News & Events

ASU Prep Academy students win $4K

A group of six high school freshmen from ASU Preparatory Academy at the Phoenix campus won $4,000 for their solution to combat obesity.

The team, called the Newtrition Group, took part in ASU’s Obesity Solutions Funding Challenge – a monthlong competition inviting the ASU community to present their ideas on how to fight the obesity epidemic with the chance to win up to $10,000 in seed funding for their venture.


The Newtrition Group, from left to right: Maria Guevara, Steven Mercado, Jenesis Maldonado, Rebekah Santa Cruz, Cheyenne Tasher and Pedro Duenas.

Newtrition Group was the youngest team to participate in the challenge. The students on the team included Maria Guevara, Steven Mercado, Jenesis Maldonado, Rebekah Santa Cruz, Cheyenne Tasher and Pedro Duenas.

Using education as a tool to assist families in understanding how to prepare nutritional meals at reasonable costs and helping K-12 children make healthier food decisions are at the center of the group’s work.

The students plan to launch a snack bar with healthy options at their campus and also offer healthy cooking classes as part of their venture project. Taking a grassroots approach, the team aims to tackle obesity by working with their school and neighborhood leaders in offering nutritional snacks and healthy food lunch options.

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Just one aspect of ASU’s commitment to health, the Obesity Solutions Funding Challenge is part of the Obesity Solutions program at the university – bringing together world-renowned doctors from the Mayo Clinic, distinguished scientists at ASU, and members of the community and government in order to identify, test and share innovative ways of addressing obesity.

The goal of the program is to gather together people from many diverse backgrounds in order to develop simple solutions that work for real people in the real world.

ASU Prep Academy service project

Each year athletic students, parents and coaches from ASU Preparatory Academy at the Polytechnic campus team up with the university for a community-service project called Team Up and C.A.R.E. (Community Athletes Reaching Everyone). Last year they made more than 100 blankets for a child crisis center. For this year's event they created an animal habitat and viewing area at a local middle school.

The participants partnered with the ASU Cooley Leadership Club for the event, which included creating a rock walkway and planting trees, plants and shrubs that will attract birds, hummingbirds and butterflies. In addition, participants created an outdoor classroom space for the teachers and students, and a separate enclosed area for viewing animals brought in by wildlife experts and as a habitat for the adoption of a desert animal.

Coach Brenda Brown, athletic director, said the students showed their ASU pride by wearing ASU Prep Athletic T-shirts, and parents and other family members proudly wore gold shirts as they renovated the school areas. In addition, they also cleaned up around the middle school to enhance the new outdoor educational setting.

“I want to thank everyone for their support of ASU Preparatory Academy,” Brown said.


   

Student team debuts solar invention at AZ state capitol

Three ASU Preparatory Academy sophomores participating in ASU’s College of Technology and Innovation (CTI) "Make Your Ideas Happen Workshop" visited Arizona’s state capitol on March 27 to debut their contribution to solar innovation. The event celebrated the breakthroughs of Scottsdale-based research and development company Monarch Power and featured recognition by Governor Jan Brewer of solar innovation and growing manufacturing jobs in Arizona.


From left to right: Nicole Deopere, ASU MAKE Class student mentor; Richard Filley, MAKE Workshop director; Amanda Vaillancourt; Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer; Cassie Earl and Kassandra Garcia.

Three ASU Preparatory Academy sophomores participating in ASU’s College of Technology and Innovation (CTI) "Make Your Ideas Happen Workshop" visited Arizona’s state capitol on March 27 to debut their contribution to solar innovation.

The event celebrated the breakthroughs of Scottsdale-based research and development company Monarch Power and featured recognition by Governor Jan Brewer of solar innovation and growing manufacturing jobs in Arizona. Led by "Make Your Ideas Happen Workshop" instructor Richard Filley and Monarch Power CEO Joe Hui, the team introduced the concept of using power generated by Monarch Power’s Lotus solar energy collector to create an alternative energy source for vending machines. In partnership with the China Mist Tea Company, the team plans on finalizing their idea over the course of the semester and use any proceeds from the project to benefit the MPower Foundation and the new Startup Lab student club at ASU Preparatory Academy. Filley says the team will be touring China Mist Tea facilities in the near future as they continue seeking advice from company executives.

“This project is a great example of ASU partnering with the ASU Preparatory Academy and local small businesses to the benefit of all,” Filley said. “Along with the collaboration of Monarch Power and China Mist Teas, the team will have a number of resources at their disposal as the project comes to fruition.”

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The students chose to call the project the Lotus Flower Power project, paying homage to their all-female group and a play on Monarch’s Lotus technology that resembles a flower when in use.

The team is comprised of Ciara Earl, Kassie Garcia and Amanda Vaillancourt, with WiSE advisor Robyn McKay and CTI student Nicole Deopere as mentors.

