Announcements from the Jr./Sr. High Staff

1. Attention 4H Members:  If you are planning to show an animal in 4H, your animal registration is due online by May 15^th.  THIS INCLUDES RABBITS!  Rabbits must be in your possession and have their Identification Tattoo prior to the May 15^th registration deadline.  See Ms. Watson if you have questions about registering any animal species.

2. The last day to submit any online work will be at 11:59PM on Sunday, May 18.  After this date and time, online work will not be accepted.  Please plan accordingly, and call Mr. Chiddister if you have any questions.

3. Thank you to everyone that helped setup for prom Friday night. Addie, Alexis, Silas, Lucas and Mr. Ross - You all did a great job! Emma - Your tables were fantastic! 

Congratulations to the prom court and royalty. 

Prince - Silas Ross

Princess - Emma Holderman

King - Max Werking

Queen - Glory Ellis

Finally, thank you to everyone that attended the weekend festivities. You were all kind, respectful and well-mannered. You made prom and after-prom fun to chaperone!

4. Hey Rockets!  We have had some crazy good attendance numbers!  We have seen perfect homeroom attendance 12 different times this quarter!  

AM Vocational and Mrs. Tilton’s homerooms recorded perfect attendance for the first time all year!

Ms. Phenis and Mrs. Webb’s homerooms have been perfect 3 out of 5 weeks!

Mrs. Clark and Mrs. Howard’s homerooms have been perfect 2 out of 5 weeks!

Haven’t seen your perfect attendance incentive yet?  No worries.  Ms. Watson RAN OUT and has to make more and will get those to you ASAP!

5. On May 7, which is a Wednesday, we will have a 2-hour delay.  This morning, we will be conducting a drill when students are NOT present in the building.  Please don’t be alarmed if you see emergency vehicles at the school this morning.  It is part of the drill.

There will NOT be transportation to and from NCCC for morning vocational students.  PM transportation to and from NCCC will operate as normal.

6. Save the Date:  On Tuesday, May 13, we are taking grades 7-12 to the Indianapolis Zoo for the day.  More info to come shortly!

Rocket Writers:

Rocket Writers are geared up for the final issue of the 2024-25 school year!  Here are some writing challenges for you:

1. In May, we celebrate National Teacher AND National Principal Appreciation Day.  Write a "thank you note" to a principal or teacher who has made a difference in your life.  
2. May the 4th Be With You!  Write an original narrative story featuring characters and settings from any of the Star Wars movies.  
3. Rockets Remember!  Think about your 2024-25 school year and write about:
   1. a favorite memory,
   2. your proudest accomplishment(s), 
   3. a favorite field trip or project, or
   4. something important you learned
4. Letter to Next Year’s Students - Tell them about your grade or a class you’ve taken:
   1. What did you like most about your class/grade?
   2. What’s a favorite memory or topic you studied?
   3. Describe an activity they can look forward to, and/or
   4. give advice for success in your grade or class.

As always, turn in your final draft using the Rocket Writers assignment in TEAMS.  Keep it fairly short and school appropriate.

7. Reminder:  

Say Something – Reporting App - This is a reminder that you can access the Say Something App on ANY computer if you have access to the internet.  Simply go to our school website (Jr/Sr. High), click on either “Students” and/or “Parents” on the blue ribbon across the top, and then click: “Say Something.”  This will prompt you to be able to submit a tip from any device.  

8. This is a reminder that Cell phones and earbuds are NOT permitted to be out in classrooms.  Those that are will be confiscated and released to parents/guardians only.  They will not be given back to students. 

9. This is a reminder that laptops, personal ipads, etc. are not permitted at lunch in the cafeteria.  At no time should a student use their own laptops in the school building.  You can work on homework using your computers in Learning Lunch if needed but not in the cafeteria.  

10. If a homeroom gets 100% attendance for a week, students in that homeroom will receive an extra incentive award.  Their choices are:

-Hat Pass

-5 Points Extra Credit (teacher discretion to refuse pass for an assignment or class)

-Bonus Flex Monday OR Flex Thursday (even if they have not met other criteria)

11. Students that are failing a class are not allowed to attend intramurals the entire week after.  A failing grade = NO intramurals for the entire next week.  You will be notified on Friday each week by email if you are on this list.  Check your emails!

12. After school Study Tables are from 3 - 5PM daily in the Resource Room.  Any student can attend study tables.  Study Tables are for students needing extra help with academics and/or for any student staying after school for extracurricular reasons.  Contact Mrs. Bales with questions. 

13. Student Council will meet in Mrs. Webb’s room on Wednesday, please see her for a pass. 

Lunch Today

Salisbury Steak

Mashed Potatoes & 

Gravy

Dinner Rolls

Heritage Awareness

May is 

Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month

Influential Asian-Americans in American History

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who is of Samoan descent, has captured the world’s attention since his early days as one of the greatest professional wrestlers. He then pivoted into acting, starring in films such as The Scorpion King, Moana, and various films in The Fast and the Furious franchise. He is now one of the highest-grossing actors in Hollywood and was even named one of the world’s most influential people by Time magazine.

Celeste Ng

American writer Celeste Ng is an accomplished novelist and short story writer. Born in Pittsburgh, her parents immigrated to the United States from Hong Kong. Her writing focuses on the Chinese American experience. Her first novel, Everything I Never Told You, won the Amazon Book of the Year award in 2014 and her second novel, Little Fires Everywhere, was adapted into a miniseries starring Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington.  

