Raven Family Resource

Dear Raven Families,

Thank you for your understanding and support as we navigated two cold days and a snowy Thursday morning. As a result of the inclement weather days this week, our remaining semester assessments/exams will occur on Monday and Tuesday of next week, with half days on each day. The schedule is listed below. Also please remember that the Learning Commons is not open after exams in the afternoon. When the exam day ends at 11:10, all students must exit the school building.

Our second semester classes will begin on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, which is a late start and advisory day. School begins at 8:55 a.m. on that day. Students will begin this day in advisory to get their schedule, and then proceed with a normal late start/advisory day schedule for the rest of the day.

Warm regards,

ROHS Admin Team

• January 24 - No School - Teacher Records Day
• January 27 - 1/2 Day of School - Semester Exams Hours 1 & 2
• January 28 - 1/2 Day of School - Semester Exams Hours 3 & 4
• January 29 - Beginning of Second Semester, Late Start & Advisory Schedule
• January 29 - Accelerated College Experience (ACE) Information Night (See Below)
• February 5 - Late Start & Advisory Schedule
• February 14-18 - No School - Mid-Winter Break
• February 19 -20 - Haven Training - 12th Grade
• February 24 - Haven Training - 9th Grade
• February 25 - Haven Training - 10th Grade
• February 27 - Haven Training - 11th Grade

Athletics dates & events > goroathletics.org
Building Calendar link for more details.

Semester assessments/Exams will continue next week!

Monday, January 27 will be a half day with exams for hours 1 & 2. Tuesday, January 28 will be a half day with exams for hours 3 & 4. The updated schedule for the ‘Semester Assessment Week’ is here, or click on the picture to the right.

Please encourage your child to communicate with their teachers on late/missing assignments. If students need to discuss their graduation plans or credit recovery options, they should schedule an appointment with their counselor through their YouCanBookMe links.

To maintain an appropriate testing environment, students must arrive no later than 8:15am to be admitted to their class to take the assessment/exam.

Also, please note that the Learning Commons is closed after school during semester assessment week. Please arrange transportation accordingly.

Semester assessment/exams continue next week. Updated information was sent out from Mrs. Beerer.

Students should plan on attending ROHS on your scheduled assessment/exam period(s). You are excused from your OSTC classes. There will be no bussing to OSTC for semester assessments. However, you are welcome to attend if it does not interfere with your ROHS assessments, but again transportation will not be provided.

If you have any questions, please reach out to your counselor. Good luck with assessments!

We’re thrilled to announce that Oakland ACE 2025-2026 enrollment period is now open! There will also be an informational meeting for students and parents/guardians in the Learning Commons at 6pm on Wednesday, January 29th. Here's a flyer about additional information events.

We’re thrilled to announce that Oakland ACE is getting ready for the 2025-2026 enrollment period, which opens on December 1!

To help you and your students get a head start, CLICK HERE

This year, there’s one important update: Students are strongly encouraged to enroll with ACE and be accepted to OCC by March 1, 2025, to take advantage of OCC’s priority scheduling. Priority scheduling allows students to register for courses one week earlier than other OCC students, giving busy students the best chance to lock in their ideal class times and dates. As we have in years past, we will continue to enroll students until the end of the school current school year.

This year ROHS is offering HAVEN Training for all students. HAVEN’s Training program will occur during the school day and is designed to support young adults in the development of safe relationships by providing information to increase understanding of ethical/affirmative consent, effective bystander techniques, and how to respond and support a friend who has experienced sexual violence. The curriculum will be presented by skilled Prevention Education Specialists. Haven will be presenting to our 12th grade students February 19th and 20th. Haven will be presenting to our 9th-11th grade students February 24th - 27th during the school day.

This training will have the following focus areas per grade level:

• 9th Grade: Sexual Harassment

• 10th Grade: Dating Violence

• 11th Grade: Sexual Assault

• 12th Grade: Sexual Consent

If you DO NOT want your child to participate in HAVEN Training, please complete this form by 3 pm on February 13 to OPT-OUT.

