Jingle bells, Batman smells…
Holy smokes, it’s already December! Where has the time gone? It is a busy time at RJSHS and winter sports and activities are underway! At the high school level, boys and girls basketball, boys and girl’s wrestling, and swimming are in full swing. For junior high, boys basketball and girls wrestling are full go, with boys wrestling and girls basketball starting up after the break. In addition to sports, our clubs are still meeting regularly and there are a lot of fun activities planned for the future.
Our character trait of the month for December is Honesty. Teachers and staff will be on the lookout for students who exhibit honesty in daily activities or who have shown honesty when in difficult situations.
For November, our students of the month (perseverance) were Atticus Hoyt, Drake McShirley, Emma-Mae Fogle, Nevaeh Owen, Amalia Nelson, Reagan Bute, and Paige Angle. All students of the month receive a special t-shirt and a water bottle. All students of the month are nominated by their teachers and at the end of the year all students of the month will be entered into a special prize drawing.
Also, special recognition is due for a couple of our outstanding students; the rotary club of Columbia County honors top students at Scapoose, Rainier, and St. Helens High School. From RJSHS, the November student of the month was Hailey Smythe and December’s student of the month is Deric Coberly. Winners are chosen based on their positive contributions to school climate, extra-curricular activities, academic achievement, and community service activities. Rotary students of the month are honored at the Rotary Club’s monthly luncheon. We are very proud of all these students; they are a shining example of what we want a Columbian to be!
Changing gears; I am asking for your help as parents and as a community. Currently, for the year to date, the chronic absentee rate for RJSHS is 45.7%. This means that almost half of our students are considered chronically absent. The state defines chronic absenteeism as missing 10% or more of the school year. As of December first, we have been in school for 57 days. If your student has missed more than 5 days of school then they are considered chronically absent. Missing a day here and a day there adds up…and missing school means missing opportunities. As a district we are focusing on improving our attendance rate. As part of this focus we will be reaching out and engaging with families of chronically absent students, seeking ways that we can partner up to improve attendance and to ensure that students’ academic needs are being met. Also, a reminder; if a traditional school setting doesn’t work for you or your child, or if you prefer to homeschool, we do have an online academy featuring highly qualified instructors and a wide variety of classes, including many that are not available to our traditional brick and mortar school students. Students can complete their work on their time and never have to set foot on campus if they choose not to. Please contact the school district office if you are interested in the online school option.
With all that said, attendance is important, but if your child is sick, do not send them to school. If your student has vomiting, diarrhea, or fever, they need to stay home. If your child does have to miss school, please remember to call and let the office know so they can get them excused and reach out to teachers so they can get work put together.
Each month we will be spotlighting one club or program at the school. This month we are featuring our award winning History club!
The RJSHS History Club is nationally affiliated with the National History Club, offering students an opportunity to delve into history beyond the confines of the classroom. Engaging in various activities, the club annually organizes Rainier Revisited, a living history event set in the year 1853, now approaching its 13th year at Beaver Home Grange. Additionally, the club played a role as a sponsor alongside Friends of Fox Creek in installing the Charles E. Fox sign in Rainier Park. They also contributed to the creation of new Lewis and Clark informational signs at Prescott Beach, participated in the October Harvest Festival at the Caples House in Columbia City, and collaborate with 8th Grade Social Studies classes for the Washington, D.C. educational trip. In recognition of its outstanding efforts, the club earned acclaim in 2022-2023 by being acknowledged as one of the top six chapters in the United States by the National History Club organization.
Upcoming RJSHS events in December include:
12/4 ASVAB testing for all juniors
12/9 School board meeting
12/10 SWIM (women in manufacturing) field trip to OMIC
12/13 Karaoke w/a Twist (RSFOM fundraiser)
12/19 RJSHS Winter Concert
12/23-1/3 Winter break
For event times and details please see the RJSHS Calendar on the district website. For all sporting events make sure to check osaa.org and for a full list of school and district events make sure to regularly check the school calendar and Facebook page.
In what can be a stressful and hectic time of year, I would like to remind you to take time to prioritize your mental health and keep your focus on the important things. Whether you celebrate the holidays or not, I hope that each and every one of you have a safe and blessed winter break and I am looking forward to all the blessings and excitement that the new year will bring. I am grateful that I get to work and serve in this community, and I am looking forward to the future!
It’s a great day to be a Columbian!
Jeremy P Williams
RJSHS Principal
jeremy_williams@rsd.k12.or.us
(503) 556-4215 x 301
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