Independent Study Week & Conferences

Independent Study Week and Parent-Teacher Conference Information

Independent Study Week: October 21st-October 25th
Independent Study Week is an important part of the curriculum at Glendale Prep. During the week, all students will complete an independent study assignment at home (reading and writing) on a specific text related to a particular subject in their grade’s curriculum and will need to acquire this text prior to the beginning of Independent Study Week if they have not done so already. Students do not attend school that week.

MIDDLE SCHOOL
All middle school students will read a different book depending upon their grade level. Middle School (6th-8th Grade) Independent Study Week books were included in the Classics to Keep list that students were asked to purchase at the beginning of the school year. If your Middle Schooler does not own a copy yet the title and ISBN is provided below. 

6th Grade Lit/Comp: The Magician’s Nephew, ISBN: 978-0064471107
7th Grade Life Science: All Creatures Great and Small, ISBN: 978-1250057839
8th Grade Medieval History: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (Tolkien translation), ISBN: 978-0345277602

Upon their return on Monday, October 28th, middle school students will attend the Glendale Prep Middle School Symposium. The symposium will focus on the hope that learning can bring and how we as a community can learn to foster that hope in each other. Although the arrival and dismissal times of the day will be as normal, instead of their regularly scheduled classes, the students will take part in readings, seminars, group activities, a panel discussion, and hear alumni speakers (no previous preparation is required). We are hopeful that this day will become one that the middle schoolers look forward to each year and one which spurs them toward growth.

HIGH SCHOOL 
All high school students will read the same book in preparation for the High School Symposium. High School (9th-12th Grade) Independent Study Week books can be purchased on the GP Payment Portal while supplies last. All high school students read the same book. Reserve your High School Independent Study Week book here ^[1]. The last day to reserve your book through the payment portal will be Tuesday, October 8^th. All books will be placed in student lockers by Thursday, October 17^th. If supplies run out, you can still purchase a copy from your favorite vendor such as Amazon or Barnes & Noble using the correct ISBN provided below.

9th -12th Grade Humane Letters: The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck, ISBN: 978-0-14-018746-5
Note: Seniors will be required to complete the reading portion of the assignment; however, they will not be required to complete the written portion, in order to focus their writing attention on their Senior Thesis.

The assignment for high school students will culminate with the Humane Letters Symposium and on Monday, October 28th, a day-long academic conference that will feature inter-grade seminars and a guest lecture. Please note that students should order or pack a lunch as any other day. PSO will be providing snacks for breaks throughout the day.

Because we stress the importance of building a personal library, and annotating readings, we request families obtain their own copies of the required readings. However, if you cannot afford a copy the school is happy to provide one. Please reach out to Mrs. Hayakawa by Thursday, October 3rd so she can set a book aside a book for your child to borrow. Copies will remain the property of Glendale Prep and must be returned with no markings. All annotating must be completed on a separate sheet of paper.

All reading and writing for the assignment must be completed and brought to school on Monday, October 28th, and will be reflected in the 2nd quarter grade. Students should expect to spend approximately 20-25 hours working on their assignments over the course of Independent Study Week. Please support your children in planning a reasonable study schedule for that week in order to ensure that adequate time and effort is devoted to the completion of this important assignment.

Parent-Teacher Conferences: October 21st-25th
At least one parent/guardian of each student is expected to attend parent-teacher conferences. All conferences will be fifteen minutes long. The format will be a round-table discussion including the parent and a panel of the student’s teachers.

• 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students do not attend conferences but will complete a self-assessment in response to questions provided in the evaluation. Parents will bring the self-assessment to the conference.
• 9^th-12^th grade students are required to attend and lead their conference. Conversation will be based on a self-assessment written in response to questions in the evaluation.  Students will bring the self-assessment to the conference.
• *Students attending conferences must be in uniform.

A separate email will soon follow with a link to reserve a time slot for your conference. If you have multiple students at GP, you will receive separate emails with a unique link for each grade/section. Please do not send requests for conferences via email. Conferences are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis.

The schedule for conferences is as follows (high school conferences are determined by Humane Letters teacher):

Please be sure to read your student’s semester evaluations carefully prior to conferences. Student evaluations will be emailed to parents before Monday, October 21st. We have worked diligently to limit the number of schedule conflicts between teachers; however, please be aware that with more sections than ever, a number of teachers will likely have two conferences to attend per time slot. These teachers will move between conferences in time to meet with each family.

Please report to the front office at least 10 minutes prior to your scheduled conference time. Conferences are scheduled back to back; therefore, your timeliness is very important. We thank you in advance for your support in helping to make these important academic events a success.

Warmly,
Glendale Prep Leadership Team