GCA Weekly Update - 4th Quarter
3/22/24
Hello Spartan Community
ACT Testing and Arizona Youth Survey
Our Juniors will take the ACT on Tuesday, March 26th, the second day after we return from break. Remember to bring your fully charged Chromebook to school. All other students will have regular classes that day except for the classes you get to participate in the Arizona Youth Survey
Measles
You may have seen in the news that there have been two cases of measles in the East Valley
recently. While we hope that these are the last of the cases, it is important to acknowledge that
Measles is highly contagious, and this could impact our schools
at some point. Therefore, we would like to share some helpful and vital information with our
families. The illness typically starts with a fever, cough, and runny nose. It is soon followed by
a rash that typically begins at the head and soon covers the entire body. If measles does spread
into our school community, we will immediately start working with the Maricopa County
Department of Public Health (MCDPH), and you will be notified. Any students who are not
vaccinated will be identified, and MCDPH will determine when they can safely return to school.
Unvaccinated students may need to be out as long as 21 days, and if more cases arise, it could
be longer.
If you have any questions regarding measles or would like resources on vaccinations, please
reach out to our Health Office.
Great Opportunities
Steam Hackathon
See this Hackathon Recruitment Flyer
HONEYWELL – Robotics Club Competition
Honeywell sponsors an annual Robotic Competition with Diamondbacks partnership held in June. I encourage GCA to participate. There is grant money to support existing Robotic Clubs or to start a new Robotic Club, while the first three schools in placement will also receive a cash prize of at least $1000. You can contact me to be directed to the correct focal for the 2024 competition.
I would like to discuss a Gilbert District-wide Career Day event hosted by Honeywell’s All Abilities Employee Network US West Chapter in the Fall semester of 2024 and continuously annually. Who may be the focal and contact information for this discussion? Please feel free to pass my contact information to the district. Thank you.
(480) 809-5830
GCA Good Things
This is still a good thing.
Junior High Chess won another Championship. High Five Chess Team!
Our baseball team beat Miami 6-0 last night.
Put a Happy Birthday message on the Marquee. Messages are available for a $10 donation.
GCA Music News
Congratulations to our GCA choir members on a fantastic concert this week. What an incredible night of music-making. We are excited to see the pops concert in May!
Congratulations to Symphonic Strings on their EXCELLENT rating, Wind Ensemble on their EXCELLENT rating, and Symphonic Band on their GOOD rating at the ABODA Area Concert Festival this week. We are proud of all the hard work these students have shown this year and are excited about the growth that each ensemble has experienced this year.
Good luck to the 11 students auditioning for All-State music ensembles this weekend. We are proud of your hard work in preparing your auditions!
We are still looking for chaperones for these performance assessment field trips. We would love to have you join us! Here are the dates:
Tuesday 3/26- HS Choir
Wed/Thurs 3/27-28- Jazz Band
Friday 5/3- JH Choir
Friday 5/10- Concert Orchestra
Athletics
Monday, March 25 - No home games, but Jr high sports begin. Jr. high volleyball, baseball, and track
Tuesday - Tennis away, baseball away, Boys Volleyball home at 4:00,
Wednesday - JV baseball home @ 3:30, Beach volleyball home at Highland 6:00 pm
Thursday - Varsity Softball home at Mesquite Jr. Tennis home, and Boys Volleyball home @ 4:30
Friday - H.S. softball and baseball are away in San Carlos.
GCA Peer Tutoring Club
If you are in need of tutoring, please follow this link:
https://forms.gle/cFHe8hFtJoNkoZmK6
If you are interested in becoming a tutor, please follow this link:
https://forms.gle/jT8s5qoyPyDv3Jxq6Do you want to win scholarships and get accepted into a dream college?
Guarantee your child's success with MasterPrep. Our tutors are GCA students with nearly perfect scores who are here to guide your child through the tricky challenges of the SAT/ACT. We offer personalized, in-depth tutoring that caters to your child's unique learning style, ensuring they are well-prepared to achieve their dream score. Join the many students who have experienced their scores skyrocket and dreams come true.
Volunteer to be interviewed about your career!
Parents - Are you willing to be interviewed by a GCA Student about your profession?
We are creating a database as a tool for our students. This will provide a list of professionals they can contact and interview to learn more about their possible career choices.
Please take a moment to open this form and fill out the questionnaire.
GCA Counseling Corner
Christy Kline, Christina.kline@gilbertschools.net Guidance Counselor
Beth Brewer, Beth.brewer@gilbertschools.net College Center Coordinator
The Counseling Dept and College Center now have a webpage with a ton of useful information!
Information about the upcoming changes with the FAFSA will be on under the “Opportunities and Helpful Links” page soon.
Please feel free to contact us at any time with concerns or questions. Throughout the year, we will be seeing students for grade-level classroom advisement and also on an individual basis.
Mental Health Counselor
If you are concerned about your child’s mental health or need family support, please don’t hesitate to contact me at aisling.sansevere@gilbertschools.net.
Be ready for the 4th quarter sprint,
Dan Hood Ed.D.
Principal
Gilbert Classical Academy