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Office Hours:
M, T, Th, F: 7:30 am - 4 pm
W: 7:30 am - 2:30 pm
480.222.4233
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From Headmaster Gillingham |
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Dear Families!
What a week?! On Thursday, your in person students had picture day, a lockdown, and at high school lunch the fire alarm was pulled on the archway side. Our distance learners experienced this in a different way but still had their learning disrupted. Arete Prep faculty are very grateful for today's asynchronous school day that allows them to get caught up and work ahead. Teachers used today to get their gradebooks in order for deficiency notices. As of Monday, November 9, Jupiter will have an accurate accounting of missing assignments etc. We will send out deficiency notices on Thursday, November 12
For any who were unable to attend picture day, there will be a Retake Day on January 7.
On Thursday, you received three emails from the school, a COVID Letter, lockdown letter and an announcement from the Great Hearts president, Erik Twist, about semester two distance learning. Click for the Distant Learning, COVID Letter, Lockdown letter.
As a distance learning parent, please know that I am actively involved and advocating for how to best put together semester 2. The reason for the changes is because the current workload for teachers is unsustainable. They are being asked to work harder and do more than ever before and all this while managing COVID restrictions and a pay freeze.
Parents must make a learning selection for each child by Friday, November 20 even if you plan to continue the same mode of instruction.
I will be holding two Zoom meetings for distance learning parents. The first one will be for middle school Tuesday, November 10 at 10 am: Click here for the link.
Upcoming events:
No School on Wednesday, November 11 to honor our Veterans
Town Hall with Mr. Erik Twist Tuesday, November 17
Thanksgiving Break Wednesday, November 25 through the Friday, November 27 - see international travel policy below
Tuesday, December 1, Zoom meeting for parents of in person learners
Asynchronous school day Friday, December 11
Winter Break Monday, December 21 through Friday, January 1
Sincerely,
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Julia Gillingham
Headmaster, Arete Preparatory Academy
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Arete Town Hall with Erik Twist |
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Do you have questions about how Great Hearts schools are funded? Wonder why your property taxes do not go to Arete? Please join Great Hearts Arizona President, Erik Twist, in a Town Hall exclusively for the Arete community. Mr. Twist will provide information and answer questions about Great Hearts organizational structure and Arete’s budget and finances. This is will be a great opportunity to ask Mr. Twist questions in a smaller group setting regarding our school budget, funding, and the teacher pay freeze.
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Info Night returns on Tues, November 17. Tell your friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, and anyone who may be interested that Great Hearts will be hosting a virtual info session to answer any questions they have about our K-12 schools and the enrollment process. Click to register for the event here.
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Attention Military Families |
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With the adoption of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), military-connected students are now recognized as a distinct subgroup, including students with a parent who is a member of the Armed Forces on active duty of such title. The Military Student Identifier (MSI) questions listed below will provide educators with with critical information to personalize attention for military dependent children. Parents/guardians may decline to respond to these voluntary questions. If a military parent/guardian declines, the answer is reflected as a No. No parent/guardian will be asked to verify their military status by showing a military identification or other DOD documentation.
If your student is a Yes to any of the questions below, please email Nancy Harris with your student’s name and the question(s) you are responding Yes to so that we can accurately update the information.
- Is the student a dependent of a member of the United States military service in the Active Duty Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard?
- Is the student a dependent of a fulltime member of the National Guard or Reserve force of the United States military (Army, Navy, Marine Corps or Air Force)?
- Is the student a dependent of a member of the National Guard, or Reserve force of the United States military (Army, Navy, Marine Corps or Air Force)?
We ask that all families respond no later than Monday, November 30.
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Attention Remote Learning Families |
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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
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Coffee Shops are scheduled for the remainder of semester 1 as follows:
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Attention Arete Prep Juniors and families:
Senior trip 2022: Enrollment has started! Enroll between now and December 15, 2020 and save $500! Contact Ms. Hansen with questions, hhansen@areteprepacademy.org
Visit website or scan QR code to enroll:
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Senior Trip 2022: Scholarship Opportunity
Every year EF Explore America gives away $50,000 worth of scholarships to select students from around the country.
How to apply for this needs-based scholarship:
- Have your student write a brief essay (no more than 250 words) answering the question, "Why do you want to go on this EF Explore America Tour?"
- A parent/guardian must complete the Explorer Scholarship application.
- Submit the application by the deadline specified.
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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:
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Welcome new Uniform Exchange Lead: Emilee Hisey, emilee.hisey@gmail.com
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PSO celebrates teacher birthdays and other holidays by providing lunches and special treats for our amazing teachers. Please donate to help us show appreciation for our teachers, sign-up to donate items here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090d4facae2ca5fe3-teacher11
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2020-2021 Lunch Program: CLICK HERE
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PSO is planning to have a limited hot lunch program. Hot lunches will be available Thursdays and Fridays. For details: https://areteprepacademy.greatheartsamerica.org/academy-life/lunch-program/
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Snacks and drinks MAY be available for purchase other days, but this will depend on the availability of volunteers. We encourage you to sign-up to volunteer so we can continue selling snacks and drinks to the students: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090d4facae2ca5fe3-arete11
- To provide the safest environment possible, some items of convenience will no longer be available during lunch until further notice. Specifically: NO microwaves; NO hot water (for Ramen and other foods); NO utensils or napkins; NO condiments
- Stay Connected: Sign up for PSO text alerts: text @aretepso to the number 81010
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If you want to volunteer with the PSO, we recommend you fill out this form: https://forms.gle/CGRE6cZzrTgZZXEk8
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All PSO volunteers must have a background check using the new Raptor system.
- PSO meeting dates coming soon
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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
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Lunch Drop Off Updates, New Policies |
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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.
The Front Office: The new policy will be that only one person or one family per school will be allowed in the office. Please have a mask for each family member that enters the building and follow social distancing guidelines.
Tardy Students: Students that are late for school will be allowed in the Front Office to sign in one person or one family. They must have on masks and their temperature will be taken at that time. Students will need to wait their turn to come into the school outside and please practice social distancing guidelines.
If you are attending in-person and borrowed an Arete Prep Laptop/Device, please hold onto the laptop until further notice.
Google Classroom Help
Remote Learning Info:
https://areteprepacademy.greatheartsamerica.org/remote-learning/
There will be NO student item drop off during the day.
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The October PSAT has been RESCHEDULED. All 9th, 10th and 11th grade students will take the PSAT in January 2021. Information regarding practice testing and the actual test in January will be sent to families in the second quarter from College Counseling.
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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. |
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New Volunteer Clearance Process |
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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.
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Arete Prep & Communication |
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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.
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Arete Preparatory Academy | 480.222.4233 |
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