NPX Weekly Newsletter 10.23.20
October 27, 2020 -
School Dates to Note:
- Oct 24 Senior Sunrise Breakfast & Parking Spot Painting (6:45 AM)
- Oct 29 Distance Learning Headmaster Chat (8:30 AM)
- Oct 29 PSAT: 9th-11th Grade
- Oct 30 Great Race & Literacy Day; Half Day
- Nov 2-6 Spirit Week
- Nov 5 In-Person Learners Headmaster Chat (8:30 AM)
Table of Contents:
- A Letter from the Headmaster
- Reminders and Helpful Links
- An Update from the Academic Dean
- Great Race/Literacy Day
- Spirit Week
- Academy Giving
- Winter Sports Registration
- College Counseling Corner
Gladiator Families,
Each year our seniors enjoy a capstone trip to Washington, D.C. I have had the privilege of being a chaperone on one of these trips and I can attest to its powerful impact to our students. Watching students navigate the subway system, visit Arlington Cemetery, engross themselves in the Holocaust museum, cry before the Korean War Memorial, re-enact at Gettysburg, and see the various monuments bring them closer to each other and to humanity.
In order to help make this trip a reality for our seniors we need your help. The Senior Trip Committee will host a virtual silent auction where you can bid on items from the comfort of your home. The proceeds from the event will directly benefit the senior class. Here is how you can help:
- Donate an item for the auction! Previous donations have included items from your personal small business, orthodontic sessions, timeshares, tickets to sporting events, and event packages. If you would like to donate items, or have any questions about the auction, please contact Josh Miller at jmiller820@gmail.com
- Purchase an item from the auction! The auction will go live during the week of November 16th. Stay tuned!
This year our silent auction has expanded to include our Community Investment Campaign and our Tax Credit Campaign. If you donate your tax credit during the auction you will be entered into a drawing for an athletics swag bag (approx $100 value) and if you contribute to our Community Investment Campaign during the auction you will be entered to win a Fine Arts basket put together by our Prep and Archway Fine Arts faculty. If you have questions about either of these campaigns, please reach out to Jackie Curtis at JCurtis@northphoenixprep.org
Sincerely,
Ms. Jacobson
Prep families,
Please do not show up for pick up until 3:20 at the earliest. Archway brought back many more students from distance learning and their pick up line needs to subside before Prep family pick up. Thank you for understanding.
Ms. Jacobson
Helpful Links!
Family Handbook: There is a plethora of information, i.e. grading, tutoring, traffic pattern for pickup/drop-offs, school uniform requirements, community investment, and our lunch program, Blue Willow.
Parent Portal: This portal will assist you in purchases or required fees i.e. spirit wear and grade consumable fees. Please return the signature form of the Family Handbook to our front office, if you have not already done so.
Grade Portal: Now that Quarter 2 has started, the grading portal is now closed. An email will be sent out again once it opens up for grading at the end of Q2.
An Update from the Academic Dean
Hello Gladiator Families!!
I hope that you all had a restful and enjoyable fall break and that your students were ready to start Quarter 2. It was lovely to see so many more faces back on campus when we returned last week!!
Here are a few updates and reminders to update our families:
Beginning early next week, attendance letters will start being sent home to notify of multiple/excessive absences. We will begin running attendance reports weekly and are going to be doing more going forward in order to communicate with parents when your student is not attending class.
Weekly missing assignment reports started today and will continue throughout the quarter. Please remember, these reports only cover the prior week to date. The flags that you will see on the missing assignment reports are for missing assignments, incomplete assignments, and absent work. Please reach out directly to the teacher if you have a specific question about an assignment.
Homework charts also began this week. I truly hope these are a helpful tool for you and your student(s). Please remember, these charts are a guide and may change throughout the week due to different circumstances. If you have any questions, please be sure to reach out directly to the teacher.
As always, please reach out with questions and concerns.
Have a fantastic weekend.
Ms. Jensen
Academic Dean
Friday, Oct 30 North Phoenix Prep Great Race and Literacy Day
Students can come dressed as their favorite literary or historical figure. Costumes should match the uniform in both professional and modesty standards. In addition, the entire student body will compete in the NPX Great Race which will include games on the field and in classrooms. Students will remain in their sections for the activities and may chose to wear athletic attire instead of a costume.
FAQs about Literacy Day/Field Day Dress-up
May I dress up as a character from an Archway text?
Absolutely! Any classical text would be great.
May I dress up as someone who died recently, or a current important figure who will likely “make history”?
That would be considered a “recent” event, not yet “historical”. Try to keep it to people who have died starting about 50 years ago.
