Knightly Update July 21, 2024

We had a great start to the school year! The seniors did a wonderful job welcoming our students and they, along with our Link Crew members, helped our new Knights (teachers and students) when they had a question or needed assistance. All-in-all it was a very good start to the year, and I am looking forward to our first full week of school. My thanks to the entire Knight community for an awesome start.

I am always excited to share great things about our students, alumni, faculty, and school community in our weekly update. If you have anything you want me to share in our "Knights in the Spotlight" section, please email me. We have so many awesome things happening, and it is wonderful to have the opportunity to share these highlights with everyone, so don't be shy, share away, and send those amazing achievements my way.

This week, we hoped to distribute school-issued laptops to students who do not have a CUSD issued device. However only 35% of all ACP families have signed the CUSD 1:1 Device Agreement. This agreement must be signed every year regardless if your child already has a CUSD laptop or not. Please be sure to sign the CUSD 1:1 Device Agreement as soon as possible. Students who do not have this agreement submitted within Infinite Campus that do not have a CUSD laptop will not receive a laptop until the agreement is signed. I have received a few questions about whether students should check out a school laptop if they have their own device and the simple answer is, yes. Students can certainly use their own laptops if they wish, they do not need to use the devices provided by the school. However, they will be unable to receive support at school if there are issues with their device and we will be unable to push out important software that students may need. Additionally, students will NOT be permitted to take any online assessment (e.g., ACT, PSAT, AP, Common Finals, teacher generated online assessments) via their own device. Families can choose to decline the annual $25 protection fee, but all students should plan to get a school issued device and sign the CUSD 1:1 Device Agreement. If you or any of our students have questions about school issued laptops, please contact the office.

As a reminder, no schedule changes will be made. Hiring decisions along with courses offered were based on the requests students submitted last year. We are unable to accommodate course requests. We worked extremely hard to remind all students to be diligent in selecting their courses and corresponding alternate choices, and based on these requests the master schedule was developed and all seats filled. Students need to be prepared to hear that their request for a change in their schedule will be denied. We recognize the disappointment hearing "no" may cause, but we will be standing firm in denying schedule change requests this year. Thank you for your understanding.

With over 600 new Knights joining our school community, it will take some time for everyone to settle in and adjust to the new year. Please encourage your child to meet new people, get involved, and enjoy all that high school has to offer. We are a community of Knights, and the more we do to support one another and cheer each other on and build each other up, the better, stronger and more uKNIGHTed we will be!

I hope you have a great week. Thanks again to the Class of 2025 for helping to get the year off to a fantastic start; and thank you for choosing ACPHS. Enjoy your week.

Rob Bickes

Principal

Site events listed in bold.

Monday, July 22

• No events scheduled

Tuesday, July 23

• No events scheduled

Wednesday, July 24

• No events scheduled

Thursday, July 25

• 2:30-5:30 - Fall Musical Auditions, ACPHS Performing Arts Center & Room E111
• 6:00 - New Family Transition Meeting, ACPHS Auditorium (doors open at 5:45)

Friday, July 26

• 2:30-7:00 - Fall Musical Auditions, ACPHS Performing Arts Center & Room E111

Saturday, July 27

• 7:45 AM - StuGo Retreat, room D216

********

SAVE THE DATE

Meet the Teacher - Thursday, August 1 - 6:00 PM - Details below

First there was one, now there are two. We are beyond excited to announce that senior Sidharth Kanderi, joins Jishnu Nayak, in earning the highest possible ACT composite score possible, a perfect score of 36! Absolutely amazing that two members of our senior class earned a perfect score on the ACT. A simple testament to the caliber of students that walk our hallways. Congratulations to Sidharth for being among the best of the best and striving for the impossible and being extraordinary. Congratulations, we are very proud of you. Job very well done!

Congratulations to Dalton Magallanes (Class of 2028). At Monday's New Students Transition Meeting, all members of the freshman class were challenged to memorize our school's fight song, demonstrating their Knight Pride. The first student to see Mr. Bickes and sing the ACP fight song would win a cash prize along with other ACP swag. Dalton was the first student to share his singing and memorization skills with Mr. Bickes and took home the prize. Great job, Dalton. Way to start "makin' it happen" at ACP!

