Cat Chat Newsletter - January  2016

 
   
 
Dear Cienega Families,
 
Happy New Year!
 
Second semester promises to be very busy for both our staff and students. Seniors need to remain strong with grades, SEP, and their college and career planning. Before we know it, graduation will be here.
 
As our seniors are making plans for after graduation, our freshmen, sophomores, and juniors will be choosing their classes for next year. Pre-registration begins the last week in January. The Course Selection Handbook will be finalized and available on the counselor link of our website during the week of registration, and your student will be bringing home a course selection form for you to look through and sign. Please do not hesitate to contact your child's counselor if you have any questions regarding graduation requirements and suggested courses.
 
Spring sports will be starting in February. For those that are interested in signing up, please get your paperwork turned into the 400 building athletic office as soon as possible.
 
Thank you for your tax credit donations! Our extra-curricular programs and clubs have received many tax credit contributions in the last few weeks. We truly appreciate your support!
 
 
Sincerely,

Nemer Hassey
Principal
IN THIS ISSUE
STUCO Happenings
ACT/SAT Test Prep
AP Fair
Volunteer Corner
Transition Open House
Copper Thunder Golf Tourney
NJROTC
Senior Information
Galapagos Island 2017
Australia 2016 / Ireland 2017
SchoolWay App
Phat Cat Winners

STUCO HAPPENINGS
 

Winter Formal 
Come to "A Frosty Formal 2016", this Saturday the 16th! The dance begins at 8pm, and will carry on till midnight. Any students attending from other schools must have a guest form filled out and turned in BY the end of school Friday. Bring your shoes, school ID's and tickets. See you there! Tickets are $20 at the door. Bring money for water bottles and cookies!

StuCo at Freshmen Open House
Student Council is looking forward to meeting incoming freshman! The club will have a table where the Advisors and members will be able to provide information about joining and about the school in general.  Please help to support each graduating class by selling tumblers. Student council is responsible for planning school wide events and activities. Hope to see you there!
 
Prom
Going to Cienega's 2016 Prom? Juniors and seniors, this is the chance of a lifetime! On the evening of April 9, at 8 o'clock, Westward Look will host Cienega's biggest prom to date! Bring a date or come with friends. Ticket sales will begin on January 19th during lunch for $55. The price will increase by $5 each week, so get your tickets now!


ACT/SAT TEST PREP SCHEDULE
 

Cienega is offering ACT prep courses to any student planning to take the ACT test this spring.  These courses will go a long way in helping you to increase your composite scores. They begin on January 16th, and the cost is $35 for a set of three classes. Please contact Mr. Tatham at 879-2864 if you would like more information or need help deciding which prep classes are the best fit for you.


AP FAIR
 
    
There is an AP Fair scheduled for next Wednesday, January 19th during PAWS for any student that is interested is signing up for an Advanced Placement class next year.  If you would like to attend, let you PAWS teacher know and they will release you to the Student Union at 10:20am.


VOLUNTEER CORNER
 
    
Happy New Year Bobcat Parents and Volunteers!

Please join us for our next CatFRAT meeting 
on TUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2016 at 6:30pm in the CHS Library and Education Center. Hope to see you there!  

TRANSITION OPEN HOUSE
 

Join the High School Special Education Transition Team for the annual community wide Transition Open House on Thursday, January 21 from 5:30 to 7:00pm in the Student Union at Cienega High School. Enjoy pizza while you meet and connect with community agencies that provide services to individuals with disabilities after they leave high school.
   

GOLF TOURNAMENT
 
    
Calling all golfers!  It's not too late to register. Cienega's Band and Orchestra Boosters are hosting a Golf Tournament Fundraiser on January 30th at 11:30 at the Forty Niner Country Club.  Individual registration is $55.00, and teams of 4 are $215.  There will be both competitive and recreational brackets.  If you have questions or want to register, call Molly Koenig at 520-879-2808 or email her at 
koenigm@vail.k12.az.us
or email Jim Matsushino at 

Download flier here
 

 
NJROTC HAPPENINGS
 

NJROTC Cadets participated in the Vail District NJROTC 3rd Annual Veterans Holiday dinner at Andrada High School on Saturday, 12 December 2015.  The cadets assisted as escorts for Veterans from the Southwest Blind Rehabilitation Center.  In addition, cadets helped break down tables and chairs when the event was over.
 


On 5 Dec 2015 NJROTC cadets competed at the multi-service First Water Trailhead Orienteering Competition hosted by Sunnyslope High School AFJROTC on 5 Dec 2015.  Out of 213 teams Cadet Regina Gulli and Cadet Jordan Comolli placed 1st in the co-ed category and placed 3rd overall.  



