| A Note From Headmaster
Hello Parents,
Great Hearts President, Erik Twist, sent a letter to all families within our network. This letter commended teachers for the wonderful job they did in Quarter 1 and continue to do in Quarter 2, thanking them for essentially teaching two classes each period to serve our students onsite and online. As I shared with you after Quarter 1, the current model is not sustainable; Mr. Twist’s letter affirmed this as well.
We need a Semester II plan to relieve the burden of teaching blended classes (a class with students onsite and online). We were able to relieve this burden for only some of our teachers in Quarter 2 and hope to build on those adjustments for Semester II.
Here is our operating principle- The best way to eliminate a blended class is to section students in such a way where we have fully onsite classes and one fully online class.
To apply this principle to all teachers, particularly high school teachers, is very difficult given our foreign language, fine arts, and senior options classes. We can only begin to formulate a plan if we know which students will be onsite and which students will be online. So, we are asking that you make an informed decision very soon, so we can build out our Semester II plan. As stated in Mr. Twist’s letter, all parents must complete the survey of their preferred full-Semester II path by Friday, November 20th. Again, to ensure the effectiveness of our plan, your decision is for Semester II and cannot change. A student who begins onsite cannot move online; likewise, a student who begins online cannot return onsite. Any onsite student who may need an extended absence will work directly with teachers on missing assignments, missed lessons, and tutoring.
If you have not done so already, please complete the survey linked here [13].
I understand that it can be difficult to make this decision because you are unsure of what Semester II will look like for distance learners. I will have a Zoom Town Hall regarding Semester II initial planning on Tuesday, November 10th from 5:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. My hope is that what I share and a time for question and answers will provide you with the information you need to make the best decision for your child.
Here is the Zoom information-
https://greathearts.zoom.us/j/95716886425?pwd=UjIwZndad0hsMHBDZzVPcUdmZmZxdz09 [14]
Meeting ID: 957 1688 6425
Passcode: 4dzrVb
Sincerely,
Mr. Navarrette
Military Identifier (Optional)
The adoption of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) recognizes military-connected students, such as students with a parent on active military duty. The Military Student Identifier (MSI) questions listed below, will provide educators with critical information to personalize attention for military dependent children. Parents/Guardians may decline to respond to these voluntary questions. If a parent/guardian declines, the answer will be marked as a “no.” Parents/Guardians will not be asked to verify their military status by showing a military identification or other DOD documentation.
If questions below apply to your student, please click here [15], which will notify Mrs. Hayakawa [16] of your student’s name and the question(s) you are responding “yes” to so that Glendale Prep can accurately update the information in their system as needed.
· Is the student a dependent of a member of the United States military service in the Active Duty Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard?
· Is the student a dependent of a full-time member of the National Guard, or Reserve Force of the United States Military (Army, Navy, Marine Corps or Air Force.)
· Is the student a dependent of a member of the National Guard, or Reserve Force of the United States Military (Army, Navy, Marine Corps or Air Force.)
We ask that all families respond no later than Monday, November 30th. If you have any additional questions, please reach out to your academy directly.
Spirit Week
GP is excited to announce Spirit Week will be Monday, November 16th – Friday, November 20th! Start putting your outfits together! All Week: Young ladies who wish to paint their nails blue or gold may do so. Click here [17] to view the Spirit Week guidelines to ensure that your spirit week is a memorable one!
- Monday, November 16th: Crazy Sock & Scarf Day
- Tuesday, November 17th: Locker Decoration Contest
- Wednesday, November 18th: Blue & Gold Day
- Thursday, November 19th: GP T-Shirt & Jersey Day [18]
- Friday, November 20th: Literary & Historical Figure Day
If you have questions about the dress guidelines for any of the days, please contact Mrs. LeTrent [19].
2019-2020 Yearbook
LAST CHANCE to purchase last school year’s yearbook! Click here to purchase online [20] and the yearbook will be placed in your student’s locker within 24 business hours.
Community Investment & Tax Credit
VOTE to support our teachers and students by giving to our Community Investment campaign…OR…VOTE to support our Tax Credit campaign! Either way, it’s a WIN! Now, that’s a decision we can all agree on!
- Click here [21] to make a gift to Community Investment.
- Click here [22] to make a gift to the Arizona Public School Tax Credit Program.
Thank you!
COVID Corner: Primary vs Secondary
We have had some questions regarding when we quarantine a student. It comes down to how they are classified as a contact.
- A “primary contact” (also referred to as a “close contact”) is someone who has been within 6 feet of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 for an accumulated time of 15 min or more over a period of 24 hours
- A “secondary contact” is someone who has been within 6 feet of a “primary contact” for an accumulated time of 15 min or more over a period of 24 hours
Our process only quarantines primary contacts. The CDC and Maricopa County Health Department (MCHD) both recommend that primary contacts quarantine for a full 14-day period. This is because the COVID-19 virus can take anywhere from 5-14 days to incubate, so in compliance with this recommendation and to prevent any spread within our community we will require all close contacts to remain in quarantine for the full 14 days. People in quarantine should stay home, separate themselves from others, monitor their health, and follow directions from their state or local health department. Here at Glendale Prep this means that your student may not be on campus and will not be able to participate in any school activities during this time if he/she is identified as a “primary contact.” If you have any questions regarding our COVID policies, please contact Mrs. Sarbacker at ksarbacker@glendaleprep.org [23].
