C.A. Johnson High School E3: Excelling and Exceeding Expectations!
Volume 4, Issue 1 October 2020
A Word from the Principal It is with great "Hornet Pride" to present our first quarterly newsletter. This publication aims to provide noteworthy news and pertinent information about what is happening at C. A. Johnson High School. As your newly appointed interim principal, I am very enthusiastic about working together as a team to meet the challenges of educating our most precious resource, our children.
tions to our staff and administrators. Please take the time to get to know our newest staff members.
It is our goal to provide a safe and secure environment for student learning. Dr. Melvin, our assistant principal for operations, has formed a school-wide task force that will ensure that CDC and district protocols are followed. Our school's nurse, Ms. Scipio, stands ready to provide assistance and As one of eleven children, I enjoy service as the needs arise. All classpeople, and I genuinely miss not rooms and offices have protective having students in the building shields and hand sanitizers. Noneduring this time. My parents, Mr. theless, I encourage all parents to Isaac McClinton Sr. and Mrs. Sa- make sure that your child(ren) rah Glymph- McClinton, taught washes their hands, wear face their children the value of family masks, and keep social distance (6 and education. They worked hard feet apart) whenever they are in at instilling family values and the public places. This new normal is commitment to serve, so it is with- not easy, and we all must continue in my DNA to be of service. I am to work hard to reach our goals fortunate to be able to serve this and objectives. Most importantly, great community and school. stay safe and follow the CDC, disPlease take the time to reflect on trict, state, and school guidelines. how we can all work together in providing the best educational op- C. A. Johnson High School is a portunities for our young hornets. great place to learn. It is and always has been a community Each year brings positive change. school. I welcome and value your This year it includes a few addipositive energy and dedication to
excellence in education. I hope that many of you will become partners as we strive to become number one in Richland One. And in the words of Mr. Stroman." Go Hornets! We can do it!" If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact either me or any member of my Administrative Team. Respectfully Yours,
Isaac McClinton Interim Principal
The Hornet, Volume 4, Issue 1
Page 2 October 2020
HORNETS’ NEST PREPARATIONS By Dr. Joseph Melvin, Assistant Principal (joseph.melvin@richlandone.org) In preparation for our students return (Phase II) to C. A. Johnson, we have prepared several safety measures to keep students protected from COVID-19. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends three specific measures, and they are supported by our school and Richland One. When students return, they will see safety signs posted throughout the building. The major three COVID-19 measures reminder signs are:
Face masks required while students are in the school building and/or on school premises Washing hands often and/or the utilization of hand sanitizers Keeping distance from one another (minimum six feet)
Additional safety measures are in place such as protected shields on student desks throughout the classrooms (photo below), and directional signs in the hallways to help adjust movement. Directional signs are designed to keep students traffic flowing and to provide distancing while traveling in one direction to avoid congestion, and/or traffic jams in hallways and stairwells. Secondly, as we continue to prepare, we have placed automatic hand sanitizer stations in every classroom and major offices at C. A. Johnson High School
Lastly, school visitors are asked to adhere to the building policies, such as wearing masks and social distancing. We welcome parents and visitors but rules must be followed to keep everyone safe. When possible, call or make an appointment first. The school office phone number is 803-253-7092. As always, thank you.
The Hornet, Volume 4, Issue 1
Want more information please contact: Family and Engagement Specialist Crystal Rice Office of Federal and State Programs C(803)231-6816, (803)908-9485 cell, (803)231-6824 fax crystal.rice@richlandone.org
Page 3 October 2020
The Hornet, Volume 4, Issue 1
Page 4 October 2020
Meet your new 9th Grade Administrator Mr. Kevin D. Wilson (kevin.wilson@richlandone.org) Dear C. A. Johnson High School Students, Parents, Teachers, Staff, and Community, This school year has gotten off to a great start and presented us all with several opportunities for growth. The challenges we face, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, on a daily basis is pushing us all to adapt to and work through the many obstacles confronting us this school year. Despite all the challenges facing us, I believe we can reach uncharted achievement heights this school year. We will all grow new skills and discover strengths unimaginable to ourselves. All of us will be more technologically equipped and savvy for the future whether we like it or not. Now, more than ever, we need to focus on maximizing our learning potential, continue to travel on the path of excellence for ourselves, and build on the mighty legacy of the Green Hornet Family. Let me tell you a little about myself. As a proud graduate from the University of South Carolina, I have been an educator with RCSD1 for 20 years. I have taught middle and high school level mathematics, served as department chair and a district lead teacher, been awarded teacher of the year, coached wrestling at the middle/high school and collegiate levels, and nominated for the 2019 and 2020 SC Secondary Assistant Principal Award. I am coming to CAJHS from Lower Richland High School where I served as assistant principal for eight years. I have an amazing wife and supportive family. I will serve as the Freshmen Academy Administrator, Attendance/Dropout/MTSS Team Chairperson, and AVID Site Administrator. I am excited about the possibilities that this school year will bring and proud to be part of the Green Hornet Family. Let’s have a great 2020-2021 school year whether we are working together virtually on Microsoft Teams or working together in person at C. A. Johnson High School.
