The Weekly Penguin

Happy Sunday, all! See you tomorrow!

PRINCIPAL'S ANNOUNCEMENTS

Read everything embedded in the Tables of Contents below!

Upcoming events:

Wednesday, March 5: Choir Pops Concert - RUHS cafeteria, contact Mr. Newsom for show start time!

Thursday March 6: Spring Band Concert - RUHS auditorium, contact either Mr. Marchant or Mr. Phillips for show start time!

March 7-March 8: All-State band, choir, orchestra auditions - Gilbert HS, Gilbert, AZ

Friday, March 7: Grading Day - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS

March 8-March 16: Spring Break - SCHOOL CLOSED FOR STUDENTS, STAFF

Tuesday, March 25: RUHS orchestra auditions - more info TBD

Wednesday, March 26: TUSD PLD - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS

Wednesday, April 16: UHS Instate college tours, day one - see announcement below

Wednesday, April 23: UHS Instate college tours, day two - see announcement below

Athletics - spring 2025

Attendance policy info

CCCC (College, Career, and Counseling Center) update

Korean exchange program this summer!

Traffic around Rincon/University

UHSFAA - hall of fame @ 50th anniversary

Yearbook update

Bond update: construction planning

New (Old) Instagram for UHS!

RUHS club list

TUSD Family event - Menlo Family Resource Center

UHSFAA - student microgrants

UHSPA info

Congratulations to our RUHS girls basketball team for an excellent season. Although they did not defeat Hamilton this past Thursday, they played a great season and next promises to be even better. Go Rangers and Penguins!

RUHS Athletics T-Shirts for sale in the Bookstore!!

$15 for 1

$25 for 2

Spring sports are here! See below for direct links to each sport offered for the winter season at Rincon/University High School.

Spring sports lineup:

Baseball - VAR

Baseball - JV

Softball - VAR

Softball - JV

Tennis - boys VAR

Tennis - girls VAR

Track & Field - boys VAR

Track & Field - girls VAR

Volleyball - boys VAR

Volleyball - boys JV

Volleyball - boys FR/SO

It is the expectation for every student attending and every adult working at UHS to arrive on-time for school. For students, this is a fundamental life skill that is part of adulting both now and after high school. In reference to TUSD governing board policy JE-R – Student Attendance, the following school policies are in place for absences and tardies, and will be expected/enforced throughout the school year.

Student tardies

All students are allowed 5 tardies per class, per semester. This precludes any tardies which qualify as excused, see below for definitions. If a student has 6 or more tardies in any single class period they may be subject to disciplinary procedures according to the TUSD student Code of Conduct. Practice at our school has included after school detentions, but can also be assigned as lunch detentions, Saturday School, or other means of appropriate, proportional consequences.

Tardy Sweeps

The UHS administration may call a Tardy Sweep on any day, during any period. Tardy sweeps function as an extension of the existing tardy policy, and any unexcused tardies noted above the limit will be subject to instant disciplinary consequence as described above. Why the sweeps then if it doesn't count as something extra? It is a way for us to hold immediate accountability and tracking of student attendance issues so we can move forward quickly and improve.

Student absences

Student absences will be accounted for according to the referenced Governing Board policy. Please note one important distinction: a phone call for either an absence or tardy does not necessarily excuse that absence or tardy. If a student is sick and it is called in, then the absence will be noted according to the specific illness. If a student is called in for a medical/dental appointment, then the office would need verification of said appointment in the form of a note from the office. Conversely, if a parent/guardian called the school to inform that their student overslept and is on the way, or that the family is taking a vacation, it would be noted as verified by the attendance office but marked as UNEXCUSED. UHS is also considering changing the practice of allowing 18-year-old students to sign themselves in and out of school if they still live with their parent/guardian. What will be instituted is using this as an example: we have had several students sign out in the last few days as "sick" at the end of the day, and left early. Like all other students, if a student is signing themselves out as sick, they must have checked in with the health office and be deemed too sick to stay in school. Otherwise, this will be counted as an unexcused absence.

Updates from the CCCC/Student Services Team:

JUNIORS:

Mr. Encinas and Ms. Villagio visited the AP Physics classes on Thursday and Friday to present a lesson on healthy relationships and self-advocacy. Ask your student about some of the communication strategies they learned!

11th Grade Students - Join the UHS Instate College Tours (April 16 & 23)!

