Weekly Blast 05.16.25

Hello Parents,

For my second-to-last blast, I want to share about my favorite tradition at Glendale Prep- The Senior Dinner. At this event, seniors, their parents, and faculty enjoy a time of looking at senior photo collages, sharing a meal with parents and teachers, and hearing a speech brought by one faculty member, who shares about how each senior has impacted our community, noting the talents, virtues, and memories of their time at Glendale Prep. We truly see the beauty of our teachers’ words come alive as they have spent years with these students, coming to know and love them. It was indeed a special night. I wanted to share with you some of the words our teachers express about seniors (anonymously, of course):

*** is one of the most graceful people I know. You see, I would propose that true grace is being at ease in yourself and helping put others at ease. True grace is the ability to laugh when you bump, blunder, and blather – because your pride is not on the line.

This quality of action, of fully doing what you are doing, is rare and beautiful. Rare because it is hard to fully commit oneself without knowing how it will be received. So called “cool” postures lean back, do things as a joke, and even sneer at sincerity. I suspect ***** is even constitutionally incapable of that pose, and I love him for it!

Students need teachers who can inspire them, who are slow to anger, and who are capable of having a deep and profound appreciation for beauty. **** has all of these traits, and I do sincerely hope you try teaching, at least for a little bit.

Another ancient wisdom tradition has it that “the one who knows speaks not,” a proverb which also puts me in of ****** –not, to be sure, because she never speaks, but because she exemplifies the underlying psychological truth that the only one truly possessed of knowledge and wisdom tends to not flaunt it.

It was the best three hours of the school year!

One more week,

Mr. Navarrette

Headmaster

Textbook Return – Finals Week

We will be collecting textbooks after each final during finals week, May 19th-23rd. Please work with your child to be sure he or she has all textbooks, and they are in reasonable condition (erase any markings and tape any torn pages). Please help your student(s) be prepared to bring each textbook to that class’s final. Families are responsible for any missing or excessively damaged textbooks.

Below are examples of books for each middle school grade; HERE is the link to all textbooks, so you can be aware of what books your child should be returning.

Locker Cleanout -Thursday

Does your student have paper, index cards, or even locker shelves he or she does not need? Instead of throwing them away, please consider donating them! To encourage a spirit of giving this year, donation bins will be placed near lockers, so students have the option of donating items in good condition they do not want to bring home. We will collect and sort them for students who need them for next school year.

Suggestions for donated supplies are: unopened packages of index cards or binder paper, unused spiral notebooks, index card storage boxes, packs of pencils or pens, books in good condition, locker shelves, and other locker décor in good condition.

Donations will be greatly appreciated! Please discuss this option with your student or remind your student to bring these items home if you would like to save them for next year.

Please contact Dr. Ustach at custach@glendaleprep.org with 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.  For questions, email Mr. Roper for High School at broper@glendaleprep.org and Mrs. Selle for Middle school at rselle1@glendaleprep.org. Decisions will be made at the end of May.  Spots are limited.

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.

No homework club on the week of finals. Last Day of Homework Club is Friday, May 16^th.

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 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.

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

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. Questions? Please reach out to Tammy Kempton, Family Giving Officer, at tkempton@glendaleprep.org. Thank you!

College Counseling

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

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!

Wiffle Ball Tournament

On Memorial Day, Monday, May 26, the athletic department is hosting a wiffle ball tournament on the GP field. The tournament will begin at 6:00 PM. There is a 16-team limit with each team consisting of 4 to 6 players. Teams can be made up of students, friends, parents, or anybody willing to play. Here is the link to register: https://glendaleprep.configio.com/pd/2091/2025-wiffle-ball-tournament

Volleyball Meeting

On Tuesday next week (5/20), there will be a family meeting for all middle school and high school volleyball families in the gym at 5:30 PM. This will be an opportunity to meet Coach Rae and get more information about summer volleyball workouts along with general program information