Week of September 6

Weekly Schedule:

Announcements

• There is no school on Monday, September 6th. Enjoy your Labor Day weekend!
  
• The 2021 Homecoming Parade is looking for participants! Student Senate would love to fill up the parade, so please let us know if you would like to join! You will have to provide your own transportation, so gather some trucks and candy (to hand out), and let’s crowd the streets with RB Spirit! It will take place on September 24th at 5:15 pm (4:30 pm to begin lining up). Please email Ms. Krebs (kkrebs@rogerbacon.org) for more info.
• Alice in Wonderland audition signups and crew forms are now available. Auditions will be held on Tuesday, September 7th and Wednesday, September 8th. Crew applications are due on Tuesday, September 7th. Checkout the bulletin board outside of Room 56 and head to rogerbaconfinearts.com for forms and applications.
• Attention Roger Bacon SMARTans! Anyone interested in being on the Academic Team this year is invited to a meeting during Flex on Thursday, September 8th in the cafeteria. Email Mr. Smith or stop by Room 16 if you have any questions.
• Coffee with Christ is Thursday, September 9th at 7:20 am in the Spiritual Life Office! All are welcome! Freshmen, if you attend, go directly to the Spiritual Life Office for coffee and prayer to start the day. You will be dismissed from there to your first bell class when the bell rings!
• Sow Love, a project of Community Outreach, will meet on Thursday, September 9th in the ITC during Flex.
• The first meeting of Roger Bacon’s Chess Club is Thursday, September 9th, after school in the ITC. All skill levels are welcome, even if you’ve never played before! Contact Mr. Couch with any questions.
• The first Spartan Leader Huddle is Friday, September 10 during flex in the Fine Arts Center. Join us as we hear from Senior George Janzen as he shares how his faith and life have interconnected and discuss how we can get in touch with our faith. Snacks and games provided!
• Want to learn how to tap dance or brush up on your skills? The Drama Guild is holding a Tap Dance Workshop series once a month starting on Monday, September 13th in the Fine Arts Center from 3:00 - 4:30 pm. The workshop is free and all are welcome! Tap shoes are required - see Ms. Murray in Room 56 if you need shoes have any other questions.
• There is a PTO meeting on Tuesday, September 14th at 7:00 pm in the ITC. look forward to seeing you there!
• Roger Bacon Athletics is looking for students who are interested in joining RBSN (Roger Bacon Sports Network). This includes helping stream and announce sporting events over Twitch. If you are interested, email Mr. Spaeth at– bspaeth@rogerbacon.org.
  
• Immunization Requirement for Senior Year. Senior students, if you have not received your meningococcal vaccine yet, please make an appointment with your physician. These can also be given at Kroger’s or Walgreens’ clinics. Proof of this vaccine or an updated immunization record should be turned in to the nurse’s office by the end of September. Thank you! If you have any questions, please contact our school nurse, Karin Herold, via email or leave a voice message 513-641-1300, ext 1140.

Grandparents’ Appreciation Day

On Friday, September 10th, we will host our annual Grandparents' Appreciation Day. This special day honors and thanks those who have given a rich tradition of Catholic education and strong values to their families and our school community.

The event begins at 7:45 am (registration) in the Thomas J. Fogarty Center. Mass will be held at 8:15 am followed by a continental breakfast of donuts, rolls, muffins, fruit, coffee and juice. After breakfast, our freshmen students will accompany their grandparents (if interested or able) on a tour of the Roger Bacon campus.

The side (south) and back (east) parking lots will be available for parking for our guests. The side parking lot will be reserved for those grandparents with mobility challenges. Please let Bro. Gene know if you will need special arrangements. For any other questions, contact Bro. Gene at (513) 641-1313, ext. 1195 or via email at gmayer@rogerbacon.org.

