The J-Hawk Experience!
Info you need to know for week of March 23 - 27!
Message from the principal
UHS Families, Students, and Staff,
I hope that this newsletter finds you well during this unique and challenging time in our local, state, national, and world communities. Please know that our UCSD and UHS teams have been and will continue to work closely with local and state officials to support the needs of all people impacted by these events, working to keep everyone safe and informed as best we can during this school closure between March 23rd and April 10th.
Right now, I am reaching out again to connect on a few things:
- The well-being of our students and staff: Please know that we have been reaching out and responding to staff and community questions as soon as we can in the best way we can. Students 18 and younger can get Grab'n'Go meals from three different UCSD sites starting Monday. Free. No id needed.
- EFR support- During these challenging times (and all times), please know that EFR (Employee and Family Resources) is available as a great personal resource via phone and the web. I've copied information below that I received today. This is free to any UCSD staff, students, or families.
In The News: Coronavirus (COVID-19)
A Message from EFR as of 3.19.2020
The uncertainty of COVID-19 can increase feelings of anxiety and stress, which is a normal response under such circumstances. EFR has created a tip sheet to help employees stay connected to their emotions during a time of uncertainty and social distancing. As a reminder, employees can reach EFR in three different ways:
- Our phones are answered 24-hours a day and we can be reached at 800.327.4692.
- You can chat with us online by clicking here
- You can email us by clicking here.
Tip Sheet!Click here for the full article from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Click here for updates from EFR regarding COVID-19
3.19.2020 Employee and Family Resources
- Student learning during closure -
Our district, as with other K-12 public districts around the state, are working closely with the Iowa Department of Education as well as Area Education Agencies to be sure we are following federal and state requirements and guidelines regarding student learning during this time period. It is important to note that equity and access are significant factors that come into play as we consider learning for all of our students.
We are putting a list of learning resources together that we will be sending out soon from the district level to all UCSD families during this time of closure. We will not be providing direct teacher instruction or expectations of new work completion during this time as we do not have the infrastructure to support equity and access for all.
- Classroom resources- Many classroom teachers have a Google Classroom, Moodle, or Scholar page they maintain for their classes. In addition to the resources that will be shared out via a district email in the near future, these would be additional options for students if they are interested. While assignments will not be posted during this time, there are often additional resources and links to sites specific to their classes.
- Working on past work- Students are certainly welcome to work on any past work or learning that was assigned prior to spring break if they are able to do so. Again, we recognize that not all families have internet access.
- AP courses/testing, DMACC courses (including DMACC on campus Career Academy courses and concurrent enrollment DMACC courses taught at UHS)- We are working with AP/CollegeBoard and DMACC to develop a plan for how our students can potentially engage in the testing (in the case of AP) and can earn the college credit for their DMACC courses. We will be sharing more details about these plans as we continue to receive guidance from AP/CollegeBoard and DMACC.
Please reach out with any concerns and/or questions you may have. As I shared before, these are unique and challenging times, and we will work through them together and support each other to ensure the well-being of all. #UHSpride
Sincerely,
Tim Carver
Principal
#UHSpride
#UHSwillChangeTheWorld!
EMAIL from Mr. Bass on Sunday, March 22, 2020, regarding school closure, Grab'n'Go meal program, student meds pickup, staff material pickup
The below email was sent from Mr. Bass to UCSD families and staff tonight, March 22nd, 2020:
Urbandale CSD Families and Staff,
I’d like to share a quick reminder email regarding four topics:
1. Schools Closed: All Urbandale CSD schools are closed; all school-related programs, athletics, activities, Adventuretime & Community Education classes are cancelled. School is scheduled to resume on April 13, 2020. Note: The District Administration Office is also closed.
2. Grab N’ Go Meal Program: Our Urbandale CSD Nutrition Services Team will be providing FREE meals to children 18 years and younger beginning tomorrow, Monday, March 23 until school reopens. Children may pick up one breakfast and one lunch and must be present in order to pick up meals. Meals are 'to go' meaning that they will be available in front of the school building and are not to be consumed on-site. A child does not need to be a student in the Urbandale CSD in order to receive a meal. No identification or paperwork required. Locations include: Jensen Elementary 11:00 AM - 11:20 AM, Karen Acres Elementary 11:30 AM -11:50 AM, and Valerius Elementary 12:00 PM - 12:30 PM.
3. Medication Pick Up: Tomorrow, Monday, March 23, families may pick up your child’s medications if needed. Please see an email that was sent to families on March 19 (subject: Student Medication Pick Up March 23) with specific timeframes that your School Nurse will be available. Due to buildings being closed, March 23 will be the only time medications will be available for pick up until we return to school on April 13. Note: You can also find this information on our Coronavirus Updates page.
4. Staff Pick Up Essential Materials: Tomorrow, Monday, March 23, staff will be able to enter the building within certain timeframes in order to pick up essential materials (staff please see an email from Maggie Holton on March 18 with the subject: Building Access During Shut Down).
I’ll be in touch this week with more information regarding district operations as updates become available. Sending good wishes to you all.
Sincerely,
Steve Bass
Superintendent
Attendance.
UHS attendance - 90%
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 March 23-27, there will be no school.
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!
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:
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.
UHS Prom and Graduation Dates for May 2020
Updated March 22, 2020: At this time, no decision has been made about Prom or Graduation 2020 as the dates are too far out to make definitive decisions. Thank you for your patience and understanding during this time.
