Cholla High School

Hello Students, Parents and Guardians,

We are down to the final stretch of the school year! Seniors do not take the foot off of the pedal yet. Please work to keep the focus on graduation and marching May 22nd! Underclassman, continue to check your grades and communicate with teachers so that you do not miss out on any credits. We are signing up students for summer school. Speak to a counselor for more details or visit our Cholla Website.

Cholla Campus Sweeps will continue, so make sure you are getting to every class on time. Parents, we need your help to get your child here on time in the morning. Please plan to arrive by 7:45am so that they have ample time for 1st period.

Go Chargers!

Seniors now is the time to ensure that you have passed your CPR/First Aid and Civics tests, as these are graduation requirements. If you are working on classes in credit recovery, the deadline to complete them in order to graduate on time is May 16, 2025. If you already know that you will not make this deadline, please enroll in summer school. There is a graduation ceremony in June also (date, time, and location to be determined). Caps and gowns are in and in the College and Career Center if you haven’t picked yours up yet.

Seniors remember that Senior Checkout is mandatory in order to walk in the graduation ceremony. This year checkout will be Tuesday, May 20., 2025 at 8:00 Am. Please bring your patience that day 😊

Parents, Graduation this year is on Thursday, May 22, 2025, on the Ed Brown Football Field here at Cholla. Please plan to arrive early for parking and seating, as every year it is standing room only. We look forward to celebrating with all of you! Only clear bags will be allowed (this includes diaper bags must be clear). This policy will be strictly enforced for everyone’s safety. More information will be sent out in a parent link as we get closer to graduation. We look forward to finishing the year strong.

If you have any questions, please reach out to me at cathy.adams@tusd1.org

Greetings Cholla Chargers!

The end of the school year is right around the corner and to celebrate all that your students have accomplished- we are hosting and end-of-year Extravaganza! on Wednesday, April 30, from 4:30 – 6:30pm. Please see the attached flyer and plan on joining us!

Also, if you haven’t completed next year’s registration, please take a few moments to complete it online now. Our front office is available to help if you need it!

Here are some important dates to keep in mind:

· Spring Holiday – April 18 – no school

· Mexican American Student Recognition – April 23, 6:00pm, U of A Grand Ballroom

· Extravaganza – Wednesday, April 30, 4:30 – 6:30pm, set-up at 4:00pm

-Senior parent meetings – Little Theater at 5:30pm

· Pan Asian Student Recognition – Wednesday, April 30, 6:00pm, Rincon/UHS

· Senior Luau – Friday, May 2, 5:00 – 10:00pm

· Honors Assembly, grades 9th – 11th, Wednesday, May 14, 8:00 – 10:00am

· Last day for Seniors/Grades due – Friday, May 16

· Native American Student Recognition – Saturday, May 17, 10:00am, Cholla

· Monday, May 19-

-Seniors Honors & Memories – 8:00 – 10:00am

-Senior Bus ride to elementaries & Middle Schools – 11:30 – 1:30pm

-African American Student Recognition, 6:00pm, U of A Grand Ballroom

· Senior Check-out – Tuesday, May 20, 8:00 – 10:00am

· Senior Graduation Rehearsal – Thursday, May 22, 8:00 – 10:00am

· Thursday, May 22-

-Auditorium Check-in – 4:30 – 5:30pm

-Graduation! 7:00pm

Testing time is coming! It's that time of the year for students in AP and IB classes. Below is the testing schedule for the month of May. Any students registered for a test and who do not show up for the exam will be charged for the exam.

There was an IB Senior meeting on Wednesday, April 2, where the exam schedule and rules were presented to those students that were in attendance. The PowerPoint was also sent to all IB Seniors with the information. A reminder will go out the last week in April to all IB Seniors of the IB exam schedule.

There is a meeting scheduled for AP exam registered students on Monday, April 14th during 2nd period in the Library. Teachers have been notified of the meeting with a list of participating students.

Please take note of the following AP and IB exam dates and times. Students should arrive at least 15 minutes early and bring all required materials.

