Golden Bear News: December 6, 2024

Dear students and families,

I want to take a moment to congratulate all of our seniors who completed their Capstone projects this week with their final presentation. This is a big accomplishment that should be celebrated.

Good luck to everyone as we make our final push towards the end of the semester.

Sincerely,

Andrew C. Theado

Principal

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

• Dec 11 ~ Gold Period ~ OHYES! Survey

• Dec 11 ~ Career & Technical Education Showcase, 5:00pm-7:00pm

• Dec 11-17 ~ EOC/Make-up Ohio Assessments

• Dec 11 ~ Winter Choir Concert, 7:00pm-9:00pm in the Performing Arts Center

• Dec 12 ~ Bear Essentials Community Shopping Hours, 3:30pm-4:30pm
  NOTE: No refunds or exchanges.

• Dec 12 ~ Holiday Orchestra Concert, 7:00pm-9:00pm in the Performing Arts Center

• Dec 16 ~ Cookies & Cram, 3:15pm-5:00pm on Golden Bear Boulevard

• Dec 18 ~ 1st Semester Exams
  8:05-10:00 ~ Period 1
  10:10-12:05 ~ Period 4
  12:05-1:05 ~ Lunch
  1:10-3:05 ~ Period 7

• Dec 19 ~ 1st Semester Exams
  8:05-10:00 ~ Period 2
  10:10-12:05 ~ Period 5
  12:05-1:05 ~ Lunch
  1:10-3:05 ~ Period 8

• Dec 20 ~ 1st Semester Exams
  8:05-10:00 ~ Period 3
  10:10-12:05 ~ Period 6
  12:05-1:05 ~ Lunch
  1:10-3:05 ~ Make-up Exams

• Dec 20 ~ End of 2nd Grading Period / 1st Semester

• Dec 20 ~ Jostens Winter Order Deadline for Graduation Cap, Gown & Accessories

• Dec 23-Jan 3 ~ Winter Break

• Jan 6 ~ Teacher Work Day (No Students)

Click HERE for a list of 2024-25 events at Upper Arlington High School.

Upper Arlington Schools is proud to offer students the ability to travel abroad with their teachers and peers as part of our Global Education Program. As we begin to think about future opportunities within this program, we are inviting students and families currently in grades 5-10 to share some thoughts to inform our travel selections. Students in these grades will be eligible for school-sponsored global travel opportunities in the 2025-2026 school year. Parents/guardians may complete this survey. We invite parents/guardians to preview the student survey before asking your grade 5-10 student(s) to take it at home to share their feedback. The surveys will close on December 18 at 4 pm.

It's time for our annual Cookies & Cram! Yes, that's right! Cookies & Cram, sponsored by NHS takes place on Monday, December 16 from 3:15pm to 5:00pm on Golden Bear Boulevard. Encourage your student(s) to join us for some very delicious cookies as well as serious cramming with fellow students and teachers! For Freshman, this is a fantastic opportunity to learn how to prepare for high school semester exams! This year's event is a very special one as we will be joined by our friends from the Link Crew! It is an event not to be missed!

Following is the link with audition information and the form to audition: https://forms.gle/GQpey2PE2eHzUsW8A. This form must be submitted by Sunday, December 15 at 11:59pm for consideration in Jazz Ensemble.

The Rotary Club of Upper Arlington seeks to recognize service oriented 11th and 12th grade students with admirable traits such as honesty, responsibility, courage, and leadership. This application can be accessed here and needs to be submitted by Friday, December 20.

All UAHS students are eligible for this national award. Students in the classes of 2024 and 2025 must complete 100 hours of community service between March 2, 2024 and March 1, 2025. Students in the classes of 2026 and 2027 must complete 50 hours of community service between March 2, 2024 and March 1, 2025. All hours must be submitted on x2Vol and verified by a contact by March 1 to be eligible for this award. Winners will be posted on March 11 and the awards will be distributed in April of 2025. More information can be found on the UAHS website.

The Class Officers are running a clothing drive to benefit the Star House. The Star House exists to come alongside teens and young adults as they exit homelessness and gain stability in a community of hope. Founded in 2006, Star House operates Central Ohio's only 24/7/365 drop-in center, where youth are provided immediate access to food, clothing, hygiene items, laundry facilities, showers, and a safe place to be. All donations will go to the Star House.

https://www.starhouse.us/donate

We understand that illness or other excused absences can sometimes make it challenging to keep up with assessments.

To streamline the make-up process, we’d like to clarify our expectations: when a student misses an assessment due to an excused absence, the standard approach is to schedule a make-up session with their teacher after school from 3:15 to 4:00 p.m. While we know that many students have extracurricular commitments, academics take priority, and students should communicate with their coach or advisor to ensure they’re aware of this academic obligation.

Thank you for your cooperation in helping us keep this process consistent and effective. Our goal is to support students in managing their academic responsibilities smoothly alongside their other activities.

We invite you to join us for regular conversations about key topics at Upper Arlington High School. Whether you choose to actively participate, listen in, or catch the recording later, it's a great way to stay connected and informed about what's happening at UAHS.

Family Connection Webinars 2024-2025 (Topics subject to change)

• September 18 - State Report Card Review (Recording)
• October 9 - Preparing Students to be Successful Post-High School (Recording)
• November 13 - Challenging and Supporting Students: Rigor and Interventions at UAHS (Recording)
• December 11 - Innovation and Engagement
• January 15 - Academic Scheduling for 2025-2026
• February 12 - Program of Studies Review
• March 12 - Senior End-of-Year Information
• April 9 - Summer 2025 Academic Options

Submit your senior photos for the 2024-25 Norwester - “head shot” only - using this Senior Yearbook Photos Google Form. The deadline is Monday, December 16. Photos do not have to be from a professional photographer but should meet the requirements listed on this 2025 Senior Photo Flyer.

Link to order the yearbook: 2024-2025 Norwester Yearbook.

Use the following link to purchase senior Tribute Ads:
https://www.jostens.com/apps/store/customer/1049738/Upper-Arlington-High-School/.

Norwester Staff will once again be featuring the senior destinations on their Instagram page: uahsnorwesteryearbook. Submissions will begin January 7, 2025.

Must earn a competency score (684) or higher on both the Algebra I and English Language Arts II state test once they have completed the course. In addition, the Class of 2025 is required to take the Geometry, American History, American Government and Biology state tests after taking the corresponding course.

The American Government, American History and Biology tests can be applied to earning the Ohio state Citizenship Seal and Science Seal respectively, if a score of proficient or higher is earned.

Please review this link for Class of 2025 requirements.

Attendance is a critical component to learning. Students need to show up in order to take full advantage of the education programs we offer. Student and parents/guardians will be notified of the unexcused absences. Consequences (detention) may 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

Click HERE to see previous issues of UAHS Golden Bear News.