University School Weekly Update

All Current students/families in grades K-11 MUST complete the re-enrollment form (click button below) prior to 8:00 AM on Monday, March 2nd. By doing so, you can indicate if you intend to re-enroll for next school year. If we do not hear from you, you will be at risk of losing your spot. If an extension or waiver is needed for the materials fee, please reach out to any of the admin for assistance.

We’re excited to celebrate Read Across America with a special week of themed dress‑up days! This year, our school-wide theme is GOLD in Reading, reminding students that every book holds something valuable to discover.

Throughout the week, we’ll encourage students to explore new stories, share favorite books, and enjoy fun dress‑up activities that highlight the joy of reading. Thank you for supporting a love of literacy at home and helping your child join in the celebration!

Family Engagement Night at the Scoop on Monday, March 2nd 4:00-8:00 PM.

Thank you to everyone who submitted an entry for our t-shirt design contest! There were so many creative designs - it was hard to choose just one. Congratulations to Emmie Dugger and Madison Elliott for submitting the winning design! Their "Fear the BUCS" design will be printed on shirts that will soon be available for purchase in the front office. Congratulations!

Hey K-8 Parents!

We are gearing up for our annual Spring Auction, and we need your help. Every year some of our most anticipated and hotly contested items are our classroom baskets. We're super excited about the themes this year, but we need your help to make them amazing!

Each grade has a unique theme, and we're asking every parent to contribute one item to their child's basket. You can donate any item you wish within the theme, or to make it even easier, our awesome volunteers have created Amazon wish lists for each basket. We are still in need of donations for our classroom baskets so if you haven’t already done so, please donate today!

Check them out:

K Squishmallow Basket:

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/JVL6PH14QW7K?ref_=wl_share

1st Grade Gardening Basket:

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1409IEIMPIXGI?ref_=list_d_wl_lfu_nav_3

2nd Grade Maker Space Basket:

2nd Grade Maker Space Basket

3rd Grade Mario Galaxy Basket:

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/EPQQEZYW8RU4?ref_=wl_share

4th Grade Ice Cream Basket:

4th Grade Ice Cream Basket Link

5th Grade Shop Local Basket:

See flyer and pick up items from your favorite local businesses!

5th Grade Lego Basket:

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2CTCTN4HYHBCD?ref_=wl_share

6th Grade Fire Pit Basket:

6th Grade Fire Pit Basket

6th Grade Exercise Basket:

6th Grade Exercise Basket

7th Grade Teen Spa Basket:

7th Grade Spa Basket Link

7th Grade Middle School Drip Basket:

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3T4R2L8ERQFX?ref_=wl_share

8th Grade Family Movie Night Basket:

8th Grade Family Movie Night Basket

8th Grade Mom Spa Day Basket:

8th Grade Mom's Spa Day Basket

Flyers for each basket are also included.

Your contributions will help make these baskets a hit and support our school community. Let's make this auction unforgettable!

Thanks for your generosity and participation!

University School students will complete 3rd quarter benchmark assessments beginning on Thursday, February 28th. Teachers will use data from these comprehensive assessments to measure student readiness for TCAPs and EOCs. Detailed student score reports will be sent home as soon as they are available.

Below are the scheduled testing dates for each grade level:
- Grades 3 & 4 - February 26-March 3
- Grade 5-6 - February 26 & 27
- Grades 7-8 and HS - March 2-5

Please review the Spring State Testing Schedule for our school below; we ask that you please avoid scheduling any conflicting appointments on the day your child(rent) are scheduled to test.

PICKIN' in the SCHOOL-YARD (APRIL 11th, 10a-2p), our annual JAM fundraiser, is right around the corner when we return from break!!! Come out and be a part of celebrating traditional arts in our school and community (rain or shine)!

Please sign up now to help in some way https://signup.com/go/kyTQHMR and if you are interested in being a vendor (parent/student/community), please sign up here no later than 3/27 https://forms.gle/6axm4u1yzTW4piEUA

This year we have some exciting new opportunities for our JAM students to collaborate with the ETSU String Band Summit through ETSU Bluegrass, Old-time and Roots Music Studies Program, which will involve opportunities at Pickin', on campus, and other community venues throughout the 3 day event. For more information on the Summit, please go here https://www.etsu.edu/cas/das/bluegrass/string-band-summit/sbs_2026.php

Schedule will be announced when return from break.

For questions or more information, please contact Kim Greenland at allisonk@etsu.edu

Congratulations to Tommie, Lidia, Lynn Marie, Hailey, Chloe, and Jack on being selected to participate in this year's Upper Area Junior Clinic - Way to Go Bucs!

Our last Olympiad contest will be on Wednesday, March 4. Please encourage your student to attend on this day to try to increase both our team score and individual scores. Our students have done well on the Olympiad contests this year. Math Olympiad will compile international scores during March. I will schedule a celebration meeting one Wednesday morning near the end of school when the scores are released.

In Counseling Related Arts this March, we will focus on Courage — please select your child's grade level PDF below to learn more about what will be covered during their grade level sessions.