“These young women are very excited about this project and are very bright,” Filley said. “CTI’s mission is to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in students who are eager to think of ideas and make them happen. This workshop empowers young students to do just that.”

The Make Workshop was launched in 2013 with the Lotus Flower Power team being the inaugural group to go through the program.

High school students from across the valley can participate in CTI’s "Make Your Ideas Happen Workshops," taking place in eight-week periods in the fall and spring semesters on the ASU Polytechnic campus. The workshop allows for high school students interacting with ASU MAKE class students to make a new product or create a solution to a problem in a structured and mentored environment. CTI faculty and staff serve as resources for students as they develop their ideas and take them to market.

Filley also announced recently that Ciara Earl, Kassie Garcia and Amanda Vaillancourt were each named Make ambassadors, earning each of them a $500 scholarship to attend the upcoming Startup Academy, a prestigious week-long summer camp offered as a part of the CTI Summer Experience. Each student will represent the Make classes and program at events and encourage other high school students to enroll in the High School Make Workshop next Fall. For information about the high school "Make Your Ideas Happen Workshop," go to www.technology.asu.edu/makehsworkshop. Information about the CTI Summer Experience can be found at https://technology.asu.edu/ctisummer.

ASU Preparatory Academy’s economics teacher’s Federal Reserve council term benefits her students

Through the centuries, money has evolved to become the paper we carry in our wallets. Now, with bank credit cards and electronic transfers of money, will greenbacks disappear from cash registers in the near future?

Those questions are only part of the economic outlook presentation that Amanda Yocum, ASU Prep’s high school economics teacher, helped to organize for a professional development workshop broadcast on April 19 via the San Francisco Federal Reserve’s live streaming channel.

Yocum is only one of four Arizona instructors selected to the San Francisco Federal Reserve Commission’s Education Advisory Council. She is serving a one-year appointment. Council members propose creative solutions to help educators across the United States to teach effectively about the Federal Reserve’s role in our country’s economy and macroeconomic concepts.

Yocum collaborated with her fellow council members to create education learning activities for presentations by Federal Reserve economists. In addition, Yocum will share some of the economic forecast findings with her economic students and discuss the future of cash and the importance of spending and saving.

The true-life educational experiences ASU Prep economic students receive with Mrs. Yocum’s assistance have the potential to inspire them to craft their own creative solutions to economic challenges in our community and in our country.

Now enrolling 9 – 11 grades at Polytechnic campus

Calling all future Sun Devils! ASU Preparatory Academy is now enrolling 9–11 grades at the Polytechnic campus in the East Valley.

Students at ASU Preparatory Academy High School are becoming leaders in their communities, working with ASU researchers, competing in robotics and writing a mini thesis. ASU Prep is a K–11 grade, tuition-free, innovative public charter school with a university embedded academic program focused on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) fields, and student-centered learning. In the new school year, two experienced, dynamic and passionate Co-Directors will lead the academic program.

Attend a high school information session at the Polytechnic campus.

6 p.m. Thursday, April 11, 2013

6 p.m. Thursday, April 25, 2013

6 p.m. Thursday, May 9, 2013

6 p.m. Thursday, May 23, 2013

ASU Preparatory Academy Polytechnic campus
7350 Innovation Way
Mesa, AZ 85212
asuprep.asu.edu

2nd Annual Golf Tournament Fundraiser

ASU Preparatory Academy Phoenix will hold its 2nd Annual Golf Tournament fundraiser on Friday, April 12 at the Raven Golf Course in Phoenix. The tournament and silent auction raises money for the school’s athletics department at the ASU Prep Downtown Phoenix campus. The golf tournament was started last year by the football coach, Byron Evans, an All-Pac-10 linebacker at the U of A who played more than 10 years as a star linebacker with the Philadelphia Eagles, as a means to raise the necessary funds to start and maintain ASU Prep’s football program. Coach Evans has invited many of his college and pro-athlete friends who live in the valley to participate. Last year's event raised more than $10,000. The entry fee is $135 per person and includes greens fees and cart, range balls and lunch for participating golfers. We also have tournament sponsorships and foursome packages available. The tournament starts at 8 a.m. and culminates with a luncheon at noon. The Raven Golf Course is located at 3636 E. Baseline Road in Phoenix, AZ 85042. Contacts: David.Lujan@asu.edu or Judith.Robles@asu.edu.

Free After-School Fitness Program and much more

Beginning February 20, ASU Prep students will have a great opportunity to participate in a number of fun health and wellness programs thanks to our wonderful community partner, The Mollen Foundation. Just as they did last semester, the Mollen Foundation will be on campus regularly to help promote healthy living.

One of the most exciting aspects of this program is a free after-school fitness program that will be open to all students. The Mollen after-school fitness program will begin on February 20 and will provide supervised, structured and grade-appropriate activities on the outside basketball courts and fields from 3:30-4:30pm every school day except for Tuesdays. Students can participate on whatever days they would like and will simply be asked to sign-in when they arrive so that we can monitor who is attending. We expect this will be a nice alternative to students who otherwise go to the media center after school or who are not participating in other extended day activities.