1.
Richland One requires that teachers take attendance every day in every block. However, please note: Virtual attendance is determined by whether or not a student submits work or participates in assigned activities in accordance with the classroom teacher’s written required and by the teacher’s established deadline. Students who submit assignments or participate in assigned learning experiences by the deadline established by the classroom teacher will be marked present. In situations where the student does not have a device attendance will be taken through the student submitting their assignments/packet by the teachers’ deadline. Teachers will make an attempt to contact, via telephone or e-mail, any student who fails to submit assignments/ packets weekly.
2.
Attendance is to be taken within the first 15 minutes of each class period. Students logging in after attendance is taken will be marked tardy.
3.
Any student in a class who logs on or arrives more than half-way through the class (50%) will be marked absent for the class/period.
4.
Teachers will be given a 5-day window to make any corrections or reconcile student attendance in Power School.
5.
If a student fails to log in or submit assignments for 3 consecutive or 5 cumulative full days without an explanation for the absences, the school will follow district procedures for addressing your student’s absences and truancy.
6.
Attendance questions, parent notes, or medical excuses can be emailed to Ms. Valencia Keeler (valencia.keeler@richlandone.org), faxed to (803) 929-3877, called in to (803) 253-7054 or brought to the school.
Additional guidance regarding taking student attendance will be forwarded as the district moves to the hybrid
The Hornet, Volume 4, Issue 1
Page 5 October 2020
News Buzzing Around the Hornet’s Nest
The CAJ Football Team. Our CAJ Football team is off to a great start. The entire team and coaches deserves recognition for the team effort shown. Goooooo Hornets!
New Athletic Coaches: Mr. Walter Wilson, Football, Mr. Tyrell Manning, Varsity Boys Basketball, Ms. Tammy Brown, Varsity Girls Basketball, and Mrs. Helena Wilson, Volleyball. Welcome, Welcome, & Welcome to the Hornet’s Nest.
Congratulations to Essence McGill and Trinity Anderson for being elected to SC FCCLA State Officers for the 2020-2021 school year.
Congratulations to 2020 - 2021, Teacher of the Year, Kezia S. Valabhapuram, Health Sciences Magnet Teacher and 2020-2021 Classified Staff of the Year, Sandra A. Jamison, CAJ Bookkeeper.
Revitalization of the CAJ Tennis Team. The CAJ Women’s Tennis Team is being coached by Mrs. Tonisha Vanderhorst. Much success to the Coach and team.
Congratulations to CAJ Air Force JROTC unit for being recognized among the best in the world by the United States Air Force. CAJ ROTC recently earned the U.S. Air Force’s 2019-2020 Distinguished Unit Award.
CAJ Guidance Monthly Newsletter and Website. The CAJ School Counseling Offi ce will have a monthly newsletter for our students and Hornet Family. In each edition of the newsletter, there will be reference to scholarships, college and career planning, ACT/SAT test information and other important educational dates and deadlines. Please visit the webpage at this link: CAJ School Counseling
New procedures for ticket sales at Home Football Events. Athletic Director, Mr. Damon Franklin wants to remind everyone that Richland 1 is offering online ticket sales for Varsity Football this season. We are using Hometown Ticketing for ticket sales. For more information, please visit CAJ Website and scroll to the link for CAJ Ticket Information.
The Hornet, Volume 4, Issue 1
Page 6 October 2020
Library Media Center: News You Can Use By: Tammie Dreher Wells (tammie.wells@richlandone.org) Hi Hornet Family. To support your learning, below are tips and information for your use. If you have any questions, please email me.
Book Club. If you are interested in participating in CAJ Book Club, please complete this survey by October 30 2020: Book Club Survey.
Microsoft One Drive Mapper (gray box) It is vital that you enter your password in the Microsoft One drive mapper (gray box). This connects your device to your Office 365 cloud storage. This allows you to save documents directly on your computer
Three R’s for Laptops: Refresh the webpage that you are trying to view. Relaunch the program you are trying to use. Restart the computer.