May I dress in Athletic Wear?
Yes! It’s Field Day! See the Family Handbook excerpt for guidelines on this:
Just as the Academy provides guidelines for dress code in the classroom, it is important to project the image of professionalism in our athletic attire as well. 55 All shirts worn for athletic practices and field day should be modest, loose fitting, in good repair (no holes, torn sleeves, etc.), should be worn either tucked in or well over the waist of the pants/shorts if not tucked in. No midriffs may be shown. T-shirts are preferred—no tank tops, camisoles, or sports bras may be worn as outer-garments. Sleeveless shirts may be worn if modest. Pants/shorts should be modest and in good repair (no holes, torn sleeves, etc.) Pants should be worn at the waist and should be no shorter than mid-thigh, and no-longer than just below the knee. No short-shorts or long baggy shorts may be worn. No boxers or undergarments may be visible. Attire should be free of inappropriate messages. Sports team logos (e.g., Diamondbacks, Notre Dame), and apparel brand names (e.g., Adidas, Nike) are acceptable, provided they do not make inappropriate allusions. These guidelines also apply to sweatshirts and jackets that students may wear. Footwear should be athletic in nature: no sandals, open-toed, or platform shoes. Hats and sunscreen may be appropriate if the students will be in the sun. Hat styles should follow the same guidelines as above.
-Family Handbook, p 54
This is an election year, with many important current events. May I wear a t-shirt supporting my preferred candidate/ social justice issue/messaging, etc?
Field Day is intended to bring our community together, and this is not the time to bring in potentially divisive topics. We want everyone to feel included. From p 16 of the Family Handbook, “discussion of contemporary politics and global affairs is not a part of the Academy’s curriculum, and opinions about such issues are kept out of the classroom.” Please respect the spirit of the day, and try to keep our personal opinions to our private lives.
Sarah Schripsema
Dean of Students
Watch for announcements regarding each day’s theme.
FREE MONEY FOR OUR SCHOOL
Did you know that you can double or even triple your Community Investment and Tax Credit donations to North Phoenix Prep? Many companies will match your donations to our school through their Corporate Gift Matching Programs. And it’s an easy way to increase the impact of your donations! Simply click on this link, type the name of your employer in the “Matching Gifts” tab, and hit submit to find out if your company offers a Corporate Matching Gifts Program. If your company does have a Matching Gifts program, please submit the appropriate paperwork to your Human Resources department to have your gifts to our school matched. Please contact Jackie Curtis at jcurtis@northphoenixprep.org or 602-404-7414 with any questions.
With gratitude,
Jackie Curtis
Academy Giving Manager
Gladiators – it’s time to register for winter sports – online registration is now open at www.northphoenixprepathletics.com for the following sports:
Middle School Boy’s Soccer
Middle School girl’s Soccer
Middle School Baseball
Middle School Softball
High School Coed Soccer
High School Coed Basketball
Here are info sheets for both middle school and high school teams –
The Fall PSAT with take place October 29th, 2020 for ALL 9th-11th graders. NPX has already ordered the test for every 9th-11th grader, so all you will need to do is show up on October 29, 2020 to sit for the exam. 11th graders, your PSAT scores are used to identify National Merit Scholars and award merit scholarships. https://www.nationalmerit.org/s/1758/start.aspx?gid=2&pgid=61
At NPX, we are committed to making sure that we prepare and support students for their post-secondary plans. The PSAT is a great primer for the SAT, and can even prepare you for the ACT as well. It will help in getting familiar with the layout and content of the SAT (which may be required for college admissions your senior year). By taking this test now, you can help identify your strengths and potential weaknesses.
If you are wondering: What does the PSAT cover? Your PSAT Student Guide Book (available at the front entrance where you get your temperature checked), will cover everything you need to know AND help you to prepare for the exam. Also, one of the benefits of choosing Great Hearts, NPX is that the content you are learning in your classes will be on the exam. So in essence, the hard work you are doing NOW in your classes, will prepare you for the test (give your teachers a big thank you).
I recommend you check out this link where you can take a practice test and find out additional information. https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt-psat-10
Reminders for Test Day
–Arrive on time at 8:15.
-Bring all the materials needed (please read the study guide to ensure that you are using the correct calculator).
-Bring snacks and a water bottle.
-Read the Study Guide and check out the link above.
-Email Mrs. Martin (tmartin@northphoenixprep.org) with any questions or concerns.
Respectfully,
Mrs. Tier Martin
College Counselor
Contact Information
Angie Nelson, Office Manager
anelson@northphoenixprep.org
Websites and Links
NPX Website
