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SEPTEMBER 17, 2021- SEPTEMBER 31, 2021

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Good afternoon Titan Families,

As we get into the fall, senior students are beginning to start the college search and application process, if they haven’t already and our underclassmen and juniors are in search phase. The UCS College Central page has virtual college visit information, and will be updated with more college information as we get into the fall!

Quarantines continue to be required for any student that has not been a confirmed positive (PCR proof) within 90 days of contact or is not fully vaccinated. Those two groups are not required to quarantine unless they are symptomatic per the guidance of the Macomb County Health Department. The quarantine is 10 days from the day of contact. That day is not day 1, but day 0 in this number and they return on day 11 after a full 10 days of quarantine. Recent changes allow for a reduction in quarantine from 10 to 7 days.

Mr. Kenneth L. Cucchi III, Principal Mrs. Alison Hildebrand, MADE Academy Administrator Mr. Bill Szlaga, Intern Associate Principal for 10th Grade & 11th Grade A-K Mr. Bob Enne, Associate Principal for 12th Grade & 11th Grade L-Z

➢ Main Office: 586.797.1900

➢ Attendance: 586.797-1999 (Available 24/7)

➢ Counseling Office: 586.797.1993

➢ Fax 586.797.1901 Visit our website at: http://Stevenson.uticak12.org Vision Statement: Stevenson High School will encourage and empower all students to acquire the necessary skills to be successful, contributing members of a diverse community and global society. Mission Statement: Our mission is to create a positive and challenging learning environment that encourages all students to achieve their greatest potential as responsible, productive members of a diverse society. A message from Mr. Cucchi

The change reads, “The quarantine period may be reduced to 7 days if the contact receives a negative viral (PCR or antigen) test performed at least 5 days after exposure.” That test must be done by a medical institution and cannot be a home test.

We had a couple quarantine letters go home this week. We continue to adjust to the changes from the Macomb County Department of Health and follow their guidance. As is the case, we are doing our best to reduce interruptions during the day and not pull quarantined kids until after school. It is important that you make sure phone numbers and emails are updated in your PowerSchool Forms so that we have the right contact information.

We continue to remind our students and families that the Health Department continues to strongly recommend masking as a preventative measure for stopping the spread of COVID. We continue to require that all students and staff self-screen before leaving their homes. I thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Friendly Reminder: Emergency Broadband Benefit Program During the past school year, Utica Community Schools provided your family with a temporary “hot spot” to support learning during remote instruction. As we return to full in-person learning this year, internet access through the hot spot will be discontinued, effective August 16. The hot spot should be returned to your home school the first week of classes. If you are interested in continuing to receive access, we want to make you aware of the Emergency Broadband Benefit. The Emergency Broadband Benefit program is a direct subsidy for internet access to households that qualify. If you do not qualify for the subsidy and require internet access, please contact your building principal for further assistance. WOW, Comcast, and AT&T all participate with the program. The EBB program allows households to receive up to a $50 per month subsidy for internet access. The link to a page that has an explanation of the program is https://www.fcc.gov/broadbandbenefit Links to the individual company programs are: WOW: https://www.wowway.com/emergency-broadband-benefit Comcast: https://www.xfinity.com/learn/internet-service/ebb AT&T: https://www.att.com/help/ebb/ While all three internet providers have different internet service plans, WOW does provide a high-speed internet plan that, after subsidy, will provide access at no cost. It is important to note that you do not have to be a new customer to qualify for this program. Existing customers can apply for the program and have the monthly subsidy credited directly to their account. The UCS Transportation Department is committed to safety and efficiently transporting our UCS students. We realize that we carry precious cargo and that we make a positive difference in how our students start and end every day. We are excited to be back on the road!

While it is not unusual for it to take a few weeks for our routes to fall into place, this year has been particularly challenging. The nationwide shortage of bus drivers as well as local construction projects have created significant challenges for us. We are actively working to address both situations. We are in regular contact with the Macomb County Road Commission on project timelines and have identified alternate routes until construction is completed. These alternates, however, often add to pick up and drop off delays. In addition, we have been actively advertising our open positions and have held several job fairs to recruit candidates.