Don't know our school's fight song?? The lyrics are below. We hope to hear the entire Knight community singing our song with pride at various events throughout the year! Go, Knights!

Purple and Black

Purple and Black

Marching to victory!

Here’s to the fighting Knights of ACP

They will lead us on to victory

Always in our hearts, they’re number one

In the Valley of the Sun

The fighting Knights will always lead the way

Heed the battle cry to seize the day

Here’s to the fighting Knights of ACP

As we go marching to victory

Purple and Black

Purple and Black

Marching to victory!

A-C-P

A-C-P

A-C-P

Go Knights! (x2)

Purple and Black

Purple and Black

Marching to victory!

Please note that our Parent Square communication is not for attendance purposes. We do require the process outlined in our shared information about attendance. If you send a message through Parent Square about attendance, it will NOT be processed. Please follow our instructions for reporting absences. Click here to find ACPHS Absence Reporting Instructions.

The 1:1 device agreement must be signed every year regardless if your child already has a laptop or not. Please be sure to sign the CUSD 1:1 Device Agreement as soon as possible. Students who do not have this agreement submitted within Infinite Campus that do not have a CUSD laptop will not receive a laptop until the agreement is signed. All students must have a CUSD device. Students will NOT be permitted to take any online assessment (e.g., ACT, PSAT, AP, Common Finals, teacher generated online assessments) via their own device. The device protection plan will be added to your student's accounts the second week of August. The deadline to pay will be September 2nd. Families can choose to decline the annual $25 protection fee, but all families must sign the CUSD 1:1 Device Agreement. If you or any of our students have questions about school issued laptops, please contact the office.

Hey Knights. If you don't already have the StudentSquare app on your device, please make sure to download it today. StudentSquare is an easy to use and secure communication tool for students and staff.

What you can do with StudentSquare

• Receive messages from school by email, text or mobile app.
• Send messages to your teachers and staff at school.
• Stay in the loop regarding late start days, extracurricular activities, and class projects.
• Subscribe to calendars, RSVP to events, complete forms, use sign-up sheets and participate in groups.

To learn more about StudentSquare, watch the video (button below) and review the corresponding documents. If you have any questions, please contact administration. Don't forget to get this extremely critical app on your phone today.

New to Arizona College Preparatory? New to CUSD? Feeling overwhelmed with the transition to high school? Have questions you would really like to ask? This meeting is designed to help you. Join Mr. Bickes on Thursday, July 25th at 6:00 PM in our performing arts center as he shares steps families can take to help your child make a successful transition to high school or to ACP in general. Learn how you can help your child become a better student and what to expect over the next few years.

A PowerPoint presentation will accompany the meeting and several hand-outs will be provided to assist you and your child in making the transition to ACP. Doors open at 5:45 and the presentation typically lasts 90 minutes. Questions? Please contact administration.

It's that time of year again for our Fall Musical! Join Knights Theatre Company as we present "The Wedding Singer' based on the Adam Sandler film. If you loved our past productions and thought, 'I want to be up on that stage!,' now is your chance to shine! You just need to prepare a 14 bar Broadway Song and 2-3 minute monologue. Audition forms and character breakdowns are available to be picked up in E111 during school hours and after school. Scan the QR code and reserve your spot TODAY!!

Pom and cheer tryouts are July 29th through August 2nd from 2:30-4:00 PM. Tryout packets can be picked up in C215. Athletes must be cleared through Aktivate in order to tryout. Come and tryout to be a part of our team!

Chandler-Gilbert Community College Dual enrollment registration is now open for new and returning Dual Enrollment Students. View your high school class list for dual enrollment course offerings and admissions, placement or prerequisites needed for enrollment. To avoid a delay in processing your admissions application and next steps forms, ensure you have completed all the required prerequisites for enrollment and uploaded your Identity Authentication and Residency documents in your next steps forms.

Visit cgc.edu/dual to complete the first-time dual enrollment steps.

