University School Weekly Update

April 12-16 2021

As we prepare for the week ahead, we ask that you please review the following information:

TN State Assessments

The Washington County School System and University School will be administering the state-mandated TCAP Achievement Assessment beginning beginning with grades 3-8 on Monday, April 12th, 2021 and ending Friday, April 23rd, 2021. State testing is required for all subjects in grades 3-8. TCAP Assessments for students in grades 3-8 include: Math, English/language arts (ELA), Science, and Social Studies.

High school End of Course state assessments will begin Monday, April 21, 2021 and will end on Friday, May 14, 2021. State testing is required for English I and II, Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, Biology, and US History.

Federal and State Law states that every student be administered the same State Board approved standardized tests required of public school students in accordance with the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015 and T.C.A. § 49-1-602 pertaining to district and school accountability.

The TCAP assessment is a fully aligned assessment that captures the depth and breadth of what students are learning--and have been learning--in the classroom every day. The information from this year’s assessment will provide educators, parents, and students with a perspective on how students are progressing academically compared to their peers across Tennessee, and better information about a student’s strengths, needs, and areas for growth.

Please do not schedule appointments on testing days and encourage your child to do well on the tests and help them at home by doing the following:

Discuss the tests with your child. Talking about the tests will help ease your child’s worries and show him/her that you are interested.
Make sure your child goes to bed early and gets plenty of rest. Students’ minds and bodies need to be ready for a full day of trying their best.
Make sure your child eats a good breakfast. It is difficult for students to think and do their best if their stomach is empty.
Arrive at school on time. Being late may cause your child to feel rushed and nervous. Arriving on time will help your child feel relaxed and ready to do his/her best.
Send your child to school with words of encouragement. Hearing, “You can do it!” or “I have confidence in you!” from you means a lot to your child.

Where can I go for more resources?

Information describing the TCAP Achievement Assessment can be located on the TN Department of Education website (www.tn.gov/education ...follow top link “For Students & Families”/Assessment …next follow left side links…Overview or click TNReady then select the specific content area or also click Parent Resources).

Required In-Person Attendance for State Assessments

Please note that all students, including full virtual students, are expected to report in-person on their scheduled state assessments days. Testing notifications have been shared by teachers and with students on Canvas. If you have further questions, please contact the school office directly.

UH Student, Abhirup Chanda (10 grade), participated in the 2021 Southern Appalachian Science and Engineering Fair SASEF https://sasef.utk.edu/. His project title was - Growth and Development of Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) under Simulated Microgravity.

Abhi secured the following recognitions:

SASEF Senior division 3rd place winner
SASEF Senior Certificate of Excellence
Biology Teacher Award for excellence in life science research

SASEF updated its website https://sasef.utk.edu/2021/04/01/2021-award-winners/ announcing the 2021 award winners. Abhirup Chanda's name will be in

Overall Senior Div
Senior Div Certificate of excellence
Local special award

SASEF is a fantastic platform to showcase student research. We are so very proud to have Abhi as a Buc!

Sathvik Ramu, who is a freshman at University High, is currently volunteering at the Johnson City Lions Club of Johnson City Tennessee, a member of the International Association of Lions Clubs serving the blind, deaf, sick, and handicapped locally, regionally, nationally, and worldwide.

As a club volunteer, Sathvik is currently involved in an Eyewear Recycling project. Every year the Lions(volunteers) recycle and distribute millions of pairs of eyeglasses to people who cannot afford eyewear around the world. With the help of their communities and tens of thousands of eye care professionals, Lions collect used eyeglasses and send them to 17 recycling centers around the world. There, the glasses are cleaned, sorted, and boxed, ready to send on medical missions around the world.

The Johnson City Lions work with every eye care professional in Johnson City and Washington County as well as businesses, churches, and community groups to collect many thousands of discarded glasses every year. We are very fortunate to have a recycling center near us, in Roanoke, Virginia. Twice a year we join other East Tennessee Lions for a day of service in Roanoke.

Please drop off any used glasses of yours in the boxes located in the main office and the library.

GRADES 10-12: REGISTRATIONS FOR HS CLASSES FOR 21-22 FOR CURRENT STUDENTS

Dual Enrollment registration for the 21-22 school year is open and all paperwork for Fall 2021 will need to be submitted by April 30, 2021. For more information, please click on this link or email Dr. Shaw (shawa@etsu.edu)

Yearbook Orders

It is finally that time of the year to order the 2020/2021 school yearbooks. Due to our altered schedule, we are a little behind in getting this up and running, but we are now ready to accept orders. The deadline for placing a yearbook order is April 12.

There is no price increase for the yearbooks this year. The elementary/middle school yearbook is $28.00 while the high school yearbook is $40.

For the convenience of online ordering, there is a processing fee assessed by our publisher; therefore, the total cost will be $42.00 for high school and $29.40 for elementary/middle school.

In addition, this year we are offering at a cost the option for you to have your child’s name written on the book. This will cost $4.95 per book. You will add that to your online order.

Directions for ordering online: Go to http://yblive.net; Click on shop online and locate our school by city and state and click okay.

To Purchase: Click on yearbook and select order to place it in your shopping cart.

You will then be asked to log in or create an account. Follow the steps to check out.

If you have any questions, please email me at hammondse@etsu.edu or call the school.

Quarter 4 Operational Calendar

Weekly Calendar of Events & Activities

Monday:

April 12 Deadline for Yearbook Order
April 12 Testing, TCAPs, Grades 3-8 ELA Subpart I
April 12 MS Baseball, vs. Happy Valley, 5:00 p.m.
April 12 HS Baseball, @Unaka, 7:00 p.m.
April 12 Tennis, Sullivan East, 3:30 p.m.

Tuesday:

April 13 Morning Mile, Outside Track, 7:30-7:50 a.m.
April 13 Testing, TCAPs, Grades 3-8 ELA Subparts II-III
April 13 MS Baseball, vs. Hampton, 5:00 p.m.
April 13 HS Baseball, Unaka, @Thomas, 7:00 p.m.
April 13 HS Boys Soccer, @West Greene, 6:00 p.m. (Ticket Purchase Go Fan App only)
April 13 HS Softball, @North Greene, 5:00 p.m.
April 13 MS Softball, vs. Johnson County, 4:30 p.m.

Wednesday:

April 14 Full-Remote
April 14 Tennis, Elizabethton, 4:00 p.m.

Thursday:

April 15 Morning Mile, Outside Track, 7:30-7:50 a.m.
April 15 Testing, TCAPs, Grades 3-5 ELA Subpart IV, Math Subpart I
April 15 Testing, TCAPs, Grades 6-8 ELA Subpart IV
April 15 MS Baseball, vs. Unaka, 5:00 p.m.
April 15 HS Baseball, South Greene, 5:00 p.m.
April 15 HS Boys Soccer, vs. Cherokee, 7:00 p.m.
April 15 HS Softball, vs. Hampton, 5:00 p.m.
April 15 Track and Field, 3 Rivers Conference, @Elizabethton, TN

Friday:

April 16 Testing, TCAPs, Grades 3-5 Math Subpart II-III
April 16 Testing, TCAPs, Grades 6-8 Math
April 16 HS Boys Soccer, vs. Elizabethton, 7:00 p.m.
April 16 MS Softball, @Hampton, 4:30 p.m.
April 16 HS Baseball, Cosby

April 16 Tennis, @Chuckey-Doak, 3:30 p.m.

Saturday:

April 17 HS Baseball, @Gatlinburg Pittman, 12:00 p.m.

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