Knightly Update November 19, 2023
ACP High School - Edition Vol 3 Issue 18
As we gather with family and friends, our thoughts turn to the things for which we are thankful. I am beyond grateful for what I witness each day at our school. I am thankful for the incredible devotion of our staff and their unique ability to teach and inspire our children. I am thankful for the grace displayed by our students and their drive to be the best they can be. I am thankful for a supportive parent and school community. I am thankful to be a Knight.
I want to express my sincere appreciation to you for being a part of the ACP community. Thank you for the trust you extend to us, and for letting us be a part of your child's life. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.
Rob Bickes
Principal
School Events - Week of November 20, 2023
Site events listed in bold.
Monday, November 20
- No events scheduled
- 4:00 - Wrestling @ Tempe HS
- 4:00 - Fr/So Girls Basketball vs Flagstaff HS
- 5:30 - JV Girls Basketball vs Flagstaff HS
- 7:00 - Varsity Girls Basketball vs Flagstaff HS
Wednesday, November 22
- No School - Thanksgiving Holiday
Thursday, November 23
- No School - Thanksgiving Holiday
Friday, November 24
- No School - Thanksgiving Holiday
Saturday, November 25
8:00 - Boys Wrestling @ John Carlson Wrestling Jamboree, Perry HS
9:00 - Girls Wrestling @ Arizona Women's Cup Wrestling Tournament, Poston Butte HS
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Event Recap - Week of November 13
Friday, November 17
- 7:00 - Varsity Football LOST @ Canyon del Oro HS, 27-33 (4OT)
8:00 AM - ACP Academic Decathlon PLACED 2nd @ ACPHS AcDec Invite
Knights in the Spotlight
Another Knight was crowned an Arizona Individual State Champion this weekend! Congratulations to sophomore Jayden Lee. Jayden is this year's AIA Individual State Chess Champion! Jayden had an absolutely amazing season and we were beyond excited and proud to see him at the top of the awards stand. Other students earning medals in this year's tournament include Drew Martin who finished in third place and to Samik Mathur who earned the third place medal in the alternate section of the state championship. Great job gentlemen! Congratulations!
Jayden Lee
1st Place (Champion)
2023 AIA Individual State Chess Tournament
Drew Martin
3rd Place
2023 AIA Individual State Chess Tournament
Samik Mathur
3rd Place
2023 AIA Individual State Chess Alternate Section
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Twenty students from our school's Students for Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS) Club (https://seds.org/) attended the SpaceVisions conference in Washington DC (https://spacevision.seds.org/) last weekend. This was a wonderful opportunity for the students to take a stance on the world stage in the space frontier. The students had the opportunity to network with professionals across the globe to discuss different aspects of the growing space economy. As the only high school chapter in attendance our students floored the audience with their attitude, behavior and also their intellectual merit. They got to know about internships, workshops, programs and the latest in space research. Stay Inspired KNIGHTS!!
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Congratulations to seniors Camillia Baker and Aarav Dugar, and to junior Aanya Venkat on being selected as one of the top 10 finalists in Arizona for the United States Senate Youth Program. These three make up a third of the finalists panel and were the only CUSD students selected. As finalists they had the incredible opportunity to meet with state representatives, senators, supreme court justices, and State Superintendent Tom Horne in recognition of their excellence in public service, leadership, and education. All finalists were featured on the Arizona Department of Education’s Social Media Pages. Next month, two of the ten finalists will be chosen to receive a $10,000 scholarship and an all-expense paid trip to the capitol for a week where the Delegates will meet with the President, Cabinet members, and many of the most influential public servants in the country. We are excited for all three of our Knights and look forward to learning if they are selected for the scholarship next month. Good luck and congratulations!!
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This week, ACP Culinary 1 and 2 students competed in CUSD's 3rd annual Chopped Challenge, Chili cookoff, and Cookie Competition. Chef's Hudson and Treadway are delighted to congratulate all three teams who did an incredible job on the recipes, creativity, and cooking. Thank you to those who competed and those who helped behind the scenes.
Chopped Team
Elena Garcia
Jake Hall
Suhayb Zahid
Emily Rutkowski
Nicolyss Holland
Chili Team
Jackson Phillips
Zedan Ayoub
George Kousoulas
Daniel Tran
Cookie Team
Luca Cerasoli
Ranvir Sethi
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ACP Academic Decathlon hosted their first ever Invitational competition on Friday and Saturday. Students from nine East Valley Schools competed in art, economics, essay, language & literature, math, music, science, speech, interview, and social science. Our Knights finished 2nd overall, another tremendous achievement for the young program. A huge thanks to all the administrators, teachers, student volunteers, parents, and community members who made such a large event possible. Go Knights!
