Spartan Spirit

February 2012

From the Guidance Department…by Pam Rosfeld

College Planning
College Planning Night for Juniors and their Parents is Thursday, February 9, at 7 p.m. in the RBHS auditorium. Please plan to attend to learn about the ever-changing college admission process. We will address the ACT/SAT, college visits, applying to college, and scholarship searches. The requirements have changed for colleges that were previously considered “open-access”, and selective colleges have moved up application deadlines, so we want our students to be timely and competitive.

College Planning for Seniors
Seniors should complete and file their FAFSA’s as soon as possible. If you missed our Financial Aid Night on January 5th, College Goal Sunday will take place on February 12 at various locations, including the campuses of Cincinnati State, UC Clermont, Beckfield College (Tri-county campus) and Miami Hamilton. College Financial Aid Counselors will be available to help students and parents complete the FAFSA. You should bring all 2011 tax return information, as well as a driver’s license and Social Security card. Register online at www.ohiocollegegoalsunday.org. or by calling 1-888-833-1133.

Ohio Graduation Tests Set for March
Sophomores will take the Ohio Graduation Tests (OGT) March 12-16. The order of tests that week will be Monday - Reading, Tuesday - Math, Wednesday - Writing, Thursday - Science, and Friday - Social Studies. Any juniors or seniors who have not yet passed all sections of the test will take the required test(s) that week also. Students must pass all sections of the tests before they can receive a high school diploma. Teachers have been reviewing the material with their students, and we look forward to another year of excellent results! If a student misses any tests that week, they must do a make-up test the following week.

Schedules for 2012-2013
Scheduling for the 2012-13 school year begins in late-February. If you have questions about the placement level of your child at this time, or want to discuss the possibility of them moving up to a higher level next year, please contact their current teacher. For descriptions of all courses, the Course Registration Guide is posted online on the guidance webpage.

From Community Outreach…by Dan Nolan

March for Life
On Saturday, January 21, 48 juniors and seniors were accompanied by six chaperones – Mrs. Bissmeyer, Mrs. Brummett, Mrs. Huerkamp, Bro. Roger Lopez, Mr. Schad, and Mrs.Wilking – and traveled to Washington, D.C., for the March for Life. They began their trip from St. Clement Church following a Mass that was concelebrated by the pastor, Fr. Fred Link, and our President, Fr. Bill Farris. This is the twenty-fourth year that a group from Roger Bacon has participated in this event to protest the Supreme Court’s Roe vs. Wade decision that legalized abortion.

In Washington, the students attended a Mass at the Verizon Center and then marched to the Mall to demonstrate against abortion. During their stay, our students also had the opportunity to visit the National Monuments at night, the Smithsonian and Holocaust museums, and Arlington National Cemetery to observe the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. They arrived back at Roger Bacon High School at 2 a.m. on Tuesday, January 24.

Bacon Buddies
The January event was held at the Fun Factory with the third, fourth, and fifth graders from Saint Francis Seraph. This month’s event will be held on February 9 in Roger Bacon’s cafeteria from 3-to-4:30 p.m. for kindergartners, first-graders, and second-graders. There will be a magic show from the Amazing Portable Circus and a party. If interested, please sign-up outside the Outreach Office.

Campus Ministry News
The Pastoral Care Team has been busy planning events for the celebration of Catholic Schools Week from January 30 to February 3. Some of the events for the week are a volleyball game on Monday between the seniors and the faculty & staff, free ice cream treats during Wednesday’s lunch, and a school supplies drive to benefit Saint Francis Seraph School. The week will conclude with an All School Liturgy on Friday, February 3 at 8 a.m. at St. Clement Church. All parents are welcome to attend this mass. Fr. Frank Jasper, Vicar-Provincial of St. John the Baptist Province, will preside at this liturgy, which will be followed by coffee and donuts in our cafeteria.

Geometry Class Creates Kites…by Kyle Nobbe

Students in Mr. Nobbe’s geometry class took to the sky this quarter by creating their own kites. As the class discussed the geometry of parallelograms, they were asked to design a box kite that incorporated the basic features of that figure.

Students used dowel rods for the frame of the kite, and holes were drilled into bottle caps to hold the frame together at the corners. Nobbe said, “Later in the school year, we’ll revisit these designs in our discussion of surface area, perimeter, and volume as it relates to 3-D figures.”

Through the project, students were able to recognize how the lengths of sides and the angles formed by those sides affect the shape of their kites. Taylor Edwards, a junior, said, “I didn’t realize how accurate the angles and sides need to be to create a parallelogram. We had to make sure they were the right size by using the concepts we learned in class.”

