Golden Bear News: Sept 11, 2026

Our Mission: Challenge and support every student, every step of the way.

• STAR Enterprise Reading & Math Assessment Window
  Monday, August 24 - Friday, September 25

• Altered Schedule for Fostering a Conversation
  Tuesday, September 15

  - Period 1 ~ 8:05-8:45

  - Period 2 ~ 8:50-9:30

  - Period 3 ~ 9:35-10:15

  - Period 4 ~ 10:20-11:00

  - Period 5 ~ 11:05-11:45

  - Period 6 ~ 11:50-12:30

  - Period 7 ~ 12:35-1:15

  - Period 8A ~ 1:20-2:10

  - Period 8B ~ 2:20-3:05

• Altered Schedule for Early Dismissal
  Wednesday, September 16
  - Period 1 ~ 8:05-8:40
  - Period 2 ~ 8:45-9:20
  - Period 3 ~ 9:25-10:00
  - Period 4 ~ 10:05-10:45
  - Period 5 ~ 10:50-11:30
  - Period 6 ~ 11:35-12:10
  - Period 7 ~ 12:15-12:50
  - Period 8 ~ 12:55-1:30

• Student Activity Fair
  Friday, September 18 | Periods 4 & 5
  Golden Bear Boulevard

• Senior Financial Aid Meeting
  Wednesday, September 23 | 7:00pm
  Performing Arts Center

• Make-up Picture Day
  Thursday, September 24 | 9:30am-3:30pm
  Note: Students can get their pictures taken during their lunch period, during Forum (after attendance and teacher's permission), and after school.

• Engaged Learner & Well-Being Survey
  Wednesday, September 30 | Gold Period
  

• Summer Community Service Requirement Due
  Wednesday, September 30

What does it mean to be a coffee bean? According to Wall Street Journal bestselling author Damon West, it's choosing to transform the world around you instead of letting difficult circumstances change who you are.

Join our student-led Fostering a Conversation committee this fall for an inspiring evening as Damon West shares his remarkable journey of redemption and resilience — and challenges each of us to become a positive influence in our schools, workplaces and communities.

Tuesday, September 15 | 6:30 p.m.
UAHS Performing Arts Center | 1625 Zollinger Road

The Fostering a Conversation series, led by UAHS students, connects our community across generations through a collaboration between the Upper Arlington Community Foundation, UA Schools, and the UA Education Foundation and Alumni Association.

Tickets — $25, or $10 for students/faculty or senior citizens (65+) — are available for purchase at fosteringaconversationua.com. A ll proceeds will support future Fostering a Conversation events.

UAHS will be administering the Profile of an Engaged Learner Survey on Wednesday, September 30 during Gold Period. If you would like more information about this survey or the link to opt your student out, please review the email our district office sent parents/caregivers on Thursday, September 3. The opt-out form will accept responses through Thursday, September 17.

On November 3, residents will vote on a combined operating levy and bond issue that would maintain the district’s current educational programming and fund the second phase of the facilities master plan, which calls for rebuilding Hastings Middle School and Burbank Early Childhood School as well as renovating and rebuilding Jones Middle School.

As residents consider Issue 7, we are providing opportunities to get a first-hand look inside each of these schools. All three buildings will be open on Wednesday, September 23 and Thursday October 8, with tours beginning at 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.

To learn more about the building tours or Issue 7, please click here.

Our PTO membership drive is in full swing, and we’d love your help reaching our goal! Your support helps provide programs, events, and resources that benefit our students and staff. Consider making a donation today! Click here to contribute.

Want to get involved with the PTO? We’d love to have you! Visit this link to learn more about volunteer opportunities.

Help us treat our teachers! Let’s shower our amazing teachers with some sweet and salty snacks as we head into September. Click here to donate snacks and help us show our appreciation!

Juniors and seniors who will be at least 17 years old by Election Day are eligible to work the polls on Tuesday, November 3, through Franklin County’s Youth at the Booth program. Students must be available to work the full day and attend required training. Participants will be paid, and a training session will be held at UAHS.

Interested students can find program details and application information on the Class of 2027 and Class of 2028 Canvas pages.

Students can also reach out to Mr. Soccorsi (rsoccorsi@uaschools.org) with any questions. The deadline to apply is October 2.

Windermere is looking for UAHS student volunteers to help with its annual Fall Family Festival on Friday, October 2, from 5:00–7:00 p.m. at Windermere Elementary School.

UAHS students have volunteered at this event in the past, and their help has been greatly appreciated! This is a great opportunity to support our younger Golden Bears while earning service hours.

Interested in volunteering? Sign up here: Volunteer Sign-Up

Join us for an EF Tour of Australia & New Zealand this June. Click here to find out all about it!

To help protect our students and staff from unnecessary illness, we ask parents/guardians to check how their student is feeling before sending them to school each day. This is especially important because we have students and staff at the high school who may be immunosuppressed or medically vulnerable. Keeping our school community healthy and safe is a priority.