Honors division:
- Zahara Khan - 1st place Essay, 2nd place Social Science
- Anvika Ghali - 2nd place Essay (tie)
- Alex Kim- 2nd place Essay (tie)
- Siyaa Poddar - 2nd place Essay (tie)
- Joyce Sohn - 3rd place Essay
- David Rundus - 2nd place Science
Scholastic division:
- Brad Wu - 1st PLACE OVERALL SCHOLASTIC; 1st place Art, 2nd place Economics, 2nd place Music, 1st place Science, 1st place Social Science
- Allyson Gerard - 2nd place Art (tie), 2nd place Essay, 1st place Interview, 3rd place Music
- Khushi Ahir - 3nd place Essay (tie), 3rd place Interview, 2nd place Science
- Kenji Leung- 2nd Place Art (tie), 1st place Essay, 3rd place Math
Varsity division:
- Arjun (Arty) Mehta - 1st place Interview
- Adwita Goyal - 2nd place Interview, 3rd place Math
- Elizabeth Ye - 1st place Language & Literature, 1st place Math
- Meg Krajekian - 2nd place Science
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.
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.
Remember, think and be positive! You got this.
Final Exam Tip of the Week
Time management. Plan, plan, plan. Before finals begin, get out your calendar and schedule as much of the week's ahead as possible and develop a study plan. Then stick with the schedule.
PSAT Score Reports Available
PSAT scores are now available online for students who paid to take the PSAT last month. If your child did not pay for the assessment there will not be a score report to review. Students will need to log into the BigFuture App or click on the following link studentscores.collegeboard.org in order to view their score. Once our school receives score reports, we will distribute them to the students via their math instructor. We hope to have these reports delivered before the end of the semester. If you are having trouble logging in to your College Board account, please contact College Board directly at 1-866-433-7728.
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 5:00-7:00 PM. Additional information will be shared in future newsletters. If you have any immediate questions, please contact Mr. Ator in the College & Career Center.
Johns Hopkins Global Health Leaders Conference
The Directors of The Global Health Leaders Conference at Johns Hopkins University, invite students interested in global health and medicine to apply for their 2024 virtual summer program.
The international conference is a Johns Hopkins University student and faculty-led program open to students in grades 9-12. Through the conference, students from around the world learn about issues in global health, public health, and medicine through world-class lectures from leaders in these fields, develop connections with like-minded exceptional students, and share their own work and ideas on global health-related topics at the international scale. Featured speakers at past conferences have included leading global health researchers, renowned professors, physicians, policy developers, and Nobel Prize winners. In short, the purpose of the program is to reach passionate students of all backgrounds from around the world and develop the next generation of leaders in global health, public health, and medicine.
Virtual conference programming will be held throughout the summer of 2024. The conference consists of a series of multiple virtual events on multiple days throughout June-August 2024. If an admitted student cannot attend parts of the programming synchronously, there will be asynchronous options for students to watch. The conference registration fee for admitted students is $99.00; if the fee places a significant financial burden on a student’s family, financial assistance is available. There are also no application fees.
The conference application is available on their website (https://glohea.org) and will be accepted until March 1st, 2024. Each year, admission into our program is competitive, so we highly encourage interested students to apply at their earliest convenience.
ACPHS Giving Tree 2023
ACPHS's Teen Mental Health Initiative is proud to announce the opportunity for families to help students in need this holiday season. If you are interested, please stop by the front office and take a heart from our three giving trees. The heart shares the first name and age of the student along with their holiday wishes. Purchase a gift and bring the gift (unwrapped) in a gift bag and make sure to attach the orange heart to the bag. Deliver your gift to our school's social worker, Mr. Eddie Soto before Tuesday, December 5th! Please bring the gift to his office. If you choose to take a heart, please do your best to return it with a gift. If you are unable to get a gift for the child, please return the hear to Mr. Soto. Questions? Please email Mr. Soto. Thank you for helping us help others.
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.
The PREP PTO is the official parent/teacher organization of ACP High. Our role is to help support the staff, students, and faculty of ACP. School funds only go so far. We work closely with the administration to help determine the needs and then fund those needs. We support back-to-school events, teacher requests, general requests from the administration, graduation, and so much more. We support the entire school!
We do minimal fundraising throughout the year, so to assist us with our events and school support, we ask families to consider making a Booster donation.
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 are not required.
The PrepPTO is a member of the Chandler School Boosters 501c3 non-profit organization. Your donation may be tax-deductible. Please consult your tax professional for information/clarification.
Thank you for your support.
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