The J-Hawk Experience
Info you need to know for week of October 2-6!
Messsage from the principal
As students consider how best to be involved and give back to the community, I wanted to remind students to connect their service hours to the Silver Cord program at UHS. Service to others not only helps our greater community but also helps the person doing the service in many ways. This point was highlighted in a Silver Cord profile shared with me about a recent graduate.
Sincerely,
Tim Carver
Principal
#UHSpride
Silver Cord profile:
“I found my future career through my volunteer work!”
Belden Bremser graduated in 2017 with a Silver Cord. Although she volunteered for several organizations such as Take a Book, Leave a Book, Meals From the Heartland, Urbandale Food Pantry, and UCAN, the place she loved working the most was the Des Moines Playhouse.
Volunteering as a teaching assistant for drama classes and workshops, Belden discovered she really loved working with children with special needs. Through contacts at the Playhouse she heard about drama therapy, a field which will allow her to work in theater while helping children. Belden started college at UNI this fall with a double major in theater and psychology and plans to earn a master’s degree in drama therapy. She is passionate about bringing theater to people for whom it is not always accessible, and she found her future career by volunteering to do something she loved!
Attendance...and music!
UHS attendance - 96%
We have begun playing music during passing periods in an effort to help with students being on time to class (in the classroom before the bell rings). Music will play for the first 3 minutes of each passing period. When the music stops, it's an auditory reminder that class starts in 2 minutes.
We had feedback from students that it helps. We will review our tardy data before and after we started playing music to see if it's truly helping. Assuming it is helping, we will continue playing it. We've also heard from students that have song requests. We will be taking those, reviewing them for appropriateness for school and then adding them to the list.
Student Announcements and Day 1/ Day 2 for the week
This week Monday, October 2nd, is a Day 1. Tuesday is a Day 2. Block Days are a Day 1. Friday is a Day 2.
Seniors - Reminder to get your Cap & Gown order in to Herff Jones
Seniors, if you missed this meeting or have not turned in your order information, stop in to the main office to see Mrs. Bergman or contact Marc directly at 515-993-3809 or by email at mphavnen@herffjones.com .
UHS Student Clubs & Organizations...get involved!
UHS to host PSAT - October 14
Things you should know about the PSAT:
*It is a practice test for the SAT, which is a standardized test for college admittance. The PSAT is also the entrance exam for the National Merit Scholarship program. Juniors who score in the top 3% nationally (approximately) are entered into the National Merit competition. This is one of the highest academic honors a student may receive.
This is a link for more information: National Merit Scholarship Program
*The SAT is a different test than the ACT. The majority of our students take the ACT instead of the SAT. Both are standardized exams that 4-year colleges and universities require for admittance. Here is a link that describes the differences between the two tests: ACT vs. SAT Comparison
How to register: To register, students should bring $27 cash or check (payable to UHS) to Mrs. Gibson in the UHS Counseling Office. Registration opened on September 12. Please register soon. Space is limited. If you have questions concerning the PSAT, please feel free to contact your student’s counselor at UHS.
Reminder on school driving permits
License (School Permit). Here is a link that provides guidance from the Iowa DOT on the
Minor School License.
UHS Athletics and Activities for the week! Go J-Hawks!!
Follow us...new UHS Twitter!
2018 Legislative Page Application - Juniors and Seniors
Message The Iowa Senate, House of Representatives, and Legislative Services Agency invite Iowa high school juniors and seniors to apply for Page positions for the 2018 session of the Iowa General Assembly. Serving as a legislative page is a great opportunity for students.
Included in this email is a link https://www.legis.iowa.gov/careers/apply?pid=57 to the online application.
The application forms can be completed by students and downloaded for signing,https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/careers/positions/D564415D-63D1-464E-A287-4F727447FE4B.pdf.
Please note that living arrangements for Pages are not supervised or provided. We ask parents, guardians, and school personnel to carefully consider this aspect of the program and not recommend students who may need a supervised environment.
The deadline for receipt of applications is October 6, 2017.
If you have questions regarding the program, please contact one of the persons listed below. Thank you for your assistance in making this opportunity known to your students.
W. Charles Smithson Carmine Boal
Secretary of the Senate Chief Clerk of the House
Charlie.Smithson@legis.iowa.gov 515.281.5381
Shout Outs
UHS students participate in National Council on Youth Leadership
More than 230 high school seniors from 24 area high schools were selected by their schools to attend the National Council on Youth Leadership’s 25th Annual Youth Salute on September 10-11, 2017, at Drake University.
