ACP High School New Student Update

Hello, Future Knights!

On behalf of the faculty and staff, welcome to ACP High School and the Knight family!

I am excited for the upcoming school year and cannot wait to get to know each of you. I know we will have a great year, and I look forward to getting started.

This is the first of several New Student Updates you will receive before the school year begins. Expect at least one update per month between now and June. Starting in July, all new students and incoming freshmen will be included in our weekly Knightly Updates, which go out to all grade levels. These updates will provide important details about orientation, class schedules, student spotlights, activities, athletics, and much more. Please take a few minutes to read each update so you don’t miss key dates and information. Specifically, we want to ensure all families are aware of our Optional In-Person Registration Sessions, Math Placement Exams, and Incoming Freshman BBQ.

As you begin your high school journey at ACP, please know that I maintain an open-door policy and am always available to meet with students and families. If you have any questions, concerns, or ideas, do not hesitate to contact me. Also, if you haven’t already, please download the ParentSquare App, as it is our primary communication tool for families.

I hope the rest of your school year goes well, and I look forward to meeting you soon. Take care, and always remember to strive for the impossible and be extraordinary!

Welcome to ACP! Go, KNIGHTS!

Rob Bickes

Principal

Our counseling team sent an email earlier this week with important registration information, and we want to ensure all families have the opportunity to attend an in-person registration presentation.

We’re excited to welcome you and your student to campus next year! We understand that transitioning to high school comes with many questions, and we’re here to help. To support you through this process, our counseling team will be hosting optional registration presentations covering key topics such as course selection, graduation requirements, and other important considerations.

Each session will also include a Q&A opportunity; however, due to time constraints, we will not be able to meet individually with all incoming families. Reservations are not required - simply attend at a time that works best for your schedule.

Presentation Dates & Locations:

• Saturday, March 1 @ 9 - 11:30AM – ACPHS Performing Arts Center
• Tuesday, March 4 @ 5 - 6:30 PM – ACPHS Cafeteria
• Thursday, March 6 @ 5 - 6:30 PM – ACPHS Performing Arts Center
• Saturday, April 12 @ 9 - 10:30 AM – ACPHS Performing Arts Center

We look forward to seeing you soon!

ACPHS Counseling Team

As mentioned above, the ACPHS counseling team is hosting in-person sessions on 4 different occasions to help answer any registration questions you have for next school year. Please find contact information below but if you have specific questions on classes or would like more guidance, please plan on coming to one of the sessions. All course registrations are due by Friday, April 4th. We are hosting one in-person session after the deadline on April 12th. For families that come in-person on April 12th, we will accommodate changes but only for those families. In addition, math changes will also be taken into account after the deadline if the student is taking the Math Placement Exam. We appreciate your understanding of our deadlines. By limiting changes, it allows us to build a master schedule that helps with class sizes and ensure we can meet the needs of our students. More information regarding the Math Placement Exam can be found below in this newsletter.

New Student BBQ - one of our favorite events of the year is our New Student BBQ where each spring we welcome our new to ACPHS Students to our campus. The event is optional but over the last 4 years, we have had a great turnout and hope to continue the tradition this year. We have the majority of our teachers, administration, and upperclassmen leaders present to help build community right from the the start with our new, incoming students. While the majority of the attendees are typically incoming freshmen, all new, incoming students are invited regardless of grade level.

Please RSVP for our New Student BBQ which will be held Monday, May 19th. The event will be hosted by our ACPHS Link Crew to welcome all New to ACP students! The event will begin at 5:30pm and end at 7:30pm. We will begin the night in our main gym with a Pep Assembly from 5:30 to 6:30. We will then rotate out to our north practice field for a BBQ. We are excited to meet our future Knights! Please RSVP below by May 13th. Specific details regarding pick-up and drop-off will be sent out prior to the BBQ. For any one-off questions, please reach out to munguia.allysa@cusd80.com.

When: Monday, May 19th, 5:30 - 7:30pm

Where: ACPHS; Gym and North Field

RSVP: Please click here to RSVP for the BBQ

**This is a student only event. Drop-off and pick-up will occur in our west drop-off zone.

Freshmen Orientation - Monday, July 14th

Our Freshmen Orientation will take place at ACPHS, Monday July 14th. Freshmen Orientation is run by our ACPHS Link Crew Program. Each year, they do an outstanding job and we look forward to another great time this year. More details to come in our New Student Update Blasts on exact times and details, but we want to make sure families had the date as they plan for the summer. There will be no make-up orientation so we hope that all new students can make the event. Freshmen orientation is strictly an orientation, where there is not planned time for many logistical items. We highly encourage all freshmen to also attend the Day of the Knights (info below) to do things like walking course schedules, pay fees, or some other logistical items. Once again, we highly encourage freshmen students to not only attend Freshmen Orientation but also attend one of the Day of the Knights sessions. More info below on Day of the Knights.

Day of the Knights - Thursday, July 10th and Friday, July 11th

This upcoming year, we will be offering 2 different dates for our Day of the Knights, Thursday, July 10th and Friday, July 11th. Day of the Knights is a day for all students of all grade levels. It's a day where we will have the campus open for students to walk their course schedule, pay fees, pick up parking placards, and much more. Please save the date. We will be communicating exact times in our next update. Students can choose to only attend one of the dates.

