Hello Roth Students and Families,

It has been an absolute thrill and pleasure to host staff, students and families these past two weeks. Faculty and staff returned for our District Kickoff on Tuesday and Wednesday. Students and families were in and out all week long, setting up lockers and meeting the Roth JHS team. Personally, as much as I enjoy summer vacation, the anticipation and excitement of Back-to-School fires me up. 

Thanks to the hard work of our counselors and assistant principals, our schedule is ready to roll. We will continue to make minor adjustments as needed, and any student affected will receive notice. Thanks to our WEB advisors and 9th grade leaders, 7th grade orientation was a fun and successful event. Thanks to the precision and dedication of our Building Maintenance and Custodial team, our halls, walls and floors are glowing. These spaces literally reflect our building theme for the 2024-2025 year: Roth Rising. Thanks to the planning and preparation of our faculty and staff, we are ready for the great work of teaching and learning.

Students: welcome home. Families: please join us throughout the Fall as we invite you to upcoming events. We have our first Parent Group meeting on Monday September 16 at 7 p.m. We have our Open House on Wednesday September 18 at 6:30 p.m. Please be on the lookout for these and other opportunities to engage with the Roth JHS team. 

I’ll close this final note of the summer with some reminders, and a lot of hope. 

Cell Phone Policy: As we return from summer break, we want to remind everyone of our “Off and Away” cell phone policy. This will be a major point of emphasis this year. Students will be required to place their cell phones in their lockers before first period and may check them for text messages only between periods, as long as the phone is returned to the locker before heading to the next class. Students are responsible for being on-time to each class, and cell phone checks are not an acceptable reason for tardiness. While we recognize that families provide their students with personal cell phones for many reasons, we believe this policy is crucial in creating a focused, respectful, and safe learning environment. By minimizing distractions, promoting better face-to-face interactions, and fostering a positive school community, we can support student academic success and personal growth. In case of a true emergency, please call the Roth JHS Main Office at (585) 359-5100. 

Counseling Team: Though student schedule change requests have been handled and honored as best as possible by our wonderful school counselors, please continue to communicate as needed.

• Rozetta LaPlaca (rlaplaca@rhnet.org) for Grade 7
• Robin Hernandez (rhernandez@rhnet.org) for Grade 8
• Patricia Prinzi (pprinzi@rhnet.org) for Grade 9

New Math Assessment/Screening Program: We are excited to share that this year, Rush-Henrietta will be using a new universal screener for mathematics. This will replace the NWEA MAPs test we have used in the past to assess student progress over the school year.  The new universal screener is i-Ready, which will help us to get to know your student and what they know and don’t know, so we can help them on their learning path! The screener will be administered in September, January, and June. To learn more about i-Ready, visit the i-Ready page on our district website and watch the overview video. Please watch for a letter in your mail with more details on how you can help support your student as they engage with this new learning resource. 

Visiting Roth JHS: Families are welcome to visit Roth JHS for scheduled meetings with our Administrators, Counselors or other related staff. When coming into the school, all visitors must enter through the Main Entrance. A photo ID is required to enter the building. Upon entering, visitors are asked to wait in our updated Visitor’s Alcove. A visitor’s pass will be required to enter beyond this point. We appreciate your willingness to partner with us to meet your student’s learning, wellness, and safety needs.

Interpreters and Translation Services for Families: If you require an interpreter for any meetings, please let us know as soon as possible so that one may be obtained. We also offer TTY and phone translation services through the Propio Language Services system. You can contact the Main Office at (585) 359-5100. 

Here’s to a new school year. Here’s to exploring our interests and strengths. Together. Here’s to facing challenges head-on, and to growing as lifelong learners. Together. Here’s to our collective rise to excellence. At Roth Junior High School. Here’s to our next new beginning.

With Great Hope,