OAA Schedule, Apr. 23-27

Our OAA testing is under way here at TJHS.  This week our 8th grade students will participate in Reading on Monday, Math on Wednesday, and Science on Friday.  Our 7th grade students will participate in the Reading on Tuesday and Math on Thursday.  Below is a schedule for this week:


Schedule for Testing Week (April 23-27)

Mon.  Apr. 23	7th Grade	8th Grade
7:35-8:45	Per. 1	Testing
8:48-9:54	Per. 2	Testing
9:57-11:03	Per. 3	Announcement to move to 3rd Per. once testing is complete and materials are collected.
11:06-2:40	Normal	Normal

**Tuesday will follow the same schedule as above with 7^th Testing and 8^th in class.

Wed.  Apr. 25	7th Grade	8th Grade
7:35-8:45	Per. 3	Testing
8:48-9:54	Per. 2	Testing
9:57-11:03	Per. 1	Announcement to move to 1st Per. once testing is complete and materials are collected.
11:06-2:40	Normal	Normal

**Thursday will follow the same schedule as Wed. with 7^th Testing and 8^th in class.

Fri.  Apr. 27	7th Grade	8th Grade
7:35-8:45	Per. 1	Testing
8:48-9:54	Per. 3	Testing
9:57-11:03	Per. 2	Announcement to move to 2nd Per. once testing is complete and materials are collected.
11:06-2:40	Normal	Normal

Spring and Testing Season at TJHS

It's official...Spring and Testing Season are upon us here at TJHS.  This morning as I worked in my office, the company who cares for our landscaping arrived. They are here to clean up and put down mulch in our shrub beds, 11 1/2 yards of mulch to be exact.  As I watched them meticulously spread the fresh dark mulch in our shrub beds near the main entrance, I thought about how much I enjoy Spring.  The freshly mowed grass, the flowering trees, the resurgence of the plants and all that is green...what a great time of year!  It reminds us of the often long and cold Winter (maybe not as cold this year) that we must endure in order to experience such a return to life.

My thoughts shifted to the upcoming Ohio Achievement Assessments (OAAs) and the Testing Season that we are in as well.  Much like the Spring season, the Testing season is an opportunity for our students and staff to shine.  At this time in the year they can demonstrate that they have put in the hours, sometimes long and sometimes difficult, necessary to continue to perform at a high level on the state tests.  The teachers and staff here work diligently throughout the year to provide a quality education to our students, instilling in them the skills necessary not only to be successful on the upcoming OAAs, but also in life.  April 23-27 will be the opportunity for our students to, much like Spring, once again shine, and I have every reason to believe that they will.  As I mentioned before, I have every reason to believe that our students will perform well on these tests.   However, please keep in mind that these are a snapshot of the performance of our students in the tested areas, useful as one of many reference points for the quality instruction provided at TJHS.

What can parents and families do to help their son or daughter prepare for the OAAs?  I'm glad you asked!  They can start by visiting this site, http://ohio3-8.success-ode-state-oh-us.info/.  This site tells what's expected of students, provides an opportunity to practice for the tests, and explains how to understand test results.  I also strongly encourage parents and families to communicate with your child's teachers.  The current tested areas are Reading and Math in 7th grade, along with Reading, Math, and Science in 8th grade.  Teachers in these subjects can share points of strength and weakness your child may have so that you can help them to better prepare for the upcoming tests.  I greatly appreciate your partnership as we finalize our preparations for these tests over the next two weeks.  I would also like to notify you of a change in our schedule, with an extended advisory period, to provide additional time for preparing our students. Below is our modified schedule that we will run on from April 9-20.  We will have a separate schedule that we will operate on the week of testing, April 23-27.

Schedule for April 9-20:
1st             7:35-8:30
2nd            8:33-9:23
3rd            9:26-10:16
Advisory   10:19-11:03
Remainder of the Day Normal

Thank you for all of your support!  Please do not hesitate to contact me with questions or concerns regarding the upcoming testing.

Yours in Education,

Dave Dilbone

Blog replaces TJHS Newsletters

As of Spring 2012, this Blog will replace the TJHS Newsletters that have been sent out for a number of years here at TJHS.  A couple of years ago the seasonal newsletters stopped being sent home to save the cost of printing and postage. This year the newsletters have been available on the front counter for visitors to thumb through.  I wish to continue to communicate with our school community, but it will be via this blog, rather than through the traditional newsletters.  One of the things that I am passionate about is the appropriate use of technology within our school.  We have a committed group of educators who continue to look for new and promising ways to engage our students with an excellent blend of technology, such as Smartboards, iPods, iPads, etc. and more traditional educational tools, such as textbooks and paper/pencil.  As I challenge the staff to find new ways to engage students and to step "out of the box", I realize that I must do the same.  People are social.  They use facebook, tweet, and blog.  As a school, we must find ways to meet them where they are, rather than expecting them to come to us.  With that in mind, I have jumped into the deep waters of Blogger and have made public my Twitter account, @TroyJHPrincipal.  You can also view updates of the happenings at TJHS on our facebook Page.  I look forward to continuing to provide important information to our school community through this blog, twitter, and facebook.  I hope that you find a way to connect that suits your needs!

Yours in education,

Dave Dilbone

Welcome Message

Welcome to Troy Junior High School, a building rated "Excellent with Distinction" by the Ohio Department of Education, the highest academic honor available to a school in Ohio.  We are eager to serve approximately 700 students in grades 7 and 8 for the Troy City Schools.  

At Troy Junior High we take pride in our strong academics as well as our ability to offer multiple extracurricular programs.  We encourage students to participate in our various clubs and activities, as well as our athletic teams.  Please view our report card at: goo.gl/svQvw

The faculty and staff of Troy Junior High look forward to working with our students to ensure success during their two years with us.  If you have questions, please contact me at 332-6720 or dilbone-d@troy.k12.oh.us.
                               
Click on one of the below links to follow me on Twitter, Blogger, or Like TJHS on Facebook.  

Go Trojans!

Dave Dilbone
Principal