Dear Cienega Families,
The end of the 1st quarter is just a few weeks away! This year is already moving so fast.
It is a great time to take a look at your student's grades and come up with a plan for the last part of this quarter. We have interventions in place for students that are struggling academically. Below are some academic interventions available at Cienega.
Fall Break Intersession
: Intersession will take place over Fall Break and are on-line with in-person tutoring from a highly qualified teacher.
Students will be required to be in attendance at Cienega on Monday, September 23rd & Tuesday, September 24th from 8:40 a.m. - 3:20 p.m. The rest of fall break intersession classes will be conducted on-line. Students' grades for Intersession are averaged with the grade they earned first quarter in the class. Instead of starting second quarter with a C, D or an F, students have the opportunity to start with a higher grade with a maximum possible grade of 80%, giving them a better chance of passing the class for the semester. If you are interested in this program, please contact your child's teacher or counselor. Please note that honors and AP courses are not eligible for Intersession.
Go to summer.vailschooldistrict.org to register. The deadline to register is Wednesday Sept. 18th at 3:30pm
Free Math and English Tutoring
: Tutoring is available each week. Please contact us for a schedule if your child needs extra help in those subjects.
SAT and ACT Prep Courses
: In order to improve student's SAT and ACT scores, we are offering ACT / SAT prep courses for our juniors and seniors. This is a great opportunity to help improve scores. Contact us for information. ACT / SAT prep courses are on Saturdays.
Lastly, we have many students participate in regular classes at Cienega and take on-line classes through the Vail Innovation Center simultaneously. The deadline to drop a regular Cienega class and enroll into an on-line class without any penalty is to do this by the conclusion of our 1st quarter (September 20, 2019).
Thank you for your continued support in helping our students become college and career ready.
Sincerely,
Kim Middleton
Principal
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BOBCAT CROSS COUNTRY
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Your Cienega Bobcat Cross Country team had a big first week of competition. Taking on Buena and Empire at home last Wednesday 9/4 yielded the Bobcats their first win of the season. Following the race, a community race was put on by the might Taggart family (Steve and Liz). Numerous teachers, Armed Forces recruiters, and community members showed up to run. On Friday, the team boarded a bus to make the trek up to Flagstaff for the Peaks Invitational. Prior to racing, they visited former runners and Cienega Alum's Jaelenn Johnson and Alex Lutton, now freshman at the NAU. They toured the team through campus making stops through the hallways of dorms, the rec center, to the track, and the bookstore. All athletes fought the 8000 foot elevation and the hills that made this course memorable. Bobcats brought home some medals, but more importantly, arrived back in Vail with a sense of team, a sense of accomplishment, and a sense of going up against the best in the state including the elements (less Oxygen!).
The team is eager to compete at the Ojo Rojo invitational in Chandler on Saturday September 14th, get filmed by FloTrack and blasted out on Twitter the following week, and even challenge the Swim & Dive team to an annual Aquathlon...all before Fall Break. When break comes, we only work harder! So much season to go, lots of miles before us! Go Bobcats!
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Cienega has 12 new staff members this school year! We will be
presenting our new staff to you via this forum for the next few months. We thought this would be a fun way for you to get to know them a little better.
Kaycee Larios- Agriscience and Technology Teacher
Where were you born? Merced, California 
Where did you go to college?
University of Arizona - Tucson
What is your favorite movie? Emperor's New Groove
What is your favorite TV show?
Parks and Recreation
What is your favorite sports team?
San Diego Padres
What's your favorite restaurant in Tucson?
Mosaic Cafe Dos
What was/is your favorite vacation?
Summers in Illinois
What is your favorite quote?
If not me, who?
If not now, when? -Hillel the Elder
What is your favorite thing about Cienega?
I love how involved all the students are with clubs, athletics, and CTE programs!
Ivan Luna- Spanish Teacher
Where were you born? born in Tampa Florida, raised in Lakeland Florida. Go Gators! 
Where did you go to college? Bachelors and Masters from the University of Arizona. Bear Down!
