursday, Oct.17 - Parent-Teacher Conferences all day. NO SCHOOL!

Oct. 23-27 - Fall Break, No School

GCS provides many valuable online resources for parents and students. Skyward, Canvas, Parent Square . . . and the list goes on!

Detailed instructions and support for using these resources can be found here: https://goshenschools.instructure.com/courses/9841

Click this link to access student handbooks in English and Spanish:

https://gjhs.goshenschools.org/about/

Do you know of a GJH staff member who has "gone the extra mile" to make a difference in the life of a child? Take a moment to recognize and thank someone who has shown the Heart of a Redhawk! Click on the link below to fill out a nomination form. This is a simple, meaningful way to thank someone for a job well done.

www.goshenschools.org/heartofaRedHawk

Email: lherschberger@goshenschools.org
Website: https://gjhs.goshenschools.org/
Location: 1216 S. Indiana Avenue, Goshen, IN 46526
Phone: (574)533-0391
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goshenjrhigh/
Twitter: @GoshenJrHigh