Some courses have sold out, but there are still many exciting opportunities for summer learning and fun at Owen J. Roberts. Kids may want to test their skills in Minute to Win It, learn how to play bocce or frisbee golf, or ease Senior Year stress with College Application Boot Camp.

For quick planning, an updated session summary may be found here.

There are four ways to register for programs, including an exciting new online registration.   Access the summer brochure and all registration materials at http://enrichment.ojrsd.com. Check the link for the most current offerings and session locations. Registration will be open until May 31.

Owen J. Roberts summer programs offer students of all ages a place to come together to play, learn, and grow. For more information e-mail Missy Walton or Heidi Lehmann at mwalton@ojrsd.com or  hlehmann@ojrsd.com, or call 610-469-5196.

For the second year, Owen J. High School students directed a hunger relief campaign competing with other area school districts to gather much needed supplies for food banks in our region. For the second year they also brought home the big prize--$10,000! Shire’s Great Food Fight! is organized by regional high school students, sponsored by Shire Pharmaceuticals, and benefits Philabundance, the region’s largest hunger relief organization. Beneficiaries of the drive include the Pottstown Cluster, which serves families living in the district. This year’s food fight ran from February 25th through March 8th. Student ambassador, Shannon Kolb, was interviewed on KYW radio and all involved students reached out to the community to create awareness for the issue of hunger.

Green practices have been a focus of the Owen J. Roberts School District this year with the District establishing a variety of energy conservation measures and building efficiency programs. On November 14, 2012, student representatives from all OJR schools participated in an event which marked the official capturing of solar energy by the 525 kW solar photovoltaic array installed at the High School & Middle School – more than 2,200 solar panels mounted on building rooftops! Since that time, students have continued to support green efforts with their own unique work and exceptional projects.

Gavin Brown, Audrey Farnham, and Sam Smith, 6th grade students from French Creek Elementary School, were recently awarded 2nd place for 6th grade in the state of Pennsylvania for the U.S. Army eCybermission Challenge, a web-based, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) competition. This group of French Creek students aptly applied what they have learned in the classroom to a real-life problem in their community by developing a plan to help students remember to close the exterior doors when entering and exiting the building as a group.  Students learned about a simple way they can take responsibility to help reduce energy costs and keep their school a safe place to learn and play. The students acquired and put to use a variety of technology, research, and communication skills to effectively carry out their plan. 

Another award winning group of students are the Owen J. Roberts High School Animal Studies Club, which ranked as a “top 5 high school finalist” for the Philadelphia Zoo’s UNLESS Contest 2013 competing against schools from Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The grand prize winner will be announced on May 29. The UNLESS contest project involved multiple forms of energy conservation and community outreach. Students focused on digital, print, and interpersonal outreach and included classroom frogs as method for directly connecting people to the animals endangered by energy consumption. Club members procured a recycling bin and successfully encouraged animal studies students to stop putting recyclables in the trash. Next, the club designed a pledge poster where students and staff could pledge to do something that would help save wildlife. Students secured over 90 signatures from people pledging to make changes to help conserve energy and save wildlife. Club members also wrote letters to encourage local businesses to adopt environmentally friendly procedures. The sale of reusable water bottles funded the ability to grow lettuce to feed classroom animals, secure a rain water barrel, and also serve as a way for students to encourage others to cut back on the waste they create every day in the form of disposable beverage containers.

A new link on www.ojrsd.com features a real-time look at the Owen J. Roberts sustainable energy project. Check the green@ojr link for info-graphics which represent an estimated environmental impact of the solar project. An estimated 30% of the energy needs on Owen J. Roberts’ main campus are being generated with solar.

Congratulations to our hard working students for their green efforts! It is hoped that district renewable energy and energy conservation efforts—especially those of students—will help the greater community reduce its carbon footprint and inspire even more green practices.

The 2012-2013 OJR School Calendar has been revised to reflect the final changes for the month of June.  Please click here to view the revised calendar.

In cooperation with the State Police, State Farm Insurance, and school district officials, Owen J. Roberts will be hosting a Mock Crash this morning, prior to prom season.  Students in the 10th, 11th and 12th grade will witness a mock crash where the scene will depict a situation in which emergency personnel will respond to a car crash involving student drivers.  This event is very powerful and has been well received by parents and students in the past.  Immediately following, students will hear a presentation on making good and bad decisions.

At the April 8, 2013 School Board Meeting, the Board of Directors approved the 2013-2014 OJRSD School Calendar.  Please click here to view the approved calendar.

*********************************************************************************************

The School Board Meeting scheduled for Monday, March 25, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. in the OJR High School LGI will be postponed to Monday, April 8, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. in the OJR High School LGI.

The Committee of the Whole Meeting scheduled for Monday, April 8, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. in the OJR Administration Building will be moved to Monday, April 15, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. in the OJR High School LGI.

All OJR secondary buildings will have an early dismissal at 11:15 a.m. on Monday, March 25, 2013.

Registration is in full swing for summer enrichment at Owen J. Roberts

July 18 – August 9

New sessions added! Check back often! Registration opened March 11 and some sessions are full or filling fast. There are four ways to register for programs, including an exciting new online registration.   

NEW OPPORTUNITY--- VIDEO PRODUCTIONS work in small production teams to write, direct, shoot and edit a short film. (Rising students in grades 7 & 8; see brochure page16)

Access the summer brochure and all registration materials at http://enrichment.ojrsd.com. Check the link for the most current offerings and session locations.

Registration will run through May 10 (or until sessions are full; summer opportunities are self-supporting and can only be offered with sufficient enrollment).

Owen J. Roberts summer programs offer students of all ages a place to come together to play, learn, and grow. For more information e-mail Missy Walton or Heidi Lehmann at mwalton@ojrsd.com or  hlehmann@ojrsd.com, or call 610-469-5196.