Please check out the January edition of the English Language Development (ELD) newsletter. The ELD department serves the multilingual student population in Royal Oak. Inside you will find updates from ELD staff, information about upcoming events, and a recap of ELD students' accomplishments and activities in the month of December. Find the newsletter at the following link:

https://secure.smore.com/n/gq4nw-this-month-in-eld

Royal Oak High School Families,

We want to inform you about a new automated call system that will notify parents/guardians about student tardiness. This update is designed to keep families informed about their child’s attendance and ensure accountability for missed class time. Robocalls will be generated anytime a student misses any part of a class period. If you excused your child and know your child has scanned in after the class period has started please ignore the robocall. In every other instance please talk to your child about the tardy.

We hope this new system provides better transparency and supports your child in maintaining strong attendance habits. If you have any questions or need further clarification, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the attendance office at ext 1048 or email Crystal Jabara at crystal.jabara@royaloakschools.org.

We have been having some difficulties in our circle drive drive area at Lexington and Crooks. This is not a designated area for drop off or pick up. It is an area that our staff parks in, and because of parents parking in this area, some of our staff have not been able to park.

Please do not drop off or pick up your child in the circle drive. Please do not park and wait to drop off your child in this area. This is an area for buses only. We will be working with RO Police Officers to help reinforce this No Parking/Drop off Zone. Thank you for your support and understanding.

Your child can get dropped off at the student drop off loop off of Crooks and your child can walk directly into the school starting at 7:00 a.m., so that they don't have to wait in the cold.

We know that drop-off and pick-up can be difficult with everyone's busy schedules. With a few hundred students who are coming to and leaving school during a very short turnaround time of 10 - 15 minutes, we need to ensure safety. In order to do this in a safe and efficient manner, it is imperative that all families respect and follow the designated drop-off and pick-up location. Please see the map below.

• Attention Royal Oak Schools students! Get ready to lace up those skates and join us for FREE skating at The Rink at Royal Oak on School Skate Days!

  Here's how to claim your free skate wristband:

  Show your school ID at the skate house. For elementary students, mention what school you go to - your parent or guardian must be present to confirm.

  Here’s a listing Royal Oak Schools Free Skate Days: January 8th. January 22nd, February 5th

  For more information on The Rink at Royal Oak, please visit therinkatroyaloak.com

Member of the National Honors Society are available for tutoring in the Learning Commons before and after school. If you need tutoring, they are there to help! See the schedule below:

• Before school - 7:00 - 7:50 a.m. - Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
• After school - 3:05 - 4:00 p.m. - Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday

Please use the following link to register for tutoring. Please complete link at least 48 hours in advance of tutoring sessions.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScubL6q2bPM7G_blBlx9jchxFMloPc7yluxsn8ph3crQE7SyA/viewform?usp=sf_link

In our efforts to continue to keep our school community safe, Royal Oak High School is requesting that all visitors show identification before entering the building. Visitors who would like to meet with a staff member will need to have a scheduled appointment.

Blessings in a Backpack is a program designed to provide students on the free and reduced lunch program with enough food for three meals a day during the weekends. This program, administered by the Community Foundation of Greater Rochester, is active in Royal Oak Schools. If you agree to take part in this program during the school year, your child will receive a bag filled with food for the weekend. The simple meals may include food like macaroni and cheese, beef ravioli, canned fruit, granola bars, soups, juice and other items. Students will receive a bag every week.

If you would like to have your child participate in this program, please fill out this form. Be sure to indicate if you child has any food allergies. If your child has a food allergy, you as the parent are responsible for checking all food labels when the food arrives home. Royal Oak Schools, as well as Blessings in a Backpack, will not be held responsible for any accidental food allergen exposure.

Yearbook Information:

Interested in purchasing a yearbook? The price is $85 until March 31st. Please follow the link for purchasing options:

• Yearbook Purchasing Link (links to an external site)

Parents/Guardians of Seniors:

• Senior Portraits & Senior Tributes

• If your student has taken Senior Portraits with someone other than Prestige, please be sure to submit your student's selected photo to "Yearbook Snap" by January 31st. The code to submit is "ravens" (all lowercase).

• Senior Tributes are available for purchase until March 11th, 2025, but please note that we are limited in the amount of senior tributes we can include, so it is possible they will sell out sooner than the deadline!

• Senior Portrait and Tribute Information 2024.2025.pdf

Questions? Please contact Mr. Swastek! matthew.swastek@royaloakschools.org

In order for a student to join a club, there must be parent/guardian permission. Here is the Permission Slip. Please return this to your club sponsor. Questions can be sent to Daniel Russell (Daniel.Russell@royaloakschools.org).