The students will have a chance to test their construction and kite flying skills later in the year when the summer winds begin to blow.

Recycle, Reduce, & Reuse…by Megan Guldner

Whatever you do for the environment is a step in the right direction! Roger Bacon’s very own Trashless Trio has put together this one-stop information letter. Many of us want to do the right thing – become and remain a good steward of our Earth. Often, however, we do not know where to begin or if our small contribution will matter. Please know that whatever you do for our environment is a step in the right direction. Here are some things to consider:
1. Begin at home by recycling what you can.
a. Contact your trash provider to obtain recycling barrels. If you live within the city of Cincinnati, you already have recycling provided to you. If you do not have recycling barrels, call to get one.
b. Rumpke site is: http://www.rumpke.com/
c. City of Cincinnati waste site is: http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/pubsrv/pages/-4159-/ 
d. Paper, aluminum, metal cans, glass, aerosol cans, and glass may all be recycled into these recycling containers.
e. We recycle all these at Roger Bacon. If you separate these from your trash but do not have recycling at home, consider making a trip to our back lot to deposit your recycling. Our paper and aluminum recycling earn money for Roger Bacon that is used to support our environmental efforts.
f. Composting is another great way to reduce your waste and your carbon signature. When you keep compostable waste from landfills you reduce the amount of CO2 that your waste puts into our atmosphere. Hamilton County is a great resource for composting information. The website is http://www.hamiltoncountyrecycles.org/  
i. Roger Bacon composts the waste from the cafeteria and that generated by faculty and staff during the day. Last year we reduced our Roger Bacon Carbon Signature by in excess of 75,000 pounds!
ii. If you want any help on how to begin, contact mguldner@rogerbacon.org  
g. Keep Cincinnati Beautiful is a wonderful resource for help too. To contact KCB: http://www.keepcincinnatibeautiful.org/  
2. Pay attention to the items you throw away. These items end up in our landfills. Many items contain toxic material that should never end up in our Earth or contain valuable compounds that are required for recycling into new items.
a. Electronic trash, such as old TVs, computers, cameras, cell phones, fax machines, printers, scanners, etc, contain precious metals that can be reclaimed to use in other new electronic items.
i. If you have any items that you no longer will use, but they still work, please consider donating them to an area donation center like Goodwill or St. Vincent DePaul.
ii. If you have any these items that no longer work, consider recycling to our Chemistry Club or contact Hamilton for disposal information. A collection center is located at the bottom of Winton Road at Springdale. The website for Hamilton county is http://www.hamiltoncountyrecycles.org/  
b. Batteries should never be thrown away. Batteries contain materials that can be reclaimed. These items also contain toxic material that leeches from landfills into our water table. This pollutes what should be a pristine water source for our consumption. The Roger Bacon Chemistry Club accepts old batteries for recycling. Please collect these and send them to school with your student.
3. Roger Bacon Senate is collecting old cell phones that are no longer being used. Please consider sending them to school with your student for donation to a worthy program. The donated phones will be donated to the Mobile Medic program.
a. The website is: http://medicmobile.org/  
b. This organization uses these phones with computer software they have developed to provide many developing nations with phone & computer service to provide better healthcare to the people in those areas.
4. Roger Bacon Planeteers! This environmental club is working to help our efforts to recycle. They are responsible for the paper, aluminum, and single-stream recycling at school. They also are involved in Terracycle – a program dedicated to recycling such things as snack & candy bags/wrappers. They are currently working with the Cincinnati Zoo on a wonderful project. Visit them at the Roger Bacon website: http://www.supportrb.com/newsite/planeteers.html  or knobbe@rogerbacon.org  
5. Roger Bacon Chemistry Club! This club is instrumental in helping recycle electronic waste. The club accepts such E-waste as laptops, cell phones, cameras, inkjet cartridges, radar detectors, ipods, game station systems/components, & GPS units. So don’t throw out a broken electronic component – recycle it! Contact: mbenjamin@rogerbacon.org
6. The cafeteria staff! This group of exceptional ladies, led by Michelle Peters, is doing a phenomenal job helping us reduce our trash to landfill. The cafeteria is no longer using plastic tableware or Styrofoam. (Styrofoam NEVER breaks down – it remains in landfills forever.) They are now using disposable bowls that may be composted. They are using paper plates that can be placed into the paper recycling (even with food mess on them).
7. The Trashless Trio! The Trashless Trio is this year’s team from Roger Bacon participating in Polar Bear International’s contest to make a difference in our environment. The team has a webpage on the Roger Bacon site. Please take the time to view our site and see what these students are doing to help make a difference. http://www.supportrb.com/newsite/project_polar_bear.html. 

