WELCOME BACK ROUGHRIDERS! 2022-2023 SCHOOL YEAR

On behalf of the Jefferson Local Board of Education, administration and staff, I would like to welcome everyone to the 2022-2023 school year. Our first day of school for students is Tuesday, August 23rd. Norwood Elementary will use staggered starts August 23-25 with all students reporting on Friday, August 26th.

We are very excited to begin school in what we hope will be a more normal year in terms of the effects of the Covid pandemic. We will still be addressing the learning loss that was created by the interruptions from in-person learning. Norwood Elementary will have a particular focus this year on math instruction while continuing our efforts in literacy. Our high school/middle school under the leadership of our new principal, Matt Adams, will have differentiated instruction as our primary goal to better serve all students regardless of their existing levels of skills and knowledge.

Our existing protocols for any positive Covid infections for the year are as follows: Students (and staff) who test positive must stay home for a period of five days. If they are symptom free they may return to school but must wear face coverings for an additional five days. This policy will be true for all students and all extracurricular activities as well. We urge everyone to use good judgment and stay home if you are not well. Our school nurse will again have a leadership role in helping us through any Covid issues this year. At this time there is no consideration for mandated masking.

In November we have a critical renewal levy on the ballot. This levy is the same emergency levy the district has relied upon for funding for our operations for nearly forty years. It will appear on the ballot as a Substitute Levy (a renewal for all existing homeowners) that will allow the district to collect additional revenue for new construction. The original 9.5 emergency levy has been rolled back to only 5.78 mills. The excellent fiscal management of the district has prevented the need to ask for additional funds from the community.

The State funding for free breakfast and lunches due to Covid will not exist this year. However, we encourage everyone to continue to participate in our food service offerings which remain a great value. We are continuing to try to serve foods that are not only nutritious but appeal to our students.

As always, I encourage you to be an active partner in all of our school activities this year. Please reach out to the teachers of your sons or daughters and be a great learning partner with them. Jefferson Local continues to be a great place to learn and grow. Thank you for your continued support.

Mr. William Mullett Superintendent

Mr. Matt Adams - Middle School Principal & High School Principal

Hello Roughriders! It is a privilege to be serving as the MS/HS Principal this school year. I have been part of the Jefferson Local School district for over 20 years, but this will be my first year as Principal and I am looking forward to the opportunity. We will continue our culture journey with the staff and students with emphasis on our core values from the district culture playbook: Scholarship, Integrity, and Accountability.

The MS and HS Student Council will host our open house this fall. Students will be able to pick up their schedules, pay school fees, etc.:

● High School Open House: August 9th 4-7pm

● Middle School Open House: August 11th 4-7pm

We will be utilizing Final Forms again this year for our school and athletic paperwork. I encourage students and parents to complete the forms before the start of school as this needs to be completed each year. For the majority of students and parents, you will just need to update your information and sign the forms.

The policies listed below are there to remind students and ask for parental support in these areas. These are only a few of the policies, so I recommend reviewing the entire handbook which is listed on our district website:

● Attendance policy: Students are expected to attend classes regularly and arrive at school on time to maximize their opportunities in their instructional programs.
● Under the dress code policy, students are expected to wear appropriate apparel that is tasteful, clean, neat and modest. School standards will be in effect for all school days and field trips. Any clothing or dress-style that distracts or disrupts the normal learning atmosphere will not be permitted.
● Jefferson Local School District has a 1:1 initiative. Every middle school and high school student will have a Chromebook that they are responsible for. The use of this school issued device is never private and should only be used for school related activities. If a student uses the device in an inappropriate manner, the technology coordinator will be

alerted. Students may be disciplined for using their Chromebook inappropriately. (Please refer to the technology section on the school website)
● Student fees: West Jefferson High School has established fees to cover expendable materials. All fees must be paid by October 1st. Any second semester fees must be paid by March 1st. After these dates, students that have unpaid fees will not be permitted to participate in any school related activities, including sports, open gyms for winter sports, marching band, dances, musicals, non-academic field trips, etc. A student on reduced lunches will pay 50% of the total amount of his/her fees. HS Students will not be permitted to participate in the Graduation Ceremony unless all fees and fines are paid in full.

Grades, interims, and report cards are available on Progressbook, where parents can monitor student progress online. You can access Progressbook through our district website.

The MS/HS staff is looking forward to the start of the school year. One of our goals each year is to strengthen communication, collaboration, and critical thinking skills through our daily lessons. This will help every student be successful once they graduate from West Jefferson High School.

