The Navigator Newsletter

* Provide rigorous learning opportunities

* Respect diversity

* Personalize learning

October 19: Flight Fest

October 22: Fall Sports Awards, 7pm

October 24 and 25: Parent-Teacher conferences

October 25: No school for students

Flight Fest is tomorrow!

Please visit our website at www.aviatorflightfest.com to Register for the Race or Sign Up to Volunteer.

DON’T WANT TO WALK – PLEASE HELP BY BECOMING A VOLUNTEER!

Please consider supporting Flight Fest as a volunteer. To learn more or sign up, please visit the following webpage! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c044daaa622a3f94-aviator4

ONLINE AUCTION IS LIVE!

Go online and see what great items there are to bid on! The online auction closes on October 19th at 10am. The link to view the auction is below.

https://www.charityauctionstoday.com/auctions/aviator-flight-fest-2019-silent-auction-8624

AUCTION OPEN FOR VIEWING! Come to the JH to check out the Silent Auction on Friday 10/18 before the HS Football game from 5-7:30.

Please contact Michelle Ciotola at avesflightfest@gmail.com to learn about business and family sponsorships, volunteer opportunities, or any questions regarding Aviator Flight Fest.

1st quarter report cards went home with students on Thursday, 10/17/19. Ask your student about it. Questions? Please email Mrs. Manning at manningt@sycamoreschools.org.

Parent Teacher Conferences are this week: Thursday, October 24 from 4:30-7:30 and Friday, October 25 from 8:00 - 3:00. Signups for Parent Teacher conferences are active until midnight on October 22. See the PDF below for instructions.

If you are unable to attend a conference with a teacher during the conference times please contact the teacher directly to arrange another meeting. If you feel the need to have a conference with multiple teachers present, please contact your child’s counselor to arrange the meeting.

The JH PTO provides dinner for the teachers and staff before conferences on Thursday. Won't you consider signing up to help? We are having a soup and salad dinner. For more information, please refer to this sign up genius. Thank you for your help!

PTO MEMBERSHIP

Join the PTO! Being a member of the PTO doesn’t mean you have to volunteer and attend meetings, although everyone is welcome to do either/both! Joining the PTO shows your financial support for our programs that recognize students and teachers in our building. PTO membership is $10 ($11 online) and can be done online. Visit http://tinyurl.com/sycamorejhpto for more information!

Reminder:

All information about the PTO can be found by clicking on this link:

http://tinyurl.com/sycamorejhpto

Questions? Please email jhpto@sycamoreschools.org

Follow us on Facebook!

The PTO's from each school hosted the School Board Candidates Forum on October 15. If you missed it, you may watch the recording in its entirety.

https://youtu.be/bzrA19LsihM

Date: October 29th, 2019

Time: 7:40-3:00 (very important)

Where: meet at the office of Amy Bonham, School Nurse

It is important to have consistency with the volunteers. I will need to train volunteers on how to screen before hand. If you could please volunteer for the entire day it would be best. I need at least 3 people for the entire day. It would be great to have 1 or 2 extra's to help manage students.

I greatly appreciate your effort and time.

If interested please contact Amy at bonhama@sycamoreschools.org by Oct. 8, 2019

Sincerely,

Amy Bonham, RN, BSN, MA

Last chance for discounted 2020 SJHS Yearbook!

Order today for your best price! The cost is $30/copy. This price will increase to $35 after October 18, 2019. FRIDAY is your last chance to order at the $30 price!

Please visit this link to order your 2020 SJHS yearbook . . . https://sycamorejhs.store.creatorstudiopro.com/ . Check this off of your to-do list today!

*Yearbooks will be delivered to students May 20, 2020- make a note on your calendar if you purchase early so you don't accidentally purchase twice.

Questions? Contact Melissa Speelman

speelmanm@sycamoreschools.org

Sycamore Junior High participates in the Midwest Academic Talent Search sponsored by the Center for Talent Development (CTD) at Northwestern University. CTD uses the ACT and SAT tests to give families information on students' abilities beyond information generated by regular standardized tests. Sycamore students who qualify for accelerated/gifted courses may consider MATS. For more information please see this letter from Mr. Brenner and Mrs. Ely.