The Transportation Department has been contacting families when it is anticipated that delays will be greater than 10 minutes through automated phone calls, emails, and text messaging. If you have not signed up for the UCS text system, text “Y” to 67587.

The good news is that we should be seeing some relief over the next few weeks. As road construction project season comes to an end, we will be able to return to our normal routes and you should see some improvement in many areas. In addition, we have more than 10 new drivers going through the training process and should be on the road shortly once the process is completed (training and certification takes several weeks). We are still in need of about 30 more drivers; if you are aware of individuals interested in becoming a bus driver, please have them contact 586-797-7113.Thank you for your continued support and understanding.

Please welcome the following new SHS Staff members:

Hello Titan Families, my name is Bill Szlaga!! I am a proud product of UCS attending Schuchard Elementary, Jeannette Junior High and graduating from Utica High School. I spent 15 years teaching at Jeannette Junior High teaching various Social Studies classes and was the schools AD, 4.5 years. I also worked at Ford High School teaching AP World History, AVID, and was Ford's AD and even sat in for a quarter as Associate Principal. I spent the second semester of the 2020-2021 school year at Shelby Junior High as an Administrative Intern as Assistant Principal. I have coached for over 20 years in UCS here at Stevenson coaching various levels of boys' basketball and was the Varsity Boys' Basketball Coach at Ford for the 2015-2016 season. I am excited to be the first person to be an Associate Principal and Athletic Director in UCS and look forward to meeting as many Titan Families as possible. Go Titans! Hello, my name is Tod Rawling, and I am excited to join the Stevenson team this year. I will be teaching the Design and Engineering classes as part of the MADE Academy. This will be my sixth-year teaching. I worked as an engineer for 35 years at an automation company in Sterling Heights prior to teaching. I graduated from Utica High School a long time ago. I am looking forward to taking my experience and passing it along to the students here at Stevenson. Hello, I am Lisa Brooks, the attendance clerk serving Stevenson HS in the A.M. and Ford HS in the P.M. I am Stevenson alumni and look forward to working with you this year. I am Ms. Beckwell the Photo and Film teacher here at Stevenson Highschool! I am in my 4th year of teaching. I look forward to an awesome year! Hi! My name is Ann Danko, and I am the new MADE CTE Automation teacher. I have over 15 years of industry

experience, both in automotive and defense. This, however, is my first-year teaching. I have two Bachelors, one in

Materials Engineering from the University of Michigan and one in Plastics from Eastern Michigan University. I

have spent the last 6 plus years working in the district with the LCCE programs at IKE and most recently Malow. I

am married and have two great kids. My husband, Dave, is also an engineer. He works as a sales manager for an

automotive sealing company. My daughter, Kendall, is an 11th grader over at IKE and a member of the Varsity

Dance Team. My son, Xander, is a 10th grader at IKE, and he is my travel baseball player. As a family we enjoy

spending as much time as we can on our boat during the summer and traveling whenever we get the opportunity. I

am extremely excited to be part of the Stevenson Family and am looking forward to a great year.

Hello! My name is Maestra Williams, and I will be teaching Spanish 2, 3, 4 and AP this year. I have previously worked between Stevenson and Henry Ford II for the past couple years- but I am ecstatic to officially be a Stevenson Titan full time! I am beyond passionate about teaching Spanish and am very much looking forward to helping my students to fall in love with the language as well! Margaret Grzic - I am happy to be assigned to the UCNECT Program this school year. I come from Jeannette Jr. High, and before that Eisenhower High School. This is my 16th year teaching students with special needs in the LCCE program. I am married with two daughters, and I have a fifteen-month-old granddaughter. I am looking forward to a really good year!

I'm Mackenzie Davis and I am a teacher for the UCNECT Program. I just graduated from Wayne State in the spring, so this is my first year with my own classroom (finally!). I did my student teaching at Davis Jr. High in the LCCE room, then went over to Jenette and subbed for 5 weeks in the LCCE room there. It was an exciting summer for me that started off with graduation, an engagement, then getting my dream job! The teachers and administrators that I have met during my time in Utica have all gone out of their way to help me with everything and make me feel welcome. Life has been busy, but I couldn't be more grateful to be where I'm at now. I'm excited for this next year and all the excitement that will come with it.