Go Riders!

Pictured above: the conference room where all the hard work and planning for the 2022-2023 school year is taking place.

West Jefferson MS/HS Curriculum Mrs. Kristen Kearns, MS/HS Assistant Principal

Curriculum

As we approach the 2022 - 2023 school year, the middle and high school curriculum will continue to prepare our students for graduation and beyond. Our goal is to help each student grow not only in our academic core subject areas, but in the areas of critical thinking, collaboration, and communication. Our teachers have also been working to incorporate differentiated curricula for our students as well; ensuring that we meet the needs of our students.

Assessments

Both middle and high school students will be taking the NWEA MAP assessment as we have in previous years. Our teachers use this data to help drive instruction and meet the needs of our students. Students will take the assessment in the fall, winter, and spring.

The state assessment end of course testing windows for spring 2023 have been released. While the window is large, the district’s 15-day window for English Language Arts will be 4/10-4/28, and the 15-day window for Math, Science, and Social Studies will be 4/24-5/12. We will release those more specific dates as soon as possible. We do ask that you plan as few trips and appointments as possible during these windows to ensure your students are present to take the assessments. The following grade levels will take the end of course assessments as listed below:

6th
	
7th
	
8th
	
9th
	
10th
	
11th

ELA
	
ELA
	
ELA
		
ELA II

Math
	
Math
	
Math
	
Algebra I
	
Geometry

Science
		
Biology

American History
	
American Government

Graduation Requirements

For the class of 2023 and beyond the new Ohio graduation requirements take effect this school year. Students have been made aware of these requirements and the high school guidance counselor, Mrs. Haskins, will continue to work with our students to ensure that they have met each requirement. Graduation requirements now include meeting the required 21 credit hours, showing competency on both Algebra I and English Language Arts II end of course exams, and earning at least two readiness seals. The requirements for the class of 2023 are linked below. If you have any questions regarding the graduation requirements please contact Mrs. Haskins (jhaskins@westjeff.org) or Mrs. Kearns (kkearns@westjeff.org). LINK TO REQUIREMENTS FOR CO 2023 AND BEYOND

Welcome to…
Norwood Elementary School Year 2022-2023 Mrs. Sue Barte, Norwood Elementary Principal

Staggered Starts begin August 23th through August 25th

All students return on Friday, August 26, 2022

The purpose of a staggered start is to allow teachers to have fewer students to work on assessments and have an opportunity to become acquainted with their students. To find out when your child will begin the school next year, please refer to the information below.

If your child’s last name begins with an A - G
They will attend August 23rd and will not return until August 26th. If your child’s last name begins with an H - O
They will attend August 24th and will not return until August 26th. If your child’s last name begins with P - Z
They will attend August 25th and will return on August 26th.

Norwood Elementary Open House Our Open House this year will be on two separate dates! Kindergarten Open House will be on Thursday, August 18th Grades 1 through 5 will be on Tuesday, August 22nd Both evenings times are from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Class Lists will be posted on Wed., August 17th on the front doors of Norwood.

Norwood Curriculum Mrs. Andrea Buescher, Norwood Asst. Principal

Many curriculum materials and resources will look the same at Norwood for the 2022-2023 school year. Norwood will continue using our Stepping Stones math series, Fundations Phonics program, and guided reading groups for instruction. This year we will be using Generation Genius to help with Science instruction. It provides teachers with lessons, reading materials, videos and hands-on lessons to help teacher science standards at each grade level. Social Studies standards are taught through reading aloud, activities, projects, videos and classroom discussions. Our social and emotional needs will be met using the Leader in Me curriculum. Students complete lessons, activities, and reading aloud that provide students with the tools to be productive successful problem solvers and leaders!

Teachers and students will continue using Math and Reading i-Ready for classroom lessons and online individual instruction for students. i-Ready provides teachers with baseline data to begin the year with our first diagnostic given shortly after the start of school. Teachers are able to see where to start instruction for students along with students being placed on a “My Path” for online instruction. The “My Path” is individualized lessons that are put together for students to complete to practice the skills being taught in class and lessons at their individual level. i-Ready provides whole group, small group and individual lessons for teachers so students receive exactly what they need. Students will complete i-Ready online instruction each week for reading and math in their classroom.

