University School Weekly Update

University School will be undergoing our Cognia accreditation five year review in January 2026. Accreditation is important to our work as a model laboratory school and as a part of our continuous school improvement. The accreditation process involves all stakeholders in the school—students, parents/guardians, faculty, and staff. Parents and guardians are asked to complete the family survey linked below by July 31st.

We are also asking permission for students in Grades 3-12 to complete a voluntary survey during this time frame. This survey is designed to be anonymous, and your child will not be asked to provide their name or any identifying information except their grade level. The survey will take about 15-20 minutes to complete. Please complete the Google Form linked below indicating whether or not you would like your child to participate in the survey. All responses must be received by Monday, July 21st. Student surveys may be previewed using the links below.

Family Survey - https://eprovesurveys.advanc-ed.org/surveys/#/action/285193/9516

Parent Consent for Student Participation Google Form - https://tinyurl.com/4up37w2r

Survey Preview Grades 3-5 - https://eprovesurveys.advanc-ed.org/surveys/#/preview/285185/9516

Survey Preview Grades 6-12 - https://eprovesurveys.advanc-ed.org/surveys/#/preview/285191/9516

Important Notice: There is a new state law requirement regarding cellular devices (phones, smart watches, wireless earbuds/headphones). As a result, our new policy is that all cellular devices be off and stored during the entire school day for grades K-8 and during instructional time for grades 9-12. Full details of the policy can be found on page 60 in student handbook attached above.

We’re excited to kick off planning for the upcoming school year and invite you to join us for a Zoom meeting to discuss key activities and events for the Class of 2026.

This is a great opportunity to connect, share ideas, and explore how we can make this a memorable and successful senior year for our students. We’ll talk through upcoming events, fundraising initiatives, and ways for parents to get involved.

Topic: Senior Class Parent Meeting
Time: Jul 14, 2025 06:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://etsu.zoom.us/j/84549756862?pwd=Aa19QSVNmdzdtly9vLT3VgQJhEs5uQ.1

Meeting ID: 845 4975 6862
Passcode: GoBucs
We look forward to hearing from you and working together to support our seniors. If you have any questions ahead of time, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
--
Warm regards,

Christine Hutchinson
University School Senior Class of 2026 Parent Committee
hutchinson.christine@gmail.com

All High School Students, including those dual-enrolled, need to plan on attending the high school class meetings scheduled during 4th Period on Tuesday, July 15th. The meetings will begin at 11:10 AM; please review the modified schedule and meeting space locations listed below.

I want to commend the parents/grandparents that have been dropping off and picking up their kids with understanding the new process. I have two requests:

1. During drop off and pick up please remind them to pull all the way up in the car line

2. In the mornings please do not drop off from the left side of the road, it causes traffic to back up and it is dangerous for kids getting out of the car into traffic.

Please follow the NEW traffic pattern and procedures below for the Grades K-4 drop-off and pick-up. Car tags will be the same for returning students and all new student tags will be issued through the youngest sibling by their classroom teacher.

Arrival: If eating breakfast, students may be dropped off at 7:30 a.m. and report directly to the cafeteria. Any student not eating breakfast, may be dropped off at 7:50 and report directly to their classroom.

Departure: Dismissal begins at 3:00 p.m. and all students must be picked up by no later than 3:15 p.m., except for half-days which have an 11:30 a.m. dismissal time.

Important Reminders:

• Any elementary student riding with an older student or who is being dismissed as a walker must meet their sibling or parent near the end of the ramp next to the school. Upon arrival, the parent or older sibling needs to notify the staff member on duty to call for their sibling or child.
• Please do not exit your car if you are in the car rider line at any point in the AM or PM. If you are needing to walk your child in to the building, all guardians or individuals permitted to pick up your child must enter through the main entrance at the front of the building and check-in to the school office. For safety reasons, anyone entering the building must check-in with the main office with a government issued ID, which will be scanned for a visitor's pass that must be visible at all times.