Prepared for the School Day
Please ensure your child has their 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. This is a great habit to instill in our children at a young age and limits the amount of traffic during the busy lunch hour in the front office. Thank you for your partnership.
School Pictures for Distance Learners
Distance Learning Students
We want YOU in the 2020-2021 yearbook! There are two ways to get your student’s photo in the yearbook:
- Make an appointment to go into the Lifetouch Studio on 12/10, 12/11, or 12/14 from 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Call 480-296-2880 extension 4 to make an appointment.
- Take a good quality picture of your student following the guidelines below and email it to our Yearbook Coordinator, Mrs. Park, at your earliest convenience at lpark@glendaleprep.org [24].
- Pictures must be from mid-chest and up
- The background must be neutral and solid in color
- Students must follow all uniform guidelines including hair, jewelry, make-up, etc. Click here [25] to review the Family Handbook uniform policies
- Seniors are asked to wear a blazer and tie
Students must comply with the Family Handbook for pictures to be accepted for the yearbook. IF a picture is submitted and does not meet the GHA criteria, it will be rejected and a request to submit a new one will be made.
College Counseling
- JUNIORS AND SOPHOMORES: We are offering a virtual at-home ACT Practice Test on Saturday, November 14th at 8:00 a.m.-noon. The test will be proctored through video instruction accessed through the student’s computer. At the completion of the test, students will enter the test answers into a secured site for a detailed analysis of the test. The College Counseling Department will use this information to help students determine which test (ACT vs. SAT) is best for them. Cost is $10, please make checks out to North Valley Learning, LLC, and bring check directly to the College Counseling Department. Register your participation HERE [26]
- SENIORS: Make sure you have completed the FAFSA [27] as soon as possible. Colleges and universities utilize this form to determine financial aid and many require it on file to distribute merit aid scholarships.
- SENIORS, JUNIORS, AND SOPHOMORES: Remember to frequently check the College Counseling Google Classroom for valuable information regarding upcoming events and assignments.
Great Hearts Enrollment
Understanding the enrollment process can be confusing. Below are some details that will help you navigate the process.
- ROLLOVER for waitlisted families who are not currently attending a Great Hearts school ends November 6th. If a student is not offered a spot for this school year, and the student’s waitlisted application is eligible to rollover to the next school year’s waitlist, a parent can “rollover” the application for the following school year. This will help them move up the waitlist faster than submitting a new application for 2021-2022. These rollover applications will be ahead of new, incoming, applications. It is crucial that families do not miss the rollover deadline set by the Lead Office and Academy to ensure the student’s application is moved to the next year’s waitlist. Also, applications cannot roll over from one school to another school, please note all Archway and Preps are separate schools. Furthermore, applications received after August 15, 2020, for the current school year are NOT eligible to roll over onto the waitlist for the next school year.
- OPEN ENROLLMENT begins November 9th. This is for students who are not current students and who do not have an application on the waitlist yet or their application was created after August 15th, 2020. If you have a child that will be starting 6th grade for the 2021-2022 school year, Open Enrollment is when you want to apply. Any application submitted during the open enrollment period is eligible for a lottery. When academies receive more applications than there are seats available, a lottery is held to help order a waitlist and keep the offers given for grade positions fair. Please note siblings and Archway graduates are given a priority. Each year we provide Info Night so potential families can get to know what we do at Great Hearts schools and how our community is different. This year the session will be virtual on November 17th beginning at 6:00 p.m. Share this link [28] with family and friends that are interested in a Great Hearts school.
- RE-ENROLLMENT begins in March and is for students who currently attend Glendale Prep. Any guardian/parent of a current student who plans to return the following school year to Glendale Prep must fill out re-enrollment paperwork to confirm the student’s intent to return. If a student does not plan on returning to GP, a parent/guardian should elect “No” on the re-enrollment paperwork. This will result in the withdrawal of the student for the following school year and will allow us to offer that position to another student waiting to receive an offer.
GP Athletics
Winter Sports Seasons
The official start dates have been postponed. We are working closely with Great Hearts and the AIA to determine the most effective start date. Please keep an eye out for more details on tryout locations, coaches, and informational events for information on the Winter sports season. In the meantime, please make sure that you register your athlete via registermyathlete.com [29]. We hope to have an update soon.
Winter Metrics:
Please note, in order to start the upcoming winter seasons, the AIA and GHMSL are required to be within the “Start-to-Play” metrics. These metrics will be released in the coming weeks and will determine whether or not sports can continue like the Fall sports season. Please stay tuned for updates.
Winter Sports Offered
- Baseball – MS ONLY
- Softball – MS ONLY
- Soccer (Boys/Girls) – MS/HS
- Basketball (Boys/Girls) – HS ONLY
- Middle School Cost (Soccer, Baseball, and Softball): $250.00
- HS Cost (Soccer, Basketball): $290.00
*Payment Portals open after the start of athlete evaluations.
Sports Highlights
Visit gpathleticdept – Instagram, Glendale Prep Athletics – Facebook, or glendaleprepathletics.com for highlights!
GP Photography
Our GP Photographers are now offering year-round photography! Visit glendaleprepathletics.com for more information on how to retrieve one of their amazing shots of GP Athletics events!
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 [30] with your full name and the sport that your child participates in. |