We are proud of our students and staff state testing results for the spring 2022. We were above the state average for all subjects and met the state indicator for Fourth Grade Math and Fifth Grade Science. Third, fourth, and fifth graders will be participating in state testing again this upcoming school year. Third, fourth and fifth grade students will all be taking the English Language Arts and Math state assessments. Fifth Grade students will also be taking the Science state assessment as well. All testing dates will be posted on the school website under Elementary Curriculum within the first month of school.

Norwood 5th Grade Science Camp

Technology Department Mr. Curt Dennis, Director of Technology

The technology department has had a very busy summer and have completed a lot of different projects. The one we are most excited about is
we have replaced all the old smartboards with brand new Clevertouch Boards in 47 classrooms. Teachers were given the opportunity to come in and learn all about this new technology and are excited to start utilizing it this school year. The boards all have multiple point touch, anti-glare glass, more opportunities to collaborate with screen mirroring from staff/student Chromebooks, and innovative software and learning apps. Blu-ray players were added in those rooms as well to replace old DVD/VHS players that were put in during the building remodels over 16 years ago. Each building also has a Clevertouch Board on a mobile cart, so that it can be utilized in common areas.

We also replaced all the PCs at Norwood Elementary and the kindergarten classrooms have brand new touchscreen Chromebooks that flip into tablets. Other elementary classrooms have new Chromebooks as well as part of our continuous efforts to keep fresh technology in the classrooms. 6th, 9th, and 10th graders will be picking up their new Chromebooks (and turning in their old one if they had one) at their open houses or at the beginning of the school year. As a reminder, the district offers an accidental breakage protection plan that can be purchased at the beginning of the school year in person or online. The cost of the protection plan is $25 and covers two incidents for the 2022-2023 school year. The cafeteria system saw an upgrade as well across all the buildings and we hope that it will help with money deposited to student's lunch accounts, showing up quickly and correctly. For those needing to fill out a free and reduced application, we've also implemented an online application if you'd rather fill that out as opposed to the paper form. That link and more information can be found on the school
website. Finally, we ask that all parents please fill out the back to school forms on FinalForms as soon as possible. This information is used in emergencies, transportation, athletics, etc so it's important that we have accurate information for your student each school year. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Curt Dennis, Director of Technology,
at cdennis@westjeff.org.

Jefferson Local Schools Operations Update - August 2, 2022

Jefferson Local Schools Operations Department would like to welcome everyone back for the 2022 - 2023 school year. We have been very busy this summer preparing the buildings for the return of students and staff. We are also excited to have almost completed several notable projects described below which should be ready for everyone’s return on August 23rd.

Additionally, we have included information below regarding 2022 - 2023 student transportation and some exciting updates in that department.

Notable Operations Projects

High School Gym Renovations

As one ofthe most used interior spaces at JeffersonLocal Schools, the high schoolgymnasium is scheduled for some much needed renovations. Over the years, the wall paint has continued to peel away from the block, the court has shown a lot of wear with the amount of use over the last decade, and the lighting has become a huge maintenance issue. Over the spring and early summer, the walls will be receiving repairs of the peeling paint and all of the walls will be painted white to brighten up the space. The lighting, which was fluorescent lighting, has been upgraded with energy efficientLED lighting that is dimmable. Thecourt has been completely redone with new graphics and floor stain. The final touches will be the installation of new wall pads and new championship banners.

Jefferson Local Schools Operations Update August 2, 2022

Jefferson Local Schools Operations Update August 2, 2022

New Playground Shade

If you have ever been on the playground at Norwood during the day, have you noticed the lack of shade areas for the kiddos? In a partnership with Norwood Elementary and the Operations Department, a new tri-shade canopy will be installed on the Norwood playground. Through the help of local volunteers the new shade should be ready to go for the first day of school.

Transportation Updates

2022 - 2023 Student Routing

The transportation department is in the process of finalizing the 2022 - 2023 routing sheets. There should be no large scale changes to routing from last year. We are excited to be in the process of training a new driver to take over route 4. Effective sometime this fall, route 4 will be back in service in the afternoons. Prior to the change-over the district will communicate these changes to parents.

Route sheets should be available on the schools website beginning August 15, 2022. For questions regarding routing please contact Bob Hiss at bhiss@westjeff.org. All questions will be answered the week of August 15, 2022.

