Golden Bear News: August 9, 2024

Dear UAHS students and families,

I hope that you have had a wonderful summer. We are excited to begin the 2024-2025 school year next week. On Monday and Tuesday we will be welcoming back our teachers and staff members to begin preparing for the Class of 2028 on Wednesday and for the return of all of our students on Thursday.

Upper Arlington Schools exist to challenge and support every student with the ultimate goal of preparing them to serve, to lead, and to be successful. The dawn of a new school year provides all students the opportunity to reconsider what success means to each individual and to make a commitment to the pursuit of that success with excitement and resiliency.

We can not wait to welcome you to UAHS! Enjoy the remaining days of summer break.

Sincerely,

Andrew C. Theado

Principal

Our Mission: Challenge and support every student, every step of the way.

• August 14 ~ First Day for Grade 9
• August 15 ~ First Day for Grades 10-12
• August 15 ~ Picture Day, 7:30am-1:00pm in the Field House
• August 17 ~ PowerSchool Outage, 6:00am-6:00pm
• Aug 19-Sept 18 ~ STAR Enterprise Reading & Math Assessment
• August 21 ~ Open House, 6:30pm-8:30pm Period 1 ~ 6:30-6:45
  Period 2 ~ 6:52-7:00
  Period 3 ~ 7:07-7:15
  Period 4 ~ 7:22-7:30
  Period 5 ~ 7:37-7:45
  Period 6 ~ 7:52-8:00
  Period 7 ~ 8:07-8:15
  Period 8 ~ 8:22-8:30
• August 23 ~ New Student Lunch, 11:00am-12:35pm in the 1st Floor North Commons

To prioritize safety and security, Upper Arlington High School will no longer permit students to order food from delivery services, such as DoorDash. This decision follows intentional observation, as the practice has led to security concerns. When students search for their deliveries, they may inadvertently open locked doors or interact with unknown individuals, compromising the safety of our school. We appreciate your understanding and ask that you plan accordingly.

Get ready for school by downloading the new Upper Arlington Schools app! The launch of our new district app coincides with our new website, launched in June. The app gives families access to important information like school year calendars, school day schedules, and information to report a student absence — all in the palm of their hands. You can download the app in the App Store or Google Play.

For those of you who were not able to join us for Parent Orientation on August 5, the recording and slide are available below.

Recording

Slide Deck

Welcome to the 2024-25 school year! At PTO, the support of students and staff is year-round. During the first semester, we are sponsoring:

• New Student Lunch;
• welcome bags for new teachers;
• Parent Coffees with the principal;
• student breakfast with the resource officers;
• Teacher Conference dinner;
• mini grant opportunity for initiatives at UAHS; and
• much more!

Please consider supporting these initiatives by making a donation to the PTO.

META Columbus will be performing scheduled maintenance on Saturday August 17 from 6AM to 6PM in order to replace the data center's uninterruptible power supply (UPS).

During this time, Powerschool and other services will be unavailable.

Please do not apply stickers or write on the iPad keyboard cases, as devices may be reassigned to other students throughout the year. Reassignment occurs when students graduate, transfer, or when devices need repair. The new keyboard cases are district property and durable assets intended to last for several years, not consumable items.

We have received some questions about what stylus, or specifically Apple Pencil, would work with the new iPads that students are receiving for this school year. The answer is that, like the headphones, any USB-C stylus, including the Apple Pencil USB-C, will connect with the new 10th generation iPads. Students can also continue to use any non-USB-C stylus, such as the Apple Pencil 1st generation, but will need to purchase a USB-C adapter to connect the stylus to their new iPad. It is important to note that specifically the Apple Pencil Pro along with the Apple Pencil (2nd Generation) will NOT work with the student iPads.

Attendance is a critical component to learning. Students need to show up in order to take full advantage of the education programs we offer. When a student has an unexcused absence from class, both student and parents/guardians will be notified the next day and a consequence (detention) will be assigned for each unexcused absence. Be sure to check your attendance each day to ensure it is accurate.

In order to streamline the absence reporting process, we ask that parents/guardians leave a voicemail on the attendance line (614-487-5213), or complete the Absence Notification Form available on the high school website and on the Upper Arlington City Schools APP. We will no longer accept emails. By using the Absence Notification Form, we are able to organize and record absence requests in a more efficient manner. Note that the form will collect your email address, which we will use to verify the request, so please use an email address that is on file in PowerSchool. Additionally, parents/guardians should follow the instructions in the online form to submit Pre-Planned Absence Requests.

A Planned Absence Excuse Form should be printed, signed and turned in to the Attendance Secretary in the Main Office at least 10 days in advance, when possible.

If a parent/guardian submits an Absence Notification Form or calls Attendance at 614-487-5213 to inform the office that their student needs to be dismissed during the day, they will receive an e-hallpass (EHP) to leave class at the designated time. The student can use the EHP to notify their teacher of the dismissal and then should come to the Attendance Office to sign out before leaving.

Please submit your medical notes to uahsattendance@uaschools.org. In order for attendance hours to not accumulate towards habitual absence triggers, medical documentation is needed.

Announcements for the current week are available on the high school website.

Online form for absences (no longer accept emails)

Email if you’ve stopped receiving communication from us

The Daily Bell Schedule and Modified Bell Schedules (Early Dismissal & Two-Hour Delay)

Links to the District Calendars, the UAHS Calendar and the UAHS Athletic calendars

Our webpage with community service options and the link to enter hours

The website for school portraits, club photos, senior class photo

Use LightSpeed Parent Portal Support Page to monitor your student’s internet activity

2024-25 Program of Studies including courses descriptions, academic options, graduation requirements, awards, etc.

The form to report a concern related to safety, bullying, harassment, etc.

The link to purchase season passes for UAHS athletic events

How to Get Help at the high school and familytechhelp@uaschools.org for families with tech support questions or situations