Cholla High Magnet School News - Tucson Unified School District

Cholla High Magnet
School News
Tucson
Unified School
District
From the Desk of Mr.
Armenta
Greetings Charger Parents
and Students,
The second semester of the
2015-16 school year is underway as we charger towards 2016 Graduation. As
I review the school year’s
goals of graduation, attendance, and student achievement. Eight Cholla students participated in the
2015 Winter Graduation
and kept their commitment
to themselves and their
family of academic and personal success, Congratulations! The 2016 graduating
cohort has approximately
325 students. Counselors,
Administration, and Student Support Specialists are
working with students to
review credits and are developing graduation plans
for those students who need
assistance in credit recovery.
Attendance continues to be
an area where we need to
improve. I need your assistance on getting your child
here
on time and have them
attend school regularly. If
your son or daughter will
be out on an absence
please contact the Attendance Office at 225-4000.
The Positive Behavioral
Intervention and Supports (PBIS) and MultiTiered System of Supports
(MTSS) programs are
focused on keeping students in school and engaged academically. Several students and faculty
members have been recognized for the positive impact on our school culture
and climate. These individuals have had a breakfast in their honor and
lunch with the principal.
The district-wide initiative of raising student
academic in the areas of
Math and English Language Arts (ELA) is going
very well. Students have
taken two tests in Math
and ELA to this point.
Out of the ten high
Volume 1, Issue 2
schools in TUSD Cholla
students are in the middle
of the group with respect to
their academic growth and
achievement. To increase
our achievement, the Math
and ELA teachers have been
reviewing the student data
and adjusting their daily
instruction. Also, the reviewing of student data and
teacher instruction adjustment are key in preparing
our students for the state
Arizona’s Measurement of
Educational Readiness to
Inform Teaching (AZMerit)
later this Spring 2016.
Please visit http://
www.azed.gov/assessment/
azmerit/ for information
regarding AZMerit, testing
dates, and test practice resources.
For more school information
visit the Cholla High Magnet School website
(http://edweb.tusd.k12.az.us/
cholla/).
January 2016
Student Services
News
2
Thank you for your support,
Frank Armenta
Visit to the TPD
Forensic Department
2
IB News
3
IB Prep Biology
3
Attendance
CTE News
4
Seniors!
Benchmark tests
5
Prom
6
Cholla Before & After School Program
Cholla is proud to be able to
offer a before and after
school program to all of its
students. This program is
known on campus as CAP.
We have over 400 students signed up, however
the attendance is very
low.
If you are signed up for
CAP either before or after
school, please attend each
day. The before school
program is everyday from
6:50 am to 7:50 am. The
after school program is
from 3:25pm to 5:30 pm on
Monday, Tuesday and
Thursday only. There is an
activity bus for those students that qualify.
Please see Ms. Cathy Adams in the Administration
building to sign up for a
class or change your current class.
Special points of
interest:
 Cholla has a letter
grade of B
 Current enrollment
numbers are 1,757
students
 Attendance rate is
85%, we dropped 3%
 Parent Teacher Conference on Wed., Feb.
10th
 No School on Feb. 25
& 26 for Rodeo Break
Inside this issue:
Page 2
Cholla High Magnet School News
Student Services News
By Cindy Mady, Asst. Principal
Please be sure to join us for our Parent
Teacher Conference Night on February 10th
from 5:30 PM to 7:00 AM. Third Period
Progress report will be submitted on February 10th and mailed out on February 15th.
To be best informed, please check your student’s TUSD STATS page for grades prior
to attending parent teacher conferences. If
you still need your username and password, these can be obtained in Cholla’s
Administration Building. Cholla counselors
will also be able to provide these to you at
Parent Teacher Conference Night. The next
day, February 11th, will be an early release
day for students with a 12:15 PM dismissal
time. We look forward to seeing you at Parent Teacher Conference Night and working
in partnership to make our second semester
a success for our students!
Our College and Career Center in During the next two months, our students
will be administered a variety of assessments to help align teaching and
learning. Please review Student Services’ February and March Events
Chart to see when these will occur.
Please note that some of the assessment dates provided are considered a
“window for assessment”. The exact
dates will be released from the TUSD
Assessment office and they will be posted on our website.
Student Services News Continued
By Cindy Mady, Asst. Principal
The third progress period, second semester at Cholla is in full swing. Attendance appeals from the second quarter have been processed and our counselors are engaged in the registration
process for the 2016 – 2017 school year.
As explained in our recent letter mailed
home; next year’s master schedule and
TUSD teacher hiring will be based upon the courses selected by our students,
during this winter’s registration pro-
Are you prepared for next
year?
cess. Students have been in assemblies
and had visits with their counselors
regarding this process. To ensure balanced classes for the next school year