What is your favorite movie? End of Watch
What is your favorite TV show? I prefer really goIvan od Documentaries.
What is your favorite sports team? College Football, University of Florida. Mens Basketball: UofA!
What's your favorite restaurant in Tucson? Seis Kitchen (if you haven't been I highly recommend)
What was/is your favorite vacation? Road tripping across the United States
What is your favorite quote? "Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." - Benjamin Franklin
What is your favorite thing about Cienega? How supportive everyone has been right from the beginning, this includes the teachers, supporting staff and even my students.
Lisa Chase- Inclusion Specialist
Where were you born? Columbus, Ohio 
Where did you go to college? Park University
What is your favorite movie? Pride and Prejudice
What is your favorite TV show? Downton Abbey
What is your favorite sports team? Cleveland Browns
What's your favorite restaurant in Tucson?
Culinary Dropout
What was/is your favorite vacation? England
What is your favorite quote? "Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid" .Albert Einstein
What is your favorite thing about Cienega? The politeness of students.
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Here are some important things to focus on for the month of September:
- Class of 2022: Focus on the Goal
- Attend Intercession if you have a D or an F. Go to this website to register: https://summer.vailschooldistrict.org
- Update your portfolio on Raise.me
- Stay active in clubs or sports and start seeking out leadership roles.
- Class of 2021: Assess the Possibilities
- Attend Intercession if you have a D or an F. Go to this website to register: https://summer.vailschooldistrict.org
- Update your portfolio on Raise.me
- Utilize test prep to prepare you for the PSAT, SAT and Act this year.
- Class of 2020: You are about to receive your Ticket to the Future in May!
- Attend Intercession if you have a D or an F. Go to this website to register: https://summer.vailschooldistrict.org
- Create your Parchment.com account so you can send transcripts to colleges and universities. Check your email for instructions on how to do this.
- Update your portfolio on Raise.me
- Register for the ACT and/or the SAT.
- Begin applying to colleges and universities
- Apply for scholarships using the Scholarship page on your Counselor Schoology site
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CHS PBIS
Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports
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CHS Positive Behavior Supports include encouraging Bobcats to dress professionally on Power Thursday's. Students earn these cards and can win clothing store gift cards in a monthly drawing. Go Bobcats!!
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SOS & ECO-ADVENTURE TRAVEL CLUB
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What can I do to help?
All donations will be sent to Red Cross Disaster Relief to help those impacted in the hurricane. Checks can be made out to Cienega High School. Donations will be accepted the weeks of September 9th-13th and September 16th-20th and can be left with Amy Burton, CHS volunteer coordinator, Jessica Erickson (room 410) or Robin Rathman (room 512).
Thank you for your support !
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TESTING/INTERSESSION
INFORMATION
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ACT PREP
We offer ACT Prep courses here at Cienega to help your child prepare for the upcoming ACT tests. We will be offering a test this Spring at no cost, however if you're looking for multiple opportunities, check out the dates listed on the flyer below.
For only $35, your child can attend three prep courses and will receive materials to help them prepare for these tests. Students can make their payment in the bookstore and then come see Mrs. Scott in the 500 building to reserve their spot!
ZAPS PSAT/SAT Test-Prep Seminar
Calling all Juniors! Doorway to College Foundation is providing a 5 hour PSAT/SAT Seminar for Juniors to prepare for the SAT test. This will be held on Monday and Tuesday, September 16-17th from 3:30 PM - 6:00 PM here at Cienega. Register for this seminar at
www.doorwaytocollege.com
or call 877-927-8378. The SAT is on October 5th, so don't miss this opportunity to prepare!!
PSAT/NMSQT
Fall 2019 - INTERSESSION
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The purpose of Intersession is to fill any learning gaps and provide your student the opportunity to raise his or her grade. All classes will be ONLINE through the Edgenuity platform and focused on the first quarter standards for the courses offered.
The grade earned in Intersession will be averaged with the grade earned in the 1st quarter. This newly averaged grade will then become the official 1st quarter grade, up to an 80%. Students must complete their online coursework in order to receive the potential grade increase.