Once route sheets are available a link will be added to the following websites:

Jefferson Local Schools Website: ww.west-jefferson.k12.oh.us

Official Jefferson Local Schools Facebook Website: www.facebook.com/JeffersonLocalSchools

New Buses Added to the Fleet

Our school district was awarded a grant to help cover a portion of the cost to replace three of our aging route buses. The district should take delivery of the buses in or around October 2022. Once these buses go into service they will replace bus 7 which will become 14 and bus 9 which will become 1. Prior to these buses taking over those routes, we will communicate these changes with parents.

Best wishes on a healthy and successful 2022 - 2023 school year.

Robert D. Hiss, P.E. Director of Operations Jefferson Local School District

FOLLOWING IS MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION FOR THE 2022-2023 SCHOOL YEAR:

WHO TO SEE…WHO TO CALL	BOARD OF EDUCATION

Mr. William R. Mullett Superintendent

Mr. Matt Adams HS/MS Principal

Mrs. Kristen Kearns
HS/MS Assist. Principal/Curr.

Mr. Shawn Buescher HS/MS Dean of Students

Mrs. Jeannette Haskins H.S. Guidance Counselor

Ms. Shelby King
M.S. Guidance Counselor

Ms. Susan Barte Elementary Principal

Mrs. Andrea Buescher Elem. Assist. Principal/Curr

Mr. Robert Hiss PE, Director of Operations

Mr. Mark Ingles, MPA Treasurer

Mr. Michael Hamm Special Ed. Supervisor

Mr. Curt Dennis Director of Technology

Mr. Joe Galore School Psychologist

879-7654 Ext. 1112

879-7681 Ext. 2301

879-7681 Ext. 5402

879-7681 Ext. 2305

879-7681 Ext. 5218

879-8345 Ext. 2303

879-7642 Ext. 3307

879-7642 Ext. 4218

879-7654 Ext. 1120

879-7654 Ext. 1115

879-7654 Ext. 1123

879-7654 Ext. 1119

879-7654 Ext. 1116

Dr. Meg Hiss, President 614-879-5689 mhiss@westjeff.org

Mrs. Whitney Duemmel, Vice President 614-496-9747
wduemmel@westjeff.org

Ms. Addie Newman 614-940-9528 anewman@westjeff.org

Mr. Mike Quinn 614-879-7932
mquinn@westjeff.org

Mrs. Loriena Roberts 614-406-6117 lroberts@westjeff.org

2022-2023 School Event Calendar

July 2022
	
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August 2022
	
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September 2022
	
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October 2022
	
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November 2022
	
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December 2022
	
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July
	
4	Independence day

August
	
15/16 New Teacher Orientation
	
17&19 Staff Professional Development 18&22 Staff Work Days
	
23	Student's First Day

7 Student/11 Staff Days

September
	
5	No School/Labor Day
	
23	Interim Reports Go Home

21 Student/Staff Days

October
	
14	End First Nine Weeks
(38 Student Days/42 Staff Days)
	
17	No School/Staff Work Day
	
21	Grade Cards Go Home

20 Student/21 Staff Days

November
	
3	Parent/Teacher Conferences
	
4	No School
7	No School/Professional Development 8	No School/Staff Work Day
	
23-25 No School/Thanksgiving Break

16 Student/19 Staff Days

December
	
20         End Second Nine Weeks/First Semester (40 Student Days/44 Staff Days) (78 Student Days/86 Staff Days)
	
21	Winter Break Begins

14 Student/Staff Days

January 2023
	
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February 2023
	
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March 2023
	
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April 2023
	
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May 2023
	
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January
	
1	New Year's Day
	
2	Teacher Work Day
	
3	School Resumes
	
16	No School/Martin Luther King Day

20 Student/21 Staff Days

February
	
16	Parent Teacher Conferences
	
17	No School
	
20	No School/President's Day

18 Student/19 Staff Days

March
	
10	End Third Nine Weeks
(46 Student Days/48 Staff Days) 17	Grade Cards Go Home

23 Student/Staff Days

April
	
3-7	No School/Spring Break
	
10	School Resumes

15 Student/Staff Days

May
	
19	Graduation
26	Early Release/Student's Last Day
26	End Fourth Nine Weeks/Second Semester (50 Student Days/51 Staff Days)
(96 Student Days/99 Staff Days Semester)
	
30	Staff Work Day
	
20 Student/21 Staff Days

New Teacher Orientation
	
Staff Work/Professional Development Day
	
School In Session
	
No School
	
174 Student Days/185 Staff Days
	
Make-up days May 30 & 31, June 1 & 2

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