Congratulations to Maddy O-Donnell and Autumn Sims on their recent selection and participation in this year's All-State Senior Band and Orchestra Senior Clinic.

This year we had four students selected to participate in the ETSU HS Honor Band.

Way to go, Eliza, Lydia, Mila, and Maddy!

Applied STEM foundation is a 3-week experiential program that covers various academic majors such as computing, digital media, engineering, and biology. The program is mainly for high school students interested in a STEM major but mature 8th graders are encouraged to attend. The program emphasizes exposure to technological concepts, idea development, and skills that support success within a STEM major using an experiential model. Students will also work with ROTC and complete fun challenges. The opportunity to earn college credit and scholarships may be available. Summer 2026 will have two tracks that students can select from.

• Track 1 -covers, Computing, Digital Media, Engineering, and other STEM concepts.

• Track 2 - covers Biology, Dental Hygiene, Radiologic Science, Environmental Health and Technology

Enrollment is now open.

Enrollment Link: https://www.etsu.edu/coe/summer-camp/applied-stem/

Cost: $75 which includes lunch

Dates: June 1-19 8:30 am – 3:30pm.

All 11th grade students will participate in the Junior ACT on Tuesday, March 31st. This test is a mandatory Tennessee graduation requirement. Prior to testing, all students must create a MyACT account and enter their unique ACT Student Code. If students do not complete the steps in the email sent to their univschool accounts, they will be unable to access scores or send their 4 free score reports to score recipients. Colleges require official score reports. The only way to access scores or send an official score report is through MyACT.org.

ACT student codes and instructions have been emailed to all students. Check your univschool account for an email from Dr. Campbell. Stop by Room 111 if you did not receive an email or need help.

You are encouraged to complete these steps prior to Spring Break in case you run into difficulty.

All students are required to test on a school issued Chromebook. See Mr. Moore if you need tech help.

Juniors: Please sign up for a slot to register for your Senior Year courses and to begin your college planning journey using SCOIR at this link: https://signup.com/go/jSpMKqF.

Every junior must meet with me individually in order to get the registration link. Parents are welcome to attend the meeting, but it is not required. Please be sure that you make note of your meeting slot and do your best to show up because we are very pushed for time after all the snow days. There are 84 available slots for 82 students and they will go quickly.

All juniors received an invitation to create your SCOIR account about two weeks ago. Please find the invitation in your school email, and create your account using your univschool email address. There will be a spot to add a different email address later in the process. Using your univschool email keeps it connected to my account. At least one of your parents/guardians also received a link in order to connect to your account as well.

Please come prepared with one or two college choices that you may be interested in for the future. Additional registration information will be posted in CANVAS in the next few days.

Rising 11th and 12th Graders: Rising 12th graders who have already met with Dr. Shaw need to complete their google registration by Monday 3/2. Students who have individual appointments will be given the link during their scheduled appointment. Any rising 12th grader who has not met with Dr. Shaw or have a scheduled appointment will have a make-up registration session Wednesday 3/6 at 8:30 am in Room 217. However, the group meeting will not be very detailed. It will primarily focus on University School registration.

All High School Grade Levels: Dr. Shaw will not be able to meet with everyone requesting individual appointments. Please try to have your questions ready for the times posted above. You may also send an email with your questions. Most of them can be answered more quickly that way. Remember, that even though these assignments will close on a specific date, you can still request to make changes by emailing Dr. Shaw or Dr. Day. Only Juniors will have scheduled one-on-one meetings in Q3.

The Noland Family cordially invites you to the ETSU Egg Hunt on Saturday, March 28 from 1:00-3:00 pm at the University Commons for an afternoon of fun-filled activities. The event will feature music, crafts, photo opportunities, and plenty of surprises! The Egg Hunt will take place later in the event, with designated egg hunt areas for children ages 0-4, 5-8, and 9+.

Please register by Wednesday, March 18 at this link: 2026 ETSU Egg Hunt – Fill out form

We hope you can join us for an afternoon of fun!

GattonRx Summer Camp
The annual GattonRx Summer Camp will be held June 1-5. The overnight camp is open to high school juniors and seniors interested in learning more about the pharmacy profession. The event will include lots of hands-on activities; opportunities to learn directly from students, faculty and practicing pharmacists about the profession; campus tours; and fun with peers.

An online application for the camp is required. If accepted, the residential camp fee is $400 for a double-occupancy room and $500 for a single-occupancy room. Financial assistance is available to those who qualify.

Register at etsu.edu/pharmacycamp.

If you would like additional information, please contact Destiny McRee.
(423) 439-5925
mcreed@etsu.edu

The United States Military Academy at West Point is excited to offer your rising seniors (current juniors) the Summer Leaders Experience (SLE)—a rigorous five-day, overnight immersion led entirely by current West Point cadets.

SLE offers an authentic look at cadet life and challenges students academically, militarily, physically, and socially. Participants will experience:

Hands-on academic workshops:

• Choose from 17 sessions taught by West Point faculty.
• Physical and military training: Army PT workouts, obstacle courses (indoor and outdoor), the Candidate Fitness Assessment (CFA), and more.
• Leadership and character development: Team-building exercises, the Leader Reaction Course, ethics discussions, and cadet-led activities.

