Buckeye Parent Newsletter
Week of October 11, 2026
Principal's Message
Good evening,
We have an amazing week planned to round out 1st quarter. Thursday is both our House Sorting Ceremony AND our Family Fall Festival. We hope to see many of you there.
WE HAVE REACHED THE LAST WEEK OF 1ST QUARTER!!!! Quarter grades will be final on Thursday, October 15th. Please check your students' grades this weekend and have them work on missing assignments. There is no school for students this Friday.
RCA House System
RCA House System sorting is this Thursday! Our students are excited and a little anxious, anticipating which house they will be sorted into.
Our last parent teacher conference for the fall will be Tuesday, October 20th from 3:30-6:30 pm. If you have not already made an appointment with your child's teachers, please use the link below for your grade level team or call the school on Monday. There are 2 weeks remaining in the 1st quarter! Time flies when you are busy and having fun.
PBIS Reset
Having students line up to transition has decreased the students playing in the halls and late to class. Each grade has been asked to provide the principals with the names of students refusing to line up and transition with everyone else and are thus still late to class. These students are also being caught in hall sweeps. When your child is caught in a hall sweep you receive a talking points message from the office.
We are now turning our focus to resetting routines and expectations inside the classroom. Each classroom teacher has printed a classroom expectation matrix and posted it next to their door. These expectations have been gone over with students.
Thank you for all your support during the 1st quarter of school. I hope to see many of you at the Fall Festival on Thursday!
Principal Emerson
Hall Pass and Restroom Policy
There have been multiple parent concerns recently regarding the school restroom and hall pass policy. Every Monday, Buckeye students receive a hall pass on a bright colored piece of paper. The hall passes are to be hole punched and in their student binders which it is an expectation that the students are carrying to be prepared for class. The hall passes have an AM and PM pass for the students to use daily. Students are not required to use a pass to go to the restroom before school or at lunch. Thus they have 4 times a day they are able to go to the restroom without an escort. If a student does not have a pass, they must have a security escort to use the restroom. If your child has a medical reason that they need to have access to unlimited passes, please provide Nurse Moore with a doctor's note and she will coordinate a plan with the staff.
Cell Phone Policy
Buckeye is a No Phone Zone
In compliance with Ohio House Bill 250, signed into law in May 2024, Columbus City Schools Board of Education has adopted Policy 5136.02 that prohibits student cell phones or any personal electronic devices that function like cell phones at all times during the instructional day. The objective of this policy is to increase the focus on learning, cultivate a strong foundation of knowledge, and foster a sense of community within our schools while eliminating distractions within the learning environment.
To comply, Buckeye Middle School will implement the following:
Students will NOT be allowed to have cell phones or any personal electronic devices with them during the instructional day.
Upon arrival to 1st period, students will place their cell phone into lock boxes provided by the school.
Lock boxes will remain secured until the end of the instructional day. Students will be able to retrieve their cell phone prior to dismissal.
Exceptions will only be made for documented health needs (see school nurse).
Violations of this policy will result in progressive discipline.
WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY LOST OR STOLEN CELL PHONES OR OTHER ELECTRONICS (i.e. EAR BUDS/PODS, HEADPHONES, SMART WATCHES, ETC) THAT ARE NOT TURNED IN DURING 1st PERIOD OR UPON ARRIVAL TO SCHOOL.
We appreciate your support in helping us create a distraction-free, inclusive environment aligned with the state law and board policy!
8th Grade Updates
Message from 8th Grade Teachers
Please check your student's gradebook to ensure they have their work turned in before the end of the quarter. All 8th grade students were given an incentive tracker for all of the incentives we will have this year. Students are working towards the 8th grade promotion ceremony, the cookout, the 8th grade formal, and our field trips this year.
Students cannot have more than 6 Fs for the entire year and should have no more than 1 F per class. Students also cannot have more than 7 behavior referrals that result in PEAK, ISS or OSS which they are able to track on their tracker. To attend our field trips, students must also have 90% attendance and meet the grade and behavior expectations as well.
Please review your students' grades to ensure they are on track for our fun plans this year!
