Good News

Calendar

• October 2 Family Dance Night 6:30-8:00 pm
• October 4 No Extended Day
• October 6 NOON DISMISSAL, No Extended Day
• October 6 Book Basket Auction Donations Due
• October 6 Elementary Missing Work Deadline
• October 9 Secondary Missing Work Deadline
• October 10 Parent Empowerment Meeting 7:00 pm
• October 12 Fall Festival 4:30-7:00 pm
• October 13 Spirit Wear Day (except 1st-3rd grades)
• October 13 1st-3rd Grade Field Trips
• Oct 16- Oct 20 NO SCHOOL, Fall Break

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October Builders Theme: I am a builder when I am perfectly honest.

Our school is focusing on being perfectly honest this month. A needed value in this life is honesty and the consequent trust that comes from it.  We use the phrase “perfectly honest” because in our world, there is often a message sent that there is such a thing as “pretty honest” or “honest enough.”  We encourage you to discuss this at home to help your students understand the difference.  

Family Dance Night – October 2

We will have a family dance night on October 2nd from 6:30 pm until 8:00 pm.  Everyone is invited to come and participate!  If you have questions, reach out to Mrs. Hillyard at whillyard@apamail.org. 

Book Basket Donations – Due October 6

We are gathering materials for our annual Book Basket Auction. The elementary class with the highest selling basket wins a class party. All secondary grades that have 25% participation will earn a free shoe day, while 50% participation will earn a free shirt day, and 75% participation will earn a free dress day.  The secondary grade with the highest participation will earn a pizza party. See the attached flier: https://salem.americanprep.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/09/Book-Basket-2023.pdf

Parent Empowerment Meeting – October 10 

Our next parent empowerment meeting will be about suicide prevention.  This will be a virtual meeting at 7 PM on October 10th.  Secondary students can have a tardy excused for every member of the family that participates in the meeting, up to three tardies.  You can join this meeting by using the following zoom link: https://uetn-org.zoom.us/j/84548403459

Fall Festival – October 12 

Our fall festival will be on October 12th from 4:30 pm-7:00 pm. Information regarding tickets and meals is at the following link: https://www.americanprepfoundation.org/salemfallfestival/.  Discounted wristbands and meals can be purchased using a debit or credit card until Tuesday, October 10th at 4:30 pm.

Spirit Wear Day – October 13 

October 13th is a spirit wear day. However, 1st-3rd grades should come to school in full uniform because they have a field trip.

Lost and Found

Our Lost and Found will be cleaned out the Friday before Fall Break.  It is located in the vestibule in front of the elementary office.  Please make sure your students check for any lost items. Any remaining items will be donated at this time. 

Boots

Girls can wear boots until April 1st. They must be solid black with no embellishments. 

Free Webinar with Love and Logic

Technology can be a wonderful tool for communication, learning, and healthy enjoyment. However it can also become a dark and destructive influence in the absence of necessary parental supervision and limits. Do you ever feel like your child’s cell phone, game console, or computer is like a monster that has taken over your home? Here are some signs that technology use might be a problem for your kids:

• Do your kids become defiant and refuse to take a break from their phone or computer?
• Even if they are willing to take a break, do they become exceptionally irritable, depressed, or bored during that time?
• Do they lie to you about their technology use and sneak time during their break?
• Any of these classic withdrawal symptoms are possible signs that your loved one has a problem that can lead to serious consequences if left untreated.

Join Dr. Daniel Amen of Amen Clinics and Dr. Charles Fay of Love and Logic on October 5th as they team up to help us understand more of the effect that technology has on our children and how to set healthy boundaries and rules with them. It is an online presentation and isn’t to be missed! Click here to sign up: https://courses.loveandlogic.com/registration-technology-misuse-addiction

Calendar

• September 25 – 29 College Week
• September 27 Picture Day
• September 27 College Fair
• October 2 Family Dance Night
• October 4 No Extended Day
• October 6 NOON DISMISSAL, No Extended Day
• October 6 Elementary Missing Work Deadline
• October 6 Book Basket Auction Donations Due
• October 9 Secondary Missing Work Deadline
• October 12 Fall Festival

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September Builders Theme: I am a builder when I build with enthusiasm.

One of Walter Chrysler’s mottos was: “The real secret to success is enthusiasm.” It’s important for our students to know the attitudes they display towards working hard are a choice. When students develop and display an “I can do hard things” attitude, they gain further confidence in their abilities.  

