The J-Hawk Experience!
Info you need to know for week of February 24 - 28!
Message from the principal
Leading up to and during February, our UHS "Future Scheduling Month," we will highlight different aspects of courses and/or scheduling at UHS.
UHS Scheduling Highlight
This week we want to highlight a great opportunity for our students to expand their knowledge of language and culture at UHS through taking classes in our Foreign Language department. UHS is fortunate to have three tremendous options within our school for students to take: German, Japanese, and Spanish. Our experienced staff bring not only a great knowledge and approach to each language and its acquisition but also students learning a great deal about each culture.
Besides regular classroom experiences and learning, our Foreign Language department also offers experiences to travel abroad to respective countries who speak each language. Students also get a chance to host other students from those countries who come to visit Urbandale High School. Our department also offers a course, Cultural Issues, that does not require language experience but gives junior and senior students a chance to experience and discuss different cultures from around the world.
UHS "Future Scheduling Month" - FEBRUARY, 2020
February will be "Future Scheduling Month" for 2020-21 school year. We are excited to work with our entire staff and student body to create awareness around courses and create opportunities for students to learn about classes and get input from teachers about future classes.
Each student will have a course request sheet to track and house their course requests for 2020-21. Parents/guardians and core teachers will need sign before scheduling begins with counselors on:
- 11th graders - February 5, 6 - During American History classes
- 10th graders - February 12, 13 - During English classes
- 9th graders - February 25, 26 - During English classes
All 9th graders need bring their blue colored sheets filled out Wednesday, February 26th, to their freshman English class. Counselors will meet one-on-one with them on course requests and teacher recommendations on their blue scheduling sheet this week on block day in their English class.
Please go to the link www.uhsguidance.com to find more resources and information regarding scheduling.
Why future scheduling is important
Our future scheduling process is very important to help not only ensure students get signed up for classes that align with their interests and future plans (while guiding them toward graduation and beyond) but also to help our school ensure that we have appropriate staffing. These future scheduling student course requests are what we use to help us build our master schedule for the upcoming school year.
It is very important that everyone involved puts time and thought into this important process.
Sincerely,
Tim Carver
Principal
#UHSpride
#UHSwillChangeTheWorld!
UHS Counselors meet with UHS 9th graders regarding 2020-21 scheduling
UHS Counselors meet with UHS 9th graders regarding 2020-21 scheduling
UHS Counselors meet with UHS 9th graders regarding 2020-21 scheduling
Iowa State University visiting UHS on February 27th!
Iowa State University will have a rep at UHS on Thursday, February 27 from 9:00- 11:00 a.m. The first 30 minutes will be a traditional college visit for 9-11 graders that have interest in Iowa State. The following 90 minutes will be reserved for admitted students to ISU to stop in and visit about classes, Orientation, housing, scholarships, financial aid- anything you may have questions about.
Admitted students will be contacted by the ISU rep as a reminder to stop in and visit during that time. Please see your counselor if you have any questions!
Parent Survey -- UHS feedback requested
The Parent Satisfaction Survey allows parents to provide feedback on their experience with their child’s school. Please communicate with your parents in the most effective way and ask them to complete this short survey (about 10 minutes).
The survey can be accessed online at this link: Urbandale Parent Satisfaction Survey
Parent/Teacher Conferences - March 5th and 9th
I have attached a link to the teacher dinner schedule here. Here is a link to the list of the teachers who will be not be available some or all of the time because of coaching or other extra curricular responsibilities.
We welcome all family members and students to come be a part of these opportunities for connecting and improving our partnership aimed at helping improve students' overall experience and learning.
TEACHER AND STAFF DINNERS @ UHS CONFERENCES
A request from a parent volunteer requesting help from UHS parents regarding meals for teachers at spring Parent/Teacher Conferences:
"Conferences at UHS are about 2 weeks away. UHS parents are providing the meals during conference nights for the teachers/staff and are in need of volunteers to provide food.
Please click on the links below to sign-up. They REALLY appreciate these meals on a long day too. Thanks in advance for your help!
Sub Sandwich Dinner - Thursday, March 5: volunteersignup.org/YRQCH
Enchilada Dinner - Monday, March 9: volunteersignup.org/4494T
Build My Future event - Construction Career Day & Industry Showcase - See Mrs. Cicero
Attendance.
