Weekly Blast 2.8.19

• Feb 9 – High School Winter Dance
• Feb 11 –  Winter Sports Pictures
• Feb 12 – 9th Grade Field Trip
• Feb 18 – President’s Day/No School
• Feb 19 – Winter Sports Awards Ceremony
• Feb 22 – Middle School Epic Cycle
• Mar 1 – Early Release 12:05 p.m.
• Mar 8 – 10th & 11th Grade Field Trip
• Mar 9 – Night of the Griffins
• Mar 12-14 – Re-Enrollment
• Mar 14-19 – Senior Trip
• Mar 18-22 – Spring Break/No School

1. A Note From the Headmaster
2. Traffic Flow
3. High School Winter Dance
4. Griffin Robotics
5. 2019-2020 Senior Course Selection
6. Senior Trip
7. 9th Grade Field Trip
8. Middle School Epic Cycle
9. Community Investment
10. Griffin Athletics
11. College Counseling

Hello Parents,

For the last week or so, the concept of integrity has been something on my mind. My 8^thgrade students and I are reading To Kill a Mockingbird. What is apparent in the text is that Atticus Finch is a man of integrity. One character states, “Atticus Finch is the same in his house as he is on the public streets”. Atticus says of himself when asked by Scout as to why he is defending Tom Robinson: “if I didn’t I couldn’t hold up my head in town, I couldn’t represent this county in the legislature, and I couldn’t even tell you and Jem not to do something again”.

On Tuesday, Mr. Withers and I spent time with other teachers and administrators in Great Hearts discussing various topics; particularly four hours on integrity. What came out was the idea of integrity as not merely keeping one’s word but honoring it. Here is why; we are bound to break our word. This breaking of one’s word could be a result circumstances, forgetfulness, poor planning, or just a lack of care or willingness. The real test of integrity comes if we are able to honor our word if we break it. Will we own up to not fulfilling our commitment and blame only ourselves? I was certainly convicted of the ways I do not honor my word, and sadly for me, it is with those of whom I am closest. One example is that at least 2-3 times a week I get home later than when I tell Mrs. Navarrette, and rarely apologize and acknowledge I did not keep my word. I just assume it is not a big deal, and she will understand that the job requires it. However, integrity should be seen by me all the time as that which is of the greatest value and makes life meaningful. Integrity is something I hope I model for our teachers, you, and our students. My hope is that our teachers model integrity for our students, so they come to see its value. GP is a place where we value integrity and hope to uphold it; I know it is something of value to all of you as well, and for that I am grateful.

Sincerely,
Mr. Navarrette

Traffic Flow
Earlier this school year, Prep parents were asked not to arrive on campus for pickup prior to 2:55 p.m. Please note, a barricade will be placed between the trash area and the crosswalk which separates the main parking lot from the west/student lot. As such, there will be no space for Prep parents to queue as they wait for Archway pickup to conclude. Know that Prep parents who arrive for pickup prior to 2:55 p.m. will be asked to exit Pinnacle Peak and re-enter the campus on 83^rd Ave. so that Archway pickup can flow smoothly.

The barricade will be moved for student drivers to exit and will be made available if Prep parents need to pick up athletes to transport to an off-campus game. For home athletic events beginning shortly after dismissal, Prep parents should enter through 83^rd Ave and move through the queue to find a parking space in the regular lot. Prep parents of athletes will receive an athletics placard they can show Archway faculty on traffic duty, who will then direct them to park/wait in the West/Student lot when coming to transport players to an away game. Placards will be given to the student-athletes of Spring Sports in a player’s packet. Mr. Drake and/or athletic personnel will be present for any remaining Winter home games or early dismissals to direct parents to utilize the West/Student lot.

Change is something difficult, and it will take time to adjust. Your understanding is appreciated, and believe our Prep traffic flow will run smoothly and quickly if parents heed the instructions to arrive no earlier than 2:55 p.m. as was communicated first semester.

High School Winter Dance
Glendale Prep is pleased to invite all high school students to the annual High School Winter Dance: Winter in Narnia! The magical evening will include appetizers, beverages, and dessert, with music and dancing throughout.

Who: All Glendale Prep High School Students
When: Tomorrow, Saturday, February 9th from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
(Dance lessons until 7:00 p.m. No admission after 6:30 p.m.)
Where: GP Gymnasium
Cost: Now $20
How: The Payment Portal or at the door with a parent who can sign a permission form.
Questions: Contact Mrs. King at mking@glendaleprep.org
Details: The dress code will be semi-formal.
Gentlemen: should wear slacks, a button-up shirt, a tie, and sports coats/blazers are strongly
encouraged.
Ladies: dresses should have necklines within four finger widths below the collar bone. The length of the dress should be modest and approaching the knee (length must be no shorter than 2 inches above the knee when standing straight). No see-through dresses or dresses with open backs, but they may be strapless or have spaghetti straps.
For all students: No visual piercing other than in the ears and no visual tattoos. Alternative clothing will be provided if a student is out of compliance.

