Dear PJHS Families,

The 2nd quarter/1st semester will be ending Thursday, December 21st, and students will be on winter break until returning to school on Tuesday, January 9th. The positive attitudes and excitement in our building has been great to be a part of on a daily basis. The school spirit demonstrated by our students at the most recent spirit assembly was incredible to watch and has continued to create a positive climate throughout the entire school.

A main component for the success of students in school is consistent, regular attendance to school. Ohio Law (HB 410) recently changed how all schools across Ohio must track missed class time. No longer are absences tracked by the number of days your child has missed. Lost time is now counted by how many hours your child is out of class, both excused and unexcused. One of the requirements of this law requires the School District to send families an official written notice that your child has “excessive absences.” A letter is required to be sent when a student has been absent 38 hours or more in one school month or absent 65 hours or more in one school year with or without legitimate excuse. As always, we are here to answer any questions you may have or to discuss any concerns

This year, all of your child’s core class (English/Language Arts, Math, Social Studies and Science) teachers have a “team period” every Monday, Tuesday and Friday, where they are available to meet with parents/guardians. Please contact the teachers in advance to set up a time to answer questions, discuss concerns or to share your insights.

We look forward to another great start in 2018!

Respectfully,

Don Christie Principal

dchristie@perrysburgschools.net

BUZZThe

at PJHS

LETTER FROM THE PRINCIPAL

™

ADMINISTRATION

ISSUE 12DECEMBER 2017

Don Christie,Principal

Scott Buker,Assistant Principal

Dwight Fertig,Assistant Principal

PERRYSBURG JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

550 E. South BoundaryPerrysburg, OH 43551

419-874-9193

THE COUNSELING CORNERDiversity Discussion Focus Group on November 15, 2017:7th and 8th Grade Students volunteered to meet with Guest Speakers Kevin Hoffmann and Mike Tenbusch to discuss how inclusive our junior high is with students from diverse backgrounds. Students shared their concerns as well as the positives they noticed around our school.

Kevin Hoffmann is the author of Growing up Black in White. Mike Tenbusch is the author of The Jonathan Effect: Helping Kids and Schools Win the Battle Against Poverty. Both are consultations for Uncommon Solutions.

Counseling Questionnaire:7th and 8th grade students filled out a survey from their grade level counselor. Within the survey, students were able to sign up for small groups, such as grief, changing families, and stress, just to name a few.

Mrs. Monheim’s 8th Grade Stress Management and Grief Small Groups started November 14 and will end in December before break. Mr. Przybylski will also be starting small groups soon.

8th Grade PSAT Scores:The Junior High should be receiving scores for the PSAT that the 8th graders took in October sometime in mid-December. Results will be sent home soon after they are received.

THREE STRATEGIES CAN HELP YOU MOTIVATE YOUR MIDDLE SCHOOLERWhat happened to your once-enthusiastic student? He turned into a middle schooler! Suddenly, motivating her/him to do just about anything can feel like pulling teeth.

Don’t despair. To motivate your child to do what needs to be done:

1. Catch her/him before he plugs in. It’s tough dragging a child away from a favorite TV show or computer game. So, if there’s something you need her/him to do, ask before s/he turns on the TV or game. S/he may be more compliant.

2. Stick to routines. Routines are critical when it comes to keeping order at home. Don’t abandon them just because your child is in middle school. If s/he knows exactly what times s/he’s supposed to study, feed the dog and get ready for bed, s/he may be less likely to drag her/his feet when it’s time to do those things.

3. Support her/his interests. Find out what your middle schooler likes to do and encourage her/him to do it. If s/he’s interested in soccer, for example, kick the ball around together. The more you support her/him as s/he works at something he loves, the more inspired s/he may be to work hard at other things—like school!

Reprinted with permission from the November 2017 issue of Parents Still make the difference!® (Middle School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2017 The Parent Institute®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc.

CAFETERIA CONVERSATIONAfter Thanksgiving Recess, the PJHS Cafeteria began offering soup! Soup will count as a vegetable side choice with a lunch. There are a variety of different soups we will be offering!

