Bring Your Parents To School” day

Hey OHMS Parents-

It’s time for this semester’s “Bring Your Parents To School” day!  Next Friday, November 18, we invite you to shadow your child around school for the day.  Feel free to drop in anytime throughout the day and stay as long as you like.  Please check in with a member of the PTSA in the auditorium when you arrive.  We will be happy to print out your child’s schedule for you.  You are invited to eat lunch with your child in the cafeteria, but we need to give the Lunch Ladies a heads up if you will be purchasing a school lunch.  If you plan to take your student off campus for lunch, you will need to check him/her out in the attendance office.

Here’s the schedule so you can plan your day:
1st period 9:50 – 10:23
(No TA/2nd period)
3rd period 10:28 – 11:01
4th period 11:06 – 11:39

A lunch 11:39 – 12:09
5th period 12:14 – 12:56

5th period 11:44 – 12:26
B lunch 12:26 – 12:56

6th period 1:01 – 1:34
7th period 1:39 – 2:12
8th period 2:17 – 2:50

Please email us a reply to the email you may have received about this (or click the button to the right that says "How can we serve you better?") if you are planning to purchase school lunch.  We are planning to do this again next semester, if you are unable to join us this time.  We look forward to seeing you next Friday.

Thanks,

OHMS PTSA

Scholastic On-line Book Fair

Consider shopping at the OHMS Online Book fair.

It runs October 4-24.

More time to shop! More selection! Another way to help our school!

Just go to this link: OHMS Online Book Fair

The books will have no shipping charge and will be shipped to the school. You will be contacted when they come in.

Book Fair Volunteers Needed

It is time for the Fall Book Fair at OHMS!  This is a fundraiser for our Library.  Please come and support us by 1 - buying some books and 2 - volunteering to help cover some shifts at the register!  

 

October 3 & 4 from 7:30am to 3pm

October 5 & 6 from 7:30am till the end of parent teacher conferences

 

Call Janice Carlsen for more info or to sign up to help (801-254-5822) or email her at janice.carlsen@gmail.com.

Volunteers Needed

Oquirrh Hills Parents,

As the PTSA board for the 2011-2012 school year we want to introduce to you the PTA Three for Me program.  This program encourages parents to pledge to volunteer in the school for a minimum of 3 hours during the school year.  By making the three for me promise and dedicating 3 hours to the school over the course of the school year, you can strengthen the partnership between home and school for your child's benefit.

The PTSA is involved in many activities throughout the year. We need your help to facilitate these events and opportunities. We ask EVERYONE to donate 3 hours of your time during this school year to help Oquirrh Hills Middle School continue to be a great place for our children to be!

Please let us know where you would like to help by clicking on and filling out the Volunteer Form below.





Thank you!

Membership Dues

The OHMS PTSA is proposing an amendment to the bylaws. It is proposed that we change the membership dues from $5 to $6.  Please vote below.

Reflections and Volunteers

This year the theme for Reflections is "Diversity means...".  All entries at OHMS are due October 14th.  For more information and entry forms please check the Utah PTA site.


We are looking for volunteers for Reality Town and the book fair. 


Ninth graders participate in Reality Town after being taught about basic finances - income, budgeting, expenses etc.  In the weeks before Reality Town they will receive a pretend career, income, family etc.  That day volunteers staff the bank, grocery store, pet store etc. and the students see how well they do with their given circumstances. 


The book fair happens the week of parent, teacher, student conferences.  Help is needed to set it up, close it down and staff it during the week.


If you are interested in volunteering please contact our PTSA President, Lisa Zupancic at  lisa@zupancic.net

OHMS PTSA Proposed Budget for 2011-2012

Proposed Budget of Oquirrh Hills Middle School PTSA Fiscal Year 2011-2012

Balance brought forward: $13.9226.62

Income:

Membership (800 members): $1400.00
Fundraiser (Memory Books - 950): $7600.00

Total Income: $9000.00

Expenses:

Student Support: $3500.00

• Dances: $900.00
• Reflections: $500.00
• Eagle of the Quarter: $800.00
• Reality Town: $300.00
• Field Day: $1000.00

Health/Safety/Welfare: $1500.00

• Red Ribbon Week: $500.00
• White Ribbon Week: $1000.00

Hospitality: $4500.00

• Volunteer Appreciation: $500.00
• Teacher Appreciation:

1. Appreciation Week: $1000.00
2. Gifts and Birthdays: $1000.00

• Conference Dinners: $2000.00

School Improvement: $3000.00

Please vote whether or not to accept the proposed budget.

