AHS Update from October 6, 2021

October 2021 Parent Update

A Word From Dr. J 
October break will be upon us very soon, and I hope you find time to relax and spend  time with friends and family. The break also reminds us that the first semester is about half over.  There is plenty of time for students to improve their grades and partake in interventions to help  them prepare for upcoming final exams. We offer Free After School Tutoring, Monday through  Thursday, in the library from 2:30-3:30 pm each week. Several teachers from various  departments can reteach material, help with homework, and review completed work for  feedback. Additionally, we offer monthly Saturday Catch-Up Room sessions to assist students  with missing assignments and assessments, provide time to get ahead on upcoming work and  study for future AP and final exams. 
As many of you know, the district has provided individual bottled water throughout the year as it  was determined to turn off the drinking fountains to prevent COVID-19 spread. This past week,  SUSD installed five water bottle filling stations on our campus, with another one scheduled for  next week. We will have bottled water through next week as we remind students to bring a water  bottle each day. Individual bottled water will still be available at lunch upon request with their  lunch. 
Homecoming is almost here, and we have a great week of celebration planned. Although dates  and times are still being confirmed, we would like to share that we will have a parade, dance,  assembly, and football game Friday night. We have reached out to our feeder schools to offer  them the opportunity to be involved. That week, the football game is the Arizona Game of the  Week, as the Titans host Tempe High School. As we get closer to the events, we will send out  additional information. 
We have an opening on site council for a community member to join. This position is for a  community member that does not have a student at AHS. If you are interested, please fill out the  form below: 
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1uqF8NT6a_QLsJ7LQBtpX5Rwxz 
pF0TouebZBxS9PX6s/edit?usp=sharing 

Next Coffee With the Principal Zoom Information: 10/17/2021, 9 am & 5 pm 
Please consider joining us for Coffee With Dr. J, which occurs every three weeks. This is  an opportunity to learn more about Arcadia High School, share feedback, and make new friends. Join Zoom Meeting 
https://zoom.us/j/96203700508?pwd=SENadVFRU3Z6eTRqRjdDMXBXS0lvdz09


A Word From Mrs. Pinto 

504 Information:  
My assistant, Lisa Richards, has begun scheduling 504 review/initial meetings for the  2021-2022 school year based on their review date.  

Important Dual Enrollment dates for 2021-2022 
● Spring 2022 Deadlines: 
○ 2/11/22 - Deadline to submit Enrollment Steps Form 
○ 2/25/22 - Deadline to pay tuition

Senior Information: 
Portraits (Prestige Portraits) 
● Communication was sent out on 9/13 to students and parents 
● The Arcadia campus make-up dates are set for 11/2 and 11/3 


Athletics: A Word From Mr. Sherren 
On 8/17/21 the Scottsdale Unified School District Governing Board voted to reinstate a mask  requirement indoors on all SUSD properties with the exception of those engaged in physical  activity. This indoor mask requirement has been extended for at least two weeks after return  from fall break. As a result, Student-Athletes, Coaches, Officials and Spectators will be  required to wear a mask indoors at all times at Arcadia, Chaparral, Coronado, Desert  Mountain, and Saguaro. Athletes warming up, or involved in the game, may remove their  mask but are required to wear them while on the bench. We appreciate your understanding  and support during these challenging times. 
Upcoming Events: 
★ Future Titan Night 10/15/2021 
★ Homecoming and AIA game of the week is 10/29/2021 
★ Winter Sports Begin 11/1/2021 communications on tryouts will be forthcoming. 
Any student athlete participating in tryouts, practices, or offseason workouts needs to be  coded “ready for tryouts” in Register My Athlete. 
Athletes and families should communicate with coaches about offseason workouts. 
All tickets for sporting events will be sold through GoFan again this year. No cash will be  accepted. 
Activity passes can be purchased through Intouch or at the Arcadia bookstore.

A Word from Ms. Johnson  

Testing 
The 2021-2022 testing calendar can be found here. 

Civics Exam (Senior Update) 
If you have a senior who has not taken or passed the Civics Exam you received an email  from Ms. Johnson with information on how to take the exam. Here is a link to that letter.  Please note that passing the civics exam is a requirement for graduation in the state of  Arizona. A 60% passing rate (60 out of 100 questions) is necessary to meet this graduation  requirement. If you would like to schedule an appointment to take the exam independently  please contact Ms. Hochstatter, khochstatter@susd.org, or Ms. Johnson,  sarajohnson@susd.org.  

Test Prep Opportunities 
Arcadia is partnering with our friends at Revolution Prep to provide our students with the  opportunity to practice taking college admissions exams. A proctored practice exam is  the best way to get a real-time snapshot of testing performance in order to create a testing  plan. Please see below for a list of our test prep opportunities for the fall semester. Please  register here for any test prep sessions. 