Interested in joining Sycamore Junior High’s Ski Club? For new members there will be a parent meeting on Monday, October 21st from 7:00-8:00 pm in the Choir Room. Returning members may pick up their packet from Ms. Meyer or Mrs. Swensen starting October 22nd. Ski Club travels to Perfect North Slopes in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Ski Club is open to any 7th and 8th grade student with any ability level on skis or snowboards.

Ski Club will start Thursday, January 9th, 2020 and finish with it’s last trip Thursday, January 30th, 2020. If there is a cancellation, the makeup date will be February 6th and may continue the following week in order to complete our 4 trips. Buses leave the junior high at 3:30 P.M. and return at 8:50 P.M. Students must pay for a discounted ski pass, equipment if needed, and bus transportation fee. The Ski Club paperwork turn-in dates are November 4th and 5th during Flex bell in the gym. Lessons for beginners are mandatory while helmet use is REQUIRED for everyone!

SPONSOR: Lisa Meyer and Heather Swensen

Lost & Found is in the cafeteria and is cleared out periodically. Click here to see the current items.

The Sycamore Junior High Sandwich Project is in need of volunteers to help organize and setup sandwich making on Thursdays throughout the school year. The commitment is just an hour or so on Thursdays from 10:50- 11:50.

This is the 21st year of the project. Weekly, students make 250 sandwiches in which they are picked up and delivered to St Francis Seraph located on Vine St in Over the Rhine. The sandwiches are then served to the hungry of Cincinnati that evening. It's a great experience for our kids as they demonstrate compassion, humility, and empathy to the less fortunate.

If you are interested in helping please sign up via the SignUp Genius. Thank you!

Great Oaks will be offering regional career exploration workshops again this fall at each of the four Great Oaks Career Campuses between now and Thanksgiving.

Sycamore Community Schools continues to seek opportunities to educate our students about mental health and wellness. In partnership with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, will offer Adapting for Life, an evidence based course designed for students. The purpose of this program is to educate young people on the importance of mental health and wellness as well as suicide awareness and prevention. Students will also receive instruction on healthier behaviors and adapting coping strategies, so they may lead healthier lives.

8th grade students will participate in this 4 day course through their assigned history class. This evidence based course, provided in over 80 schools in our local community, is taught by the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Adapting for Life team members over the course of 4 days. As this is a popular program, scheduling for such a large group presented some challenges. As a result, some of our students will access the program in November, while the remaining classes will participate in the program in January.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding Adapting for Life, or any of our district mental health programming, please reach out to Lisa Zelvy, Pupil Services Supervisor, at zelvyl@sycamoreschools.org or (513) 686-1700.

FIRST CLASS BREAKFAST QUARTER 1

Congrats to these students of the week for the first quarter of the school year. On Friday, October 11, they and their parents enjoyed breakfast with our Administration.

BLACKBOARD

As part of an ongoing effort to help parents as they assist students in managing academic work, we wanted to remind you that parents have access to BlackBoard through Parent Portal. There you can view for each of your child's courses:

• Grades
• Syllabus and other course information
• Class announcements
• Daily homework assignments
• Long-term assignments
• Teacher contact information

When will students take the AIR assessments?

Sycamore Junior High will administer the AIR assessments on April 15, 16, 22, 23 and 29.

How can you help?

Please mark these dates on your calendars and make every effort not to schedule your child for appointments or vacation days. Thank you for your cooperation!!

Thank you to all 7th grade families who have turned in immunization records. As we work to process those records received, please continue to be patient before you follow up. If there is a problem, you will be contacted via email by Amy Bonham. If you have not turned in your child's proof of immunizations from a doctor's office, please do so ASAP.

In the event of an emergency where an evacuation of the school building is necessary, students will be transported to safety at Sycamore Community Schools’ reunification site:

Blue Ash Recreation Center 4433 Cooper Rd. Blue Ash, OH 45242

Detailed information can be found on the district website under Reunification Plans.

For more information on safety & security at Sycamore Schools, visit the district Safety & Security web page.

Email: jhadmin@sycamoreschools.org
Website: www.sycamoreschools.org/sycamorejh
Location: 5757 Cooper Road, Cincinnati, OH, United States
Phone: 5136861760
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SycamoreJuniorHighPTO/
Twitter: @sycamorejrhigh