Natchitoches Jr. High School

The Talking Drum-Newsletter

Bullying stops here 🚫

At Natchitoches Jr. High, we're committed to creating safe, respectful, and inclusive schools for every student. Bullying of any kind is not tolerated in our district, and we are actively working to prevent, address, and stop it.

Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior involving a real or perceived power imbalance. It can be:
💢Physical: hitting, pushing, taking belongings
💬Verbal: name-calling, teasing, threats
👥Social: spreading rumors, excluding others
📱Cyberbullying: using devices, social media, or texting to harass or intimidate

If you see it, report it immediately. Together, we can make a difference.

🔗 Visit our Student Services webpage for reporting forms, policies, and additional helpful resources: npsb.la/page/student-services

#NPSB #StopBullying #SafeSchools #TogetherWeCan

The first week of school is here, and we can't wait to welcome our students back tomorrow! 🎉

Kick off the year with the latest issue of The Talking Drum — your go-to NJH newsletter for important info, upcoming events, and helpful tips to start strong.

#NJH #WhereEverybodyIsSomebody #TalkingDrum #BackToSchool #WelcomeBack

Mark your calendars!📣
We’re excited to welcome all NJH families to our Open House on Tuesday, August 5 from 5–6:30PM at our new location: 📍800 Koonce Street

✅ Meet the new Principal, Mr. Bobby Benjamin , meet your child’s teachers, visit classrooms and explore campus, complete iPad registration with staff assistance and pick up class schedules before the first day!

Let’s get ready together for an amazing school year!📚

#NJH #OpenHouse #BackToSchool #NatchitochesJuniorHigh

Check out the first issue of The Talking Drum — our NJH newsletter! 📣🥁
Get tips for a great start to the school year, important event dates, and a special welcome from Principal Bobby Benjamin, Jr.

#NJH #WhereEverybodyIsSomebody #TalkingDrum #BackToSchool

Reminder we have no school today!

As a reminder, all Natchitoches Parish School Board Schools and Offices will be closed tomorrow, November 5th, for election day. All schools and offices will reopen on Wednesday, November 6th.

Making a difference! We adopted the Natchitoches Skating Rink on December 20th for PBIS Awards to celebrate our 7th & 8th grade students and their achievements. They worked really hard!! Congratulations to all the students!

Natchitoches Junior High JAG officers delivered The Polar Express book(s) to the students at L.P. Vaughn. Books courtesy of our Instructional Specialists Mrs. Theriot & Mrs. Prelow. ❄️

The NJH Student Council sponsored a Deck the Doors contest in December. Mrs. King's creative homeroom won a Hot Chocolate and S'mores party for their festive door. ☕️🍫

Tis' The Season 🎁 This past week, students participated in a free raffle drawing sponsored by our JAG program. Our four winners received a bicycle just in time for the holiday season! Congratulations to our winners, Nakayra Smith, Jaylin Williams, Khalil Seymore, and Kelis Pier! Thank you to Mrs. Rainwater, and your JAG program, for sponsoring this amazing event for our students. Happy Holidays! 🎄🎁

Thank you to the Cane River Branch Magnolia State Peace Officers Association for the generous donation to the NJHS Student Success Closet. We truly appreciate your kind hearts and your consideration for our school.

Winter wonderland at NJHS ❄️⛄️ Joy is here as we prepare to celebrate the holidays. Check out our cool window splash paintings painted by our 7th and 8th-grade students, and our one and only, Mr. Alford. Merry early Christmas from NJHS 🎄

Tis’ the season at NJHS! 🎄Our fabulous Nurse Wren, or should we say Elf of the Shelf, is awaiting the holidays in her cozy gingerbread house. Not only does she tend to our amazing students, she treats Santa’s reindeer as well. Check out their cool names! 🎄🩺

Congratulations to our hardworking and dedicated faculty, staff, and students for their continuous contribution to the growth and success of our school. School attendance is one key to success at school and is defined as attending school daily and on time. Additionally, providing incentives that recognize positive behaviors contribute to keeping students in school and helps improve the climate for learning. Our restorative justice program, implemented during the 21-22 school year, uses restorative approaches that support the idea that when we feel part of a supportive community, we respect others in that community and become accountable to it. This creates a sense of community through daily or weekly circles in WIN or in any class. Let’s continue to promote positive attendance and behavior initiatives throughout this school year!🏆

The NJHS Boys to Men Club dressed to impress for the Christmas Gala hosted by NSU. Thank you Mr. Thomas for your leadership, direction, mentorship, and dedication to our students.

The NJHS robotics team had the opportunity to participate in Northwestern State University’s Department of Engineering Technology Fall 2022 Robotics Competition. Our students were amongst all middle schools within a 200 mile radius of Natchitoches and participated in building a robot, along with coding the movements of the robot. Congratulations to our future engineers on their participation in this amazing competition. Thank you to our Robotics teacher, Mr. Thomas, for supporting our students throughout this process. We are so proud!!

NJHS Student of the Year 🏆 Student of the year is our way of spotlighting a student whose actions embody the values of our organization above and beyond anyone else’s. Our panel of judges carefully selected one stand out student and has awarded them with this very special honor. We are extremely proud to announce that our NJHS student of the year is Delilah Jackson!! Congratulations!

NJH Picture Day 📸 We are excited to have Lifetouch Photography take school portraits on Wednesday, December 14th. Information on how to purchase portraits will be shared that day. Your child’s portrait is something that will be cherished for years to come. Yearbooks will be available for purchasing Spring 2023 for $25.