Upson-Lee High School

PBIS Presents: Upson Lee High School Talent & Fashion Show Are you a singer, dancer, comedian, musician, or performer? Or do you have a passion for fashion and want to strut your style on the runway? This is YOUR time to shine! 💫 Calling all talented students—showcase your skills and creativity in the ULTIMATE Talent & Fashion Show! ⭐ How to Sign Up: Dr. Harbour, Coach Canady or in the Media Center Sign up by April 1st Bring your A-game and get ready for an unforgettable night!

***Important Schedule Change*** For the weeks of March 31-April 4, April 14-18, and April 21-25, we will be on a modified schedule each day so our teachers and students can properly prepare for the upcoming Milestones Exam. On Mondays for these three weeks, students will have an extra Milestones Review class period for 1st Block. On Tuesdays, 2nd block will get the extra milestone study block. On Wednesdays, 3rd block will get the extra class time. 4th Block will get this extra milestone review on Thursdays during these three weeks. CLUBS AND CLUB SCHEDULE WILL BE ON FRIDAYS DURING THESE THREE WEEKS! It is important for students to see the attached schedules to make sure they are on time for each class. This includes students in dual enrollment and work based learning.

Coming to the Upson-Lee Fine Arts Center April 17, 18, and 19: "The SpongeBob Musical"!!! When the citizens of Bikini Bottom discover that a volcano will soon erupt and destroy their humble home, SpongeBob and his friends must come together to save the fate of their undersea world. With lives hanging in the balance and all hope lost, a most unexpected hero rises up. The power of optimism really can save the world! "The SpongeBob Musical" is based on the animated series created by Stephen Hillenburg. See you at the FAC!

Upson-Lee High School performed a surprise cardiac drill this morning and we want to thank the members of our staff emergency response team for their efforts. School Nurse Lisa Sollenberger shared information on our drill The drill started at 901am when Mr. Norris found a student (CPR mannequin) in his room unresponsive. He pushed his Centegix button 3 times (which notified the medical team on campus) and pushed the intercom button to notify the front office that he had a student not breathing in his classroom. An intercom announcement was made for the CPR team to report to room 203 at 902am. The first rescuer (Josh Culverhouse) arrived within 30 seconds after the announcement was made. Rescuer 2 arrived within seconds after Josh. Josh started CPR at 903am. Akia Dawson and Christi Corley brought an AED machine with them and arrived at 903am, shortly after Josh. Wayne Puckett applied the AED pads and performed the AED functions at 903am. 911 was activated by Sargeant Kirschmann. Several staff members did chest compressions while waiting for AED prompts and EMT's to arrive. EMT's arrived and transported the patient to ER. This was a surprise drill, only 2-3 people knew information on the drill, and they stepped back and let the responders use their training. We had 15 staff members (responders) show up when the announcement was made over the intercom. CPR/chest compressions began less than 1 minute after the announcement was made. An AED machine was brought to the scene and pads applied shortly after chest compressions began. A shock was given within 2 minutes of the announcement being made. If this had been a real situation, a life would have been saved! We are very impressed and proud of our response time and the CPR certified staff members who showed up to help when they heard the announcement! Thank you so much to our staff who responded to help with this emergency training.

CALLING ALL SENIORS! Bring your final college or military acceptance letter or commitment to a job to the guidance office by April 15, 2025. We have BIG PLANS to celebrate your future.

STUDENTS!!!  Do you want more SCHOLARSHIPS, COLLEGE CHOICES, CAREER PATHWAYS, JOB OPPORTUNITIES?  After completing You Science, you will be able to ACCESS these opportunities!!! 

Seniors, Herff Jones will be in the cafeteria during all three lunches on March 28 to deliver cap and gowns! If you have not purchased a cap and gown make sure to visit the school website and click the Herff Jones link under the class of 2025 tab! You are required to purchase a cap and gown in order to participate in graduation. If you have any questions please reach out to Mrs. Knight or Mrs. Bentley. Only 76 days until graduation!!

