January 22, 2021
From Headmaster Gillingham
Dear Families,

In Person Learners:
We have completed 12 days of in person school with one COVID-19 exposure on campus, resulted in 9 student quarantines. I ask you to continue to be diligent! Cases in Arizona are taking a down turn, many teachers have received their first vaccine and will be able to complete the 2nd dose in February or March. Your vigilance along with the willingness of staff to be vaccinated continue to move us towards a more stable, safe and secure experience for in person learning. Thank you and keep it up!

On Tuesday, January 26 we will have our 9th through 11th graders taking the PSAT. We will be using classrooms 209 – 200 and the gym. For Tuesday, any students with their lockers on the second floor between 209 and 200 should plan to bring their backpack and carry their materials with them. That area of campus will be completely blocked after 8:10 am off to safe guard the testing experience.

Distance Learners:
We have completed 15 days of school. Some of your children have experienced significant transition and I hope that is leveling out. If your child is feeling isolated or disconnected from school, please reach out to a trusted teacher and let them know. If you would like additional support, your child can sign up for a virtual check in with Ms. Shunk using this survey. If you child doesn’t have a teacher they have connected with this year, the deans are happy to support: Ms. Melanie Attridge , mattridge@areteprepacademy.or or Mr. Patrick Vaughan, pvaughan@areteprepacademy.org

I am looking for a 6th and 7th grade distance learning parent who would be willing to help build community and support in those grades. If you are interested please each out to me directly.

ALL FAMILIES:

Coffee Shop information in below article.

We have two Asynchronous Distance Learning days for ALL prep students Friday, January 29 and Friday, February 26. Please note this is not the same as archway! 


Sincerely,
Julia Gillingham
Headmaster, Arete Preparatory Academy
Reminder! Online Day & No School Day
ALL students will have an online day on Friday, January 29. If you need your Google Classroom sign in, please contact the front office.

Friday, February 5 is a Great Hearts In Service Day for faculty, there will be NO school.
Order the 2020-2021 Yearbook Today!
Order your yearbook today! January 29 is the last day to order for just $50! Price increases to $55 after January 29. If you would like to get your yearbook personalized, that option is only available through January 29. Place your order today at Jostens.com.  
Updated Quarantine Guideline
If you were within 6 feet of a person with COVID-19 for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period or had physical contact with a person with COVID-19, you need to stay in quarantine at home.
Please DO NOT send your student to school if: 
  • Anyone they have been in contact with has tested positive for COVID-19. 
  • They have been tested for COVID-19 and are waiting for test results. 
  • Someone in their household has been tested for COVID-19 and is waiting for test results. 
  • They have any one or more symptom(s) of COVID-19, which include fever (>100°F), cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, chills, sore throat, headache, muscle/body aches, stuffy nose or congestion, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, and/or a new loss of taste or smell. 
  • They have traveled internationally by air and do not have a negative COVID-19 test five days after their return.
Students should stay home when they are sick, as any one of the above symptoms can be COVID-19. Click here for additional information

When students return to campus after their quarantine is up or they have negative test results as indicated by Nurse Hodgkins, they must stop at the front desk before returning to class.
Upcoming Zoom Coffee Shops
Giving Statements
Thank you to our generous donors! 
 
In late January, you will receive an email containing your 2020 Giving Summary. Please be aware of the following: 
  • Each summary is sent separately, so expect to receive two emails if you made donations to both Archway and Prep. 
  • Your 2020 Giving Summary will include donations to: 
  • Community Investment 
  • Tax Credit 
  • Teacher Excellence Fund 
  • Designated Gifts 
  • This is the last year giving summaries will be provided; all future gifts via credit card will be receipted by email at the time a donation is made. 
 
Thank you for your consistent and generous support of our wonderful school! For more information, contact Jessica Vaughan at 480-699-5283.
No Parking at Wedgewood Weddings or on Quinn Ave.
Wedgewood Weddings, to the east of our campus, has stated the Arete community is NOT welcome to park in their parking lot. They will enforce this policy which could lead to vehicles being towed.

Please be good neighbors and do not park on Quinn Ave waiting for students for drop off or pick up. Vehicles may be ticketed.
Represent Arete Prep
Great Hearts is seeking an individual or a couple to represent our academy on the 2021 Great Hearts Telethon Committee. The Great Hearts Telethon raises funds to benefit the Teacher Excellence Fund, which is distributed to our faculty as bonus compensation on an annual basis. Arete Prep received $19,745 in December 2020 from this initiative. The Telethon will take place on September 25, 2021 and a full description of the position can be found here. If you are interested in serving on the committee, please contact Kyle Lambros at klambros@greatheartsaz.org. 
Dress Code, Masks and Hygiene
As your students grow taller, their clothes seem to get smaller! Please check your student's skirt or pants length. The family handbook states that "pants must reach to the shoe but may not drag on the ground" and when a skirt is at the waist, "the skirt hem should be touching the top of the knee."

