Golden Bear News: November 1, 2024

Dear UAHS students and families,

I hope you had an amazing week and are ready for the weekend!

This week, we are challenging our students and families to embody the spirit of a Solution Seeker. Being a Solution Seeker means engaging with curiosity, asking thoughtful questions, thinking critically, and exploring diverse perspectives to generate meaningful ideas and solutions. Whether it is tackling a tricky homework problem, working through a challenge with friends or family, or discovering something new, there is always an opportunity to practice these skills. Let's approach this weekend and the coming week with open minds and a drive to create positive change.

Make it a great weekend!

Sincerely,

Andrew C. Theado

Principal

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

• Nov 1 ~ Deadline for Online Graduation Orders: https://view.vidreach.io/q/HPjfaVl3
  

• Nov 3 ~ Daylight Saving Time Ends (clocks back 1 hour)
  

• Nov 5 ~ Election Day - No School for Students
  

• Nov 7 ~ Winter Sports Meet the Team, 6:30pm-8:30pm at UAHS
  

• Nov 7 ~ Bear Essentials Community Shopping Hours, 3:30pm-4:30pm
  Note: No returns or exchanges.

• Nov 12 ~ PTO Meeting, 8:30am-9:30am in Conference Room 1308J
  

• Nov 13 ~ Early Signing Day, 7:15am-8:00am in the Competition Gym
  

• Nov 19 ~ Town Hall Meeting: Strategic Plan Update, 6:00pm-7:30pm at UAHS

• Nov 20 ~ Bear Essentials Community Shopping Hours, 3:30pm-4:30pm
  Note: No returns or exchanges.

• Nov 21 ~ Operation Street Smart, 6:00pm-8:00pm in the Black Box

• Nov 27-28 ~ Thanksgiving Break

The Upper Arlington Community of Theatre (UACT, the high school theatre company) is pleased to bring Arthur Miller's iconic play, The Crucible to the stage October 31, November 1, and November 2, with a 7:30 curtain time each evening. All shows are in The BOX (the black box theatre at the high school). Tickets for these nights are available through hometownticketing.com (or use the QR code on the flyer).

In 1692, the Salem Witch Trials led to the conviction of many citizens based upon accusation and opinion. In bringing the text to stage unchanged, we are opting to set the show in 2024 where cancel culture persists.

The show does include some language that might not be suitable for children. And it is a "cerebral" show (more words than action) which might not be suitable for some children (or adults).

Please join us at Upper Arlington High School on Thursday, November 14 for a luncheon to honor your service. The luncheon will begin at 11:00am and end at 12:35pm. During this time, you'll be sitting at a table with at least one other service member and a small group of students (4-6). The students will have lunch with you and ask a few questions about your time in the service. Please use this form to RSVP and complete the information. The deadline to respond is Wednesday, November 6. We hope you can join us!

Kim Brown (kbrown@uaschools.org), Social Studies Teacher and Student Council Advisor

Once again, the district is partnering with Tri-Village Packers (TVP) to provide grocery support during the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday weekend. This food distribution can offset some of the increased food expenses associated with an extended break from school. Groceries are distributed at no cost to families who sign up for the program. Volunteers work to honor dietary needs/restrictions, and delivery is available for those who experience transportation barriers.

If you would benefit from this assistance, please sign up by completing this Google Form by Friday, November 8.

Students who are not enrolled in an AP course but feel that they can study on their own and would be able to successfully pass the exam are welcome to contact Mrs. Ballheim at cballheim@uaschools.org to receive a "join code" and register for the test. The last day to register for the exam, with the College Board is Friday, November 8. Encourage your student to think it over and make a wise decision.

If your student will be taking IB examinations in April/May of 2025 and utilizes accommodations, IB requires both a current IEP as well as an ETR or a physician's/psychologist's diagnosis. Both documents must have been written within the last three years. If you have questions, please contact Mrs. Ballheim at cballheim@uaschools.org.

ROX (Ruling Our Experiences) is an empowering program designed to support girls in their personal, social, and academic development. ROX focuses on building confidence, resilience, and leadership skills among girls across many ages. The program offers a range of activities in a small group setting that tackle important topics such as self-esteem, body image, healthy relationships, and effective communication.

If your 9th or 10th grade daughter is interested in joining, please complete the following form by Wednesday, November 13th: ROX Interest Form

If you have any questions, please reach out to Miss Keen (mkeen@uaschools.org). Thank you!

UAHS PTO has partnered with V/O Med Spa on Lane Ave and will host our first "parent appreciation" event with an open house on Thursday, November 14 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm. Stop by, join us for a cocktail and learn more about V/O Med Spa. All guests will receive a free goodie bag just for showing up! You can also take advantage of 25% off ZO products, receive member pricing on any services, discounts on gift cards AND be entered into a raffle drawing valued up to $2000. Feel free to bring a friend! Click here to RSVP to attend.

Learn more about the strategic planning process by joining district leadership for a town hall meeting on Tuesday, November 19 from 6 until 7:30 p.m. at Upper Arlington High School. Attendees will hear a review of the research and work done to date and then break into smaller groups to learn about the steps planned to implement each strategy during the next five years.

The Hastings MS Counselors are excited to announce this year's first book talk, featuring The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. They are opening up the conversation to our high school families.

This Book Talk will take place on Tuesday, November 19 from 6:00pm to 7:30pm. It will be held in person at Hastings Middle School in the media center with the middle and high school counselors.

While we highly encourage you to read the book, please don’t feel any pressure if you cannot. You’ll still gain valuable insights from the discussions during the book talk.

For families with students who have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), progress reports are available to view in PowerSchool. Please follow the outlined steps to access your student’s progress report:

• Once you are logged into PowerSchool, please click on the green box labeled “PR”

• The icon should be at the top of the screen, but if you do not see it, please check on the left-hand side under graduation requirements.

• If the green PR box is still not available, please reach out to your student's case manager.

• IMPORTANT: If the progress report refers to an attachment, you must change the dropdown in the top right-hand corner next to your student's name from the progress report form to the attachment form.

It’s time to join your friends and neighbors and get involved in phase two of facilities master planning! Upper Arlington Schools officially kicked off this community-driven process, focused on the aging middle schools and Burbank Early Childhood School, with the first round of community engagement sessions this week. All Upper Arlington stakeholders will be essential to this process, exploring both the physical and educational needs of each building and helping to identify possible solutions.

Join a building team! Serve as an expert and committed stakeholder for your school(s) of choice by signing up to volunteer for one or more building teams — Hastings, Jones or Burbank. Each team will have three meetings between December 2024 and April 2025. To sign up and learn more, visit the Building Teams page on our website.

We have finalized a date for this year's junior/senior prom. It will be held at COSI on Saturday, April 5, 2025.

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
• 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

It is now time to submit your senior photos for the yearbook. Submit your photos to the Senior Yearbook Photos Google Form. Norwester staff requests that your photo be a “head shot” only. Photos do not have to be from a professional photographer but should meet the requirements listed on this 2025 Senior Photo Flyer.

Submission deadline is Monday, December 16. Be sure to submit your photo by the deadline to be included.

In addition, you can purchase the 2024-2025 Norwester Yearbook and Senior Tribute Ads are now available to purchase.

Lastly, 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 2024 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 2024 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