Students can choose between three SLE sessions:

• Session 1: May 30 – June 3

• Session 2: June 5 – June 9

• Session 3: June 11 – June 1

West Point provides scholarships to cover the $495 SLE fee and travel expenses for students with documented financial need.

Any junior interested in this opportunity should contact Destiny McRee as soon as possible.
(423) 439-5925
mcreed@etsu.edu

Dr. Rachel Miller-Slough, a licensed child psychologist from the ETSU Psychology Department is offering a free parenting program for parents (see information below):

• We are providing a free virtual 1-session parent education group (Tuning into Teens) for parents of teenagers, focused on ways to support teen emotional/mental health and improve parent-child relationships.

• The group will focus on skills to support youth emotional well-being, reduce family conflict, build effective parent-child communication, and support parent emotion regulation. We offer this as part of a research study focused on ways to improve access to behavioral healthcare in our region, and how to adjust these programs to better meet the needs of local families.

• Attached is a recruitment flyer that describes the program in more detail, with a QR code for families to sign up for the program.

READing Paws is held Monday, March 2 from 4 p.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday, March 21 from 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Ages 5-10 register for a private 15-minute time slot to read to a trained listening dog in the Library's Storytime Room. Registration is required at jcpl.org/events.

Read Across America: Elephant & Piggie Show will be held Thursday, March 5 at 4 p.m. and Friday, March 6 at 10:30 a.m. in the Library's Jones Meeting Center. Children's Library staff will perform skits based on Mo Willems' Elephant & Piggie stories for preschool and school age children and their caregivers. No registration but space is limited.

Teen Advisory Board (TAB) is open to anyone ages 12-18 who is interested in helping make the Teen Space a safe and exciting place for teens. TAB will meet on Wednesday, March 11th at 6:30 p.m. to share ideas for the Teen Space, collection, programming, and vision for the future. No registration.

Art Explorers meets Friday, March 13 at 4 p.m. in the Library's Jones Meeting Center. Ages 8-12 explore the work of a famous artist at each session, sparking discovery of art history and creativity. Kids will create their own art piece in the featured style. Registration is required at jcpl.org/events.

Building with the Lions is held Saturday, March 14 from 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Kids of all ages and families can drop by the Library's Jones Meeting Center to build with LEGO blocks and other construction materials. The Lions Club sponsors this event, and will provide ages 12 and under with free vision screenings, blood pressure and sugar checks, prizes for the best LEGO build, and a photo op with the Lion mascot. No registration.

Family Game Night meets Monday, March 16 from 6-7:30 p.m. in the Children’s Library. Bring your family to play board and video games provided by the library. You can try out the Library’s new infinity Game Table, a giant touch-screen packed with classics like Clue, Operation, and Candy Land. No registration.

Graphic Novel Club meets Monday, March 23 at 6 p.m. in the Library's Jones Meeting Center. Ages 8-12 hear about specific graphic novels and learn about the literary format. Registration is required at jcpl.org/events.

Pokémon Trading Card Day is held Saturday, March 28 from 2-3 p.m. in the Jones Meeting Center. Kids of all ages bring Pokémon or other types of cards to trade. No registration.

Healthy Habits, Healthy Families: Recipe Planning with WIC Nutrition will be held on Monday, March 30 at 6 p.m. in the Library’s Jones Meeting Center. Parents and caregivers can join a nutrition program highlighting simple, healthy recipes using WIC-eligible ingredients. This one-hour class will also include grocery shopping tips to help participants make confident, healthy choices both in the kitchen and at the store. Registration is required at jcpl.org/events.

Visit jcpl.org/events to find more upcoming events.

March

2-6: Read Across America Week

2: GOTR/ Heart and Soul Practice

2: Tennis @ Science Hill @ 4:00 PM

2: HS Baseball @ Science Hill @ 5:00 PM

2: MS Softball VS. Boones Creek (HOME @ 5:00 PM - Winged Deer Park)

3: HS Softball VS. Avery Co. (HOME @ 5:00 PM - Winged Deer Park)

3: MS Boys Soccer @ Ridgeview @ 5:30 PM

4: Math Help Club @ 3:15 PM

4: Chess Club @ 3:30 PM

5: GOTR/ Heart and Soul Practice

5: Track @ Dobyns-Bennett @ 4:00 PM

5: Tennis VS. West Ridge (HOME, CPA Courts @ 4:00 PM)

5: MS Softball VS. Sulphur Springs (HOME @ 5:00 PM - Winged Deer Park)

5: HS Baseball @ Mo West VS Grainger @ 5:30 PM

5: MS Boys Soccer VS. Unicoi Co. (HOME @ 5:30 PM - Ellis Athletic Fields at Winged Deer Park)

5: HS Boys Soccer @ Gatlinburg Pittman @ 6:30 PM

6: HS Softball @ Mitchell NC @ 5:00 PM

6: HS Baseball @ Morristown West @ 5:30 PM

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