Knightly Update December 3, 2023
ACP High School - Edition Vol 3 Issue 20
Welcome to December. I hope everyone enjoyed the week. We have a very busy week ahead with concerts, athletic events and the winter musical. In addition to these events, we will be holding our 8th Grade Parent Information Night on Wednesday at 6:00 PM. If you are aware of a family that is considering ACPHS, please encourage them to attend Wednesday's presentation. The event will be held in our school's auditorium. Thank you for supporting our school.
As we head into the final weeks of the semester, it is important that our students do all they can to be on time and exhibit proper behavior while on campus. We recognize that the final days of the first semester, along with the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, can bring stress to our students, but staying focused, disciplined, and present will help to make sure everyone is well-prepared going into final exams. Remember to reach out if we can assist.
I hope you have a very nice week. I look forward to attending the many activities, concerts and celebrations that take place these final three weeks of the semester, and I hope our students will choose to attend these opportunities too. Have a great week, and, GO KNIGHTS!
Rob Bickes
Principal
School Events - Week of December 4, 2023
Site events listed in bold.
Monday, December 4
- Free Dress Day
- 4:00 - Fr/So Girls Basketball @ Vista Grande HS
- 4:00 - Fr/So Boys Basketball vs Vista Grande HS, ACPHS Main Gym
- 5:30 - JV Girls Basketball @ Vista Grande HS
- 5:30 - JV Boys Basketball vs Vista Grande HS, ACPHS Main Gym
- 6:00 - Varsity Girls Soccer @ St. Mary’s (Monterey Park)
- 6:00 - Varsity Boys Soccer vs St. Mary’s, ACPHS Dr. Fred DePrez Athletic Stadium
- 7:00 - Varsity Girls Basketball @ Vista Grande HS
- 7:00 - Varsity Boys Basketball vs Vista Grande HS, ACPHS Main Gym
Tuesday, December 5
- 3:00 - Girls Wrestling @ Florence HS
- 6:30 - Orchestra Concert, ACPHS Performing Arts Center
Wednesday, December 6
- Inclusion Week Awareness Day - Wear Blue Attire to School
- 4:00 - Boys & Girls Wrestling @ ALA-Gilbert North
- 4:00 - Fr/So Boys Soccer @ Casteel HS
- 4:00 - Fr/So Boys Basketball vs Independence HS, ACPHS Main Gym
- 5:30 - JV Girls Basketball @ Independence HS
- 5:30 - JV Boys Basketball vs Independence HS, ACPHS Main Gym
- 6:00 - Varsity Boys Soccer @ Apache Junction
- 6:00 - 8th Grade Parent Information Night, ACPHS Auditorium
- 6:15 - Varsity Girls Soccer vs Marcos de Niza @ Dobson HS, Coyote Classic Soccer Tournament
- 7:00 - Varsity Girls Basketball @ Independence HS
- 7:00 - Varsity Boys Basketball vs Independence HS, ACPHS Main Gym
Thursday, December 7
- 2:30 - Varsity Boys Basketball vs ALA-West Foothills @ Flagstaff HS, The Pepsi Holiday Tournament
- 3:00 - Varsity Boys Soccer vs Mountain View HS @ Williams Field HS, Coyote Classic Soccer Tournament
- 7:00 - Varsity Boys Basketball vs Johnson County (Tennessee) @ Flagstaff HS, The Pepsi Holiday Tournament
Friday, December 8
- Boys & Girls Wrestling @ Coyote Open, Skyline HS
- 12:00 - Varsity Boys Soccer vs Dobson HS @ Williams Field HS, Coyote Classic Soccer Tournament
- 1:30 - Varsity Girls Soccer vs Crismon HS @ Dobson HS, Coyote Classic Soccer Tournament
- 7:00 - Winter Musical - Chicago, ACPHS Performing Arts Center
Saturday, December 9 (Admin)