Hello to everyone in the Stevenson community! My name is Madison Ristovski, and I am the new 10th and 12th grade English teacher. This is my 3rd year in UCS after a two-year stint coaching college basketball at the University of Detroit Mercy. Prior to entering the "real world", I was a former University of Michigan women's basketball player! GO BLUE! I love spending time with family & friends, watching sports, & traveling. I am very excited to be a Titan and a part of the Titan family. The staff and students are wonderful to work with. I am looking forward to a great year! Go Titans! Yvonne Hopp has been teaching at the secondary level for 20 years -- all in Utica Community Schools! Throughout the years, she has taught English, Speech, Drama, Journalism, Newspaper, and Yearbook and has also coached girls' basketball and sponsored Drama Club. Mrs. Hopp is blessed with a husband and three wonderful sons. Hello, my name is Ronald Pinto. I graduated from Utica High School in 2016. From there, I studied and played baseball at Rochester University for four and a half years. I did my student teaching in the Fall of 2020 and graduated in December of 2020. Now I am here teaching Biology and Astronomy in my first year of teaching high school. My name is Jennifer Young, and I am a Special Education teacher. I live in Plymouth with my husband and two boys, David, 10 and John, 7. I have two dogs and a cat and love to garden and read! My name is Lauren May, and I am so excited to be one of the new art teachers at Stevenson this year. I have bachelor’s degrees in fine arts and Art Education from College for Creative Studies, and a master’s in art from Wayne State University. I have taught every grade kindergarten through college, and I am looking forward to teaching our fantastic high school students. As well as being a wife and mom of two toddlers, I am also a professional working artist, and I can’t wait to share the professional side of art making with my students. Parents & students, this is a great time of year to remind all drivers that pedestrians have the right of way in the parking lot. I urge all pedestrians to quickly move through the parking lot and watch for cars. Your safety is our number one priority Please note: any fast-food deliveries brought to SHS should be placed on the table in the vestibule. We do not call students down, you will have to text your child and let them know their food has arrived.

Titan families, SAVE THE DATES Our 2021-2022 Stevenson High School Open House will take place on Thursday, September 23rd beginning at 7 pm. This year’s Open House will be fully virtual. Watch your email over the next couple of days for further information and direction. We look forward to “seeing” you at Open House! Lastly, virtual conferences are scheduled for Thursday, October 7th. 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. & 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. More information to follow. With Titan Pride, Kenneth L. Cucchi III Principal

Announcements

The Young Entrepreneurs Club is back!

Looking for a side hustle? Need some extra cash? Want to help the environment and save the world? Then come check out The Young Entrepreneurs Club with Mr. Tasich. Learn how to utilize e-commerce via eBay, Mercari, Facebook Marketplace, Poshmark, etc. Check out the.teacher.reseller.guy.llc on IG to see what I've been up to! The Young Entrepreneurs Club will meet Wednesdays after school with Mr. Tasich in room E83. PEER TO PEER - Looking for a meaningful and fun experience while at Stevenson High School? If so, please consider joining Peer to Peer! Find out more by attending the informational meeting on Friday September 17, 2021, during your assigned lunch in the ECC. We are looking for compassionate and understanding individuals who enjoy engaging with peers who embody unique challenges and abilities. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life! Peer to Peer is only being offered in person unless the district goes virtual or mandated guidelines change. For further information please contact Lynn Fonacier School Social Worker at Lynn. Fonacier at uticak12.org or leave a message at (586)797-1964.

Join Key Club! What is Key Club? We are a philanthropical organization trying to make our community a better place.

What do we do? Each month we have an activity to help the community. Such as, the annual food drive, Relay for Life, hygiene drive for Turning Point, etc.

When? We meet on Thursday before or after school

Stop by D-66 for more information

We don't make keys; we make a difference!