UHS attendance - 92%
This is a reminder that if a student has an unexcused absence for any period, our automated system will be sending out a call as well as an email as means to notifying you of the absence. If you feel it is in error, please contact Mrs. Chavez in our attendance office at 457-6805.
Student Announcements and Day 1/ Day 2 for the week
This week Monday, February 24th, is a Day 1. Tuesday, February 25th, is a Day 2. Blocks days are a Day 1. Friday is a Day 2.
Daily schedule reminder and Lunch Schedule for 2nd semester
Monday, Tuesday, and Friday, are our non-block days with eight periods meeting along with I.E.S. and Wednesday and Thursday are block days. Even periods meet on Wednesdays along with Connections and odd periods meet on Thursdays along with Connections.
Click here for Daily bell schedule
UHS Seniors: Complete Your Online Application For Urbandale Dollars For Scholars Scholarships and FAFSA, too!
UHS Seniors: Complete Your Online Application By April 1st For Urbandale Dollars For Scholars Scholarships and complete your FAFSA, too!
Scholarship information
Interested in scholarships but concerned about the time it takes to apply? Now, the Urbandale Dollars for Scholars program makes it easier than ever! Urbandale High School students may create an online profile which enables students to apply for and be matched to local and national scholarships. By creating an online profile, students will be able to see scholarships available to them and choose the scholarships they wish to apply for—parents can also view student progress on the application.
Learn more here and be sure to develop your online application profile NOW to be alerted about scholarship opportunities.
FAFSA information
Did you know over $2 billion dollars of financial aid goes unclaimed each year? It's not too late to fill out the FAFSA, and every family with a student attending college in 2020-21 should do so. Not sure why? Here are the many reasons to fill it out and info on how to get FREE help! If you have already filled out the FAFSA, your effort is much appreciated!
Support Scholarships For UHS Students: Urbandale Dollars for Scholars Scholarship Brunch
Support Scholarships For UHS Students: Urbandale Dollars for Scholars Scholarship Brunch
Join us for brunch! The Urbandale Education Foundation is hosting the Urbandale Dollars for Scholars® Scholarship Brunch on Saturday, February 29 from 8am to 1pm at UHS. Plus, a fantastic raffle, vendor fair & entertainment! All proceeds will support student scholarships! Thank You to Hy-Vee for providing food, the Lions Club for providing pancakes, and Lioness Club, Leo Club and Silver Cord students for volunteering their time and providing much needed support. #thankful4U PURCHASE TICKETS Your support makes all the difference!
Biliteracy Seal - Applications being taken
UHS Seniors,
On April 17, 2018, Iowa became one of 34 states to offer a Seal of Biliteracy for students who show proficiency in two or more languages by high school graduation. The Seal of Biliteracy appears on a student’s transcript. Iowa legislators recognize the increasing need for biliterate citizens in our workforce. Thus, the Seal of Biliteracy was approved to showcase biliteracy of students to colleges and potential employers.
Urbandale High School is excited to offer the opportunity for seniors to earn a Seal of Biliteracy. Each year seniors will have the option to demonstrate their proficiency through a series of tests. Students need to demonstrate proficiency in two languages to earn the Seal of Biliteracy. Proficiency may be demonstrated on a series of English and non-English assessments. Specific assessments will be determined based on student needs and language(s) desired.
Seniors wishing to apply for the Seal of Biliteracy need to fill out this application by March 12, 2020. Applications should be submitted to the student’s counselor. The exam to demonstrate proficiency in languages other than English will be held on Wednesday, April 29, 2020 at 12:00 pm.
Practice Test Links:
AAPPL Demo Site - links to specific tests/languages at the bottom of the page
Additional Practice Sites:
Black History Month display in UHS LMC
UHS Construction related issues
While construction continues on our new fitness room and related areas, we have experienced some issues where school has been interrupted as result of construction.
We apologize for these interruptions and recognize that they may continue during this construction process.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION --- PARKING in the CITY POOL LOT
Below is an important message from the City of Urbandale in order to keep the parking lot south of the Urbandale City Pool safe and cars parking correctly:
The main issue during this time of year has been with cars (both student cars and non-student cars) parking in the fire lane/no parking areas in the parking lots south of the pool and by the Senior Recreation Center. Students are free to park in legal spots that do not have a Senior Center or Pool parking sign in front of them.
