Communicating gratitude is always important, but especially at Thanksgiving.

We are grateful for our Cholla Community! Wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Cholla Community,

It is with great pride that I announce Cholla High School has moved up our school letter grade going from a “C” to a “B”! Since 2021, we have been moving in the right direction showing a steady increase toward our goal of becoming a “B” school. This is definitely a team effort, so I want to thank every staff member, student, and community member that has contributed to this great accomplishment. The school letter grade is based on a variety of school wide data. Due to growth in key areas, we have made the move up. Change, hard work, and consistency have played a role to the success of our school. The interesting part is that we can see so many more opportunities for growth. In the coming weeks, we are going to find ways to celebrate, but we also know that we will not be resting…..in fact, we will do the opposite! We will continue to focus on Rigor, Attendance and Connectedness throughout the year. It is a great day for the Cholla Community, and I am honored to be a part of it.

Thank you and go Chargers!

School Letter Grade Data from 2021-2024 (65 points needed to be a “B” school)

2021-53.77

2022-55.27

2023-61.7

2024-66.14

Cesar Miranda

Principal

Cholla High School

Students, as we are getting close to the end of the 1st semester, I wanted to remind you that you need to stay on top of your assignments. Please do not let your work fall behind. At the end of the semester you will receive 2 grades,1 grade for the 2nd Quarter and 1 grade for the semester. The semester grade is important as this will be utilized to calculate your GPA. Please attend office hours/tutoring if you need help in any of your classes. Remember you earn grades in High School; they are not given to you. Talk to your teachers or your counselor if you need help.

Winter Sport Season is upon us! Please review the list of our dedicated coaches:

- Coach Wilson: Girls Basketball

- Coach Dean: Boys Basketball

- Coach House: Wrestling

- Coach Jimenez: Girls Soccer

- Coach Rocha: Boys Soccer

It’s important that you submit your paperwork to ensure a smooth start to the season. Thank you!

Do you have a pair of crutches gathering dust? If so, we would greatly appreciate your consideration in donating them to the Cholla Athletic Department. Our training room needs crutches on hand to assist injured student-athletes during their recovery.

Your contribution can make a significant difference. Thank you for supporting our young athletes!

Cholla Boys Soccer are looking for support with purchasing our gear. We have a DonorsChoose account at the website below, and we are well on our way to making our goal! We can use some more help purchasing soccer balls for the season. Please click the link and help the Chargers get their kicks!

Greetings Cholla Chargers!

Congratulations on surviving the first quarter of the school year! Please know that the second quarter will go quickly so if your grades are not where you want them to be, please start now working now to get them up. Please see your counselor if you need extra support or if you want to know where and when to find tutoring.

A huge thank you to all of the parents/students who participated in our first Honors Assembly held on October 30. We honored over 300 students, and it was great to see so many families take pride in their child’s accomplishments!

Don’t forget to continue to call the office if your child is going to be absent. Students with excused absences can make-up their missing assignments. Also don’t forget to use ParentVUE to see how your child is doing in each class and if they’re attending regularly.

And finally, a friendly reminder that we cannot get your student out of class during the last 30 minutes of school. Instead, send your child with a note and your child can get a pass from the attendance office to meet you in the parking lot.

AP and IB Exam Registration

It's exam registration season for both IB and AP programs. The deadline to ensure students are registered for their exams is November 15. IB students are automatically registered for exams if they are enrolled in one or more IB classes. AP students must opt-in and submit the registration form.

IB exam costs are covered by the school. However, should a Senior choose to drop a course or not complete an internal or external assessment required as part of their IB class/es after November 15, 2024, a $125 fine will be added to their student account for each subject affected. The fine must be paid prior to students receiving their high school diploma.

AP exam costs are tax deductible costs and the responsibility of the family. AP exams cost $99 each. Please pay the $40 deposit by November 14, unless you are income eligible for a reduced fee. You can reach out to me if you are not sure. Students who register but then do not show up for their May exam will be charged the entire $99 regardless of income eligibility.

IB Diploma Programme Evaluation

We are finalizing our 5-year review process and look forward to being reauthorized for five more years. This cycles review process ends on December 1, 2024, and the new 5-year cycle begins.

Students and teachers have identified the following as areas of focus for the coming 5-year cycle: Raising student scores is the overarching goal with the below specific target areas to move in that direction.

