University School Weekly Update

There will be a Zoom meeting for any parents of high school Seniors who would like to help with planning the activities of Senior week (last week leading up to graduation). The Zoom meeting will take place Monday, August 21, at 5:30pm. If you are interested, please join using the following link: https://etsu.zoom.us/j/89759374336?pwd=VDZ6VFlWblIvV09GTnBHV3JsTTdFZz09

We want to alert our families about our concerns with the increasing popularity of the Saturn APP that seems to be on the rise across the country for student device downloads. This APP allows students to share their school schedules and calendars. As a result of the amount of information being collected and shared openly, the APP is being listed as a severe cyber-security threat, so we wanted to share our concerns with you and urge you to be extremely cautious in allowing your child to download this APP.

As previously announced, Coach Christian Taylor has been appointed our new high school baseball varsity head coach. All current high school students interested in playing baseball next season are invited to meet with Coach Taylor next Monday, Aug 21 at 4:00pm in the school library. Coach Taylor will meet with interested parents at 4:30, also in the library. Please note: Coach Taylor plans to begin off-season workouts next week. Some days condition/weight training will be before school, some days following school speed/agility work will be held at field off campus but in Johnson City. All players must have a signed physical, SCA, & concussion documents on file with the school to participate in the workouts.

We will have an early dismissal on Wednesday, August 23rd for all grades (K-12) beginning at 1:00 PM; aftercare will be available on that day from 1:15-5:30 PM for those registered to attend. In order to accommodate for the early dismissal on this day, we will follow the modified schedule below for all classes:

Parent-Teacher conferences will be held September 1. High school parents are requested to schedule an appointment through Dr. Penley (penleyj@etsu.edu), who will be arranging teacher schedules for that day. Please do NOT reach out directly to high school teachers. More information regrading scheduling for elementary and middle school will be forthcoming.

There will be an 8th Grade information meeting for the trip will be Wednesday, August 23rd at 5:30 PM in the Wetlands Pavillion prior to the start of the middle school mixer.

The University School Foundation will host its annual Fall Festival on Friday, October 27th. This will be a night of family fun with proceeds going to help fund the annual operating budget of the Foundation. The Foundation uses these funds to provide a variety of programs, equipment, and technology for the students of University School. The Fall Festival is a fun event that encourages students, families, and the community to come out and support the school while enjoying inflatables, trunk-or-treat, costume contests and other activities. In order to pull off an event like this, we are asking for parent volunteers and for financial support. Sponsoring Fall Fest is a great way for your business or family to show your support of University School. There are several sponsorship levels, and a tax deductible donation of any amount is appreciated and will make a difference! Keep an eye out for more information on how to volunteer or become a Monster Sponsor for our Monster Mash Bash 2023!!!

Hey there University School families! We are super excited to host our annual Fall Festival Fundraiser coming up on October 27th - The Monster Mash Bash! It's a night of classic monsters and spooky fun for the whole family with a trunk or treat, inflatables, costumes, food, fun and more. It's one of the students' favorite events, but we need your help! We can't pull off an event like this without the financial support of our business community and families. Please consider sponsoring our event or asking a local business to help. All levels of sponsorship are important to the success of the Foundation's programs and any amount is appreciated. Check it out below or visit our website at https://ourschool.support/2023MonsterMash to see all the perks of being an Official Monster Sponsor for our event.

Dear Middle School Families,

We would like to officially invite every Middle School Student to our 2nd Annual Wetlands Water Park Mixer! This middle school only event will be at Wetlands Waterpark in Jonesborough on Wednesday, August 23rd from 6:00PM-8:00PM. To make this event accessible to all students, we are requesting a $5 donation per child. Please note, while we love our siblings, this event is intended for currently enrolled University School’s Middle School Students only (Grades 6th-8th).

When: Wednesday, August 23rd

Where: Wetlands Water Park

Time: 6:00PM-8:00PM

Request: $5.00 Donation and Option to Donate a Spot for a Friend

What you need to know:

1. Transportation will be provided by parents/guardians to Wetlands Waterpark in Jonesborough, TN

2. Drop off @ 6:00pm – Pick up promptly @ 8:15 pm

• Pick-up guidelines will be sent at a later date!

3. Due to the strict headcount limitations at the venue (based on lifeguard to participant ratio), this event is limited to University School Middle School Students, official parent volunteers (via the Sign-Up Link), and University School Administration only.

4. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged by Tuesday, August 22nd as it will enable us to monitor headcount for the event.

• A $5 donation per child is requested. There is also an opportunity to donate a spot for another MS student (optional).

5. Students, please wear appropriate swimsuit attire, bring a towel and a change of dry clothes if necessary.

6. Chaperone/Volunteers ARE NEEDED/APPRECIATED to help work this event! We would love to have you!

• Chaperon/Volunteer Sign-Up is located within the registration link provided below!

7. Pizza will be provided this year! We are requesting Snack/Water donations for this event.

• Snack/Water Sign-Up is located within the registration link provided below!

Please plan to join us as we say "Good-bye" to Summer and "Hello" to our new school year!!

Click Below to REGISTER 👇:

Wetlands Middle School Mixer Registration LINK

Sincerely,

Kristen Bunger- Middle School Rep

Melissa Crider - Middle School Rep

Melanie Richards - Middle School Rep

Congratulations to our 2023-2024 Middle School SGA Representatives:

Pierce Adler

Tommy Adams

Addison Deitel

Derek Ford

Lesedi Williams

Sarabeth Bogart

Dylan Bumgarner

Finley Bunger

Annelise Crider

Harper Poston

Meredith Bristol

Emma Nguessan

Owen Rawles

Zahra Siddiqui

Ayaan Sethi

The first University Middle School SGA meeting will be this Wednesday, August 16th from 3:15-4:00pm in Room 219.

School Picture Days will be as follows:

Thursday, AUGUST 24 - SENIOR Formal Picture Day by Appointment (8:00-3:00 @ ETSU Martin Center Rm. 151). Note: Please arrive 15 minutes prior to scheduled time.

Tuesday, AUGUST 29 - UNDERCLASSMEN Picture Day (Grades K-11 in School Library)

Wednesday, October 25 - UNDERCLASSMEN Make-up Picture Day (Grades K-11 in School Library)

FALL FORMAL: Saturday Nov. 4th, 2023, at the Heritage in Jonesborough, 7:30pm-10:30pm.

The Fall Formal is open to all 9th -12th grade University School Students. Outside Guests are not allowed. Students must purchase tickets prior to the dance. Tickets will not be sold at the door. Tickets will go on sale after fall break. Please see Students Handbook for dress code and exceptions for special occasions.

Seniors Getting ready for the
2024 Coke Scholars application!

The Coca-Cola Scholarship (open to high school students who will graduate during the 2023-2024 academic year) will be available from their website August 1 through October 2, 2023. Note they have an earlier deadline this year!

Click here to view program details and a listing of the 2023 Coke Scholars.

Students and families may view the yearly testing calendar and additional information by accessing the University School testing webpage or using the link below. Please reach out to Dr. Campbell (campbellhe@etsu.edu) with any questions related to testing.

Important reminders

• Parent request days will not be approved for TCAP/EOC, AP, ACT, or SDC scheduled testing dates. Families are encouraged to review the University School testing calendar prior to scheduling appointments or other activities.

• Specific days for TCAP/EOC tests will be shared prior to spring break. The current window for state testing is April 15 - May 3, 2024.

• Testing information will be shared throughout the year in Dr. Partin’s weekly newsletters and on University School’s testing webpage.

University School Testing Webpage - https://www.etsu.edu/uschool/faculty/campbell/testing.php

Mark your Calendar!

October 17 - Remote Learning Day for 11th Grade Students Only

The ACT Senior Retake and PreACT for Grades 8-10 will take place on Tuesday, October 17th. Due to testing, October 17th will be a remote learning day for students in Grade 11 only. All other students K-12 (except Grade 11) are required to attend school on campus from 8:00 - 3:00. Assignments for 11th grade students and remote learning expectations will be communicated by classroom teachers. Information on dismissal and other items will be shared at a later date.

Optional PSAT/NMSQT Registration (Junior Students)

The PSAT/NMSQT is an OPTIONAL test given to students in 11th grade. Students who are potential National Merit Scholars must take PSAT/NMSQT during their junior year to qualify. Students in 10th grade may register but will be added to the waitlist and are not guaranteed a testing spot as the number of seats is limited.