Dates and Times:
Monday, 9/23 (Mandatory attendance)
Tuesday, 9/24 (Optional tutoring)
All Coursework must be complete by 10/4
Cost:
$75 per class per student (maximum of 2 classes)
Questions?
Contact Mrs. Scott at
scottm@vailschooldistrict.org
(879-1807) or Mrs. Matsushino at
matsushinob@vailschoolditstrict.org
(879-2809)
Fall SEP 2019 Intersession
This is completely free and mandatory if your student is failing the first submission of the paper or does not have a mentor yet. This is the first three days of break (Sept 23-25) from 9am-1pm in the Ed. Center. If on the first day your student accomplishes what they need to, and the teacher checks them off, then they do not need to attend the following days. The purpose of this intersession is to ensure that no one falls behind on this graduation requirement. Your student's teacher (whether English or government) will sign them up for this and notify you of their need to attend; there is no form.
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3 Traits of earning the belt:
Will never give up on kids.
Understands the power of connections.
Insists the kids be the best they can possibly be.
Congratulations to the following staff members for earning a belt!!
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COLLEGE AND CAREER
CHRONICLE
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Don't Let Your College Application Get Lost in the Pile
Although the fall of your senior year can be rather busy, it is also when you have to make sure your college applications are ready. Before you submit your applications take time to be sure that you have a cumulative grade point average and ACT or SAT test scores that fall within the appropriate range to gain admission to the college of your choice. You can locate that information on the prospective college's web page, listed under admissions. The following guidelines will help you to avoid some of the common college admissions pitfalls.
Be aware of application deadlines
. Set calendar reminders for each school on your application list. Early decision and early action applications are typically due by November 15. So, if you plan to apply early, the October or November SAT or ACT will most likely be your last chance to take or re-take the test. Early applicants are usually notified by early December regarding admissions decisions. Also, be aware that early decision is binding and that can affect your financial aid and application options with other colleges. Most colleges' regular decision deadlines are January 1st. However, some of the more popular schools like schools in the University of California system have deadlines in November.
Be sure to
ask for recommendations
early in the semester
. Allow at least two weeks before your application deadlines to ask. Recommenders who are too busy they may decline to write your letter. Also, it is difficult to write a well thought out recommendation at the last minute.
Commit some time to your college essays.
Write multiple drafts, and if possible, allow your teachers and counselors to review your essays and offer advice. In most cases procrastination and last-minute revisions do not produce the best results.
Do not leave out vital personal details.
Do your part to help the admissions committee to understand you in as much context as possible. Applicants who leave out important personal information often lose out. Perhaps you don't have as an extensive extracurricular background as most of your peers but you had to spend several hours each day babysitting younger siblings, or you had to work many hours each week to help with the family finances. Those are important factors to include. Otherwise, the admissions committee would simply have to assume you had no interest in extracurricular activities. Explain questionable grades and circumstances; do not leave the admissions committee guessing about you.
Give credit where credit is due.
Be mindful of the number of times you use "I" in your essays. When possible give credit to teachers, mentors, and others who have helped you along the way; most students do not do well completely on their own. Consider what you can contribute to others and explain how you plan to do so. Be careful not to be critical about your high school teachers, administrators, and classmates. You don't want to convey a superior attitude, nor do you want to blame your school or others for your own shortcomings.
Convey your ambition and vision.
Allow yourself to dream big and imagine what you could achieve if you reached your full potential. College admissions personnel want to be convinced that you will do something great with your education.
Demonstrate your familiarity with school
. All schools want to admit students who genuinely know and like the school and might actually attend if admitted. Your application should include specific details about the school's academic programs and student activities that attract you to the school and how you would contribute to the school community. Think about how your presence on the campus adds to the environment.
Avoid adding distracting information about yourself.
Every human has personality flaws, your college application is not the place to highlight your flaws. Your application is a place to illuminate your best self. Be very careful about revealing your neuroses, fears, failures, regrets, especially if those disclosures aren't balanced by highlighting your positives, personal growth or lessons learned from overcoming difficult experiences.
