Weekly Blast 04.17.25

Hello Parents,

As we prepare to enjoy the three-day weekend, I wanted to honor Mr. Roper, Mrs. Selle, and our robotics team. As you read this, they are competing against the very best in the nation in Texas! From Mr. Roper’s texts, I have come to realize that the students are thrilled, excited but also may be a bit intimidated coming from a small school in Peoria, AZ. What I shared with Mr. Roper is that while the team will walk into a huge arena venue with feelings of insecurity, they must remember that the competition, the measurements, the experience, etc. is all the same.

What we hope for as well is that the result will be the same. We will win!!!

I am so proud for what our students are able to experience outside the classroom (choir, drama, robotics, poetry, athletics, and the list goes on). Parents, I very much know that our students could not balance academics and extracurricular activities without your support and labor of love. Thank you for partnering with us to make these crucial years so memorable.

2025-2026 Family Calendar

Please take a few minutes to review the calendar for next school year. Here are some items to note:

• The first day of school is Thursday, July 31, 2025.
• The high school retreat is August 27, 2025-August 29, 2025. Seniors go up on August 26, 2025.
• There is school on Monday, September 29, 2025, and Tuesday, September 30, 2025, then we will have conferences and project days Wednesday, October 1, 2025 through Friday, October 3, 2025.
• Fall Break is October 6, 2025-October 10, 2025.
• We will have the full week of Thanksgiving off, Monday, November 24, 2025, through Friday, November 28, 2025.
• The Winter break is Monday, December 22, 2025, through Tuesday, January 6, 2026. Students return to school on Wednesday, January 7, 2026.
• Spring Break is March 16, 2026-March 20, 2026.
• The last day of school is Thursday, May 21, 2026.

2025-2026 High School Retreat- Dates / Volunteers

We are excited to announce our annual 2025-2026 High School Retreat to Lost Canyon for rising 9th – 12th graders! Seniors will depart from Glendale Prep to Lost Canyon on Tuesday, August 26th for a 1 day/1 night senior retreat to then welcome 9th-11th grade students on August 27th. All high school students will return to Glendale Prep on Friday, August 29th. Discount pricing through April 30th HERE!

Prom

Once upon a time…

A secret garden awaits students as they dine and dance the night away.

Saturday, April 26, 2025
6-10PM
Blackstone Country Club

Cost: $125

Tickets can be purchased via the GP Payment Portal HERE.

STRICT DEADLINE for ticket purchase: FRIDAY, April 11th.

NOTE- you have the option to purchase a single ticket OR two tickets.  If purchasing two tickets, please email Mrs. Janssen to let her know who the second ticket is for.

Permission Slip AND Policies, & Dress Code 

Each attendee must return a signed Prom Permission Slip and Policies & Dress Code Agreement Form HERE.

STRICT DEADLINE for signed agreement forms: FRIDAY, April 11th.

Dance Lessons

Attendees (including non-GP students) are required to complete dance lessons prior to attending prom and must sign up for the lesson times they wish to attend using THIS link.

Juniors, Seniors and non-GP guests are required to attend four hours of lessons—two 2-hour lessons

Dinner

The meal will include a three-course salad, chicken dish, and dessert.
If you prefer a vegetarian dish or have specific food allergies, please note those on the permission slip.

Directions

Blackstone Country Club at Vistancia

12101 West Blackstone Drive

Peoria, AZ 85383

From the 303 freeway (Bob Stump Memorial Parkway) exit on Lone Mountain Parkway. After approximately 1 mile, turn right into the Blackstone Country Club Main Gatehouse. Please be prepared to give your name and event name to the guard. Continue on West Blackstone Drive for approximately 1 mile before turning left into the Club.

Semester 2 Final Exams

As you know, the final week of Quarter 4 is devoted to Semester 2 Final Exams.  So that your students might best prepare, we would like to offer several tips to employ throughout the remainder of the quarter.  It is also extremely important to communicate the final exam schedule and attendance policy for the week of conferences.

Quarter 2 Final Exam Preparation Tips

• Make corrections to graded tests and attend tutoring to review corrections with the teacher throughout the quarter.
• Save all returned tests to study from in preparation for final exams.
• Check in with each teacher on a regular basis and ask specific questions.
• Utilize the free account offerings at Quizlet.com to build study materials and review in preparation for each test OR begin making index card flash cards to prepare for tests and keep them to use again for finals.  If utilized, Quizlet will then combine any selected materials to better prepare for final exams.

