March Newsletter
Cholla HS
Message from Mr. Miranda - Principal
Hello Students, Parents and Guardians,
The month of March is upon us and will be gone before you know it. Please enjoy your time away from campus during Spring Break. When we return, we will be entering testing season! Students, this is your opportunity to SHOW WHAT YOU KNOW. Results from your assessments will count toward the school letter grade, so be sure to do your very best.
Seniors, this is your final quarter of high school, so make it a memorable experience! Your main priority is to walk across the stage in May along with your friends. If you need support, please speak to your counselor or a trusted adult on campus. Underclassmen, remember that every credit counts. Be on the lookout for summer school information.
Please speak to your child about getting from class to class on time and completing all assignments on a daily basis. We have seen an increase in attendance this year compared to last year, so thank you for making education a priority. If your child observes anything suspicious, please report it to the office. “If you see something, say something!”
Go Chargers!
Cesar Miranda
Cholla High School
Curriculum Updates by Cathy Adams - Assistant Principal
Greetings Charger Families:
As we approach the 4th Quarter, our students will begin the process of completing required state testing & training needed for graduation. Below you will find more information on specific testing dates by grade. We ask for your support preparing your students for the test(s). These are mandatory, however if you know your student will not be in school on test day, please contact Mr. Sagi to schedule a time for a make-up test. The ACT can provide your students with a better chance of getting into the college of their choice & earn scholarship money.
April 4th will be a long day of testing. We advise students to get a good night sleep, eat a well-rounded breakfast, bring a water bottle & some snacks to get through the day. Cell phones, smart watches or any music players are not permitted and will be placed in student back packs during testing.
Grade 12
Civics Test: ongoing through counseling department.
CPR Training: ongoing through counseling department.
Grade 11
AZScience Test: March 26th
ACT: April 4th (Ex Ed students will test April 2nd & 3rd)
Makeups will be April 5, 9-12 & 15-19.
Grade 9
ACT Aspire: April 4th
ACT Aspire Writing: April 10th & 11th
Make-ups April 20th through 28th
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve your students. If you have any questions or concerns regarding testing, please email Stephen Sagi.
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Parents, please help us by dropping off your student in the student parking in the designated area. We understand this area gets congested the closer it gets to 8:00 AM, please plan accordingly.
Please remember that we will start promptly at 8:00 am. Please be on time. Attendance and tardies matter.
Please ensure your students get a good night’s rest and a healthy breakfast each day. Breakfast is served at school each day from 7:30 – 7:55 Am and it is free to all students.
Operations Athletics by Tariq Rasool - Assistant Principal
Hello chargers, we have spring sports season going on. We have 5 new coaches for our spring sports. Stan Porter head Boys track coach, Eric Eia boy’s assistant track, Jane Moore head girls track coach, Steve Vega head softball coach and Hector Carpio head baseball coach. Patrick Byrne continues to serve as our boys’ volleyball coach. We have over 80 student athletes participating in spring sports and look to have a great spring season. Go Chargers!
Student Services by Sharon Ingram - Assistant Principal
Greetings Cholla Chargers!
We have now hit the halfway point of the Spring semester- this year is flying by! Please use Parent VUE to review your child’s grades and attendance. There is still time to improve before the final grades in May. And if you need assistance with any issues your child might be having- please contact anyone of us in the Student Services Department as we are here to help.
And don’t forget to register for next year! Please complete your registration online or if you need help, stop by as our Front Office staff can help.
Please enjoy your time off during Spring Break and we look forward to seeing you back on campus on Monday, March 18!
Counseling Department
Dear Cholla High School Families,
As we enter the final stretch of the school year, we want to update you on important information from the Counseling Department:
- Senior Credit Checks and Parent/Guardian Letters: Final senior credit checks and parent letters will be distributed at the end of March. Please review your senior's report card to ensure they are on track with their core classes and graduation requirements.
- CPR and Civics Requirements: Senior Parents & Guardians, please check with your student that their CPR and Civics requirements are completed. We still have over 100 seniors who are deficient in at least one of these requirements.
- Juniors, Sophomores, and Freshmen: Credit checks will be sent out for all Juniors, and Letters of Concern will be sent to the adults of Sophomores and Freshmen who are already deficient in credits by the end of the school year. This will help families plan accordingly for summer school programs if needed.
- Limited Summer School Space: Summer school space will be limited this year. If you are searching for alternative summer school options, we are happy to provide this information.
- Exciting Opportunity for Early Childhood CTE Courses: Rising juniors and seniors have the opportunity to complete the Early Childhood CTE requirements in a one-year program as part of their school day, in partnership with Brichta Early Childhood Center. An email was sent on March 4th to all 10th/11th grade students and their adults with more information.