Griffin Robotics
Earlier this month, the Glendale Prep Robotics Team, Griffin Robotics, competed in their second FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) qualifying tournament down in Chandler at Valley Christian High School. Each tournament, about 20+ teams join together to play in a game that changes every year. The game is always in an alliance format where each team is paired with another as its alliance partner and competes against another randomly arranged alliance of two other teams. The game this year is called Rover Ruckus and involves the robots moving and scoring game elements that simulate mining minerals on the moon. While they went 2 – 3 in the five qualifying matches, the robot we brought to the competition scored the vast majority of the points on our side each round and made a large improvement over how we performed individually from the last competition.

At the last competition, we placed second overall and in this competition, we were recognized by the judges with having a strong design and work ethic, and they presented us with the Judges Award. I am very proud of how we have improved each season. Tomorrow, Saturday, February 9th, our team is competing in their last qualifying tournament to try to make it to the State tournament. Come cheer on the robot and its human drivers at Canyon View High School, starting at 10:30 a.m.

Currently, we are raising funds, about $1000 for a dedicated 3D printer for custom designed parts for the robot this season and next. Feel free to contact Mr. Roper at broper@glendaleprep.org if you have any questions or have an interest in supporting the team this season or next financially or by volunteering.

2019-2020 Senior Course Selection 
Below is a brief description of the two new course selections current juniors will be able to choose from for the 2019-2020 school year in addition to foreign language and calculus. Current juniors, please fill out the course selection form that you were given and return it to Mrs. Sarbacker no later than Friday, February 15th.

The American Rhetorical Tradition
Rhetoric has been a staple of western education since classical times. Famous Americans, from Thomas Jefferson to Martin Luther King Jr., have drawn much from their classical forbearers, ultimately creating their own rich tradition of oratory. While Rhetoric can be simply defined as the art of being well-spoken, many in the tradition of being wary of mere eloquence. John Quincy Adams said, “. . . eloquence is, according to the manner in which it is applied, either a blessing or a curse; the pest of nations, or the benefactress of humankind.” At their best, great Americans throughout the centuries have used eloquence as both a blessing and a benefactress.

This course teaches the art of rhetoric as generated by the classical world and exposes students to the robust American tradition of oratory. Students will learn this famous liberal art by being instructed in rhetorical theory, by imitating the best writings and speeches America has to offer, and by regularly producing original compositions. Throughout the course, they will both learn and practice: the various types of rhetoric, the progymnasmata exercises, the five canons of rhetoric, the three modes of persuasion, and much more. All of this will be done through exemplars of American oratory, such as Madison’s The Federalist Papers, Lincoln’s “Second Inaugural Address”, The Lincoln Douglas Debates, and Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a Dream” speech. The goal, of course, is not to produce mere well-spoken young men and women. On the contrary, this course has in mind the cultivation of eloquent young men and women who love truth, goodness, and beauty as embodied in our common American heritage.

Logic and Coding
The art and science of computation predates the modern computer by centuries, and in fact, is built upon the art of logic going all the way back to authors such as Aristotle. The modern computer is a physical model for repeated uses of Boolean logic in the same way that the abacus is a physical model for repeated steps for performing numerical computation.

The goals of this course are to give students (1) a grounding in the progression of logic from Aristotle through Boole, (2) a foundation in basic coding, and (3) the philosophical connection between the two, (4) initiation into seeing the world through the lens of computation, which is proving a rethinking of the world on a scale at least as large as the introduction of calculus caused, and (5) an understanding of the limits of formal logic and computation. All of this is oriented towards the end of getting students to think computationally and algorithmically.

Senior Trip
There will be a meeting for all seniors planning to go on the Senior Trip to Washington D.C. on Friday, February 15th, during Lyceum. Seniors should turn in their Behavior Contract, Permission to Treat Form, and copies of identification and insurance cards if they have not done so. During the meeting, seniors will receive information about their final payment and answers to frequently asked questions. The trip is only FIVE weeks away!!

If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Roiger at rroiger@glendaleprep.org.

9th Grade Field Trip
The 9th Grade Field Trip to the Phoenix Art Museum is scheduled for Tuesday, February 12th. All families have paid and given permission for the field trip as a part of their consumable contribution, therefore, no further action is needed.

Regular Uniform Dress Code is required. Students will depart by bus at 8:15 a.m. sharp (please arrive by the start of school at 8:05 a.m.) and must bring a sack lunch to be eaten after their visit. Only water is permitted on the bus. Students will be released at the usual time of 3:05 p.m.

The expectation is that all ninth-grade students will attend. If your student is unable to attend, please contact Ms. McLoughlin at tmcloughlin@glendaleprep.org.