The 2013 Citadel Heart of Learning Award announces nominees for Chester County’s best and brightest teachers. Congratulations to the following nominees from Owen J. Roberts School District:

East Coventry Elementary School
Lisa Bevan
Lisa Bilotta
Melissa Boukalik
Kevin Houston
Kelly Loomis
Sybil Vernon

East Vincent Elementary School
Eileen Meeker

French Creek Elementary School
Sarah Allander
Stephanie Seuffert

North Coventry Elementary School
Lisa Bealer
Kellie Bean
Tiffany Black
Susan Buettler
Shelli Flick
Patricia Janda
Leah Saltzer
John Sands
Lori Scheib

West Vincent Elementary School
Kimberly Gery
Natalie Whitman

Owen J Roberts Middle School
Rachel Brown
Brad Creswell
Noah Fickler
Jason Hess
Cheryl Markofski

Owen J Roberts High School
William Crowl
Erin Kalasunas
Peg Tinder
Candis Wiese

In a joint collaboration, Citadel and the Chester County Intermediate Unit created the Citadel Heart of Learning Awards. The program was designed to recognize and thank Chester County’s teachers while raising awareness of the impact that their hard work and dedication have on students, families and the entire community.
Fifteen finalists, one public school teacher from each of the 13 public school districts in Chester County, one teacher from the Chester County Intermediate Unit and one teacher from a Chester County non-public school which also includes charter and home schools, will be chosen from the nominations and will be recognized at the Citadel Heart of Learning Awards banquet held in May. Each finalist will receive $500 to use in their classrooms. From these 15 finalists, three winners (one high school, one middle school and one elementary school teacher) will be awarded with the Citadel Heart of Learning Award and an additional $1500 to use in their classrooms.

You are invited to Katie Koestner:
Parenting the Cyber Generation
Monday, March 11, 7:30 p.m.

The program was originally slated for this past Wednesday evening, but postponed due to concerns about the weather. We hope that you will be able to make this re-scheduled date. The appropriate use of social media for our students is such an important topic.

Katie Koestner is a national expert on student safety and teen relationship culture. She has appeared on the cover of TIME Magazine, The Oprah Winfrey Show, NBC Nightly News, CNBC Talk Live, CNN, Larry King Live, Good Morning America, Later Today, Entertainment Tonight and other national television programs. She will address the area of cyber-dangers and other technology concerns of which we all should be aware. She can also recommend tools for parents.

March 11th at 7:30 p.m. live parent presentation at the MS open to all OJR School District Parents. The program is for parents, not students.
  
Come to the presentation to learn:
1) The good, the bad and the ugly of social networking.
2) The latest trends in gaming, online teen content, file sharing, webcams, and VOIP.
3) Liability for parents with respect to their child’s use of technology.
4) Best practices in software and hardware configurations for home networks.
5) The importance of virtual reputation management and identity protection.

Say “Hello, summer!” Owen J. Roberts School District is excited to announce a variety of enrichment opportunities open to our students Jun 18-August 9. From fun and games to serious academics, there are plenty of exciting programs and camps from which to choose.  

You may access our summer brochure and all registration materials at http://enrichment.ojrsd.com. With nearly 40 different possibilities, we wanted to give you a week prior to registration to browse the options.

Registration begins Monday, March 11, 2013 and will run through May 10 (or until sessions are full; our summer opportunities are self-supporting and can only be offered with sufficient enrollment.) There are four ways to register for programs including an exciting new online registration.   

Our summer programs offer students of all ages a place to come together to play, learn, and grow. For more information e-mail Missy Walton or Heidi Lehmann at mwalton@ojrsd.com or  hlehmann@ojrsd.com, or call 610-469-5196.

Photo from 2012



Did you know?
•    One in six Americans struggle with the reality of hunger.
•    In 2011, 17.9 million households in America had difficulty providing enough food due to a lack of resources.
•    In the largest study of U.S. hunger, 40% of people surveyed reported having to choose between paying for food   and paying for their rent, utilities, or mortgage.
•    In 2010, 5.7 million people per week received emergency food assistance, a 27% increase since 2006.

The Great Food Fight! is a 2 week annual food drive that helps thousands of families in the Delaware Valley who are in need.  The canned goods benefit Philabundance, the region’s largest hunger relief organization, and food collected through Philabundance goes directly to the families in need.  This year’s food fight runs from February 25th through March 8th.

Last year, OJR won the top prize for donating the most food and with our winnings, we donated $2,000 to the North Coventry Food Pantry which does not benefit from Philabundance.  It is our goal to donate the most food again this year.

Please join the Fight!  Drop food off at the High School, Middle School, or Administration Building.  A list of food items is attached.

Click here for more information>

Join national teen safety expert, Katherine H. Koestner, in-person live or via live webinar.

Technology and social media have become a rapidly changing and evolving means of communication. Internet safety and cyber-bullying are two issues many of our school-aged children are trying to navigate while parents may struggle to stay a step ahead in keeping their child safe in the digital world.

Join the Cyber-Smarts Parent Academy and learn . . .
1) The good, the bad and the ugly of social networking.
2) The latest trends in gaming, online teen content, file sharing, webcams, and VOIP.
3) Liability for parents with respect to their child’s use of technology.
4) Best practices in software and hardware configurations for home networks.
5) The importance of virtual reputation management and identity protection.

In the interest of busy schedules, this program is offered live at the Middle School auditorium on March 6 or via live webinar on February 20. Registration (using the link below) is necessary to participate in the webinar.

WHEN: March 6th at 7:30 p.m. live parent presentation open to all OJR School District Parents
    
WHERE: Owen J. Roberts Middle School Auditorium

WEBINAR: February 20th  7:30 PM - 8:30  "Parenting the Cyber-Generation"
Registration Web Link: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/259456522

Presenter:  Katherine H. Koestner, Executive Director, Campus Outreach Services

Ms. Koestner is a national expert on teen safety and has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Geraldo, NBC Nightly News, CNBC Talk Live, Larry King Live, Good Morning America, Later Today, CNN, Entertainment Tonight, MTV, Lifetime Television, Italian TV, The Jane Whitney Show, The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch, and dozens of other news programs. She has given interviews for the Washington Post, New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, The Journal of Higher Education, and countless other national and regional publications.

This program is brought to you by the Owen J. Roberts Middle School and Middle School PTA as well as through the OJR Fit for Life Grant generously funded by the Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation

Owen J. Roberts is hosting the PMEA District 12 Choral Festival, which kicked off on Feb. 7, and features the most talented young vocalists in our region. Please join world-renowned guest director Sydney Guillaume and students from across the region in a concert this evening at 6:00 p.m.

