Good afternoon,

I wanted to take a moment and thank you all for an incredible first two quarters.  I have seen remarkable things here at Sand Ridge that reaffirm to me that it is the best school in the district!  Go Scorpion Nation! 

I also want to take a minute and let you know of a couple of important things that are designed to help your student(s).  First, we are kicking off our school-wide INCENTIVE for the 3rd term and it is a little different from things we have done before.  Beginning 3rd term, students who have ALL assignments submitted  by MIDTERM will be invited to be a part of an incredible assembly here at Sand Ridge by Brad Barton, a world-renown magician and presenter.  It will be a fantastic show held on February 14. In order to attend, students must have submitted ALL assignments to their teachers! We want everyone to be there, so encourage your kids to get off to a great start 3rd term!

Finally, we are working hard as a faculty to provide opportunities for your student(s) to be able to get extra help if they need it.  Educational research strongly indicates that there are a number of programs and resources that schools can provide that can be an additional support to students and parents.  I wanted to take a moment and explain what programs are available here at Sand Ridge that can help your student.  Listed below are resources/programs available to get additional support, so you can better communicate with your student and encourage them to take advantage of these opportunities.

• Advisory: Held during school on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 6th and 7th period for 35 minutes.  Students are encouraged to leave their advisory teacher's class with a note and go to their other classes to get help, make up assignments, and do their work... a very valuable resource!
• Homework Haven: This is tutoring after school in both math and science.  Students are able to go to a designated teacher's class to get help in science & math each day, after school, until 4 pm.
• ISO: This is known as In School Opportunity.  Students who are struggling in multiple classes are brought down as needed (by recommendation of teachers, parents, counseling, etc.) to the counseling center to get individualized tutoring for a full day without distractions to get caught up.
• Options: This is an actual class that students have in their schedule where they are able to work on assignments and have full computer access.  It is a valuable tool for having additional time and assistance with projects on a daily basis. 
• Math Lab:  This is a class taught by Mr. Schroeder where he is able to work in a very individualized setting with students who need additional help with math.  Counselors can work with you to see if this is a good option.

We have had a number of questions regarding available options and thought this would be an opportunity to explain and to clarify.  We want you to know that we support you and your student in the learning process, and we have great people (teachers and staff) that are willing to help in any way we can.  Thank you for all you do to make SRJH great and let us know if you have any questions.  Have a great weekend!

Dr. Rod Belnap
Principal