As a first-time dual enrollment, you'll need to follow the these steps:

1. Get admitted to Chandler-Gilbert Community College
2. Set up Duo two-factor authentication on your smart phone
3. Visit your Student Center, maricopa.edu/students, to complete first-time Next Steps forms
4. Register for Classes
5. Pay your tuition and fees

Returning Students: If you have taken Dual Enrollment classes before, you are already in the system with an established MEID (User ID) and should be able to log into your Maricopa Student Center at maricopa.edu/students to self-enroll.

• If you believe you meet the prerequisites for a class but the system will not allow the class to be added, please add all other classes first. Then email dualenrollment@cgc.edu with the following information.

• Student Name
• College ID# or MEID
• High School:
• Dual Enrollment Class Number(s):
• Dual Enrollment Class Name(s):
• Dual Enrollment Instructor(s):
• Unofficial High School Transcripts

Attachments:

Dual Enrollment First-Time Students Registration Steps

Kindly,

The Dual Enrollment Team

ACP students provide a tremendous amount of service hours throughout their high school career. The method for inputting and tracking one's service hours has changed this year. All students will now input their service hours through Infinite Campus. The attached document shares the steps students will need to take to input their hours. It is very important that students record any service provided over the course of their entire high school career. They may need to input this information when applying for scholarships, to colleges, internships, employment, or other opportunities during and after high school. Please make sure to enter your service hours via the method share in the attached document. If you have any questions, please see contact the office. Thank you.

CUSD has been working diligently with community partners to remove the lethal gap to keep students safe. Our partnership with The Hope Institute is the first school-based suicide treatment center of its kind. Any K-12 student within the East Valley community having thoughts of suicide can receive services within 48-hours and up to 3-4 times a week if needed. We are pleased to share that The Hope Institute now has an online booking system for families. New clients can schedule initial assessments online by creating an account.

All clinicians have suicide specific treatment training that reduces thoughts of suicide within an average of 5.2 weeks. The Hope Institute utilizes a combination of two evidence-based, suicide-focused treatments, the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) and group skills in Dialectic Behavioral Therapy (DBT) to reduce suicidal risk, increase hope, and obtain the ability to safely wait for ongoing care through stabilization.

The Hope Institute is located at the corner of Queen Creek and Val Vista off the student parking lot of Perry House (1845 E. Queen Creek Rd. Gilbert, AZ 85297). For more information about The Hope Institute, please visit their website.

CUSD's 2nd Annual Student Mental Health & Wellness Conference (for Jr. High & High School Students) will be held on Thursday, September 12th at the Chandler Community Center. Click here or on the picture below to learn more.

The Blue Envelope gives autistic drivers a single location to hold vehicle registration and insurance that will be needed if they are involved in a traffic stop by law enforcement. The envelope provides instructions for both the driver and officer to help guide effective communication, reduce the stress of the encounter, and ensure safety of all parties.

Participation in the Blue Envelope Program is voluntary and confidential. Neither MVD nor law enforcement will maintain records or a database of participants.

The Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division partnered with the Arizona Department of Public Safety and the University of Arizona and University of Arizona Police Department to bring this program to Arizona. Click here for more information.

As a reminder, all students in grades 9-11 will take the PSAT on Tuesday, October 22nd this year. Junior students have the opportunity to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship by taking this exam. Students in grades 9, 10, and 11 must pay to take the PSAT assessment before September 11th. It is absolutely critical that ALL juniors pay the $25 assessment fee in order to be considered for National Merit opportunities. Students in grades 9 and 10 are STRONGLY urged to pay the fee so they receive a score report and personalized feedback that includes corresponding online lessons based on their performance in order to potentially improve their score on future PSAT/SAT exams. If you have any questions or need to discuss financial support, please contact Mrs. Ludwig. All students will take the exam regardless if payment was received; however, only those students who pay the fee will receive a score, corresponding personalized feedback, and qualify for National Merit* opportunities (* Class of 2026 only).

ACPHS will host our Meet the Teacher Night on Thursday, August 1 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Meet the Teacher Night gives families an opportunity to actually "run through" their child's schedule and meet each teacher. Please know Meet the Teacher is a structured event and not a drop in. Be sure to bring your child's schedule.