Guidance Department

Scholarship Opportunity

The Knights of Columbus Scholarship is for Catholic students in grades 9 through 12 attending a Catholic high school in Ohio who need financial assistance and have a good academic record. This scholarship is for the 2021-2022 school year. The recipient will receive a $1,000 check made payable to their high school.

Rules:

• Must be a practicing Catholic
• Must be attending an Ohio Catholic high school
• Only one winner per school
• Must include a grade transcript
• Deadline is November 24, 2021

Applications can be found here or in the Guidance Office.

College Visits. We are scheduling college visits to Roger Bacon starting in September! Please sign up for these visits on Naviance. If you have any questions or need help, contact Ms. Smith at jsmith@rogerbacon.org.

College / Date
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute / Tuesday, September 7th (Virtual)
University of Tampa / Wednesday, September 8th (Virtual)
Cincinnati State Technical & Community College / Thursday, Sept 9th
Mount St. Joseph University / Monday, September 13th
Wabash College / Tuesday, September 14th
St. Mary's College / Wednesday, September 15th
Hanover College / Thursday, September 16th
University of Mount Union / Friday, September 17th
Ohio Northern University / Monday, September 20th
University of Toledo / Tuesday, September 21st
Marian University / Wednesday, September 22nd
University of Louisville / Thursday, September 23rd
University of Alabama / Tuesday, September 28th (Virtual)
Miami University - Hamilton / Wednesday, September 29th
Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD) / Thursday, September 30th
Bellarmine University / Tuesday, October 5th
Thomas More University / Wednesday, October 6th
Xavier University / Thursday, October 7th
Trinity Washington University / Thursday, October 14th (Virtual)
University of Alabama - Huntsville / Wednesday, October 27th
Marshall University / Thursday, October 28th
Brescia University / Monday, November 8th
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach / Monday, November 15th

Director of Academics

Math Lab and Peer Tutoring will begin the week of September 20th.

Math Lab is led by our math teachers and will be offered during Flex for students who need additional support in their math class. Students who have a failing grade in math class on September 17th will be required to attend Math Lab during Flex twice a week through the end of first quarter. Any student may sign up for Math Lab by contacting his or her math teacher.

Peer tutoring will be offered during Flex on Mondays and Thursdays during Flex. To request tutoring, students should fill out the form on their iPads. For questions, please contact Miss Mary Christoff at mchristoff@rogerbacon.org.

Fine Arts Department

Alice in Wonderland

Good luck to all those auditioning and applying for the Drama Guild’s production of Alice in Wonderland! The final Cast and Crew List will be posted online by 7:00pm on Friday, September 10^th. Head to our website to see the list (link below).

The Drama Guild is proud to present Alice in Wonderland November 19-21st. Tickets will be available starting November 1st. Email drama@rogerbacon.org with any questions.

Drama Guild Workshop Series

Have you ever wanted to learn how to tap dance? The Drama Guild is offering a monthly Tap Dance Workshop starting on Monday, September 13th. Whether you are just starting or an advanced tapper, all are welcome to come – no sign-ups necessary. You must have tap shoes and wear modest clothes to move in. The workshop will be held from 3:00 to 4:30 pm and is FREE! Mark your calendars now…

Tap Dance Workshops: 3:00 - 4:30 pm
September 13^th
October 4^th
November 1^st
December 13^th

Learn the art of Stage Combat through the Drama Guild’s monthly workshop series. Renowned Stage Combat choreographer and instructor, Gina Cerimele-Mechley, will come in to teach how fight for the stage. Each workshop is limited to 20 students and sign-ups will be available on the Fine Arts website (link below). The first workshop will be held on Monday, September 20th from 3:00 to 4:30 pm in the FAC. Sign-ups start September 10^th! Mark your calendars now…

Stage Combat Workshops: 3:00 - 4:30 pm
September 20^th
October 11^th
December 6^th

Follow Us - rogerbaconfinearts.com
Facebook – Roger Bacon High School Fine Arts
Instagram – @RBFineArts; @RBDramaGuild
Twitter – @RBFineArts; @RBDramaGuild; @rb3official
YouTube Channel – CLICK HERE!