- Fr/JV Boys Wrestling @ Canyon View Wrestling Jamboree, Canyon View HS (Cedar City, UT)
- Wrestling @ Coyote Open, Skyline HS
- 1:00 - Varsity Boys Basketball vs Desert View HS @ Flagstaff HS, The Pepsi Holiday Tournament
- 2:00 - Winter Musical - Chicago, ACPHS Performing Arts Center
- 7:00 - Winter Musical - Chicago, ACPHS Performing Arts Center
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Event Recap - Week of November 27
Monday, November 27
- 4:00 - Fr/So Boys Soccer LOST @ Highland HS, 0-2
Tuesday, November 28
- 4:00 - JV Boys Soccer WON @ Tempe HS, 9-1
- 4:00 - Fr/So Boys Basketball WON @ Barry Goldwater HS, 64-30
- 4:00 - JV Girls Soccer WON vs Tempe HS, 8-0
- 4:00 - Fr/So Girls Basketball WON vs Barry Goldwater HS, 48-16
- 5:30 - JV Boys Basketball WON @ Barry Goldwater HS, 69-25
- 5:30 - JV Girls Basketball CANCELED vs Barry Goldwater HS, ACPHS Main Gym
- 5:30 - Football Booster Club Meeting, room H101
- 6:00 - Varsity Boys Soccer WON @ Tempe HS, 1-0
- 6:00 - Varsity Girls Soccer WON vs Tempe HS, 11-0
- 7:00 - Varsity Boys Basketball WON @ Barry Goldwater HS, 53-37
- 7:00 - Varsity Girls Basketball WON vs Barry Goldwater HS, 54-12
Wednesday, November 29
- 4:00 - Boys Wrestling WON vs Coronado HS, 78-0
- 4:00 - Boys Wrestling WON vs Eastmark HS, 45-32
- 4:00 - Boys Wrestling WON vs ALA-Anthem, 72-6
Thursday, November 30
- 4:00 - Fr/So Boys Soccer LOST vs Highland HS, 1-2
Saturday, December 2
- 2:00 - Varsity Boys Soccer WON vs Queen Creek HS, 5-0
- 2:45 - Varsity Girls Soccer WON vs Skyline HS, 8-0
- Wrestling NSR @ Jerry Benson Wrestling Invitational, Buckeye Union HS
- Speech & Debate PLACED 1st @ ASDCA Winter Trophy, ASU Main Campus
Knights in the Spotlight
Alex Neill ('24) was named to the First Team All-Tourney team at the Welcome to the Jungle tournament last week at Gilbert High School. Alex had two double-doubles during the tournament including 10 points, 15 rebounds versus Casteel High School and 10 points, 10 rebounds versus Desert Ridge High School. The Knights finished the tournament 2-2 with big wins over 6A Desert Ridge and 5A Williams Field. Outstanding job, Alex!
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Congratulations to ACP juniors John Perry (#94), Sinjin Ovalle (#3) and to freshman Oliver Christoff (#12) on a extremely successful run at the 2023 Arizona Hockey Clubs Thanksgiving Shootout. These young men helped lead their team, the Arizona Hockey Union White Knights, to an undefeated tournament showing. Way to go, gentlemen. Congrats!
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The following students received the honor of having their artwork displayed in the District Office during the months of December and January: Ella Roy, Karen Norris, Abigail Lawrence, Carson Ladd, Allison Standke, Sophia McLean, Jack Yellig, Julia Peacemaker, Kaitlyn Dickinson, Emilyn Palazon, Melania Rahimi, Dhanyashree Muthukumar, Mikell Van Arsdale, Jack Troop, Valencia Farad, Kennedy In, Grace Richerson, Hazel Johnson, Riley Wood, and Divya Kandala. Please congratulate them on a job well done!
Help Support Girls Soccer
Academic Decathlon Judges Needed
We are in need of judges to assist with an upcoming Academic Decathlon competition on January 12th at Basha HS. Please contact our school's academic decathlon coach, Mrs. Carla Turner if you can help in this capacity or would like additional information. Thank you.