*Photo by Owen J. Roberts Senior Sam LeVan

The OJR High School PTSA proudly presents the Post Prom Fashion Show to be held February 22, 2013 in the High School Auditorium.  Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7:00 p.m.  Tickets are available now for $7 or $10 at the door - contact Mary-Jane Kleinfelter at mary.kleinfelter@siemens.com to get your tickets today or you may also send a check payable to "OJR Post Prom" to OJRHS-PTSA, 981 Ridge Road, Pottstown, PA 19465.  Tickets will be reserved under your name at the entrance table.   All proceeds go towards the Post Prom.

The Owen J. Roberts Board of School Directors approved the start of the 2013-2014 school year at the January 28, 2013 School Board Meeting to be Tuesday, September 3, 2013.

Please join our talented students as they share music this season.
Concerts are free and open to the public.

December 4       7 p.m.	7th Grade Winter Choral Concert	MS Auditorium
December 5       8 a.m.	French Creek Winter Concert	FC
December 5       7 p.m.	East Coventry Winter Concert	EC
December 6       7 p.m.	North Coventry Winter Concert	NC
December 10     12 p.m.	Senior Citizen Concert and Tea	HS Auditorium/Caf
December 11     7 p.m.	East Vincent Holiday Concert	EV
December 11     7 p.m.	West Vincent Chorus/Sr. Orchestra	WV
December 12     7 p.m.	8th Grade Winter Choral Concert	MS Auditorium
December 13     7 p.m.	District Elementary Sr. Band Concert	NC
December 18     7 p.m.	East Coventry Winter String Concert	EC
December 20     7 p.m.	Holiday Concert: The 7-Ups, Freshman Choir, Concert Choir, HS/MS Combined Orchestra, HS Jazz Band, and HS Concert Band perform that evening.	HS Auditorium

All after school and evening activities have been cancelled for Tuesday, November 27, 2012.

The Owen J. Roberts School District will be dismissing early on Tuesday, November 27, 2012.

• 12:00 noon - middle/high school will be dismissed
• 1:15 p.m. - elementary schools will be dismissed

There will be no PM Kindergarten.

English Language and Composition	Calculus AB	Latin Vergil
English Literature and Composition	Calculus BC	Spanish Language
United States Government & Politics	Statistics	French Language
Comparative Government & Politics	Biology	European History
Physics B	Computer Science A	United States History
Physics C	Studio Art	Music Theory
Psychology	Chemistry	Microeconomics
Environmental Science	Macroeconomics

All after school and evening activities have been cancelled for today, November 7, 2012 due to the inclement weather.

OJR Crew night at RITA’s Water Ice is this Wednesday, April 24, 6-9 PM.  Bring some friends and c’mon out to RITA’s Water Ice on Pughtown Road between 6PM and 9PM this Wednesday.  Really, it’s RITA’s – what’s better than that?

• Monday, November 5:   Students will report to school. 
• Tuesday, November 6:  County-wide Staff Professional Development – Students will not report to school as per the original district calendar. 

Good Evening,

All Owen J. Roberts Schools will be opening with a 2 hour delay on Wednesday, October 31 with a modified kindergarten schedule. While many roads have been cleared, there are still a few areas requiring detours within the district. We want our students and parents to arrive safely to school and we appreciate your patience as we recover from the impact of Hurricane Sandy.

Modified Kindergarten Schedule:

AM Students: 10:30 a.m. -12:15 p.m.  

(AM students will arrive on the bus and pick-up is by parents.  Students may be dropped off between 10:15 and 10:30 a.m.)

PM Students: 1:05 p.m. -3:05 p.m.

(PM students will be dropped off by parents and will ride the bus home.  Students may be dropped off between 12:55 and 1:05 p.m.)

Thank you and have a safe evening.

As a reminder for all Kindergarten parents, if the District ever has a two-hour delay the modified kindergarten schedule is as follows:

AM Students: 10:30 a.m. -12:15 p.m.
   (AM students will arrive on the bus and pick-up is by parents.  Students may be dropped off between 10:15 and 10:30 a.m.)

PM Students: 1:05 p.m. -3:05 p.m.
   (PM students will be dropped off by parents and will ride the bus home.  Students may be dropped off between 1:05 and 1:15 p.m.)

 

The district/building offices will be opening by 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 30, 2012 due to some power issues within the district.  Please drive safely.

All Owen J. Roberts schools will be closed on Monday, October 29 and Tuesday, October 30, 2012 due to the forecast of Hurricane Sandy.

According to the latest forecast, tropical storm-force winds are forecast to begin in the Pottstown area on Monday, October 29, in the early morning.  Winds of this magnitude or higher are forecast to continue throughout Monday and into Tuesday.  Additional, 8 or more inches of rain is expected from this storm.  Power outages and flooding expected.

Because of potentially long power outages, we are making a decision about the next two days in order to allow parents and staff time to prepare.  Assuming we have power restored and roads are passable for buses, we are planning to hold school on Wednesday, October 31, 2012.

All district offices will be closed Monday, October 29, 2012.

I wish everyone a safe few days as we deal with this historic event.

Sincerely,

Michael L. Christian
Superintendent of Schools

The Owen J. Roberts School Board Meeting scheduled for Monday, October 29, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. has been cancelled due to inclement weather.

We are closely monitoring the arrival of the Hurricane Sandy and the predicted impact on our community. Should it be necessary to close or delay school, information will be shared as timely as possible in the following manner:

• Post information updates on the school district web page at www.ojrsd.com
• Send out information via email.
• Provide information via our automatic telephone calling system.
• Provide updates to all major Philadelphia TV stations, KYW radio (1060 AM), WCHE (1520 AM), and WJBR (99.5 FM).  Our school district closing number is 857.
• Recorded message on our district’s main phone number, 610-469-5100.
  

Frequently asked questions about school closings may be found in the parent resources on the district website.  Storms such as these can be very unpredictable and our top priority is the safety of students. We will continue to consult the National Weather Service and carefully analyze road and weather conditions. In the event of power outages, in order to receive necessary information about possible changes in the school schedule, you may wish to consider preparatory steps such as charging cell phones and having access to a portable radio.

Please remain safe with your family as each of us prepares for the storm.