Picture Day – September 27 

School pictures will be taken on Wednesday, September 27th.  Students will need to be in full uniform.  As stated in the uniform guide, hair accessories should be black, navy, red, or white; and they must be solid in color or the school plaid.  Also, large earrings are not appropriate.

Family Dance Night – October 2

We will have a family dance night on October 2nd from 6:30 pm until 8:00 pm.  Everyone is invited to come and participate!  If you have questions, reach out to Mrs. Hillyard at whillyard@apamail.org. 

Book Basket Donations – Now until October 6

We are gathering materials for our annual Book Basket Auction. The elementary class with the highest selling basket wins a class party. All secondary students who participate will earn a free shoe day, and the secondary grade with the highest participation will earn a pizza party. See the attached flyer: https://salem.americanprep.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/09/Book-Basket-2023.pdf

Volunteer Hours and Contributions

We are grateful for all of the ways parents contribute to the success of APA.  While contributions are no longer counted as volunteer hours, we do want to recognize all of the ways that you contribute to APA. Please use this link to record any hours volunteered, items donated, or contributions made: https://forms.gle/jNMh7gEHkXYuMTMt8. Thank you, again, for all that you do for the school!

Lunch Menu

Our school lunch menu for the month of October and nutritional information can be found at the following link: https://www.americanprep.org/school-lunch-program/menu/.

Boots

Girls can start wearing boots on October 1st. They must be solid black with no embellishments. 

APA Clubs

Clubs have started at APA. 

• Ham Radio Club (grades 5-9) meeting on Tuesdays from 3:15-3:55
• Dungeons and Dragons Club (grades 7-9) meeting on Wednesdays (canceled once a month) from 2:15-3:55
• Pokemon Club (grades 7-9) on Fridays from 3:15-3:35. 

If your child is interested in joining, please fill out the permission form: https://forms.gle/z8dNFvevbsoA65i67.  If your child is in AED, they can only choose to participate in one club.

Calendar

• September 19 Constitution Day
• September 20 7th and 8th Grade Leaders For Life Event
• September 22 Spirit Wear Day
• September 25 – 29 College Week
• September 27 Picture Day
• September 27 College Fair
• October 6 NOON DISMISSAL

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September Builders Theme: I am a builder when I build with enthusiasm.

Enthusiasm is one of our foundations at APA.  The following is from our handbook: “Enthusiasm propels one on to greater effort. Enthusiasm makes work enjoyable and provides encouragement for others to put forth increased effort. It is the responsibility of every member of the American Prep community to bring enthusiasm to their work and to their associations at school.”

Constitution Day – September 19

Our school will be reading the constitution from 9am-10am on Tuesday, September 19th. We’d love to have everyone join us through our vimeo link at vimeo.com/americanprep.

7th and 8th Grade Leaders for Life Event – September 20

On September 20th, we will be having our Leaders for Life event for our 7th and 8th graders.  We would love to have more parent volunteers come in and help us run this event from 11:40 am until 2:05 pm. Please reach out to Mrs. Hillyard at whillyard@apamail.org if you have any questions or would like to volunteer. 

College Fair – Calling All Parents! – September 27

Did you love your college experience?  Are you passionate about your career? If so, you would be perfect to join us this year on September 27th to present to elementary students or junior high! Sign up here if you are interested: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A094DAEAE2FA1FA7-college. Please reach out to Mrs. Hillyard at whillyard@apamail.org with questions.

Picture Day- September 27 

School pictures will be taken on Wednesday, September 27th.  Students will need to be in full uniform.  As stated in the uniform guide, hair accessories should be black, navy, red, or white; and they must be solid in color or the school plaid.  Also, large earrings are not appropriate.

Calendar Reminder – Friday is a regular school day

Our original calendar created last year had this Friday as a non-school day for secondary students.  There will be school this Friday. It will be a normal dismissal. 

APA Yearbooks

Yearbooks can be purchased at the following website: www.treering.com/validate using passcode 1013947202713106. The price for yearbooks is $22.68, but you can get a 10% discount if you order before October 31st. This website also includes options to include custom pages for your child by April 12th. 

Volunteer Hours and Contributions

We are grateful for all of the ways parents contribute to the success of APA.  While contributions are no longer counted as volunteer hours, we do want to recognize all of the ways that you contribute to APA. Please use this link to record any hours volunteered, items donated, or contributions made: https://forms.gle/jNMh7gEHkXYuMTMt8. Thank you, again, for all that you do for the school!

APA Clubs

Clubs have started at APA.  Currently, we have:

• Ham Radio Club (grades 5-9) meeting on Tuesdays from 3:15-3:55
• Dungeons and Dragons Club (grades 7-9) meeting on Wednesdays (canceled once a month) from 2:15-3:55
• Pokemon Club (grades 7-9) on Fridays from 3:15-3:35.