Stay up to date on schedules at https://goroathletics.org/

The Royal Oak Athletic Boosters needs your help to support our Student-Athletes! Their is concession stand volunteer opportunities and a donation page. Please help us make the Athletic Boosters a success! Boosters Website

Questions? Contact our Director of Athletics and Activities, Mr. Russell (daniel.russell@royaloakschools.org)

ROHS CANVAS COMMUNITY PAGE

Royal Oak High School has created an ROHS Canvas Community page/course. This page houses different resources which includes, but is not limited to support contacts, wellness resources, career and testing information, scholarships and counseling information. Canvas works in conjunction with MiStar. On your student’s schedule you’ll notice it’s 10th period. Students do not need to do anything for this page/course. It is another way to give students the resources that they need.

MICHIGAN MEALS PROGRAM

Thanks to the Michigan School Meals Program, a state-funded program that allows all students to receive meals at no cost for the 2024-2025 school year, breakfast and lunch will be free to all students. Second meals are not free and will be considered ala carte.

Although all students can receive meals at no cost, it is still vital that eligible families fill out a free/reduced meal application. A school’s eligibility for federal Child Nutrition Programs such as Summer Food Service Program and others is based on free and reduced-price eligibility. Students and families may qualify for other program fee reductions based on their eligibility for free or reduced-price meals. Federal and state education funding uses free and reduced-price eligibility.

MISTAR GRADEBOOK

As a reminder, MiStar is the official gradebook and Parent(s)/Guardian(s) can go to the MiStar Parent Portal to see up-to-date grades for their child. If you have any questions about your child's progress or would like to meet with your child's teacher, please connect with them directly to schedule a conference time. (ROHS Staff Directory)

ECF DISTRICT PROVIDED CHROMEBOOKS

Parent(s)/Guardian(s) can complete the ECF Chromebook Request Form in order to get a Chromebook for their child. This form is for students that are new to the district or students who did not previously opt to request a district chromebook.

Please make sure to read the request/commitment form carefully. Chromebooks will be delivered to ROHS toward the end of each week. Visit the District Technology Website for additional information and support. If you have any questions, contact Ms. Hermon (Amy.Hermon@royaloakschools.org)

Consistent attendance at school is directly connected with your child's academic success. We understand that there are times when students need to be absent. We ask that parents/guardians notify the school on each day a student is absent.

The parent/guardian must call the Attendance Office at 248-435-8500 (press 1) by 1:30 p.m. each day of their child’s absence and provide any necessary documentation (e.g., medical documentation). Voicemail is available for messages if no one is available to take your call.

Please keep in mind that excessive absences will lead to a referral to Royal Oak Youth Assistance or our School Truancy Officer. Notices will be automatically generated and sent digitally.

For your child to have medication in school, a Request for Dispensing Medication Form along with your child's medication, clearly labeled must be provided to the Main Office for ANY medication your child may use while in attendance at ROHS. The Dispensing Medication Form must be fully completed. A signature from your child's physician is required. This form must also be filled out for over the counter medication(s). Students are not permitted to carry medication on them without a form on file with the Main Office.

If the medication label does not clearly provide instructions for dispensing, a physician's order must accompany the form. If you have any questions or concerns please reach out to the ROHS Main Office at (248) 435-8500.

Stay in touch with Royal Oak Schools by downloading our new mobile app! Download on your mobile device today and select 'yes' to receive push notifications with the latest news and updates from the District. Use the following link for more download information. https://www.royaloakschools.org/quick_links/royal_oak_schools_app

ROMS has some new parking and traffic flow procedures. Please see the following link for details:

https://secure.smore.com/n/ed34w-bulldog-bulletin

If your child missed Freshman Orientation they should stop by the Learning Commons before or after school to pick up their new device. Please have them bring their old device to exchange for the new one. Mrs. Hermon will be taking their old chromebook and checking out a new one to your child. Please have them bring their old chromebook and charger with them. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Hermon (Amy.Hermon@royaloakschools.org)

Abbie Stys - Counselor (A-E)

Abbie.Stys@royaloakschools.org

Erin Boedeker - Counselor (F-K)