The team invites you to keep up with all Roger Bacon’s efforts to make our school, our city, our world a better place. Think about how all our students, faculty, and staff make the conscious choice everyday to recycle, reuse, and reduce. Do it for life!

Playing with Garbage…by Kyle Nobbe

Over the past three months, members of the Roger Bacon Planeteers, the school’s ecology club, partnered with the Cincinnati Zoo on a project to engage the community in responsibly disposing of waste. Everything we use from paper towels and coffee cups to food scraps and grocery bags need to be disposed of in an appropriate and environmentally responsible way.

RB senior Michelle Angel was the heart behind this project. Her enthusiasm for the environment and her mission to be a good steward to the Earth inspired all of the Planeteers to put their passions to work. The students spent four weeks recording everything they disposed of each day. The results were then analyzed to determine which items could be reused or recycled, which could be composted, and which would end up in a landfill.

The Planeteers then discussed alternative items that could be used in place of the products that went to the landfill. Styrofoam cups could be replaced with reusable cups, paper and plastic plates and utensils could be traded for washable ones, and consumers could purchase products made from mostly recycled materials. With an awareness of where their waste was going, the members of the club then designed a mosaic to reflect what our world could look like if all our waste was reused or recycled.

Along with the art piece, the students researched places in the Cincinnati area that reuse or recycle various materials. They incorporated this information into the design of the project for visitors to the zoo to see. Kyle Nobbe, the club’s moderator said, “We need to move away from our current ‘throw away’ culture into one that promotes sustainability and conservation. I’m proud of our kids for being willing to modify their habits in an effort to keep our earth clean.”

From the Bottom of the Pool…by Paul “Doc” Wittekind

Underwater Hockey Summer Camp
In June 2012, the Roger Bacon High School Underwater Hockey Team will host its sixth annual Roger Bacon Underwater Hockey summer camp for incoming 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students and incoming Roger Bacon freshmen. Current junior high students will have fun learning the fundamentals of the exciting sport of underwater hockey. The camp will be from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday, June 11 through Friday, June 15, 2012. The camp will be held at Xavier University in the O’Connor Sports Center pool. The cost is $50, and checks should be made payable to “Roger Bacon High School.”  If any Roger Bacon family will have an incoming sixth, seventh, or, eighth grade student who loves to swim and who would like to try underwater hockey, please contact Coach Paul “Doc” Wittekind at underwaterhockey@rogerbacon.org for information and details about this summer’s underwater hockey summer camp. The camp brochure can be found at http://www.supportrb.com/newsite/pdf/2012%20UWH%20Camp%20Brochure.pdf.  See you in the pool!

From the Advancement Office…by Judy Guillem

Ole’ Barcelona!
Evening for Excellence is April 21!
You are invited to join us as Roger Bacon and the Evening for Excellence travel to the Costa del Sol and the beautiful city of Barcelona, Spain! The Evening for Excellence is Roger Bacon’s dinner auction and the school’s largest fundraising event. The night includes beautiful music, great food, a variety of drinks and cocktails plus the company of fellow parents, friends, alumni and supporters. Guests can buy tickets to win one of the amazing baskets at the Basket Boutique or purchase a surprise bag of goodies from EFE Surprise, take a chance on winning a piece of jewelry from Bubbles and Baubles, or bid on the items at the Silent Auction. Everyone will enjoy the fun and excitement of the live auction. We hope you make plans to attend this magical evening or help by volunteering your time, donating a gift or attend a gift party. Proceeds from the Evening for Excellence benefit our scholarship and financial aid fund plus provides money for our technology program. For more information, contact Chris Bissmeyer in the Advancement Office at 641-1313, or email at cbissmeyer@rogerbacon.org.

Volunteers for Evening for Excellence For any event to be a success many hands are needed. There are many opportunities to help, beginning with building stage sets to working a booth the night of the event. If you are interested in volunteering or would like additional information please contact Chris Bissmeyer 641-1313, or email at cbissmeyer@rogerbacon.org or Judy Guillem jguillem@hotmail.com.

February 8 is RB Night at Finneytown Buffalo Wings and Rings
Stop by and join fellow RB friends, families and supporters at the Rose Family’s Buffalo Wings and Rings Restaurant. The turnout was great for the first two RB Nights and we thank you for your support. We hope that you will be able to stop by for our next RB Night on February 8, from 5-8p.m. There is a wide selection of tasty meals to select from including wings, burgers, salads and wraps. The atmosphere is lively with familiar faces, both old and new. Come on out for a fun evening all the while supporting RB and the Evening for Excellence, our school’s largest fundraising event. A portion of the proceeds from the evening will benefit our scholarship and financial aid fund. Mark your calendar for additional Roger Bacon Nights – April 11 and June 13. Buffalo Wings and Rings is located on Winton Road next to the Brentwood Plaza Kroger’s and behind Chipotles.

