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Happy Friday Central Junior High families!

Our last fall parent/teacher conferences are also coming up on Tue Oct 13th during the school day. Teams have sent out sign up information to families. However, if you have questions about how to sign up, etc, please contact one of your student’s classroom teachers for more information.

If your family has gently used clothing, shoes, or other textile items to donate, please consider placing them in our Green Bin, located in the parent pick-up/drop-off line. The school receives a monetary donation for items collected through the Green Bin program. Funds earned from these donations are used to support our PBIS initiatives and student incentives throughout the school year.

If families did not see the latest levy information, please click here and here! This information can also be found on the PLSD website. If families have questions, please contact the district office.

School Picture Make-ups will be during all lunch periods on Thur Oct 15th. Further down in the newsletter families can find picture information. However, if you do have specific questions, you may call the main office.

Recently, a significant amount of trash and large messes have been left behind on the tables and floors during both breakfast and lunch periods. Maintaining a clean dining environment is a shared responsibility. It is not the role of our duty aides to clean up avoidable messes left behind by individual students. Their primary responsibility is to supervise and ensure a safe, orderly environment for everyone. Moving forward, any student who leaves a mess and/or refuses to clear their area will be assigned community service after school or detention. If issues continue, additional discipline could be applied. Please speak with your students and we thank you in advance.

The end of quarter one is Fri Oct 9th. Grades should be available for families to view in Infinite Campus sometime during the week of Oct 19th (if not sooner). We will not be printing schedules for students. Please have them review their new elective classes in Infinite Campus before returning on Wednesday.

Lastly, we have three days off from school, starting tomorrow Fri Oct 9th, Mon Oct 12th in observance of Columbus Day, and Tue Oct 13th due to conferences. We hope students enjoy their extended weekend. We’ll see everyone bright and early on Wed Oct 14th for the start of Quarter 2.

Take care and we’ll chat again next week! GO TIGERS!

Important Dates:

Oct 9: End of Q1 & NO SCHOOL - Teacher Virtual Work Day

Oct 12: NO SCHOOL

Oct 13: NO SCHOOL - Parent/Teacher Conferences

Oct 15: School Picture Make-Ups

You may have seen our recent District communication about changes to attendance communication this school year. As Ohio implements new attendance requirements under House Bill 96 (HB 96), families will receive more information from schools about the amount of instructional time students miss.

Our focus in Pickerington is on awareness, communication and support—not simply counting absences.

Why does attendance matter?

Regular attendance gives students consistent opportunities to learn from their teachers, collaborate with classmates, participate in classroom experiences and build the knowledge and skills that support their success.

What can families expect?

At 38 hours of missed instructional time:

Your school will contact you to make you aware of the amount of instructional time your student has missed. This early communication is intended to provide families with information before a student reaches the state's 5% attendance threshold.

What is the 5% threshold?
Ohio considers missing 5% or more of the instructional time for which a student is enrolled to be a level of absenteeism that requires additional attention and intervention.

At 65 hours of missed instructional time:
Your school will make personalized contact with your family. This provides an opportunity to talk about your student's attendance, understand any challenges that may be getting in the way of regular attendance and connect you with support or resources when needed.

Why does missed time matter?

We understand that students sometimes need to be absent. Illness, appointments, family circumstances and other situations happen, and absences will continue to be identified as excused or unexcused based on the reason for the absence and applicable District requirements.

At the same time, even an excused absence means a student misses something—a lesson, a class discussion, time with classmates, hands-on learning or an opportunity to practice an important skill.

Our goal is to recognize concerns early and work alongside families before attendance becomes a bigger challenge.

Every day a student is able to be at school is another opportunity to learn, connect and grow. Together, we can help our students make the most of those opportunities.

For more information, visit Student Attendance: What Families Need to Know on the Pickerington Local Schools website.

Your student should have received their picture proofs in their 1st period class. You can order school photos using the code provided on the proof.