Participating in Stevenson Athletics? Complete your 2021-2022 Athletic Profile today! All Sports Physicals and Athletic forms are collected electronically through Planet HS/BIG Teams (www.planeths.com), paper copies will not be accepted. Both the student athlete AND their parent/guardian need to set-up an account in Planet HS/BIG Teams to complete the necessary ONE-TIME* forms that allow you to be eligible to tryout/join any sport, any season, during the school year. *Multi-sport athletes no longer need to fill out the same forms every season. PLEASE NOTE: An MHSAA pre-participation sports physical is required for all students who participate in sports. The physical examination must be completed on or after April 15, 2021, to be considered a valid physical for 2021-2022. The MHSAA Health Questionnaire will not be accepted for 2021-2022. Please refer to the Parent Quick Links for a copy of the MHSAA Physical Form.

Titan Sports

All athletic forms must be completed prior to team try-outs. Once teams are formed, confirmed athletes need to log back on to Planet HS/BIG Teams to submit UCS Athletic Participation Fees, as applicable via the PaySchools link under Athletic Forms. Questions? Please contact your coach or Remi Darroch, Bookkeeper, remi.darroch@uticak12.org or 586-797-1903. Looking for something to do this fall, then come out and join the boys or the girl's cross-country team. It is not too late to join. All students in grades nine through twelve are encouraged to join. No prior running experience is needed. For more information, contact the boys coach at Christopher.Schultz@UticaK12.org or the girls coach at Michael.Jenkins@lUticaK12.org

Anyone interested in our Girls Stevenson Titans Swim and Dive team- we welcome new students! This is open to any student of all skill levels in 9-12th grade. Coach can be contacted at ET.Platte1028@gamil.com for additional details. Late starts are accepted, just contact the coach!

September 3 No School September 14 Financing Education Beyond High School (Virtual presentation @ 6:30 p.m.) September 18 Boys JV Soccer (Home game @ 5:30 p.m.) Boys Varsity Soccer (Home game @ 7:00 p.m.) September 25 Homecoming - Dancing Under the Stars (7:00- 10:00 pm) (Dodge Park in Farmer's Market Pavilion) October 7 Virtual Conferences (1/2 day of school for kids). Conference schedule: 11:30 a.m. -2:30 p.m. & 4:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. October 12 Powderpuff Game @ 8:00 p.m. (Juniors vs Seniors) October 23 Virtual Open house from 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Looking ahead

November 2 No School November 24 - 28 No School - Thanksgiving Break December 22 - January 2 No School - Winter Break January 17 No School February 21 - 27 No School - Mid-Winter Break April 4 - 10 No School - Spring Break April 15 No School May 27 No School May 30 No School

COUNSELING INFORMATION

Information regarding virtual college visits is available on the Stevenson Counseling Schoology page in the College Information folder. Students must access the event through the hyperlink included next to the college name (all information is compiled on an Excel document). Currently no in-person college visits are scheduled.

The Stevenson Counseling Schoology page has been updated. Please join using the appropriate code below for access to information and updates. 12th grade (Class of 2022): V8HZ-XCHT-VXGNV 11th grade (Class of 2023): NKSV-ZS53-MGCVT 10th grade (Class of 2024): 8XZ9-F9DX-D7J2R

Are you interested in working in a paid career-oriented position and earning credit at school for your job! There

are many exciting opportunities for students in a variety of career areas in the school to Work program. Please

contact Mrs. Gendelman via email at Janet.Gendelman@uticaK12.org to find out more!

CTE News

Questions about parking permits? Please contact Michelle.Bartold@uticak12.org with any parking questions you may have.

Student parking applications and regulations are also located in the PARENT QUICK LINK, Junior

and Senior Sections on our website: https://stevenson.uticak12.org/

Parents should call the SHS attendance line (586) 797-1999 and choose the appropriate option to excuse their student. It must be a parent/guardian that calls in and not a student or sibling. Please spell your child’s last name and include their grade.

❖ If your student attends the UCS Virtual Academy, please indicate that in your message.

OFFICE NEWS

Senior News & Information

Junior News & Information

Sophomore News & Information