In addition, just as they did last semester, The Mollen Foundation will be providing trained staff to facilitate free supervised play on the outside basketball courts and fields before school on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday mornings from 7:30am-8:15am.

The Mollen Foundation will also be working with our 4th and 5th grade teachers to provide wellness curriculum in the classroom on Fridays and they will be providing classroom health coaches for Kindergarten through 5th grade.

Perhaps the most incredible aspect of all of this, is that The Mollen Foundation is providing all of this to ASU Prep at no charge. We are extremely grateful to The Mollen Foundation for bringing these exciting opportunities to our school and helping all of us at ASU Prep to live healthier, more fit lives.

Kindergarten openings for Fall 2013-2014

ASU’s innovative public charter school, ASU Preparatory Academy, is moving to a new expanded location and has added a few Kindergarten openings for the 2013-2014 school year.

We invite any new families interested in enrolling a Kindergarten student at ASU Prep Polytechnic Elementary School to attend our upcoming: Kindergarten Round-Up on Saturday, March 9th from 9 - 11 a.m. ASU Preparatory Academy Polytechnic Elementary School 6859 E. Rembrandt Ave., Mesa AZ 85212 480.727.5700

Our amazing Kindergarten team has planned a variety of fun interactive activities for your child and on-site registration will be available.

Please feel free to forward this to your families, co-workers, neighbors and friends, who have children entering kindergarten this fall 2013.

Barrett Summer Scholars Now Accepting Applications

Barrett Summer Scholars (BSS) residential summer program provides a unique residential summer opportunity for the best and brightest students to engage in pursuing their intellectual curiosity in science, math and engineering while learning from faculty across ASU, including Barrett, the Honors College. BSS is expanding to serve 320 students, to better meet the needs of Arizona's exceptional students. In addition to serving 7th graders at the ASU West campus and 9th graders at the Tempe campus, BSS is expanding to ASU's Polytechnic campus to serve 8th grade participants. Additionally, the eligibility criteria have expanded to include high-achieving students with outstanding grade point averages and high AIMS scores. The 2013 application deadline is Friday, March 1. The online application is available by clicking here.

In2Books Matches 3rd and 9th Graders as Pen Pals

The students in Mr. Krauter's 3rd grade class and the students in Ms. Pelotte's 9th grade Capstone have recently become ePals, communicating with each other by e-mail about books the 3rd graders are reading. It is part of a literacy project that is sponsored by In2Books, Inc. and its founder Nina Zolt. The 3rd graders will read three more books this year and communicate about them with the 9th graders because of this project. Below are some photographs of some recent face-to-face interactions with the ePals.

Club STEM invigorates, math, science education

Crockery shards lay on the floor, and blood spatters nearby showed that the suspect must have suffered an injury while committing the crime. Footprints and fingerprints left behind could help identify a culprit.

About 30 middle school students from all over the Valley are hot on the Case of the Smashed Cookie Jar, poring over evidence at ASU Preparatory Academy in Phoenix every Saturday morning for six weeks. A half-dozen or so ASU undergraduates and high school students, acting as mentors to the students in Club STEM, are performing a sneaky dual role: they are also the prime suspects.

The excitement is palpable as the young students identify blood types and analyze fingerprints, lip prints and footprints. They also perform chromatography on ink samples and interview the mentors to develop case files, scribbling on their clipboards to create profiles of their suspects.

While one group solves a simulated crime using forensic science techniques, another 30 students, clad in plastic aprons, safety goggles and protective gloves, are studying systems of the human body, by dissecting sheep hearts, brains, kidneys and eyes.

STEM in the Middle Project for middle school students and teachers

In the past two years, Club STEM students have designed and created their own video games, Rube Goldberg machines and 3D computer-based structures; explored high speed photography and video; and staged a competition for “Sumo robots” they had built. Students often become so engrossed in the projects that they insist on coming to the club even when they’re not feeling well.

Club STEM is an activity of the PRIME Center in ASU's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, which aims to increase student success and interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and to improve the skills and techniques of teachers in these fields. While students in grades 5-8 do projects designed and led by practicing scientists, teachers are in separate workshops, deepening their content knowledge and learning strategies for creating explorations for students that lead to greater understanding. The combined program is called STEM in the Middle.

“This program has helped me gain a better understanding of how to make math teaching, fun,” says Kristi Larson, a former grade 5th-6th grade science teacher at Sequoia Charter School who has begun teaching at ASU Prep. “Anything around you – a pencil, paper and measuring tape – can be made into a math problem.”

More than 90 students and 88 teachers from over a dozen Valley school districts participated last year, with new groups beginning each semester. Middle school teachers, most of whom do not have math or science degrees, are preparing for the new Common Core State Standards in Mathematics and the Next Generation Science Standards.