Upson-Lee High School Spring College Fair is March 11th! If you plan to attend and have not registered, register now by scanning the QR code or following this link: https://www.gaprobe.org/student-fair-registration/

Check out our Thomaston-Upson County Schools Assessment Newsletter with important information and dates about the Georgia Milestones. Here are some important links from the flyer! FY25 TUCS Assessment Calendar: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UgizFqnBH-fVBSgEBZxdrhrlThFO8gqeYb3ushkIc-E/view?tab=t.0 Students can take Milestones Practice Tests Here: https://www.gaexperienceonline.com/ Georgia Milestones Resources: https://gadoe.org/assessment-accountability/georgia-milestones/ Georgia Milestones Resources for Parents: https://lor2.gadoe.org/gadoe/file/65da261d-7393-457b-bd7e-b7721b2f15cf/1/GM_Parent_Resources.pdf

Director of Bands Cameron Born would like to invite you to our Pre-LGPE concert on Tuesday March 4th at the Fine Arts Center. The Large Group Performance Evaluation is one of the biggest concerts during the school year because of the adjudication process that is associated with the performance. Our LGPE is March 14th, but we're performing our music for our community and parents on Tuesday March 4th at the Fine Arts Center. Along with performance for our friends and family, I've asked judges to simulate the LGPE process for our ensembles. Those judges include Mr. Bailey (band director in Macon, GA), Mr. Mullins (Band Director at Veteran's HS), and Dr. Braddock (Band Director at Mercer University). We hope you will consider joining us on Tuesday!

ULHS and Cognia Celebrate Education Milestone - 100 Years of Accreditation On Wednesday, February 26, Dr. Emily Klein, Cognia Senior Director, Southeast Division, visited Upson-Lee High School to present Principal Mr. Ricky English with a plaque and a flag recognizing Upson-Lee High School along with previous Thomaston and Upson County high schools for maintaining 100 years of continuous accreditation. Cognia is the parent organization of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI) and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI), Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC). For 130 years Cognia and its legacy organizations have held schools and school districts to their high standards for accreditation, and according to their records, the first Thomaston/Upson County high school received accreditation in 1924, marking a century of commitment to excellence in education within our community’s public school system. Upson-Lee High School opened its doors for the 1992-93 school year and has maintained continuous accreditation throughout its existence. The Thomaston-Upson School System holds district-wide Cognia accreditation. Cognia accreditation is rigorous, highly valued and recognized around the world as an indicator of district-wide excellence. Pictured l-r: Dr. Emily Klein, Cognia Senior Director, Southeast Division, ULHS Principal Mr. Ricky English, and T-U Superintendent Dr. Larry Derico #ULProud #weareUL

Tanisha Johnson., the Georgia Power Education and Workforce Coordinator for Central Region. shared with us today an outstanding opportunity for our students! Georgia Power is preparing for another exciting year as the Corporate Sponsor for the 21st Century Leaders STEM-focused summer leadership institute. 21st Century Leaders EarthCare will be hosted in person as a residential program on the campus of Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville, GA during the week of June 8th-13th, 2025. She is looking for high school students from Central Region to apply to this summer institute and become part of 21st Century Leaders. Applications are due March 1st. preferably. Overview of EarthCare: When: June 8-13, 2025 What: A week-long residential summer leadership institute with 21st Century Leaders & Georgia Power. Who: 85 rising sophomores through rising seniors in high school with an interest in STEM and leadership. Why: Explore careers, connect with peers and professionals, and develop as a LEADER! How: Students are required to submit an online application and have a teacher or mentor submit a separate recommendation form. · Student Application https://www.21stcenturyleaders.org/for-students/summer-leadership-institutes/summer-leadership-institute-application/ · Recommendation Form https://www.21stcenturyleaders.org/for-students/summer-leadership-institutes/recommendation-form/ · There is NO cost for students to attend EarthCare · The deadline for EarthCare applications is March 1, 2025. Applicants will be notified of acceptance by email in early April. Note that no prior leadership experience (or GPA) is required, just the potential and willingness to grow! In fact, 64% of students reported that attending 2024 EarthCare was their first time participating in a program focused on developing leadership skills. If you have any questions, please stop by counseling and talk to Mrs. Kendall.

Tomorrow is a big day at ULHS. Parent-Teacher Conferences run from 3:30pm-5:30pm. Following conferences, in the HS Gym, will be an information meeting for the incoming class of 2029. If you have a current 8th grader we look forward to answering your questions tomorrow evening. If you cannot attend the information meeting, please reach out to the school with your questions by calling 706-647-8171.