Sincerely,

Michael L. Christian, Ed. D.
Superintendent of Schools
Owen J. Roberts School District

Senior citizens, grandparents and retired faculty/staff of OJR are cordially invited to attend the Annual Senior Citizen Tea and Holiday Concert.  The event begins in the High School Auditorium with a concert featuring the Concert Choir, 7-Ups, and Jazz Band.  Immediately after the concert, members of the Anchor Club will be providing and serving tea and light refreshments.  Wildcat Ambassadors will be providing ushering services for guests who need physical assistance entering the building.  We hope you can join us!  Please RSVP to 610-469-5663 or send an e-mail to smcintyre@ojrsd.com. 

"For 42 years on the first Saturday in October, the finest marching bands have converged on Wildcat Stadium in Bucktown and transformed the crisp fall night into a spectacle of music and marching."
Read the Pottstown Mercury article here

Owen J. Roberts School District has achieved Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for 2012 as determined by the benchmarks set by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE). This past year, PDE raised the bar considerably for the percentage of students who needed to score proficient or higher in both reading (up from 72% to 81%) and math (up from 67% to 78%) with a goal of 100 percent of students scoring proficient by 2013-14, as mandated under No Child Left Behind. To make AYP, schools are also expected to meet attendance, graduation rate requirements, and PSSA participation rates.

We are extremely proud of the growth demonstrated by our students over the past year. In addition to the District achieving AYP, students in each of our schools made advancements, which is a testament to our students and to all those who support and guide them.

For individual schools to make AYP, certain sub groups of students must reach proficiency. These groups are defined to include “all racial and ethnic backgrounds, students who are English Language Learners, economically disadvantaged students, and special education students”. Even though all Owen J. Roberts schools showed growth in scores over last year, sub groups in three of our elementary schools did not make AYP as defined by the legislation. This data is helpful for schools to put specific instructional plans in place which will support those students.

While the PSSA is one measure of student achievement, our schoolchildren are high-achieving in many ways. They benefit from a rich curriculum and highly-qualified teachers who foster excellence. Our students consistently excel at the state, national, and world levels in athletics, music, arts, Odyssey of the Mind, robotics, and more. At the high school level, learners excel in approximately 25 advanced placement or dual-enrollment courses. Perhaps most impressive, are the number of students of every age who are involved in community outreach and service.

The administration will be presenting detailed information on PSSA data and AYP information on October 15 at the regularly scheduled School Board Committee of the Whole Meeting.

To see this year’s scores and the performance since 2008, please click the links below:

• Owen J. Roberts School District
• East Coventry Elementary School
• East Vincent Elementary School
• French Creek Elementary School
• North Coventry Elementary School
• West Vincent Elementary School
• OJR Middle School
• OJR High School

Mealpay will be unavailable July 10th through August 13th.  During this time maintenance and rollover will take place.

Thank you.

Dear OJR Community,

I am excited to join the Owen J Roberts Community. During my transition thus far, I have had the opportunity to meet the faculty and staff in each building and many of the wonderful students in Owen J. Roberts. I quickly noticed how “Wildcat Pride” is palpable in each of the schools. Our schools are not only academic centers, but also a hub of activity for students, families and community members.    

Public education is confronted with unprecedented challenges. We must balance the need to provide a strong curriculum and an excellent education while maintaining fiscal responsibility. Despite this challenge, thousands of students arrive at our schools each fall ready and eager to learn. The combined responsibility lies with all of us to provide quality educational opportunities for all students that enable them to achieve.

I come to Owen J. Roberts with a diversified background. This includes experience as an English teacher and Director of Athletics in the Methacton School District (Montgomery County). Later, I served as a Middle School Principal, Assistant Superintendent and Superintendent in the Garnet Valley School District (Delaware County). I believe my experiences have helped prepare me as an educational leader, but I certainly recognize the importance of listening to various stakeholders in making decisions.

I look forward to meeting our students again this fall as well as many OJR families. I hope you are having a safe and relaxing summer. 

Sincerely,

Click here to view .pdf version.

Attached please find a listing of current dates, locations, and times for Summer Enrichment Camps.

SUMMER ENRICHMENT SCHEDULE

At the June 18, 2012 School Board Meeting, William Kleinfelter, School Board President, read the following statement in order to keep the Owen J. Roberts School District stakeholders up to date on important matters involving the school district. The school board has worked with our counsel, the Lamb-McErlane Law Firm, to provide our stakeholders with an update on the status of the lawsuit filed by Dr. Myra Forrest against the Owen J. Roberts School District.

Update as of September 2012: 

Today the court sua sponte established a new scheduling order under the auspices that it needed more time to address the parties’ summary judgment motions. All deadlines were once again pushed back including the trial date which is now scheduled for February 5, 2013.

The Community Open Track has been cancelled from Thursday, June 7th through Monday, June 11th due to the Graduation Ceremonies.  The Community Open Track will resume on Tuesday, June 12th.

Thank you.

Due to weather conditions, the elementary track and field event originally scheduled for Tuesday, May 15, has been moved to Wednesday, May 16. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. at the High School track. The event is free and open to all students in grades K-6. Come out and have fun!

Tuesday, May 8, 2012--Tonight's elementary track and field event is cancelled due to weather conditions. Come on out next week!

 

                                                                        School Board Secretary

The Legislative & Policy Committee will hold a meeting to review and deliberate legislative & policy issues on Monday, April 2nd at 4:30 p.m. in the Board Room of the Administration Building, 901 Ridge Road, Pottstown, Pennsylvania.

The Buildings & Grounds Committee meeting scheduled for April 2, 2012 at 6:00 p.m. in the Board Room of the Administration Building, 901 Ridge Road, Pottstown, Pennsylvania has been changed to Tuesday, April 10, 2012.

Some folks in the community or outside the District may be experiencing difficulty accessing some of our secure web services (e.g. Skyward, the website, etc.).  We are currently in the process of adjusting our internet/network routing which has caused some certificate errors to occur.  These certificates are part of the system that secures our data and so we are addressing these issues cautiously.  

We appreciate your patience as we work to resolve this issue. 

--OJRSD IT Dept.

At the March 26, 2012 School Board Meeting, the Board of Directors approved the 2012-2013 OJRSD School Calendar.  Click here to view the approved calendar.