Cadet Captain Catalina Mitchell has received a Congressional Nomination from Congresswoman Martha McSally to attend the U.S. Naval Academy. Cadet Commander Madison Rawls also received Congressional Nominations from Congresswoman Martha McSally to attend either the U.S. Military Academy (West Point) or the U.S. Air Force Academy. These exceptional NJROTC cadets are excellent representatives of the Vail School District.  

   

SENIOR INFORMATION
 
SchoolWay App:

If you have not yet downloaded the SchoolWay, I highly encourage you to do so. The senior counselor sends push alerts to your Smart phone, or texts or emails if you don't have a SmartPhone. Go to www.myschoolway.com to download the App. Join the Vail School District, then Cienega High School and then the GROUP: Class of 2016, or just enter the WayCode: 25fdhd
 
Graduation Reminders:
  • Cap and Gown and Announcements: Contact Jostens: 1-800-JOSTENS.
  • Ceremony is Thursday May 26th
  • Graduation Rehearsal is Wednesday May 25th
  • Honors Night is Wednesday May 18th
 
Testing Dates:

There are only a couple more opportunities to take the SAT or ACT this year!
 
General Reminders:
  • If your student is taking any courses through correspondence or Dual Enrollment through Pima, it is their responsibility to bring the transcript from that school to the registrar in order to get credit for the class and to be able to participate in graduation ceremonies. This deadline is MAY 1st unless taking a Pima class. That deadline will be two days after the class has been completed.
  • If nine absences are accumulated in any class regardless of the reason, unless it is a school related activity, THE STUDENT WILL NOT PASS THE CLASS AND WILL NOT GRADUATE IF THE CLASS IS A REQUIREMENT FOR GRADUATION! Refer to the student agenda for exceptions to this policy.
  • Seniors planning on attending a four-year college should have applied to their schools by now.  You may lose valuable scholarship opportunities by procrastinating any longer.
  • Be sure to check the CHS Website for updated scholarship opportunities. The link can be found by entering the website at http://chs.vail.k12.az.us click on the "Counselor" link, from there click on "Scholarships". This page is updated regularly, so check back often.
  • The FAFSA (free application for financial student aid) should be completed by February 14th if you are expecting to be awarded some type of grant. College Goal Saturday and Sunday is on 2/13 and 2/14 for help. Go to: https://collegegoal.az.gov/college-goal-fafsa for more information
  • Senioritis can sometimes creep up on students.  Please be aware of this and monitor your students attendance and grades carefully so that there will be no unhappy surprises in May when it is time to celebrate the graduation of your son or daughter from Cienega.
  • Please utilize PowerSchool on a regular basis and stay informed of the progress your son or daughter is making in his or her classes (http://powerschool.vail.k12.az.us )
 

SPRING BREAK 2017 - GALAPAGOS ISLAND
 

Attention Explorers!  Cienega has a spring break 2017 trip traveling to the Galapagos Islands.  That's right, the GALAPAGOS...as in, GIANT TURTLES & IGUANAS!
 
 
Both Dr. Rathman and Mr. Farr are experienced teachers and leaders that have wanted to travel to this profound and iconic archipelago for years and have decided to take the plunge with you!  This 9-day spring break adventure trip begins with your arrival in Quito, the capital of Ecuador located high up in the Andes mountain range and beneath a volcano!   
  
On top of visiting 300 year old churches, we will have the opportunity to visit UNESCO World Heritage sites and learn about Incan history.  This is all very cool, but I haven't even mentioned how we get to straddle the equator and stand in two hemispheres at one time!  What a start to a trip right? 

That was only the beginning because days 3-7 are spent traveling around Isabela, Santa Cruz, and San Cristobal islands.  We will visit the Charles Darwin Research Station and explore the breeding program for Giant Galapagos Tortoises.  Imagine, as we travel, you will see how each island has it's own flora and fauna including marine iguanas, flamingos, penguins, and sea lions.  I can't think of a place more different from Vail, AZ than Galapagos.  
 
  
Honestly, there's so much packed into this trip that it'd be better to come hear more about it than keep reading about it.  If you're interested, please consider attending our first informational meeting on Wednesday, January 20th at 6:00pm in Cienega room 520.  Dr. Rathman and Mr. Farr will have tropical snacks on hand, show a presentation about the tour, the Galapagos in general, and answer questions regarding the trip.  They will also go into some specific strategies to help pay for the trip through tax credit donations and planning a letter writing campaign.  Also, they have arranged through EF tours to extend a $100 discount to students that enroll by February 28th.  All good things! 
 
