Curtis Community Connection
October 1st, 2017 CHS is US News & World Report’s 2016 Best Public High School in Pierce County!
Important Dates
Oct 9th-13th is Homecoming Week Oct 11th – Board Meeting, 6:30 PM, ESC Board room Oct 11th – All 10th and 11th Grade Students take the PSAT for free at CHS, 7:30 AM. More
information on page 2 Oct 12th – CHS/CJHS PTSA Meeting, 6 PM, CJHS Library
Oct 13th – Homecoming Assembly, 12:40 PM, CHS Ray Beard Memorial Gym Oct 13th – Homecoming Football Game, 7 PM, Viking Stadium Oct 14th – Homecoming Dance, 8:00 – 10:30 PM, CHS Ray Beard Memorial Gym
Oct 17th – Fall Concert I, CHS Theater, 7 PM Oct 19th – “Great Washington Shake-out”
Earthquake Drill, 10:19 AM
Oct 19th – Fall Concert II, 7 PM, CHS Theater Oct 23rd – Oct 27th ; 10/31 & 11/14 – SBA Make-ups
Happy October!
We had a fantastic start to our school year at CHS and are looking forward to a super fall. We enjoyed seeing many of you at Back To School Night on 9/22;
thank you for spending time with us at our school. We value our partnership with our parents and guardians and know many of you are busy on weeknights.
As we settle into October, the school year is full-go. Please check teacher websites for assignments and calendars, and check Skyward Family Access for your student’s grades, attendance, and any missing assignments.
Important dates for upcoming events are on the left of this newsletter. Please do not hesitate to contact any member of our team if you have any questions about anything going on at CHS.
We hope to see you out at the Homecoming Football game next Friday.
Enjoy a great October – Go Viks!
Introduction of New CHS Teachers
I am proud to announce and introduce our new teachers and their assignments.
Imee Jackson – Math, Andrew Schildmeyer – Intro to Engineering & AP Computer Science, Charissa McLean – Child Psychology, Teaching Academy, and Health, and Javid Shoemaker – Physical Education & Weight Training. All
are doing a fantastic job with our students and have acclimated well to CHS.
We are proud of our dedicated and enthusiastic team. They come to work each day to help your amazing students succeed. Please do not hesitate to contact any of us if we can do anything for you or your student. CHS is an awesome place at which to work – thank you for your role in that and for your partnership, trust, and efforts.
The 2017-18 CHS Team – Go Viks!
Oct 25th – Board Meeting, 6:30 PM, ESC Board room Nov 8th – Veteran’s Day Assembly, 8:50 AM, CHS Ray Beard Memorial Gym Nov 8th – Board Meeting, 6:30 PM, Chambers Primary School
Nov 8th - Parent/Teacher Conferences, CHS Ray Beard Memorial Gym, 3:30 – 6:30 PM
Nov 10th – Veteran’s Day, Observed - No School Nov 23rd & 24th – No School, Thanksgiving Vacation
Curtis Senior High School
8425 40
thSt W University Place, WA 98466
Phone: 253-566-5710 Fax: 253-566-5626
Attendance: 253-566- 5715
Guidance/Counseling:
253-566-5713
Athletics/Facilities:
253-566-5718
On the Web:
www.upsd.wednet.edu
Click on the “Schools”
tab and click on
“Curtis High School”
Free PSAT at CHS on 10/11
All 10th and 11th grade students will take the PSAT for free at CHS on Wednesday, 10/11.
All students testing receive a PSAT Student Guide, which serves as a reference and offers a practice test and answers. Students will report to assigned rooms to test; those lists will be posted around school in the days leading up to the 11th. The PSAT has two sections: Math and Evidence-Based Reading/Writing.
The PSAT is the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test and is a great primer for the SAT. The PSAT also identifies AP Potential for students in certain subjects, which enables us to successfully recruit and place as many students as possible into AP classes at CHS. Passing AP tests enables students to earn college credit, and students with AP courses on transcripts are admitted to universities at a higher percentage than non-AP peers. More than 3.4 million high school students take this nationwide, multiple-choice test every year.
Seniors do not have classes on the 11th. The College and Career Readiness Center will be open to serve seniors on the 11th and will help with the following:
FAFSA, college scholarships and applications, High School and Beyond Plan, and volunteer hours.
Wednesday 10/11 is an early release day. School will end for 10th and 11th graders at the normal early release time of 11:45 AM. Breakfast will be served at its normal time, and lunch will be served and available for all students who test on the 11th. Testing begins promptly at 7:30 AM and buses will run on normal schedules.
CHS Students Earn Accolades at the E Wesley Awards
Congratulations to the 18 CHS students who earned recognition through the Elizabeth Wesley Youth Merit Incentive Award Program. Curtis High School senior Charissa Bacon was the student keynote speaker (she captivated the audience) and also won a $2,000 Key Bank scholarship.
UPSD Superintendent Jeff Chamberlin, Curtis Junior High School Principal Jayne Hofstrand, CHS Dean of Students Jackie Thomas and I had the pleasure of attending this event on Saturday 9/16 at Clover Park Technical School.
CHS honorees include: Charissa Bacon, Terrell Banks, David Brazier, Tori Amber-Joelle Brockman, Corrine Crear, Philandra Eargle, Saudia Heard, Eric Jackson II, Brandon Lee, Jason Lee, Curtrianna Muhammad,
Muggabi Mirimo, Isaac Morrow, Tykierra Rogers, Maria Smith, Marcus Washington, Christian Williams, and Jordan Williams. Go Viks!