ARCADIA HIGH SCHOOL TEST PREP ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Please note that all events are virtual unless otherwise indicated as in person. Each event requires registration.  You may register at this link: https://www.revolutionprep.com/partners/14468/

Fall Semester Events

Test/Presentation 
Date 
Time 
Cost

Insider’s Guide to College  Admission Testing 
Parent Presentation Event
Wed, November 17, 2021 
6:00 p.m-7:30 p.m. 
FREE

Practice SAT/ACT Exam 
Sat, November 6, 2021 
9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. 
$10.00

Practice SAT/ACT Exam 
Sat, November 13, 2021 
9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. 
$10.00


PSAT/NMSQT®, Now What?  Parent Presentation 
Tues, December 14, 2021 
6:00 p.m.- 7:30 p.m. 
FREE

Student Clubs and Activities Updates 
You may visit our school website to find a list of our current clubs, here is a direct link.  Please note that new clubs may be added throughout the year and students are welcome  to join clubs at any time.  

Counseling Update - 
● As we approach fall break, please continue to monitor your student’s grades in  ParentVue. We strongly encourage any students who are failing one or more classes,  or who have grades lower than desired, to attend FAST (Free After School Tutoring)  or a Saturday Catch-up session. FAST is held Monday through Thursday, 2:30-3:30,  in the library and all are welcome. The next Saturday Catch-up session will be held  on October 23rd.  
● Our freshman & sophomore evening will be held virtually on Wednesday, October  27th. More information to come after fall break. 
● Seniors who are completing their college applications through the Common App  or Coalition App need to select their application due dates in the system they are  using. If they need a recommendation letter from their counselor, they need to  inform their counselor as soon as possible. We require the completion of a rec  letter questionnaire and a minimum of three weeks notice prior to the due date to  write a recommendation letter. 
● We are now well past the deadline for schedule changes. If a student receives  permission to change a class now and until fall break, a Withdrawal Passing WP or Withdrawal Failing WF will be entered on their transcript for the dropped class.  Any class change after fall break will result in an F being entered on the transcript  for the dropped class, regardless of whether or not the student was passing the  class at the time it was dropped.  

Social and Emotional  
● Listen to music: Music is powerful and universal, listening to music is a great way to relieve  stress. Students can play classical music while studying, play upbeat music to “wake up”  mentally, or slow songs to bring calm.

For more information on how to manage stress, please check out the Support Services April  Newsletter: https://www.susd.org/SupportServices 
Whitney Hess, Arcadia’s Social Worker, is always available Monday-Friday from 745am 3pm, just ask to set up a time to meet by emailing whess@susd.org  
Whitney Hess MSW 
Arcadia High School Social Worker 

Mrs. Mynars - College and Career Center  
Scholarship Opportunities:  
(You can find the list of all current scholarships on the Arcadia College and  Career Website.) 

• The Heisman High School Scholarship 
• Top national scholarship is $10,000 to one male and one female. Top state  scholarship is $1,000 to one male and one female. Among the top from each  state, 12 will be identified as national finalists and win at least $2,000.  Deadline to apply is October 19th.  
• Click here to apply: https://heismanscholarship.com/ 
• The AZ Milk Producers Reel Moments Video Scholarship Contest 
• Simply create a “Reel” Milk Moment video, lasting 30 seconds or less,  featuring your favorite real dairy product(s). $18,000 in college  scholarships: 1st Place-$8,000, 2nd Place-$6,000, 3rd Place-$4,000. Contest deadline runs through November 7th, 2021 
• For more details visit: az.milk.co/contest 
• American College Foundation 
• $5,000 Visionary Scholarship Application deadline: (received by) May 1, 2022 How to Apply:

Visit our Registration Page to begin the application process.  
You will receive an Application Packet within two (2) weeks from the time  you register. All components of the application must be received completely  at the time of submission. Applicants will NOT be notified of a partial and/or  incomplete application. All applications for the American College  Foundation’s Visionary Scholarship Program will consist of: 
● Completed ACF Visionary Scholarship Application 
● Student’s most recent unofficial high school transcript 
● 500-word essay on “Why College is Important to Me” 

Understanding FAFSA: 
Q: Why is the FAFSA application important? Do I need to fill it out? 
A: The FAFSA (or Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is important because completing this  form is the only way to receive state and federal financial aid. 
Completing the FAFSA is the single most important step that you can take to get financial aid. By completing the FAFSA, you are applying for most types of financial aid. 
Completing the FAFSA does not obligate students or parents to accept student loans or any  other form of financial aid. 
The FAFSA can be a bit complicated and most students will need help from a parent in order to  complete the form. 
The best way to complete the FAFSA is online at www.fafsa.ed.gov 
By completing the FAFSA online you will have access to help when you need it and you can cut  weeks off the amount of time it takes to process the form. 
Although tax information from last year is required to complete the form, you do not have to  wait until you and your parents have filed your tax returns. The FAFSA allows applicants to  estimate the information and correct it once taxes are completed.


The FAFSA Application opens on October 1st each year. Students do not have to wait to apply  for financial aid until they have been accepted for admission to the college. 
Students should not assume they are not eligible for financial aid. The FAFSA is necessary for  many scholarships and student loans as well. Most families can qualify for federal financial aid  regardless of income or assets. Everyone should apply. 

​Student Government 
CURRENT PLANS: 
● Red Ribbon Week 10/18-10/22 
● Homecoming Parade 10/29 @ 4pm 
● Homecoming Dance 10/30