Dear Catalina Parents and Community,

Happy New Year and welcome back to school! I hope you all had a restful and enjoyable break, filled with family, friends, and fun. As we begin the second semester, I am filled with excitement and anticipation for all the learning and growth that lies ahead.

The first semester was filled with many successes, both inside and outside the classroom. I was incredibly proud to see the progress our students made, meet many of you at our family engagement events and support our athletics and fine arts programs. These accomplishments are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our students, teachers, and staff, as well as the strong support of our families.

As we embark on this new semester, we have many exciting things to look forward to, such as Prom and Graduation celebrations for the class of 2025. We encourage all students to get involved, explore their interests, and make the most of the opportunities available to them.

This semester is also a crucial time for students to set new goals and continue striving for academic excellence. We encourage students to:

• Review their first-semester progress: Identify areas of strength and areas where they can improve.
• Set achievable goals: Break down larger goals into smaller, manageable steps.
• Utilize available resources: Take advantage of tutoring, after-school programs, and teacher support.
• Maintain open communication: Talk to teachers, counselors, and parents about any challenges or concerns.

We are committed to providing a supportive and enriching learning environment for all our students. We believe that by working together, we can help each student reach their full potential.

I encourage you to stay connected with the school through our website, newsletters, and social media channels. We value your partnership and look forward to a successful and rewarding second semester.

Sincerely,

Dr. Norma Gonzalez Principal, Catalina High School

If your student needs help with the FAFSA, they are welcome to pop on into the College and Career center during their IMPACT period to get the help they need.

The Tucson Unified School District and El Rio Health are excited to offer the Teen Telehealth program for your Student, on campus, at Catalina High School. The Teen Telehealth program is offered through a private and secure computer kiosk operated by El Rio Health and the Catalina Success Center to provide students with real-time, face-to-face medical services via video appointments. This Teen Telehealth program will make healthcare for students more convenient and accessible. Easy access to healthcare helps students stay or become healthy and focus on learning by not needing to leave campus for appointments.

Parental consent forms are available in Student Services, the Health Office, and the Success Center with Mrs. Schull. Please contact Mrs. Schull with questions at 520-232-8438 or by email

Students can receive medical consultation for

• Health screenings

• Consult for colds, cough, runny nose, pink eye, allergies, urinary tract infection, asthma, acne, etc.

• Sexual and reproductive health services (like counseling on birth control methods and testing or treatment for sexually transmitted infections) • Consult for laboratory/diagnostic testing

• Prescriptions for medications

• Referrals to an El Rio Health specialist for further care or treatment (e.g., diabetes or mental health services).

*** Reproductive health services are provided for free or low cost. Some other preventative care services may be billed to insurance. IF your student is uninsured, please contact El Rio Health at 520-670-3909. We can help you get insurance.

Hola From the Success Center!

This is a reminder that students can visit the Success Center during lunch, passing period, or after school if they need School Supplies, Personal Hygiene items, or food to bring home from the Food Pantry. If you are in need of something specific or would like to connect about your Student, feel free to email me at amy.schull@tusd1.org

Teacher Bookmatch Contest Winners: Congratulations to the winners of the Teacher Bookmatch Contest:

1st Place: Cameron Hill: 10th grade

2nd Place: Hannah Niemeyer: 10th grade

Semester I Library Statistics:

• Circulated 1,265 books and students have put 26 books on hold.

• Top 3 IMPACT/Advisory classes that have checked our the most books so far this year are: Mr. Oxnam, Ms. Castle and Ms. O’Dell!

• Top 5 Patrons: Hannah Niemeyer, Andy Corona, Yasira Hussein, Tabatha Johnson and David Campas.

Recent News:

• We just received a Catalina Foundation Grant to buy more Foreign Language books for our diverse student population! Thank you Foundation!

• Our Green Screen recording room is up and ready for students to use!

• We will have an author, Soman Chainani, visit our school March 17th! Stay tuned for more.

January:

We celebrate National Hobby month! We have all kinds of books to inspire students and staff to start a new hobby or pick up an old one!

February:

We will celebrate Black History month by focusing on how African Americans have shaped the United States. The Library is also encouraging students to participate in Blind Date with a Book in February! They choose a book from our display without knowing what it is! Once it's checked out, they agree to 'date' it for at least 30 pages or more. Participants have a chance to win some fun prizes at the end of February through a drawing.

Some Library Collections to consider curated by Ms. Bernal and the Library Aides:

Black History (Ms. Bernal)

Love and Romance (Madix T.)

Horror and Thriller (Tianna B.)

Realistic Fiction (Bella H.)

Dystopian Sci-Fi (Andy C.)

• Our Library Media Website: What’s going on in the Media Center as well as information on our books, research, events, and digital citizenship.

• Contact me by email, if you have any questions or concerns. My office hours are: Monday - Friday 7:40AM to 3:30PM Office phone: 520-282-8424.

January Schedule of Games

Boys Soccer:

January 7: 4/6p @ Safford

January 9: 4/6p V. Tanque Verde

January 15: 4/6p @ Empire

January 17: 4/6p V. Thatcher

January 21: 4/6p @ Sabino

January 23: 6p V. Andrada Polytechnic

January 29: 4/6p V. Palo Verde

January 31: 4/6p @ Pusch Ridge

Girls Soccer:

January 7: 6p V. Safford

January 9: 6p @ Tanque Verde

January 15: 6p V. Empire

January 17: 6p @ Thatcher

January 21: 6p V. Sabino

January 23: 6p @ Andrada Polytechnic

January 29: 5p @ Palo Verde

January 31: 6p V. Pusch Ridge

Boys Basketball:

January 8: 7p @ Desert View

January 10: 5:30p V. Safford

January 14: 7p V. Thatcher

January 20: 7p @ Tanque Verde

January 22: 7p @ Empire

January 24: 5:30p V. St. Augustine

January 27: 7p V. Andrada Polytechnic

January 29: 7p V. Sabino

January 31: 7p @ Palo Verde

February 4: 7p @ Pusch Ridge

Wrestling:

January 8: Multi-meet @ Catalina

January 15: Multi- meet @ Catalina

January 29: Multi-meet @ Catalina

Spring season of sport officially starts on February 10. This includes softball, baseball, golf, tennis and track & field. Students can see Coach Chelsea in Student Services for more information.

Yearbooks are on sale in the Finance office, Get yours today. The price will increase in January.

School Picture Day is November 7, 2024. There will be only 1 makeup day this year, if your student misses both days, they will not be pictured on their class page in Synergy.

Senior parents: If you would like to include a shoutout or recognition page in the yearbook for your graduating senior, please reach out to Melissa Kornmuller for more Information.