Cases of whooping cough (pertussis) have been reported recently at area schools.  Our district is monitoring this situation closely. We want to be proactive in safeguarding the health of our students and our community.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, pertussis is a very contagious disease that is usually spread when a person coughs or sneezes while in close contact with others, who then breathe in the pertussis bacteria.  Pertussis begins with cold symptoms and a cough that becomes worse over one to two weeks. Symptoms usually include a series of coughs followed by a whooping noise.  Older children, adults, and very young infants may not develop the “whoop.”  There is generally no fever.  The cough is often worse at night and cough medicines do not alleviate the cough.  The disease can be very severe, and although deaths are very rare, they do occur, especially in infants less than one year of age.

Immunizations provide a high degree of protection for children and adults.  The state requires our children to have at least four doses of DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis) with one dose on or after the fourth birthday.  A  booster dose of Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis) is necessary in the  seventh grade. Adults need a pertussis booster (Tdap).   It is important to note that if an outbreak occurs, students, faculty, and staff who are not up to date with their pertussis immunizations will not be allowed to attend school.

Please consult your physician if you have any questions regarding your child’s immunization status, need for preventative treatment, or if your child exhibits any symptoms of pertussis.  Vaccines are provided free of charge for children under the age of 18.  Clinic hours are Tuesday and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and on Wednesday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.  It is essential that you bring a copy of your child’s immunization records.  The Tdap is also available free of charge for adults.

The Centers for Disease Control (www.cdc.gov) and the Chester County Health Department (www.chesco.org/health) have excellent websites for more information regarding pertussis.

As always, the safety and security of your children is our highest priority. For this reason, we feel it is important to share news about an event that occurred early this morning, Wednesday, January 18, 2012, at approximately 7 a.m.

A male driver described to be in his 50’s with a scruffy grey beard, brown hair, and receding hairline, slowed his older-model, dark green Saturn Hatchback in front of a female Owen J. Roberts Middle School student who was waiting for her bus at the bus stop near her home on Pughtown Road in Spring City. The male driver stared at the student for some time and then stopped in front of her. The student immediately returned to her home and reported the incident to her mother who contacted school officials and state police. 

Occurrences such as this may serve as a reminder to take the time to review safety tips with your children concerning their interactions with strangers. Reinforce that your child should not comply with requests made by any unfamiliar person, such as help with directions or help with finding a lost pet. Emphasize that any suspicious event should be reported to an adult immediately. Above all, encourage your children to recognize, trust, and follow their instincts about people and situations.

Sincerely,

Kathryn Soeder, Ed. D.
Acting Superintendent
Owen J. Roberts School District

If you have a child who has attained the age of five (5) on or before the first day of September, your child is eligible to begin school in the fall of 2012.




Kindergarten registration details are as follows:

• East Coventry Elementary School (Laura Gunson 610-469-5707) - January 17-18, 2012
• East Vincent Elementary School (Karen Hydutsky 610-469-5714) - January 24-25, 2012
• French Creek Elementary School (Sue Derick 610-469-5710) - January 24-26, 2012
• North Coventry Elementary School (Chris Ficca 610-469-5709) - January 24-26, 2012
• West Vincent Elementary School (Diane Banks 610-469-1402) - February 1-2, 2012

To begin the registration process, please visit kreg.ojrsd.com and complete your pre-registration paperwork.  After the online registration is complete, you must call to schedule an appointment with the attendance clerk listed above.  Appointments will take approximately fifteen minutes and day and evening slots are available on a first come, first serve basis.  Please pay particular attention to the information you will need to bring with you at the time of your appointment.  If all the necessary paperwork is not available at the time of your appointment, you will need to reschedule in order to complete the registration process.

The Board of School Directors of the Owen J. Roberts School District will hold their Annual Reorganization Meeting on Monday, December 5, 2011 in the High School LGI Room, 981 Ridge Road, Pottstown, PA. The regular meeting of the outgoing Board will be held at 7:30 p.m. The Annual Reorganization meeting will be held at approximately 7:35 p.m. The regular meeting of the newly constituted Board will be held at approximately 7:45 p.m.

Due to a loss of power at our Warwick Administration Building, the transportation office has been temporarily relocated to our Gross School bus lot.  If you need to reach the transportation office, please call (610) 469-0221.

Owen J Roberts High School is proud to announce the 7th Annual Veteran's Day Ceremony and Luncheon.  All veterans are invited to the high school for a ceremony honoring our servicemen and women as well as a luncheon to follow.  All veterans and their spouses are welcome.  Click here for additional information>

• Flu Vaccine Permission Form - Students  
• Flu Vaccine Permission Form - Adults/Staff (19 years and older)
• Tetanus, Diphtheria & Acellular Pertusis (TdaP) Vaccine Permission Form
• Inactivated Influenza Information Sheet
• Live Intranasal Influenza Information Sheet
• Tetanus, Diphtheria & Acellula Pertusis (TdaP) Information Sheet

HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS:

Due to flooding in South Pottstown Bus # 8 cannot access - S. Hanover Street, River Road, S.York, S. Penn, S. Main Street and Laurelwood Road.  These students may board Bus # 8 at the Superfresh entrance off of Laurelwood at the Mall the bus will be waiting until 7:00 am at this location.  

NORTH COVENTRY ELEMENTARY

Please be advised due to the flooding in south Pottstown Bus # 41 will not be able access any stops south of Route 724.  All students residing in south Pottstown should come to the Superfresh entrance off of Laurelwood at the Mall.  Bus # 41 will remain at this location from 8:00 am to 8:10 am.

Please be aware that South Pottstown – Hanover, York, Main Street, Elm, Penn, River Road, Laurelwood and River Side Drive are still not accessible.

This impacts High School and Middle School Bus numbers 8, 22 and 80.

This also will affect North Coventry Bus numbers 41 and 53.

Pictured below is the OJR High School Odyssey of the Mind team with the founder of OM, Dr. Samuel Micklus.

The OJR High School OM team took first place in their division and event.  The team competed against teams from several countries around the world as well as teams from nearly 40 domestic states.

Congratulations!!