Any senior that is interested in taking the ASVAB on March 7th must sign up in the guidance office no later than March 4th. The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) is a heavily researched and well-respected aptitude test developed by the Department of Defense. It measures a young adult's strengths and potential for success in military training.

ULHS Principal Mr. Ricky English has announced the Class of 2025 Honor Graduates. These seniors have a numerical average of 93.0 or above (as calculated by school/student Information System). BIG CONGRATULATIONS to the ULHS 2025 Honor Graduates!!! Phakeylah Andrews, Ryan Anglin, Zakhyia Atwater, Addison Baughcum, Dustin Brooks, Dh'King Brown, Georgia Clark, April Cummings, Evie Daniel, Kiona Daniel, Aiden Daniely, Kaden Duke, Addison Ellington, Kendall Flowers , Jakobe Franklin, Kylie Gooden, Jacy Harrell, Kalisha Harvey, Ava Hemphill, Gregory Hughley, Brodee Hurt, Ava Jaudon, Kadence Johnson, Nytraevion Jones, De’Asiah Kendall, Kameria Kendall, Erika Legg, Ella Matthews, Athens McGlon, Allison McKinley, Kenzi Middlebrooks, JerCareya Neal, Zameer Rivers, Adriano Santos, Charity Santos, Francisco Santos, Hope Santos, Tereso Santos, Lily Sheppard, McKayla Thornton, Abigale Underwood, Brian Ventura, Grayson Weeks, Braden Williams, Amarah Wilson, Kiersten Wilson-Peoples #ULProud #weareUL #classof2025

ULHS Principal Mr. Ricky English has announced the Class of 2025 Knights of Academic Distinction. These seniors have a numerical average of 95.0 or above (as calculated by the school/student information system in December) and have completed four Honors, Dual Enrollment, and/or Advanced Placement courses in each of the core content areas (E/LA, Math, Science, Social Studies). Three of the above-mentioned courses must be Advanced Placement (AP) and/or Dual Enrollment (DE) courses in at least three different core content areas. BIG CONGRATULATIONS to the ULHS 2025 Knights of Academic Distinction!!! Lily Dover Entrekin Baity, Colton Douglas Cagle, Fiona Marie Chambers, Landry Brandon English (Valedictorian), Lexi Noel Greene, Kit Marie Logan (Salutatorian), James Ian Mayer, Lauren Grace O'Linger, Ronik Jayesh Patel, Karsen Lanier Pitts, Alexa Zuleyka Velasco, Kayden Danielle Wisham, and Trey Edward Webb #ULProud #weareUL #classof2025

As we welcome students back to school this morning we want to be sure you are aware that we have parent-teacher conferences at ULHS this Thursday from 3:30pm-5:30pm. Following conferences we will hold the annual incoming Freshman information meeting. If you have a current 8th grader or know someone who does please be sure they know to come by the high school Thursday at 5:45pm to get information and ask questions.

Upson-Lee High School Principal Mr. Ricky English has announced the Class of 2025 Top 2 Seniors. Landry Brandon English is the 2025 Valedictorian and Kit Marie Logan is Salutatorian. Valedictorian is the senior with the highest overall numeric average who has also completed four Honors, Dual Enrollment, and/or Advanced Placement courses in each of the core content areas (ELA, Math, Science, Social Studies). Three of the above mentioned courses must be Advanced Placement and/or Dual Enrollment courses in at least three different content areas. Student must have been enrolled at ULHS in the junior year before the 2nd 9 weeks began and the entire senior year to be considered for this honor. Salutatorian is the student with the second highest overall numeric average who has completed the same courses described for eligibility of the Valedictorian. Pictured with English and Logan are ULHS Principal Mr. Ricky English and T-U Superintendent Dr. Larry Derico. CONGRATULATIONS to these OUTSTANDING ULHS students!!!

Mrs. Norris’s AP U.S. history students brought the American Revolution to life today by researching key figures from the era and personifying them in a meet and greet activity! Students embodied historical figures and shared insights on their impact and role in the war.

Students in U.S. history took part in a gallery walk focused on Civil War battles. They explored key events, practiced literacy strategies to summarize important information, and used map skills to answer questions about the battles’ locations and significance.