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REDMOND JUNIOR HIGH

2011-2012 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

This list of frequently asked questions (FAQ) was compiled to answer the questions most often received from RJH parents. Please refer to the Parent Handbook for detailed information on Policies and Procedures (including attendance requirements, tardiness, and unexcused absences); General Guidelines for Students; ASB and Activities; Behavior Expectations for Students, and additional critical Lake Washington School District Policies and Guidelines.

1. How do we communicate with Principal, the Assistant Principal, or the Counselors?

2. How do I communicate with teachers?

Most teachers explain communication preferences in their syllabus or printed classroom expectations. Typically, this is by phone or email (using the first initial and last name with @lwsd.org).

3. To whom should I direct questions, in general?

The best first contact is Carol Underwood, Office Manager. If Mrs. Underwood cannot answer the question, she will direct you to the person who can answer your question.

4. How do I speak with the staff about my child’s ADHD or other medical diagnosis?

Contact your child’s counselor by phone or email. Counselors are assigned by child’s surname. If necessary or requested, a counselor may call a “staffing” to discuss any issue with all of your child’s teachers at one time.

5. Who are the students’ advisors?

We have range of advisors for students, but no specific advisory period or teacher advisor. We have school counselors, school psychologist, a Youth Eastside Services (YES) drug intervention/prevention counselor, a Redmond Police Department School Resource Officer (SRO), as well as IGNITE student mentors as peer advisors.

6. How do we get more information about the school?

You may consult the parent handbook (red cover), the student handbook in the student agenda book, the school website at www.lwsd.org/school/rjh, the RJH PTSA website at www.rjhptsa.org, or the Lake Washington School District online calendar (events for all district schools at http://lakewashington.intand.com/. You may also subscribe to the PTSA weekly newsletter (weekly@rjhptsa.org) for weekly updates about school events and activities.

7. Do students get a “tour” or overview of the school ?

We dedicate the first day of school to providing new students with this overview, with staff and IGNITE mentors all available to guide and welcome students. Many students had a mini-tour and overview when they visited RJH in the spring of sixth grade. We also spend much of September teaching and explaining procedures, rules, and school environment to ensure students feel comfortable at RJH. If October rolls around and your student still does not feel comfortable or doesn’t understand something about RJH, please contact your student’s counselor for more information or assistance.

8. How and when do I get my child excused from class?

a. Call the school at (425) 936-2440, extension 1, with as much notice as possible. Office staff will write a note and deliver it to your child. At the time noted, your child will show the teacher the note, put away or get anything from the locker, and report to the front office. When you come into the school, the child should be waiting for you. You need to sign-out the student at the attendance window, and off you go.

b. We ask that parents try to schedule appointments outside of school hours to maintain consistent student learning, but understand that this is not always an available option.

9. How do I get an item or message to my student during the day?

To deliver an item, bring the item to the office, along with necessary written comments. We will send an “Office Delivery” slip to the student. The student will then come down to the office between classes or during a break to retrieve the item. Important messages may also be phoned to the student message line at (425) 936-2440, extension 1 (attendance and messages).

10. When do students receive their class schedules and locker assignments?

Students receive both the class schedule and locker assignment on the first day of school or first day of winter semester. PTSA volunteers hand out schedules in the school Commons (cafeteria) beginning at 7:20 a.m.

11. Where are bicycles stored? Is it safe storage?

We have two areas for locking bikes. One is in front of the gymnasium, the other is on the patio behind the Great Hall (main lobby). They are as safe as the locking mechanisms that are provided and correctly used. We occasionally will sweep the area and frequently notice students who have left bikes unlocked.

12. Can I email the attendance office when I know my child will be absent, or do I have to write a note?

The best action is to place a phone call to our Safe Arrival line (425) 936-2441. An email or note with signature is acceptable, but will still require a phone call to be placed by the parent to confirm the absence.

13. When I call Safe Arrival and say that my child is absent due to illness, do I need to also send a note to excuse the absence?