When cars park in the fire lanes, it causes significant issues for snow removal equipment as well as buses trying to maneuver that parking lot.
The plan below started on Monday, February 3rd:
- The Police Department will be sending an officer by the parking lot at the HS/SCR/Pool daily for at least the next month.
- They will be checking for illegal parking, in particular in the fire lanes
- If cars are parked illegally in a fire lane, they will be cited ($50 parking ticket).
- When the police check license plates and there is a repeat offender (parking illegally again after getting a ticket previously) – the car will be towed.
Starting Monday – the police will not be calling the pool, Senior Center, or school to ask about who’s car is parked in the fire lane or anywhere else illegally park. They will immediately proceed with citations.
This strict and consistent enforcement should help send a clear message to everyone parking in that lot – that they must follow standard parking regulations that are expected of everyone in any parking lot in the City.
Influenza Concerns
A note from Mrs. Ness, UHS Nurse:
Influenza is usually spread from an ill person to other people by coughing and sneezing.
Symptoms The illness begins very suddenly, about 1-5 days after exposure, and commonly lasts for 2-7 days. The symptoms may include fever, cough, headache, muscle aches, and fatigue. About one in four children will also have nausea, diarrhea, or vomiting.Influenza is not the “stomach flu”. Symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea are usually a virus called norovirus and although it is often referred to as the flu, it is not influenza. Treatment If you are experiencing influenza symptoms, healthcare providers recommend:
- Stay home and rest
- Avoid close contact with other people
- Drink plenty of water and clear liquids
- Treat symptoms of fever and cough with over-the-counter medications from the store
- If you experience a high fever, bad cough, dehydration, or have any serious symptoms, contact your healthcare provider.
An influenza vaccine or flu shot is recommended to avoid or minimize the symptoms of influenza. Vaccines are still available through your healthcare provider, if your student has not yet received the vaccine this season.
You are urged to be proactive to prevent getting influenza.
- Wash your hands with soap and water frequently throughout the day
- Before and after eating
- After using the restroom
- After having contact with pets
- After touching possibly contaminated surfaces, such as phones, keyboards, door handles, shopping carts, etc.
- Hand sanitizer may be used when hand washing is not available and when hands are not visibly soiled
- Stay home from school or work when you are ill
- Stay away from others you know are ill; maintaining at least a three-foot distance from someone who is actively coughing or sneezing will help reduce your risk of becoming ill
School Absence
Students should be fever-free, without the use of fever-reducing medication (acetaminophen and ibuprofen), for at least 24 hours before returning to school.If your student feels ill at school, they should see the school nurse for further evaluation. The school nurse will contact parent/guardian if the student needs to go home from school.
Students not following this procedure may not have the absence excused. If the student becomes ill at home, please contact the school to excuse them at 457-6805. It is helpful if
Fortunately, the overall risk to Iowans for the Novel Coronavirus is currently low. However, we will continue to see the seasonal influenza for a few more weeks. Thanks for all you do to assist in keeping our students healthy!
UHS Prom and Graduation Dates for May 2020
A letter from the Urbandale Education Foundation regarding summer fundraiser golf tournament--Brad Peyton Memorial
As always, the Urbandale Education Foundation would like to extend a sincere thank you for your support of the Brad Peyton Memorial Golf event. We are grateful for the 200 sponsors, participants, volunteers and dinner guests who came together this past June to honor a family, celebrate a life, and support Urbandale Schools.
Since the tourney began in 2014, we’ve raised over $125,000 in support of scholarships for students and classroom grants for teachers. All of which wouldn’t have been possible without you!
As we begin to plan for our 2020 event, we hope you will again consider supporting the golf tournament. We are recruiting Title, Lead, Lunch, Beverage, and Hole sponsors. Details of all sponsorship levels are listed in the attached PDF; you’re also welcome to sign up online.
You may be in the midst of planning your charitable donations for the coming year. We will plan on following up with you shortly after the first of the year to request your commitment to supporting the upcoming Peyton Memorial Golf Tournament scheduled for Monday, June 29, 2020, at Hyperion Field Club.
Thank you for your support and we’re looking forward to another successful event in 2020!
Sincerely,
Marty Trepp
Peyton Memorial Golf Tournament Director
UHS Student Clubs & Organizations...get involved!