Please follow the traffic pattern and procedures below for the Grades 5-12 drop-off and pick-up. We will be issuing car tags for grades K-8, please be sure to request one if you will be picking up your child(ren) in either of the pick-up lines this year.

Arrival: If eating breakfast, students may be dropped off at 7:30 a.m. and report directly to the cafeteria. Any student not eating breakfast, may be dropped off at 7:50 and report directly to their classroom.

Departure: Dismissal begins at 3:00 p.m. and all students must be picked up by no later than 3:15 p.m., except for half-days which have an 11:30 a.m. dismissal time.

HS Student Parking: All student drivers must acquire a student parking permit (see Officer Steele) and park in designated student parking for University School listed on the map below.

Important Reminders:

• *New Procedure* Car Rider Tags for Grades K-8: Car rider tags will be issued this year for all students in grades K-8. Families in grades 1-5 who had a tag issued last year may continue to use the same tag and any new families in grades K - 5 along with all of our 6-8 students who don't have a younger sibling will be issued a new tag.
  
• Please do not exit your car if you are in the car rider line at any point in the AM or PM. If you are needing to walk your child in to the building, all guardians or individuals permitted to pick up your child must enter through the main entrance at the front of the building and check-in to the school office. For safety reasons, anyone entering the building must check-in with the main office with a government issued ID, which will be scanned for a visitor's pass that must be visible at all times.

Welcome back to school! The Foundation is gearing up for another great year of supporting our teachers, students and families. Do you want to be part of it or have ideas? We have some open positions on the Foundation board and committees and would love your help! If you have an interest, please reach out to Kathryn Comerford at usfoundation.president@gmail.com.

If you would like to help your student's teacher start the new school year off right, please check out these wish lists on Amazon and send them something for their classroom!

Ms. Leah Darnell (Grades 7/8 ELA):

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/15NYYJN8GHN0N?ref_=wl_share

Ms. Erin Doran (Grade 2)

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/38UNRLBLAS55J?ref_=wl_share

Ms. Kristin Colson (K-8 Art & HS Yearbook/AP Art History)

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/36KR3BLCP2395?ref_=wl_share

Dr. Holley Ziglar (K-12 Intervention Teacher)

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/13H2NJTIRODJP?ref_=wl_share

Ms. India Barrett (K-8 Counseling & HS Cheer)

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/GW6ATYRDQPHN?ref_=wl_share

Ms. Lindsay Lester (K-12 Library Media Specialist)

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/K1WKCHG2K9KH/ref=cm_go_nav_hz

Tryouts/Practices Coming Up:

• HS Cheer – Currently underway; late fall/winter season (For more information contact: India Barrett (barretti@etsu.edu)
• MS Cheer – Currently underway; late fall/winter season (For more information contact: Taelyn Henderson (hendersontk@etsu.edu)
• HS Cross Country – July 15, ETSU Mini-Dome stands, 3:30pm; late summer/fall season (For more information contact: Dan Lawson (lwsndn@comcast.net)
• HS and MS Dance (boys & girls) – July 17, 3:15-5pm, school gym; late fall/winter season (For more information contact: Taelyn Henderson (hendersontk@etsu.edu)
• MS Baseball (boys) – July 22, Broyles Field (near Science Hill/Freedom Hall), 3:30-5:30pm; spring season (For more information contact: Taylor Stevenson (tpsteven11@gmail.com)

• MS Girls Soccer – July 28, 3:30pm, ETSU CPA; late summer/fall season (For more information contact: Carlos Campos (carloscampos62@yahoo.com)

• HS Girls Soccer – July 28, Winged Deer Ellis Field E (turf fields), 6-8pm; late summer/fall season (For more information contact: Morgan Richards (morgan.richards@coxautoinc.com)

• HS Softball (girls) – July 28-30, Seminole Turf Field (ETSU Intramural Turf Field), 3:30-5:30pm; spring season (For more information contact: Johnny Bolton, boltonj@etsu.edu)
• HS Golf – July 29 & 31, Pine Oaks GC, 3:30-5:30pm; late summer/fall season (For more information contact: Justin Penley, penleyj@etsu.edu)
• MS Boys Basketball – July 31 & Aug 1, School Gym, 3:30-5:30pm; late fall/winter season (For more information contact: Jeremy Gouge - gougeja@etsu.edu)