The Buildings & Grounds Committee will hold a Solar & Energy Savings Workshop on Monday, June 27th, 6:30 p.m. in the Board Room of the Administration Building. The District invites you to attend this meeting and hear a presentation from Johnson Controls on a Solar & Energy Savings Plan. For additional information please view the attached flyer.

Wildcat Stadium will be closed this week (June 6th to June 10th) due to preparation for graduation ceremonies.

Regional Competition Photo by: Al Matarazzo

The State Championship Odyssey of the Mind Tournament has come to a close and OJR did not disappoint!

OJR entered 8 teams into the five categories…here are the results:

Category #1: Extreme Mouse-mobiles (Mouse trap-powered vehicles)
OJR Middle School - 3rd Place in Division 2
OJR High School - 5th Place in Division 3

Category #2: As Good as Gold…Berg (Rube Goldberg-esque contraptions)
French Creek Elementary - 2nd Place in Division 1*

Category #3: Le Tour Guide (Presentation of 3 locations and facts lead by a literary tour guide)
North Coventry Elementary - 1st Place in Division 1*

Category #4: Unhinged Structure (Balsa wood constructed structure designed to hold weight)
East Vincent Elementary - 1st Place in Division 1 (structure held 720 lbs)*
OJR Middle School - 1st Place in Division 2 (structure held 1100 lbs)*
OJR High School - 1st Place in Division 3 (structure held 1390 lbs)*

Category #5: Full Circle (Presentation of comedic performance)
East Coventry - 6th Place in Division 1

(*1st and 2nd place winners will move on to the World Championship in Maryland)

Visit the OJR OM Website...

 OJR has just returned from the World Championship Tournament where we succeeded on all accounts!  The world tournament was sponsored by NASA and held at the University of Maryland.  23 countries were represented, 857 teams, approximately 5900 contestants.  Here are our results:

The parents’ usernames and passwords for the website are now loaded.

Parents may login to the website using their Skyward username and password.  Upon successfully logging in, they may notice that their child has been associated with them and they can view their child’s school’s calendar and teachers’ events.  FYI-the teachers’ events will come from their teachers’ webpage which are not yet active in all schools.  As the teacher webpages become activated and teachers are using them, this feature will become more useful.

• If you did not provide the district with a valid email address, your username on the website was not created 
• If you are unable to login, please verify with your child's school office youf Skyward username and password as it appears in our records
• If you have properly verified the username and password with your child's main office and still cannot login, then one of two problems exist:  1) your email address is invalid or blank and so the website username was not established; 2) your username and password on the website do not match that which has been used in Skyward
• If the website username and password do not work or do not match the Skyward username and password, please forward this information to your child's school office.
• If a staff person or aide has an employee account for the website AND they are a parent, the parent login will be separate because you will be offered different features in the parent role versus the staff role.

If you login from the landing page (www.ojrsd.com), click Personal Settings at the foot of the web page to enter your personal settings.  If you login by clicking "Enter Site" at the top right corner of the screen, you can click My Account at the lower left side to enter your personal settings.  Please note some of the features:

• You will be able to participate in online discussions where non-public access is required
• View your child's school calendars on one screen
• Use the online file storage feature (limit 15MB)
• Maintain your own calendar...and more

[Click here for more information on navigating our site]

The 2011-12 proposed district calendar is available for your information.  This proposed calendar will be on the March 28, 2011 School Board Agenda for approval.

Please click here to view.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011:

The District has cancelled or postponed all after school and evening activities for today.

The HS Boys Basketball game vs. Perkiomen Valley scheduled for today has been postponed and rescheduled for Wednesday, 2/2/2011 at Perkiomen Valley HS - JV @ 6:00 PM; Varsity @ 7:30 PM.

The HS Girls Basketball game vs. Perkiomen Valley scheduled for today has been postponed and rescheduled for Wednesday, 2/2/2011 here at OJR - JV @ 6:00 PM; Varsity @ 7:30 PM.

The HS Swim Meet with Boyertown has been postponed and rescheduled for Thursday, 2/3/2011 here at OJR at 3:30 PM.

The 9th grade boys basketball game with Pottstown scheduled for today has been cancelled.

The 9th grade girls basketball game with Reading HS scheduled for today has been cancelled

 

Please reference the attached letter and applicationfor specific information.

Thank you.

Facility Use - Spring 2011
Fill-in Application

Due to road conditions that are anticipated to be hazardous in some areas of the school district, all students and staff will have a 2 hour delay tomorrow morning, January 27, 2011.  For half day kindergarten students, there will be no morning kindergarten classes.  If you have children who drive, I am encouraging you to have them take the bus. We will be reevaluating road conditions in the morning. Please check the District website for further updates.

Please note the methods to communicate delays and closings include three modes of communication, this email, the voice message and an update on the website.

Please be aware there were no official Skylert phone calls or OJR district messages made this morning regarding a cancellation or delay.  Those who may have received a message did so as a result of broadcast message spoofing (a service widely available on the internet).  We apologize to anyone who may have been affected by this.

Cancellations and/or delays regarding today's inclement condition will be made through usual Skylert or other official means.

In consideration of  hazardous road conditions in the District as well as the large amount of snow to be moved around our schools and offices, there will be no school today, January 27, 2011.  Please watch the district website for scheduling updates regarding evening activities.   Thank you, be safe and enjoy your day.

 

Good morning,

Due to the extreme cold weather this morning the District has experienced a problem with several buses not starting therefore several buses are running late. The buses that would not start are: 2, 4, 7, 20, 26, 32, 36, 39, 40, 47, 48, 51, 53, 56, 59, 67, 85, 92. We are utilizing all available buses at this time to pick-up students.  We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your cooperation.

Thank you.

 

Due to hazardous road conditions in some areas of the school district, all students and staff will have a 2 hour delay this morning, January 21, 2011.  For half day kindergarten students, there will be no morning kindergarten classes.  Please check the District website for further updates.

 

Thank you.

-Information Technology

Saturday Campus activities are cancelled due to weather conditions.  You should check with the advisor/coach/leader of your scheduled event/practice if you have any questions.

All services including Skyward, VPN, Email, Moodle and Tienet have been restored.