Funded by the Helios Education Foundation, Club STEM is one of two programs that led to the PRIME Center’s receiving the prestigious 2012 Outstanding Afterschool Program Award of Excellence from the Arizona Center for Afterschool Excellence, and a certificate of recognition from Arizona Governor Jan Brewer.

Prime the Pipeline Project for high school students and teachers

Also singled out in the award presentation was the PRIME Center’s program for high school students and secondary school teachers which led to higher student GPAs, completion of more advanced courses in STEM fields and greater persistence in STEM college preparatory courses. Prime the Pipeline Project (P3): Putting Knowledge to Work, funded by the National Science Foundation, ran for three years at the Polytechnic campus.

P3 used a project-driven approach in which high school students and teachers worked collaboratively as learners in “scientific villages” to solve complex problems, designed and led by ASU scientists. Industry and business leaders assisted. During the academic year, villages met on Tuesday afternoons and for two weeks in the summers.

Demand for P3 was high, with room for only about 100 students who were chosen randomly. They drove to the Mesa campus from as far away as Superior and Payson, and their achievements were compared with a control group of non-participants for the duration of the project.

PRIME Center researchers now are compiling their results, which indicate much higher achievement by P3 students and a greater tendency to persist in STEM courses in college. They are hopeful the Pipeline Project can be replicated elsewhere, and that teachers will continue the activities in their classrooms.

“There’s a need for greater preparation for teachers of mathematics and the sciences, and the use of technologies to advance learning,” says Carole Greenes, project principal investigator and associate vice provost for STEM Education. “Teachers want more help, and are eager and excited to learn. We don’t tell them how to teach; we engage them in exciting explorations that they can take back to their students.”

Greenes encourages teachers to expect more from their students, and to allow them more time on each task: “I tell them to allow kids to struggle, but not to suffer. Students need greater time for thinking and wrestling with important ideas.”

Among the 143 teachers who participated in the high school P3 program, almost a third noted that they had changed their expectations about what their students could accomplish. They developed more comfort with technology, and they especially enjoyed learning from other teachers.

“My professional life is richer and deeper as a result of the program,” says Nancy Foote, a science teacher in the Higley Unified School District. “My lessons include real world applications, and my expectations for my students--and for myself – are higher. My students will be the real proof of the success of the program when they become the scientists, technicians, engineers and mathematicians of the future.”

Read more about the PRIME Center’s outreach here.

High School National Honor Society is Here!

The National Honor Society is an organization designed to promote recognition for students who demonstrate excellent academic performance and who reflect the qualities of outstanding citizens. Membership in NHS is an honor recognized throughout the nation.

National Honor Society members are those students who have set themselves apart in the areas of scholarship, leadership, service, and character. All sophomores with an un-weighted cumulative GPA of 3.25 or above are eligible for consideration. Students who wish to be considered will apply to the five-member Faculty Council, who make the membership selections. In order to be selected, students must demonstrate excellence in all four areas.

The NHS selection is a two-step process. First, students' academic records are reviewed to determine those who are scholastically eligible for membership. Students who are eligible scholastically may then complete the Candidate Form. Secondly, a five-member Faculty Council will review information forms and teacher recommendations. Based on information from both the academic records and the information forms, final selections will be made. Students who are selected for membership will be notified prior to March break and will be asked to attend the Spring Induction Ceremony in March.

To be considered for membership to the NHS, the eligible students are required to complete the Candidate Form. NHS candidate packets are being distributed to eligible students next week. This form MUST be turned in to Mrs. Nelson no later than 3PM on February 19. Late forms will not be accepted for any reason. All forms submitted will be time stamped for the official record. We look forward to celebrating our first class of NHS members!

Middle School Receives New Tables for Science

Did your students mention that we had some new tables in the Science classes at the middle school? Through a generous donation from ASU we were able to receive new science tables. These were thankfully accepted and will be used greatly as we start to transform the middle school into our new STEM Academy. As you can see the students were excited.

First ASU Prep Letterman's Jacket Sighting

The ASU Preparatory Academy Polytechnic High School is proud to present our first Varsity letter jacket sighting on our campus. Cheyenne Samp, a two year varsity letter winner in Cross Country, Volleyball, Basketball, and Golf can be seen here proudly wearing her new ASU Prep Letterman's Jacket. Miss Samp is "Prep Proud"!