Town Hall Meetings

From Jordan School Board of Education:

The Jordan School District is looking forward to a great school year. Below you will find the dates and locations of the first three Town Hall Meetings for this year. These meetings will be held in various locations throughout the district but everyone is welcome at all locations. There are many important issues facing education currently. We want and need you input to help us more forward in a positive and effective way. Your voice is important.

During the last two months Dr. Johnson, our new superintendent, has conducted focus group sessions with teachers, support staff, principals, district leaders, and the mayors. They have given her their priorities to improve education in the district. We would like to ask our owners -YOU- the same questions. Please attend the first meeting at South Jordan Middle School at 7:00pm to help us set our priorities. Everyone is welcome. Your voice is important.

Board of Education-Town Hall Meetings:
Sept. 1, 2011
7-8:30PM
South Jordan Middle, Media Center
10245 S. 2700 West, South Jordan

Sept. 22, 2011
7-8:30PM
Rosamond Elementary, Gym
12195 S. 1975 West, Riverton

Oct. 27, 2011
7-8:30PM
Bluffdale Elementary, Gym
14323 S. 2700 West, Bluffdale

Volunteers

We have a reminder for volunteers. Don't forget to get finger printed and get a background check if you will have unsupervised access to students or it has been requested of you by the Principal Anderson. You can have that done at the Jordan School District offices at 7387 Campus View Dr in West Jordan.

Welcome Back to School!

Thurs., Aug. 25th 7:50 - 11:50am 7th Grade Orientation

Thurs., Aug. 25, from 5-7pm Back To School Night

Mon. Aug. 29th first day of school for all students

Thurs., Sept. 1 at noon Monthly Board Meeting

another helpful resource

If you're looking for ways to talk to your children about internet safety, a great resource is http://www.netsafeutah.org

They have resources, video clips, great sites for kids, etc. Check it out!

WRAP Week

WRAP (White Ribbon Against Pornography) Week starts this Thursday! WRAP is an anti-pornography campaign. Some helpful information and resources have been posted on this blog. In addition, there will be an assembly for students and various activities designed to make students aware of the dangers of pornography. Here is the schedule of activities:

Thurs., Apr. 14th - "Boot" out pornography. Western dress day and the 7th grade assembly.

Fri., Apr. 15th - Wear white!

Mon., Apr. 18th - White Airhead candy will be passed out to students during TA with the slogan: Don't be an "airhead" - avoid pornography.

Tues., Apr. 19th - Superhero day. Dress as your favorite superhero - only you can save yourself from pornography. 8th grade assembly.

Weds., Apr. 20th - Sign the "Eagles Soar Above Pornography" banner at lunch committing not to view pornography and receive a cookie. 9th grade assembly.

The assemblies will be put on by the administration, psychologist, and counselors of OHMS. If you have any questions, contact Principal Mike Anderson at 412-2350 or PTSA President Marvelle Morgan at 661-5713 or kevinandmarvelle@yahoo.com.

PTSA Elections

Elections for the 2011-2012 PTSA Board will be held on May 12th at 7 pm in the OHMS Auditorium (prior to the Dance Concert). The nominees are as follows:

President - Lisa Zupancic
Pres-Elect - Kellene Adams
Secretary - Jill Nebeker
Treasurer - Susie Ruggles
Legislative VP - Shannon Smith
Membership VP - Lynnae Dunn

If you have any questions, comments, or would like to volunteer, please contact Jodi Parker at jodiparker@hotmail.com.

There is still an opening for the Field Day chairperson.

The Effects of Internet Pornography

In conjunction with WRAP (White Ribbon Against Pornography) Week, which the PTA is holding April 14-20, we are posting the following information regarding the dangerous effects of pornography. Parents may choose to share this information with their children.

Dr. Joel Amen is the world's leading expert on what takes place in the human brain when introduced to various drugs. Here's what he says happens to children and teens when they are exposed to Internet Pornography:

It will cause their brains to release the most powerful mind-altering, personality changing and emotionally destructive chemicals manufactured by the brain. (called endogenous drugs).