- Pima County JTED Applications: If you are interested in a Career and Technical Education (CTE) program not offered at Cholla, Pima County JTED applications for next year are now open. Apply as soon as possible.
- Pima County Youth Summer Jobs Program: Applications are open for the Pima County Youth Summer Jobs Program until March 29th at 5pm. Don't miss out on this opportunity! Visit Summer Youth Pima County to apply. They also offer paid opportunities for completing credit recovery.
- Counselor Appointments: Fourth quarter is a busy time in the Counseling Office. If you need to meet with your student's counselor, please make an appointment to ensure someone is available to assist you. You can email your student's counselor to schedule an appointment.
As always, please feel free to reach out to your student's counselor with any questions or concerns.
Warm regards,
Cholla High School Counseling Department
IB - International Baccalaureate by Teresa Green
BIG and AMAZING happenings in the IB Programme at Cholla High School.
The school has been diligently working towards offering the IB Career-Related Programme starting in the 2024-2025 school year to rising 11th grade students.
The Career-Related Programme will offer the students the opportunity to pursue IB Certifications, up to 3 or more, as well as Career and Technical certifications, making this a win-win for Cholla High School students. On March 25 and 26, the International Baccalaureate Organization Verification Team will be visiting with numerous staff, students and parents about how these groups see this programme benefitting our students and what it might look like at Cholla. After the verification team completes their findings, they give a recommendation to the International Baccalaureate Organization and a decision is rendered whether we will be able to officially offer this programme of excellence to students attending Cholla HS.
Cholla is already an IB World School, offering the prestigious IB Diploma Programme. Being able to offer additional options to our students means meeting the needs of students to obtain their future goals. We hope to know by the May newsletter whether we are an official IBCP school also! Stay tuned....
Important Dates in May!
May means exam time for both our IB Diploma and IB Certificate seniors as well as all AP students. Exams begin May 1 and continue through May 16.
IB EXAMS to be held on Cholla HS Campus.
English A: Literature HL
Spanish A: Language and Literature HL
Arabic Ab Initio SL
History of the Americas HL
Biology SL
Chemistry SL
Environmental Systems and Societies SL
Mathematical Analysis and Approaches SL
Mathematical Applications and Interpretations SL
AP EXAMS to be held on Santa Rita HS Campus.
We have a number of students who have also chosen to sit AP exams this year in one or more of the following subjects:
AP Computer Science Principles
AP Human Geography
AP Spanish Literature and Culture
AP World History
AP EXAMS to be held on the Pueblo HS Campus
AP Spanish Language and Culture
All IB exams will be held on the Cholla High School campus in the Auditorium.
AP exams will be held at Santa Rita High School unless otherwise stated. Students/families must provide their own transportation to the Santa Rita HS testing center.
The IB and AP exam schedule can be viewed here. (Vanessa, I attached the document for you to create a link or however it needs to be made accessible)
AVID College and Career
Please see below for information regarding available Scholarship Programs.
School Social Worker News
Greeting Cholla Chargers! Ms. Hertwig and Ms. Fragozo are excited to announce the grand opening of "The Giving Chargers Clothing Bank". We felt it was important to provide a safe space for our students to receive clothing and basic necessities. Today, our students are facing new challenges and hardships that can cause feelings of uncertainty. We hope our clothing bank will provide our students with a sense of hope and most importantly to feel valued.
We want to express our gratitude to the community, staff, and faculty members for their generous donations. The TSW Program has played a significant role in making this project possible. They have been helping us run the Clothing Bank and utilizing their valuable skills to keep the room organized and ready for our community. We appreciate their support and dedication.
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March 3-9, 2024 is School Social Work Week. Please help us in celebrating all the hard work and dedication of the School Social Worker(s) on our campus.
We appreciate you! Thank you for supporting School Social Workers!
Library Updates by Ms. Case
This is an important notice for seniors. Every week Mrs. Case, the librarian, will be emailing you the outstanding items you have on your account. All fines/outstanding books, etc. must be returned no later than May 17. You will not be cleared to graduate until these are taken care of. If you have books from other TUSD schools, you can drop them off in the library to be returned. Fines can be paid in the business office.
21st Century:
The last day for 21st Century programming will be April 26. There is still time to attend 21st Century classes if there is something you are interested in. Check out schedules in the Student Services area or the library countertop.
Important Dates
March 8 – Grading Day, no school, end of the 3rd quarter (offices close at 2:00pm)
March 8 – Prom, 7:30pm – 11:30pm at the Tucson Marriott University Park
March 11 – 15 – Spring Break (all offices will be closed)
March 29 – Spring Holiday: No School (all offices will be closed)