Christian Davis, 4th Grade, Wins School Spelling Bee

For the past month, ASU Prep students in grades 1 through 8 have been participating in classroom spelling bees as part of the preliminary rounds of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. The winners of the classroom competitions advanced to the school spelling bee which was held last Friday in the auditorium. Twenty-one students in grades 1 through 8 participated in the ASU Prep Spelling Bee, and because the Scripps Spelling Bee rules do not provide for different levels of competition based on grade, all students in the competition spelled words that were randomly selected regardless of their grade level. After five rounds of competition, the original field of 21 contestants was narrowed down to the final two, Rashid Shabazz (7th grade) and Christian Davis (4th grade). The two went back and forth for several rounds with both students spelling word after word correctly. But in the end, it was Christian Davis in the 4th grade who was the winner. Christian will now represent ASU Prep in the regional competition with the chance to advance to the state competition and ultimately the state champion will participate in the national spelling bee in Washington DC. All of the students who participated on Friday should be very proud of making it to the school spelling bee finals and demonstrating impressive poise as they participated in front of hundreds of their fellow students. We are proud of all of them, and we especially congratulate Christian Davis for being the 2013 ASU Preparatory Academy Spelling Champion.

Mind Over Music Program

Mind Over Music Program to Bring More Phoenix Symphony Musicians to ASU Prep

One of the best aspects of our partnership with the Phoenix Symphony and the Mind Over Music program is the opportunity to bring some of the symphony musicians to the ASU Prep campus to perform for our students. Three such "classroom concerts" are coming up, with brass instruments ensemble performing on January 22, the woodwind ensemble performing on February 22, and the percussion ensemble in March. The Mind Over Music program is providing our students with an excellent opportunity to learn more about the symphony by combining music into other curriculum areas such as math and science. We are very grateful to the Phoenix Symphony for bringing this exciting program to ASU Prep.

Spark the Fire Fitness Challenge Winners Announced

6th Grade Wins the Spark the Fire Fitness Challenge

The 6th grade students won first place in the Spark the Fire Fitness Challenge with 80,225 activity minutes logged during the two-month competition. The 8th grade finished in second place followed by the 3rd grade. The 6th grade will receive the Spark the Fire Torch trophy which will be displayed in the school trophy case and they will also receive a class party in the next few weeks. We are grateful to the Mollen Foundation for bringing this fitness and nutrition program to ASU Prep and for providing fitness programs for our students every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning last semester. We are also proud of all of our students who took part in the fitness challenge and have become more aware of the importance of regular exercise and good nutrition. But that was just the beginning, because we are going to start a brand new fitness competition later this month.

Dear ASU Prep Parents

Our hearts and prayers are with the families of Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. As we grapple to understand this horrible tragedy, we want you to know that the safety of your children is our top priority and we will constantly strive to make our campus a place where students and staff can come to learn and grow in a safe and secure environment.

Our commitment to safety includes having in place emergency lockdown procedures and doing monthly drills so that all students and staff will know what to do in the event of a threat on or near our campus. We have already done a couple of lockdown drills this school year and we will do another when we return from winter break in January so that we can not only make sure that everyone on our campus understands those procedures, but also so that we can make sure those procedures are as effective as possible.

In addition, our daily school security measures include making sure all entrances onto our campus are locked during school hours and requiring all visitors to campus to check-in at the front office during school hours. We also have staff who patrol the campus throughout the day to watch for anything unusual, and on the ASU campus, we work closely with campus police and participate in safety and security drills to ensure schools are secure.

In addition, to prevent our children from being bullied, feeling isolated, or not having their social and emotional needs addressed, we use the nationally-recognized Olweus anti-bullying program as well as the Character Counts curriculum. Our smaller classes and team teaching approach, coupled with regular parent communication, also help us come to know our students and to find ways to work together to respond to students non-academic needs.

We know having a conversation with your children about this senseless tragedy can be difficult. The National Association of School Psychologists has posted an excellent article with suggestions on how to talk to your children about the Connecticut shootings. You can see read that article by clicking here.

The Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy is truly heartbreaking. Our hearts are filled with grief and we are searching for answers. At ASU Preparatory Academy, we will help our students move through this in the most positive way possible, we have to be the protectors and listeners to let them all know we will stop at nothing to protect them and their right to learn in a safe and caring place.

Sincerely,

ASU Preparatory Academy

1400 students benefit from your support

Dear Community Leader,

Your support enables ASU Preparatory Academies to provide more than 1400 students with an excellent, well-rounded education that includes outstanding extra-curricular and after school activities like robotics, music and athletics.

Click here to watch a short video to see how your support helps our students.

Your tax credit donation helps us further our mission by supplementing core academic programming with the extra-curricular activities that enhance academic instruction and provide enrichment experiences for all our students.

Please donate today!

If you have already donated, please share with your networks and contacts. You may donate online or print the attached form to mail your donation.

Arizona State Law enables you to receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit of up to $200 ($400 if married filing jointly) when you make a donation to ASU Preparatory Academy by December 31. We will gratefully accept any amount. The state allows ASUPA to use these dollars for educational or recreational activities that supplement the educational programs of the school. It’s easy to give through our online giving portal.

To learn more about ASU Prep, visit: http://asuprep.asu.edu

On behalf of all of our students, THANK YOU!

