- Great Hearts Glendale Prep, Serving Grades 6-12 - https://glendaleprep.greatheartsamerica.org -

Weekly Blast 10.16.2020

School Dates to Note:

  • Oct 19 – First Day of Quarter 2: Block A
  • Oct 19 – HS Symposium
  • Oct 29 – PSAT 9th-11th Grade
  • Oct 29 – Early Release 12:05 p.m. GP ONLY
  • Oct 30 – Last Day to Wear Shorts
  • Nov 4 – Picture Day
  • Nov 6 – Early Release 12:05 p.m.
  • Nov 11 – Veteran’s Day/No School
  • Nov 25 – Early Release 12:05 p.m.
Table of Contents:

  1. A Note From Headmaster [1]
  2. New Team Addition [2]
  3. Travel Guidelines [3]
  4. Pick Up & Drop Off [4]
  5. Project Week [5]
  6. PSAT 9th-11th Grade [6]
  7. Uniform Policy Reminder [7]
  8. Picture Day [8]
  9. College Counseling [9]
  10. GP Athletics [10]
  11. Front Office Visitors [11]
  12. GP Block Schedule: Regular & Half Days [12]
A Note From Headmaster

Hello Parents,

We are so excited for our return to Quarter 2 on Monday, August 19th. Middle School students should be prepared to turn in their Project Week assignments either Monday or Tuesday, depending upon when they have the relevant class. The High School Symposium will provide a packed first day for our High School Students. We are excited to have our beloved friend and colleague, Mr. Brandon Crowe, as our guest for the day; he will be giving our keynote address, spending time with students in seminar, and participating in our final panel discussion over Willa Cather’s O Pioneers.

We are very much looking forward to a wonderful Quarter 2 as we have many students returning from distance learning. As always, with any significant change, we ask for your patience and care as we maneuver schedule changes for middle school students, acclimate returning students to our new schedule, and work through any first day challenges with drop off and pick up. I am hopeful the processes will run smoothly, and we will adjust quickly if needed.

Have a great weekend,

Mr. Navarrette

New Addition to Our Team; Change of Roles
We are excited for Ms. Schae-Ann Like to join our administrative team. Ms. Like comes to us from serving at Basis Peoria for a number of years and has coached high school and middle school volleyball for Glendale Prep over the last two years. She will serve as a 2nd Office Manager, taking on various responsibilities and roles previously filled by Mrs. Hayakawa and Mrs. Mooberry, while also supporting College Counseling. Please join me in welcoming her to our community.

I think it is important that we provide a general overview of the various roles, so you know exactly whom to contact if you ever need assistance.

Mrs. Hayakawa, Office Manager of Communications, Enrollment, and Budget. She oversees enrollment, parent/school communication (mainly through the weekly blast), monitors budget, and manages our front office staff.

Mrs. Mooberry, Director of Operations. She oversees facilities, technical support, onsite school events, and safety/health protocols.

Ms. Like, Office Manager of Attendance and Scheduling. She will oversee attendance, scheduling, onsite standardized testing, College Counseling support, and senior events.

Travel Guidelines
If your family traveled to another country while on Fall Break, please keep in mind the Great Hearts guidelines on international travel (including Mexico).
Per our Health Policy:

  • Students and staff must stay home for 5 days from the time of returning home from international travel AND receive a negative COVID test 5 days or more after returning.
  • Or stay home for 14 days from the time of returning home from international travel without a COVID test. During this 14-day period, take these steps to monitor your health and practice social distancing:
    • Take your temperature with a thermometer two times a day and monitor for fever. Also, watch for cough or trouble breathing.
    • Stay home and avoid contact with others. Do not go to work or school.

Please see the following link to read the Policy in its entirety: https://www.greatheartsamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GH-Health-Policy-revised-8.11.20.pdf [13]. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Sarbacker [14] our COVID Coordinator.

Pick Up & Drop Off
We are asking families to revisit the pick-up and drop-off procedures, especially if you are dropping off and picking up for the first time this school year (see the map linked below). Share the procedure and plan for timing with all drivers who will be picking up your child. Please expect drop off to take a bit longer now that more families have chosen in-person learning for Quarter 2. It is important you plan to precisely time picking up students to ensure you will not have to exit and re-enter the campus. Dismissals continue to be staggered, so not all students will be ready for pickup on the curb at the beginning of dismissal, and students must be picked up at their grade level location. If you are picking up multiple students in different grades, we strongly recommend you arrive on campus at the time of the student with the latest dismissal time, because vehicles will be waved to keep moving in the passing lane and cannot wait in the designated student waiting area. Click here [15] to view the drop-off and pickup procedures and map.

If you have children at both Archway Glendale and Glendale Prep, please drop them off at the same location. Vehicles that drop off students on the north curb near the Glendale Prep gym, should NOT continue to the east curb to drop off additional students. Archway Glendale’s leadership strongly recommends that families dropping off both Archway Glendale and Glendale Prep students use the east curb only.

Project Week/Independent Study Week
This week, all students should have completed their independent study assignments.

MIDDLE SCHOOL
Middle school students will submit their assignment on the first day back in the class in which it was assigned (Monday, October 19th is a Block A day, Tuesday, October 20th is a Block B day).

6th Grade Lit/Comp:
The Magician’s Nephew, ISBN: 978-0064471107 Assignment is linked here [16].
7th Grade Life Science:
All Creatures Great and Small, ISBN: 978-1250057839 Assignment is linked here [17].
8th Grade Medieval History:
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (Tolkien translation), ISBN: 978-0345277602 Assignment is linked here [18].