The purpose of the evening is for each of your child's teachers to give you a brief overview of the curriculum, review what your child will be studying, and the materials teachers and students will be using in order to achieve our academic goals.

There will not be a lot of time for individual questions, but parents or students may leave their phone numbers and email addresses, and our instructors will follow-up as appropriate. We hope to see you there!

Welcome back, ACP community! Thank you for your generous support last year, particularly during Teacher Appreciation. With your help, we successfully achieved our goals. Your support is truly appreciated and makes a significant difference. We're eagerly looking forward to your ongoing support in the upcoming year!

Please support ACP's PTO! Donate to our Educational Advancement Fund!

What is The PREP PTO? The PREP PTO is the official parent/teacher organization of ACP High, dedicated to supporting our staff, students, and faculty. With school funds only covering so much, we work closely with the administration to identify and fund the school’s needs.

2024-2025 Goal Amount: $25,000

• Amount Raised - $273
• Remaining Goal - $24,727

How will your donation make a difference? Your donation helps to shape the future of our school by ensuring that our students have access to the best opportunities and resources available.

What expenses will your donation cover?

● New Student Felicitation

● Back-to-School Events

● Classroom Resources

● Teacher Provisions

● Staff Awards

To help us continue our support, we ask families to consider making a Booster donation, as we do minimal fundraising throughout the year.

Our suggested Booster Donation is:

● $60 per student

● $90 per family (2 or more students attending ACPHS)

● Donations over $150 will receive an ACP Spirit T-shirt by the end of August

Any donations to the PREP PTO are greatly appreciated but not required. The PREP PTO is a member of the Chandler School Boosters, a 501c3 non-profit organization, and your donation may be tax-deductible. If you are in need of a donation receipt, please contact us at treasurer@preppto.com.

Together, we can make this year exceptional for our children and our school community! Click here to make a donation, or visit, https://square.link/u/tq1BD63F. Thank you for your Support!

At the start of each school year, families must update and verify important information such as address, phone numbers, emergency contacts, handbook consents, etc. The parent portal is now available to update your information for you to complete this task.

Please log into your Infinite Campus Parent Portal Account (click here) to make any necessary changes to your family's account.

Once you log into your account, please follow these steps:

• Click on "More" on the bottom left hand side of the portal screen
• Click on "Annual Update and New Student Registration"
• Click on "Start" next to the second 24-25 line that says "Not Started"
• Click "Begin Registration"
• If you are using the app, click the three lines on the top left, click on "More", and then click on "Annual Update and New Student Registration".

This update must be completed annually.

Please be advised that the answers provided on the Annual Update for the 23-24 school year will be end dated, so it's important that you complete this update for the 24-25 school year in order to have valid information for items such as Media Release, Internet Release, Virtual Consent, etc.

If you have not setup a parent portal account, please click here and follow the instructions on the site. Should you need any assistance or have any questions please contact our administrative office.

Student passwords will be reset on Wednesday, July 10th (this process will begin the evening of July 9th and should be completed by the following morning).

All secondary Microsoft student passwords will be reset as follows:

Grades 7-12 (and 6th grade at AJHS, ACPMS, and Basha Middle School)
Pattern: first initial (lowercase) + last initial (lowercase) + Birthdate (MMDDYY format) + !
Example: sophomore Ani Smith whose birthday is October 3, 2007 will have their password reset to as100307!
7-12 students will be forced to change their password after it is reset
Students can change their Microsoft password by either:

• logging on to a CUSD Windows device with their reset password, or
• logging in to the Microsoft portal (myaccount.microsoft.com) with their reset password on any device at school or at home.
  • Username for Microsoft is s+id@s.cusd80.com - example s123456@s.cusd80.com

All 7-12 students must change their Microsoft password after it is reset before accessing Infinite Campus.

Google Accounts sync with the Microsoft Account, so the Microsoft password must be reset before accessing Google.

Procedures for driving on campus are below and can be downloaded for your convenience. These procedures are to be followed by all families that drop off and/or pick-up their child, and for students that choose to drive their personal vehicle to school and park in the student parking lot. Staff will be posted along the route to ensure procedures are followed appropriately.