Beatriz Rendon, CEO
ASU Preparatory Academies
PO Box 878405 ǀ Tempe, AZ 85287-8405
(480) 727-5807 phone ǀ (602) 496-3323 fax

ASU Preparatory Academy Tax ID #26-0664313

Poly Elementary Visits Musical Instrument Museum

The 3rd and 4th grade students at ASU Prep Poly Elementary recently visited the Musical Instrument Museum. The students are beginning a Project Based Learning unit about making their own instruments, and the science behind some of the sound. What better way to learn than to go on a field trip to the Musical Instrument Museum? During the trip students were able to see and hear instruments from all around the world and see short clips about the making of several instruments.

The trip also gave the students an opportunity to see and appreciate the uses and development of instruments from other countries. The museum is set up by continent with each room including the countries and regions included in that part of the world. Students participated in the guided tour, but were also given a short amount of time in each room to view several of the displays on their own.

Students can be seen in some of the photos playing instruments in the Experience Gallery and were also given time in the Artists' Gallery as well. It is always amazing that no matter what language we speak, whether it is written down or not, every culture creates music for ceremony, celebration, or even just to relax.

2nd Annual Reindeer Run on Dec. 17

Mark your calendars for Monday, Dec. 17 for our 2nd annual ASU Prep Reindeer Run. Kindergarten through 5th grade will participate in this holiday event that will consist of each class participating in a fun mile run around the track, at the designated times listed below. The purpose of the run is to help promote and encourage physical fitness and to get into the holiday spirit. All parents are welcome and encouraged to attend and may also run and/or walk with their child. The reindeer run-course will consist of running four laps around the track, which equals roughly 1 mile.

Come join us for this annual ASU Prep tradition!

Kindergarten - 8:30 a.m.
1st grade - 9:15 a.m.
2nd grade - 9:30 a.m.
3rd grade - 9:45 a.m.
4th grade - 10 a.m.
5th grade - 10:15 a.m.

ASU Prep Students Visit the State Capitol

ASU Prep Phoenix students recently visited the Arizona State Capitol last week. We are looking forward to seeing some of them as actual legislators some day!

VOTE ASU Preparatory Academy - Phoenix!

VOTE to Help ASU Preparatory Academy Win Clorox Grant!

ASU Preparatory Academy - Phoenix is a nominee in The Clorox Company’s Power a Bright Future grant program, and needs you to help win the needed funding for a weight room that promotes healthy bodies and minds.

From now through December 19, 2012 at 11:59p.m. EDT, you have the opportunity to vote online at www.PowerABrightFuture.com or via text message. You can vote once a day for our program so voting daily is encouraged. The program that receives the most votes overall will be awarded the $50,000 grand-prize grant. There is also a $25,000 grant for the following categories: Play, Create, and Explore. Three lucky schools will be selected, one from each category, to receive a $25,000 judge’s choice grant.

ASU Prep will use the grant to create a weight room that promotes healthy bodies and minds.

    Voting is easy and can be done daily by text message or online (or both!)
  1. Text to vote (Standard SMS Rates Apply)
    • To vote for ASU Preparatory Academy Text 2273pbf to 95248
  2. Vote online
    • Visit https://powerabrightfuture.clorox.com/
    • Click the “Vote Now” button
    • Do a Keyword Search for ‘asu prep’ or ASU
    • Click on “Vote for this” for our school. We are in the Play category

Help us win by posting on facebook, twitter, or emailing friends and family to ask for their support in bringing new resources to our students.
Remember to vote once a day!

Thank you for your vote!
Students at ASU Preparatory Academy

Canned Food and Toy Drives Continue

Both the ASU Prep canned food drive and the Holiday Toy/Dollar Drive continue this week. The PTA sponsored canned food drive will last through November 21, and students are encouraged to bring in canned food and non-perishable items and place them in the boxes provided in their classrooms. The classes (one from K-5; one from 5-8, and one from high school) who bring in the most donated food will win a party.

The PTA along with our high school National Honor Society, are also sponsoring a Holiday Toy/Dollar Drive. They are seeking new unwrapped toys or a dollar donation. Donations can be dropped off in the front office or with your child's homeroom teacher. The goal is to help 20 ASU Prep families and the greater community through St. Vincent De Paul.

Spark the Fire Fitness Challenge

ASU Preparatory Academy launched the Spark the Fire Fitness Challenge, which is a school-wide competition to see which grade can be the most physically fit and active. During phase one of the competition students will be asked to track anytime they are physically active for 10 continuous minutes or more and will keep track of that activity using activity sheets they will be provided this week. Students can count activities they do at home, on the weekends, during sports, or any other time. Each grade will be a team, and the grade with the most minutes logged at the end of the competition will win prizes to be announced. Also, because this will truly be a school-wide competition, our ASU Prep teachers, staff and administrators will also be a team. To assist and encourage students to be physically active, coaches from the Mollen Foundation will be on campus every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning from 7:30 a.m. - 8:15 a.m. organizing and supervising fitness activities for all students to participate in.