Visit: shutterfly.com/claim

You will enter your name, portrait ID, and access code

PERSONAL COMMUNICATION DEVICES (Board Policy 5136) For purposes of this policy, “personal communication device” (PCD) includes, but not limited to, computers, tablets (e.g., iPad-like devices), electronic readers (“e-readers”; e.g., Kindle-like devices), cell phones, smartwatches, smartphones (e.g., iPhones, Android devices, Windows Mobile devices, Meta Glasses, etc.) not owned by the district. Students in grades 7-12 may use PCDs before and after school, during their lunch break, in between classes as long as they do not create a distraction, disruption or otherwise interfere with the educational environment, during after school activities (e.g., extra-curricular activities), or at school-related functions. Use of PCDs, except those approved by a teacher or administrator, at any other time is prohibited and they must be powered completely off (i.e., not just placed into vibrate or silent mode) and stored out of sight. Educational environment is defined as district properties including fields, buildings, and district provided transportation. Students should not loan out personal devices or district devices assigned to the student. The district is not responsible for items that have been loaned out, lost and/or not-returned. If a student fails to comply with a request to remove or power off their personal communication device(s), the building administrator my confiscate the device and request that a parent/guardian pick up the device(s).

At Central Jr High School, our policy is as follows:

If a student is seen using a PCD, AT ANY TIME during the school day, it will be confiscated by staff.

First offense: student can pick up from the office after the final bell rings at 2:10.

Second or more: device will be held in the main office, in a locked drawer and room until a parent/guardian can pick up. Pick up times are M-F 8:00 am - 1:45 pm; and 2:30 - 3:00 pm.

The beginning of every quarter resets offenses.

The parent/guardian picking up any device must present a valid photo ID to obtain the device from the office. If anyone other than the parent/guardian is picking up the device, the parent/guardian must call the office ahead of time to give the name of an ADULT to pick up the device.

School-Based Health Clinic

Pediatric Associates has an office located at Tussing Elementary that is available to all PLSD students and the community of Pickerington. The clinic offers the following services: helping with sore throat, headaches, earache, bad cough, strep test, immunizations, blood work, physicals, well check-ups, sports physicals, medication, asthma, etc.

The clinic is open on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday; and closed from 12:00 - 1:00 pm for lunch. Walk-ins are welcome, or to schedule an appointment call 614-864-3222.

Emergency Resources

Crisis Text Line: text "HOME" to 741741

Nationwide Children's Youth Hotline: 1-614-722-1800

Teen Hotline: 1-614-294-3300

Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673

Safe Schools Tip Line: Call or text 1-844-723-3764

Suicide Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 or 1-614-221-5445

Sheriff Department: 1-740-652-7900

Families, we are having a Career Day on Oct. 23rd and we need your help.

We love it when parents, grandparents, siblings, friends come in to share their career with our students. It doesn't matter what field your career is in, all of us have a career path story. Those who present would only have to prepare 20-25 minutes of material/activities. Hands-on activities or props that relate to your career are great time fillers too. We are asking for people to present 6 sessions from 9:30-1:30 (you would also have a half hour lunch during that time.) If you or someone you know could present sessions for the day or would be a great keynote speaker or both, Please complete this form ASAP. Thanks in advance for your help. Career Day Speakers 26-27 - Family Form.

Please mark your calendar for Oct. 23rd and plan appointments around that day. We love to have all kids participate. If there is no way around scheduling an appointment for that day, please plan to arrive extra early. Kids will be in assemblies, and classrooms outside of their normal schedule, so getting them to the office might take a bit longer. It might also require us to call them out of an assembly, which could be disruptive, so please plan ahead. Thanks!

Join THK Manufacturing of America for an exciting exploration of manufacturing in Hebron, Ohio. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to connect, learn, and discover the future of manufacturing in Licking County! This event is open to everyone – students, families, and community members interested in learning more about the manufacturing industry. Explore their state-of-the-art operations and get a firsthand look at the different career paths available within THK.

Event Details:

• Date: Thursday, Oct. 8th, 2026

• Time: 5:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M.

• Location: THK Manufacturing of America, Inc., 471 N. High St., Hebron, OH

What to expect:

• Open house experience; stay as long or as little as you want!

• Plant tours every 30 minutes (first tour at 5:30 pm, last tour at 7:30 pm)

• Company presentations every hour (last presentation at 7 pm)

• Meet and connect with our team and learn about the different roles

• Activity stations for all ages

• Pizza and light refreshments

• On-site interviews with HR (limited)

Space is limited; REGISTER to guarantee your spot!

Registration

Thank you to everyone who helped provide for our Parent/Teacher Conferences. Whether it was a monetary donation or bringing in desserts/sides, it was truly appreciated!

Reminder that there is a PTO meeting tonight (Thursday, October 8th) at 5:30 pm.

