

The Weekly Update #5
August 13, 2023

PROTECT THE DEN!!
Mission and Vision
VISION
All Living the Pursuit of Excellence for Lifetime Achievement
MISSION
The Mission of CGUHSD is to inspire excellence by providing globally competitive educational and career opportunities for all students
Message From the Principal
Good evening Cougar Nation… this week I bring you a very lengthy, but important update. Please take a few minutes and read through this document, there is a tremendous amount of important information for all students and parents. I continue to humbly ask for the opportunity to earn your trust. You will always receive accurate, honest, timely, and concise information from me. I have created a "Back To School"website where you can get a lot of important information. Parking, schedule changes, etc can all be found here.
All Casa Grande Union students who drive to school must have their parking permit displayed either on your front windshield or back window.
Deadline was Friday, August 11.
Parking violations will be cited, and fines will be assessed at the rate of $5.00/day and per violation.
Please be responsible and get your $25.00 parking permit. YOU MUST PARK IN ASSIGNED SPACES.
This week we inducted our deserving students into the National Honor Society! Congratulations students and parents!! PHOTO BELOW
Two weeks ago our administrative team met with all students to review our behavioral expectations, please click here to see the topics we reviewed.
As this semester continues to move forward, there are a number of important items that I want to share. Please remember that Mrs. Clement, Mr. Raymond, Mrs. Telles, Dr. Johnson, Mr. Robbins, and Dr. Gardner and I remain available to assist you in any way that we can.
Protect the Den!
Dr. Chris Lineberry
Principal
Casa Grande Union High School
AVID
Great news! We now have 1 full class period of AVID being offered. If you are interested, see your counselors asap so that we can form a second class. For more information on our course offering and the AVID program you can click here and view a video here:n What AVID is
Cell Phones
Nationally, there has been a significant spike in cyberbullying and classroom disruptions from cell phones in the classroom. We know that teen mental health continues to decline across the country from excessive screen time and social media. You can read some of the latest research on this important topic here. Our policy is OFF AND AWAY (Cell phones and Earbuds) during classtime.If there are extenuating circumstances, ex. diabetes and need to monitor, a caregiver with severe illness, etc please send Mr. Raymond an email and he and our staff will work with you to come to a solution.
Between classes and at lunch, there is no problem with students having their phones out or listening to music with their earpods, etc.
Student Fines / Fees
Students must pay any and all fines / fees in order to participate in the graduation ceremony. Any student fines or fees can be paid online. Students can purchase parking passes, pay class fees, technology fines, etc. All of this should be done online. You can access the payment center by doing the following:
You will need a PowerSchool Parent Portal account to access TouchBase.
If you don’t have a PowerSchool Parent Portal account, please call your
student's school office to get an account set up.
Please sign into to PowerSchool to access TouchBase. The steps below
can only be done using an internet browser such as Google Chrome, Internet
Explorer, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Safari, Android browser, etc. (computer, tablet, smartphone) and CANNOT be done using the Powerschool Mobile App.
- Sign in to PowerSchool.
- Once signed in, click the icon in the left panel labeled Purchases and Payments (see image on left).
You will immediately be taken to TouchBase without having to sign in.
This Weeks Challenges
UPDATE : We are in process of sending an email to all 11th and 12th grade students and parents in which we lay out the number of credits that each student has. We also included the criteria for being moved to intensive credit recovery. Please take a few minutes to discuss your child's credit situation with them and then watch this video that explains everything regarding credit recovery. We have 280 sophomores who also need credit recovery, we will be reaching out to you all this week as well.
Information
We have faced and are in process of overcoming multiple challenges as we begin the school year. We have overcome the challenge for the most part that was our schedule, and our challenge in the parking lot has subsided substantially. We are now facing a few more challenges, one of which is a daunting challenge that is going to require the understanding, grace, and willingness of every stakeholder in our school community: students who are behind in credits. Our second challenge right now is student behavior, specifically vaping and aggression. Let me explain where we are with each, the WHY behind our challenges, and our plan to address these areas of challenge immediately.
Student Credits
In order to graduate our students need to earn a total of 22 credits. Currently, we have 776 students who are in 10th, 11th, and 12th grade that are behind in credits: nearly half of the student population in those respective grade levels. Of those students, we have over 200 who will not graduate on time (112 seniors, 51 juniors, and 43 5th and 6th year students) without intensive intervention. How did we get to this point? I do not have a definitive answer for that, as our administrative team is new to this campus, but what I can tell you is that as the principal and the leader it is my responsibility, and we must address this quickly and effectively.
Plan Moving Forward
Regardless of how we got to this point, this is where we are, and we have to address it. Our students deserve a path to success. I will be rolling out a proposal to our staff on Tuesday to address this issue, once the staff has reviewed our plan, I will then send it out to our parents, students, and community. We will ensure that every student who is willing to do the work and has a desire to graduate on time will have the opportunity, if physically possible, to do so.
Vaping - Repeat from Last Week, However, VERY IMPORTANT
We have had more than 20 incidents of students who have been caught with either THC or nicotine vapes since school started. I do have concern about the amount of THC and nicotine vaping that we have seen on campus in the last few weeks. Parents, please talk with your students about the dangers of THC / vaping on the developing brain.
1. According to Mr. Michael DeLeon, a nationally respected and known speaker, researcher, and film-maker on this topic, Alcohol, Nicotine, and THC use prior to the age of 18 are precursors to heavy drug use and abuse. Not everyone who uses these products will become an addict, but in Mr. DeLeon's research, 100% of addicts he has spoken with have used these three substances prior to age 18.2. Vaping is rampant and widespread nationally among young people.
