

The Weekly Penguin
February 2, 2025
January done!
I will continue to put the principal's announcements at the top and continue with other announcements as structured. We're in the thick of it, so stay strong!
PRINCIPAL'S ANNOUNCEMENTS
Please respect our campus
In a continuation of a past announcement, I am requested all students police their trash at the end of lunch. We have received more complaints from areas across campus regarding trash left behind specifically after our lunch, and although it is possible this is holdover trash from 1st lunch, it is more likely that this is our trash. We will be patrolling areas around the campus and making note of locations left filthy. Consequences will be issued and documented on student records, and may include campus beautification beyond the filthy area. I thank you in advance for your efforts to make our campus safe and clean, which ultimately will make us all feel better.
Please Respect Our Neighbors
We are all aware that Rincon/University is tightly situation between major roads and a quiet neighborhood. The neighborhood immediately located south of the school has no parking signs posted throughout the area. We continue to receive reports that drivers are not respecting those signs, making it difficult to for homeowners in the area to enter or exit their driveways.
Please represent the school community with pride, respectfully observing traffic laws and signs in the area. Tucson Police will be patrolling the area, citing drivers who are not abiding by traffic/parking laws and signs. Beyond receiving costly citations, we want our community members to see the amazing talent and character that we see in our students. We urge you to demonstrate the same respect and civility you demonstrate to one another while here on campus, outside of our gates with our community members. Thank you for continuing to be a part of the solution!
Upcoming events:
January 30 - February 1: AMEA conference - Mesa, AZ
Tuesday, February 4: Junior College-Ready Seminar - see CCCC update below for details
Wednesday, February 5: UHS government debate and mock election - RUHS auditorium, 8:00-11:30am
Thursday, February 6: UHSFAA board meeting - RUHS library, 4:00pm
February 6 - February 7: Advanced drama showcase - RUHS little theater, times TBD
Saturday, February 8: UHS inaugural dance - location TBD, 7:00-11:00pm
Wednesday, February 12: grade-level meetings - during school day, more info to come!
Thursday, February 13: parent-teacher conferences - whole campus, by appointment, 4:30-6:30pm
Friday, February 14: half-day schedule - refer to the UHS bell schedule for schedule #5 times
Friday, February 14: Penguin Pathways - during school day, more info to come!
February 14 - February 15: AMEA Regional festival: band/choir/orchestra - Cholla High School
Saturday, February 15: RUHS campus cleanup - see announcement below, 10:00am-2:00pm
Tuesday, February 18: UHS Student of the Month breakfast - RUHS auditorium lobby, 8:00am
Tuesday, February 18: UHSPA meeting - RUHS library, 6:00pm
February 20 - February 21: Rodeo Break - SCHOOL CLOSED FOR STUDENTS, STAFF
Wednesday, February 26: spring orchestra concert - RUHS auditorium, time TBD
February 27 - February 28: Intermediate drama showcase - RUHS little theater, times TBD
Friday, March 7: Grading Day - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS
March 8-March 16: Spring Break - SCHOOL CLOSED FOR STUDENTS, STAFF
Wednesday, March 26: TUSD PLD - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS
Wednesday, April 16: UHS Instate college tours, day one - see announcement below
Wednesday, April 23: UHS Instate college tours, day two - see announcement below
Table of contents - NEW INFORMATION
Athletics updates
Campus Clean-up Phase 3
CCCC (College, Career, and Counseling Center) update
Graduation regalia delivery
Parent survey - UHS prom
Travel Club
UHSPA update
Winter Formal parent chaperones
Yearbook Update
Table of contents - CONTINUING INFORMATION
RUHS club list
UHSFAA - student microgrants
UHS Perspective - published online!
UHS website calendar
NEW INFORMATION
Athletics updates
Anyone interested in a spring sport must have an athletic packet filled out before trying out, practicing or competing. See athletic director Mr. LaVetter or office assistant April Bull Calf in the athletic office located in the SW corner lower level of the north gym. The first day of tryouts is Monday, February 10 so don't delay in getting your paperwork done! Thank you in advance!