Please do not send your student to school if they are ill and experiencing any of the following:

• Fever of 100.4°F or higher within the last 24 hours

• New or worsening cough

• Significant sore throat

• Significant nasal congestion or discharge

• Headache

• Body aches

• New or worsening fatigue

• Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea

• Other significant symptoms of a contagious illness

Students with a fever should be fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication before returning to school.

In addition, please notify the Health Office and/or Attendance Secretary of communicable illnesses such as influenza, COVID-19, chickenpox (varicella), pertussis (whooping cough), measles, strep throat, pink eye, or other contagious illnesses.

If you have any questions, please contact the UAHS Health Clinic at 614-487-5278 or email UAHShealthclinic@uaschools.org. We sincerely appreciate your help in making school a healthy experience for all of our students and staff.

Please check your MaiaLearning service dashboard to ensure you have a green check mark next to the Summer Service Hours 2026 goal.

NOTE: If you do not have a check mark next to the goal, then, according to MaiaLearning, your service-hour requirement has not been met. Please follow the steps below to correct anything that may be preventing Maia from counting your hours toward the service requirement.

1. You must push the "Send for Verification" button to email your supervisor.
2. Your supervisor's email must be correct (double-check spellings; fix any errors by clicking on the pencil icon in the top-right corner).
3. You must enter the correct dates for the experience to count for this summer: June 1–September 30, 2026.
4. The category for the experience must be Community Service (not Extra-curricular, for example).
5. Your supervisor must receive the verification email. Ask them to check their spam folder (an email template is available here.

If you have not yet logged and verified your 6 required hours, you have until September 30, 2026, to do so. If you still need service opportunities, see the upcoming events below or this doc for more opportunities.

• DSACO High School Social Group: Tuesday, September 15, 2026 (1.5–2 hours). Sign up HERE.

• DSACO Buddy Walk Volunteering (T-Shirt Pick-up): Saturday, September 19, 2026. Sign up HERE.

• Barrington PTO’s Clown Around: Friday, September 25, 2026, 2:45–5:00 PM (2+ hours earned). Sign up HERE.

• A Kid Again: Various upcoming events (2+ hours earned). Sign up HERE.

Jostens, our official graduation supplier, will be on the UAHS campus on Friday, September 4th during lunches on the south end of Golden Bear Boulevard to display products and answer questions about online ordering options for cap & gowns and graduation packages.

Jostens is offering a special 10-day group ordering period for all UAHS seniors. The group order deadline is Monday, September 14th. While online ordering will remain available after this date, placing your order by the deadline ensures access to the best discounts and delivery experience.

Link to online ordering: Upper Arlington High School UPPER ARLINGTON, OH - Graduation | Jostens

If you have any questions regarding Jostens orders, please call 1-800-JOSTENS (567-8367).

The Student Life Department is excited to launch a new monthly newsletter! Check out the first edition below for updates, announcements, and information from Student Life.

Student Life Newsletter - August 2026

Attendance is a critical component to learning. Students need to show up in order to take full advantage of the education programs we offer. Student and parents/guardians will be notified of the unexcused absences. Consequences (detention) may be assigned for each unexcused absence. Be sure to check your attendance each day to ensure it is accurate.

Please submit your medical notes to uahsattendance@uaschools.org. In order for attendance hours to not accumulate towards habitual absence triggers, medical documentation is needed.

Parents/guardians may find additional information, including new attendance requirements in effect beginning the 2026-27 school year on our website.

In addition to School Counselor classroom visits throughout the year, students and families have 24/7 access to College and Career information through MaiaLearning which can be accessed through ClassLink or maialearning.com.

Maia Learning is a platform that equips students with comprehensive career readiness tools and resources.

• Students can explore various career paths, develop essential skills, and make informed decisions about their future.
• Explore career readiness by discovering one's passions, strengths, and skills through assessments. These assessments help individuals gain insights into their interests, aptitudes, and abilities, enabling them to identify potential career paths that align with their unique attributes.
• Identify potential career paths and research those careers thoroughly. This includes gaining an overview of the field, exploring programs and majors, understanding demand and compensation, and identifying companies hiring, training required or colleges to attend.
• Individuals can create a list of potential careers that align with their interests and goals.
• Students can create a plan outlining the necessary steps to enter their potential careers.

Maia career resources can help students to unlock their future by providing personalized resources for education and career planning. These include pathway options in various industries, trades and military as well as careers leading to opportunities into programs such as the Peace Corps. Please login to check it out, and see your School Counselor or visit the College & Career Center with any questions.

Announcements for the current week are available on the high school website.

The website for school portraits, club photos, senior class photo

Contact familytechhelp@uaschools.org for tech support questions or situations

Click HERE to see previous issues of UAHS Golden Bear News.