"Shop 'til You Drop!" Vendor Fair is February 11, 2012
Roger Bacon High School is happy to announce its first annual “Shop ‘Til You Drop” fundraiser from 3-7 p.m. at Roger Bacon. This fun-filled afternoon is a unique showcase of home-based businesses, food and shopping. You and your friends will have an opportunity to browse over 27 different vendor tables offering everything from jewelry and make-up to treats for your pets. Save the date for this relaxing day of refreshments and nibbles, visiting with friends and viewing all of the great items for sale.

St. Patrick's Day Bunko is on Saturday, March 10 in the Cafeteria
Do you think you have the luck of the Irish? Join us for a fun night at Roger Bacon’s Cafeteria on Saturday, March 10 for a girl’s night out. If you don't know Bunko don't worry...it's easy to learn and lots of laughs. Food, drinks, prizes, and fun costs just $25 by March 5, or $30 at the door.

From the Athletic Department…by Liz Wilking

Athletic Booster Dates
Wednesday, February 15, Booster Meeting, Fogarty Conference Room, 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, February 18, Cornhole Classic, Auditorium 6:30 p.m.

Cornhole Classic
Mark your calendars! Save the date! Saturday, February 18 is the 10th Annual Roger Bacon Athletic Department Cornhole Classic. Check in and practice begins at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium.   PRE- REGISTRATION ONLY – DEADLINE IS FEBRUARY 10.   Access the registration form at www.rogerbacon.org. Cost is $50 per team, $15 per spectator. Beer and food included. Any questions, contact John Hoeh at 505.8969 or jphoeh@hotmail.com.  All participants and spectators must be 21 years old to attend.

Sports Stag
Thank you to all the supporters of the 42nd Annual Sports Stag. A special thanks to the volunteers and the RB coaching staff. Butch Jones, this year’s Tom Roebel Good Fellowship Award honoree and Charlie Fredrick, this year’s Bron Bacevich Award recipient, engaged the audience and entertained all in attendance. Congratulations to all of our 2012 Hall of Fame inductees: Mike Stoll ’70, Rick Bierman ’82, Jim Huxel ’86 and Brandon McIntosh ‘98. Jeff Piecoro held court as Toastmaster for the evening. We look forward to seeing everyone at Sports Stag 2013 on January 17, 2013. Save the date!

Winter Sports Volunteers
The Athletic Department would also like to thank those parents who have worked the girls’ and boys’ basketball games, wrestling tournaments, and swim meets so far this season. Because of your efforts, things have run very smoothly.

Try-outs for Spring Sports
Try-outs and practices for all spring sports will begin soon. For athletes interested in participating in baseball or softball, February 20 is the start date. Track and field, boys’ volleyball, or boys’ tennis will begin on Monday, March 5. All athletes are reminded that a current waiver and physical form must be on file for any athletic participation, including try-outs. In addition, those athletes who make any of the above teams will be required to pay a $200 participation fee, unless this is an athlete’s third sport of the year or the family maximum of $600 has been met. For specific information about your sport of interest, please contact the coach listed below:

Baseball – Mr. Tim McCoy 513.846.4500
Softball – Mr. Dick Arszman: 513.607-4360
Track & field – Mr. Michael Braun 513.460.7438
Boys’ volleyball – Mr. Adam Goller: 513.300-8779
Boys’ tennis – Mr. Fred Widmeyer 513.404.9875

Kroger Rewards Card
Don’t forget to load your Kroger Reward Card. Each time you load your card, we earn Kroger Reward dollars. Remember, you must pre-load the card. Ask your cashier or service desk attendant. They will be happy to help. If you need a card, contact the Athletic Department.

Calendar

Feb 03: School Mass ("Mass" Schedule) @ St. Clement
Feb 07: Early Dismissal ("F" Schedule)
Feb 09: College Planning Night (juniors/parent)
Bacon Buddies - Valentine Party & Dance
Feb 10: PTA After Prom Dress Down Day
Feb. 11: "Shop 'til You Drop!" Vendor Fair in Roger Bacon Auditorium
Feb14: Respect Life's Valentine Bingo
Feb 20: No School - Presidents' Day
Feb 22 - 24: Kairos Retreat at Marydale
Feb 22: "Mass" Schedule - Ash Wednesday
Feb 27: Blood Drive