Cafeteria Information

We want to ensure that our lunch program meets our students’ expectations. To do this, we need to have your feedback as to what is working and what can be improved. A couple things to remember:

• Feedback, both good and bad is appreciated. If something is particularly good, please let WG Grinders know so it can be continued. If something needs improvement, please let them know as well so it can be addressed. They are very receptive to constructive recommendations and feedback.
• Be professional in your correspondence. If you want your voice to be heard, do it in a courteous and professional manner.
• Understand you have many options when it comes to eating lunch – including bringing your own (in part or in total). Pay attention to the menu and realize, that due to a variety of issues with the supply channels, there may be last-minute changes. Our focus is on quality.
• Points of contact at WG Grinders are as follows:
  • Daniel Ehler, Director of Kitchen Operations: Ehler.dan@gmail.com
  • Randy Duff, Director of Operations: rtduff45429@aol.com

Community Outreach

Service Opportunities

Our department continues to provide service opportunities for our students via the various monthly projects. These projects are communicated via student email and daily school announcements.

For a comprehensive guide to Roger Bacon’s Community Service program click here. You can email our department with any questions at: Outreach@RogerBacon.org.

Freshmen Service Day

Freshmen year is a time in which Roger Bacon would like to provide students with the opportunity to learn more about our Christian call to serve. This will happen in two parts. First, freshmen had their Freshman Community Day called Koinonia on August 13, 2021 to help them reflect on the connection between faith and service. Second, we will divide the freshman class into quarters for a Freshman Service Day. Information was sent home on August 18, 2021. Your child will be participating on an assigned service day in Over-the-Rhine that are:

October 8, 2021: Andrews - Glover
October 22, 2021: Goecke - King
November 5, 2021: Kleinfeldt - Schaber
November 9, 2021: Schmidt - Woodrum

Sophomore Service Day

The Sophomore Service Day will mirror the freshmen, since they were not able to have their service day last year. Information was sent home on August 18, 2021. We will divide the current sophomore class into quarters with their days in the second semester. Your child will be participating on an assigned service day in Over-the-Rhine that are:

February 22, 2022: Allen – Farmer
March 4, 2022: Fasbender – Lanser
March 11, 2022: Lee – Rohling
April 1, 2022: Rolfert - Zestermann

COVID-19 Policies and Protocols

On July 26, 2021, the Ohio Department of Health and the Ohio Department of Education published “COVID-19 Health and Prevention Guidance for Ohio K-12 Schools.” The goal of the guidance is “to keep students back in school, in-person five days a week.”

The guidance contains several key recommendations to help ensure the safety of students, staff and volunteers:

• “Vaccinations for staff and eligible students.”
• “Those who are unvaccinated wear masks while in school.”
• Additional measures be implemented, “including improving ventilation, maximizing distance between people and practicing good hygiene.”

Vaccinations. Roger Bacon does not require students or staff to be vaccinated to attend school or participate in school activities and extracurriculars. However, Roger Bacon recommends that all students and staff be vaccinated. Guidance from the State emphasizes that “vaccination is the leading public health prevention strategy to the end the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Face Coverings

• The wearing of face coverings, to include face masks, will not be mandated to start the school year. Consistent with policy recommendations from the Catholic School Office, Archdiocese of Cincinnati: The wearing of face masks is “recommended for those unvaccinated but is also a personal decision for parents and is therefore not being mandated.” However, Roger Bacon recommends that all students and staff not vaccinated wear a face covering while at school or participating in activities.
• Even though Roger Bacon is not requiring the wearing of face coverings, parents still have the option to have their children wear masks while in school or participating in school activities.
• Students must wear face coverings on all public transportation, including school busses.
• Mask use is not necessary when outdoors, including participating in outdoor play and physical education activities.
• Disposable masks will be available at all primary entrances to school facilities.