Join the UHS Counseling Team to visit and tour all instate campuses, their honors colleges, and learn about admissions & financial aid. Spots will fill on a first come first serve basis. Details & registration can be found here!

-Join the UHS Counseling team for our quarterly College-Ready Seminars focusing on how juniors can prepare for applying to college. Each quarter we will focus on a different topic to assist juniors & families in their college planning by breaking down the process and helping you work smarter, not harder! We highly encourage all junior students and families to attend each quarter so they are best prepared for next year.

[Q1] College Admissions Testing – September 24 (rescheduled from 9/10) – Links & more info were sent out on 9/30, so check your email if you missed this!

[Q2] Building Your College List – November 19 – Links & more info were sent out on 12/13, so check your email if you missed this!

[Q3] Financing College – Tuesday, February 18 – Links & more info will be sent out soon if you missed it!

[Q4] Planning & Preparing for the College Application Process – April 15

---All seminars take place on Zoom starting at 6:00 pm. See attachment for more info; zoom links have been updated! We look forward to seeing you there!

FRESHMEN & SOPHOMORES:

Make an appointment to meet your counselor – they are excited to work with you during the first half of your high school career! Go to uhs.tusd1.org/CCCC and click on “Book Appointment.” Email your counselor if you don’t see any times available that work for you, or come by during drop-in hours during lunch or conference period. (Same thing for juniors and seniors!)

ALL STUDENTS:

You're invited to the annual UHS Career Cafe!

The career cafe is an opportunity for students to learn about the college & career journeys of current professionals. This year the Career Cafe features an ALL UHS Alumni lineup! All speakers provide valuable insight on finding and/or arriving at your desired career, no matter what field you may be interested in. We encourage students to join even if they aren't interested in the career field or don't know what the job is. Come learn about the experiences of UHS grads who have been in your shoes! Cafe treats for all who attend 🙂

See list of speakers here.

Students, make sure you are signed up for the Remind for your class, and please remember to check these messages! We post info about scholarships, summer activities, college & career-focused events on campus, and more! Don’t miss out!

Peer tutors: If you want to be a volunteer peer tutor, look for the QR code around the U-building to sign up, or email Ms. Brownstone (Kathryn.brownstone@tusd1.org). Your fellow Penguins will really benefit from your help, and this is an excellent way to give back to your community. We appreciate all of our current volunteers! If you are interested in receiving free peer tutoring, look for the list of tutors in the CCCC or ask your counselor!

The hosting of Korean students through TKAP out of the Asian Pacific American and Refugee Student Services department was a success, and now we are opening up applications for our students to have the same experience in Korea this June! Keep an eye out in the next couple of days for a Canva link to submit an application, it will be sent out in a special message.

Congratulations to the following UHS students for being named National Merit Scholar Finalists! These names will re-appear in this coming Sunday’s Penguin, and be posted on social media.

Roy Samuel Cormode

Juliette Thalia Douglas Valdiserri

Ruth Gulilat

Katherine Lam

William Lane Levine

Aayan K. Mapara

Gabriel Joaquin Morales

Pasque Nelson

Debangshu Pramanik

Perrin Reynwar

Giselle Roemer

Nathan Sheinbein

Abigail Stadheim

Leif D. Terre

Crisanna Terrell

Ella Walsh

As we continue to adjust our practices with safety in mind, we are continuing our discussions about working with our neighbors around the school, who like us have student and adult safety in mind primarily. We understand the traffic flow is challenging at times but again has been researched and tooled to the current iteration. We are continually monitoring the traffic flow and are always striving to find ways in which we can support both students and adults as they navigate inside and immediately outside the school property. Please read the RUHS driving and walking practices for details and clarifications.

We urge our families and especially our pedestrian students to practice safe routines during drop-off and pick-up times. Thank you to parents and students who have changed your practices to not park or stop in undesignated zones, and to keep traffic moving. Remember, the safety of everyone in the area, including your student, is the goal!

UHS Foundation and Alumni Association is accepting Hall of Fame Nominations Through April 15th, 2025!

See nomination process and form here

University High School will host a 50th Anniversary Celebration and their next major Hall of Fame event on March 28th, 2026. This event will recognize early members of staff who, like earlier awardees, have made a significant impact on the character and success of the school, and the first alumni honorees will also be inducted. All UHS alumni and past faculty are invited to nominate.

Yearbook Purchasing

The yearbook is now $90 until 3/27 or until supplies last. We are down to 30 yearbooks left to sell!

Visit the Lifetouch website and our school code is 15096125.