and the placement of appropriately
certified teachers, changing courses
will not be an option during the 2016 –
2017 school year. Students have been
reminded to consult with their parents
and make mindful course selections
during the winter registration process
for the 2016 -2017 school year.
Cholla Students Visit TPD Forensic Department
By Valerie Frazier, Science Dept. Chair
Cholla High Magnet School Forensic students were able to tour the
TPD state of the art Forensic Department. The Tucson Police Department Crime Laboratory is the oldest crime laboratory in Arizona,
founded in 1960. TPD’s laboratory is a full-service forensic laboratory
(except limited toxicology) organized into seven operational units: Forensic Biology (DNA), Comparative Analysis, Latent Prints, Chemical
Analysis, Toxicology, Forensic Electronic Media, and Administrative
Support. Our students were given a behind the scenes tour of this facility, something that most people including police officers, will never
experience. The students learned all about TPD’s process when receiving Forensic evidence for case.
Volume 1, Issue 2
Page 3
Family Evening for Focus on Fashion Group
By Peg Flaherty
Come and enjoy a very special sewing
event as parents, guardians, and other adults join the "Focus on Fashion" 21st
Century Enrichment Class to create
unique pillows.
This will occur on Thursday,
March 3, 2016, from 4:30
pm until 5:30 pm in the
Commons Building, Room D1
here at Cholla.
contact Peg Flaherty at 2254074.
We hope to see all of you at
this wonderful community
partnership event!
All of the materials for this
event have been donated to
Cholla Magnet High School by
Crafting Forward, a new community partner that is interesting in supporting the
"Focus on Fashion" students
throughout the school year.
For more information please
International Baccalaureate Learner Profile
By Kathryn Jensen, IB Coordinator
Since authorization in 2007, Cholla’s
Highlighted Traits from the IB
Learner Profile
knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with issues and
ideas that have local and global significance.
As we round the home stretch of the
school year, these traits from the IB
Learner Profile are applicable!
Inquirer—Nurture curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research.
We know how to learn independently
and with others. We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of
learning throughout life.
Thinker –Use critical and creative
thinking skills to analyze and take
responsible action on complex problems. We exercise initiative in making reasoned, ethical decisions.
Knowledgeable—Develop and use
conceptual understanding, exploring
9th Grade IB Prep Biology with Mr. Babb
Mr. Babb’s IB Prep Biology class will be
doing several projects this semester. We are making use of the COWs
available to do research projects on
Eukaryotic/Prokaryotic cells-including
PPT class presentations and models/
posters (currently), then we’ll go on to
cell division and reproduction, DNA/
RNA processes and genetic disorders,
and a few other “little” projects that
will bring us up to the finale, a dissection project.
We will be doing a comparative anatomy dissection project toward the end of
this semester. This dissection, made
possible through a generous donation
from several individuals and corporations and donorschoose.com, they will
compare the anatomy of a pig and a
dogfish (small shark). The purpose of
this project will be two fold; learning to
dissect complex animals and then to
compare shark and pig anatomy. Fetal
pigs are very similar to human anato-
my, so this will give them a chance to
“see and touch” a kidney, stomach, pancreas, heart, liver, brain, intestines,
and all that stuff we talk about in the
abstract. The shark has a very different anatomy, so we dissect two of these
per classroom to compare the parts;
this dissection goes along with a comparative anatomy film we watch where
they dissect a great white shark. The
contrast will be interesting.
Page 4
Cholla High Magnet School News
Attendance
Matters!
Did you know:
 Missing one day of school
puts you two days behind
your classmates.
 Being late to class puts you
behind your classmates, as
the teacher starts as soon as
the bell rings with the instruction for the day.
 You have 6 minutes to get to
your classes, the average
school only allows 4 minutes
between passing periods.
CTE News
by Lucy Swift, Dept. Chair
CTE Ambassador’s Event TUSD all
High Schools @ Old Tucson
• General information on CTE/JTED
and Pathways (Light at end of tunnel).
• Learn about what is offered at each
high school, Central JTED and
throughout Pima County
• What is a program showcase and how
to effectively showcase a program
• Tour of the facility—How to connect
programs and careers
Students from Cholla HMS:
Julian Armenta - Business Operations teacher Mrs. Lucy Swift
Daniel Perez - Construction,
teacher Mr. Caesar Romo
Jaylinne Urbieta - Early Childhood, teacher Ms. Gloria Nelson
• Advocacy—Reaching out to educate
the community about Career & Technical Education
CTE FBLA Flex Conference in Phoenix
By Lucy Swift, Dept. Chair
CTE FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) FLEX Leadership Conference
Approximately 60 different leadership tracks
were available for students to choose
from. There were business leaders and colleges
available for our students to interact with. Students participated in leadership activities. The
60-differerrt leadership tracks were conducted
