RHTA January Newsletter

Dear RHTA Families,

I hope that you and your family had a wonderful winter break filled with joy and special moments. As I reflect on the first half of the school year and all of the engaging learning that has occured, I realize that this has been one of the best years since prior to 2020. I am thrilled with the quality of our PBLs, Community Immersions, and learner engagement! Our coaches work hard daily to bring high quality STEAM experiences to our learners.

January is also School Board Recognition Month, and we want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our dedicated school board members. Their hard work and support play a vital role in ensuring that we can provide high quality STEAM education.

With every new year we receive new opportunities for growth and academic progress, and I look forward to partnering with you to support your child's success. Together, we can create a positive and engaging environment for our learners to thrive and excel in their educational journey!

Melissa Durkin

It's hard to believe that it is already the end of the 2nd Quarter of school! Starting today, there will be a temporary period of time when you are unable to view your child's report card in the Parent Portal. The updated report cards which will include both Q1 and Q2 grades will be released for you to view on January 21st.

AIMSweb District Testing- January 28th and 29th (Grades 3-8)

Terra Nova Testing- February 24th-28th (Grade 5)

ELA Benchmark District Testing- February 18th and 19th (Grades 6-8)

Math Benchmark District Testing- February 25th and 26th (Grades 6-8)

As the district continues planning for the opening of the new North Ridgeville High School, many exciting possibilities including new course offerings are presenting themselves. One area of interest that many have expressed is adding an orchestra/strings program to the music department in addition to the current band and choral offerings. If added, orchestra/strings could be offered as early as the 25-26 school year depending on a number of factors including interest, staffing, etc and would likely begin at the Academic Center/RHTA and expand to the HS in the coming years. A survey is being shared to gather the interest level of students and families related to additional music course offerings and to help with the planning process. Indicating an interest at this time is not enrolling in a course nor does it guarantee that the course will be offered in the upcoming year. Thank you in advance for your willingness to share your feedback. You may access the survey by clicking here.

If your learner is currently in 8th grade choir and is interested in participating in High School choir there is a parent meeting on January, 15, 2025 from 6:00-7:00 pm at ECLC. If you have any questions please reach out to Sarah Miller at sarahNmiller@nrcs.net.

North Ridgeville High School will be hosting a College Credit Plus information night for parents on Thursday, January 16, 2024 from 6:30 -7:30 pm in the NRAC Cafetorium. The high school administration and school counselors will provide you with what the College Credit Plus program consists of, how to get your child involved, and answer questions you may have. College Credit Plus courses are available to students in 7th-12th grade. Students that are currently in 6th grade are able to take courses over the summer or at the beginning of the 25-26 school year. If you have any questions, please reach out to Coach Brediger, RHTA 's School Counselor, at kathleenbrediger@nrcs.net.

The high school administration and school counselors will be hosting a high school information night on Monday, January 27th from 6:30-7:30 pm. This will be at North Ridgeville Academic Center in the cafeteria. This will provide you information about graduation requirements, the course selection process, and what a typical day will look like for your child.

If your learner is interested in attending JVS please take time to attend the JVS 9th grade information night on January 30th. See the image for more information and click here for application information. If you have any questions, please reach out to Coach Brediger, RHTA 's School Counselor, at kathleenbrediger@nrcs.net.

The high school counselors will come to RHTA the week of February 3rd to start the high school scheduling process with 8th grade learners. Students will learn about graduation requirements, what a typical school day would look like for them, and information about selecting their electives. Here is the new Program of Studies for 25-26 if you want to review this with your learner prior to their class selection.

Parents, please click on the picture to read this important letter outlining information about Senate Bill 288 and our school's responsibility to your students. This letter was sent home in the December Newsletter as well.

Lessons for grades 3-6 will occur on January 14th.

This year’s Future Fair will be held on Friday, February 21, 2025. The convention floor will be open from 10:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., where students will have the opportunity to connect with representatives from local businesses, agencies, colleges, multiple military branches, and programs offering certifications and apprenticeships. Additional activities, including team-building sessions, workshops, and career exploration events, will take place throughout the day from 8:20 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

If you are interested in volunteering to help at this year's future fair, please click HERE or click on the letter below to read more.

The Amazing Shake is a competition where 7th grade students learn real life skills and compete with each other in front of judges from the community. Students will learn how to shake hands, talk to adults and each other, handle conflict, make an appointment on the phone, and many other interpersonal skills that will help them in the future. Our first round competition is Thursday, February 6th.

We are still in need of additional judges for this year's round one competition coming up on February 6. If you are interested or know a community leader, business person, retiree, etc., who might be interested in participating as a judge and/or sponsor for this activity, please forward them the information below or feel free to send their contact information to Randy Wood (randywood@nrcs.net) and he will reach out.

Round 1 Event Details:

• When: Thursday, February 6

• Where: North Ridgeville Academic Center

• What to Expect: Judges will interact with students and evaluate their performance in various tasks such as interviews, presentations, and social interactions.

The RHTA Talent Show will take place at NRAC in the cafetorium this year on 2/26. Auditions will be held on 2/12 and a dress rehearsal will take place on 2/19. See additional information and sign up in the google form.

Learners in grades 5-8 have a special opportunity to participate in a district wide activity night or dance each year. Here are the upcoming dates for activity nights. (6th Grade- 3/7, 5th Grade- 3/14, 7th Grade- 4/11, 8th Grade- 5/16) More information will be shared closer to each event.