In addition, and in support of the school-wide competition, representatives from the Mollen Foundation are also offering free family health and fitness coaching for any interested ASU Prep families. Families that sign up will be assigned their own health coach to meet once per week. Based on the families' goals, the health coach will assist in creating meal plans and/or exercise plans and assist the family in reaching those goals. Our hope is that this competition will motivate all ASU Prep students and staff to get fit and maintain a healthy diet. Healthy and fit students can lead to good academic results as well.

ASU Prep Phoenix PTA Planning

The ASU Preparatory Academy - Phoenix Parents Group is now officially a PTA organization. The new PTA President is parent Aniesa Sepulveda. The PTA has already held a couple of successful events, the Spaghetti Dinner in September and last month's Pancake Breakfast, and they have many more events and activities scheduled throughout the year.

Currently, they are sponsoring a canned food drive which will last through November 21, and students are encouraged to bring in canned food and non-perishable items and place them in the boxes provided in their classrooms. The classes (one from K-5; one from 5-8, and one from high school) who bring in the most donated food will win a party.

Starting this Tuesday, the PTA along with our high school National Honor Society, will sponsor a Holiday Toy/Dollar Drive. They are seeking new unwrapped toys or a dollar donation. Donations can be dropped off in the front office or with your child's homeroom teacher. The goal is to help 20 ASU Prep families and the greater community through St. Vincent De Paul.

On Friday, November 30 at 6 p.m. the PTA will hold a free movie night at ASU Prep where they will be showing the Disney movie Brave. Snacks will be sold.

The PTA is also beginning to plan the annual ASU Prep Fall Festival which this year will be a Winter Festival, to be held on Saturday, February 2nd. This plans to be another great opportunity to bring the entire ASU Prep community together - students, teachers, parents and community partners, for a day filled with fun activities.

ASU Prep students and staff are already benefitting from the PTA's efforts. Recently, the PTA assisted with the purchase of dictionaries for Ms. Huisman's junior high class. Also, through the efforts of parent Monica Goddard, a number of our teachers received $50 worth of books each from the Friends of the Phoenix Library's annual book sale.

Parents are a vital pillar of our mission at ASU Prep and we are very grateful for all of their work to support our school.

ASU Prep 1st graders visit ASU’s Tempe campus

Our 1st graders visited ASU’s Tempe campus on Friday and were able to meet Sparky, tour the campus and learn about the importance of going to college. They also met ASU scientists and saw the “fish bowl” experience, the moon exhibit and visited the art museum on campus.

ASU Preparatory Academy Receives School Grades

The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) has released the letter grades for all district and charter schools across the state.
ASU Preparatory Academy Schools have received high marks. The Polytechnic elementary, middle and high schools maintained an ‘A’ and continue to exceed academically.
The Phoenix campus showed double-digit gains on test scores from a year ago and the academic gains are outpacing the state. The Phoenix campus has also seen a 25 percent increase of students who meet or exceed in AIMS math and a 20 percent increase in reading.

One of the most exciting aspects of our test scores is the number of students we are moving into the "exceeds" category of AIMS.” Says David Lujan, Chief Administrator of the Phoenix campus.

To date 22 percent of Phoenix students are exceeding in math, compared to less than one percent last year.
The grading system is based on the weighting of student performance on the AIMS tests and student academic growth from year to year, along with additional points awarded for high English Language Learner reclassifications and significant reductions in dropout rates.
The high test scores are a testament to the hard work of the students, teachers, administrative staff, and parents and families.
The specific grades and details of school’s grade reports are available on the Arizona Department of Education’s website at: http://www.azed.gov

Amanda Yocum, ASU Prep’s high school economics teacher – selected to Federal Reserve Advisory Council

Amanda Yocum, ASU Prep’s high school economics teacher, is one of only two teachers from Arizona who have been selected to the Federal Reserve Commission's Education Advisory Council. This Council will identify gaps and propose creative solutions to help educators across the country in effectively teaching about the Federal Reserve's role in the United State's economy. Ms. Yocum and her fellow council members will work in collaborative teams to craft learning activities, attend an economic outlook presentation from a Federal Reserve economist, and complete a self-directed project during their one year appointment on the Council. Congratulations, Ms. Yocum! We are proud of you!

Thank you for your generous support

Greetings from ASU Preparatory Academy,

Thank you for your generous support of the students at ASU Preparatory Academy. Please consider making a Tax Credit Donation to ASU Prep this year. The funding is critical to ensuring the success of our students and preparing them to be Future Sun Devils.