by Tri Leadership, DeVry University, Chamberlain College of Nursing, Carrington College, and
other colleges and business leaders, networking
opportunities were available and students participated in. Some of the workshops our students participated in are: Scholarship Essay
Writing, The People Side of Business (effective
communication), My Life on One Page
(resume), Paths to My Future (preparation for
after graduation), Competition Strategies (test
tasking), and Leader Hacks (shorts and practical methods for life and leadership to make
ordinary life extraordinary).
Volume 1, Issue 2
Page 5
From the Desk of Teaching and Learning
By Tara Bulleigh, Asst. Principal
It’s that time of year Class of 2016!
Senior Counselors:
Alpha A – Mb: Ricardo Valdez @
225-4102 or [email protected]
Alpha Mc – Z: Rashida Jeffery @
225-4129 or [email protected]
Graduation is approaching and our
Seniors are beginning to feel the
crunch. Senior counselors have been
working on Senior credit checks and
have been informing each Senior of
where they stand with their credits.
We will be holding a Senior assembly
on Tuesday, February 16th, during
3rd period. At this meeting, we will
discuss the credit check process, semester 2 activities for seniors, and
possible options for seniors who are
deficient in credits. Should you have
any concerns regarding your Senior,
please contact a Senior counselor or
the Senior Administrator.
Senior Administrator:
Tara Bulleigh @ 225-4005 or
[email protected]
Benchmark Testing
Quarter 3 Benchmark testing for
English and math will take place
the week of February 29th through
March 11th. These tests are preparation exams for the statewide AZ
Merit tests that are coming later in
the Spring. Please ensure that your
child is present and prepared to give
their best efforts during these exams.
Early Childhood Education program presents KIDZ KORNER
By Gloria Nelson, CTE Early Childhood Education
The Early Childhood Education (ECE)
students learn about careers involving
young children, including educators,
psychologists, medical providers including obstetricians and nurses, as
well as primary childcare providers. In
addition to learning the fundamentals
of child development and interacting
with children at Brichta Early Learning
Center and Tolson Elementary School,
the students assemble and maintain
“real-world” career portfolios that con-
tain their resumes, letters of references, samples of their works, and (if
applicable) Arizona Department of Education credentials as proof of career
preparation, including Certificate of
Completion, Letter of Congratulations
from AZ Dept. of Education, and a
detailed transcript of their proficiencies.
To showcase what they are learning in
class, the ECE students provide “Kidz
Korner,” a complimentary childcare
service (for
visiting parents
and school personnel) during Cholla’s
semi-annual Parent-Teacher conferences held in the gym. When you attend our upcoming Parent-Teacher
Conference (Feb 11, 2016), please
take advantage of our Kidz Korner service or, if you have no young children,
simply stop and observe the professionalism of the ECE students at work!
Cholla Sports
By Tariq Rasool, Asst. Principal
Congratulations to all Charger Athletes!
Football: Finished the season 6 -4 with a
lot of young talent and we look forward to
a successful 2016 season!
Wrestling: Jerome Doss has placed at
the following Tournaments:
2nd at William Bell
1st at Cholla Duals
3rd at Peoria
2nd at Salpointe
He is currently ranked #2 in the state.
Swim: Our Chargers finished 12th out of
44 teams in the Division II State Swim
Meet. We walked away with three runner ups and one state champion. Our
Boys 4x100 Meter Freestyle Relay qualified, unfortunately they did not place.
Senior Brent Zang finished 2nd in the
Boys 200 & 500 Meter Freestyle. Junior
Braden Chistensen place 2nd in the Boys
100 Meter Backstroke and placed 1st in
the Boys 200 Meter Individual Medley.
Cheer: Harley “Carter” Crawford competed at the Fiesta Bowl Dance Competition as a soloist in December and won
1st in Pom Division and Overall Grand
Champion. He is currently preparing
for an upcoming audition for the 20162017 ASU Dance Team.
The team has had a successful season.
They took Overall Grand Champion at
Battle of Tucson at the beginning of
their competition season.
Tucson Unified School
District
Cholla High Magnet School
2001 W. Starr Pass Blvd.
Tucson, AZ 85713
Phone: 520-225-4000
Fax: 520-225-4042
E-mail: [email protected]
Cholla’s Vision:
Charging Fearlessly Toward Academic and
Personal Excellence.
Cholla’s Mission:
We’re on the Web!
http://
edweb.tusd1.org/
Cholla/
Charging Fearlessly
Toward Academic and
Personal Excellence!
Please visit our website for
more information on the
Magnet Programs.
http://edweb.tusd1.org/
Cholla/
Junior/Senior Prom
The junior/senior prom will
be held at 10000 N Oracle
Rd, Tucson, AZ 85704 at the
El Conquistador on April
22nd. Please contact Ms.
Kalal at [email protected] for further information.
The theme is Great Gatsby.
Ticket price has not yet
been determined by the
prom committee.
Our Commitment as Cholla Chargers is to:

Take risks in learning and respect the learning
of others

Practice persistence

Demonstrate responsibility

Embrace International-mindedness

Build leadership in ourselves and others
If you have any questions regarding this newsletter, please contact Cathy
Adams, Magnet Coordinator at 225-4003 or by email at
[email protected].