TMHS Parent Newsletter

Here at Trotwood-Madison High School, our students aspire every day to meet our RAMS Expectations:

• Respectful
• Accountable
• Motivated
• Self-Controlled

Our building PBIS program (Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports) is designed to promote those positive qualities in our students. Teachers acknowledge students' positive behaviors by awarding PBIS Rewards points, which in turn help students earn a variety of incentives from snacks, to in school assemblies and activities, to field trips. A progressive discipline system is also in place to address the instances when student behavior does not meet our RAMS Expectations.

Here are some examples of our RAMS Expectations in action:

• Respectful - Positive interactions with both staff and other students
• Accountable - Attending all classes, arriving on time, and being prepared every day
• Motivated - Staying engaged in class activities and putting forth consistent effort
• Self-Controlled - Responding in a calm, positive manner in emotional situations

The following documents contain important information for all TMHS families:

• TMHS Drop-Off / Pick-Up Procedures, 2024-25
• TMHS Bullying and Conflict Plan, 2024-25
• TMHS Cell Phone, iPad, and Tablet Policy, 2024-25
• TMHS Vaping Policy, 2024-25

Please make note of the upcoming important dates for events and activities at TMHS:

• Thursday, Oct. 24th - Indiana Convention Center Field Trip (CTE Ag Tech program)
• Thursday, Oct. 31st - Miami University (Oxford) Field Trip (CTE Teaching Careers program)
• Friday, Nov. 1st - PBIS 1st Quarter Reward Fall Party
• Tuesday, Nov. 5th - Staff PD Day, no school for students
• Thursday, Nov. 7th - Muse Machine Performance: "The Writer's Pen" by DCDC
• Saturday, Nov. 9th - JROTC Military Ball at Sinclair Community College
• Friday, Nov. 15th - Double H Showcase Competition at Hamilton HS (TMHS Choir)
• Wednesday, Nov. 20th - Federal Court House Field Trip (American Government students)
• Monday, Nov. 25th to Friday, Nov. 29th - Fall Break, no school for students and staff

We have a major problem in our district that we need your help to fix: Chronic Absenteeism. According to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce:

• Chronic absence is defined in Ohio as a student missing 10% or more of the school year for any reason – excused, medically excused, unexcused and suspensions. Chronic absenteeism is part of Ohio’s report card as part of Ohio’s Every Student Succeeds Act Plan. Ohio, along with 35 other states, uses chronic absenteeism as a measurement of student success under the Gap Closing Component.

As of the end of 1st Quarter, TMHS has almost 41% of our students who are chronically absent. The simple fact of the matter is that if a student isn't here, they aren't learning. The even bigger concern is that chronic absenteeism is like a snowball: the longer it continues, the more damage it does. Look at how missing 1 or 2 days a week can affect your student's education:

Not all chronic absenteeism is missing full days of school. Late arrivals or early dismissals can also have a similar effect on your student's education:

You will be hearing a lot more about this issue from a district level moving forward. In the meantime, at TMHS, we are attempting to combat chronic absenteeism in several different ways:

• Refining our systems and practices to make sure we more accurately identify and more clearly track our chronically absent students.
• Clearly communicating with families regarding chronic absenteeism in general (parent newsletter, district communications) and specifically for each chronically absent student (certified letters, phone calls, and home visits).
• Clearly communicating with students regarding the importance of them being here every minute possible. This includes providing both positive incentives (PBIS rewards, gift card raffles, etc.) and negative incentives (Consequences for excessive tardiness, inability to attend school events, etc.)

One example of the positive incentives we are providing to encourage good attendance took place at our recent Homecoming Pep Rally: A raffle was held that included all students who achieved perfect attendance for all of 1st quarter. Several students were drawn from each grade level and received $25 gift cards on behalf of Mr. Wilkes, our TMHS Attendance Specialist!

The reality of chronic absenteeism is that parents and families share the responsibility for this problem. We are asking that you partner with us in fixing our chronic absenteeism problem. Here are some specific things you can do to help:

• Make sure your student is on time every day by dropping them off by 7:50 AM. This will ensure your student has time to enter the building and get to 1st period before 8:00 AM.
• Avoid early dismissals unless absolutely necessary. This will ensure your student maximizes their learning time every day. If possible, schedule appointments before or after school.
• Take advantage of our transportation services. Our Transportation Department works tirelessly to ensure that all our students arrive to school safely and on time every morning.

