Trojan Scoop

Dear Catalina Parents and Community,

Just wanted to send a quick update as we're zooming towards the end of the semester here at Catalina! It feels like just yesterday we were starting the year, and now we're already looking ahead to some important dates.

Keeping an Eye on Those Grades:

With the semester wrapping up so quickly, now's a really important time to chat with your student about their grades and make sure they're feeling good about where they stand. Please do take a peek at ParentVUE if you haven't recently. If they need any extra help or have questions for their teachers, please encourage them to reach out – these last few weeks can make a real difference!

AP Exams Around the Corner:

For our students tackling AP exams, just a friendly reminder that these will be happening soon, right here on the Catalina campus. Keep encouraging them in their studying! Their AP teachers will be sharing more specific details about the schedule and locations very soon.

Almost Done with State Testing:

We're in the final stretch of state testing, and we really appreciate you making sure your student is here on testing days. Their participation helps us get a clear picture of how we're doing as a school. Thanks for your support with this!

Summer School News - We're Heading to Rincon:

Just a heads-up that our Catalina Summer School program this year will be hosted over at Rincon High School. The great news is that it will still be run by our own wonderful Catalina teachers! We'll have more information about dates, times, how to sign up, and what courses will be offered coming your way shortly.

Celebrating Achievements at the Honors Assembly:

We're so excited to celebrate the amazing achievements of our students at the Honors Assembly on Friday, May 9th. We'd love for you to join us to recognize their hard work! We'll share the time and specific details as we get closer to the date.

Graduation Day is Coming!

Mark your calendars! Graduation for our Class of 2025 is set for Wednesday, May 21st at 7:00 PM. It's going to be a special evening! We'll be sharing more details about the location and other important info soon.

Important Deadline for Credit Recovery:

If your student is in any credit recovery classes, please make sure they know that all the work needs to be completed by Friday, May 2nd. Let's make sure they cross that finish line!

As always, thank you for being such supportive partners in your student's education. If you have any questions about any of this, please don't hesitate to reach out to us here at the school.

Thank you for your continued partnership in your child's education.

Sincerely,

Dr. Norma Gonzalez Principal, Catalina High School

Our tax dollars at work this summer with a domestic water line replacement project at Catalina High School. Due to the summer project Catalina High School will be closed. The school must be closed during the replacement of pipes because all water to the buildings must be shut off. Due to the water shut off we will not have air conditioning or functioning restrooms, so this requires total building closure.

Summer School this year will be relocated to Rincon/UHS campus and our office staff relocated to Blenman Elementary School. Any registration or attendance issues in person will be taken care of at Blenman Elementary School. More information to come regarding summer school at Rincon/UHS.

CR English 12 will be presenting their YPAR projects at the CRiA Symposium on May 3rd. This is open to the community but people should sign up on https://tucsoncria.wixsite.com/cria.

In March:

We celebrated Her Infinite Variety: A look at all the books about varied women who make our world a better place. Our display in front of the library was created by our 6th period library aides.

Monday, March 17th, Catalina hosted Soman Chainani, author of the School for Good and Evil Series, in our auditorium with over 200 students attending. Forty students won his book in a raffle and were invited to the library to get their books signed and chat with the author. The Catalina Foundation generously funded the purchase of $400 worth of his books.

The library received an Educational Enrichment Foundation grant to install two iPad kiosk Catalog stations to make it easier and more engaging for students to search through our Destiny catalog for books.

Coming up in April:

April is National Poetry month, National Autism Awareness, and Arab American Heritage Month. Library Aides have created displays of books that involve a variety of Neurodivergent characters, poetry books and various books featuring Arab American characters for students to check out.

The Library and the fine arts department are sponsoring a Bookmark Design contest! Students can channel their creativity into entering the contest for some great prizes! Deadline for entries is April 24th. Entry forms in the library, student services, on our website, or from the Art teacher, Mx. Gonzalez.