ACPHS highly recommends that all new CUSD students complete a math placement exam to help us place the student in the most suitable math course. The math placement test is also open to current CUSD students. Our goal with the math placement test is to simply ensure that we start students off in the correct course. Within math education, we have students enroll from a variety of different schools and the placement test helps us take a data-based approach to ensuring that students enroll in the right math course on day one of their freshmen year. The Placement Test is only for students who are selecting a course other than Algebra 1. If you selected Algebra 1 as your 9th grade math course, you do not need to sign up for the placement test.

Families may select one of the following Math Placement Test dates. As a reminder, the test is optional but highly recommended. The test will be offered on the following 2 dates.

Option 1: Saturday, April 5th, 8am - 10am

Option 2: Saturday, April 12th, 8am - 10am

Both Testing sessions will follow the same time frame and logistics. Please see below for specifics for the day of testing.

Location: ACPHS Cafeteria

Pick up and Drop Off: Parents should pick up and drop off their students in the North Parking Lot adjacent to our school’s cafeteria. Click here for map and driving directions. The testing will take place in our school’s cafeteria. When testing begins, students will not have access to their phones. After the test is completed, students will be able to access their phones.

Check-in: Check-in will start promptly at 8am outside the cafeteria.

Testing: Students will be given exactly 60 minutes to complete their exam. Testing will begin at approximately 8:30am and end at 9:30am.

Check out: our goal is to collect exams and release students shortly after 9:30am. We will need all students picked-up by 10:00am.

Materials: Students should bring a calculator (scientific or graphing). If they do not have one, a calculator will be provided. Students should bring at least 2 pencils or pens. Students will use their writing utensil(s) to show work; however, the test is multiple choice and answers will be submitted through a computer. Scratch paper will be provided. Students do not need to bring a backpack. We want to keep everything as simple as possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does the student have to be an incoming freshmen to take the math placement exam?

A: The math placement exam is open to all students at all incoming grade levels to ACPHS. Although the majority of the students who take the test are incoming 9th grade students, we do have students 10th - 12th grade transfer students take the test as well to verify their math placement.

Q: How does the scoring work? When will I receive my score?

A: You will receive an email communication within 2 weeks of your testing date with your student’s score. If your score suggests that your student signed up for the correct course, the email will verify the course and no further action is needed. If your student’s score suggests that they should level up or down, parents will receive a phone call from ACPHS administration with options for making the change.

Q: Can we retake the math placement test?

A: Retakes are not permitted. The test is helping us to ensure the best math class for a student. If the administration suggests that your student should enroll in a different math course other than what was originally selected on your registration form based on the score, we ask that parents listen to the information. Over the past 3 years, ACPHS feels like the data and information given to parents to help select the best math course is valid and reliable. We ask that you trust our reccomendation.

Q: My student is currently an 8th grader at a CUSD junior high/middle school and has already selected their math course, can they take the placement test?

A: Yes. A current CUSD student is still allowed to take the test. As students from CUSD are typically placed in the correct course right from the start because of our vertically aligned curriculum, we do have have families that take this option each year to verify their student’s placement. You will be given your score just like non CUSD students and you can make an informed decision on your student's math course for next year.

Q: The registration information has a hard deadline for course changes, is there an exception for math?

A: Yes. For math. If your students is taking the math placement test, we do make schedule changes for these students if administration feels like it’s in the best interest of the student. If the administration recommends a different math course for your student based on the placement test score, you will get a phone call to go over the options. Like stated earlier, if we feel your student selected the right math course, then you will get an email verifying that the placement test score has verified what your student has chosen.

ACPHS Athletics wants to make sure you get all the information you need if your student is planning on playing sports next year at ACPHS. Please be sure to always check out our ACPHS Athletics' Website, https://www.acpknights.com/ to stay up to date with current information.

ACPHS Incoming Freshman Athletic Night, Wednesday April 2nd

On Wednesday, April 2nd, ACPHS will be conducting an Athletic Information meeting for all registered incoming 9th graders.

• 6:00 – 6:20pm General Athletics Presentation in the Main Gym
• 6:20 – 7:00pm Meet coaches from all of our sports in the Auxiliary Gym and get information on summer camps/clinics, tryouts, seasons, etc.
• 6:20 – 7:00pm Take a tour of our weight room and locker rooms, led by our Athletic Leadership Council members

Our school is committed to creating a student-led community where all students can voice their opinions and make a difference in their school environment. The student government is an excellent opportunity for students to develop leadership skills, learn about the democratic process, and represent their peers. As teachers, you are well-positioned to identify students who have demonstrated leadership qualities, initiative, and an interest in serving their community. The application process will begin soon, and interested students will have the opportunity to apply for class representative. The process will include submitting an application form and writing a personal statement. Applications are due by May 16th. Please reach out with any questions.

Click here to Apply for Student Government

Jeanette Noriega, Student Government Advisor

Noriega.jeanette@cusd80.com

It's very important that all of our incoming ACPHS families download the Parent Square App if they have not done so already. Parent Square is CUSD's main method of contact and we want to ensure our families do not miss any communications. Directions for downloading the app can be found below.

If you are new to CUSD, please create an Infinite Campus Parent Portal. Infinite Campus is our district's student information system, where you can access your student's grades, course schedule, and much more.

School Day Begins: 7:15 (gates close at 7:25)

School Day Ends: 2:15

Office Hours: 7:00-3:30

School Address:

4477 S. Gilbert Rd., Chandler, AZ 85249

Phone Numbers:

Administration: 480-424-8700

Attendance: 480-424-8703

Fax: 480-224-9268

Find us on the web: www.cusd80.com/acphs