A phone call to Safe Arrival on each day that the student will be absent is sufficient notification. We may receive a call for the first absence, but without a call on each additional day of illness, the absences will be treated as a truancy or unexcused absence, which require an additional parental note or phone call.

14. Am I supposed to email teachers about my child’s absence?

The attendance is recorded in the office and teachers can see on their computers who is expected to be absent. Parents may want to email teachers during extended absences or illnesses about school work that can be completed or made up prior to returning to school. Students typically have a day to make up daily work for each day they were absent. Long term assignments or projects need to follow the teacher’s policy for work completion and absences.

15. When is it the responsibility of the student to contact the teacher? When can the parent step in?

A student should always feel free to contact a teacher with a question or concern. We encourage students to make an appointment with the teacher during breaks, lunch, or before or after school. This is particularly the case if the question is long or too sensitive to be asked during class time. To build students’ abilities to be their own advocate, we suggest they formulate their question with the help of a parent to be sure they can clearly communicate with the teacher. If a student has difficulty explaining the question or situation to a parent, they may need some help talking to a teacher. If the student can adequately communicate the question or concern, parents can monitor the interaction from home and ask students “how it went” after the meeting. If there is still uncertainty or questions remaining, parents should contact the teacher directly. RJH values parental input and participation in helping nurture and guide the learning of each student.

16. What should be done if my student is the subject of intimidation or bullying?

Students may report intimidation or bullying to any school staff member at school (Principal Kelly Clapp; Assistant Principal Sean Cassidy; any teacher; the School Resource Officer, Officer Bill Corson; any coach, etc.). If a student is reluctant to report the intimidation or bullying, a parent may do so. The school must know about the situation to ensure that it ends. If the intimidation or bullying is not reported, it has two results. First, it gives the bully the understanding that their bullying will not get them into trouble. Second, once the bully knows he/she will not get into trouble, the bully may increase the intensity of the intimidation or harassment or spread it to other students. Encourage and support your student to speak out against bullying and intimidation. Their report can help stop further intimidation and bullying. Retaliation of any kind is also banned and enforced with progressive discipline.

17. May I send medications (including over the counter medications) to school with my student?

Students are not permitted to bring medications to school, including over the counter medications, unless parents turn in an Authorization to Administer Medication form, available in the school office and requiring a doctor’s signature.

18. What does ASB stand for?

ASB is the abbreviation for Associated Student Body, the student organization that plans and gives financial support to student clubs, dances, extracurricular athletics, and other activities at Redmond Junior High.

19. What is an ASB card?

Once a student has paid the ASB fee, a small ASB logo or sticker is added to the student’s ID card. This card is needed to obtain discounts at some ASB activities.

20. Does my student really need to pay the ASB fee?

Payment of the ASB fee is required for any student who wants to participate in athletics, clubs or programs that use ASB funds. Joining the ASB also provides student discounts to school dances and other activities or purchases. See the ASB section of the student handbook for more details.

21. What sports, music programs, drama events, and other programs are available for 9th graders at Redmond High School?

Opportunities for 9th graders at Redmond High School are generally limited to those sports and activities that the Junior High Schools do not offer. With RJH administration approval, specific events or programs from Redmond High School may encourage participation of RJH 9th graders through lunch period presentations and morning announcements. See the Redmond High School website or contact RHS directly for more information about a specific program.

22. What extra activities, such as clubs, may my child join?

A list of student clubs is included in the student handbook located at the front of the student agenda.

23. Can we get more information about after-school activities?

In addition to the RJH athletic teams, clubs and ASB programs, RJH also hosts these after-school activities.

Mondays – Study Hall 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Tuesdays – Study Hall & RJH After Hours 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Wednesdays – Study Hall & Open Gym 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Thursdays – Study Hall & RJH After Hours 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Fridays – Study Hall 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.

· After-school study hall is in the Red Cedar pod. Study hall is led by an instructional aide, with teacher drop-ins. This is mainly self-guided work time with computer access.