As always, we encourage students to join us for breakfast everyday starting at 7:40 every morning.

Breakfast is $1.75. Any free and reduced lunch student qualifies for free and reduced at breakfast time also. We have juice and water bottles, as well as several other items available for purchase in addition to breakfast items!

2

YOUTH TO YOUTHYouth to Youth is having a great year at PJHS! We recently had a very successful Red Ribbon Week in October. The students decorated the school, coordinated dress up days each day of the week, created a “Find the Red Ribbon” contest throughout the school, held a sucker sale and helped with an assembly that culminated the week.

Youth to Youth also held a clothing drive to benefit Tent City and the Toledo area homeless. The students at PJHS donated over 600 items of clothing! Youth to Youth is looking forward to future events such as a movie night, Skyzone night and more volunteering opportunities.

The mission of Youth to Youth is to promote positive life decisions and impact our school to say no to drugs. If you are interested in joining Youth to Youth, please contact Mr. Badik at jbadik@perrysburgschools.net.

CHECK MATEThe PJHS Chess Club just completed their first in-house tournament of the year during the month of October. 34 students participated in the tournament. The following students finished at the top of the leaderboard:

• Ryan Oesterle at 5-0

• Tom VanCamp at 5-1

• Kyle Ohanian at 4-2

• Sri Vuppala at 4-1

CHESS CLUB meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school from 3:00-3:45 in Room 209 (it is no longer in the cafeteria). 7th and 8th graders are welcome both days! Stop by Mr. Knurek’s room (212) for more details. All levels of players are welcome! Come learn the game of chess and compete against your peers!

MRS. YARNELL’S AND MRS. AMATO’S ART STUDENTS IN THE NEWS8th grade art students recently completed watercolor landscape collages. The students learned about 12 different watercolor techniques like variegated wash, salt, crayon resist and dry brush. Here are a few student examples:

7th graders have been learning basic drawing and shading techniques to help them render objects realistically. 8th graders are currently taking these concepts a step further by experimenting with charcoal for the first time. In addition to their current projects, several classes are also working on a side project with our methods student teacher, Miss Hamma, that explores non-objective art through clay.

Art Project Events:• 4 seventh grade students volunteered recently at Witzler Shank Funeral Home’s Community Pumpkin

Patch. It is our sixth year volunteering as face painters at the event.

• Second and third period academic study students (both 7th and 8th graders) have been helping with a mural in our study hall room of the Maumee River. Mrs. Yarnell designed the black and white drawing, and the students have filled in the colors and textures. It is still in progress, but more than 30 students have helped paint!

• There is an upcoming polymer clay gingerbread house ornament workshop in early December. See Mrs. Amato for details: mamato@perrysburgschools.net

Desert Scene by Aubrey Green Mountain Scene by Adam Roberts

3The Buzz At PJHSDecember 2017 • Issue 12Perrysburg Junior High School550 E. South BoundaryPerrysburg, OH 43551

LASTING MEMORIES WITH YEARBOOKWith the domination of social media, unique moments are captured and shared more frequently, but are also quick to be forgotten. By creating a yearbook, students help shape the narrative of their school year in a permanent, physical way. It’s a high-pressure endeavor that requires long-term dedication and hard work. This year’s staff is well-equipped to take on the challenge.

Seventh and eighth grade students on the yearbook staff have been meeting weekly to learn what it takes to make a yearbook great. Armed with a DSLR camera, they have been taking photographs in their classrooms, at pep rallies and at sporting events. These photographs are then carefully arranged on page templates using a yearbook-design web site.

One of the greatest challenges of being on the yearbook staff is the search for accurate information -- what was the record for the 8th grade football team? Which students are involved in Youth to Youth? To seek answers, students have learned the valuable skill of sending polite, professional e-mails to teachers, advisers and coaches, as well as conducting face-to-face interviews.

When the yearbook is distributed in May, students on the yearbook staff enjoy their long-awaited time of glory. Months of hard work amount to a physical product that they can be proud of. And unlike the photos that come and go on social media, the yearbook will be treasured for decades to come.