Ventilation. The CDC calls ventilation “a key part of maintaining healthy environments, and is an important COVID-19 prevention strategy for schools.” In this light:

• Virtually all the classrooms in the main building have had new steel reinforced PVC “Tilt and Turn” window systems with a ventis on the top sash specifically designed to increase ventilation within the classroom. This state-of-the-art window system works in conjunction with already installed ceiling fans and, for the majority of classrooms, window air conditioning units to improve ventilation.
• Classrooms on the first floor have just installed Mitsubishi Electric Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) zoning systems to provide cooling /heating and increased air ventilation. It is anticipated that these systems will be installed in all classrooms in the main building by the end of the summer in 2022.
• High performance filters have been installed in all existing air-conditioning units to improve air filtration in areas such as the cafeteria, Fine Arts Center, Fitness Center and Thomas J. Fogarty Center.

Social Distancing. Per the guidance from the State, social distancing can “reduce the spread of infectious disease.” However, this physical distancing “should not hinder student participation in in-person learning.” In that light:

• Classrooms will be configured with all students facing the same direction with a target goal of 3 feet between students when feasible.
• Roger Bacon has purchased 660 new student desks and chairs which have a smaller footprint than the current sled desks. This new furniture will help promote social distancing within the classroom. A December 2021 installation is anticipated.

Hand Washing and Sanitizing. Roger Bacon will provide adequate hand-washing supplies and hand-sanitizing opportunities in classrooms and high-traffic areas throughout school facilities.

Quarantine.

• If a student/faculty member tests positive for COVID-19:
  • Quarantine for 10 days from the date of the onset of symptoms or the date of the COVID-19 test if asymptomatic.
  • Fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication
  • Other symptoms have improved.
• If a student/faculty member who has been vaccinated or is unvaccinated but wearing a face covering comes in close contact with an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19:
  • Self-monitor for symptoms for 14 days following exposure. Unless symptoms develop, individuals can continue attending in-person class and participating in sports and extracurriculars.
  • If symptoms develop, it is recommended that the student/faculty member self-isolate and consult with a physician to determine if a COVID test is necessary/desired. If the test is negative, no quarantine is required. Do not come to school or participate in activities or extracurriculars while symptoms persist.

• If a student/faculty member is unvaccinated and not wearing a face covering comes in close contact with an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19, contact tracing will be conducted and quarantine requirements determined.

Remote Learning. Roger Bacon does not offer full-time remote learning. This option is only available to those students while in a quarantine status.

Sports. The use of face coverings will not be required to attend sporting events. There will not be capacity limits at sporting events. The State does indicate that “the use of masking and social distancing to the extent possible is recommended during indoor sports and other higher-risk activities to protect students who are not fully vaccinated.”

Symptoms. Families are reminded of the importance of keeping students out of the classroom if they are sick. Anyone with symptoms or a temperature above 100 degrees Fahrenheit should stay home. COVID-19 symptoms include:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• Loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Repeated shaking with chills

School Nurse

An important part of our safety plan is ensuring that students who are sick are not permitted to come to school. If you are sick, please stay home. Check the temperature of students before leaving home. Students with a temperature of 100.4 degrees of higher should stay at home.

Primary symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, cough, shortness of breath and/or loss of taste/smell. If you have multiple symptoms or symptoms persist, please consult your family health provider.

Immunization Requirement for Senior Year. Senior students, if you have not received your meningococcal vaccine yet, please make an appointment with your physician. These can also be given at Kroger’s or Walgreens’ clinics. Proof of this vaccine or an updated immunization record should be turned in to the nurse’s office by the end of September. Thank you! If you have any questions, please contact our school nurse, Karin Herold, via email or leave a voice message 513-641-1300, ext 1140.