1. Parent/guardian vehicles must use the ingress east of the Visitor Parking Lot entrance on Brooks Farm Rd. and form two lanes (if driving west on Brooks Farm, please engage your turn signal if turning right onto campus)
2. ACP Traffic should only enter the neighborhood from Gilbert Road and Brooks Farm Road (from the west): and Mustang Road and Chandler Heights (from the south).
3. Do not enter the neighborhood from Lindsay Rd.
4. Student vehicles must enter the campus via the ingress east of the JV softball field on Brooks Farm Rd.; Families may also drop off via this ingress (follow security directions if using this entrance)
5. There is NO entrance to the campus from Gilbert Rd.
6. Students may be dropped off/picked up along the sidewalks south of the administrative building and west of the B building and gymnasium.
7. Parent vehicles in the left lane that have dropped off or picked up their child along the south side of the administrative building may exit the campus via the visitor parking lot exit.
8. Parent/guardians in the right lane will exit the campus via the stadium traffic light turning north or south onto Gilbert Rd.
9. Entrance to the campus via the visitor parking lot is closed from 6:45-7:30 AM and from 2:00-2:45 daily.
10. DO NOT DROP OFF OR PICK UP YOUR CHILD IN RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS NEAR OR AROUND THE CAMPUS.
11. Do not loiter or "hang out" in the yards, driveways, or general property of residential households.
12. Empathy for our residential neighbors is appreciated.

All Polo shirts must be purchased via ACP’s online stores or from Anton Uniforms. Please review the general uniform guidelines listed above.

All students are required to wear approved shirts to school.

Families may choose to purchase pant and short attire from vendors other than our online stores or Anton Uniforms, but the attire must compliment established guidelines.

Please know, administration evaluated numerous vendors in an attempt to find entities that provide excellent customer service as well as a variety of affordable and quality products.

Anton Uniforms

1602 N Scottsdale Road

Tempe, AZ 85281

(480) 968-6636

Click to Access Site

ACP Apparel & Spirit Merchandise Store

Click to Access Site

Parents who wish to sign their students out before the end of the day must arrive to the front office PRIOR to 1:50 PM in order to sign their child out. After 1:50 PM early sign out will not be available. When signing your student out early, it is important that you park in the visitor parking lot so that you are able to get out of the lot in a timely manner. Please remember to bring identification with you when reporting to our attendance clerk. Thank you.

All ACP students will have their picture taken on Wednesday, July 31st and Thursday, August 1st. Regular student attire (i.e., polo's) must be worn for this photo.This photo will serve as the students school ID photo, yearbook photo (grades 9-11), and publicity photos if/when needed. So be prepared to put on your best smile.

All students are required to have their student ID in their possession at all times while on campus and must present their ID at the request of any faculty or staff member. Additionally, in order for students to attend school events, students must present their ID card. If the ID is lost or stolen, there is a $5.00 replacement fee. We encourage students to take a picture of their ID card and to store this picture on their phone

For your convenience, this year's yearbook may be purchased online at jostensyearbooks.com (type in "Arizona College Prep High School") or you can simply click on the button below to go directly to our school's webpage. You may begin purchasing your yearbook now. Yearbook packages include:

• Back-to-school special: $79.00. This is the lowest price of the year with a savings of $15.00.

• Signature package: $97.00 includes yearbook, enhanced personalization, autograph pens, and autograph pages. The free icons are a back-to-school special only for a limited time. Additional accessories available for purchase.

• Personalized yearbook cost: $86.50 includes name embossed on the cover and 4 free icons of your choice. The free icons are a back-to-school special for a limited time only. Additional accessories available for purchase.

Prices will increase on all three options throughout the year, and there are a limited number of yearbooks for sale, so be sure to purchase yours today! This back-to-school special ends August 2nd, but you can still purchase a yearbook until February 28th. Arizona College Prep High School has received the National Yearbook Program of Excellence Award the past five consecutive school years.

If you have any questions click here to email Mrs. Patterson.