Any 7th and 8th grade students who are interested in participating in Track and Field this spring, please click HERE! More information will be coming out very soon.

Need to get Information or Delete

Young Author's (3-6) - rough draft needs to be complete and typed into the template posted in Classroom . Then they will let me know that it ready for basic editing and feedback on how to improve the story. I should get this before then end of January.

GCCTM Math competitions in February and March - before break, I gave them a practice packet of past problems so that they have an idea of what will be expected. They can bring these back to me to have their answers checked and talk through strategies.

We are off to an amazing start! Upcoming dates are: 1/15, 1/22, 1/29, 2/5 Clothing and gear should be kept in the STEAMworks closet closet during the day. Buses will pick us up and drop us off at RHTA. Parent pick up is 9:15 pm on Ski Club nights.

• Check out the PTO November Principal's Report. Check out this report for important upcoming events. (No new meeting from December).
• PTO purchased shirts for all of our learners and coaches. These shirts should be worn on Community Immersions and for school events such as Field Day. Thank you PTO for your generosity!
• If you haven't already, please join our PTO Facebook Page. (RHTA PTO)
• Our next PTO meeting is 1/27 at RHTA at 6:30 pm... hope to see you there!

At any point in this school year, you can complete the Google Form below to give a shoutout to a staff member who has made a positive impact on your child. Your feedback will be celebrated and appreciated throughout our school community!

Please click HERE to see a listing of winter programing available through the North Ridgeville Parks and Recreation Department.

The North Ridgeville City Schools are always looking for great candidates to fill our many full and part-time positions. Please check out our Employment information on our district website. Looking for something part-time? Looking to help out for limited hours during the school year? Please consider becoming an important part of our team.

Ohio Substitute Teacher Services serves as our district’s substitute management provider, responsible for the recruitment, training, and employment of substitute teachers. To begin the employment process as a valued substitute teacher for North Ridgeville City Schools, click here.

Requirements include, but are not limited to:

• Bachelor’s degree with official transcripts or a valid teaching and/or substitute license from the Ohio Department of Education.

• Valid BCI & FBI fingerprinting background check results in less than 12 months old and are on file with the Ohio Department of Education.

Please consider becoming a substitute teacher today!

Substitute support staff play a vital role in keeping our buildings and facilities open and running efficiently. Many diverse opportunities exist for your consideration. Please consider applying to become a substitute cleaner, custodian, food service worker, paraprofessional, media specialist, secretary, bus driver and aides, or health care associate. Please start an application here if interested in one of these positions.

If you have concerns that you need help with, please fill out this form. This should not be used for emergency situations. In case of an urgent matter, please reach out directly to the school.

• No School for learners 1/13
• Fine Arts Club- Makers Club Starts 1/14
• PBIS Store 1/15-1/16
• RHTA Community Open House 1/16
• RHTA School STEM Visit 1/17
• Ranger STRONG Assembly 1/17
• No School 1/20
• Board of Education Meeting 1/21
• Basketball Jones Assembly 1/21
• Third Grade FALL ELA Test Results sent home 1/21
• Application for Re-Enrollment sent home 1/24
• 5-8 Choir to Sing National Anthem at NRHS Men's Basketball 1/24
• PTO Meeting 1/27
• 8th Grade Parent Night 1/27
• RHTA Majorettes to perform at halftime show of NRHS Ladies Basketball 1/29
• DEA Dance Performance for Families 2/3
• Scholastic Book Fair 2/3-2/4
• 7th Grade Amazing Shake Competition 2/6
• Washington DC final payments due 2/7
• No School 2/10
• Talent Show Auditions 2/12
• Learner Led Conferences 2/13
• February Ranger Strong Assembly 2/14
• No School 2/17
• Talent Show Rehearsal 2/19

Please review the student handbook regarding student attendance linked HERE. Pages 29-32 specifically highlight absence information and provide a comprehensive list of absence reasons that are acceptable for reporting. Students who are called off for a vacation during the school year WILL NOT be excused. Vacations are not excused absences. If learners have 30 or more consecutive hours of unexcused absences, 38 unexcused hours in a month, or 72 unexcused hours in a year we are required to meet and develop a Truancy Intervention Plan. Additionally, please be aware that when you call our attendance line you must give a reason for the absence or it will be considered unexcused. Please contact us if you have any questions regarding the state law requirements or district attendance policy.

• Learners should deposit money in their lunch accounts in the morning so that the lunch line runs smoothly.
• Learners should secure their lockers each night. Our school is used by outside organizations in the evening.
• If you are picking your child up as a car rider, please pull all the way up. Earlier this week we ran into a problem on Lear Nagle because our buses could not leave and cars could not enter the drive. I appreciate your help in ensuring that our dismissal runs smoothly.
• Please ensure that your learner is dressing for the weather. We want our learners to stay healthy and safe.
• If you are not receiving the weekly morning meeting slideshow please reach out. This provides our learners with a snapshot of the important events and reminders each week.

Email: melissadurkin@nrcs.net
Website: nrcs.net
Location: Ranger High -Tech Academy, Lear Nagle Road, North Ridgeville, OH, USA
Phone: 440-353-1178
Twitter: @NRCSstem