The J-Hawk Experience
Info you need to know for weeks of August 23 & Aug 26-30
Kicking off the school year at Urbandale High School!
As we come off of another awesome summer where we celebrated the our 2nd state baseball championship and an end of a school year where we set out in our vision to change the world, we look forward with great excitement to our upcoming year here at Urbandale High School!
With all of the construction around our new fitness room and the updating of our gym area HVAC, locker rooms, and lobby area, here are highlights of things to know as we start the new year on Friday, August 23rd:
- Construction update - Students, staff and visitors, need to continue to stay clear of the construction site for everyone's safety. The South Gym will be open again starting on Monday, August 19th, for teams to practice and students to use in PE. They will still need to go through the North Gym to get to the South Gym. On Saturday, footings were poured for the new fitness center. This allows for the blocks that are currently in the parking lot to be moved onto the construction pad and progress to continue. We are hoping for it to be completed by mid spring. More details about this and other district construction projects can be found at the Construction Central link.
- Parking - By the time school starts on Friday, August 23rd, we are scheduled to have most of our parking lot back for students to park in. That said, the construction trailer (taking about 10 spots) and temporary metal storage (12 spots) will be used by construction. We are scheduled to get the 12 spots back by mid September. However, we may be without the 10 spots for the duration of the project.
- Entering the Gym and PAC areas - As we finished off last year, we will again use the PAC (Performing Arts Center) doors (just north of the construction site) as the main entrance for any activities going on in the Gym or PAC areas. NEW THIS YEAR - In an effort to promote security and safety at Urbandale High School, effective the first day of school, August 23, 2019, all doors at the school will be locked down after 4:00pm and the only point of entry will be the PAC doors.
- Flexibility - We continue to be appreciative of the flexibility our students, staff, and community, have shown as we have worked on these important projects to improve our fitness and physical education areas.
We had another terrific summer where our students worked jobs, participated in activities, and volunteered in and around our city. I hope all of you had a fantastic time! I want to first of all welcome our incoming freshmen and other students who are new to UHS as well as our new staff! For those who are returning, I welcome you back to UHS this year.
Enjoy our new welcome videos from the UHS Administration:
- Tim Carver and Dania Wilson - Principal and Associate Principal
- Derek Wilkins - Dean of Students (students with last names A-K)
- Casey Goodhue - Dean of Students (students with last names L-Z)
Remember to attend our new students and freshmen orientation on Wednesday, August 21st, from 3:30pm-4:15pm before we have our open house for all students from 4:30pm-5:45pm.
For all, I am sending out this newsletter to welcome everyone and to provide some important logistical information as we start our new year together. We will continue to send this newsletter out on Sunday evenings throughout the year. I look forward to seeing you and to another great year at UHS!
Sincerely,
Tim Carver
Principal
#UHSpride
#UHSwillChangeTheWorld!
Attendance
UHS attendance- 100%
Schedule for Friday - First day of school
We will have a regular, non-block day on the first day of school. However, we will start in Connections that morning so that students can get connected with their Connections class and teacher, asking any schedule and lunch related questions before heading off to 1st period. Be sure to bring your schedule that you received when picking up your ID and taking pictures in early August.
There will be no I.E.S. the first three days of school. Instead, students will meet in their Connections class each of those days instead of I.E.S.
This week Friday, August 23rd is a Day 2. Monday, August 26th, is a Day 2, Tuesday, August 27th is a Day 1. Block days are a Day 2. Friday, August 30, is a Day 1.
Schedule for Friday, August 23rd:
Connections 8:00-8:25
Period 1 8:30-9:12
Period 2 9:17-9:59
Period 3 10:04-10:46
Period 4 10:51-11:33
5A Lunch 11:38-12:03
5A Class 12:08-12:49
5B Class 11:38-12:19
5B Lunch 12:24-12:49
Period 6 12:54-1:36
Period 7 1:41-2:23
Period 8 2:28-3:10Lunch Schedule 5th period (6th period on Wednesdays)
5A Lunch - 11:38 - 12:03
5A Class - 12:08 - 12:49
5B Class - 11:38 - 12:19
5B Lunch - 12:24 12:49School Supplies and School pictures
Students only need basic materials like notebooks, folders, pens, and pencils, when starting the school year. Their teachers will share more details about what they need in the first few days of classes.
School pictures can still be taken. They will be on Monday, September 9th, in the UHS commons starting in the morning. Pictures forms are located in the main office or on the main webpage of Urbandale High School.
Daily Schedule - Same 8-period, Modified-Block Schedule but new I.E.S. period
We will continue to have an 8-period, Modified-Block Schedule. On Mondays, Tuesday, and Fridays, we will have an 8-period day where students have eight traditional courses. On Wednesdays, just the four even periods will meet (periods 2, 4, 6, & 8) and on Thursdays, the four odd periods will meet (periods 1, 3, 5, & 7).
We will continue to have Connections for 25 minutes on Wednesdays and Thursdays between the first two periods of the days. Connections is our advisory period where students get connected with other students and learn about school culture, traditions, and most importantly, each other. During Connections, students are in a mixed group of 16 students (freshmen, sophomores, juniors, & seniors) with one staff member. Students have the same Connections teacher for all four years at UHS.
New last year and continuing this year...I.E.S.: To help ensure learning for all students during the school day, last year we added a 25-minute period between 3rd and 4th period on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays, for Intervention, Extension, or Study table. All students will attend one of these offerings and will have choice on where they attend unless they are in need of additional support for learning through intervention. These change on a weekly basis with students. We will have additional information and learning about our time for I.E.S. in the first few days of school in Connections.