It will create an emotional retardation of a child or teenager that can last a lifetime.

It will create a physical and mental addiction more destructive and harder to break than crack cocaine; an addiction that will likely last the rest of their lives. It can create this total addiction in as little as two weeks.

It will permanently alter and debilitate their personality.

It will permanently damage the judgment area of the brain which doesn't finish developing until a person reaches age 25.

These endogenous drugs will not only result in them making bad judgments in their youth, but will very likely affect their ability to make sound judgments throughout their lives.

It will make it nearly impossible for them to ever have a healthy, loving and lasting relationship with the opposite sex; and, in fact, in most cases would totally sabotage all such relationships.

It could radically reduce their level of achievement in school, sports, and untimately in their work.

Movie Ratings

If you are concerned about what movies your children are viewing, but don't have time to pre-screen every movie for them (isn't that usually the case?), www.kids-in-mind.com is a great website. It analyzes and rates movie content according to sex & nudity, violence and gore, and profanity. It rates each of those areas on a scale of 1 to 10 rather than just the broad PG or PG-13 ratings. Click here to view this website.

Media Agreements

Here is a link to some great family media agreements. There are different media agreements for elementary, middle school, and high school-age students. Check them out!

Internet Safety Tips

A recent event reported in the Deseret News has reinforced the need for conversations with your children regarding pornography and internet safety. Students in a Park City elementary school accessed pornography while at school. To read the entire article, click here.

The following are some suggested Internet safety tips:

20 Internet Safety Tips

1. Teach children to “Crash and Tell”, i.e. immediately turn the computer off and then tell a parent, guardian, or teacher.
2. Find out if anyone has pulled up inappropriate material on your computer by going to http://www.contentwatch.com. Then click on Content Audit. This free service can help you determine what inappropriate material may have been viewed on your computer.
3. Place the computer in an open, supervised area of your home.
4. Have rules about Internet use.
5. Warn children to stay out of chat rooms, out of newsgroups, and off instant messenger programs.
6. Teach children NEVER to give out personal information online or arrange to meet someone in person that they met online. Never share your name, address, email address, family members’ names, school’s name or mascot, age, or photos.
7. Learn enough about your computer so you can see what sites have been visited. Check your browser’s history often (pressing Control-H will open the history in most browsers).
8. Install a filter on your Internet, realizing that filters aren’t foolproof and that your child still needs supervision.
9. Check every disk that comes into your home. A “friend” might give your child inappropriate material.
10. Carefully monitor gaming websites.
11. Role play with children about how to act when they see something inappropriate online.
12. Teach children the rapidity with which addiction can occur. (Addiction can happen to some people in a single exposure of inappropriate material, according to Doctor Rick Hawks.)
13. Know that even though a child is protected in your home, he or she is not necessarily protected in the community.
14. Recognize that girls as well as boys can be exposed to inappropriate material online or elsewhere.
15. Remember that free disks with free hours of usage do not install child-safe filters.
16. Ask your children what they have seen online. Be calm and non-accusing as they share. Maintain a good relationship so you can talk about these issues.
17. Talk to your children about what they saw online at school or at the library.
18. Take one-on-one time to have fun with your children, listen to them, and give them a lot of positive comments.
19. Help children feel good about themselves, and keep the avenues of communication open so they will be open with you.
20. Spend time online with your child. This can help you learn what potentially dangerous websites your child visits, you will be able to recognize changes in your child’s Internet use, and your child may even teach you some tips you can use online yourself!

Superintendent Search

As you are all aware, the Jordan School District has been conducting a search for a new superintendent. The school board has been holding meetings obtaining constituent input as to what people are looking for in a superintendent. The superintendent search committee has now narrowed the search to 3 candidates and is seeking further public input.

The three finalists are (listed in alphabetical order):

Dr. Greg Hudnall - Currently Associate Superintendent of Provo School District

Dr. Patrice Johnson - Currently Associate Superintendent of Clark County School District

Dr. Sam Ray - Currently principal of Provo High School


The Superintendent Search Committee, made up of the seven board members and nine representatives of various stakeholders, have carefully reviewed all 23 applications from a wide range of qualified candidates representing differing backgrounds and conducted a 45 minute interview with six of the candidates. From this extensive process they have selected the above three as the finalists. All three are exceptional individuals.

