As we approach winter break, we want to wish you a joyous, healthy holiday season.  

If your family is in need of support over the break, please reach out to your school counselor or your PTSA so we can help connect you to services.

If you are in a position to give, please include your student’s school in your year-end giving.  There are many ways to show your support:

• Join the PTSA (only $13!)
• Donate to the PTSA by visiting https://www.uchsptsa.org/  
• Donate to EdUCate! by visiting https://uceducate.org/ 
• Sign up for Amazon Smile & select “University City High PTSA” as your charity of choice https://smile.amazon.com/ 

Adopt-A-Family Update

Thank you so much for supporting the Adopt-A-Family Program!  We have more families in need this year, and your donations allow us to spread some joy.  We will continue to accept donations through Friday, December 18.  

To donate, click the “Donate” button on the left sidebar at https://www.uchsptsa.org/ and select “Adopt-A-Family.”

Help spread some UCHS holiday cheer by helping the UCHS Adopt-A-Family program! The program will directly benefit UCHS students and families in need of a little extra something this year. Your tax deductible donation will help us purchase grocery gift cards, store gift cards, and wish list items. We will be accepting donations through December 18.

There are three ways to help:

1. Click the “Donate” button on the left sidebar and select “Adopt-A-Family.”
2. Submit a payment through Zelle to uchsmail@gmail.com
3. Scan the QR code below:

Shopping for the Holidays?

Support UCHS PTSA without any extra cost! Simply sign up for Amazon Smile & select “University City High PTSA” as your charity of choice and shop away! https://smile.amazon.com/

General Meeting December 3rd, 2020

Our next UCHS PTSA General Association meeting is Thursday, December 3 @ 6pm.  We will have a speaker from SAY San Diego on coping with stress during COVID-19 and avoiding opioid misuse. This will be a virtual meeting. Please register here.

The deadline to submit student artwork is: 5:00 PM, Friday, October 30, 2020 

The annual Reflections theme is created by a student and selected two years in advance through the PTA’s annual theme search contest. This year’s theme was submitted by a then 1st grader, Rylee Stier, who drew inspiration from her town being impacted by the CA wildfires of 2018.

With the call for meaningful steps to dismantle structural racism, this theme provides new meaning and an opportunity to engage and elevate the voices of students of color. Students can submit their completed works of art in one or all of the available arts categories:

• Dance
• Choreography,
• Film Production,
• Literature,
• Music Composition,
• Photography,
• Visual Arts.

Visit PTA.org/reflections for more information on the program. 

To enter, see complete instructions here. For additional information, or if you have any questions, email the PTSA chairs, Jenny Goodman or Rebecca Brandon at UCHSmail@gmail.com.

Zoom Information for the next meeting:

Topic: PTSA Meeting
Time: Sep 17, 2020 06:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://sandiegounified.zoom.us/j/96152933905

Meeting ID: 961 5293 3905

Dial by your location
        +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
        +1 669 219 2599 US (San Jose)
Meeting ID: 961 5293 3905
Find your local number: https://sandiegounified.zoom.us/u/aeJrBXfQo7

This will be an unpredictable and challenging year, but we will work through it together. If you haven’t already, please go to the UCHS website to fill out registration documents for your student. The school staff has converted the documents to fillable forms to make the process easier for you.

Once you’re finished with that, head on over to UCHSPTSA.ORG or click on https://jointotem.com/ca/san-diego/uchs-ptsa to join the PTSA and make your annual donation. We encourage you to join and pay online; it saves a lot of time for our volunteers.

The first PTSA meeting of the school year will be on Thursday, September 17 at 6pm via Zoom. Stay tuned for details. 

Finally, there is an SAT Test Prep Course available for students. Learn more by viewing this flyer. The deadline to sign up is September 6th, and classes start September 12. UPDATE 09/13/2020: Course has been cancelled.

The UCHS PTSA is looking for parent/community volunteers to fill the following positions:

• Electronic Newsletter Editor – familiarity with Constant Contact desirable. UPDATE 9/13/2020: Position filled!
• SAT/ACT Prep Workshops – in partnership with USD. UPDATE 9/13/2020: Course cancelled!
• Senior Grad Party Chair & Committee. UPDATE 9/24/2020: Position filled!

Please contact Laura Ravine at uchsmail@gmail.com with interest or for more information.

Take Action!

Unless Congress acts, schools are about to experience major budget cuts triggered by the coronavirus pandemic. That’s why we are emailing you. We need you to contact your federal representatives ASAP to support money for schools. Your action will help prevent layoffs, larger class sizes and the reduction or elimination of important programs and services for our students.

Please join with education leaders around the country in asking for $200 billion to support education funding, including special education, distance learning, Title 1 for low-income students and other programs:

• Learning Policy Institute: “A 15 percent reduction in state education funding could lead to the loss of more than 300,000 teaching positions.”

• National Education Leaders, including PTA: “As Congress negotiates a fourth emergency supplemental in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative any package include significant, robust and flexible funding for our nation’s public schools.”

• Council of Great City Schools:“…Support an additional federal allocation of $175 billion in Educational Stabilization Funds distributed to the local level through the Title I formula. We also urge Congress to provide an additional $13 billion for IDEA, $12 billion in additional Title I program funding, $2.0 billion for E-Rate, and emergency infrastructure funds that include public schools.”

Please go to “Take Action!” to send a message to your U.S. senators and representatives, and help ensure that robust education funding is included in the next COVID-19 relief package. Our children deserve it!