Weekly Blast 12.13.24

Hello,

I wanted to use this blast to share some words that I found inspiring from Mrs. Kratz at our Winter Instrumental Concert. Many people are unaware of the meaning of the term “liberal arts” and its connect to what we do at Glendale Prep. As you know, students do not choose their classes but are given a prescribed course of study that we believe provides the foundation to become a life-long learner. While most students might lament the lack of choice, it is an exposure to a wide range of studies that truly frees or “liberates” a student from the chains of ignorance. Here are the words Mrs. Kratz shared:

“By choosing this school, you are choosing for your child four years of music instruction that is usually reserved for those who “demonstrate musical aptitude” or “have an interest in music” or sometimes, simply those who happen to like the music teacher!

But no, we believe that enjoying music, learning music, and participating in musical activities such as this concert is part of what it means to be human and so, all of us deserve the opportunity to step into our humanity to a greater degree. This is a vital part of our growing-up years and will continue to be vital for the rest of our lives. I hope you parents of these curricular students have attended the required classical concert WITH your child and have engaged in the wonder and appreciation of beauty alongside them. May the enjoyment and performance of music be something that fills your home and family for years to come. This is our shared humanity.”

One more week before break!

Sincerely,

Mr. Navarrette

Headmaster

Homework Club

This is a reminder that Homework Club will not be available during the four days of Finals Week. Please plan on having your students picked up at the normal half-day time of 12:15. Homework Club will resume normal operation on the first day of Semester 2, January 9th.

Semester 1 Final Exams

As you know, the final week of Quarter 2 is devoted to Semester 1 Final Exams.  So that your students might best prepare, we would like to offer several tips to employ throughout this quarter.  It is also extremely important to communicate the final exam schedule and attendance policy for the week of conferences.

Semester 1 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 Q2 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 first semester and account for 10% of a student’s final semester 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 illness with a doctor’s note.

Family Giving

Did you know you can receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit on your Arizona taxes? The Arizona Public School Tax Credit allows Arizona taxpayers to contribute to the public school of their choice and receive a dollar-for-dollar credit on their state taxes!  Your tax credit contribution supports our extra-curricular and athletic programs, field trips, and character-building programs. Married couples can contribute up to $400 and single filers may contribute up to $200 each year.

All Arizona taxpayers can take advantage of the Arizona Public School Tax credit and support our school whether they have a student at GP or not. We ask every family to contribute their Tax Credit and invite your friends and family to help support GP as well! You have until April 15^th to contribute to use toward your 2024 taxes. Use this link to Donate to Glendale Preparatory Tax Credit Drive. Please reach out with any questions to Tammy Kempton, Family Giving and Community Engagement Officer, at tkempton@glendaleprep.org or 623-889-0822 ext. 1502.

7th / 8th Grade Dance

We are excited to announce the Middle School dance will be held on January 24^th from 6:00-8:00 pm and the theme is Anne of Green Gables. All 7th and 8th graders are invited to attend! Tickets are available until January 22^nd at 5:00 pm for $20 and can be purchased on the portal HERE. After this time, tickets will be sold at the door for $35 CASH ONLY and parents must accompany their students to pay for the dance and sign a permission slip before their children can be granted entry to the dance. Please take time to review the dress code HERE .

Lastly, phones must be brought in a zip top baggie marked with the student’s last name. They will be kept at check-in and returned at the end of the dance.

College Counseling

The Great Hearts College Symposium: This is an excellent way for families of 10th and 11th grade students to explore and interact with multiple colleges in a single event. Admissions representatives will give presentations on essay writing, financial aid, and more on Saturday, March 1st, from 3:15 PM to 6:00 PM. We strongly encourage all 10th and 11th grade students to attend the Symposium.

This event is held at Scottsdale Preparatory Academy (16537 N. 92nd St., Scottsdale, AZ 85260). To register, please go to StriveFair.com, where you will receive a personalized barcode for entry. All students must wear school uniforms when attending this symposium.

ASU High School Leadership Academy: The ASU Center for American Institutions is pleased to offer incoming high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors an opportunity to join them on the ASU Tempe campus on Monday, January 20, 2025, from 9:00 AM to noon and 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM during Martin Luther King Day, for their High School Leadership Academy.

Using the 2022 Supreme Court case 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis as a guide, students will participate in a mock trial, taking on the roles of attorneys representing 303 Creative LLC, Aubrey Elenis, the State of Colorado, or Supreme Court justices. Participants will choose which judicial role they want to explore in the trial. Students will also learn about the origins of religious liberty in America and the history of court challenges to religious freedom in the modern era. The fee to attend is $50. Scholarships are available for families who request them by emailing Roxane.Barwick@asu.edu by January 10, 2025.

ASVAB: The ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) test will be offered to all students on Wednesday, March 5th, 2025, after school at 1:00 PM. Testing will last approximately three and a half hours and students need to be picked up at 4:30 PM.  The ASVAB is a standardized test designed to assess a student’s aptitude for various occupations. While it can provide valuable insights into potential career paths, participation is voluntary. We understand that some parents may be concerned about the ASVAB, particularly its potential for military recruitment. Please be assured that, as a school, we do not send ASVAB information to any military office for recruitment. However, the option to send scores for military recruitment will be made available. Please only complete this OPT-out form if you want to prevent your child from participating.

Athletics

Game Schedules, Practice Schedules, and Events

The athletics website (https://greatheartsglendaleathletics.org) will have the most up to date information regarding all things schedules (games and practices). All middle school schedules are updated on the athletics website. A link will take you to each individual schedule. It is a tab at the top titled “MS Team Schedules”. All high school schedules are updated on the athletics website. Click the tab at the top titled “Sports and Activities.”

Home Game Support/Volunteering

We are looking forward to a great Winter Sports Season for all our High School Teams! The APO and the Athletic Department are in need of volunteers to help make our home events successful. Your support is crucial in ensuring everything runs smoothly and the kids have a great time.

Here is the link where all sign-ups are located. This sign up genius link has all of the home games along with the positions we need filled for basketball and soccer. This is also available on the athletics website!

https://signup.com/go/DosdZUv

CV5 Tournament

Join us for our 6th annual Carson Von Aspen 3v3 Basketball Tournament! Celebrate Carson’s life by doing one of his favorite things, playing basketball! Carson Von Aspen was an alumni who graduated in 2018 and played basketball with Mr. Roundy and was coached by Mr. Navarrette. He took his own life in the summer of 2018 and we continue his legacy through playing the game he loved. Come show support or enter in with a team on December 21st. The youth level (14 and below) will be from 11:30-1:30pm, and the adult level (15+) will be from 2:00-5:30pm. It is $90 per team, with up to 4 members per team. Please reach out to Mr. Roundy (nroundy@glendaleprep.org) with any questions you may have. Here is the sign up link: https://glendaleprep.configio.com/pd/1972/2024-cva5-3v3-basketball-tournament