We fully understand that sometimes a student missing school is unavoidable. All we ask is that you make a conscious effort to reduce the amount of time your student misses from school in any of the ways mentioned here. A district Chronic Absenteeism Team has been established to develop strategies and solutions for reducing our chronic absenteeism rate. You will continue to hear more throughout the year on this important topic. Remember: EVERY minute matters!

We had an awesome Spirit Week and Homecoming Dance here at TMHS! Students and staff alike participated in the festivities and everyone had a great time. Here are some photos capturing all the fun of Spirit Week and Homecoming:

The first day's theme was "Soccer Mom vs. Barbeque Dad", students and staff chose which caricature they wanted to emulate.

The second day's theme was "Teacher-Student Swap Day", students dressed like teachers and teachers dressed like students. This was definitely the favorite for staff!

The third day's theme was "Wayback Wednesday (90s Day)", students and staff emulated the fashion of the 90s.

The fourth and final day's theme was "Class Day", every class had a different age group that they dressed up as: Freshman - Babies, Sophomores - Toddlers, Juniors - Adults, Seniors - Old Folks. (For staff, it was pajama day!)

We had a fantastic pep rally to get our students hyped up for our Homecoming football game against Dunbar. Our varsity cheerleading squad performed, as did our TM4 Marching Band and Dance Team. Our Rams beat Dunbar 67-0 in Friday's game!

The homecoming dance was wonderful evening for our students to enjoy full of music, dancing, and fun. Special thanks to Mrs. McCleskey, Junior class advisor, and all the other staff members who made the magic happen! Last but not least, a big congratulations to our 2024 Homecoming King, Jalen Henry, and our 2024 Homecoming Queen, Sophia Nieves!

Recently, our Teaching Careers CTE program took students on a field trip to the Wright State University's Future Teachers Day. Students got to participate in classes and breakout sessions all centered around the skills needed for a future career in education. Shout out to Ms. Johnson, our Teaching Careers CTE teacher, for getting our students involved in this awesome opportunity!

As we close out this month's TMHS Parent Newsletter, there are a few additional items for you to consider. Please take a moment to read through these items and the associated links:

Do you want to celebrate your student's accomplishments? Maybe you have a graduating senior and want to commemorate their last year? Perhaps, you're proud of your student and just want to brag about how awesome he/she is. TMHS Yearbook are selling ads ranging from $100 for a full page with 10 pictures or less, $75 for half page with 6 pictures or less, $50 for 1/4 page with 3 pictures, and lastly, a 1/8 page with 1 picture for $25. If you purchase your ad before Dec 1st, receive 10% off of your ad. If you have any questions, comments, or want to purchase an ad, contact Mrs. Knight, our Yearbook Advisor, at mirandaknight@trotwood.k12.oh.us.

Muse Machine is a nationally celebrated arts education organization serving more than 76,800 students and their teachers each year throughout central and southwestern Ohio and Kentucky since 1982. For most students, Muse will create “a-ha!” moments by suggesting imaginative bridges to curriculum. Many will use Muse to discover culture that may have seemed out of reach. Still others will explore their own creative paths through Muse. All students will benefit from the presence of enthusiastic, innovative teachers in their classrooms.

• Muse Machine Membership is FREE for Trotwood High School students and includes access to 4 in school performances from a variety of performance artists. If you are interested in having your student participate, use the following link to sign up: https://musemachine.wufoo.com/forms/zbnrkhm0d3mnhj/
• Muse Machine Members also get access to discounted tickets for performing arts events throughout the Dayton area. If you would like to attend with us, you have the option to purchase one ticket as well! To view and purchase tickets, click the link here: https://musemachine.wufoo.com/forms/zxinem500eu8s2/
  

For more information about Muse Machine, visit their website: https://musemachine.com/about/

Our TMHS FFA (Future Farmers of America) program, led by Mrs. Hayes, is accepting donations of old T-shirts. These T-shirts will be recycled by students into reusable shopping bags. If you have any questions or would like to donate, please contact Mrs. Hayes at erynnhayes@trotwood.k12.oh.us.