Charissa gives her speech CHS senior Saudia Heard, me, Charissa Bacon
Upcoming Early
Release Dates:
Oct 11
th– 11:45 AM (PSAT; No classes for any/all students; no school for seniors.
Please read more in the newsletter.) Oct 25
th– 11:45 AM Nov 8
th– 11:45 AM Nov 22
nd– 11:45 AM
“"In partnership with our community, CHS ensures all students are competent, contributing citizens who persevere with determination and integrity to achieve excellence."
P.O.G.S. – Parents of Graduating Seniors
The P.O.G.S. group is raising funds to ensure all interested students can attend the 2018 graduation party (after CHS graduation ceremonies). This month, the group is holding a Texas Hold'em Poker Fundraiser at the LeMay Car Museum on October 7th.
Dinner starts at 5 PM with cards in the air at 6 PM. The event is for people 21 &
over (be prepared to show ID). Details of the event include:
• $50 Buy-In - Includes 1st Round of Chips, Pasta Dinner and 2 Drinks
• $20 Rebuys (until 7PM); Must be out of chips, no exceptions
• $25 “Social Ticket” (includes dinner and one drink)
• Silent Auction/Raffle Baskets
For more information please contact the P.O.G.S. chair person, Lauren Arrington, at [email protected].
“Ready to Rise” Student Leadership Program
Ready to Rise is a leadership development program that identifies, equips, and supports the next generation of diverse leaders on the journey to a college degree. Ready to Rise employs a three-pronged approach to support students in college, including student cohorts, mentoring and peer support, and real- world leadership development.
Ready to Rise seeks students who are first-generation college students, low income and/or students of color. For more information please contact CHS Career and College Readiness Counselor Mike Tompkins at
[email protected] or Lori Parrish, Ready to Rise Director, at [email protected]
High School and Beyond Plan
All UPSD students in grades 9-12 must complete assignments outlined in the state-required High School and Beyond Plan. Assignments include career exploration, goals for career pathways, a resume, a personal statement and community service hours. With the exception of community service hours, all other assignments will be part of or will take place in your child’s English or Social Studies class. For more information, please contact your student’s counselor or CHS College and Career Readiness Counselor Mike Tompkins.
Follow CHS on Social Media:
Instagram –
chsprincipalaccount Facebook – Principal Adams
Twitter –
@principal_adams
2017 Tacoma College & Career Fair
Thursday October 26th from 5:30 – 7:30, there is a free College and Career Fair at the University of Puget Sound Tennis Pavilion.
More than 150 Colleges and Universities will be present, and students can access career training and volunteer opportunities.
Curtis High School will provide free bus transportation to interested students.
For more information, please contact CHS Career and College Readiness Counselor Mike Tompkins.
CHS Students Shine
This year CHS has one National Merit Semifinalist. Students who take the PSAT (please see
information above) qualify for National Merit Scholarships worth more than $33 million dollars. There are only 16,000 students nationwide who make the cut to semifinalist from the more than 1.6 million students who applied at the beginning of the process. This year CHS would like to recognize our National Merit Semifinalist James Wang.
Our list of National Merit Commendations include: Alex Belokobylka, Bennett Harvey, Elizabeth Kwon, Dylan Lockner, Atticus Mader, Carly Martinez, Nick Solberg, David Torem, Erica Webb, and Inez Yoon. Congratulations to all our outstanding National Merit students. Go Viks!
What’s Happening at CHS
This is the section of the newsletter where I highlight through pictures some great things happening at CHS. Enjoy the following pictures with captions:
CHS Guidance Secretary Laurel Lindberg manages counseling schedules, processes transcripts, and registers all new and in-coming students. She is friendly and warm; we are lucky to have her!
At Viking Stadium, our girls’ soccer team plays (and wins) at sunset; our students enthusiastically support our football team.
Our football team sings the fight song after defeating previously undefeated and 10th-ranked Olympia while CHS students show support
Our AP Biology and Biology teacher (here in the front row) Mr. Pete Heussman attends a professional development day of learning last Saturday. Mr. Heussman learned about Micro Biology from Fred Hutch and University of Washington researchers. To the right, Mr. Heussman’s AP Biology students work on a lab. We have many other teachers attending professional development on weekends in October to enhance our students’ ability to access more information.
Here CHS teachers are trained on Google software, email, Docs, and Calendar. As UPSD transitions to a new communication system, we can share live documents and improve all aspects of our internal and external communications. This work is done after the school day and our teachers are committed to improving their skills.
Thank you again for your partnership. I look forward to seeing you around school.
Warmly,
Principal Tom Adams Go Viks!
UPSD Non Discrimination Statement
The University Place School District complies with all federal and state laws, rules, and regulations and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin (including language), sex, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, creed, religion, age, veteran or military status, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability in student education programs, co-curricular activities, and employment practices. The district is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer encouraging application of qualified minorities, women, and disabled persons for employment and other
opportunities. University Place School District is committed to providing access to all District programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. For elevator access at school sites, contact the principal’s office. The University Place School District is a drug-free/smoke-free work place and educational setting. Direct inquiries regarding compliance, grievance, or appeal procedures, or concerns involving students, should be made to the District Affirmative Action Officer/Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator/ Title IX Officer/HIB Compliance Officer, Executive Director of Secondary Education, Lainey Mathews, [email protected]; or Section 504/FAPE/ADA concerns should be made to Director of Special Services, Maria Hetland. [email protected]. Both can be contacted at (253) 566-5600, 3717 Grandview Drive West, University Place, WA 98466.