RUHS Athletics T-Shirts for sale in the Bookstore!!
$15 for 1
$25 for 2
See below for direct links to each sport offered for the winter season at Rincon/University High School.
Winter sports lineup:
Campus Clean-up Phase 3
The next campus cleanup will take place on Saturday, February 15, 2025 from 10AM - 2PM. The focus of this campus clean-up is the East / Arcadia parking lot. Teachers, students, clubs, and staff will be painting curb bumpers in the East / Arcadia parking lot. We will re-paint the pedestrian walkways, the fire curbs, and parking bumpers. We will also do some light trash collection, weeding, and pruning as needed. We will provide all the necessary materials and supplies. Wear older shoes and work clothes, in case you get paint speckled on your clothing. See you there!
*** Campus Clean-up IV: At a to-be-determined date in March, 2025. The focus will be on the western perimeter of campus, along Swan road and 5th Streets. Curb appeal is the emphasis.
CCCC (College, Career, and Counseling Center) update
Updates from the CCCC/Student Services Team:
Penguin Pathways - February 14th
Penguin Pathways is our school-wide annual career & future exploration event. Instead of going to class as normal on this day, students get to participate in the following activities based upon their grade level!
- 9th Grade - Students will select their preference to attend 3 workshops in the following categories:
- Career/Interest Exploration
- Post-Secondary Opportunities
- Life & Professional Skills
- 10th Grade - Students will select their preference to attend 2 workshops in the following categories in addition to a CPR for Graduation session to meet the AZ state graduation requirement:
- Career/Interest Exploration
- Post-Secondary Opportunities OR Life & Professional Skills
- CPR for Graduation (all students will attend)
- 11th Grade - Students will take the ASVAB career assessment to learn more about their skills & abilities as they relate to potential major/career pathways. Additionally, student completion of this test is factored in our schoolโs letter grade. There is no preparation needed for this test!
- 12th Grade - Students will select their preference to attend 1 workshop and 2 senior required workshops/activities
- Adulting 101 - Essential Life Skills for your Future: presented by Flores & Messing (all students will attend)
- Senior Updates and Major Exploration (all students will attend)
- Life & Professional Skills
*If you still need to complete your CPR, online PE or online health graduation requirements please be in attendance! You will be assigned sessions to complete/work on them!
Students in 9th, 10th & 12th grade will choose their workshops preferences ahead of time in class, starting the week of Feb 3, and will receive their schedule for Friday on Wednesday, Feb 12. Review the list of workshops found hereโ so you have an idea of what youโd like to choose ๐
All current 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students should have submitted their signed course selection sheets to their math teachers on Friday 1/31. The Student Services team visit math classes starting Thursday, February 6th through Thursday, February 13th so that students can enter their choices into Synergy. That gives you a little more time to think about your choices, do more research, and finalize your requests before entering them into the system. Remember, your requests shape our master schedule, so thank you for taking the time to thoughtfully make your decisions! Also, a huge thank you to everyone for putting on and participating in this yearโs Elective Fair! Mr. Schmidt coordinated the event that brought together electives teachers, student ambassadors, and students who were able to learn more about their options for next year โ thank you all for another successful event!
JUNIORS:
11th Grade Students - Join the UHS Instate College Tours (April 16 & 23)!
Join the UHS Counseling Team to visit and tour all instate campuses, their honors colleges, and learn about admissions & financial aid. Spots will fill on a first come first serve basis. Details & registration can be found here!
-Join the UHS Counseling team for our quarterly College-Ready Seminars focusing on how juniors can prepare for applying to college. Each quarter we will focus on a different topic to assist juniors & families in their college planning by breaking down the process and helping you work smarter, not harder! We highly encourage all junior students and families to attend each quarter so they are best prepared for next year.
[Q1] College Admissions Testing โ September 24 (rescheduled from 9/10) โ Links & more info were sent out on 9/30, so check your email if you missed this!
[Q2] Building Your College List โ November 19 โ Links & more info were sent out on 12/13, so check your email if you missed this!
[Q3] Financing College โ February 4 โ this week!