Include a complete activities list.
Your extracurricular activities are just as important as your grade point average and test scores. Extracurricular activities help to separate qualified applicants from highly desirable ones. Be sure to indicate the years of participation, calculate the number of hours per week, and weeks per year and your role in each activity, especially if you were a leader (club president, team captain, secretary, etc.). Don't omit activities that are important to you because you think the admissions committee doesn't care about your hobby. Also, if the school requests an activities list do not submit a resumé in lieu of the list.
Follow all grammar and punctuation rules!
Don't give the reader any reason to put your application in the reject pile. Poor grammar and punctuation will get your application into the rejection pile faster than anything. No one will expect you to be perfect, but review your application for glaring errors in grammar, word choice, and punctuation. Have a few other trusted people review your application as well.
There's a lot to consider when applying to college. It's not just about where you apply, but also the content and substance of your application. All sections of your application matter. Each part needs to be thoroughly reviewed and edited many times. Most admissions officers read more than a thousand student files during an application season and they are skilled in identifying students who put a significant amount of care and effort into their application. Avoid the common mistakes and you'll be in the best position to gain admission to your top-choice college!
Dainah l. Graham
,
M.S., M.Ed.
College and Career Counselor, Bobcat Scholar Academy
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NJROTC HAPPENINGS
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On 7 Sep 2019 the NJROTC Marksmanship Team competed at the Old Pueblo JROTC Marksmanship Competition held at Flowing Wells High School. Arizona JROTC schools from from all services competed. Cadet Trinity Condosta placed 5th and Cadet Dylan Hadley placed 10th out of 62 participants
The NJROTC Color Guard opened the school year supporting various events, including the Vail School District All Staff Welcome Back event, our the first Cienega Spirit Assembly and the start of football season at both Cienega and Empire High School.
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CHARACTER TRAIT
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Willing to offer time, energy, efforts, emotions, words, or assets without the expectation of something in return.
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VOLUNTEER & CatFRAT
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~ Happy Fall Bobcats Nation ~
Thank you parents and community/alumni members for volunteering and
for your kind and generous support and AMAZINGLY delicious donations for our staff appreciation luncheon! You continue to bless our staff in so many ways! Wow, thank you and bless you!
~ CatFRAT 2019-2020 Membership Drive ~
Thank you to our new 2019-20 family, community and staff members! With your kind and generous donations, you help CatFRAT support our teachers, their classrooms and departments with grant requests, as well as teacher and staff appreciation lunches and gifts, thank YOU!
It's not too late to join CatFRAT, sign-up today! We want YOU! Forms and flyers are attached for easy access. Thank you for your consideration and support!
Please stop by our CatFRAT Popcorn ������ Booth on Friday nights, say hello, purchase a popcorn, water, Bobcat Fan $2, CHS Mug $12, (includes 1 free popcorn), or a 2020 ENTERTAINMENT BOOK $25.
Thank you to our outgoing CatFRAT Board members, Shanne Youngblood, Treasurer and Lisa Aultman, Secretary, for their dedication and hard work to Cienega students, staff and CatFRAT!
Welcome to our newest and returning CatFRAT Board members:
Kiki Ngo, new Treasurer
DaMaris Voyles, new Secretary
Michelle White, outgoing President and new Vice President
Kathy Thitchener, our outgoing VP and new President
Thank you Mr. Kelly Hadden for your amazing leadership of CatFRAT!
Welcome all and thank you for the gift of your time!
~ Future Bobcat Volunteer Opportunities ~
December 18th
Holiday Soup & Chili Luncheon
Volunteers wanted and donations needed of soups/chili's,
drinks, desserts, etc...
(Sign-up links coming in November).
January 29, 2020
College & Career Fair Day
7:30am - 1:30pm
CHS Aux Gym
Amy Burton
Volunteer Coordinator
CatFRAT Liaison
(520)-879-2811
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Thank you parents and
community
for your support. We truly appreciate your involvement!
Cienega High School
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CHS Online Store
Spirit Wear & More!
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Cienega High School
ANNUAL NOTICE
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