Please follow us on Facebook: Central Junior High School PTO

Central JH PTO

Kelly Martin, President: kelly.martin_rvjhpto@hotmail.com

Be sure to get your athlete registered to stay up to date on all communication from coaches for the upcoming seasons.

Students: $5 Adults: $7

Cash/Card is accepted at the gate. If you pay online, there will be additional fees.

Click here to purchase tickets: https://oh50010917.schoolwires.net/Page/126

You may purchase a Tiger Club Pass ($50/student) or a Central Club Pass ($100/adult) that is good for all regular home games for every sport.

To purchase Club Passes, use the same link as above and select Central. Once there, you will select Purchase Yearly Passes.

**Students are now required to show their student ID card to attend athletic events. If your student does not have an ID card yet, you can show the attendant your Infinite Campus information from your phone until your ID arrives**

Does your student speak, read, write, and understand a language other than English?

Pickerington Local Schools offers students in grades 7–12 the opportunity to demonstrate their language skills by taking the AAPPL assessment. Depending on their results, students may be able to:

• Earn up to 4 high school world language credits

• Meet the language proficiency requirement for the Ohio Seal of Biliteracy

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What is the AAPPL?

The AAPPL (ACTFL Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages) measures how well a student can use a language in real-world situations. Students are assessed in four areas:

• Speaking

• Writing

• Reading

• Listening

The full assessment takes approximately two hours. Students must be able to read and understand the test directions in English and be able to speak, write, listen, and read in the language they are testing.

What languages are available?

AAPPL testing is available in ASL, Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.

Testing may also be available for other languages, although the test format and cost may be different. Families interested in another language should still complete the AAPPL Interest Form, and someone will follow up with additional information.

What happens after the test?

Students receive a score for each of the four areas tested. Pickerington Local Schools will review the student's results to determine how much high school world language credit the student has earned.

Students may earn up to 4 world language credits based on their results. Students may also qualify for the Ohio Seal of Biliteracy if they meet the required language proficiency level within 15 months of graduation and meet the English proficiency requirement through the ELA II or OELPA assessment.

Cost

The AAPPL assessment costs $20. The fee will be added to the student's Infinite Campus fee account after testing.

Fall 2026 Testing Dates

Pickerington High School North: October 28, 2026
Pickerington High School Central: October 29, 2026
Lakeview Junior High: November 18, 2026
Central Junior High: November 19, 2026

Interested in having your student participate?

Please complete the AAPPL Interest Form to let us know your student would like to test. Additional information about the testing process will be shared with interested families.

This is a great opportunity for students who already know another language to have their skills recognized and potentially earn high school credit and the Ohio Seal of Biliteracy.

• PLSD 2026-2027 District Calendar - click here

• Districtwide Activities Calendar

  Upcoming events and important dates are listed in the Districtwide Google Events Calendar, which is synced with individual building, program and athletic team calendars. Once inside the district wide calendar, to display the events of a particular building, team, program or activity, you will need to check the specific corresponding color-coded box(es) from the list on the left-hand side.

The Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Department of Public Safety have launched the SaferOH tip line that will accept both calls and texts 24 hours a day.

This tip line allows students and adults to anonymously share information with school officials and law enforcement about threats to student safety—whether that involves a threatened mass incident or harm to a single student.

Every tip can remain anonymous. School safety analysts may ask for additional information, but the caller can remain secret or leave his or her contact information for later follow-up.

Calls or texts to 844-SaferOH (844-723-3764) are answered by analysts in the Ohio Homeland Security’s Threat Assessment and Prevention (TAP) Unit. When action is needed, the TAP Unit immediately forwards information to Pickerington Schools, local law enforcement agencies, and others, if necessary.

Principal: Sheila Evans

Assistant Principal 7th Grade: Henry Lee

Assistant Principal 8th Grade: Kevin Smith

Dean of Students: Sydney Dillard

Building Secretary/Athletics: Tiffany Dalton

Building Secretary/Registrar: Lisa Holley

Attendance: Pat Petrini

Office Assistant: Madelyn Gomez

Counselors: Kris Owen: A-Ga, Erica Reynolds: Ge-N, Rachel Londberg: O-Z

Nurse: Aarika Breckenridge /Mindy Stillwell

Safety/Security: Devon Queener

School Resource Officer (SRO): Nick Baehr; Jeremy Collier

Email: Sheila_Evans@plsd.us
Website: pickerington.k12.oh.us
Location: 457 Lockville Rd.
Phone: 614-548-1700
Instagram: @pickcentraljrhighschool