• MS Cross Country (boys & girls) – first date: August 5, 5:30-6:30pm, meet at Pavilion on far end of ETSU campus near ropes course. Practices Tuesdays & Thursdays. (For more information contact: David Smith, smithdm8@etsu.edu, or Leslie Smith, leslieburrell@gmail.com)

Later in the school year, we will also offer:

• HS Baseball (boys)
• HS Basketball (boys)
• HS & MS Basketball (girls)
• HS & MS Softball (girls)
• HS Track (boys & girls)
• HS Soccer (boys)
• HS Tennis (boys & girls)
• MS Soccer (boys)
• Additionally, we offer “co-ops” in:
• MS – wrestling (Jonesborough MS), golf (Unicoi County MS), football (Daniel Boone Middle); volleyball (Lamar).
• HS – Wrestling (Crockett), football (Daniel Boone), volleyball (Crockett)
• In co-ops, our students can play on other school’s teams. Parents are responsible for getting their students(s) to all practices and games. E-mail Coach Penley (penleyj@etsu.edu) for more information

Please note that BEFORE trying out, all athletes must have:

- an updated physical signed by a medical professional (AFTER April 15, 2025)

- current SCA document for the 2025-26 school year

- current concussion document for the 2025-26 school year.

Blank physical/SCA/concussion forms can be found on our website (https://www.etsu.edu/uschool/athletics/default.php). Once completed, the documents should be uploaded by parents to Final Forms.

• For returning students: parents/guardians, please log into your FinalForms account and complete the 2025-26 school forms for your child/children. This is mandatory for all students. Please log into your FinalForms (https://washingtoncounty-tn.finalforms.com/students) account and complete the forms at your convenience

• For new students: parents/guardians, please create an account in FinalForms and register your children if you have not done so already. See included directions (ETSU Parent Playbook) to create your account.

Seniors! If you have not done so already, please schedule a time for senior portraits ASAP!
Senior pictures are this Friday, July 18th on the second floor of the CPA.

Please note the http://schedule.prestigeportraits.com/ website has switched student first and last names, so as you search for the names on the site try reversing them to locate your information.

Our school's Class of 2026 Prestige Photography sessions are coming up on 07/18/2025 on the second floor of ETSU CPA (location has been recently moved)!

Is your Senior confirmed for their upcoming session?

Rising seniors! Be sure to confirm your appointment for senior pictures (July 18th).
If you pay the sitting fee online, use promo code, NKJ8 to get $5 off!

All seniors are required to get at least the free yearbook photo on this day, so if you have not scheduled a session time, please head to schedule.prestigeportraits.com to confirm or reschedule.

Tips & ideas to get prepared for your session with Prestige!

The University School Cafeteria is ran by the Washington County Schools Nutrition Department. You may access their homepage by clicking on the link above to register to place funds in your child's account or to access important contact information, special diet request information, and Free & Reduced Lunch Applications.

* NEW * Meal prices for the 2025-2026 school year will be as follows:

• Breakfast: K-8 ($2.25), High School ($2.50), Reduced Price (all grades) $0.30, Adult ($3.00)
• Lunch: K-8 ($3.25), High School ($3.50), Reduced Price (all grades) $0.40, Adult ($5.00)

Families can access the online application portal through our district website. We highly encourage all families to apply as early as possible to prevent delays or unexpected charges. Applications submitted online are processed quickly, and eligibility can begin as soon as the next school day. Washington County Schools does offer the traditional School Nutrition Program (SNP). Under SNP, students will only receive free or reduced-price meals if their household qualifies based on income.

What Families Need to Know: Meal Applications Are Required: If you are applying for free or reduced meals, you must submit a meal application to determine eligibility for free or reduced meals.