They now want the community to meet these candidates and provide your input. The date of the Meet the Candidate Open House has been changed to:


Superintendent Finalists Open House
Jordan School District Office on Redwood Rd.
Thursday, April, 14, 2011
Held from 6:00 - 8:00. From 7:00 until 7:45 each candidate will present a 15 minute presentation.

They will have input papers for everyone to provide feedback for the committee to review. Your input is very important.

Please help us spread the invitation for the Open House. This is our community and the individual who will lead our school district. This superintendent will affect all of us and our children. Please try to attend.

WRAP (White Ribbon Against Pornography)

What is White Ribbon Week and why are we holding it?

White Ribbon Against Pornography (WRAP) week is designed to help educate students and parents about the dangers of pornography.    The week includes an opportunity for each student to pledge to NOT view pornography.

Some facts about pornography:

*The average age of first exposure to Internet pornography is just 11 years of age.

*Children 12-17 are now the single largest group of consumers of Internet pornography.

*41% of all children over 10 with Internet access “surf” for pornography.

*90% of children over the age of 11 have been exposed to Internet pornography.

*There are 1 million sexual predators and pedophiles that use the Internet to target children.

*One out of every 5 kids over the age of 10 with Internet access has received a sexual solicitation from someone on the web.

*Sometimes a single exposure to pornography causes addiction;  sometimes it may take a few weeks.

*Giving porn to a teenage boy is like giving crack to a baby – addiction is guaranteed.

*Most sexual and pornographic addictions begin in middle childhood or early adolescence and most of the time without the parents’ awareness or the children themselves having a sufficient understanding of the risks involved.

The PTA will be holding WRAP week April 14-20 (Thurs – Weds).  There will be various activities throughout the week such as crazy sock day (sock it to pornography),  “trash” pornography day, and handing out Airheads candy with the slogan “don’t be an airhead, stay away from porn”.  On the final day, there will be a large poster for the students to sign as a pledge to avoid pornography. 

The PTA will be working closely with administration, school counselors, and government officials to help ensure that both parents and students receive the information regarding pornography that will be helpful to them in making wise choices.  Hopefully, this will open some dialogue at home between parents and their children regarding pornography.

WINNERS!

A big congratulations goes out to Mr. Mike Anderson and Ms. Kelsey Jones!  They are both award winners at the PTA Region 6 level.

Mr. Anderson is the Region 6 recipient of the Golden Apple Award for Outstanding Administrator based on his accessibility, commitment to improving technology, and rapport with students.  We are truly lucky to have such a fine principal at our school! 

Ms. Jones is the Region 6 co-recipient of the Golden Apple Award for Outstanding Educator.  Ms. Jones is a 7th grade Language Arts teacher who also founded and runs the school newspaper.   Her students love her and enjoy learning in her classroom.

recycling

To help OHMS earn more money for the school, please drop off your used print cartridges to the main office.  These can be recycled and it is a simple way for the school to generate a bit more income.  So, clean out your office and aid your school at the same time!

Harmon's Day

Each year Harmon's sponsors a PTA Day.  They invite schools to participate and then share their profits from that day with the schools.  This year we were invited to participate by the Harmon's at The District.  Each invited school decorates a checkstand, provides volunteers to help bag groceries, and provides volunteers to work the booths.  Harmon's provides lots of fun booths like face painting, fish ponds, cookie decorating, etc. 

Harmon's also holds a bagging contest among the principals of the various schools and our own Mr. Mike Anderson won!  Yep, he's a fast bagger but we're glad he's keeping his day job.

We earned $749 through this partnership with Harmon's so next time you're in Harmon's tell them thank you!

Town Hall Meeting

Mr. Corbin White, our newly-elected school board member, is hosting a Town Hall Meeting on Thursday, February 24th at 7 pm at OHMS.  It will be held in the Media Center and all are invited to attend.

This is a really great opportunity to let your concerns be heard!

Reflections Program

As you may be aware, the OHMS PTA was unable to sponsor the Reflections Program this past year due to a lack of volunteers.  We would like to be able to run the program next year so we are looking for about 10-15 volunteers.