The 8th Grade Teachers
Upcoming Events
PBIS Updates and Focus
October focus: Be Responsible
The PBIS incentive for the month of October is a Panther Party on October 30th. We are focusing on Be Responsible. Students are expected to bring their binder and pencils to all classes. Binder checks will be completed throughout the day. Students who do not have a binder, need to let their 1st period teacher know so one can be given to them.
Nurse Moore's Corner
Hello, my name is Sarah Moore and I am the School Nurse at Buckeye Middle School. I am in the building Monday-Friday, here to assist your student with medical needs. If your child needs medical services at school, please contact the me via the main office or email smoore5@columbus.k12.oh.us. I look forward to a healthy year!
Columbus Public Health Flu Clinic at Buckeye October 13th
Columbus Public Health is partnering with your Buckeye MS to offer a flu vaccine clinic onsite. This vaccine clinic will offer the flu vaccine at NO COST to all eligible students.
A completed consent form is required to have your child vaccinated. The form can be submitted by paper at the school or online. This onsite vaccine clinic will enable your student to receive disease-preventing vaccines at school, minimizing disruptions to their school day and/or your workday. Staying up to date on your students’ vaccines is the best way to keep them safe from preventable diseases. Consent forms will be sent home with your child or go to the online consent link below. Please have consent forms completed and returned to Nurse Moore by October 8th.
Health Screening Information
As part of the Health Services of Columbus City Schools, and in fulfillment of Ohio Law 3313.69, school nurses conduct periodic student health screenings. The screenings include height, weight, vision, hearing, and dental. The school nurse performs various screenings for all 7th grade students, all students new to the district and in special needs.
Health screenings have begun and continue through the end of the school year. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the screening, please contact Nurse Moore
Keep Your Family’s Health Insurance
Some Medicaid rules are changing. If your family gets health insurance through AmeriHealth Caritas, Anthem, Buckeye Health Plan, CareSource, Humana, Molina, or UnitedHealthcare, make sure Ohio Medicaid has your current phone number and address.
You may get information through mail, email, or phone calls about keeping your health insurance or finding out if you still qualify.
You can update your information in 3 ways:
- Online: Go to ssp.benefits.ohio.gov, sign in or create an account, and update your information.
- By Phone: Call (800) 324-8680 and talk with someone at the Ohio Medicaid Consumer Hotline.
- In Person: Visit your county's Job and Family Services Office.
Keeping your contact information up to date helps make sure you get important information about your family's health insurance.
NCH School Clinic
The Nationwide Children’s Hospital School Based Health Clinic is returning to Buckeye. They will be in the building weekly on Mondays and Tuesdays. Please reach out to Nurse Moore if your child needs an appointment. See attached flyer for services provided and QR Code to Online Consent.
For Your Calendars:
Please see the events below already on our school calendar to mark on yours as "save the dates."
Thursday, October 15 - House Sorting for Students
Thursday, October 15 - Fall Festival
Thursday, October 15 - End of Quarter 1
Friday, October 16 - Professional Development Day (students not in attendance)
Monday, October 19 - Teacher Record's Day (students not in attendance)
Tuesday, October 20 - Parent Teacher Conferences
Monday, October 26 - Picture Day
October 23-30 - House Spirit Week
October 30 - Panther Party
Tuesday, November 3 - District PD Day @ Buckeye (students not in attendance)
Friday, November 20 - Career Fair 10:30-2pm
November 23-27 - Wellness Week (all schools closed)
Thursday, December 10 - Holiday Band, Choir and Art Show
CCS Mission Statement: Each student is highly educated, prepared for leadership and service, and empowered for success as a citizen in a global community.
Learn from yesterday. Live for today. Hope for tomorrow.
At Buckeye, we do not expect our scholars to be perfect, but we expect them to learn from their mistakes and consistently improve themselves academically, socially, and emotionally. We expect them to not only show up, but to be present and engaged in their learning. We expect them to dream big, goal set to reach those dreams and learn to monitor and adjust when they are not meeting expectations toward their goals.
Contact Administration:
Jodie Emerson (8th Grade Administrator) jemerson@columbus.k12.oh.us
Anthony Smith (6-7th Grade Administrator) asmith4@columbus.k12.oh.us