Update Teams: In the upper right corner of TEAMS—click on your picture icon or the circle with your initials. This should bring up a menu of options. This menu of options should pop up and you want to click on “check for updates.” You may get a message that it will update shortly and continue to work—this is normal.
READ, READ, READ. eBooks are available! Click on the Destiny Discover Icon on your desktop. The collection includes graphic novels and popular book titles. If you forgot how to access Destiny Discover there is a tutorial on the CAJ Library Media Center Webpage.
Richland District One. Plethora of resources for success for students. sources Centers and select Student Resources.
SC Discus: Free 24/7 access to library resources such as magazines, newspapers, encyclopedias, reference materials, and lots more. No password is needed while at school, but a password is needed at home. Please email me for the password. Other great resources available at www.scdiscus.org are: Teen Book Cloud (eBooks). Available until December 15, 2020. TeenBook Cloud targets grades 7-12. The collection includes graphic novels, enhanced novels, classic literature, National Geographic videos, educator resources, and audio books. Click on the A-Z List Tab and click on icon to open. Tutor.com: Tutor.com features a variety of resources for students of all ages . The K-12 Student Center includes Live Homework Help, Write Tutor Center, Test Prep Center, and a Skills Center Resource Li brary. Tutors are available with no appointment needed! Click on the A-Z List Tab. Scroll to Tutor.com to open.
On the District Home page, click on Re-
Are You Feeling Anxious or Stressed? By Nurse Angela Scipio (angela.scipio@richlandeone.org) While we reiterate the importance of taking daily precautions to prevent spread, we want to make sure South Carolinians are also taking steps to address the feelings of stress and anxiety that arise in this type of prolonged situation. To ensure that you protect your mental and emotional health: Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories and social media. Hearing about COVID-19 or other stress-inducing issues repeatedly can be upsetting. Take care of your body: eat healthy, well-balanced meals; exercise regularly; get plenty of sleep; and avoid alcohol and drugs. Make time to unwind and participate in activities you enjoy. Connect with others. Talk with people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling. In addition, please be thoughtful of how others are feeling during this time and reach out to them regularly to let them know that you and our state are here for them. The South Carolina Department of Mental Health have resources available to help cope with stress. Visit scdmh.net for stress, anxiety and mental health resources. Anyone with concerns about their health should reach out to their healthcare provider or use the telehealth services provided by several health care systems. Also, for a free online health assessment, please see our listing of telehealth virtu-
The Hornet, Volume 4, Issue 1
Page 7 October 2020
The Hornet, Volume 4, Issue 1
Page 8 October 2020
C.A. Johnson High School 2219 Barhamville Road Columbia, SC 29204 Phone: 803-253-7092 Fax: 803-929-3877
C.A. Johnson Mission
Mr. Isaac McClinton, Interim Principal Dr. MiUndrae Prince, Executive Director of Schools Dr. Craig Witherspoon, Superintendent
C.A. Johnson High School will transform the lives of every student by empowering them to explore and pursue their post-secondary and career aspirations.
C.A. Johnson Vision We’re on the Web & Twitter
C.A. Johnson High School will create a culture of excellence through proactive and continuously evolving program structures that accommodate the needs of its student population and community.
We are all in this Together!
Assistant Principals Mrs. Nicole Irby, Grade 12 Dr. Melvin Joseph, Grade s 11 & 10 Mr. Kevin Wilson, Grade 9
Sept. 30
Q1 Interim Reports Issued
Oct. 14
PSAT (Gr 10-11)
Oct. 14
PreAct (Gr 9)
Nov. 2
Professional Development (No school for students)
Nov. 3
Election Day (Student/Staff Holiday)
Nov. 4
End of Q1
Nov. 11
Report Cards Issued
Nov. 12
Parent/Teacher Conference
Athletic Director Mr. Dameon Franklin
School Counselors Mrs. Carolyn Howell, Director of School Counseling, Grade 12 Mrs. Cynthania Simpson-Obioha, 10th & 11th Grade Counselor Mrs. Yolanda Hawkins-Fanning, 9th Grade Counselor Mr. Dennis Green, Job Coach
Graduation Coach Mrs. Juanita Wilson
Social Worker Ms. Matilta Johnson
Nov. 25-26 Thanksgiving Break Dec. 4
Early Release
Dec. 21Jan. 1
Winter Break