Alumni/ae News

First Friday Mass. Mass is at 8:15 am in the Information and Technology Center. Parking is available in the back lot (off Leonard Ave.). Pastries and coffee are served after Mass. We usually have 40-50 OLA and RB alums, friends and relatives on a regular basis. Contact a fellow alum and enjoy a morning of prayer and fellowship. Reservations are not necessary. The next First Friday Mass will be on Friday, September 3rd.

Alumni Association Meetings. All alums are welcome to come and help support the students at RB. The next meeting is Thursday, September 9th, at 6:30 pm in the ITC.

Bron Bacevich Memorial Engraved Bricks. Support the Roger Bacon/OLA Alumni Association by purchasing a brick which can be designated for placement in the new stadium. For more information, contact Rick Sollmann at 641-1313 or rsollmann@rogerbacon.org.

Important Upcoming Dates:

Sep 14: PTO Meeting
Sep 21: Grade School Night - Volleyball
Sep 24: Homecoming
Sep 25: Homecoming Dance
Sep 27: No School (Professional Development)
Sep 28: Financial Aid Night
Oct 04: Feast of St. Francis
Oct 06-08: Kairos
Oct 08: Freshmen Service Day (1/4) / Grade School Night - Football
Oct 12: PTO Meeting
Oct 13: PSAT - Sophomore Assisi Scholars and Juniors Only
Oct 15: End of 1st Quarter / Dress Down Day (March for Life)
Oct 20: Student/Athlete College Information Night / Board of Directors Meeting
Oct 22: Freshmen Service Day (1/4)
Oct 24: Open House
Oct 25: No School (Professional Development)
Oct 26: Early Dismissal - Pre-ACT/Practice ACT Testing / Job Shadowing
Nov 01: All Saints Day Mass
Nov 04: Fall Band Concert
Nov 05: Freshmen Service Day (1/4)
Nov 08: PTO Meeting
Nov10: Veterans' Day Assembly
Nov 11: No School (Veterans' Day)
Nov 12: No School - Professional Development
Nov 19: Freshmen Service Day (1/4) / Dress Down Day (Assist-A-Family)
Nov 19-21: Fall Play
Nov 20: 8th Grade HSPT
Nov 24-29: No School - Thanksgiving Break
Dec 08: Feast of the Immaculate Conception Mass
Dec 09-10: Junior "J.O.Y." Retreat
Dec 10: Dress Down Day (Jamaica Mission Trip)
Dec 15: Board of Directors Meeting
Dec 17: Christmas Assembly / Christmas Concert
Dec 20-21: 1st Semester Exams
Dec 22 - Jan 02: No School - Christmas Break
Jan 07: End of 2nd Quarter/1st Semester
Jan 12: PTO Meeting
Jan 14: Dress Down Day (Junior Morality Class Project)
Jan 17: No School (Martin Luther King Day)
Jan 20-23: March for Life
Jan 20: Early Dismissal - Sports Stag
Jan 21: No School - Professional Development
Feb 07: No School
Feb 09: PTO Meeting
Feb 16: Board of Directors Meeting
Feb 18: No School (Professional Development)
Feb 21: No School (Presidents' Day)
Feb 22: Early Dismissal - ACT (Juniors) IOWA Testing (Freshmen)
Mar 01: Dress Down Day (Fat Tuesday - New Orleans Mission Trip)
Mar 08: PTO Meeting
Mar 18: Dress Down Day (Magnified Giving)
Mar 21: No School (Professional Development)
Apr 01: Dress Down Day (PTO)
Apr 11: PTO Meeting
Apr 14-24: No School - Easter Break
Apr 18-26: Assisi Scholar Pilgrimage to Italy
Apr 27: Board of Directors Meeting
Apr 29: No School - Prom
Apr 30: Evening for Excellence
May 06: Dress Down Day (Fernside)
May 09: PTO Meeting
May 23-24: Senior Exams
May 26-27: Underclass Exams
May 30: No School - Memorial Day
Jun 02: Graduation
Jun 15: Board of Directors Meeting