November 1, 2004

Principal's Notes
We continue to be impressed and inspired by the many students taking leadership roles to help the school grow in its first year. Students Abriel Thomas and Beryl Kelley, both members of the Student Voice Committee, spearheaded the planning and promotion of the Halloween costume contest last Friday. Their efforts resulted in a fun spirit-building day with high participation among students. Due to the wide variety of categories (ranging from scariest to best fictional character), many students went home with the first place prize of a gift certificate to Brooklyn Pizza. The after-school options have increased to include a modern dance class on Monday afternoons from 4:30-5:30 p.m. thanks to student Kate Young’s coordination. So far five girls have signed up for the class, which starts this week on November 1, and there is room for approximately five more participants. Please contact us at school for more information; there is a registration fee to pay for the instructor.

Carrie Brennan, Principal
(carrie@cityhighschool.org)

Core Class Feature
The unit of study in science right now is focused on water quality. Students are gearing up for a major project that has them working in teams to devise a water plan for the Tucson area for the year 2050. Drawing on their study of groundwater, their site visits to local water treatment plants (see below), their documentation of their own daily water habits, and other research, students will draft a water plan for the city's future that will be presented publicly to educators, community members, and policy makers.

In the Field
All students will visit one of four major water treatment plants in the next week as part of their water quality unit in science. Tucson Water is providing transportation and presenters for the field trips. Talk with your son or daughter about where they went and what they learned.

Monday 11/1 Tucson Airport Restoration Plant & 12th Avenue Booster Station
Tuesday 11/2 Hayden Udall Water Treatment Plant
Thursday 11/4 Clearwater Renewable Resource Facility
Tuesday 11/9 Sweetwater Wetlands/Pima Co. Wastewater Treatment

Upcoming Holidays
Students will have two four-day weekends in November, so please mark your calendars and plan ahead. The school will be closed for Veterans Day on Thursday 11/11, and Friday 11/12 is a teacher inservice day. While some staff will work here in Tucson on the 12th, most of the teachers will be traveling to San Francisco over the Veterans Day weekend to participate in a national conference on school reform. The school will also be closed for Thanksgiving weekend, 11/25-11/28.