USC High School October Newsletter

USC students are enjoying some wonderful fall weather. Students enjoyed MEA break and are working hard as they finish up the first quarter. The end of the quarter is quickly approaching on November 5th. Please encourage your student to finish the quarter strong by turning in work, being engaged in class, and studying for their upcoming tests. The final two weeks of the quarter are filled with opportunities to increase percentages and show growth.

Sports seasons are slowly winding down and students are gearing up for the winter sports seasons. Speech team, robotics, yearbook, cheerleading, and theater have begun with practices and the mock trial team will soon be starting the preparation for the court case that will be presented in their competitions. Practices for basketball and wrestling will soon begin. Please encourage your student to try new activities as the year goes on. It is not too late to join a team or attend an informational meeting to get more information.

Wishing all of you a great rest of the month. Fall is certainly upon us with cooler morning temperatures and fall colors decorating the landscape. Enjoy the season, making memories with your families.

Jen Bye

High School Principal

jbye@unitedsouthcentral.org

Congratulations to Emma Johnson, the October Renaissance Student of the Month. Emma will enjoy a reserved parking spot and first in the lunch line privileges for the month of October. Her dedication to her studies, involvement in Mock Trial, USC Theater, Choir, Cross Country, and hard work is a positive example for our students. USC is proud to celebrate Emma!

Students in Mr. Nelson's class learned through experimentation and analysis during one of their recent lab days. Students worked together to set up the lab experiment, to conduct the experiment, and then analyze the results.

Science experiments are important in science class because they encourage critical thinking, develop problem-solving skills, enhance understanding of scientific concepts by allowing students to apply theoretical knowledge through hands-on activities, foster curiosity, and promote collaboration by providing a platform to test hypotheses and analyze data firsthand; essentially bridging the gap between theory and practical application.

Mrs. Fiorentino joined the USC staff this year as our grade 10-12 English teacher. Currently, she and her husband live in Truman, MN. She has a 12 year old cat named Oreo and a 10 year old dog named Apollo.

She chose teaching because she had great teachers growing up that truly went beyond the normal duties of their position. Her middle and high school band directors were some of the best teachers she had for mentoring about life and helping with understanding the world. These teachers inspired her to work to be a positive influence for her students.

She is thrilled to be part of a community where people look out for one another. That is one thing that drew her to USC. This year she is teaching English 10, one section of English 11, CIS ENG 151 Academic Writing first semester, and CIS LIT 150 Global Perspectives second semester.

Welcome, Mrs. Fiorentino!

FariCares was proud to present Reb Ribbon week, October 21st - 25th. The week featured dress up days to share the message promoting drug free communities.

FariCARES’ goal is to support Faribault County and promote positive change when it comes to substance abuse. FariCARES works closely with the We Are United campaign in the USC school district and communities to reduce underage alcohol consumption. The coalition is made up of hopeful and concerned community members and meets once per month in Wells, MN. If this coalition sounds interesting please feel free to contact the USC High School office for more information or stop by an open meeting.

On October 9th, USC students in grades 7-12 attended an interactive presentation named the Lion Heart Experience during the school day. That evening a community presentation and concert of the amazing experience was held at 6:30 PM in the USC Auditorium.

"Headed by award winning educator and speaker, Joe Vercellino and his dynamic team of performing Artists - The Lion Heart Experience is the premiere investment for schools looking to infuse a strong sense of self-worth into their students and educators. With a lasting impact on teens and teachers nation-wide, the Lion Heart Experience creates tangible results in schools that are evident and felt by the community. Masterfully combining story, original music and visual-art together - The Lion Heart Experience is known as the most refreshing and most needed message in schools today." Source: www.thelionheartexperience.com

This wonderful experience was sponsored by FariCARES. A special thank you to Kelsey Staloch, the Drug Free Communities Coordinator, who wrote a large grant request to bring this fantastic opportunity to our school.

The USC Varsity Football Team greeted students during Homecoming Week. Their smiles and interactions with students certainly brightened the day.

On Thursday, October 24th, USC Sophomores will participate in a presentation sponsored by the Toward Zero Deaths coalition called Impact Teen Drivers.

Impact Teen Drivers is proud to work with Minnesota communities to help curb a preventable health epidemic: teen driving crash fatalities. Most of these crashes are 100% preventable based on the choices made inside the car. Thanks to the sponsorship from Toward Zero Deaths, Impact Teen Drivers is able to bring evidence-based programming and resources directly to USC teens and their influencers at no cost.

Impact Teen Drivers and their presenters employ a multifaceted approach to ensure they are providing an evidence-based curriculum. USC is proud to partner with Toward Zero Deaths to provide this presentation to young student drivers.

The USC Theater will present the Wizard of Oz on November 8, 9, and 10 in the USC Auditorium. The public is encouraged to join us for this great production.

Senior College Application Day will be on Wednesday, October 30 from 12:12-2:06. Seniors will have time to complete college applications, begin looking at scholarships, make a FSA ID for the FAFSA or anything else they need time to do in order to plan for life after graduation. Seniors will sign up for a time slot closer to the event.

Juniors and Seniors can take advantage of talking with college representatives when they come to USC. These meetings are emailed out to students with a sign-up, and also on the counseling website. Currently, there are two upcoming visits:

Iowa Lake Community College Monday, October 28 @ 1:30pm Sign up here

Seniors and Parents: ALL students going to any type of post-secondary institution should complete the FAFSA. It is our hope that it will open on December 1, 2024. Before that, both the students and a parent will need a FSA ID (if a parent has one from when another child applied, or when they attended college, they do NOT need to make a new one). This can, and should, be done ahead of the FAFSA release. Go to the website to make an account!