We have a few updates from UHS this week.
Spirit Week/Homecoming
We have much gratitude for the Student Council for organizing Spirit Week this year, including an always awesome pep rally and what we hope will be a fun Homecoming Dance on Saturday. We had fun seeing our students in their different attires throughout the week, as well as decked out in the black and orange for Friday. It's awesome to see a renewed spirit in the building, and, even though this year has been different, having our Spartans back together and under one roof has been a welcome change!
Picture Day
Picture day is Friday, October 1. All students will take a photo that will be used for student ID's and also yearbook. Order forms are available in the main office and have been sent home.
Symptoms and COVID
We have been dealing with the occasional positive test. It is absolutely imperative that students who are ill and potentially awaiting test results should not return to school - even if they are feeling better. Additionally, when students are kept home from school, as much as we appreciate folks' desire for privacy, please state if the student is being kept home for illness, and Ms. Schiller, our school nurse, can reach back out. We assure you that we keep all information confidential.
Parking Lot
Quite frankly, it is getting tiring to continually make the same requests week after week (or in this case, year after year).
1. Parents should not park in the lot in front of the building at the start of the school day.
2. Parents should not park on the left side of the road at the middle of the parking lot at the end of the day.
3. Buses must leave first.
It is a really simple request; some people have asked why administration is not in the parking lot at the end of the school day, and the reality is that we are typically conducting school business, meeting with students, or dealing with the normal run-of-the-day procedures. We are all but begging people to respect these guidelines.
Student Tardies, Attendance, and Behavior
We will be meeting with students starting to accrue excessive tardies. When students come to the building late, sometimes carrying coffees and breakfast, we are going to be asking them to leave those items in the office. Simply put, students need to be on time for school.
We were not immune to the difficulties of the recent "TikTok" challenge encouraging students to vandalize school buildings. We had a few issues that have been quickly rectified, but holding students accountable is a bit more difficult. Trying to track the culprits took significant hours of work, and we are disappointed in the actions of few. We hope that we have turned a corner on this pattern and appreciate those who came forward to share information to help us resolve these challenges more immediately.
Additionally, while we have been fortunate not to have any transmission as of yet of COVID-19 in the building, we spend a good amount of time reminding students to keep masks over their noses. For every person calling to complain about mask mandates, there is another who is criticizing the masking of some students. All we can do is assure everyone that we are trying to balance mask breaks with the requirement to wear masks with some common sense and with safety at the core. Your support and reminders is all we ask.
Student Activities
We have several new student activities that are running this year. A full list of the advisors and the clubs is below, and feel free to connect with any of the advisors if students are interested.
The website with all advisors can be found here: https://www.uxbridgeschools.com/Domain/296
Some of our newer organizations include DECA, which is a business and marketing club, ESports, "Space" (which is a club supporting students of different backgrounds, identities, and sexual orientations), and Art Club. While we may be making announcements regarding the existence of these organizations, we know that some students will be motivated if parents connect as well!
Progress Reports
First quarter progress reports will be distributed the first week of October. As a reminder, feel free to reach out to teachers if you have any questions, and the school counselor can also be a conduit should there be any identified challenges.
We hope to many of you out and about at our Homecoming Saturday events, and we wish you a great weekend!
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