Erin.Boedeker@royaloakschools.org

Chloe Beerer - Counselor (L-Ri)

Chloe.Beerer@royaloakschools.org

Noah Szymanski - Counselor (Rj-Z)

Noah.Szymanski@royaloakschools.org

Emily Wade - Special Education Social Worker

Emily.Wade@royaloakschools.org

Clarisa Ceaser - Special Education Social Worker

Clarisa.Ceaser@royaloakschools.org

Alonda Fletcher - General Education Social Worker

Alonda.Fletcher@royaloakschools.org

Oakland Schools Technical Campus (OSTC) Program Opportunities

OSTC Program Exploration (multiple dates)

Oakland Schools Technical Campus (OSTC) FIELD TRIP

10th and 11th graders, are you interested in learning new skills in the trades? OSTC may be your ticket to career tech certifications and career advancement! Oakland Technical Campus (OSTC), Royal Oak programs available in the following trades.

• Automotive Technology
• Collision Repair & Refinishing
• Computer Programming
• Construction Technology
• Criminal Justice
• Culinary Arts & Hospitality
• Cybersecurity Networking
• Energy-Electrical Technology
• Engineering, Robotics & Mechatronics
• Entrepreneurship & Advanced Marketing
• Graphic Communication and Design
• Health Sciences
• Welding

If you are interested and want to see these programs firsthand, now is your opportunity. We have a scheduled field trip on February 13th, 2025 from 12:00-2:30pm. Please see the permission slip to return to Ms. Lawrence in the Student Service Center. If you need a hard copy of the form please pick it up in the Student Service Center. The deadline to submit your permission slip is February 10th.

SUMMER PROGRAM OPPORTUNITIES

Summer program opportunities for high school students are rolling into our inboxes. A summer program list has been created for students and families to explore the options available for summer 2025. This list will be updated as new opportunities are shared so please look back frequently!

SENIOR NEWSLETTER

Class of 2025 students and parents/guardians: please review our Senior Newsletter for important information regarding postsecondary planning. Much of this information will be needed to successfully complete college applications.

SENIORS: It's FAFSA Time!

The FAFSA became live on December 1st. If you have not done so already, create a FSA ID to prepare for FAFSA completion. HERE is information on how to create an FSA ID.

FINANCIAL AID & SCHOLARSHIPS

Class of 2025 Students and Families: Please review our Financial Aid Newsletter for important resources. Please let your counselor know if you have any questions.

ACADEMIC SUPPORT RESOURCES

Please take a look at our Academic Support Resources if your child could benefit from either group, one on one, or online support options.

The Class of 2025 Senior All Night Party will be at Emagine Theatre in Royal Oak on Thursday, May 29 with check in to begin at 11pm, party ending at 5:00 am.

Senior All-Night Party Ticket LINK $65 Early Bird pricing and an EXTRA raffle prize ticket until February 1st, when cost increases to $75. (If the ticket price is an issue for your family, please reach out to the school administration to get on the list for subsidized/free tickets. More info on this to come.)

Wish Wall Fundraiser LINK Send a senior a wish to be displayed at graduation that they can take home from the party, each wish is $5. Please share!

More Senior information available on Canvas ROHS 2025 Page

Mental Health & Wellness Resources

• Royal Oak Youth Assistance

• Oakland Family Services

• Common Ground

• Teen Yellow Book

• Oakland Schools Health/Wellness/Crisis Resources

• Oakland Community Health Network

Test Preparation Opportunities

ROHS PTSA

We recognize that family and community support are integral to our success. This is why we encourage you to join the Royal Oak High School Parent-Teacher-Student Association!

• Canvas Access Instructions
• Raven Haven School Store
• ROS Music Department Updates
• ROHS Guardian Tech Resources
• Special Education Department Website

OK2SAY REPORTING
>>Call 8-555-OK2SAY (855-565-2729)
>>Text to 652729 (OK2SAY)
>>Email OK2SAY (OK2SAY@mi.gov)
>>Visit the website (https://www.michigan.gov/ok2say)

STUDENT RO ACCOUNTS
>>Click here for email access instructions
>>Students are encouraged to change their passwords. They can use this link to do so.
>>Links for ParentPortal and StudentPortal

Please see the following directions on how to reset the MiStar Student Connect or MiStar Parent/Guardian Connect password.