University School will offer the PSAT/NMSQT to current students on Friday, October 13th at 8:00 a.m. This is a non-student day, so students will be released as soon as testing is finished (approx. 12:00). The cost for the PSAT is $22. Due to online test registration requirements, students will not be allowed to sign up for the PSAT/NMSQT after the August 20th deadline. Students who have questions may email Dr. Campbell (campbellhe@etsu.edu).

PSAT/NMSQT Registration Form - https://bit.ly/44oRUW7

Information about PSAT/NMSQT content and format can be found on the College Board website. (https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt)

Please make a note of the following two modifications to our school calendar this fall:

August 23rd - Early Dismissal Day for all students; students will be dismissed at 1:00PM on this day due to a University Meeting for the College of Education and Human Development that our faculty will need to attend.

October 17th is a Remote Learning Day for 11th Graders ONLY, all other students will report as scheduled on that day.

21 - MS Girls Soccer Away vs Lakeview @ 5:30 PM

21 - U-School Senior Parent Meeting @ 5:30 PM via Zoom (see link above)

22 - HS Girls Soccer Away vs Cosby @ 6:30 PM

23 - MS Girls Soccer Away vs Unicoi @ 6:00 PM

23 - Early Dismissal: All Students will be dismissed at 1:00 PM

24 - SENIOR Picture Day (Location TBD)

25 - No School for Students - Faculty PD Day

25 & 26 - HS Girls Soccer Away @ Gatlinburg, TN Tournament (3 Games TBD)

26 - HS Cross Country: Run for the Hills, Bristol

28 - MS Girls Soccer Away vs Indian Trail @ 6:00 PM, Winged Deer F3

29 - SCHOOL PICTURE DAY FOR UNDERCLASSMEN (Grades K-11)

29 - HS Girls Soccer Away vs West Greene @ 6:30 PM

31 - MS Girls Soccer Home vs TMS 2, 5:00 PM, ETSU CPA

31 - HS Girls Soccer Home vs Gatlinburg Pitman @ 6:30 PM

September

1 - Parent/Teacher Conference Day - No School for Students

4 - Holiday - No School for Students

5 - HS Girls Soccer Home vs Chuckey Doak @ 6:30 PM

7 - MS Girls Soccer Home vs Chuckey Doak @ 5:00 PM, ETSU CPA

9 - ETSU Reece Museum High School Art Reception (Figuratively Speaking Exhibit) 1:00-3:00 PM

9 - HS Cross Country, Knights Crossing Invitational, Salem, VA

12 - MS Girls Soccer Home vs Lakeway @ 5:00 PM, ETSU CPA

12 - HS Girls Soccer Away vs West Ridge @ 6:30 PM

14 - MS Girls Soccer Home vs Cocke County @ 5:00 PM, ETSU CPA

14 - HS Soccer Home vs Cumberland Gap @ 6:30 PM

16 - HS Cross Country, Fender's Farm, Jonesborough, TN

18 - HS Girls Soccer Away vs Elizabethton @ 6:30 PM

19 - MS Girls Soccer Away vs Chuckey Doak (CDMS) @ 5:00 PM

21 - HS Girls Soccer Away vs Boone @ 5:30 PM

22 - Last Day of Quarter 1

25 - MS Girls Soccer Away vs Church Hill @ 5:30 PM

25 - Fall Break Begins (September 25-October 16)

26 - HS Girls Soccer Away vs Pigeon Forge @ 6:00 PM

28 - MS Girls Soccer Exhibition Game Home vs Unicoi @ 5:00 PM, ETSU CPA (8th Grade Night)

28 - HS Girls Soccer Home vs Unicoi @ 6:30 PM

30 - HS Cross Country, Bristol Cross, Bristol

October

3 - HS Girls Soccer Home vs Sullivan East @ 6:30 PM

5 - HS Girls Soccer Away vs TN High @ 6:00 PM

13 - Teacher In-service Day No School for Students

14 - HS Cross Country, Trailblazer, Bristol, TN

16 - Teacher PD Day No School for Students

17 - Quarter 2 Begins, Students Return EXCEPT Grade 11 (see testing update)

24 - HS Cross Country, Region 1A-AA and AAA Championships, Gray

25 - MAKE-UP PICTURE DAY for Grades K-11

November

3 - HS Cross Country, Class A/AA TSSAA State Championship, Hendersonville

10 - Holiday, No School

22-24 - Holiday, No School

December

15 - Last Day of Quarter 2, Dismissal @ 11:00 AM

16 - Winter Break Begins (December 16 - January 7)