Parents and students, this is not an issue that is unique to Casa Grande or to Arizona but is a nationwide issue. We need your help. Please talk with your children about these products and help us to help our students kick them to the curb. The absolute best way for our kids to stop this from happening is to not use them at all. One Juul pod, the number one nicotine vape in America, is the equivalent to the nicotine in 20 cigarettes. An Elfbar 5000 contains the amount of nicotine equivalent to 400 cigarettes (we are seeing more and more of these). The majority of THC products that we confiscate on campus are "black market", meaning that they come from unregulated, non-scientific labs whose only objective is to hook and harm our children.
Here is a resource to help guide that conversation.
Moving Forward
We are working to provide a class for students to take on the dangers of vaping for the first offense. Upon completion of the online class we will potentially reduce the original suspension. Additionally, we have purchased vape detectors that will be placed in the restrooms. These detectors will send a text message to security, me, and Mr. Raymond with the location and time, as well as kick the camera on outside of the restroom where this is occurring so we can identify those involved. We are, in accordance with our student handbook discipline matrix, cracking down hard on this violation. Students can receive 10 days suspension for a THC vape and 5 for a nicotine vape on the first offense. Both are illegal for young people under the age of 18. If a student is caught more than once, it is possible to go to a long-term suspension hearing (up to a 365 day suspension). We want our kids in school, we want our kids safe, and we want our kids successful. Don't do it, if you choose to do it, do not bring it to school.
Aggression
Since we began school we have had a multiple instances of aggression (fighting) between students that have resulted in 6 suspensions. Let me be very clear about this, this behavior is absolutely unacceptable on our campus.
Moving Forward
We are acting within the parameters of our student handbook discipline matrix and are suspending students who are involved in fights. Additionally, we have a few cases where, due to the nature of the fight, we are recommending those students involved not be allowed to return to school for up to 365 days. I want to be really clear about this with all of our students, parents, and community members: violence is not an answer to any problem a student may face on our campus. If you fight on the campus of CGUHS you will be suspended and you may receive the any or all of the following consequences dependent on the severity of the altercation: law enforcement contact and criminal charges, short-term suspension, long-term suspension or in the most severe cases expulsion (you may not attend school in an Arizona public school). If you are having a problem with someone on campus, come to an adult and allow us to help you and the other party to solve the problem peacefully and productively.
Student Academic Responsibilities
CGUHS Student Responsibilities 2023 - 24
This school year we will be discussing academic responsibilities at length with all of our students. It is important that students not only familiarize themselves with these responsibilities, but that they practice these responsibilities on a daily basis. We reviewed these expectations with students this week. If students follow the guidelines below, they will experience tremendous success at Casa Grande Union High School.
- Acquire Knowledge of Content - Students understand the content they are learning in class.
- Come Prepared for Class - Students bring the needed materials for class.
- Take Notes - Students accurately and completely take notes.
- Ask Questions - Students ask questions when a lack of understanding occurs.
- Complete Homework - Students complete assignments on time.
- Attend Tutoring/Seek Help - Students attend tutoring or seek help when they need it.
- Attend Regularly - Students attend class regularly and arrive on time.
- Take Assessment Seriously – Students bring their best effort possible on assessments.
- Appropriate Work Ethic/Attitude/Behavior - Students display appropriate work ethic, attitude, and behavior.
- Put cell phones and ear buds off and away while in the classroom
- Be Kind
TRACKING SENIORS TO GRADUATION
Our counselors and Dr. Johnson will be working closely with Mrs. Clement and our students / families to ensure that students are on track to graduate. Seniors must complete 22 credits in order to graduate. Additionally, every senior must take and pass the AZ Civics test, and must complete ECAP (Education and Career Action Plan). This year we will be using the AZ Pipeline program to guide our students through this process. Additional information can be found here. We will be rolling out our ECAP program as well as ensuring that students have opportunities to take and pass the Civics test in the coming weeks.
Student Council
Student Council sponsored Club Rush this week, and as you can see from some of the photos below, it was a big success.
Upcoming Activities this Week
Activities this Week:
It is getting busy at CGUHS!
8/14
Underclass Picture Day in the L Building
8/15
7:30 AM - Senior Class Meeting - Library
Underclass Picture Day - L Building
5:45 PM - 9:00 PM - Marching Band Practice
8/16
Freshman Applications for Student Council Due to F208 (Mrs. Brady)
8:00 - 3:15 - FFA Chapter Officer Visit - L107
1:30 - ESS Meeting - Library
1:30 - Counselor PLC - Library Reference Room
8/17
Senior Picture Day - L Building
8/19
8:00 AM - 1:00 PM - First Aid/CPR Certification Training for Coaches - Library
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM - Marching Band Practice
Looking ahead
8/25 - Spirit Bus to Corona del Sol for Varsity Football
9/4 - Labor Day - School Closed
9/7 and 8 - Rudy Ruettiger to CGUHS!
9/11-16 - Homecoming Week
9/12 - Key Club Blood Drive
9/14 - CGUHS Wall of Fame Banquet
9/14 - Homecoming parade and assembly
9/15 - Teacher In-Service: No school for students
9/15 - Homecoming Game/Royalty Crowned/CGUHS Wall of Fame Honorees Introduced
9/16 - Homecoming Dance
Athletics This Week
- Boys Golf (H) vs Corona del Sol, Desert Ridge & Mountain Pointe
- Dave White Golf Course – August 15, 2023 3:00 pm
- Football (H) Scrimmage vs Desert Ridge
- Al Van Hazel Stadium – August 16, 2023 6:30 pm (No Charge)