UHS Prom will be Saturday, May 2nd, 2020, at the Science Center of Iowa. UHS Graduation for the Class of 2020 will be Wednesday, May 27th, at 7:00pm at the Knapp Center on the campus of Drake University.
UHS Seniors - Submit pictures to Mrs. Alaniz for UHS yearbook 2020
UHS Seniors,
Please be sure to senior photos submitted for the yearbook.
Photos should be submitted to alanizm@urbandaleschools.com by March 12th or by April 17th with late fee. Please see email from Martina Alaniz for more information.
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!
UHS Gaming Club gaming before break
UHS Gaming Club leaders plan for competition
UHS Fishing Club members show gear after swap meet
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
J-Hawk spring activities currently suspended
As of March 22, 2020, the J-Hawks spring activities have been suspended due to COVID-19 precautions.
Prior to spring break, the boys track team competed in the UNI Dome at an indoor track meet. In that meet, UHS senior, Harrison Waylee, took home the title for the 60 meter dash. Great work, Harrison!
Click here for link to www.j-hawks.com for upcoming events this week. Go J-Hawks!!
UHS Academic Decathlon team brings home 2nd place at the state competition!
The Urbandale High School Academic Decathlon team earned Second Place at the Iowa State competition held on March 6-7 in Waterloo. The students will advance to the online national competition later this spring, where they will compete in eight events related to the theme In Sickness and in Health: An Exploration of Illness and Wellness. The team studied very challenging materials to test their academic strength in Art, Music, Literature, Economics, Science, Social Science, Math, Speech, and Interviews.
The team members at the state level were Damon Drury, Shay Kent, Chloe McFarlane, Devin Ensley, Carson Burright, Michelle Beeman, Lexie Carter, Alex Salas Tadeo, Blair Liveringhouse, Chris Ledo, Lovetee Tody, and Alicia Vah. Blair Liveringhouse won a silver award in Art and bronze awards in Music and Literature. Lexie Carter won a silver award in Literature, Michelle Beeman won bronze in Speech, and Chris Ledo won a silver award in Science. Congratulations everyone!
Damon Drury
Shay Kent
Chloe McFarlane
Devin Ensley
Carson Burright
Michelle Beeman
Lexie Carter
Alex Salas Tadeo
Blair Liveringhouse
Chris Ledo
Lovetee Tody
Alicia Vah
AcDec members ready to compete!
AcDec members ready to compete!
Great work, J-Hawks!
UHS American Government and Political Action Club work to get out the vote!
UHS American Government and Political Action Club students worked this past week to get all students who are eligible registered to vote. Great work! They had a special guest speaking to them on Tuesday, the Deputy of the Secretary of State of Iowa.
As of Tuesday, March 10th, they had met their goal of registering over 90% of the UHS senior class by registering 90.4%! A big shout out to Mrs. LaPietra and PAC president, Monica L!!
Monica and Mrs. LaPietra with a couple of seniors who registered to vote
Monica and Mrs. LaPietra worked with the UHS Political Action Club to meet their goal!
Urbandale Mayor Bob Andeweg shares about his political experiences with UHS seniors
UHS senior Reed Andrews named to State Jazz Band All-State!
UHS band students compete at Perry Band Olympics!
Members of the UHS Bands played at the Perry Band Olympics! Great job competing and representing UHS in high regard!!
On February 22, 2020, Urbandale High School Instrumental Music Department entered 97 events into the Perry Band Olympics Solo & Small Ensemble Contest.
Performing alongside students from across the state of Iowa, Urbandale’s students earned 51 Division-I ratings.
The following students were further highlighted against nearly 1000 other entries
with these “podium finishes” within their respective categories:
Name: Result Event
Nathan Boorman 5th 11-12 Trombone Solo
Daniel Bacuyag 5th 11-12 Horn Solo
Zach Mataya 4th 11-12 Trumpet Solo
Akira Gunn 4th 9-10 Tuba Solo
Anna Holub 3rd 11-12 Flute Solo
Reed Andrews 3rd 11-12 Mallet Solo
Cody Iwig 2nd 9-10 Tenor Sax Solo
Katelyn Knight 2nd 9-10 Flute Solo
Peter Schumacher 2nd 11-12 Alto Sax Solo
Autumn Sheppard 1st 9-10 Bari Sax Solo
Michael Andrews 1st 9-10 Bassoon Solo
Sophia Huber + Katelyn Knight 1st 9-10 Flute Duet
UHS band members at Perry Band Olympics. Great work!
UHS band members at Perry Band Olympics. Great work!
Battle of the Books conducts fundraiser during Parent/Teacher Conferences!
UHS Cheer Team performs at the state basketball tournament!
UHS Cheer Team performs at the state basketball tournament!
Learning around UHS
Connections groups playing Spoons before break!
Connections groups playing Spoons before break!
Connections groups playing Spoons before break!
UHS Drumline performs at What to Expect Night
Sierra and Emily share their high school experience during What to Expect Night
Mr. Wilkins and Mr. Goodhue talk about clubs at WTEN
Mrs. Kilstrom's students learning about the human skeleton
Students in English class engaged in learning
UHS Dream tree outside of Mrs. Cutler's room
PE students engaged in activity
Students engaged in learning in the LMC
Members of the South Dakota University choir perform with Urbandale Singers
Members of the South Dakota University choir perform with Urbandale Singers
Students engaged in learning in the LMC
Mercy College rep with UHS students
J-Hawk Coloring contest
J-Hawk Coloring contest
UHS and VHS bands perform together with guest clinician
Follow 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