National Space Society Robotics Workshop
First Semester Final Exams
It is hard to believe final exams are just a few weeks away. For some of our students, this will be their first experience having final examinations. Final exams are tests which are given to students to ensure that they have learned and retained the valuable information that they were taught throughout the semester. It is extremely important that students begin to prepare studying for their finals now and not wait until the last minute to prepare. Final exams study guides will be distributed and/or available online by Thursday, December 7th. If you have questions or concerns about final examinations, please contact your child's teacher, counselor or administration.
*Students must bring their fully charged school issued laptop to school on December 20th & 21st*
When are final exams being administered?
Students will take their final exams on Wednesday, December 20th and Thursday, December 21st. Final exams for 1st, 3rd and 5th periods will be given on Wednesday and 2nd, 4th, and 6th period exams will be administered on Thursday. Zero hour exams will be administered on the day(s) assigned (Wednesday and/or Thursday) by the instructor. Students will be dismissed at 12:05 on both Wednesday & Thursday. There is no school on Friday, December 22nd.
How long will class period be on final exam days?
Class sessions are 90 minutes long. Students will have a five minute passing period between classes. Please feel free to send snacks with your child for them to eat during passing periods. Food is not permitted in the classroom. In addition, no lunch will be served on final exam days.
What if my child doesn't complete their final exam in the allotted time?
Students need to be prepared to complete their exam in the time allotted. Many college admission exams as well as upcoming AP exams are timed and students are required to complete the exam within the provided timeline. ACP's final exams are structured in the same manner. Students will not be given additional time to complete an exam once the period has concluded. If your child has any concerns, please have them speak with their instructor prior to the exam date.
What if my child is absent on the day of finals?
No early examinations will be allowed. In the event your child is absent or out-of-town, they will need to make up their final exam within the first two weeks of our return from winter break. Your child's final exam score will be a zero until they make-up the exam. Once the exam has been taken, their final exam grade will be entered and their semester grade changed appropriately. This change will be reflected via Infinite Campus.
How should my child prepare for their finals?
Teachers have prepared study guides that review the material being tested. Students will have study guides for all of their classes next month. Students should use the study guide provided to prepare and review for their final exam. If your child doesn't understand the material or concepts on the study guide, please encourage them to speak to their teacher. Prior to receiving their study guide, students should begin to review notes and organize information necessary to review for finals. Research recommends students study in chunks of 45 minutes followed by 15 minute breaks.
What content areas are assigned to take a district Common Final Exam?
Common Final Exams will be administered in the following content areas:
- ASL I
- ASL II
- Spanish I
- Spanish II
- Chinese I
- Chinese II
- English 9
- Honors English 9
- English 10
- Honors English 10
- English 11
- English 12
- World History
- Honors World History
- American History
- Economics
- U.S. Government & Constitution
- Health
- Algebra I
- Algebra II
- College Algebra
- Honors Algebra II
- Geometry
- Honors Geometry
- Pre-Calculus
- Honors Pre-Calculus
- Brief Calculus
- Differential Equations
- Linear Algebra
- Intro. to Statistics
- Biology
- Honors Biology
- Chemistry
- Honors Chemistry
- Physics
Final Exam Tip of the Week
Start Early - Start studying for finals a few weeks before the first exam, and figure out how much time to set aside each day for each subject. Be realistic about how long it will take to, say, memorize the dates for all the Civil War battles. You need to fit in brain breaks, too!
FAFSA Information & Assistance Night
Attention Class of 2024 students, parents/guardians. It's time to mark your calendars and get ready to complete your FAFSA. Before each year of college, families have the opportunity to apply for federal grants, work-study, and loans with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form. The college you choose to enroll will use your FAFSA data to determine your federal aid eligibility. Many states and colleges use FAFSA data to award their own aid. A district-sponsored FAFSA Night will be held on Thursday, December 7th at the Chandler Center for the Arts from 5:30-7:30 PM. Additional information will be shared in future newsletters. If you have any immediate questions, please contact Mr. Ator in the College & Career Center.