[Q4] Planning & Preparing for the College Application Process โ April 15
---All seminars take place on Zoom starting at 6:00 pm. See attachment for more info; zoom links have been updated! We look forward to seeing you there!
FRESHMEN & SOPHOMORES:
Make an appointment to meet your counselor โ they are excited to work with you during the first half of your high school career! Go to uhs.tusd1.org/CCCC and click on โBook Appointment.โ Email your counselor if you donโt see any times available that work for you, or come by during drop-in hours during lunch or conference period.
ALL STUDENTS:
You're invited to the annual UHS Career Cafe!
The career cafe is an opportunity for students to learn about the college & career journeys of current professionals. This year the Career Cafe features an ALL UHS Alumni lineup! All speakers provide valuable insight on finding and/or arriving at your desired career, no matter what field you may be interested in. We encourage students to join even if they aren't interested in the career field or don't know what the job is. Come learn about the experiences of UHS grads who have been in your shoes! Cafe treats for all who attend ๐
Students! NOW is the time that many summer programs/research opportunities have applications open and deadlines are passing quickly! Check out our Free & Low Cost Summer Programs Database! You can also review the CCCC Website (https://uhs.tusd1.org/CCCC) under "College & Career" -> "Student Opportunities & Summer Programs" for more ideas!
Peer tutors: If you want to be a volunteer peer tutor, look for the QR code around the U-building to sign up, or email Ms. Brownstone (Kathryn.brownstone@tusd1.org). Students โ we really need more peer tutoring volunteers in Physics, Chemistry, and/or Geometry! Your fellow Penguins will be very grateful for your help, and this is an excellent way to give back to your community. We appreciate all of our current volunteers!
If you are interested in receiving free peer tutoring, look for the list of tutors in the CCCC or ask your counselor!
Online Health and PE classes have now started. If you would like to be enrolled, please contact Mr. Encinas at Maximiliano.Encinas2@tusd1.org. To be eligible for online Health, you must have taken or be currently enrolled in AP Macro/Microeconomics, or you must have already taken Honors Economics. Please contact Mr. Encinas with any questions. Seniors โ if you still need these classes to graduate, you need to take care of this ASAP!
Max Encinas
11th-12th Grade School Counselor - Last names M-Z
University High School
520-232-5929
maximiliano.encinas2@tusd1.org
Book an appointment with me here: http://bit.ly/CCCCAppt
Graduation regalia delivery
12th grade students: your graduation regalia is here! Jostens will be outside the west side of the administration building on Friday, February 7 during 2nd lunch to pass out all orders. If you are not sure if you have ordered a cap/gown or have problems with your order, reach out to an administrator so we can coordinate with Jostens.
Parent survey - UHS prom
UHS parents/guardians: please take the 2025 UHS prom survey by Wednesday, February 5 at 10am, we very much want your input in our planning in consideration with the date of the event. Thank you!
Travel Club
The UHS Travel Club trips to Europe and South Korea are filling up! Mr. Ollanik will be hosting interest meetings on the evening of Wednesday, February 12th, by Zoom and in the Library. There will be a 6pm meeting for the 2026 Europe trip and a 7pm meeting for the 2027 South Korea trip. RSVP or sign up for the information at:
Europe 2026 - https://bit.ly/40DGnSL
S Korea 2027 - https://bit.ly/4hiQeEv
UHSPA update
t's that time of year. There is a lot going on and we need YOUR HELP!
Make sure to join us for our monthly meeting on February 18th at 6PM in the RUHS Library. Future meetings will be on the 3rd Tuesday of each month. Please park in the north parking lot off 5th street. Come up the stairs and the door will be unlocked. Turn left inside the doors. The library will be on the left.
- Our overall UHSPA Annual Fund Drive is LIVE! Your support allows us to continue our outreach efforts with our UHS Community. Primarily, we fund classroom grant requests, Grad Night, and teacher and student recognitions. Click here to learn more about UHSPA activities and DONATE to our fundraising effort.
- And speaking of Grad Night 2025, help us celebrate our seniors! Click here for more details on how to help:
- Seniors and Senior Parents- Buy your tickets now before the price increases!