STUDENT COUNCIL AT PJHSStudent Council is a great organization for ANY student to get involved in! StuCo is full of positive people who love PJHS and want to continue to make it a great place to be. Members will be involved in planning and participating in spirit days, running the school store, designing ways to show teacher appreciation, as well as volunteering for community events, such as the annual canned food drive. Please see Mrs. Roach in room 122 or communicate with her via email: croach@perrysburgschools.net if you would like to join Student Council or have any questions.

4

GET INVOLVED WITH JHPO - JUNIOR HIGH PARENT ORGANIZATIONJHPO has had a very successful fall so far! We had tons of fun at the Color Run that brought in $4,000 for the Jacket Way program. A wonderful Book Fair in October brought us over $2,000 in scholastic dollars for our teachers! We also had a very successful Craft Show in November and a great turnout at our Self Defense Seminar! We paired with Student Council for Spirit Week and the HIPP students, under the direction of Jackie Derr, have been a HUGE help to us with our Color Run and Craft Show, helping grow their leadership skills and responsibilities. We have been lucky to have them helping us this year! We helped out our teachers during conference week and provided dinner for them with the help of Tim Hortons! We want to thank them for their help in providing dinner for all of our teachers during that busy week! Lastly, JHPO has committed to helping provide the school with water bottle fountains at each drinking fountain in the school. We have purchased 2 so far and they are installed! We are working with the principals to continue to bring more of these to PJHS!

Without the support of our PJHS families, JHPO could not do what we do, or have done, for our school, teachers and students. We thank you for helping and being involved in your child’s Junior High School experience. It is so important to be a part of their lives while they are here and we do appreciate your help! Please continue to stay involved throughout the year.

JHPO has much for in store for this school year! Make sure to check us out on our Facebook Page and on the school web site for all of our upcoming events!

EXPECT YOUR CHILD TO KEEP COMMITMENTS“Her/His word was as good as her/his bond.” This old adage, which refers to a person who always does what s/he says he will, is one of the cornerstones of responsibility.

Tell your child you expect her/him to keep her/his promises and commitments. Encourage her/him to:

• Think before agreeing to do something. It’s great to take on new responsibilities, but your child should only do this if s/he feels s/he is ready and if s/he has the time. Whether it’s agreeing to tutor a friend in math or helping a neighbor clean up his lawn, your child should make sure s/he will be able to follow through.

• Avoid making excuses. If your child misses a commitment, s/he needs to be accountable. S/he should acknowledge her/his mistake, apologize and ask if there is anything s/he can do to make it up to the person.

• Honor the commitments s/he makes to her/himself. When your child sets a goal and creates a plan to achieve it, s/he is making a promise. Living up to that promise will boost her/his self-confidence, productivity and happiness.

Reprinted with permission from the November 2017 issue of Parents Still make the difference!® (Middle School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2017 The Parent Institute®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc.

EIGHTH GRADERS AT PJHS ARE INTO FAKE NEWS! What is it? How can we identify it? Real or fake? Eighth grade students have been working hard in class learning the difference between real and fake news. Students are reading, listening, responding to and identifying fake news. Students will be creating informational flyers to help teach others what fake news is and offering tips to spot it. We want to become responsible readers and citizens. Hopefully, this unit is helping to do just that.

5

Proud supporters of Perrysburg Schools, and proud parents of Kate and George Stamos!

1770 South Reynolds RoadToledo, OH 43614 • 419-865-1295

CoyleFuneralHome.com

Joe Coyle Megan Coyle-Stamos

ATHLETIC AVENUEThe fall athletic season at PJHS was a huge success! Thank-you to all of the Jacket athletes, coaches, guardians, and fans for the successful fall season. Here is a wrap-up of each team’s season:

• 7th grade football finished as NLL Runner’s Up with a 6-1 record.

• 8th grade football finished third in the NLL with a 5-3 record.

• Girls cross country finished 2nd in the NLL and finished 7th in the OHSAA Junior High State Cross Country Meet.

• Boys cross country finished as the NLL Champions.