Action from Saturday's first ever UHS Gaming Club Super Smash Bros tournament
Action from Saturday's first ever UHS Gaming Club Super Smash Bros tournament
Action from Saturday's first ever UHS Gaming Club Super Smash Bros tournament
UHS Athletics and Activities for the week! Go J-Hawks!!
Message Monday - Transportation Matters for Iowa
Message Monday - Life is a highway - drive safely all day long from the Iowa Department of Transportation
Shout Outs
Reese Dial named National Merit Scholarship Finalist!!
UHS senior, Reese Dial, was recognized this month as a National Merit Scholarship Finalist! Out of the tens of thousands of students nationally who take the PSAT test as sophomores and then go through the ongoing application process, Dial has been selected as one of the finalists in the running to earn top scholarships as colleges across the nation.
Congratulations to Reese and good luck on your final selection process! This is an honor achieved by very few students. Great work!!
J-Hawk winter sports and activities in action!
The J-Hawk Wrestlers, Kaleb German (120lbs) and Kasey Ross (138lbs) competed at the state wrestling meet at Wells Fargo Arena on Thursday. Though they both came up short in the pursuit of a state title, both fought hard. Congratulations, J-Hawk wrestlers!
The J-Hawk Boys Teams won their district on Tuesday, putting them on a path to the state meet! They were led by Devon Moore who won the district as an individual. They will compete at the state meet on Tuesday in Waterloo. Good luck, bowlers, as you work to bring home a state title!!
The Boys and Girls Basketball teams won games on Friday and Saturday respectively. The boys capped off their regular season by beating Marshalltown and the girls beat Ottumwa in their first game of regional play. The boys begin their pursuit of making the state tournament by playing Hoover at home on Monday, February 24th, at 7:00pm. The girls team will play in the regional final on Tuesday, February 25th, at 7:00pm, at Waterloo West with a return trip to the state tournament on the line. Good luck, J-Hawks!!
Click here for link to www.j-hawks.com for upcoming events this week. Go J-Hawks!!
Urbandale's Ed Winger honored at state meet for his years as lead announcer
German takes the mat at the state meet!
Ross takes the mat at the state meet!
Jaywalkers in action at Friday's basketball game!
UHS Cheer Squad in action!
The boys are on a roll!
T.E.A.M. UHS student group works on building positive culture at UHS!
The T.E.A.M. UHS student group has been working each Wednesday morning before school as well as with the UHS Teacher Leadership Team on building positive culture at UHS! It can be seen through the T.E.A.M. UHS initiative. This will continue to be rolled out to students and staff as the year goes on.
One recent example was in the recent reinstitution of the music being played during the passing period to let students and staff know when their are two minutes left before the tardy bell rings.
In these pictures, they are working on videos to be shared with students and staff later on other positive behavioral expectations around UHS. Great work!
UHS Pops Concert delights audience...again!
Concert Choir performs a selection from Disney!
Sarah Pattschull sings Make You Feel My Love!
Colder Weather by Luke Lilinenthal!
Bass Choir takes us back to the 1980's!
Rise Up performed by Erin Valle
Tyler Fraaken with Your Song
Treble Choir goes to school!
Joshua Carlberg and Will Fuchs with Stay
Ruby performed by Maggie Harrigan and Michael Friedrickson
Vitality 2020 with another stunning show!
Vitality 2020 with another stunning show!
For Good performed by Addie Kerr and Gabby Peterson
Studio 2020 brings down the house to close out the show!
Studio 2020 brings down the house to close out the show!
Learning around UHS
UCSD teachers learn about music program during Cabin Fever Day
AP College Biology students display research in poster fair.
AP College Biology students display research in poster fair.
AP College Biology students display research in poster fair.
AP College Biology students display research in poster fair.
AP College Biology students display research in poster fair.
AP College Biology students display research in poster fair.
AP College Biology students display research in poster fair.
AP College Biology students display research in poster fair.
AP College Biology students display research in poster fair.
Spanish IV students engage phone interviews
Mr. Baethke leads discussion on open/middle concepts in Algebra
Mapping out chem concepts
Some of the UHS staff who particited in Weiberfastnacht with German students
2020 Physics Rube Goldberg Projects for UHS Physics students
Click below to enjoy some of the Rube Goldberg Projects UHS Physics students completed recently!
For your viewing pleasure:
https://tinyurl.com/uhbkqzkFollow us...UHS Twitter!
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