The 2012 Fall Play Cast and Crew cordially invites you to attend our production of the beloved Anne of Green Gables, a dramatic adaptation by Sylvia Ashby based on the novel by L. M. Montgomery.  Our show is a refreshing, contemporary telling of the classic story.  Stern Marilla (played by Hailey Allen) and her warm-hearted brother Matthew (played by Ben Gammon) hoped to adopt a boy to work on their farm.  But the orphanage sends young, befreckled Anne (played by Emma Shellhamer) by mistake, and their lives will never be the same.  Her warmth and wit affects everyone around her—even the cold Marilla!  We follow Anne through her rebellious years, her transformation into a young woman, and her romantic pairing with Gilbert Blythe (played by Drew Harris).
   In addition to the cast members mentioned above, Nick Napolitan plays the Station Master, Jordan Shoemaker plays Mrs. Rachel Lynde the gossip, Zachary Puderbach plays Mr. Spencer, Rayne McGowan plays the nasty Mrs. Blewitt, Sam Levan and Kennedy Praweckyj play Diana and Ruby, Anne’s school chums, Megan O’Connor plays the conceited Josie Pye, Derek Vondercrone and Jack Mannix play Gilbert’s best friends, Charlie and Moody, Claire Dawkins and Elliott Bennett play the two school teachers, Miss Stacy and Mr. Phillips, and Maizy Moyer plays Diana’s mother, Mrs. Barry.
  The intermission scene, written by senior Katie Starliper, features the talents of our understudies:  Andrea Hoheb, Gillian Caplan, Donald Morris, Shelby Bergstresser, Austin Gunson, Matt Woodward, Megan Bealer, Sheila Gleason, Julia Lipkowitz, Katie Starliper, Rachel Bloemker, Mallory Barbee, Zach Moyer, Natalie Bartlett, and Darcy Harris.
  Your narrators for the evening are Kayla Maurer, Amy Jannotti, Jennifer Miller, Maura Gallant, and Shannon Kolb.
  Student directors of the show are Senior Director Miss Shelby Young and Assistant Director Miss Jessie Haverkamp.  The Faculty Director is Mrs. Dawn Galambos.
  Please join us this weekend (Friday, November 16 or Saturday, November 17) at 7:00 p.m. in the High School Auditorium for what promises to be the most heart-warming show of the year!  Tickets are just $5.00 and can be purchased from any cast member or at that door.
  The show is produced under special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc.

Welcome to our new website!
Click here for a brief overview of the new features.

The District has received a message from the State and asked that we share this important message with our parents and guardians: 

It has come to our attention, there is a potential situation occurring in PA involving student lunch account balances. The caller indicates the child of the home of which they are calling has a low balance in the school lunch account and the caller is requesting money be deposited into the child's school lunch account via a credit card.

Please note the procedure used by the District:

As the student purchases meals and/or snacks, their account is debited. If the student’s balance gets low, a message will alert the cashier and she will tell the student to tell their parents to replenish the account. (In the Elementary and Middle schools, parents and/or guardians will receive a Skylert phone call. In the High School, an email Skylert message is sent home.)

If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact Kate Haile, Food Service Coordinator at 610-469-5127 or via email at Khaile@ojrsd.com. For complete information about the District's Food Service Procedures please refer to the information provided on the District's website.

The Owen J. Roberts Education Foundation offers an opportunity to celebrate your graduating senior or another special person with an engraved OJR Legacy brick permanently placed on the commemorative walkway leading the stadium complex.  Bricks can be ordered at http://www.ojref.org/help.php .

This year, the Owen J. Roberts Athletic Department, in conjunction with the Owen J. Roberts Athletic Association, will be hosting the SENIOR ATHLETIC AWARDS CASUAL BUFFET on Wednesday, June 5, 2013.  
A casual dinner of pizza/hoagies/refreshments will be served at 6:30 PM in the High School Cafeteria, with the awards program immediately following (approximately 7:45 PM) in the High School Auditorium.  Attendance at the dinner is optional.
There will be no charge for athletes or parents/siblings for this event.  However, in order to ensure that there is enough food for everyone, please RSVP to Carol Faust (cfaust@ojrsd.com) or 610-469-5712 by Wednesday, May 29, 2013.
All senior student athletes are encouraged to attend. Only senior athletes who indicate they will be in attendance at the awards program will be recognized.  Appropriate dress is expected.

Any junior that would like to help with graduation and line the field please see Mrs. Zapf in room 1203 to sign up.

Are you looking for a job during the school year next year?  You can work and/or gain experience in a career path during the school day while earning high school credit through the Cooperative Education program.  Click here for more information>

Any student who has earned either their Girl Scout Gold Award or their Boy Scout Eagle Award and is now a graduating Senior and would like to be recognized at our Senior Awards ceremony please contact Ms. Holden in the main office (610-469-5703 or bholden@ojrsd.com) before Tuesday, May28th.

The High School Spring Sports Awards program will be held on Wednesday 5/29 in the HS Auditorium at 7:00 PM. All varsity spring athletes should attend.

A traditional class photo of seniors in cap and gown will be taken on Wed, June 5.  Purchase of photo is optional.  Order envelopes will be available in senior student advisories, in the main office, or click here to print the form to attach to your own envelope.  Students can return the envelope with money to Mrs Leister in room 1213 up until graduation day.
     Wed, June 5, is MANDATORY practice for possible indoor commencement.  All seniors should report directly to the gym by 7.30 am in casual dress for the rehearsal.  Caps and gowns will be distributed immediately after rehearsal for the senior class picture which will be taken in the stadium. 

The U.S. Army will in the OJR cafeteria on Wednesday, May 29 for all lunches.

The Jump Start information meeting will be changed to Thursday, May 30 at 8:30 a.m. in the guidance office.  Please sign up in guidance if you are interested.  We will send a pass to attend.

Tonight’s high school football agilities will be cancelled due to the weather.

WE ARE LOOKING FOR TEEN VOLUNTEERS FOR OUR BEAUTIFUL CAMP ON THE FRENCH CREEK

 

EACH TEEN WILL BE PAIRED WITH A JUMP START CHILD 

MONDAY JULY 22nd TO THURSDAY AUGUST 1st   9am - 3pm

8 FULL DAYS OF SUN AND FUN WITH YOUR SIDE BY SIDE FRIENDS

SIDE BY SIDE IS AN ENLIVEND LITERACY PROGRAM FOR AT RISK CHILDREN LIVING IN THE PHOENIXVILLE AREA

FOR MORE INFORMATION

CALL ANNE: 610-469-9316 OR E-MAIL sidebysidepa@gmail.com

The District is in need of some additional “support” staff for the Jump Start program this year. It has come to my attention that the students were considered to be very valuable last year and we would like to extend them the opportunity again now.