We are excited about having this time as part of our school day again this year where students will be able get intervention support when needed, extend learning around standards and topics they are interested in, and/or have time to study, make up assessments, work on assignments/projects in a study table! We had overall good feedback from I.E.S. last year from students and staff. We also have used feedback to make some improvements to our time this year.
Link to our regular schedule.
Lunch time traffic flow and School Cafe App
To improve our traffic flow and accommodate for additional students in our lunch periods, we had a new traffic flow last year during lunch that will continue into this year. Students eating hot lunch or a la cart items will line up along the south wall then enter the main servery as in years past. NEW LAST YEAR: we have an a la cart only line where students only wanting a la cart items like drinks or bagged items can go to this line. The a la cart only line will be on the north side of the lunchroom.
We also have additional large tables and bar-top tables to provide for additional seating. There are also picnic style tables outside next to the lunchroom for students to use when the weather and staffing allow for it.
School Cafe App: Students with smart phones can download the new School Cafe app and input their student information (directions for downloading linked here) can then use their phone with School Cafe app to scan their account instead of using their school ID card to pay for lunch. That said, a student's school ID card will continue to also work to scan and pay for their lunch.
Jaywalkers offering UHS Spirit...Driveway U's and Homecoming Apparel
Driveway U's -
Let's see if we can paint all Urbandale driveways! Show off your J-Hawk Pride and support your Varsity Jaywalkers Dance Team by having the split U painted on your driveway! More information and order form found at https://www.j-hawks.com/sports/jwalk/Driveway_Painting
Homecoming Apparel -
Are you ready for Urbandale's Homecoming (Friday, Sept. 20)? Make sure to order your homecoming t-shirt and sweatshirt by using the following links (Check back at the end of the week for the links)
Shout Outs
J-Hawks bring home 2nd State Baseball Championship in Back to Back years!!
The UHS Baseball team, headed by UHS teacher and coach Jeremy Heinen, won three games at the state baseball tournament at Principal Park to bring our second state baseball in the past two years. It's the first time UHS has won back to back state titles. They beat Johnston in convincing fashion on Saturday night. Many students and community members came out to support our team! Great job, J-Hawks!!
Also, many members of the J-Hawk baseball team were name to the All-State baseball team with Ty Langenburg and Brook Heinen leading the way on the 1st team. Also, Coach Heinen was name the state baseball coach of the year. Great work and congratulations!
The UHS Student section led by the UCREW cheering on the J-Hawks
Celebrating another victory
State Champions!!
Back to back state championships!
In the big lights of Principal Park
UHS baseball team celebrating with the community at Barton Field on Sunday
UHS teacher attends U.S. Supreme Court institute in Washington D.C.!
Sports teams off and running and competing...and some already competing!
After summer camps and workouts, our football, volleyball, cross country, girls swimming, boys golf and cheer, are now into full practice mode and into full swing. Speaking of swing, here's to the J-Hawk Boys Golf Team who will have had three competitions on the road prior to our first day of school this week. Great job, guys!
Our UHS Cross country teams will travel to Marshalltown on August 29th to compete before returning home for their home invite on September 7th. UHS Volleyball competes at DCG on Tuesday, August 27th. Football travels to Johnston on Friday, August 30th at 7:00pm to play the Dragons. Come out and support our J-Hawks!
UHS students competing at high levels on big stages!
Band, choirs, many more getting ready for an awesome year!
Our programs are off and running this summer with camps and practices starting already. Again this year, Section leaders and group leaders have had great leadership sessions throughout the summer. Special thanks again to the UHS Band for marching in Urbandale's Annual 4th of July Parade! We are excited to see the progress that has been made when performances start! Thank you to Mr. Dupuis, Mr. Doggett, and Mr. Andrews, as well as all of our team for all of your work!
Band members and parents also volunteered at the Iowa State Fair in the Dairy Barn to raise funds for the Fine Arts Booster Club. Amazing work!
The legendary Dairy Barn at the Iowa State Fair
Students in band volunteerng at the Dairy Barn extension in the Ag Building
Students in band volunteering at the Dairy Barn
Counselors and office staff...some changes ahead for the start of the year
A big "thank you" goes out to our counselors, Mrs. Wilson, and office staff for getting schedules, IDs, parking passes, and pretty much everything else, ready for the start of the new school year. They've done an amazing job again this year getting things ready! With new students still enrolling and class sizes already tight, schedule changes will be very limited.
We are grateful for their flexibility and support during this time!
Welcome to our new teachers!
We welcome the following teachers to UHS this fall!
Dana Andrews- Instrumental Music
Mary Clark - Special Education
Leslie Dunbar - English
Haley Howell - Math
Angie Lenderts - Special Education
Joe Muldoon - Special Education
Kaitlin Peterson - English
Leigh Stamer- Special Education
Casey Goodhue - Dean of Students (last names L-Z)
Corey Spiess - Long-term sub in Math for Mrs. Jacques out on maternity leave
Cindy Lanham - Long-term sub in Math for Mrs. Veenstra out on maternity leave
Welcome to other new staff at UHS!
Associates:
Lily Fiolic
Hanna Frazier
Bethany Johnson
Terri Keasey
Maddy Punsalan
Genesis Rodriguez
UHS student groups travel to Japan and Guatemala!
Student group traveling in Japan
Student group traveling in Guatemala
Student group in Guatemala visiting a volcano...and showing their "U" spirit.
UHS Freshman & New Student Orientation
Wednesday, Aug 21, 2019, 03:30 PM
UHS PAC at Urbandale High School
UHS Open House
Students should bring a copy of their schedule.
Wednesday, Aug 21, 2019, 04:30 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