Previous tax credit donations helped our students participate in Robotics. ASU Preparatory Academy Phoenix campus recently hosted the LEGO Robotics League regional competition for schools from all over the valley. Students spent months planning and organizing to be hosts. We are very proud of all of the junior high robotics students who worked hard to build their robot, conduct research and put together their presentations.

The ASU Prep Poly Middle School also competed in the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition in Science and Technology) LEGO League Robotics Regional Tournament that was held at the ASU Poly campus. This year's theme at the FIRST competition was “Senior Solutions, challenges that face the elderly”. ASU Prep students were required to create a research project, develop an innovative solution to a challenge facing the elderly, perform a skit demonstrating the research, build and program a robot to accomplish various tasks, and present to a judging panel. Although this was the first competition for them, the students received the "Judges Award" for their research project on Alzheimer's and the solution they developed using a video journal to assist individuals afflicted with this disease. In addition, they emerged victorious in their third round of the robotic challenge.

Your SUPPORT and your tax credit donation makes this all possible! As you know, Arizona State Law enables you to receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit of up to $200 ($400 if married filing jointly) when you make a donation to ASU Preparatory Academy by December 31. We will gratefully accept any amount. The state allows ASUPA to use these dollars for educational or recreational activities that supplement the educational programs of the school. It’s easy to give through our online giving portal.

Please donate today!
Your donation will make a difference and you will receive a tax credit. If you have already donated, please share with your networks and contacts. You may click on the link above to donate or print the attached form to mail your donation.

On behalf of all of our students, THANK YOU!

The Polytechnic high school featured in East Valley Tribune

ASU Preparatory Academy High School, which is located on the ASU Polytechnic campus has been highlighted in the East Valley Tribune. The school is in its second year and provides a rigorous and university embedded academic program for 9th-10th grade.

“The idea is to treat them like university students,” says Mark Duplissis, Middle and High School Director.
There are 53 freshmen and 42 sophomores currently attending the high school. A junior class will be added next school year. Classes are held in buildings at ASU Polytechnic, which provides access to science lab and professors throughout the day. Seats are still available.

Click here to view the complete article.

ClubSTEM Open to Students in Grades 5-8

Phoenix campus middle school students in grades 5 – 8 are invited to explore their interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics by joining ClubSTEM. ClubSTEM will meet at the Phoenix campus (735 E. Fillmore Street) on Saturday from 9 a.m. - noon on Sept. 29, Oct 6, 13, 20, 27 and Nov. 3. The program will conclude with a Showcase on Nov. 10. Two hands-on classes will be offered this fall, a 3D: Animate, Draft, Design, Develop and Photography and Video course. Students will learn techniques which include: thermal imaging, painting with light, freeze motion and more. Contact ASU Preparatory Academy, Phoenix campus at 602.257.4843.

ASU Prep creates a float for the ASU Homecoming Parade

ASU Preparatory Academy students also participated in ASU’s Homecoming festivities recently. They even created their own float for the parade and hosted a Future Sun Devil ASU Prep informational tent and the High School Robotics teams demonstrated their work. Below are some of the images from the fun day.

Phoenix Symphony to Bring Mind Over Music Program to ASU Preparatory Academy

ASU Preparatory Academy, Phoenix will continue its unique partnership with the Phoenix Symphony and will introduce the Mind Over Music program. Mind Over Music is a STEM-based initiative where teachers are trained to integrate music into science, technology, engineering and math lessons. This program will encourage students to analyze the anatomy and behavior of each instrument, how instruments are made, the materials used, how it produces sound and then use critical thinking skills to classify that instrument with the correct family. By integrating an art form like music into science or math, students move beyond memorization to using critical thinking skills that are necessary to produce students who will be competitive in a global workforce.
The Mind Over Music program will kick-off with a performance by the Phoenix Symphony's String Ensemble on October 2 at 5:00pm in the ASU Prep auditorium for Phoenix students and families. In addition, our students will be treated to more performances by the Phoenix Symphony throughout the year.
ASU Prep is very excited to bring the beautiful sounds and talents of the Phoenix Symphony to our students and provide innovative new ways to enable them to achieve academic success!

ASU Preparatory Uniform Polo Shirts and Coffee Mugs Now on Sale

ASU Preparatory Academy is now selling official maroon ASU Prep polo shirts. Phoenix families can purchase a shirt throughout the summer for $9 each, cash, debit or credit accepted. Shirts are available in a variety of sizes. Coffee mugs are also available for purchase through the Parents' Group on sale for $5 each.

For more information, contact the ASU Prep Phoenix campus at 602-257-4843.

High School Economics Students Learn Using Clay

Amanda Yocum is ASU Prep's 10th grade economic's teacher, and if you step inside her classroom, there is a good chance you will see her students in a fun, yet challenging and engaging activity aimed at helping them understand economic concepts. Last week was no exception, as her students used play dough to create products that contributed to our Gross Domestic Product, then calculated the GDP based on their production levels. Below are some photographs from the class.

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