Ongoing:

• Need Research help? Don’t forget to check out our library website for research and book resources!Chess club meets every Thursday during lunch in the library with Mr. Levy

• Trojan PageTurner book club meets every Wednesday during lunch.

• As always, you can contact me at karin.bernal@tusd1.org if you have any questions or concerns. My office hours are: Monday - Friday 7:40AM to 3:30PM. 520-282-8424

We are approaching a critical time for state-mandated testing. Your participation and performance on these assessments are vital for both your academic progress and the school's accountability.

Punctuality and Serious Effort are Essential:

It is absolutely crucial that all students arrive on time and prepared to give their best effort during testing. These tests are designed to measure your knowledge and skills, and your results can impact your future academic opportunities. The scores from these assessments also impact our school letter grade and help us in identifying academic needs of our student population. Let's do our best, show what we know and work together to maintain our B letter grade.

Testing Schedule:

Here's the schedule for upcoming state assessments:

• 9th Grade - ACT Aspire: Monday, March 31st.
  • This test provides valuable insights into your readiness for college and career.
• 11th Grade - AZ Science: Thursday, March 27th.
  • This assessment evaluates your understanding of science concepts and skills.
• 11th Grade - ACT: Monday, April 8th.
  • This is a very important test for college admissions.

What to Expect:

• Please arrive at school on time on your testing day.
• Bring your school-issued device fully charged, and any required materials.
• Get a good night's sleep and eat a healthy breakfast before testing.
• Follow all testing instructions carefully.
• Remember that electronic devices, other than school issued devices used for testing, are not permitted during testing.

We understand that testing can be stressful but remember that you have been preparing for this. Your teachers and support staff are here to help you succeed.

Please make sure to mark these dates on your calendars and plan accordingly. Your commitment to these assessments is greatly appreciated.

As we approach the Advanced Placement (AP) exam season, we want to reiterate the importance of these assessments and provide specific information for students enrolled in AP classes.

Key Information & 2025 Dates:

• Exam Dates: The official AP exam schedule, set by the College Board, spans from May 5th through May 16th, 2025. Please note the following dates for your specific exams:
  • AP Government and Politics: Monday, May 5th, 2025
  • AP Biology: Monday, May 12th, 2025
  • AP Earth Science: Wednesday, May 14th, 2025
  • AP English Language and Composition: Wednesday, May 7th, 2025
  • AP World History: Modern: Thursday, May 8th, 2025
  • AP Seminar: Tuesday, May 6th, 2025
• Location: All AP exams will be administered at Catalina High School. Specific room assignments will be provided closer to the exam dates.
• Preparation: Now is the time to intensify your study efforts. Utilize your textbooks, review notes, and take advantage of any practice materials provided by your AP teachers. Consider forming study groups and attending any review sessions offered by the school.
• What to Bring:
  • Bring your school-issued student ID.
  • Bring several sharpened No. 2 pencils with erasers.
  • Bring pens with black or dark blue ink for completing free-response sections.
  • If applicable, bring an approved calculator (check the College Board website for specific calculator policies).
  • Your Chromebook for the digital tests.
• What NOT to Bring:
  • Electronic devices (cell phones, smartwatches, etc.) are strictly prohibited in the testing room.
  • Food and drinks are not permitted during the exam.
  • Books, notes, or other unauthorized materials are not allowed.
• Arrival Time: Please arrive at the designated testing location at least 30 minutes prior to the scheduled exam start time. This will allow ample time for check-in and seating.

Importance of AP Exams:

These exams represent the culmination of your hard work and dedication throughout the year. Your performance can significantly impact your college applications and potentially earn you college credit, saving you time and money.

We encourage all students enrolled in AP Government and Politics, AP Biology, AP Earth Science, AP English Language and Composition, AP World History: Modern, and AP Seminar to take these exams seriously and approach them with confidence. Your teachers and the entire Catalina High School staff are here to support you in your preparation.

Please reach out to your AP teachers or the counseling office if you have any questions or require additional information.

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

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 or the yearbook.

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.