Dr. David Ho

In the 1990s as the United States was dealing with the HIV/AIDS pandemic, Dr. David Ho was a vital part of understanding the disease. A Taiwanese American physician and virologist, Ho’s research focused on both treatment and preventing HIV transmission. He is the founding scientific director of the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center and was named the 1996 Time magazine Person of the Year for his invaluable work related to the disease.  

A School Rule You Should Know

Participation in Extracurricular Events 

Students must be in class at least 3 periods of a day in order to attend or participate in any extracurricular activity, event, contest, practice, rehearsal, or meeting held after school that day (or that weekend if the absence occurs on Friday). 

The principal/administrative staff must approve any exceptions.

Today’s Athletics/Extra-

Curriculars

None Today

Good luck Rockets!

We Statements

At Union Jr./Sr. High School (Staff and Students)

1. WE are polite and respectful.

2. WE are Responsible for ourselves and our school.

3. WE ask for and offer help when needed.

4. WE give our best effort in everything WE do.

5. WE are positive!

Students that have a failing grade on their weekly check (Academic Improvement List) will NOT be allowed to attend intramurals for the week until the grade(s) has improved and the student is not on the next week’s list.  These students will remain in the cafeteria for the entire lunch period or will have the option to attend Learning Lunch.  Students will be told on Fridays if they have a failing grade.                                      On the list = NO Intramurals.  Not on the list = Intramurals. 

Attendance Incentive

All students (in-building) that have two or less absences (excused or unexcused) in a 9-week period will have an “morning or afternoon of fun” shortly following the grading period.  This will most likely be a different group of students each 9-weeks.  Here are some sample ideas: 

1. Going to a restaurant in a nearby community, 
2. Bowling, 
3. Video gaming
4. Movie, etc.
5. Skating  

**At the end of the school year, students that have a 97% attendance rate or better (no more than 5 absences – excused or unexcused) will have a trip to Kings Island!  Again, it doesn’t matter if the absence is excused or unexcused!

Upcoming Dates

May 2:  Deadline to vote for Staff Members of the Year

May 2 -7:  Senior Trip

May 5:  MEC Star Banquet 

May 5-9:  Teacher Appreciation Week!

May 7:  2-hour Delay for students – Emergency Response Drill

• Staff meeting 3:10-3:30

May 7-12:  Nurse Appreciation Week!

May 11:  Mother’s Day!

May 13:  Zoo Day!

• NJHS Induction Ceremony

May 15:  Senior Awards Night

May 22:  Last Day of School!

May 23:  Graduation

May 24:  King’s Island trip for the Attendance Incentive!  More to come!

Homeroom Rotation

LIM – April 28 to May 22

For Vocational Students Only:

In the event that we have bad weather and Union is closed or on a 2-hour delay and New Castle is not, we will not provide transportation to/and from New Castle.  In this situation, your parent/guardian will decide if they want to send you to the Career Center.  If your parent/guardian does not want you to attend vocational classes, they will need to contact New Castle Career Center to inform them that you will not be in attendance.  

If both schools are on a 2-hour delay, transportation will be provided.  When both schools are on a delay, morning vocational classes are from 10:30-12:10, and PM vocational classes start at 12:50.  The morning bus will leave Union at 9:45 when both schools are on a delay. 

If New Castle is on a delay but Union is not, there will NOT be a bus sent for morning vocational students.  In this situation, students are excused from NCCC classes.  

Seniors

End of Year Senior Information 

Students may decorate their caps to wear at graduation. They must be school appropriate (no politics) and approved by the principal once completed. Students should see Mrs. Webb to get their cap for decorating. 

All students need to turn in a baby, child, and senior picture of themselves for the graduation slideshow by April 30th. Students can bring the printed version to Mrs. Webb or send a digital version to [email protected]. Students are encouraged to submit group pictures as well.

May 2nd-7th - Senior Trip to Disney World. Students need to have luggage to the school on May 1st. We will leave the school around 3am on Friday, May 2nd. We will return back to the school between 7-7:30 pm on Wednesday, May 7th.

May 13th – High school field trip to the Indianapolis Zoo.

May 14th – Cap and Gown pictures with Christi Beaty at 9 am. Order forms can be found at the high school office.

May 15th – Senior Awards Night at 6 pm.

May 20th – graduation speeches due for approval

May 22nd – Last Day of School. More details to come. Students will be completing their final walk in their caps and gowns around 2:40 pm.   The junior/senior picnic will be after bowling.  Juniors and seniors will return to school for their picnic (if transportation is possible).  

May 23rd – Breakfast and Graduation rehearsal at 9 am.  ALL students walking in graduation MUST attend breakfast/rehearsal. Baccalaureate will begin at 6 pm. Any student planning to attend this service should arrive to the school no later than 5:45 pm. Once this service begins, no students or guests will be able to enter the gym until it is concluded. Graduation will begin at 7 pm. Students who are only attending graduation need to arrive no later than 6:30 pm.

Important Scholarship Info and Due Dates 

Check emails from Mrs. Adams!

New Scholarships are being added to the school website.  To find them go to:

www.usc.k12.in.us

Click on School Counselor

Click on scholarships