It can happen if you start planning today for an amazing spring break next year. Come check us out and feel free to email Dr. Robin Rathman at rathmanr@vailschooldistrict.org or Mr. Joshua Farr at farrj@vailschooldistrict.org 

For more information on the tour, check out the itinerary and details here:  http://www.eftours.com/tour-website/1817997WR?utm_source=link&utm_medium=RC&utm_campaign=sharetrip  
 

SPRING BREAK 2016/2017
 

G'Day from the World History Club!  Over spring break the club will be traveling to New Zealand and Australia for two weeks, learning about the cultures and traditions of these two amazing countries.  Visiting Aukland and Rotorua for the start of our trip, we will learn about the Whaka Maori people and the geology that produces interesting geothermal features for 3 days.  Then the crew will fly to Brisbane Australia and start our tour of the Land Down Under on the Sunshine Coast. The Itinerary has us visiting the Glasshouse Mountains of Noosa National Park and the southern portion of the Great Barrier Reef off of Fraser Island to start our journey.  Then we travel to Surfer's Paradise, and Coff's Harbor and finally into Sydney for a few days.

From the Brumbies (wild horses), koalas, kangaroos, wallabies and wombats we will depart for home...just in time to start back up at school on Monday morning! We would like to thank all who have helped our students to make this dream a reality with their moral and financial support! 


On January 25th we will kick off our next adventure with a parent information meeting... Where are we going? DUBLIN AND LONDON!!!  If you are at all interested please come to that meeting to see how international travel can be enriching and affordable!
To see information on the 2017 trip, go to  
http://www.eftours.com/tour-website/1771526FS
     
 

SCHOOL WAY APP

 


If you haven't already downloaded our School Way APP click on the link below... it's that simple!

http://www.myschoolway.com/vail
     

PHAT CAT DRAWING WINNERS
 
 
Congratulations to Paul Sanders for being our Phat Cat Drawing winner on December 11, 2015. Paul won a pizza, pasta or wings once a month for a year! Congratulations Paul!


Congratulations to Ryan Bahrychuk for being our Phat Cat Drawing winner on January 8, 2016.  Ryan won a Kindle.  Congrats Ryan!
 

 


________________________________________________

Thank you parents for your support of Cienega. We truly appreciate your involvement! 

Sincerely,

Cienega High School

DATES TO REMEMBER


1/18 No School Martin Luther King Day

1/19 Cat Frat Meeting Library - 6:30pm

1/27 College & Career Fair - Half day for students

2/11 Parent/Teacher Conferences - 1/2 day for students

2/19 - Inservice for Teachers - 1/2 for students

2/20 - VAIL PRIDE DAY

2/25 & 2/26 - NO SCHOOL - Rodeo Break

3/14 - 3/25 - Spring Break 
 

QUICK LINKS


CHS
INFORMATION

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.

 

Front Office   - 879-2800     Attendance   -  879-2803   
Bookstore     -  879-2824 
Registrar       - 879-2812

Health Office - 879-2810
Volunteer Coordinator
879-2811                  


Front Office/200 House   
Principal
Nemer Hassey
Secretary - Cathy Ochoa 879-2816 
Senior Counselor
John Tritz - 879-1843 
                        

300/700 House
Assistant Principal
Dean Nourse

Secretary - Kim Thielke 879-2855
Freshman Counselor
Eric Boxley - 879-2854

  

400/600 House/Athletics      
Assistant Principal
Kelly Hadden
Athletic Director - Whitney Holland - 879-1813            

Secretary - Chris Rich  879-2892
Counselor A - L
Dainah Graham - 879-2819
 

500 House/Special Education/Security          
Assistant Principal
Kim Middleton
Secretary - Teri Tatham 879-2874

Counselor M - Z
Sylvia Lewandowski-879-2817

Special Education Secretary Patty McKnight 879-1804

 

Communications Coordinator

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

 

CHS website: chs.vail.k12.az.us               

Moodle:

Silhouette Photography - 886-1710  (Senior pictures for yearbook)
      
Sodexho - 879-2090 or mymealtime.com   

District Office - 879-2000

Transportation - 879-2475


Get your YEARBOOK today!

CAT FRAT
www.catfrat.com


Follow Us on FACEBOOK 

 

 

Follow CHS on Twitter 

 


CHS Online Store
Spirit Wear & More!

Cienega Stadium Chair

Cienega Stadium Seat

 

Only available at our on-line store.

 

 Click here for Online Ordering  

 

 

Support Cienega while supporting your back. Convenient pockets hold concessions and necessities. Features include: 600 denier polyester. Adjustable straps on each side of seat for perfect fit and easy carrying. Large zippered pocket for additional storage. Dimensions: 17"w x 15.5"d (seat)

 

ALL SALES FROM OUR ONLINE STORE BENEFIT CHS BOBCATS 

 


Job Openings

Are you looking for a job?

 

The Vail School District is looking for dynamic, energetic and positive staff members. Please click on the link below for the job descriptions, qualifications, salary guide, and the application process.

 

Click for job openings here   

 

Cienega High School
Yearbooks

It's that time of year again to pre-order your yearbook.  Go to www.jostensyearbooks.com

 

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.