Final Exam Week Schedule

Final Exam Attendance

Final exams are a culmination of the material students have learned through the entirety of the second semester and account for 10% of a student’s final grade in each course.  Please schedule appointments and vacations outside of the final exam testing window.

Students who miss a final exam due to illness with a doctor’s note will make up any missed final exams according to the following schedule. Unexcused absences or illness without a doctor’s note will result in the score of a zero for any missed final exam.

*Additional arrangements will be made with the Dean of Academics for any students who miss more than 4 Final Exams due to illness with a doctor’s note.

Academics

Limited Open Gradebooks

Glendale Preparatory Academy is excited to implement Limited Open Gradebooks for the 2025-2026 school year.  Our hope is to continually foster the strong partnership between students, parents, and faculty with the aim of student progress. While grades offer valuable feedback, our classical liberal arts approach emphasizes lifelong learning, intellectual and moral growth, and virtues beyond numerical scores. Increased transparency can enhance student engagement and help scholar-athletes maintain eligibility, but we urge families to focus on education’s higher purpose rather than mere grade performance.

Teacher gradebooks will open to parents through Power School on the third week of each quarter and will remain open for the duration of the quarter.  Assignment scores and teacher comments will be visible as they are entered by teachers. This initiative aligns with our belief that parents are primary educators and will provide better insight into students’ development in foundational habits like homework and participation.

Please be on the lookout for more information to come soon!

Edukit

Parents! Order your supplies for the 2025-2026 School Year.

We are excited to announce a partnership with Edukit to make ordering supplies and classics to keep easier for the upcoming school year.

Simply click THIS LINK, fill in your student’s information and order your supplies! The box will arrive to the school, ready for you to unpack at the bookstore event in July.

Family Giving

A heartfelt thank you to all our families, friends, faculty, and community members who contributed to our school through the Arizona Public School Tax Credit Program! Your generous support helps fund extracurricular activities, fine arts programs, athletics, and so much more for our students. Because of you, we’re able to offer enriching experiences that go beyond the classroom. We appreciate your commitment to our students and school community! Tax Credits are still rolling in. As we update our numbers, we will announce next Friday if we met our goal and if we will receive an additional R & R weekend! Questions? Please reach out to Tammy Kempton, Family Giving Officer, at tkempton@glendaleprep.org.

College Counseling

College Rep Visits: All visits are held during lunch and lyceum in Room 706. 9th-12th grade students interested in learning more about these schools are invited to attend.

What To Do During Summer: Summer is approaching, and Students are curious about what they can do during the summer. The following are a few options for summer programs here in Arizona:

In partnership with the Truman Presidential Library’s White House Decision Center, the ASU Center for American Institutions is pleased to offer high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors an opportunity to join us on the ASU Tempe campus on Thursday, July 24, 2025 for a High School Leadership Academy on “Ending the War With Japan.” The program will challenge students to step into the roles of President Harry S. Truman and his advisors to debate how and when to end the war with Japan and by extension end World War II. The goal of the exercise is for students to read declassified historical primary documents and discuss the issues surrounding President Truman’s decision. Students are not led to one or another conclusion; rather, as a group they are to reach a decision of their own on the topic. More information can be found here .

Athletics

Spring Sports Schedules

For game schedules, please use the athletics website (greatheartsglendaleathletics.org) for the most up to date information. Any changes to schedules will be updated on the website.

Athletic Sponsorship Information

For information to become an athletic sponsor, please reach out to Tammy Kempton (tkempton@archwayglendale.org) or John Kontak (jkontak@glendalerep.org). For families that have a business, this is a great opportunity to have visibility in the gym with a banner!

Whiffleball Tournament

On Saturday, May 17^th the PSO will partner with athletics to put on a whiffleball tournament on the field at GP. More details to come!

Great Hearts Day With The Dbacks

Great Hearts is partnering with the Dbacks on Friday, April 25th this spring to bring families and colleagues another Great Hearts Day at Chase Field with discounted tickets for the Dbacks vs. Braves on Country Night! Tickets include a free postgame fireworks show and a free postgame country concert, plus the opportunity to win game day experiences and prizes!