HIGH SCHOOL 
All high school students will submit their assignments on the first day back and will culminate with the Humane Letters Symposium, a day-long academic conference that will feature seminars and guest lecturer, Mr. Brandon Crowe. The school will be providing pizza for high school students and therefore, 9th-12th grade students should NOT order/pack a lunch unless there are specific dietary needs. The PSO will be providing snacks for breaks throughout the day as well.

9th -12th Grade Humane Letters: O Pioneers! By Willa Cather, ISBN: 978-1593082055 Click to order: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/o-pioneers-willa-cather/1005704522 [19]Assignment is linked here. [20] 

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.

PSAT 9th-11th Graders
Each fall Glendale Preparatory Academy provides all freshmen, sophomores, and juniors the opportunity to take the PSAT test, which is a predictor test for the SAT. For juniors, it is the qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship competition. Although only scores from the junior year are considered for the National Merit Scholarship competition, we also offer it for sophomores and freshmen. Taking the PSAT is a good opportunity for students to become familiar with both the PSAT and the SAT. This year the PSAT test will be administered on Thursday, October 29th at 8:00 a.m.

Prior to the PSAT, we will hold a Pre-Administration Session to have students fill out their identifying information on the answer sheets. This will reduce extra test day activities and allow the students to focus on the test the day of the PSAT. Brick and Mortar students will complete their pre-administration session during their Humane Letters’ class on campus. Students who are Distance Learning and wish to sit for the PSAT on October 29th must attend a Pre-Administration Session on Tuesday, October 20th at 7:00 p.m. (updated time) on campus. We will send out a reminder with details a few days prior. This is the only time available for Distance Learning students to complete this and it MUST be completed to participate in the PSAT. If your student is unable to complete the Pre-Administration Session, they will not be able to participate in the PSAT. In order for us to pre-arrange appropriate social distancing, all GHDL students who will be attending the pre-administration session must sign up for this session.  Please click here to sign up for the pre-administration session on 10/20/2020 at 7:00PM [21].

Uniform Policy Reminder
Beginning Monday, November 2nd, only pants and skirts may be worn to school. Shorts may not be worn again until after Spring Break. As a reminder, gentlemen may not wear white or ankle socks with pants. “Socks must be dark or tan in color, solid-colored, and free of logos or patterns.” The last day to wear shorts will be Friday, October 30th.

Picture Day
You can simplify Picture Day by ordering online at mylifetouch.com [22] with Picture Day ID: EVT33P26S. Use offer code: PREMIUM to get 20% off online. Additional background options are available, and there is no need to send your order form back to the school when ordering online. If you need to pay with a check or cash, please instruct your student to give their order form with payment directly to the photographer. *Seniors are required to wear a blazer; one will be provided if needed.

College Counseling

  • TRI-STATE VIRTUAL FINANCIAL WEEK: Our in-state universities are offering several webinars related to financial aid during the week of October 19-24th. Follow the link [23] for a detailed schedule and registration.
  • THE YOUNG LEADERS YOUTH SUMMIT: This virtual event is for students ages 12-18 taking place on December 19-23. Click the link [24] for application information.
  • PSAT DAY: On Thursday, October 29th, all 9-11th grade students will be taking the PSAT. Please be sure your student gets plenty of rest the night before, eats a good breakfast, and arrives to school on time.
  • SOPHOMORES, JUNIORS, AND SENIORS: Remember to frequently check the College Counseling Google Classroom for valuable information regarding upcoming events and assignments.

GP Athletics
Winter Sports Seasons
GP Athletics is proud to offer winter sports to both High School and Middle School student-athletes. Our winter start dates are November 9th for all HS sports and November 16th for all MS sports. Please keep an eye out for more details on tryout locations, coaches, and informational events.

Sports Highlights
Visit Glendaleprepathletics.com [25] for highlights and articles from this past week!

GP Photography
Our GP Photographers are now offering year-round photography! Visit glendaleprepathletics.com [26] for more information on how to retrieve one of their amazing shots of GP Athletic events!

Upcoming Games
Please visit Glendaleprepathletics.com [25] for game schedules and updates.

Each venue is different with its spectator guidelines. Please check with your head coach and or email athletics@glendaleprep.org [27] before you plan to attend.

Follow Us
Instagram – @gpathleticdept
Facebook – Glendale Prep Athletics
Twitter – @gpathletics

Thank you to our GOLD Level Athletic Sponsors:
Penny Chiropractic.
Pete King Construction.
Shipley Orthodontics.

Contact them today and tell them Glendale Prep sent you!

To join our Athletic Parent Board email gp_APO@glendaleprep.org [28] with your full name and the sport that your child participates in.

Front Office Visitors
To limit the exposure of Covid-19 to the campus we ask that students are prepared for school each day. Please ensure your child has lunch, books, homework,  mask, water bottle, and transportation plans before they arrive at school each morning. Lunches should only be dropped off on the rare occasion that lunch is accidentally left in the car or at home. Additionally, all PSO purchased items will be placed directly in your child’s locker if the student is an in-person learner. If the item is not there, please reach out to the PSO [29] (as we do not have access to those purchases). As an aside, we recommend students place a backup mask in their backpack or locker. Thank you for helping to keep our campus healthy and running. Please email any questions to attendance@glendaleprep.org [30] or call 623-889-0822.

*Please note that we will begin again with Block A after Fall Break.*