Middle School Epic Cycle 2019:
The Death of Arthur: Middle School students are invited to join us for a late-night event at Glendale Preparatory Academy to read selections of Arthurian legend.
When: Friday, February 22nd from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Where: Glendale Preparatory Academy Gymnasium (please bring socks to wear on the gym floor)
What: Dramatic readings of Arthurian legend around a campfire, with snacks, games, and roasting marshmallows
Deadline: TUESDAY, February 19 at 4pm. Any latecomers must be dropped off at the door by a parent who can sign a permission form.
Payment: The cost is $10.00. Payment can be made via the GP payment portal. Upon check out, you will be asked to review a waiver and check a box to give permission for your student to attend this event.

Night of the Event:

• Students must check-in at the gym lobby. Phones must be checked in upon arrival and can be picked up upon departure. Phones may only be used during the event to contact parents if needed.
• Comfortable warm clothing (pajamas allowed). Clothing must be “Glendale Prep appropriate”. (No spaghetti straps, sleeveless shirts, tight leggings or yoga pants; no inappropriate wording on shirts/pajamas. No short shorts.) Students who do not dress appropriately will be asked to call parents to bring appropriate clothing or leave the event.
• Students can bring their own board games, cards, or other things to have fun with friends.
• Students may bring a blanket and pillow to sit on outside during the readings.
• Snack food will be provided. If your student has food sensitivities, please make certain to bring approved food with them, as we will be unable to accommodate special diets. Students can bring their own candy and other snacks.
• All students must be picked up by 10:15 p.m.

Community Investment
With four weeks into our second semester, our Seniors are in the final stages of research, writing, and defense of their year-long Senior Thesis projects. This final test is the culmination of a Great Hearts education and calls on students to create and develop their own thoughts in an original paper. This requires them to put all of their self-discipline and perseverance to work on an independent academic project that takes months to complete. Finally, this results in an hour-long oral examination in front of a panel of teachers and an audience of friends and family.

Like everything that happens at our school, the Senior Thesis program is a remarkable partnership between students and teachers. Your support in Community Investment is vital and provides both students and teachers with the resources they need to excel!

We are honored to publicly recognize those families and friends who have contributed to this year’s Community Investment campaign.

To make a pledge to Glendale Prep’s 2018-19 Community Investment campaign you can:
Click here to make a one-time gift.
Click here to schedule monthly gifts.
Click here to download our 2018-19 giving form to complete and return to the front office.

Thank you for supporting our scholars!

Griffin Athletics
Spring Sports: Please have the following items completed before the first day of spring practice.

• Physical and Parent/Guardian Consent Form signed
• Athletic fee paid

Winter Sports Pictures are scheduled for Monday, February 11th after school. End times for each sport will vary.

Winter Sports Awards Ceremony is Tuesday, February 19th. We will be honoring our teams from both the Middle School and High School on that night in the Glendale Prep Gymnasium. Middle School awards will begin at 7:00 p.m. and High School at 8:00 p.m. There will be a 15-minute intermission between the two ceremonies to celebrate with cake. Those families who do not have high school athletes may leave after cake; however, you are more than welcome to attend both ceremonies.

Young men should wear a dress shirt and tie, and ladies should wear a modest-length skirt or dress with hems that approach the knee or dress pants. For more about the Non-Uniform Dress Code for Special Events please see the Family Handbook here. We hope you all can make it.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact Mr. Drake at sdrake@glendaleprep.org.

College Counseling
Book Club: College Counseling will be hosting a book club featuring the book “iGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Teens are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy – and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood – and What That Means for the Rest of Us” by Jean Twenge, a professor at San Diego State University.  Please join Mrs. Sarbacker in discussing the book and sharing insights, conversation, and community. We will meet the last Thursday of the months of February, March, and April at 7:00 p.m. in the GP library. Please enter through the gym lobby. If you are interested, please sign up here.

Summer Program: ASU’s School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership (SCETL) will be hosting a Civic Leadership Institute for current freshman, sophomores, and juniors on June 16-21. It is a week-long, intensive residential seminar and last summer two of our students attended and had very positive experiences. Additional information is available here. If you are interested, please let Mrs. Sarbacker know.

Last Call for the SAT Workshop: We will be holding a Spring SAT Workshop. Please view here or a flyer and here to sign up. The initial baseline test is tomorrow, Saturday, February 9^th from 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Classes will be held on Mondays and Thursdays from 3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. beginning on Monday, February 11^th and ending on Thursday, April 4^th. Please note that instead of meeting on February 14th we will meet on Wednesday, February 13^th as we will be bringing in a presenter to review strategies. The cost is $399 and checks can be made payable to North Valley Learning.

Course Selection Forms: Juniors, please remember to submit your Course Selection Forms to Mrs. Sarbacker no later than Friday, February 15^th.

Contact Information
Silvia Hayakawa, Office Manager
623-889-0822
shayakawa@glendaleprep.org

Attendance Line:
623-889-0822 Option 1
or attendance@glendaleprep.org