If a student's pants or skirt length is too short, you can expect to be contacted by the school. Be proactive in making sure they are in dress code after break.

Visit the Anton store at https://antonuniforms.com/.

Arete Face Coverings are also available for $10. Contact Coach Conklin at tconklin@areteprepacademy.org if interested.

For CDC guidelines about How to Store and Wash Masks, visit this link.
College Counseling
  • PSAT on January 26 for all 9th, 10th and 11th graders – For details, click HERE for the Parent Letter. For how to prepare your student, click HERE to access the PowerPoint PDF.

  • SAT School Day on March 24, 2021 for 11th graders only. Test prep materials and details were sent to all Junior families direct from College Counseling. Contact Ms. Arguello, Lead College Counselor, if you have questions.

Virtual College Fairs and Presentations – All high school students are invited! Click HERE to access the list of virtual fairs and presentations Arete is hosting and promoting. 
Events
Please check our calendar for upcoming events
CLICK HERE for College Counseling PSAT Info
PSO News
PSO is looking forward to welcoming previous and new Arete Prep families and working with families to support the school admin and teachers this year. A few things to note:

Free COVID Testing
Mesa Community College and Chandler-Gilbert Community College
To schedule, an appointment click on one of the links below.


Attention Remote Learning Families
Arete Prep would love to include your perspective of what you've experienced learning from home! Please send us good quality photos and stories for the yearbook of your remote learning experience to: apayearbook20@gmail.com
International Travel
As you begin to make your holiday plans, please remember that any international travel will result in quarantine (as many as 14 days) before your child/ren are permitted to return to school. The GreatHearts International Travel Policy can be found in our COVID Incident Response Guidelines and below for your convenience. Please notify administration if your family intends to travel internationally.

International Travel Isolation Guidelines
1.         Stay home for 14 days after you return home from international travel.
2.         Take your temperature with a thermometer two times a day and monitor for a fever. Also watch for cough or trouble breathing.
3.        Stay home and avoid contact with others. Do not go to work or school
4.        Do not take public transportation taxis, or ride-shares.
5.        Keep your distance from others (about 6 feet or 2 meters)
Please note that Puerto Penasco is considered international 
Lunch Drop Off Updates
MIDDLE SCHOOL: There will be a cart OUTSIDE the front office doors from 10:20 am - 11:20 am for lunches, the cart will be moved to the courtyard at 11:20 for students to pick up lunches.
HIGH SCHOOL: There will be a cart OUTSIDE the front office doors from 11:15 am - 12:15 pm for lunches, the cart will be moved to the courtyard at 12:20 for students to pick up lunches.

PLEASE NOTE: there will be no supervision of the lunch cart and we will not be responsible for lost lunches. Door Dash/Uber Eats will need to be delivered onto the cart as we will not accept them in the front office. They can be delivered between 10:20 am - 11:20 am.

If you are attending in-person and borrowed an Arete Prep Laptop/Device, please hold onto the laptop until further notice. 

Google Classroom Help
If your username or password does not work, please visit the Great Hearts Password/Login Help at https://theveeya.com/GreatHeartsFamilyHelp/

Remote Learning Info:
https://areteprepacademy.greatheartsamerica.org/remote-learning/

There will be NO student item drop off during the day.
Mask Policy
We ask that students not wear masks with exhalation valves, vents or mesh. These type of masks do not prevent the person wearing the mask from transmitting COVID-19 to others. The purpose of masks is to keep respiratory droplets from reaching others to aid with source control. 
New Volunteer Clearance Process
Great Hearts has changed the volunteer fingerprint process effective with the 2020-21 school year. The application is entirely online and available now. All volunteers must be approved through this new online procedure, including those with previously issued/non-expired Great Hearts badges, there will be no exceptions. Please note, when selecting the school, it will not differentiate between Arete Prep and Archway Arete, it will simply state Great Hearts Arete. The system will approve you for both schools.
Click here to apply. The cost is $5.00 per application per school year.
Arete Prep & Communication
A weekly email newsletter for parents is sent each Friday and includes important upcoming events and information from the school including College Counseling and the Parent Service Organization.
Please be aware that our preferred method of communication is via email, so it is vital that we have up-to-date email addresses on file so that we can keep you informed. Please email Beth Melvin with any updates to email addresses.
PSO
Arete Preparatory Academy | 480.222.4233