· Staff from the City of Redmond’s Old Redmond Firehouse youth program presents RJH After Hours. This program provides a wide variety of activities including, but not limited to, dance, sports, computers, music, food, as well as activities in the community such as clay workshops and climbing wall classes.

· RJH hosts an open gym for students on Wednesday, staffed by volunteers from local youth organizations. Students may play sports, socialize, watch movies, eat popcorn, etc.

24. How can we have advanced notice of the dates for school dances?

School dances are planned and scheduled prior to the start of school. At least two weeks before each dance, students are informed in the morning bulletin and posters around the school from our ASB Leadership Team. Dance dates also appear on the RJH PTSA calendar (www.rjhptsa.org) or the Lake Washington School District tandem calendar http://lakewashington.intand.com/ Tickets are NOT sold at the door for dances.

The student handbook lists the AM assembly and PM assembly school day schedule. Spirit / Sports / Student Recognition assemblies (called Grizzly Gatherings) are typically held quarterly on a Friday at the end of the school day. Some assemblies are calendar-based, such as Veteran’s Day or Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Other assemblies are based on events in the school year, such as the ASB Magazine Drive Kick –Off or Touch of Class (end of year recognition) assemblies.

26. How do we pay for school lunch?

There are four ways to add money to a student’s lunch account:

1. Set up an automatic monthly withdrawal from your checking account by filling out an Automated Clearing House (ACH) Withdrawal Form. If you cannot print the form, you may obtain a form from the school office. After completing the form, mail it to: LWSD Food Services; PO Box 97039; Redmond, WA 98073 - 9739 Funds added via ACH will become available on the sixth or seventh of each month.

2. Send a check or cash to the school office with your student’s name clearly attached.

3. Charge to your Visa or MasterCard by calling the Food Services office: (425) 702–3393

4. Charge to your Visa or MasterCard online through the secure LWSD Parent Access site.

27. What is offered for lunch?

The school district website lists the monthly junior high lunch menus at www.lwsd.org/SiteCollectionDocuments/For-Parents/Lunch-Menus/Jr-High.pdf

28. Can I track what my student buys for lunch?

It isn’t possible to track what each of the hundreds of students eats during lunch. However, if there are health concerns or other specific reasons for parents to get more specific information, on a case-by-case basis we can request that Food Services print what a student has purchased with their account, scan the document and email it to your home address. It has a few coded names, but a parent can get a general idea of what their student buys for lunch.

29. Where can my student go during lunch?

Students are permitted to eat only in the Commons (cafeteria) or in the room assigned for Homework Lunch. Once students have completed their meal or snack, they are permitted to stay in the Commons to visit with friends, or to adjourn to one of the following common-use spaces:

Gym – to play basketball, football, soccer, etc.
Great Hall (main lobby) – to visit and talk, waiting to go to lockers or classes
Outside Patio – weather permitted, students may go outside to relax, talk and chat
Library – to check out a book, study quietly, use a computer. This is a quiet area.

30. Do students have some PE time?

PE is a one-semester class. If a student has PE first semester, they will not have PE second semester. If they do not have PE first semester, they will have PE second semester.

31. What do students wear for PE class?

For PE, students must wear the school PE shirt (purchased at the front office) and appropriate shorts/sweats and shoes.

32. When do we buy the PE shirt?

Students need to wear the required PE shirt and appropriate shorts/sweats and sneakers after the first week of the semester. Students may pay for PE shirts prior to the start of school during Fees and Form Days in August. However, the student must retain the receipt until school starts in September (January for second semester) to present to his/her PE teacher to obtain the shirt. Some families wait until the student receives his/her class schedule and purchase the PE shirt only if the student has PE during first semester. Students with PE in second semester should purchase the PE shirt on the first days of second semester.

33. How does my child get the PE shirt?

After paying for the shirt(s) at the register in the front office (the ASB window), the student takes the receipt to the PE teacher, and the PE teacher gives the shirt to the student. Parents should ensure that the student’s first name and last initial (example: Jane D. or John S.) is written in PERMANENT MARKER in the light-colored area on the front of the shirt.