Weekly Blast 05.09.25

Hello Parents,

This week was full of treats, appreciation, and gratitude. Our teachers were certainly blessed all week, probably gained a few pounds, but their hearts were full of love and gratitude. I want to recognize a few folks, even though I know that so many hands went into making Teacher Appreciation Week so special. Thank you:

• Bodzin family for always providing treats, particularly bagels!
• Mrs. Rogers for ten years of service on our PSO, and leading faculty lunches. You will be missed.
• Mrs. Haley for coordinating, buying, beautifying, and making sure our teachers are valued.

I want to end with sharing an email Mrs. Weaver, our calculus teacher, received from a graduate. It reveals the fruit of a teacher’s labor and the unity of our community.

Good morning,

I hope you are doing well. I wanted to reach out and tell you a few things.

In 11 days, I will be graduating with a degree in Finance from Baylor University, and the very last unit of my financial modeling course included some material from your calculus class. 

We are using matrix multiplication to calculate the variance and standard deviation of portfolios.

I find this material really interesting, and your classes have still proven useful four years later. This is not a standalone example, as I have noticed numerous times that my background in your course has helped me grip new material easier and conceptually understand the content. 

I wanted to express my gratitude and communicate that your teaching has made a difference in your student’s lives. 

Thank you,

Ryan Cullum  (Ryan graduated from GP in 2021)

Enjoy the weekend (two weeks left),

Mr. Navarrette

Headmaster

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.

Robotics is Recruiting

Glendale Prep’s middle school and high school robotics teams are recruiting for next year.  Please find information and the Google Forms to apply at the program webpage: link ^[1].  For questions, email Mr. Roper directly at broper@glendaleprep.org ^[2].  Decisions will be made at the end of May.  Spots are limited.

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 High School Retreat Dates

We are excited to announce our annual 2025-2026 High School Retreat to Lost Canyon ^[3] 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.

No homework club week of finals.

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 ^[4], 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

Thank you to everyone that has supported Community Investment! Every dollar donated stays at Glendale Prep to deliver a classical education and inspire a lifelong love of learning. Your commitment to our mission fuels everything we do. Together, we are shaping hearts and minds for a brighter future. If you have not yet had the chance to give, there is still time to help us reach our goal. Glendale Prep receives $1500 less per student per year from the state of Arizona than public district schools in our area. Your gift allows us to continue to provide the rich curriculum we do. Please use this link to donate today: Donate to Glendale Preparatory Community Investment ^[5]. Questions? Please reach out to Tammy Kempton, Family Giving Officer, at tkempton@glendaleprep.org ^[6]. Thank you!

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/ ^[7]

See a sample of his work here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFJoIA2TXjw ^[8]

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 ^[9], 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 ^[10] .

Athletics

Athletic Sponsorship Information

For information to become an athletic sponsor, please reach out to Tammy Kempton (tkempton@archwayglendale.org ^[11]) or John Kontak (jkontak@glendalerep.org ^[12]). 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.