- Join our Grad Night planning committee. We are meeting via zoom on Wednesday, February 5th from 6:30-8:00pm and will be meeting again after the monthly Parent Association meeting on February 18th. If you would like to join the group, please email uhspa@uhs-pa.org or show up to one of our meetings.
- Donate to support this great event.
- Find an item on our Grad Night Amazon Wishlist and purchase a prize for a senior or supplies to help us host the event.
Our UHS families have been amazingly supportive of our classroom supply drive. The Wishlist will stay open to reflect current classroom requests. Teachers/ staff please send needed supply requests to uhspa@uhs-pa.org. Anyone shopping on Amazon and wanting to send an item of appreciation to the school can check out our Amazon Wishlist to support our most recent classroom needs. Your continued donations of kleenex and hand sanitizer is greatly appreciated.
Other recent UHSPA activities included supporting the Adopt-A-Family Holiday Drive coordinated by UHS staff and offering a teacher and staff appreciation event to close out last year.
** Sign Up for Remind- text [student grad year code] to 81010 -- ([student grad year code]: @uhspa2025, @uhspa2026, @uhspa2027, or @uhspa2028) ** Subscribe for communications from UHSPA ** Contact us at uhspa@uhs-pa.org **
๎
UHSPA
uhsparents.orgUniversity High School Parents Association (UHSPA)
PO Box 57076
Tucson, AZ 85732
Winter Formal parent chaperones
UHS Student Council is asking for parent chaperones for our Inaugural Ball (Winter Formal Dance) on Saturday, February 8th, at Tohono Chul. Parents who are interested can sign up to chaperone through this link: Inaugural Chaperone Signup or by emailing Mr. Ollanik at Jacob.Ollanik@tusd1.org. Thank you!
Yearbook update
Yearbook Purchasing
Yearbook submits the final number for publication by February 24th, so PLEASE order soon. We will only purchase 50 books beyond the Feb. 23rd purchased amount. Last year we sold out, so please order soon to make sure you have a book when they arrive in May! Yearbook staff has been working hard to create a 312-page book that captures the moments, community, and achievements of our 2024 - 2025 school year!
The yearbook is price $75 for a limited time. The next price increase will happen on 2/28. Purchase your yearbook soon if you are hoping to purchase it at a lower price. The link for purchase is https://ybpay.lifetouch.com/ and our school code is 15096125.
SENIOR FAMILIES
In order for the book to be published and shipped by May, yearbook is required to submit our created pages in increments to make sure the publisher has time to create a quality product. We are at our deadline for the senior ads and several families have not completed their senior ads. The deadline to submit was Friday, January 24th. PLEASE complete and submit your ads as soon as possible to assure your ad makes it into the book. If you have any questions, contact the yearbook advisor, patricia.wheeler@tusd1.org
Thank you!!!
CONTINUING INFORMATION
RUHS club list
Here is the latest 24-25 RUHS club list. Find a club that fits you and join the community!
UHSFAA - student microgrants
The UHS Foundation and Alumni Association (UHSFAA) seeks to support UHS students, particularly those who are first generation college bound and who are focused on building opportunities for themselves. Through this, the UHSFAA student microgrant is offered for application. Microgrants are awarded to students in need of anything that furthers their educational development. Grants of up to $500 per student per year are available at the discretion of the UHSFAA board of directors and UHS principal, and are based on available funds. Microgrant awards are through application, and can be given for many different kinds of needs: classroom needs including costs associated with internet access, textbooks or personal academic supplies, summer programs, professional education and internship needs, such as travel and public transportation costs, lunch costs, supplies or clothing needs, immunizations, and more. Requests for funding should be for proposals that can be 100% covered by the grant; requests to partially fund larger projects will not be considered. Please provide at least ten days lead time before the funds are needed so the UHSFAA can have adequate time to consider your application.
The UHS Perspective - published online!
The UHS Perspective is the student-produced school publication that began as the school newspaper printed in hardcopy, and now is online! Please read through all the amazing work our students do! Thank you to Mr. Hilbert for sponsoring!