Uni Family Resources
Announcements
UniWeek Newsletter
Older Announcements
PTSA General Meeting & Uni Open House (9/2/2025)
- The PTSA General Meeting: 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 3 in Uni Gym. (Uni Gym is next to the Main Building’s Green Space.)
- Uni Open House: 6:45 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 3. Parents will follow their student’s schedule as listed in PowerSchool for Semester 1. Each class period is 10 minutes followed by a 5-minute passing period (Do not meet: Lunch, Uni Period, Study Halls).
Late Start – Thursday, Sept. 4th
Classes will begin at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 4 following Open House on Wednesday evening.
PTSA General Meeting
Everyone in the Uni community is invited to attend the PTSA’s first general meeting on Wed., Sept. 3, from 6-6:30 p.m., right before the Uni Open House. Come to school a little early to meet our new director and hear from several wonderful parent groups at Uni High. More info about the meeting will be coming soon!
New Families Reception
Our New Families Reception is an opportunity for the new parents and guardians of our incoming subbie and transfer students to hear about all the programs available at Uni High and what they can expect as they join the Uni community.
The 2025 New Families Reception is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 28, from 6–7:30 p.m. at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts (500 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana).
Loaner Laptops and Chargers
Beginning this year, all loaner laptops and chargers will be checked out through the Main Office, rather than the Library. We will continue to follow the same general processes used in past years for these short-term loans, but the change in location will allow us to track usage more accurately, streamline check-outs and returns, and ensure that devices are available to both students and faculty when needed.
Key Points:
- Students in need of a short-term laptop or laptop charger should visit the Main Office.
- Laptops are loaned on a first come, first served basis.
- Laptops are due back by the end of the school day, regardless of checkout time. This really is a short-term loan.
- Longer term loans will be handled through SwanlundIT. For students who do not lease a Uni computer, long term loaner laptops will be charged a “rental” fee.
- Chargers are due back by the end of the same class period, unless otherwise arranged.
- Faculty/Staff may borrow equipment but must follow the same deadlines.
- Charges will be incurred for lost or damaged items.
A policy statement is in the works and will be shared as soon as it is completed. Thank you for your cooperation in this transition. If you have any questions or need assistance with the new process, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the Main Office—we’re happy to help.
Welcome (back) to Uni, and welcome to your new family resource page! We hope this makes it easier for you to find what you need. This site is not password protected (unlike the companion Uni Student Resources site), so it should be easy for families to access. If you think of other resources you’d like to have on this page, please email Ms. Lehman: ctrotter@illinois.edu!
Changes for 2025-2026 (8/13/2025)
We have some changes this year, so here’s a heads-up on some of those:
- New building close hours AND a New Monday bell schedule
- There’s an extra period between 6th and 7th hours on Mondays. This will be Advisory Period for subbies, and a Uni Period for everyone else.
- The building now closes at 4:00 (not 4:30) on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday
- The building now closes at 3:25 on Wednesday and Friday. This means no Uni Period on Wednesdays; teachers will be unavailable to sponsor clubs because this is their professional development time.
- Slight difference in how the Prox Cards work
- They will work at all 3 entrances before school and during lunch/Uni Periods.
- During class, you will only be able to prox in at the main (west) entrance, not at the north and south entrances.
- New director! His name is Dr. Robert Fitzgerald. Dr. Majerus is taking a leave of absence during the fall semester, but she will be back to teaching English in the spring!
Helpful Information for the Beginning of the School Year (8/13/2025)
- Pick-up and Drop-off
- Juniors and seniors: pick-up/drop-off in the cutout off of Mathews Street (west entrance)
- Subbies–sophomores: pick-up/drop-off on Stoughton Street (north entrance)
- If you have students who fit both descriptions, pick one location
- Do NOT drop off or pick up students on Springfield Avenue; it’s dangerous!
- If you’re dropping a student off late or picking them up early, use the Mathews (west) entrance
- We have students and staff who bike and walk to Uni—which we encourage! Please be aware of cyclists and pedestrians as you negotiate drop-off and pick-up.
- You could also consider arranging an alternate nearby location with your student for pick-up/drop-off to avoid the vehicular congestion before and after school.
- First Day of School Schedule
- Assembly 8:30-9:15
- 1st Period 9:20-9:50
- 2nd Period 9:55-10:25
- 3rd Period 10:30-11:00
- 4th Period 11:05-11:35
- Lunch 11:40-12:10
- 5th Period 12:15-12:45
- 6th Period 12:50-1:20
- 7th Period 1:25-1:55
- 8th Period 2:00-2:30
- Laptop and Loaner Book Pickup
- Laptop distribution: Before school on Wednesday, August 18, starting at 8 a.m.
- Loaner books: Pick up in the Main Office
- Building Hours
- Open: 7:45 a.m.
- Building close:
- M, Tu, Th: 4:00 p.m.
- W, F: 3:25
- Main office close
- M-Th: 4:30 p.m.
- F: 4:00 p.m.
- The library closes at 4:15 p.m. every day.
Attendance
Please see the Uni Student-Parent Handbook for details about Uni attendance policies.
Reporting Attendance
To report an absence, please email uni-attendance@illinois.edu.
Documented Absences
If you have a planned absence that falls under the “Documented Absence” category, please fill out the Documented Absence Form.
