Let me be the first this school year to welcome you to Ramstein High School, Home of the Royals! At the beginning of the school year, we hold a new student orientation. This year’s orientation is scheduled for August 23 from 1100 hrs. to 1200 hrs. Parents are more than welcome to attend this orientation. During the orientation students are welcomed primarily by student members of our Student 2 Student transition team; Student 2 Student also conducts tours of the building and sets up “buddies” throughout the year beyond orientation. Several members of the faculty, guidance office and administration also participate in this first orientation in order to review the important things to know about attending Ramstein High School. We created a welcome video which is posted on SchoolTube. The all-school Open House is scheduled this year for August 30 from 1600-1800 hrs.
Schedules are typically provided on the first day of school; this year that first day falls on Monday, August 27. Students report to their designated grade level distribution point; signage and volunteers guide the way as students make their way in from the parking lot. Students who have not been registered/re-registered are delayed. Their sponsors are called to resolve these issues before schedules are created.
Each day the 0805 hrs. bell signals a reminder to students to go to their first class. On the first day of school we follow a bell schedule that allows students see all of their teachers. We call this a Purple Day. After the first day, we revert to our normal block schedule, alternating Blue/Red Days. Students have four classes on a Blue Day and four classes on a Red day. The days alternate throughout the school year.
Sports Activities: We offer football, golf, cross country, tennis, cheerleading, and women’s volleyball for the fall. The other sports seasons’ activities are listed on our website under the Student Activities link. You will also find a list of extra-curricular activities there. Every student who wishes to participate in sports must have a physical on file and maintain academic eligibility. Grade checks are conducted weekly. Physicals remain in effect for 12 months.
Please review the Student Handbook. Student agendas with handbook highlights are sold at cost during orientation and throughout the year by the PTSO. We keep test dates, dress codes, discipline information, graduation requirements, and a host of other information in our Student Handbook. Parents are highly encouraged to review this handbook with the student. It is an expectation that the handbook has been reviewed. We will go over significant parts of the handbook during grade level meetings, but parents should be aware of information as well. It is updated annually in early September.
The school has an active Administrative Study Group that meets weekly to provide assistance to students who are having academic difficulty. Parents who would like to refer their teen to the ASG can do so by contacting any guidance counselor. The Student Support Team and administration keeps a running record of all students who have more than two D's or F's during mid term and quarterly marking periods, or who have less than a 2.0 cumulative grade point average. We collect and compile data on this focus group and try to identify individual roadblocks to their success. The team is proactive and highly involved.
There is a single lunch schedule from 12:40-1:30 p.m. We have a limited open campus policy: Juniors and Seniors are allowed to go to Burger King, the KMCC food court or the commissary. Students who reside on Ramstein Air Base can obtain a permission form from the Main Office to go home for lunch. Freshmen and Sophomores who restricted to the school grounds for lunch unless they have that home pass. AAFES does provide lunch in our cafeteria, and students should have money on their accounts to pay for their lunch. You can put money on your student's lunch accounts at the AAFES customer service center in the BX or on-line once the account has been activated.
Parents can monitor the progress of their student weekly by accessing the on-line electronic gradebook, GradeSpeed. We provide access information to all parents and students each year.
During the course of the year, problems can arise. Please address problems at the lowest possible level. Your child should attempt to resolve issues with his/her teacher as the first order. Parents who wish to advocate for their child should first meet with the teacher and try to resolve the issue. If the issue cannot be resolved with the teacher, then involve guidance and/or administration. Using the Chain of Command is an expectation in the military and in DoDDS.When parents call the hotline, the District Office, or the director, the issue is generally returned to the school for resolution. We will make every attempt to resolve the issue at the school level.
The School Liaison Officers are Ms. Ladonna Abdullah (480-9374/75) and Ms. Lynn Rice (493-4123). Both serve as direct intermediaries between the school and the military community. In addition, Ms. Abdullah’s office is the agent for the USDA’s free and reduced lunch program. Contact her office for more information on this program.
Homework is necessary and required by most teachers. We often find in ASG that students who are doing poorly in classes are not completing homework or studying for tests. Please make sure that your students study daily, that they have an area designated for study and that they turn off the Facebook, IM, MySpace, Gaming Website, Wii, X-Box, DS, online catalogue and cell phone, etc. If they tell you they did it all at school, give them the "look."
Greg A. Hatch, Principal