Exciting News for Tucson Unified Schools!

The Tucson Unified School District is thrilled to announce that Davis Bilingual Elementary Magnet School, Rincon / University High School, and Tucson High Magnet School will soon see significant improvements in their instructional learning spaces, thanks to the support of the Bond Oversight Committee, the Tucson Unified Governing Board, and Tucson community. At Davis and Rincon/University, the bond program will replace portable classrooms with modern, permanent learning spaces for students. For Tucson High, the bond program will focus on long-awaited renovations and repairs to the Vocational “V” Building modernizing classrooms spaces for students.

The conceptual and design-build phase will run from February 2025, through June 2025. During this time, the Design-Build team will collaborate with each school’s administration to provide conceptual classroom designs for new learning spaces to meet both current and future enrollment needs.

Construction is expected to be completed by the 2027-2028 school year, providing students and staff with state-of-the-art facilities to support their educational journey.

Stay tuned for updates on this exciting project as we work together to create better learning spaces for our community!

Sincerely,

Dr. C

Charlotte Carter, MBA, PMP, Ed.D.

Bond Program Manager

Tucson Unified School District

Last week we announced our new Instagram page due to issues logging into and accessing the previous page. As soon as we advertised it, Instagram considered us imposters, and promptly killed the site. So, we did some serious digging and tracked down the login for the original page, and it's back up! Follow UHS on our new OLD Instagram page for all the latest news, accomplishments, and day-to-day happenings of the school!

Here is the latest 24-25 RUHS club list. Find a club that fits you and join the community!

The Social Emotional Learning Department is hosting a family event on March 4th from 5-7PM at the Menlo Family Resource Center. This event will provide families with new learnings and resources to support the mental wellbeing of students and families. Dinner and childcare will be provided. See the attached flyers for more information in English and Spanish.

The UHS Foundation and Alumni Association (UHSFAA) seeks to support UHS students, particularly those who are first generation college bound and who are focused on building opportunities for themselves. Through this, the UHSFAA student microgrant is offered for application. Microgrants are awarded to students in need of anything that furthers their educational development. Grants of up to $500 per student per year are available at the discretion of the UHSFAA board of directors and UHS principal, and are based on available funds. Microgrant awards are through application, and can be given for many different kinds of needs: classroom needs including costs associated with internet access, textbooks or personal academic supplies, summer programs, professional education and internship needs, such as travel and public transportation costs, lunch costs, supplies or clothing needs, immunizations, and more. Requests for funding should be for proposals that can be 100% covered by the grant; requests to partially fund larger projects will not be considered. Please provide at least ten days lead time before the funds are needed so the UHSFAA can have adequate time to consider your application.

Thank you for joining us for our latest monthly meeting on February 18th, we appreciate your participation. Future meetings will be on the 3rd Tuesday of each month. Please park in the north parking lot off 5th street. Come up the stairs and the door will be unlocked. Turn left inside the doors. The library will be on the left.

• Our overall UHSPA Annual Fund Drive is LIVE! Your support allows us to continue our outreach efforts with our UHS Community. Primarily, we fund classroom grant requests, Grad Night, and teacher and student recognitions. Click here to learn more about UHSPA activities and DONATE to our fundraising effort.

• And speaking of Grad Night 2025, help us celebrate our seniors! Click here for more details on how to help:
• Seniors and Senior Parents- Buy your tickets now before the price increases!
• Join our Grad Night planning committee. Our next meeting will be after the monthly Parent Association meeting on February 18th. If you would like to join the group, please email uhspa or show up to one of our meetings.
• Donate to support this great event.
• Find an item on our Grad Night Amazon Wishlist and purchase a prize for a senior or supplies to help us host the event.

Our UHS families have been amazingly supportive of our classroom supply drive. The Wishlist will stay open to reflect current classroom requests. Teachers/ staff please send needed supply requests to uhspa. Anyone shopping on Amazon and wanting to send an item of appreciation to the school can check out our Amazon Wishlist to support our most recent classroom needs. Your continued donations of kleenex and hand sanitizer is greatly appreciated.

Other recent UHSPA activities included supporting Counselor Appreciation week. We certainly appreciate everything our CCCC staff does for our students.

** Sign Up for Remind- text [student grad year code] to 81010 -- ([student grad year code]: @uhspa2025, @uhspa2026, @uhspa2027, or @uhspa2028) ** Subscribe for communications from UHSPA ** Email uhspa **