The volunteer work consists of advertising, collecting entries, ensuring entries are formatted correctly, arranging for judges, writing thank-you cards, and so forth. 

If you have helped with Reflections on an elementary school level, you may think this is an overwhelming task.  Let me assure you that it is much easier at a middle school.  The typical elementary has about 500 entries whereas a middle school averages about 50 entries.

If we can get 10-15 volunteers, then the job will only take several hours per volunteer.  Please let us know if you are willing to help with this.  You can leave a comment here, email Marvelle at kevinandmarvelle@yahoo.com, or email Lisa at lisa@zupancic.net

Bookfair at OHMS is Coming!

Come support our Spring Book Fair at OHMS!

February 28 - March 3

 

Hours:

Monday 7:30 am - 3:30 pm

Tuesday & Wednesday 7:30 am - 8 pm

Thursday 7:30 am - end of lunch period

 

Come in during Parent Teacher Conference and encourage your kids to come in during lunch or before and after school.  The funds we raise from our Book Fairs go towards buying new books for our library.  We appreciate your help!

9th grade basketball

Your OHMS Eagles Girls' and Boys' Basketball teams are doing extremely well!  The girls' team is undefeated after 6 games!  The boys' team has only one loss with a record of 4-1.

There are only 2 games remaining on the regular season schedule (there will be playoff games).  Come watch a game and support your team.  All games are played at West Jordan High School on Saturday nights and cost 50 cents. 

The girls play Feb. 12 at 5:15 pm and on Feb. 26 at 6:45 pm.  The boys play Feb. 12 at 6:45 pm and at 8:15 pm in an exciting double header.  They play again on Feb. 26 at 8:15 pm.

opportunity to host students

We wanted to let you know about an opportunity to host international students:

Global Connections

Imagine learning about a new culture and language and trying the local cuisine all from your home!

The Council for Educational Travel USA (CETUSA) makes that possible through our international student program.

Students come from over 50 different countries, from all walks of life and with varied interests. All students are fluent in English, have a B- grade average and have been screened. They attend school full time and have signed a behavior contract that is enforced by a local coordinator.  Riverton's coordinator is Jennifer Eames who currently has a 7th grader at OHMS and a girl from Hong Kong at RHS.

Riverton High school currently has openings for international students for the 2011-2012 school year. Only 10 students are allowed to enroll as set by Jordan School District. The current school year is the first year in 5 years that RHS has had international students. The teachers are thrilled and loving the program as well as all the all students who have become their friends. The international students are having an amazing time as well.  

The host families this year love it so much they have opted out to host next year so others can have this experience also!  If you feel that this a great opportunity for your family or you would like tons more information contact Jennifer Eames.   801-520-2821 or jleames@yahoo.com  You can also visit CETUSA's website www.cetusa.org  or find them on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=146910228698570&id=1324561950&ref=notif&notif_t=feed_comment_reply#!/pages/CETUSA/164337332001?v=wall

To see what the students managed by Jennifer have been doing the last couple years visit the International Utah Students blog. http://internationalexchangestudents.blogspot.com/

Febryary 2011 Events

February 1st-4th
Tuesday and Wednesday the 1st  & 2nd  - Girls' Assembly "Be True To Yourself"  Miss Riverton, Sophomore Orientation for 9th graders at RHS in the evening.
Thursday the 3rd - IB (International Baccalaureate) Presentation during TA
    –  PTSA Mtg at noon in the board room.  Open to anyone

February 7-11
Monday the 7th - Sharp Survey 8th grade only - Substance Abuse
Tuesday the 8th  - ZAP Activity Day
Wednesday the 9th  - Dress up Contest in TA, RHS counselors pick up 10th grade registrations, NAEP Testing for random group of 8th grade students
Thursday the 10th  - 6th grade Orientation ("Rah Rah") Assembly 9:30 AM, Fund raiser for OHMS (and a few other local schools) PTSA at Harmon’s Grocery store at the District.  Come do your grocery shopping here this day!  Check your newspaper for specials on this day only.

