December 5, 2024

Hello Roth Families and Friends,

The snow has arrived! I’m wearing a bulkier coat, gloves and warm boots as I greet our students each morning with a fist bump and a “Have a great day!” Winter athletics are in season, too. The cast and crew of this year’s musical production, Shrek the Musical Jr., are getting ready for their February shows. Our building is buzzing with activity from 6:30 a.m. until well into the evening. Everywhere I turn, students are engaged in various activities at Roth Junior High School. Please continue to encourage our students to take care of their academic expectations, and to strive for their greatest potential in and out of the classroom.

Before getting into announcements and reminders, I’d like to share my hope for respect at Roth. Ask your student how I started the school year with grade-level auditorium meetings to review expectations and goals. For each grade, I gave priority to one word: respect. Our faculty and staff are here to teach, coach and otherwise support students. Some of the soft skills that we introduce and rehearse are about how students should interact with others – peers and adults. I used the phrase “Roth 360” in my opening-day presentation. I asked each of our students to rotate in a complete circle. I shared that a peer or adult who deserves respect is present at every single point in those 360 degrees. That is true whether that adult is someone a student has as a teacher, counselor, coach or administrator, or any other member of our faculty and staff. 

Please take some time, as we continue this fourth month together, to remind our students that respect goes a long way. Students may encounter adult requests to slow down in the hall, put their headphones away or keep their lunch table clean. They will definitely encounter adults who acknowledge positive behavior, celebrate successes and share the hope that they continue to have a great day. Whatever the interaction type, and wherever the location, I ask that we hold our students to the core value of respect. Be kind to others. Find ways to help others. Respond appropriately to feedback, celebratory and corrective. We are in a good place at Roth and I want to continue our rise to excellence by thanking you for your continued partnership as we coach our students up along the way.

Here are some reminders and upcoming events.

Winter Clothing Drive: This is a reminder about our Clothing Drive. As the weather continues to trend colder, and as we celebrate gratitude and the season of giving, please consider donating gently used winter gear. We have a donation table in our main vestibule, and I would love to see our community support this giving tradition. Specifically, our National Junior Honor Society is asking for gently used coats, hats, scarves, gloves, and winter boots for their Winter Clothing Drive. We will collect donations at Roth Junior High through Monday, December 9. Please check your closets, and if you have gently used winter outerwear to donate, send it in. 

Roth Rising Merchandise Flash Sale: Another reminder, this one about our Roth Rising flash sale. Have you seen our staff wearing Roth Rising T-shirts and wondered how you could get one? We are happy to announce a two-week flash sale for Roth Rising merchandise. For this first sale, we are offering T-shirts, long-sleeve shirts, and hoodies. Each type of shirt is offered in green or black. Please note: this is a pre-sale. This means payment is due on Friday, December 6, so that we can place our orders in time for delivery by Friday, December 20. Thank you for supporting Roth Junior High. Here is our Order Form.

Deck Roth’s Halls (for the Holidays): I am really excited to bring this event back to Roth. Our summer turnout was fantastic, and the artwork is proudly displayed throughout the building. I’d love to add some more. We will provide paint, canvases, and snacks. Please consider joining us for this event to create your own artwork to have framed and put up on our walls. Deck Roth’s Halls 2.0 will take place from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, December 14. Please join us for an afternoon of painting, listening to music, hot chocolate, snacks, and fun with friends.

Washington, D.C. Trip Update: If your student is attending the D.C. Trip, please read the following update from advisors, Mr. Mallaber and Ms. Flood. This week during lunch your child received an updated balance sheet. This sheet reflects the deposit you have already made plus any additional payments you chose to make as well as any funds you earned for participating in the fundraiser. Please notice the deadlines for the next payments. Many of you have a payment due on/by December 18. Reach out to us early if you have a concern regarding the next payment. Medical paperwork will be coming home with your child after the winter break and will be due on/by February 28 along with any remaining balance for the trip. Please reach out via email to Mr. Mallaber or Ms. Flood with any questions.

Update from Athletics: All our varsity teams have started competing this week, with strong performances from several teams, including Boys Swimming, Girls and Boys Bowling, and Wrestling. 

• The high school will host the opening night of Boys Basketball against McQuaid on Monday night. Large crowds are expected. Please plan to arrive early to allow extra time for a potentially longer walk into the building.
• Modified sports practices also began this week. A big thank you to the coaches, nurses, and all the staff involved in registration and clearance for ensuring so many students could participate on time. Mod sports including, basketball, swimming, cheer and wrestling have had great numbers and effort this week to start

Upcoming Events:

• Roth JHS Concert (Gr. 8/9: Chorus, Orchestra, and Band): Monday, December 9, at 7 p.m.
• Roth JHS Concern (Dedicated Voices, Chamber Orchestra, and Jazz Band): Monday, December 16, at 7 p.m.
• Deck Roth’s Halls: Saturday, December 14 from Noon to 3 p.m.
• Winter Recess (No School): Saturday, December 21, through Sunday, January 5
• Roth Musical (Shrek the Musical Jr.): Friday, February 7 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, February 8 at 7 p.m.

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