Friday, May 2

• IB Environmental Systems: 1:00–3:00 PM

Monday, May 5

• IB Environmental Systems: 9:00–11:15 AM

• IB History: 1:00–3:45 PM

Tuesday, May 6

• AP Chemistry: 8:00–11:00 AM

• IB History: 9:00–11:45 AM

• IB Language Ab Initio: 1:00–3:00 PM

Wednesday, May 7

• IB Language Ab Initio: 9:00–11:00 AM

• AP Computer Science A: 12:00–3:00 PM

• IB Psychology: 1:00–3:15 PM

Thursday, May 8

• IB Psychology: 9:00–12:00 PM

• AP World History: 12:00–3:00 PM

• IB English Literature: 1:00–3:30 PM

Friday, May 9

• IB English Literature: 9:00–11:00 AM

Monday, May 12

• IB Biology: 1:00–3:15 PM

Tuesday, May 13

• IB Biology: 9:00–11:00 AM

Wednesday, May 14

• IB Spanish A: 1:00–3:00 PM

Thursday, May 15

• AP Spanish Language: 8:00–12:00 PM

• IB Spanish A: 9:00–11:00 AM

• AP Computer Science Principles: 12:00–3:00 PM

• IB Mathematics: 1:00–3:00 PM

Friday, May 16

• AP Spanish Literature: 8:00–11:00 AM

• IB Mathematics: 9:00–11:00 AM

Monday, May 19

• AP World History (Late Exam): 8:00–11:00 AM

Career & Technical Education (CTE) TSA testing kicks off on April 9 and continues from April 16 through April 25, 2025.
Best of luck to all students—go show what you know and finish strong!

Friday April 18th TUSD will be observing Spring Holiday

Join us for an exciting evening of talent and creativity at the

🗓 Date: April 25, 2025
🕠 Time: 5:30 PM

📍 Location: Cholla High School Auditorium
🎟 Tickets: $5 (Cash only at the door)

Come support our amazing dancers and celebrate their hard work and passion. Don’t miss it!

Join Ms. Fragozo and Ms. Florio for the “Pops of Color” Painting Project in the G-pod Tunnel!
🗓 Saturday, April 26, 2025
🕘 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

A great chance to earn Community Service hours for NHS, IB, and more!
📝 Permission slips available in the Counseling Office – Due by Friday, 4/25/25.
🥪 Light lunch and snacks provided (thanks to Breakaway & GSA!).

Let’s make Cholla shine—one brushstroke at a time!

Join us as we honor the hard work and achievements of our amazing medical team members! At this special event, we celebrate academic success, recognize our senior students with graduation sashes, and highlight the leadership of our future medical professionals. We’re proud to welcome Superintendent Dr. Trujillo, Mr. Miranda, and hospital leaders including the CEO and Chief Nursing Officer. It’s a night to celebrate dedication, leadership, and bright futures in healthcare!

Mark your calendars! The Cholla High School JROTC Charger Battalion will be holding its annual Award Ceremony and Chain of Command on Tuesday, April 30th at 6:00 PM in the main gym.

This special evening honors the hard work, leadership, and achievements of our cadets throughout the year. The ceremony will also include the formal change of command, as outgoing leaders pass the torch to the next generation of cadet leadership.

Families, friends, and community members are invited to attend and celebrate the dedication and accomplishments of our Charger Battalion. We look forward to seeing you there

Join the Celebration!

📅 Date: April 30th
⏰ Time: 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM

🎉 Food | Music | Performances | Games 🎉

This month, we’d like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to three outstanding leaders who help make our school a better place every single day.

💼 Mr. Rasool – As our Director of Facilities, Athletics, and Activities, Mr. Rasool plays a vital role in creating a vibrant school culture. From ensuring our facilities are top-notch to supporting our student-athletes and clubs, his dedication keeps our school running smoothly and our students engaged.

💛 Ms. Ingram – Our Assistant Principal of Student Services, Ms. Ingram is a constant source of support and encouragement for students. Her compassionate leadership helps foster a safe, inclusive, and nurturing environment where all students can thrive.

📚 Ms. Adams – As the Teaching and Learning Assistant Principal, Ms. Adams is a champion for academic excellence. Her leadership ensures that our instructional programs are innovative and student-centered, helping both teachers and students reach their full potential.

Thank you, Mr. Rasool, Ms. Ingram, and Ms. Adams, for your unwavering commitment to our students, staff, and school community. Your leadership inspires us all!

Congratulations to a talented group of seniors who were recently awarded the Arizona Arts Seal by the Arizona Department of Education for their outstanding achievements in the arts.

In Music and Dance, Angel Flores-Cortina and Levi Fraijo collaborated on an original project that blended music composition and choreography. Angel composed the music, and Levi created the choreography. Their months of hard work culminated in an interview with TUSD Fine Arts, showcasing their creative process. Both students have been awarded a $1,000 scholarship to use toward Fine Arts courses at the University of Arizona. This scholarship is available each year to graduating seniors planning to attend an in-state university.

Additionally, Angel Flores-Cortina received a $500 scholarship directly from TUSD Fine Arts, which he will also apply toward his Fine Arts education at UA.

In Theater Arts, the Arizona Arts Seal recipients are Nico Lupercio, Jareth “Roger” Cazares, and Arely Moyza. Each of them has demonstrated exceptional dedication and creativity in their theatrical work.

In Visual Arts, congratulations go to Gabriel Sadai Dabdoub, Ivan Gonzalez Fernandez, and Jessa Little for earning the Arizona Arts Seal. Their artistic talents and hard work were recognized as part of this statewide honor.

We are incredibly proud of all of these students for their achievements in the arts and look forward to seeing the amazing things they will accomplish in the future!