Presidential Volunteer Service Award
In 2003, the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation founded the President’s Volunteer Service Award to recognize the important role of volunteers in America. This award honors individuals whose service positively impacts communities in every corner of the nation while inspiring those around them to take action too. The PVSA has continued under each administration, honoring the volunteers who are using their time and talents to solve some of the toughest challenges facing our nation.
ACPHS's STEAM NHS club is now a proud sponsor of the Presidential Volunteer Service Awards. If your child is interested in learning more about the award, please complete the attached form and additional information will be shared in a few days. In the meantime, you can learn more about this award by visiting the following link, https://presidentialserviceawards.gov/eligibility.
2024-2025 School Registration
One of the most important events that we are already gearing up for is registration for the 2024-2025 school year. Please remember the following items concerning student registration for next year:
- All current and returning ACPHS students DO NOT need to re-register or re-apply to ACPHS. This applies whether you live within the ACPHS boundary, or if your student is here on open enrollment.
- All families that live WITHIN the ACPHS boundary, if you have a student who will be NEW to ACPHS in the 2024-2025 school year, it is anticipated that the online registration link will open up on Wednesday, January 10th to register your new student only. Current and returning students do not need to re-register.
- All families that live OUTSIDE the ACPHS boundary, if you have a student who will be NEW to ACPHS in the 2024-2025 school year, open enrollment applications will be accepted starting January 8th at 7:30am. Current and returning students do not need to re-apply.
- Please remember that siblings of current ACPHS students ARE NOT automatically guaranteed a spot at ACPHS. ALL new students who live outside the ACPHS boundary must submit an open enrollment application. Open Enrollment is considered on a first come, first served basis.
We hope these reminders are helpful! If you have any questions and enrollment and/or registration for the 2024-2025 school year, please do not hesitate to contact Mrs. Linda Bigelow.
ACPHS Letterman Jackets
Diploma Seals
Home Athletic Games
In addition, please pay attention to the following:
Tickets prices are $7 for adults, $5 for students with high school (plus a $1.00 GoFan Fee)
- ACPHS Stadium, Auxiliary and Main Gym ALL require clear bags. To enhance public safety and make venue access more efficient, CUSD Athletics adopted a Clear Bag Policy (click on button below to review the policy). Fans may bring in one (1) clear bag (Any Size). Fans are limited to one clear bag per person, along with a small clutch or purse for privacy.
- No outside food or drinks are allowed in the stadium or gyms.
- WATER in factory sealed, clear containers ONLY are permitted. NO HYDROFLASKS will be permitted.
- Upon leaving the gym or stadium, spectators will not be permitted to re-enter.
Get Your 2023-2024 Yearbook
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 on July 5th. Yearbook packages include:
Back-to-school special: $75.00. This is the lowest price of the year with a savings of $15.00.
Signature package: $92.00 includes yearbook, 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: $82.00 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 18th, 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 four consecutive school years.
If you have any questions click here to email Mrs. Patterson.
Driving on Campus
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.
- 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)
- 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).
- Do not enter the neighborhood from Lindsay Rd.
- 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)
- There is NO entrance to the campus from Gilbert Rd.
- Students may be dropped off/picked up along the sidewalks south of the administrative building and west of the B building and gymnasium.
- 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.
- Parent/guardians in the right lane will exit the campus via the stadium traffic light turning north or south onto Gilbert Rd.
- Entrance to the campus via the visitor parking lot is closed from 6:45-7:30 AM and from 2:00-2:45 daily.
- DO NOT DROP OFF OR PICK UP YOUR CHILD IN RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS NEAR OR AROUND THE CAMPUS.
- Empathy for our residential neighbors is appreciated.
Please Make a Tax Credit Donation
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.
Stay In Touch!
Contact Information
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