Over two days, participants heard from national and local speakers on student leadership in high school and beyond. Jennie Baranczyk, head coach of the 2016-17 Missouri Valley Conference champion Drake Women’s Basketball team, delivered a keynote address titled “Leading With Integrity.”
NCYL is dedicated to recognizing, encouraging and developing the leadership skills of youth. The mission of NCYL is to create public awareness of the importance and power of youth leadership, provide information to help build advanced leadership skills, and encourage community involvement in recognition and support our youth. The Greater Des Moines chapter is facilitated by The Robert D. and Billie Ray Center at Drake University, which offers a variety of public awareness activities and programming, including CHARACTER COUNTS!, the most widely used character education program in the nation.
The following UHS seniors participated in this special event:
Emily DeDoncker
Mercedes Hendricks
Megan Hess
Serena Ibsais
Leah Ingraham
Kayla Nguyen
Avery Peterson
Maya Sims
Emma Torry
Ellen Van Roekel
Claire Weihs
Sophi Wilker
J-Hawks continue winning ways!
The UHS Marching Band hosted its 20th annual marching band invitational on Saturday, September 30th, with 22 marching bands from around the midwest playing. It takes a team effort to host this event! Great job!
Connections Cup competitions are underway...Scavenger Hunt!
Look for updates on the Connections Cup points on the Connections Cup Bulletin Board outside of the main office in the hallway near the industrial tech/woods lab (photo above) and at the Connections Google Site.
A foundational part of relationships and our culture at UHS is our advisory period called Connections. Each week, Connections groups have team building activities and games to play so that students and teachers get to know each other in different ways.
Mr. Baethke's Connections
Mrs. Forristall's Connections
Mrs. Gilson's Connections
Mrs. King's Connections
Connections groups gather in the commons during the scavenger hunt
Mr. Loucks' Connections on the move!
UHS Industrial Technology students attend Skilled Iowa event
Learning around UHS
Below is the image is a cartoon timeline of pre-Revolutionary War events by Meg Eastwood and Nghi Nguyen.
Mrs. Richardson's Human Anatomy & Physiology class works in the lab
Ms. Maharry's Housing and Interior Design "custom built" houses made from cereal boxes
Early stages of the Banned Books display in the UHS Library/Media Center
Get into the J-Hawk Spirit!
For those who haven't learned it yet, here are the words:
"Urbandale, with the Blue and White,
Ready to go and fight
with all our might.
Striving, and trying,
to put it all together
and always come out winning.
We the J’s strive for victory.
Watch us fight
and you will surely see
that with our spirit,
and the teams’ determination
we will fight with confidence
we will rise, we will win.
We’ll be number one!
Urbandale, J-Hawks.
Fight! Fight! Fight!"
Flu Vaccine Clinics
Polk County Health Department will offer Flu Vaccine Clinics for Urbandale students, staff, parents, siblings, and community members.
Dates: Wednesday, October 11, 2017
Time: 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Location: Urbandale High School Commons
Please make note:
- FluMist is not available this year.
- We will offer the Quad Injectable Vaccine.
- We will offer the High Dose Injectable Vaccine for those 65 years of age and older.
- Most major insurance plans accepted.
- Please bring your insurance card.
- Flu vaccine for uninsured is $20 or what you can pay.
- Parent/guardian must be present and sign consent form: Flu Vaccine Consent Form 2017-2018 Consent forms may be downloaded here or obtained at the clinic.
See the Polk County Health Department website for further information.
Do your part to stop the flu!
Wednesday, Oct 11, 2017, 04:00 PM
Urbandale High School, Aurora Avenue, Urbandale, IA, United States
Urbandale High School
Website: http://www.urbandaleschools.com/schools/urbandale-high-school/
Location: 7111 Aurora Avenue, Urbandale, IA, United States
Phone: (515) 457-6800
Twitter: @UHS_UCSD
Tim Carver, Principal
Email: carvert@urbandaleschools.com
Website: http://www.urbandaleschools.com/directory/tim-carver/
Location: 7111 Aurora Avenue, Urbandale, IA, United States
Phone: 515-457-6801
Twitter: @TimPCarver