Weekly Blast 04.25.25

Hello Parents,

In the last blast, I showcased Robotics. This week, I want to share with you about Griffin Players, our drama production company that was created by Mrs. Milliken-Mobbs with the tradition carried on by Mrs. McCauley. What you may not know is this- for next year, there is a faculty play! Here is the cast of the Griffin Players performance of Arsenic and Old Lace, by Joseph Kesselring:

Abby Brewster                     Mrs. Innes

Martha Brewster                  Mrs. Dunphy

Mortimer Brewster               Mr. Crabb

Teddy Brewster                    Ms. Rathbun

Elaine Harper                       Ms. Ong

Officer O’Hara                      Ms. Mahoney

Jonathan Brewster               Dr. Ziegler

Dr. Einstein                           Mrs. Kratz

Dr. Reverend Harper             Mr. Navarrette

Mr. Witherspoon                    Ms. Peart

Lieutenant Rooney                Ms. Christensen

Officer Brophy                       Coach Kontak Sr.

Officer Klein                           Coach Kontak

Mr. Gibbs                               Mr. Martin

Enjoy some pictures of auditions and the casting deliberation.

A Note from the Health Office

If your student currently has medication in the Health Office, please remember to pick it up by the last day of school. Medication has to be picked up by an adult and will not be sent home with the students. Please reach out with any questions.

8th Grade Promotion

It is our pleasure and honor to invite you to the Eighth-Grade Promotion Ceremony. The event will be held on Wednesday, May 21^st from 5:00-6:00 p.m. at the Glendale Preparatory Gymnasium.

This day is an early release day. Students will report to the gym immediately after school at 12:15 for lunch, which will be pizza. They will then conduct a rehearsal and can be picked up by 1:15 p.m.

Students must be back to campus, entering through the Courtyard at 4:45 p.m. to gather back-stage. Parents will be admitted at 4:45 p.m. through the gym lobby doors.

The student dress code for this event is:

• Boys must wear dress pants, a belt, a collared dress shirt, dark socks, and appropriate shoes. Ties or bowties are optional.
• Girls must wear modest dresses/skirts or dress pants with a blouse and appropriate shoes. No strapless, off-the-shoulder, one shoulder, halter tops or spaghetti strap tops. Skirt and dress length must be no shorter than two inches above the knee.

• Clean sneakers or tennis shoes allowed, dress shoes are preferred.

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

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!

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 an 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

Calling all Griffin families!

We are excited to announce that May 6th marks our third annual Great Hearts Day of Giving! We are reaching out to you today to ask for your help to make it a success.

Our dedicated teachers at Glendale Prep make it possible for us to provide our students with the best classical education through the pursuit of truth, goodness, and beauty.

We invite you to join us in celebrating our teachers and students by donating to our Community Investment campaign. Every donation, no matter the size, will remain here at our academy and will be used to support our students and teachers in the classroom.

Stay tuned for more information on how you can get involved, including ways to spread the word and help us reach our fundraising goals.  Please reach out to Tammy Kempton, Family Giving Officer, at tkempton@glendaleprep.org with questions!

College Counseling

Reel Memories Film: The Ultimate Graduation Keepsake! Reel Memories is run by a current GP student who transforms your photos and videos into a custom, professionally edited short film that captures the essence of your graduate’s accomplishments and the joy of this special time. Learn more and create a lasting memory here: https://reelmemories.store/

See a sample of his work here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFJoIA2TXjw

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!

Spring Sports Awards

The spring sports awards will be held on Monday, May 12^th. As in the past, there will be two ceremonies. Middle school will begin at 5:30 PM. High school will begin at 7:00 PM. Reach out to your teams coach with any questions.

Wiffleball Tournament

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