On April 5, 2025, the Cholla Army JROTC held its annual Military Formal at the elegant Ramada Inn ballroom. This special event served as a meaningful celebration honoring our dedicated seniors who will be graduating in May. Cadets arrived dressed in their finest uniforms and formal attire, enjoying an evening filled with camaraderie, dancing, and reflection on their accomplishments throughout the year. The night was highlighted by heartfelt speeches, awards, and a strong sense of pride in the unity and achievements of the Cholla JROTC program. It was a memorable occasion that not only recognized our seniors' hard work and leadership but also strengthened the bonds within the JROTC family

The Cholla High School Trap Door Society brought the beloved Peanuts comic strip to life with their delightful production of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown! From the first note to the final bow, audiences were treated to a heartwarming and hilarious journey alongside Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus, Schroeder, and Sally.

Filled with laughter, catchy songs, and timeless life lessons, the show captured the charm and innocence of Charles Schulz’s iconic characters while showcasing the incredible talent and spirit of our students. Whether it was Snoopy’s dramatic daydreams, Lucy’s advice booth antics, or Charlie Brown’s search for happiness, each scene brought joy to the stage and smiles to the audience.

A huge congratulations to the cast, crew, and directors for their dedication, creativity, and hard work in making this production truly unforgettable. Bravo, Chargers!

Cholla High School AVID students proudly gave back to their community by volunteering at the Oyama Elementary Spring Festival. With enthusiasm and school spirit, they ran a vibrant face painting booth, offered fun games like cornhole, and applied temporary tattoos to excited festival-goers. Their involvement brought smiles, color, and energy to the event, showcasing their dedication to leadership, service, and community engagement.

Hey Class of 2025!
Everyone taking the TSA test will be getting an awesome Cholla Graphic Design Council t-shirt to wear during testing — how cool is that?

Huge shoutout to Mr. Hensley and our amazing design team for bringing the style and creativity to life. You all rock! 👏🙌

This week Cholla's Breakaway Club created and distributed "Soothe Boxes" to our lovely teachers who have created a safe space or corner in their classrooms for students who need a quiet space for a few minutes to regulate their emotions. Each soothe box includes a variety of sensory items such as a box full of assorted fidgets, blanket, stuffed animal, activity books, coloring books, colored pencils, and motivational affirmation cards.

Breakaway's mission is to provide students with the skills to manage their emotions and behaviors in a healthy way to prevent them from using substances. The club focuses on raising awareness about the importance of practicing self-care and prioritizing students' mental health to increase social emotional awareness.

Marta Hetschel is the ideal recipient of this award because she continuously demonstrates superior leadership abilities. She was selected by her Early Childhood Education classmates to be this year's president of the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), which is a nationally recognized student leadership organization. As such, she leads her peers in weekly meetings to discuss community projects they can accomplish. She is very studious and, in addition to completing her own work expediently, Marta cheerfully helps her classmates who may be struggling with classwork.

Marta exhibits high academic standing and currently Marta has coordinated with the director of Brichta Infant & Early Learning Center to have the Early Childhood Education students facilitate a puppet show in April. This student-led event will encourage motor skills and cognitive development of young children at the center! Marta is involved in several clubs/organizations at Cholla HS, as well as in the community, such as the International Baccalaureate program, National Honor Society, JTED, Breakaway, and the Cholla Garden Club. She is an aspiring student pilot, who is working diligently to attain her pilot's license this year!

Tucson Kino Rotary's mission is to be a dynamic group that provides service to others worldwide with an emphasis on youth, literacy, and la comunidad.

As we come to the end of this semester, and the end of my teaching career (May 23, 2025), it seems appropriate to reflect on the year; which is just a snapshot of my past 15 years in the classroom.

The 4th quarter always goes the fastest for me. Science turns into project-based learning to reinforce all of the theories and tools of learning we’ve been relentlessly sharing. We started this quarter with presentations about a variety of Genetic Disorders – the students had their choice of ANY genetic disorder and presented their findings to the class. 76 presentations covered 65 different disorders.

Soon you’ll see students “sneaking” their human anatomy drawing book of various characters because “it’s due today”; though they’ve known about it for 2 weeks. Next, that familiar odor in the Commons as we delve into dissecting rats this year: to save money, we went a little smaller, so no pigs.

We’ve gone from hypothesizing about whether dragons are real, to understanding what life requires to exist, how organisms interact, how simple changes in any of it can have profound effects on the rest of it, and we’ll finish up with where it all came from and how change happens.

I could write something profound, but you already know. It has been an amazing ride. I’ve enjoyed almost all of it. I’m ready to golf a little more, ride a little more, and maybe even fish a little more. Mostly, I look forward to turning off all those alarms on my phone and do what I want, when I want as long as I can. Thank you to my friends and co-workers for what you do and for being my support and encouragement.

To the Cholla Science Department: “Amazing!”

Biobabb.com out.

Jonathan Babb