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Weekly Blast 4.12.19

April 12, 2019 -

School Dates to Note:

  • April 13 – Science Fair
  • April 15-16 – 5th/6th Period Class Switch
  • April 15-17 -AzMERIT Reading
  • April 19 – No School
  • April 22, 24, 25 – AzMERIT Math
  • April 23 – 8C Drama Rehearsal
  • April 25 – 8D Drama Rehearsal
  • April 27 – 8C & 8D Drama Production
  • April 27 – Junior/Senior Prom
  • May 3 – Early Release 12:05 p.m.
  • May 3 – Athletic Physicals
  • May 3 – PSO 8th Grade Dinner
  • Save the Date: Bookstore July 29th
Table of Contents:

  1. A Note From the Headmaster
  2. Tax Credit
  3. Science Fair
  4. Senior Thesis Panels
  5. Standardized Testing
  6. Summer School
  7. Credit Make-Up
  8. Great Hearts Day
  9. Junior & Senior Promenade
  10. Senior Dinner
  11. Athletics
  12. College Counseling
A Note from Headmaster

Hello Parents,

I shared my vision for Glendale Prep with the faculty and staff this week at our Wednesday meeting. It is important I share it with you, as well.

My vision is for Glendale Prep to be a place where students are known and loved.

I do not believe this vision is revolutionary, nor does it take us away from our mission to cultivate hearts and minds through the pursuit of truth, beauty, and goodness. In fact, cultivating any pursuit in another individual is very much human endeavor; it requires a meaningful human relationship built on trust. We are not seeking to cultivate the hearts and minds of our students for merely seven years, but we believe we lay a foundation for a life-long pursuit- a pursuit that is basic to human nature- we need meaning and purpose to our lives.

The natural questions are- What does this vision look like? How will this vision affect change?

I believe it is about being even more intentional. When considering what we do or what we should do, it will be through a lens that asks- Does this achieve the vision of students being known and loved?

I cannot guess what changes we will make in the years to come but can share two changes that very much came to life in accordance with this vision.

  1. Moving conferences to after fall break. I know this decision was not to the liking of many of you but was made for the sake of the students. We need to come to know the students well within eight weeks of school; know their strengths, weaknesses, apprehensions, personality, how personality affects participation, how to come up with particular goals for each student when it comes to participation and establish trust, so they will go to teachers to seek help. We need to show love to our students by sharing early our understanding of them and the evaluation of their work. We need to love them by partnering earlier with you to give them the tools to succeed.
  1. 9th grade retreat. This is something that will require a great amount of work and planning, but this decision was focused solely on forming a tradition for our freshmen where they come together away from the classroom and academic studies to lay a foundation for meaningful relationships with their teachers and peers.

I hope and believe we share this vision together for I am sure there is nothing we do as parents that is not connected to knowing our children and loving them. This does not mean knowing and loving our children is easy; it is challenging and emotional work we are called to do, and the fruit of that work is most certainly a blessing.

I look forward to sharing and carrying out this vision with you.

Sincerely,
Mr. Navarrette

Tax Credit 
Don’t miss the deadline to make your tax credit! Arizona Public School Tax Credit contributions must be made by April 15th to receive your dollar-for-dollar credit on your state taxes. Donate now here. Do you have questions about the Tax Credit and how it is a win-win for you and our school? Please contact Cathy Sparks at 623.889.0822 ext. 1502 or csparks@glendaleprep.org

Science Fair
The first annual Glendale Great Hearts Science Fair tomorrow, Saturday, April 13th, from 8:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. The students are very enthusiastic about this Science Fair, and we need volunteers to make this the best possible experience for our scholars!

If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Ustach at custach@glendaleprep.org

Senior Thesis Panels
Senior Thesis Panels are in full swing. Family, friends, and members of the Glendale Prep community at large are invited to attend. Please enter through the front office and sign-in. The following students will have their panels:

PANEL DATE/TIME SENIOR STUDENT
Monday, April 15th at 3:30 p.m. Jack Wu
Monday, April 15th at 3:45 p.m. Hannah Hawkins
Tuesday, April 16th at 3:30 p.m. TBD
Tuesday, April 16th at 3:45 p.m. Samatha Cruz
Wednesday, April 17th at 3:30 p.m. Maxwell Johnson
Thursday, April 18th at 3:30 p.m. Lauren Staples
Thursday, April 18th at 3:45 p.m. Ryan Scoffield

Standardized Testing
Standardized testing runs through Thursday, April 25th. While we understand there are illnesses, appointments, etc. that come up, we appreciate your help in making sure your student is present on testing days. Testing will be administered by grade level, please see the chart below for details.

GRADE SCIENCE WRITING READING MATH
6 None April 2: 8:05-10:00 April 15 8:05-12:00 April 22: 8:05-12:00
7 None April 3: 8:05-10:00 April 16 8:05-12:00 April 24: 8:05-12:00
8 March 27: 8:05-11:00 April 4: 8:05-10:00 April 17: 8:05-12:00 April 25: 8:05-12:00
9 March 28: 8:05-11:00 N/A N/A N/A

Summer School
Registration for Summer School at Glendale Prep has begun. We will be offering two courses this year, Pre-Algebra Readiness (see a list of topics covered here) & Reading-Formal Writing Readiness (see a list of topics covered here ).