February 14-18
Monday the 14th  - Valentine's Day
Wednesday the 16th - School Community Council Mtg 5:00 p.m.  In the media center. Anyone is welcome to attend
Thursday the 17th - OHMS Science Fair in Auditorium
Friday the 18th  - "Bring Your Parents To School" Day.  More information was posted earlier in the blog

February 21-25
Monday the 21st  - President's Day - No School
Tuesday & Wednesday the 22nd  & 23rd - Direct Writing Assessment 8th grade only
Wednesday the 23rd  - Choir, Orchestra, and Band concert at Fort Herriman MS 7:00PM
Thursday the 24th  - JSD Science Fair @ RHS

Note: On March 1st & 2nd  Student-Led Conferences

Huntsman Awards

Nomination forms for the Huntsman Awards for Excellence in Education 2011 are now available online at www.huntsman.com/haee  This award is open to teachers, administrators, and volunteers who represent the ranks of public school education.

We have so many wonderful teachers and administrators at OHMS that I hope you will take some time to give them the recognition they deserve!

PTA Board Members for 11-12

We are currently looking for individuals interested in serving on the PTA board for the next school year.  There are many positions open ranging from a time commitment of a few hours per year or several hours per month.  If you are interested, please contact lisa@zupancic.net or jodiparker@hotmail.com for more information.

"Take Your Parents to School Day"

Friday, February 18th has been designated as the "Take Your Parents to School Day" for OHMS students.  Students are encouraged to bring one or both parents to one or more classes that day.  Teachers will be planning lessons to involve parents.

We ask parents to please observe the bell schedule so as to not disrupt classes already in progress.  Also, please do not bring children.  This is a parent-only event.

If parents would like to eat cafeteria food with their student, we ask that they RSVP by Friday, February 11th so the cafeteria can have sufficient food available.  Parents will have to pay for their meal.  You can RSVP by clicking on the RSVP on the right or by emailing kevinandmarvelle@yahoo.com

Please plan to participate!

"Golden Apple Awards"

The PTA nominated Ms. Kelsey Jones, a 7th grade English teacher and the OHMS newspaper advisor, as the "Golden Apple" Educator of the Year.

Mr. Mike Anderson, Principal, was also nominated as the "Golden Apple" Administrator of the Year.

Both are fairly new to OHMS but have already made a big impact.  Congatulations to both of them who will now go on to compete at the state level.  Good luck!

January = Parent Engagement Month

Whereas studies have shown that the number one factor in individual student success in school is parent involvement; and

Whereas when schools, families, and groups work together to support learning, children do better in school, stay in school longer and enjoy school more; and

Whereas Parent Engagement in a child's educational experience assures better cooperation between student, teacher, home ,and school; and

Whereas studies show that students of involved parents earn higher grades and test scores, enroll in higher-level programs, and are promoted more often, attend school more regularly, have better social skills, show improved behavior and adapt well to school; and

Whereas students supported by the participation and engagement of their parents are more likely to graduate and go on to postsecondary education; and

Whereas the vision of Utah PTA for education is to help all children and youth reach their full potential and assure the involvement of parents in the education of their children;

Therefore be it resolved that January 2011 is hereby proclaimed in the state of Utah to be:  Parent Engagement Month

January 2011 Events

January 3rd - 7th
Thursday the 6th -  Math Counts Competition
                             Student of the Month Recognition
                             Noon PTA meeting in board room, anyone invited
Friday the 7th: Failing notices mailed home

January 10th - 14th
Monday the 19ath - Scoliosis testing for first semester PE students
Tuesday the 11th - Eagle of the Quarter for 8th graders, 7th grade CRT Science Testing
Wednesday the 12th - Eagle of the Quarter for 9th graders, 7th grade CRT Science Testing
Thursday the 13th - Eagle of the Quarter for 7th graders, CRT make-ups
     6 p.m. Fine Arts Festival
Friday the 14th - Last day of 2nd term, CRT make-ups

January 17th - 21st
Monday the 17th - No School, Martin Luther King Day
Tuesday the 18th - No School, Grade Transmittal Day
Wednesday the 19th - First day of 3rd term, Spelling Bee
Thursday the 20th - Spelling Bee cont.

January 24th - 28th, 31st
Monday the 24th - Scoliosis testing for second semester PE students
Thursday the 27th - Hearing screening for Sp Ed students and students new to the district.