Contagious Illness Policy and Reporting (including COVID-19)
Bullying and Harassment
Bully and harassment are not tolerated at Uni. For a more extensive discussion of what constitutes bullying or harassment, please see the Student-Parent Handbook. Reporting forms can be found at the links below:
College Counseling
Director of College Counseling Lisa Micele meets with all students and their families during the spring of their junior year, and she and the SSO support them throughout the college application process.
Resources for Families of Juniors and Seniors
(Lisa Micele will email you about these resources, so if you don’t know anything about them yet, just wait until you hear from her!)
Concurrent Enrollment
“Concurrent Enrollment” is the term for taking college classes while a student is still in high school. Students get college credit for these classes, but not high school credit. This opportunity is available to juniors and seniors at Uni.
We expect students interested in college classes to take the lead on negotiating the process (with lots of support from our Student Services Office), but we know parents like to know what’s going on, too! You can read more about opportunities for Uni students to participating in Concurrent Enrollment at Uni (either through the U. of I. or Parkland) in the resources below.
Course Selection
Students in grades 8–11 will meet with their counselor to select Uni courses for next year. Students will receive an email when it’s time to start thinking about that and scheduling an appointment. In the meantime, here are some resources for course selection:
2026-2027 School Year
- Rising Freshman Course Selection Form (for current subbies)
2025-2026 School Year
Handbooks, Policy and Procedures
Independent Study
Students can choose to set up an independent study course with Uni faculty or with professors at the University of Illinois. Independent study is an opportunity for highly motivated, independent, and self-reliant students to engage in intellectual inquiry beyond the existing curriculum and develop independent study habits. You can read more about it in the Independent Study Guidelines and Expectations. The webform application is available via the Uni Student Resources Site.
Lunch Program
Pick-up and Drop-off
- Juniors and seniors: pick-up/drop-off in the cutout off of Mathews Street (west entrance)
- Subbies–sophomores: pick-up/drop-off on Stoughton Street (north entrance)
- If you have students who fit both descriptions, pick one location
- Do NOT drop off or pick up students on Springfield Avenue; it’s dangerous!
- If you’re dropping a student off late or picking them up early, use the Mathews (west) entrance
- We have students and staff who bike and walk to Uni—which we encourage! Please be aware of cyclists and pedestrians as you negotiate drop-off and pick-up.
- You could also consider arranging an alternate nearby location with your student for pick-up/drop-off to avoid the vehicular congestion before and after school.
PowerSchool
PowerSchool is the student information system used by Uni. Students and parents/guardians are given login credentials so they can access student schedules, grades, attendance records and more. For help with PowerSchool, please contact Martha Mills or Cheryl Lehman.
Click here to log in to PowerSchool. (Note: the password reset link does not work, so if you need a password reset, just email Martha Mills or Cheryl Lehman!)
Prox Cards
Uni Prox Cards are Uni High ID cards that also act as key cards to get students into the main Uni building and Kenney Gym.
Prox Card FAQ
Where can I get a new/replacement Prox Card?
You can get a Prox Card at the University of Illinois ID Center in Illini Union Bookstore.
Can I ride the MTD with a Prox Card?
Unlike U. of I. iCards, Prox Cards do not get students onto MTD city buses for free because Uni students do not pay the same fees that U. of I. students do. (But hot tip: anyone can get an annual MTD pass for $60; there are also student tokens available. Read more about MTD fare options here.)
When will my Prox Card get me into Uni?
- Weekdays only
- Main entrance
- M/Tu/Th: 7:45 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
- W/F: 7:45 a.m. – 3:25 p.m.
- North & south entrances
- M: 7:45 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.; 11:25 a.m. – 12 pm.; 3:45 p.m. – 4 p.m.
- Tu/Th: 7:45 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.; 11:30 a.m. – 12:10 pm.; 3:15 p.m. – 4 p.m.
- W/F: 7:45 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.; 11:25 a.m. – 12 pm.; 3:15 p.m. – 3:25 p.m.
Seal of Biliteracy
The State of Illinois has created an award recognizing students who have developed a high level of biliteracy in English + at least one other language. The seal is officially designated on a student’s transcript and high school diploma. In Illinois, the seal also translates into World Language course credit at public colleges and universities. You can read more about it here.
How your child can qualify for the Illinois State Seal of Biliteracy:
- They must demonstrate a high level of proficiency in English. Your student’s ACT or SAT score fulfills this requirement. Since Uni currently administers the ACT to all juniors, this is already part of your student’s record.
- They must demonstrate a high level of proficiency in another language. Your student can do this by earning a 4 or 5 on the AP test in their language if it’s available, but there is a whole list of acceptable tests. For more information on testing, have your student talk to Mme. Lopez.
- Scores must be reported to the school registrar, Ms. Lehman, who will take the steps necessary to make sure your student is recognized at the state level and on their transcript and diploma as having earned the State Seal of Biliteracy. This award is conferred upon graduation from high school.
Student Services Office
The Student Services Office, commonly known as the SSO and located in room 104A, offers lots of resources for students. You can read more about them below.
Textbook List
Writing Center
The Writing Center is available for student-writers at all grade levels on Tuesdays and Thursdays during Uni Period in room 106S. Friendly peer-tutors from the junior and senior classes will be on hand to work with students at any stage in the writing process for all kinds of writing projects—class assignments, independent projects, college-application essays, personal statements, creative writing. Contact Mr. Mitchell (mtmitch@illinois.edu) to reserve a spot in advance, or drop in unannounced.