Hózhó Academy Newsletter

For the week of July 25th - 29th, 2022

Back to School Updates


Dear Families,


Here are some important updates for this week.


Our open house is July 29th (11:30 am - 1:00 pm). Please come by to meet teachers and staff!


August 1st is the first day of school. Students may arrive between 7:45 and 8:30 am and we will have the morning assembly in the gym at 8:30 am.


Registration paperwork: If your student has been admitted to Hozho Academy but you have not yet completed a registration packet, please do so right away. It is required prior to full enrollment. Students may not attend school if we do not have all of the paperwork. Please email or stop by the school to obtain a packet before Thursday, July 28th.


Uniforms: Junior high and high school (Upper School) students may opt for a black or gray polo shirt. All other uniform options will remain the same. Please make an appointment at Sportsworld (505) 863-8819 to try on sizes. Uniform compliance will be strictly enforced. Students must be in full uniform to attend classes. If you need financial assistance with purchasing uniforms, please come by the front office. If you have a rental uniform from last year that still fits, keep it. If it no longer fits, please return it to the school’s front office. Shoes are part of the uniform. Students must be in athletic closed-toe shoes and ready for PE every day. Sandals and boots, etc. are too dangerous for PE.


Please note: The school has been advised that some students may have to start the first week without a uniform. During open house, please stop by the front office if you do not have your uniform. We may have a uniform shirt to loan you until your order comes in. If you have an appointment with Sportsworld, please make sure to keep it. Many families are having to wait because of booked schedules and a missed appointment is very frustrating for everyone.


Freshman Year: Hózhó Academy's first graduating class is entering their freshman year this year! We have been planning a ceremony that parents and families may attend. We are looking for volunteers to help us plan this event. If you are interested, please contact the school in the next few days.


After school clubs and fitness: We will continue offer free afterschool options. Families will need to register for all options, including fitness (click here). No student may stay after school in a program without being registered. We will offer after school fitness beginning August 1. Other clubs will start at various times in the year. Reminder: All students must be picked up from after school activities between 4:45 and 5pm. Tardy pickups will result in students losing the privilege to participate in after school activities.


New Student Applications: All families have been contacted via email regarding new student applications for the 2022-23 school year and notified whether their students are admitted or are on the waitlist. If your student applied and you have not heard from us, we may have incorrect contact information for you. Please contact the school at 505-722-8922.


Upper School/Lower School: We are adding our first high school grade level this year! To help distinguish between announcements for elementary school and junior high and high school, we will refer to elementary school (grades k-6) as “Lower School” and junior high and high school (grades 7 and up) as “Upper School”.


Electives for Upper School Students: Please click on this link to choose your elective.


Sports Physicals: Please see the flyer below for schedule information.


School Supplies: Parents do not need to buy any school supplies, but we are asking each family to buy a binder with folders and a planner for $10 for each of their students in all grades. We will have these available during the open house. I know that in the past, not all teachers used the planner consistently. We are improving this practice for the upcoming year.


Schedules: We are adding modulars for our co-curricular classes of art and music so we may not start specials for the first couple of weeks of school. In the Upper School, schedules for August may be different than the schedules for the rest of the year.


Attendance is critical: We are expecting students to attend every day. I know there has been some flexibility during the pandemic, but beginning August 1, students must attend every day unless administration has made an arrangement, in very limited circumstances, for remote learning. For junior high and high school students, we are also strictly enforcing prompt attendance to class. Any tardy to class will be addressed. Please note that attendance can impact enrollment. If students miss 10 days in a row, they are considered disenrolled.


Detention and Saturday school: We are setting high expectations for student behavior. We want to encourage behaviors that will promote success in school and after graduation. If a student makes a poor choice, we will address the behaviors as usual but in some cases of repeated infractions, particularly in the upper school, we will implement detention at lunchtime and afterschool and a Saturday school option.


Meals: All meals are free to students. Breakfast and lunch will be provided daily.


Transportation: We have a few limited options for transportation with Gallup Express. Any current student who used transportation in the past will be added to the transportation roster from last year. Any new student requiring transportation should contact Gallup Express at (505) 722-0777.


Please refer to our online handbook for information regarding parties and outside food and more details on many other policies and procedures.


If you have questions, please reach out to our front office at (505) 722-8922.

Important Dates

July 29th - Open House (11:30am - 1:00 pm)


August 1st - First Day of School

Hózhó Academy 2022-2023 School Calendar

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Sports Physical Sign Up Information

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Meet the Hózhó Staff

Dr. Joe Claunch

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We are pleased to introduce Dr. Joe Claunch. He is the Dean of Students and Head Football Coach (Coach Claunch). In these positions, he works with a team to help our students be successful in their academic, athletic, and social lives. Dr. Joe Claunch’s motivation comes from helping students thrive to be their best. When he’s not working, he enjoys listening to his wife and children tell stories. His favorite book is Man’s Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl. Three words he uses to describe himself are passionate, hardworking, and introverted. A fun fact about Coach Claunch: “I hated school growing up and graduated high school 2nd to last in my class. I had all A’s and one B throughout my bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs. My only B was in keyboarding.” Dr. Claunch is a member of the Native American Puyallup Tribe and earned his Bachelor's in American Indian Studies from Haskell Indian Nations University, a Master's in Teaching and Learning from the University of Oregon, and a Doctorate in Sport and Exercise Psychology from Kansas University. We are grateful to have you on our team, Dr. Joe Claunch!