• 7th grade volleyball finished as NLL Champions with an overall record of 18-1.

• 8th grade volleyball finished as NLL Champions with an overall record of 17-2.

• Quiz Bowl currently has a record of 5-1 with one match left.

Winter sports are under way! PJHS offers boys and girls basketball and wrestling. The Jacket boys basketball teams are set and began their season on November 16. The 8th grade team is coached by Mr. Dave Perez, a social studies teacher at PHS. The 7th grade team is coached by Mr. Justin Fahncke, social studies teacher at PJHS. Wrestling had their first match on December 2 at the Genoa Invitational. The Jackets are coached by Mr. Jacob Welch, intervention specialist at PHS. Girls basketball began tryouts on November 29. The 7th grade Jackets are coached by PJHS social studies teacher Mr. Craig Krueger, while the 8th grade Jackets are coached by PJHS guidance counselor Mr. Tom Przybylski. The Jacket cheerleaders had their first competition on December 3 at Springfield. The Jackets are coached by PJHS social studies teacher, Miss Katie Liber.

7th Grade Volleyball Champions

Junior High Jacket Spirit

8th Grade Volleyball Champions

6

FOR AGES

©2017 Kum

on North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

WE MAKE YOUR SMART KIDEVEN SMARTER!Give your child an academic advantage in school and beyond!

Kumon Math & Reading Center of Perrysburg580 Craig Drive, Perrysburg, OH 43551419.874.8029 • kumon.com/perrysburg

SCHEDULE A FREE PARENT ORIENTATION TODAY!

7TH GRADE HEALTH In Health classes, the students participated in a Nutrition unit in which they learned about the importance of eating breakfast daily, reading food labels and using NSDA’s MyPlate as a guide in eating healthy. The students participated in a “Think Your Drink” activity in which they had to guess the amount of sugar cubes in several different drinks.

An example of sugar cubes in one large drink of pop/soda is at right.

7TH GRADE PHYSICAL EDUCATIONIn Physical Education students learned a Philippine dance called Tinikling. It involves 2 people beating, tapping and sliding poles on the ground (and against each other) in coordination with one or more dancers who step over and in between the poles. Tinikling is an aerobic exercise that helps improve hand coordination, foot speed and rhythm. Students worked with a partner and came up with their own routine and performance. An example of the Tinikling dance

BEHAVIOR IS EASIER TO UNDERSTAND IF YOU KNOW HOW PRETEENS THINKParenting a middle schooler today can be challenging. Your child acts like s/he knows everything, and at times s/he seems so grown up.

The important word is seems. It doesn’t matter how cool your child acts—it will be years before s/he can think like an adult. Keep in mind that:

• Emotional thinking usually wins out over rational thinking with middle schoolers. That’s why kids this age may lash out if they think they’ve been treated unfairly. Your child is not ready to stop and think: “I’d better cool it because I might get in trouble.” S/he is more likely to respond with pure emotion.

• Together, brainstorm respectful ways your child can respond when s/he’s upset, such as excusing her/himself and walking away. Counting to 10 before blowing her/his top can work, too.

• Your child lives in the moment. S/he may not grasp that her/his semester grade may drop if s/he doesn’t study tonight for her/his test. To her/him, the end of the semester is light-years away. What s/he does tonight can’t possibly affect anything that far away.

• Don’t force your middle schooler to make a connection s/he is not ready to make. Instead, set firm rules about studying and stick to them.

Reprinted with permission from the November 2017 issue of Parents Still make the difference!® (Middle School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2017 The Parent Institute®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc. Source: K.R. Ginsburg with M.M. Jablow, “But I’m Almost 13!” An Action Plan for Raising a Responsible Adolescent, Contemporary Books.

7

The Counseling CornerCafeteria ConversationGet Involved with JHPO

Athletic Avenueand more!

Inside This Issue

PERRYSBURG PUBLIC SCHOOLS140 E. Indiana AvenuePerrysburg, OH 43551

Non-Profit OrganizationU.S. Postage Paid

Orlando, FLPermit #2346

Current Resident or:

™™

8