Summer school will run Tuesday, May 28th through Thursday, June 20th. Courses will meet Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of each week and are scheduled conveniently, so students can take one or both courses. The schedule for the day will be as follows-

The Math Readiness class will be from 8:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. This course will be taught by Mr. Thompson, who teaches Geometry and Humane Letters at Glendale Prep.

The Reading and Writing Readiness class will be from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. This course will be taught by Ms. O’Rourke, who teaches 6th and 7th grade Literature and Composition at the Glendale Prep. This course will require the purchasing of A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle; 978-0312367541.

Students who attend both classes will have a lunch break from 11:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m.; students will need to bring their own lunch. The cost is $200 per course or $325 for both courses. Sign up here before Friday, May 4th. Summer school enrollment is limited. Students are enrolled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Students are permitted no more than 1 absence and/or 3 tardies during the entirety of the summer school program. Please email either Mr. Thompson; jthompson@glendaleprep.org or Ms. O’Rourke; sorourke@glendaleprep.org if your child will be absent.

Students will be required to wear the school uniform. Archway Uniforms are permitted. Regular uniform and behavioral policies apply; please refer to the Family Handbook, which can be found on the Glendale Prep website at www.glendaleprep.org. In addition, please feel free to contact Mr. Withers at zwithers@glendaleprep.org with any questions or concerns.

Credit Make-Up
Per school policy, students who receive an F in the second semester of any course at Glendale Prep will be required to make up the course over the summer in order to be promoted to the next grade level. Please contact Mr. Withers at zwithers@glendaleprep.org to see about summer classes that may satisfy a necessary credit.

Great Hearts Day at Chase Field
Join Great Hearts families from around the Valley to watch the Diamondbacks take on the Chicago Cubs at Chase Field. Purchase an exclusive Great Hearts discounted ticket (up to $35 off normal ticket pricing!).

Each participant has a chance to win one of the items/experiences below:

  • Four (4) complimentary lower-level tickets to a future game!
  • Pre-game: Watch batting practice from behind the on-deck circle!
  • Autographed D-backs item! Reserve your seats here!

Junior & Senior Promenade
The honor of your presence is requested at the Sheraton Grand Phoenix for Glendale Preparatory Academy’s 2019 Prom, on Saturday, April 27th at 6:30 p.m. It will be an elegant evening of dinner, dancing, and conspiracy that takes the classic game of Clue off the board and into real life. STRICT DEADLINE for permission form and ticket purchase is Sunday, April 21st. Get your tickets now on the payment portal!

All attendees are required to attend dance lessons prior to Prom. Seniors and their guests must attend three hours of lessons, juniors and their guests must attend five hours. Students can, of course, choose to attend more than the required amount. It is the responsibility of the student to speak directly with Ms. Roiger or Ms. McLoughlin right away if they have a conflict with the lesson schedule.

Only a few lessons remain: Tuesdays & Thursdays through April 25th from 3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m., and Saturday, April 13th from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. All dance lessons will take place in the Art Room. Students, please enter through the gym lobby on Saturday. 

Senior Dinner
All Seniors and up to two parents/guardians are invited to the Senior Dinner on Saturday, May 18th. Each senior will receive a tribute speech from a Glendale Prep faculty or staff member. Please RSVP to the Senior Dinner by emailing tmcloughlin@glendaleprep.org with attendee names by Friday, April 19th.

We ask all Senior parents to put together a photo collage of their child to be displayed at the Senior Dinner. Collages can span your graduate’s entire childhood, and may vary in size, but must not exceed the size of a poster board. Because collages will be displayed outdoors, photos should be placed in a frame (preferred, due to high winds) or firmly secured to your display. Please deliver your collage to the school by Thursday, May 16th.

Athletics
The athletic department is having the first meeting of the APO (Athletic Parent Organization). We will be meeting Thursday, April 18th at 6:00 p.m. in the Library at GP. All are welcome to attend and join the APO. Mr. Drake would like to also welcome Mr. Tim Terpstra as the chairman of the Athletic Parent Organization. If you have any question please email sdrake@glendaleprep.org.

We have a Middle School Football Skills camp for 5th-8th grade student-athletes on April 15th, 16th, and 18th from 5:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. on the Griffin Field.

College Counseling

Great Hearts is hosting a BYU Representative, Levi Heperi, on Tuesday, April 16th at 7:00 p.m. at North Phoenix Prep.

Emory, Johns Hopkins, Notre Dame, University of Virginia, and Washington University in St. Louis information session: Thursday, May 2nd at 7:00 p.m. at Phoenix Country Day School.

If you are interested in having your student participate in a Summer SAT Workshop in June, please email Mrs. Sarbacker at ksarbacker@glendaleprep.org. The workshop will begin with a practice test on Saturday, June 1st (8am – 12pm) and conclude with a second practice test on Saturday, June 15th (8am – 12pm). The group will meet Monday-Thursday (8am–12pm) from June 3rd through June 13th.  The cost for the workshop will be $399.

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

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

Websites and Links
Glendale Prep Website
Glendale Prep PSO Website
GP Athletics Website
“Like Us” on Facebook
2018-19 School Calendar
Event Calendar
Tutoring Schedule
Booster Items
GP Family Handbook
Payment Portal
Family Directory
Lunch Ordering – Password “griffins4”