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:

• Monday, March 17th - American Government: Naturalization Ceremony Field Trip @ Sinclair
• Wednesday, March 19th - ACT testing for Juniors (more details below!)
• Thursday, March 20th - CTE Teaching: University of Cincinnati Field Trip
• Thursday, March 20th - Manufacturing: Duramax Engine Facility Field Trip
• Monday, March 24th to Friday, March 28th - Spring Break, no school for staff or students
• Thursday, April 3rd to Sunday, April 6th - JROTC: Aerial Drone National Championships @ Batesville, MS
• Monday, April 7th - Spring End of Course testing begins (more details below!)
• Saturday, April 26th - TMHS Junior/Senior Prom @ Mandalay Banquet Center

In the October Parent Newsletter, there was an in depth look at our chronic absenteeism problems here at TMHS and the potential negative effects that can have on a student's education. We are again 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. Remember: EVERY minute matters!

On Wednesday, March 19th, our Junior students will be taking the ACT. This test is extremely important for students as they begin applying for colleges. In the interest of providing our students with the most effective testing environment possible, we are taking the following steps:

• ONLY Junior students will be in attendance on Wednesday, March 19th
• Freshman, Sophomores, and Seniors will not be in attendance. Instead, those students will have assignments posted in Google Classroom for them to work on. This day will not be counted as an absence for those students not attending due to testing.

Morning buses will arrive at their normal time to pick up Junior students. Once at school, 11th grade students will take the ACT, eat lunch, and buses will return them home at 12:30 PM. Any student that is a car rider would need to be dropped off by 8 AM and picked up at 12:30 PM. Arriving tardy to school could result in your student being unable to take the test if testing is already underway.

Throughout the month of April, TMHS students will be taking a variety of different End of Course Exams. These tests are of critical importance as ALL students are required to test as part of their graduation requirements for the State of Ohio. Also in April, students enrolled in certain Business or CTE classes will be taking webXams as part of their course requirements.

With all of these tests coming up, there are some important things that you can do to help your student be prepared to succeed:

• Make sure your student is present. Attendance for testing is critical and tests can only be given within specific date windows.
• Make sure your student gets a good night's sleep. Students who are well rested on test days will be poised and ready to do their best work.
• Make sure your student eats a healthy breakfast. Breakfast will be provided at school as always, and a healthy breakfast will help your student stay awake and alert.
• Make sure your student understands the importance of these tests. Knowing that these tests are required for graduation will motivate students to give their best effort.

A big shout out to our 2nd Quarter Honor Roll students! These students have made a consistent effort to maintain excellent grades in all their classes throughout 2nd quarter. Fantastic work!

Recently, TMHS had multiple students participate in a local art contest for suicide prevention. The GEM Project Dayton's mission is to prevent suicide in the Dayton area by encouraging peer-to-peer support and education. The purpose of the contest is to encourage students to use their creativity to spread awareness about suicide prevention and encourage those who struggle with mental health to seek help. Our students who participated were Maikol Aleman (12th), Alex Fisher (12th), Eva Johnson-Woods (12th), and Amina Smith (12th). Amina Smith was awarded the Shimmering Sapphire Award and received a $500.00 cash prize for her work! Congratulations to all our TMHS artists!

Left to Right: Amina Smith (12th), Alex Fisher (12th), Eva Johnson-Woods (12th)

Recently, Mrs. Anna Helms (Digital Arts Teacher) and Mrs. Jones (TMHS Counselor) took a group of students to Sinclair Kettering campus to learn about digital technology careers. Students learned about and got hands on experience with special fabric that blocks cell phone signals, NFC chips that are the next version of QR codes, and how law enforcement uses technology to catch criminals and prosecute offenders. Students also got to play a video game made at Sinclair and learned about the upcoming course of study for people who want to play video games professionally.

Recently, Mr. Green's and Mrs. Anderson-Tillman's Spanish I classes got the opportunity to take a field trip to the restaurant El Meson. The students were able to enjoy a tradition meal and authentic dialogue with native speakers at the restaurant. They were also able to immerse themself in the Hispanic culture through music and learning a new dance with their peers. It was amazing to see our students be carefree and enjoy the simple things of learning a new language and its culture!

Time is running out to buy your Trotwood-Madison 2024-2025 Yearbook. Don’t forget to commemorate all the fun times and memories from this year. The yearbook is $35 from now until Spring Break (March 21st) then the price increases to $50 so order now!

• Online ordering: https://link.entourageyearbooks.com/my/Trotwood25

Additionally, the opportunity to buy an ad in the yearbook is slipping away. You can buy up to a whole page to yourself to celebrate your year. There are multiple ad options, a business card is $25, a half page is $75 and a whole page is $100. Contact Ms. Knight or one of your friends in the Yearbook staff for more information. Make your mark on the yearbook with an ad page today.

• Online ordering: https://trotwood.hometownticketing.com/embed/event/434?es=stp31lcj0k0bme3nhjhnf6hc9i&single=0

If you have any pictures of our Trotwood students in action (sporting events, volunteer work, after school activities), send us the picture! Your picture may end up on the Yearbook.

• You can upload your photos here: https://link.entourageyearbooks.com/my/Trotwood25