1. Student Support - School responsibility

• S.E.L. support
• IB Club is up an running
• Zen Zone is available to all IB students by appointment and on Thursdays
• Tutoring
• Did you know our IB teachers provide tutoring? Students can request sessions with their teachers!
• Recognition for their hard work
• Activities to build connectedness within the programme.

2. Student Responsibility - Student and family engagement

• Taking ownership of their learning
• Getting assignments turned in on time
• Attendance
• Forming study groups
• Academic Integrity
• c. Demonstrating IB Learner Profile Characteristics

It's an exciting time of growth for the IB Programme at Cholla High School! Between our IB Prep 9th and 10th grade students and our IB 11th and 12th grade students we now encompass 25% of the student body! Let's keep growing together!

Have questions? Reach out to Dr. Teri Green @ teresa.green@tusd1.org or 520-225-4116.

• November 11 No class in observance of Veterans Day
• Thursday November 14th Senior FAFSA Night 5-6:30PM Cholla Auditorium
• Thanksgiving Recess November 28th and 29th TUSD Schools and offices are closed

As we dive into this quarter, let’s keep the focus on passing all classes! Semester grades determine credit, so any Fs will need to be made up in summer school. No schedule changes will be made for the rest of the semester.

Seniors: Now is the time to plan for life after graduation! Be sure to meet with Ms. Cabral in the College & Career office for support with your next steps. Also, mark your calendar for our FAFSA ID Night on November 14th—Pima and UA representatives will be here to help seniors and their parents get started with financial aid applications. Pima will also hold an information session for seniors on its financial aide and available programs, including certificate options and transferring credits to a 4-year college.

Remember, our counselors are here to help. Reach out if you need support with grades, attendance, or anything else you’re dealing with. We're here for you!

Join us in supporting our community! The National Honor Society is excited to announce its annual canned food drive. Make a difference by bringing your dry or canned food donations to room C7 by November 20th. Together, we can ensure that Cholla families receive the help they need. Your generosity matters!

We're excited to share that our amazing Ms. Worthman has been highlighted on the TUSD AVID Instagram page! Don't miss the opportunity to see the wonderful comments about our incredible AVID coordinator.

Our October Kiwanis Student of the Month is Sanned Colon Sevilla. She was nominated by Ms. Diaz Collazo, who said, "Sanned is always willing to help others, shows kindness to her classmates, and is very respectful. She works hard as a student to improve." Sanned plans to pursue a career in the medical field and truly enjoys the sports medicine program, as well as learning about the body's anatomy. Congratulations, Sanned! 🎉

Our October ACE Student of the Month is Sofia Flores, nominated by Ms. Florio. “Sofia, like many students, had a challenging start to high school. However, starting last year, she shifted her focus and became a much more serious and determined student. She has set an example of how to turn things around, persevere toward personal goals, and find a better school-life balance.

Sofia is a quiet and humble young lady who has made significant progress in achieving her educational goals, which align with her plans for higher education and a career in the health professions. This year, as she excels in her final year of Sports Medicine, she is also a member of CHS's Medical Team.

Sofia ended the first quarter with all A's and one B. I believe she deserves recognition and accolades for the strides she has made from her efforts last year into this, her final year at Cholla!" Sofia was awarded a plaque and received a $100 gift card from the Santa Rita Exchange Club members. 🎊

Ava Perez was awarded the October Kindness Award for demonstrating acts of kindness towards her peers. Ava was nominated by Mr. Richard Rubin. "She is an excellent worker, works extremely well with others, and is an absolute joy to have in class" 💚

This month Breakaway Club will be focusing on gratitude. We are going to dedicate one of our trees as the "Cholla Gratitude Tree". Students and staff will have the opportunity to share what they're grateful for and add gratitude leaves to the tree. 🧡💙🍁

Cholla High School would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Tucson Subaru for their incredible generosity and support. Their donation of snacks, dry and canned food, and hygiene products to our clothing bank has made a significant impact on our students, providing them with essential resources and helping to create a positive and supportive school environment.

Additionally, Tucson Subaru went above and beyond by awarding 20 Love Learning Kits to our dedicated teachers, providing them with valuable resources to enhance their classroom experience. We are also incredibly grateful to Tucson Subaru for funding Espressoul Café, where our teachers were rewarded for their letter grade improvements with luxury coffee drinks — a well-deserved moment of relaxation and appreciation.

This kindness and dedication to our school community are deeply appreciated. Thank you, Tucson Subaru, for making a difference in the lives of our students and educators. Your support inspires us all to continue striving for excellence!