Hello Cienega Parents,

In just few short weeks, the first semester of the 2013-2014 school year will be over. The grades your students earn will be recorded on their permanent transcript. In the near future when you sit with your child to help fill out college applications, you'll relive the successes and struggles of each semester. The grades you see in Power School may not reflect what you know your child is capable of, but they may limit his or her choices when it comes to choosing a college. Many of our seniors' parents are experiencing this right now! Unfortunately, teenagers aren't always focused on the future, and they don't always believe what their parents tell them.

At Cienega, our amazing teachers make themselves available to provide all of our students the extra help they need to make those grades reflect their true potential. Please encourage your student to take advantage of the tutoring and reteach opportunities. If his or her teachers do not have scheduled tutoring time, ask them when they are available to help.

All of our students will take final exams the last week of the semester. Finals assess all of the information from the semester and are worth between 10% and 20% of the semester grade. They can make a huge difference, positive or negative, on your student's final grade. This may be the first time your child has had to actually sit down and study, REALLY STUDY, for a test. Help your child manage his or her time as we get closer to finals.

Thank you for being our partner in education as we work to get all of our students college and career ready.

Julia Kaiser

Assistant Principal

Curriculum and Instruction

We all know how amazing Jenny Meeker is! Now, anyone who pops in to Circle K to grab a quick snack will know this too!

Congratulation to Jenny Meeker... one of only NINE finalist in the Circle K Teacher of the Year Award. We are so proud of you, Jenny. Thanks for all you do here, especially making us all look good! 

Vail NJROTC cadets competed in the Rio Rico HS JROTC Raider Challenge on Saturday, 2 Nov.  The purpose of this competition was to build confidence and demonstrate athleticism and team work.  Vail cadets also competed in the 3rd annual Hawk-Eye Shootout. The competition consisted of a 3X10 shoulder to shoulder air rifle match. Nine Arizona JROTC units (Army, Navy and Air Force) competed in these events.  Vail Cadets received trophies for 1st place in the 4X800 relay, 2nd Place in the Obstacle Course and 3rd Place in the Fireman's Carry.

A Message from CatsCARE

As educators, it is wonderful to partner with parents and students as your children come to us ready to learn and grow not only as students, but also productive members of society. That is where our Responsible TopCat program plays a large part. Have you ever wondered what those little numbers below your child's grade on powerschool mean? That number is the students' citizenship grade.   The grade is based on a four-point rubric where a four means very responsible, a three means responsible, a two means their level of responsibility is inconsistent, and a one means irresponsible.   Responsibility categories include attendance, completing assignments, ability to work independently, following directions, preparedness, safety, cooperation, participation and respect.   All teachers give students a citizenship grade and if their average is above a 3.0 (without any ones, Ds, or Fs) then the student is eligible to be a Responsible TopCat. Students who earn this privilege are given some freedom to be self-directed during advisor base time. Students are also given a coupon book that can be used for various activities on campus and businesses in the community. Responsible TopCat has been one of our most successful incentive based programs since 2007. Thank you for letting us help guide your children as they become productive young adults in our community.

Chromebook covers and copper travel coffee mugs are available in the Bobcat Bookstore for $15.00 each.  Get yours today!

Testing Information:

Click here for test dates. 

Financial Aid:

• Financial aid night is Wednesday January15th at 6:30 P.M. in the Dining Auditorium. College bound students and their parents are encouraged to attend to receive important information about the Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. This form must be filled out to be eligible for most scholarships and financial aid that is available for helping offset college expenses.
• Students and Parents may submit the form AFTER January first, but NOT before. Go to www.fafsa.ed.gov for details.
• To get a head start on the process go to www.pin.ed.gov to get your PIN. Both the parent and the student will need a PIN. You must have this in order to apply on line. This can be done now, so don't delay the process, get your PIN today!

Colleges:

• In order to have the best chances of receiving scholarships or financial aid at any of the state universities, seniors should have already applied to these schools. Do not delay any longer if you have not yet applied. For out of state or private colleges, deadlines vary. Go to the specific college website for deadlines and information.

Scholarships:

Scholarship opportunities are listed and updated on the Cienega Website on the "Counselor Page."  Click here to see the page. 

The Wall of the Future is growing rapidly. Any senior who brings in their acceptance letter to a college or trade school, or a letter of enlistment is publicized on our Wall and is entered in the drawing to win an iPad at Honors Night in May. Cienega Seniors are C2G!

RETEACH CHART 

Volunteers seen around campus:

Sharon Banken, Nancy Niemeir, Larry Baldasare, Tanisha Fisher, Edward Fisher, Lexi Romitti, Ramona McHenry, Jim Glaser, Jenise Kluver, KiKi Ngo, Cindy Nguyen, Ken Sutton, Joanie Fidel, Karl and Nancy Jensen, Mary Moreno, Di Aragon, Juli Armstrong, Michele Brown, Donna and David Milligan, Jack Woolridge, Donna Petersen, Laurie Stenerson, Cheryl Devitt and Andre Mixon.

Our College Fair on October 31st was very successful. Thank you to the following volunteers for helping us out: Jennifer Madrid, Michelle Martinez, Tiffany Swartz, Zoak Morales, Emily Schlittenhart, Emily Hunt, Megan Anderson, Drew Rosenthal, Kent Irwin, Josh Muecke, and Kristen Bagley.

Through our Stars, Stripes and Heroes fundraiser on November 8th we raised over $700.00 for our troops overseas! Thank you to all who helped out.

I apologize if I have left anyone out.

Here at Cienega, we are extremely grateful for all of our volunteers.   Thank you for helping our students to be as successful as they can be. We could not do it without you! Happy Thanksgiving!

Patty McKnight 

Volunteer Coordinator

Cienega High School

 mcknightp@vail.k12.az.us 

879-2811

Connections
High Standards
Success

Cienega High School

Vision Statement

Cienega High School creates an educational environment utilizing partnerships among community, parents, and staff to assist students in maximizing their academic potential and promoting life-long learning.

Special Education Secretary Kim Lomax 879-1804

Communications Coordinator

Elizabeth Taggart - 879-2878 taggarte@vail.k12.az.us 

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Would you like an extra 4 pages in your yearbook that you design?  This year, you can buy an extra 4 pages to be put in only your yearbook.  Go to yearbookyourself.com  

for more information.