Online Applications: We are transitioning to an online application system, which will open mid-July after the annual system rollover.

Quick Processing: Online applications are processed immediately, and eligible students will begin receiving benefits the next school day—helping to avoid unnecessary meal charges. Paper applications will no longer be available so please stop by the school office if you need assistance on accessing the website or scan the QR code posted near the car rider line to access the online portal.

30-Day Grace Period: Since all students received free meals last year under the CEP program, all students will receive a temporary grace period of free meals for the first 30 school days of the 2026 school year. However, families must submit a new meal application before the grace period ends to determine eligibility and avoid any interruption in benefits or potential meal charges.

After-school care will be provided by University School for the 2025-2026 school year. The program is open to students in Kindergarten through 8th grade and will operate daily from 3:15 - 5:30 PM in our school building on full school days. All school rules will still be in place during after-school.

In the event that school closes early or is not in session, after school care will not be offered.
After school care will not be open on half days. In the event that the school dismisses using a
controlled release due to a threat in the area, after school care will be cancelled unless otherwise
announced.

The daily cost of the program is $15 per day, with a $60 maximum charge per week, for students who use the program. Payment is only expected for the days your child attends after school care.

Payments should be made to University School.

The site for online payments can be accessed here:

University School Online Payments

Registration for after-school will be submitted online using the following link:

2025-2026 University School After School Registration

Any HS student driving and who plans to park on campus must have an ETSU parking pass, which may be purchased from the ETSU Parking Office. Be sure to do this BEFORE parking on campus. Cars that do not have the proper passes or who do not follow ETSU's parking guidelines will be ticketed.

Student attendance during all scheduled school days is critical for student academic growth. Therefore, we ask that you please plan to make any appointments and vacations during the breaks or during teacher in-service/professional development days to avoid any unnecessary absences. When reporting absences, please contact the school office (423-439-4271) or send in a note. Notes for medical appointments will be excused and do not count toward parental discretion notes.

When submitting parental discretion day notes, please be mindful that you may only request five parental days to be excused as an absence. Any absence beyond those five discretionary days will be marked as unexcused unless a doctor's note is submitted for the absence or prior approval was granted by school administration.

2025-2026 HEALTH PLANS:

Any student with a previous or new health plan including any needed medication is required to renew their health plan with their PCP every year and submit to the school nurse. Please contact the school nurse, Mrs. Beverly Pritchard at pritchardb@etsu.edu or 423-439-5921, to discuss your child's diagnosis and treatments or to request the required documents for school.

2025-26 IMMUNIZATIONS:

This is a reminder that a Tdap vaccination will need to be submitted on the Tennessee Immunization Certificate for your 7th Grader prior to the first day of the 2025-26 school year.

All 7th Graders are required to have a Tdap and two doses of Varicella vaccine documented on the Tennessee Immunization Certificate prior to the first day of school.

Any student who is not in compliance with the State of Tennessee immunization requirements will be excluded from school until these requirements are satisfied. Those without up-to-date immunizations will be excluded from school until submission of:

1. The official Tennessee Immunization Certificate with completed vaccinations, or
2. A scheduled vaccination appointment document, or
3. A valid temporary immunization certificate, or
4. A valid exemption documented on the Tennessee Immunization Certificate.

July

14 - First Full Day for Kindergarten - Dismissal at 3:00 PM

15 - HS Class Meetings (all 9-12 students are required to attend)

18 - Senior Class Pictures

August

1 - Senior Retreat to Roan Mountain

20 - Dismissal @ 1:00 PM for all students

Please note the following changes to our schedule this fall:

• August 20th - Early Dismissal Day for all students; students will be dismissed at 1:00PM on this day due to a University Meeting for the College of Education and Human Development that our faculty will need to attend.

Email: partinbk@etsu.edu
Website: www.usbucs.com
Location: 68 Martha Culp Dr. Johnson City, TN, 37614
Phone: (423)439-4271
Facebook: facebook.com/uschool1911
Twitter: @USBucs