 

Program Summary:

Jump Start is a two week program scheduled for August 5-8^th & 12-16^th, 2013. Students are invited to participate in Jump Start if they could benefit from additional practice in mathematics and reading in the summer. The program goal is to maintain the academic levels for the students and give them a “Jump Start” for the next school year.

 

Student Assistants:

Student Assistants are hired to provide support to students and teachers during the program day. Student Assistants work directly with an assigned teacher and help the elementary students one-on-one or in small groups with their reading and mathematics learning tasks. The Student Assistants help monitor the elementary students when they walk in the hall between classrooms, in the library, and during drop off and pick up.  

 

Program Dates:

Jump Start will be held Monday thru Thursday, August 5-8 and Monday thru Friday, August 12-16.

 

Please stop in Guidance for further information.

As the end of the school year approaches the food service department wanted to share with our graduating seniors that any balance left in their lunch account will be transferred to the oldest sibling who will be attending OJR in the fall.  If there are no siblings attending OJR in the fall, and the balance exceeds $5 a refund will be issued to the parents or guardians of the graduating senior.  Best of luck to the Class of 2013!

The 9^th Annual Owen J. Roberts High School Student Film Festival will take place on Wednesday, May 22^nd at 7 PM in the high school auditorium. Tickets will be on sale in the cafeteria starting tomorrow or from video production students. Tickets are $3 in advance or $5 at the door.

Click here to view/print permission slip>

“Please come out to Rita’s Water Ice in Pughtown on Wednesday from 4 to 9PM for a fundraiser to support the OJR Odyssey of the Mind teams.   A portion of the sales will go toward the teams’ registration fees for the World Finals in Michigan.”

Any 9^th , 10^th, and 11^th graders plan on playing high school football next season should attend this Thursday’s football meeting after school.  The meeting is on Thursday, May 16, from 2:20 to 3:15 in the North LGI.  You can plan on taking the 3:30 bus.  If you cannot attend, you must see Coach Barr in room 239 this week.

A representative from Mainline Models will in the OJR Cafeteria for all lunches on Thursday, May 16.

Any students interested on trying out for the next year's golf team will have a meeting on Thursday, May 16 at the beginning of period 7 in room 1201.

Soft Pretzels will be sold today after school. So come out and support NHS and have some warm fresh pretzels. NHS will be selling them for 75 cents each or 3 for $2. We will be out in the main lobby, the exit out past the gym and the rear exit out towards the tennis courts. So come out and enjoy."

Are you interested in joining the 2014 Yearbook Staff?  The Yearbook staff is looking for photographers, writers, artists, Photoshoppers, and anyone willing to learn. There will be an informational meeting this Thursday, May 16^th after school in Room 168.  If you cannot attend, please see Miss Bonner or any current yearbook staff member for details. Hope to see you there!

Softball – The HS Varsity and JV games @ Springford, scheduled for today, will be played.  Game times - JV 4:00pm / Varsity 7:30pm.  The 7^th and 8^th grade Softball games @ Perkiomen Valley East , scheduled for today, have been cancelled. 

Track - The MS Track meet @ Boyertown East , scheduled for today, has been  postponed and reschedule date TBA.

Click on link below or on wildcat television button on left.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iab3Bot9qEs

Yearbooks are on sale for the FINAL TIME this school year.  If you haven't purchased your 2013 Ledger yet, your time is running out!  Order online at JostensYearBooks.com today!  See Mr Schwenk (DSchwenk@ojrsd.com) with any questions.  YOU MUST ORDER BY MAY 10th.  Order today!  Click here for more information>

Astronomy Night:  Friday, May 17th, 8:00-10:30 p.m. Presentations in the M.S. Cafe at 8:00 p.m., outside observing (weather permitting) in the M.S. ball field around 9:00 p.m.

Admission is free.  Click here for more information>

Thursday, May 2, is the final deadline for post-prom reservations.  Students without reservations will not be admitted on Saturday night.

Students from Anchor Club , Art Club, Key Club, and Student Government attended the award ceremony at the Philabundance Relief Center in Philadelphia yesterday.  With help from the high school, West Vincent, North Coventry, French Creek, the middle school and many local businesses, we were able to raise and donate over 33,000 pounds of food.  OJR competed against 17 schools and raised the most food, winning the $10,000 grand prize for the second year in a row.  Thanks OJR!

The May 15 meeting has been rescheduled to June 5.  At this meeting we will only vote on the dissolution of PTSA.

Owen J. Roberts DECA won the following awards at the DECA International Conference/Competition in Anaheim, California.  There were an estimated 16,000 DECA members in competition with approximately 200 competitors/projects per event.    If you see them today, please congratulate them on this outstanding accomplishment.

TOP TEN (International Finalist)  Kayla Oliver and Madeline Sell in Financial Operations Research

TOP TEN (International Finalist)  Zach Matarazzo and Aaron Grey in Entrepreneurship Innovation Plan

Advisory Teachers & Homeroom Representatives:
Elections for student government executive council will be held Monday, April 29, 2013 during advisory. 
Ballots will be placed in the lead teacher's mailbox at the end of the school day today. 
Please have your homeroom representative return the ballots to room 1209 immediately after advisory on Monday. Ballots received after 10:00 a.m. will not be counted. 

A representative from Coastal Carolina University will be in Guidance on Wednesday, May 1, 2013, at 9:30 a.m.  Please sign up in Naviance for a pass to attend.

Tickets for Post Prom - Dave and Busters and thousands of dollars in prizes - are only available the next couple of days.  It is going to be a great time and many students are signing up.  Forms available in the office.  There is NO COST to the students.  Students not going to Prom can also sign up.

There will be a meeting on Wednesday, May 1, 2013 at 2:30 p.m. in the cafeteria for anyone interested in trying out for the 2013 fall cheerleading squad.