The first step of your senior journey is to have your portrait taken for the yearbook. The yearbook’s deadline for senior pictures is September 14, 2024. In order to meet this deadline, we have partnered with Lou Coopey Photography in Mesa, AZ to take your yearbook photos. Photos taken past this date risk not being placed in the yearbook due to deadlines. If you schedule your picture past this date, please see Mrs. Patterson no later than Monday, September 9th.

There are two options: one is free, the other is $40.00. Please read through this message completely for details and choose the option that works best for you. If you have questions, please email Mrs. Patterson at Patterson.kristin@cusd80.com

OPTION 1 ($40.00 deposit, $50.00 credit to account):

Schedule an appointment with Lou Coopey to have your portrait taken at their Mesa studio located at 202 N Lindsay Rd Suite 101, Mesa, AZ 85213 before the September 16th deadline.

Key Information about Option 1:

• A $40 deposit will be collected at the time of scheduling.
• This deposit, along with a $10 credit ($50.00 total) will be applied to each account to purchase portraits and services offered by Lou Coopey.
• Satisfaction guaranteed including retakes, reprints or refund (if certain restrictions are met for refund).
• After 30 days, the $10 complimentary credit will expire.
• The $40 remains on your account and can be used for any senior portrait purchase.
• Click here to book your appointment: https://lcpseniors.as.me/schedule.php
• Or go to https://loucoopey.com/ and click the red button to book your appointment.

To ensure a preferred experience for your Senior Portrait session, please keep in mind the following:

• It is recommended that Seniors bring their own clothing. However, if necessary, the studio will provide loaner jackets, ties, and drapes as needed.
• Students are encouraged to bring props to personalize the photo experience (i.e., sports equipment, musical instruments, etc.)
• All studio services beyond the sitting (scheduling, ordering pictures, and paying fees) will be conducted online.
• Senior sessions will include 9-14 poses (with more poses available if you have additional outfits) on a variety of backgrounds as well as Cap & Gown photos for graduation.
• All post-sitting contact will be done online (choosing the yearbook pose, ordering photos, and any additional payment).
• Students must be dressed to impress (collared shirt, tie, dress, and/or professional blouse) for their senior portrait.

Option 2 ($0.00):

Take your senior yearbook photo on campus on October 24, 2024. Note: if you choose this option, you will only be able to take your photo in one outfit due to time constraints with your classes that day.

Key Information about Option 2:

• A limited number of poses will be taken on the yearbook background only.
• Students must be dressed to impress (collared shirt, tie, dress, and/or professional blouse) for their senior portrait. Students may not take their pictures in school uniform this day but must change into professional attire prior to their picture being taken.

NOTE: For both options, students must dress to impress (collared shirt, tie, suit jacket, dress, and/or professional blouse/professional wear). Clothing must be free of logos/signage/text and should not be transparent or too revealing. Spaghetti straps of any width and off-the-shoulder tops are not permitted and will not be put in the yearbook. Jeans and denim shorts are not permitted in the yearbook. Head wear is not permitted (except in the case of religious or medical purposes).

Congratulations, Class of 2025!!

If you are able to make your tax contributions early in the year, your donation would be greatly appreciated and give us a jump start on some of our essential extracurricular activities. We have set a goal to collect approximately $50.00 per family for a total of $57,500.00 and hope that you will be willing to help us meet our goal. Thank you for supporting your child and our school!

Tax Credit Basics…

A tax credit donation is a full refund, not a deduction. Contributions eligible for a tax credit are donated directly to schools, not to the state or school district. To participate or learn more, follow the link listed below to donate online or you can complete the enclosed form and submit your contribution at your convenience.

http://www.cusd80.com/taxcredit

Arizona Law ARS 43-1089.01 enables taxpayers a tax credit contribution of up to $400.00 per year if filing status is “Married, filing Joint Return;” $200.00 per calendar year if filing status is “Single of Head of Household;” and $200 per calendar year if filing status is “Married filing separate returns.” These contributions fund extracurricular activities in public schools and greatly impact our school community and our students.

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Don't forget to check with teams and clubs for the latest link to their Twitter sites.

School Hours

School Day Begins: 7:20 (gates close at 7:30)

School Day Ends: 2:25

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