If your student is interested in joining, please fill out the permission form: https://forms.gle/z8dNFvevbsoA65i67.  If your student is in AED, they can only choose to participate in one club per week.

Carpool Update 

Elementary families – If you are late for first dismissal, please get in line with the second dismissal. Passing is not permitted during carpool for the safety of our students. 

Secondary families – All students must be picked up along the curb – it is not safe to have students walking across the parking lot to be picked up. After 3:25 pm, all students are moved to the Elementary pick up zone.  

School Parent and Family Engagement Policies

School Parent Involvement Policies vary slightly by campus and are located within the Parent-Student Handbooks https://www.americanprep.org/parent-student-handbooks/. These Handbooks are distributed annually to parents and are now accessible on the APA website under the Parent Library drop-down tab. West Valley Parent-Student Handbooks will be available in Spanish.

Mandated Assessments and Opt-Outs

American Preparatory recognizes that Standardized Testing is an essential tool for measuring student learning and teacher success.  The data obtained from these assessments may be utilized by teachers and administrators to review student academic progress, plan instruction, and share with students and parents. Summative assessments allow for data to be used in public reporting about school quality. Parents may opt-out of most state standardized tests by submitting a Parental Exclusion form to the Academic Director.  You can learn more about the state assessments administered at American Prep and find the testing schedules for your student’s campus by following this link: https://www.americanprep.org/state-assessments/.

Calendar

• September 11 Academic Extended Day Begins, Cross-Country Team Practice Begins
• September 12 Parent Empowerment Meeting
• September 14 Mid-Term Missing Work Deadline
• September 18 Lock Down Drill
• September 19 Constitution Day
• September 20 7th and 8th Grade Leaders For Life Event
• September 22 Spirit Wear Day
• September 27 Picture Day
• September 25 – 29 College Week
• September 27 College Fair

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September Builders Theme: I am a builder when I build with enthusiasm.

The human brain is con­tin­u­ally alter­ing its struc­ture, cell total, cir­cuitry and chem­istry as a direct result of every­thing we do, expe­ri­ence, think, and believe.  Research shows that by thinking of a single optimistic word, you stimulate frontal lobe activity.  This area is connected to your motor cortex, which is responsible for moving you to act.  The longer you focus on positive words, the stronger it affects your brain. Therefore, we are more likely to become enthusiastic if we think enthusiastically.  

Academic Extended Day – Starting September 11

We are excited to start Academic Extended Day this afternoon from 3:10 – 3:35 pm. Elementary students enrolled in the program by completing a participation form. If you feel your elementary student would benefit, please reach out to Mrs. Barton at  jbarton@apamail.org if you didn’t receive a form.

Secondary students were enrolled in Skyward, it shows as their 9th period class. If you would like to enroll your secondary student, please reach out to Mrs. Peery at epeery@apamail.org. 

Cross Country Team – Starting September 11

We are so excited to announce that our Cross Country season is starting. Practice will start on Monday the 11th  and continue through the end of October. Permission slips are available from Coach Vance at rvance@apamail.org. Practice will be: Mon & Tue 3:15-3:55 and Thurs 2:15-2:55. We will start in the gym, and weather permitting, go outside on the field for most of practice. Meets will be announced as soon as we have the schedule. It should be a great season! Let’s run!

Parent Empowerment Meeting – September 12

Our first parent empowerment meeting will be about internet and cell phone safety.  This will be a virtual meeting at 7 PM on September 12th. You can join this meeting by using the following zoom link: https://uetn-org.zoom.us/j/89267303321 

Mid-Term Missing Work Deadline – September 14

Both Elementary AND Secondary mid-term missing work deadline is this Thursday at 4pm. 

Lock Down Drill- September 18

We will have a lock down drill on September 18th.  There will be law enforcement on campus. Students will receive instructions prior to the drill. 

Constitution Day – September 19

Our school will be reading the constitution from 9am-10am on Tuesday, September 19th. We’d love to have everyone join us through our vimeo link. We are looking for prominent members of our community to join us and read a part of the constitution. If you know any firefighters, police officers, city council members, mayors, representatives, community leaders, or if you are interested in reading a part, please reach out to Mrs. Hillyard at whillyard@apamail.org.

7th and 8th Grade Leaders for Life Event – September 20

On September 20th, we will be having our Leaders for Life event for our 7th and 8th graders.  We would love to have more parent volunteers come in and help us run this event from 11:40 am until 2:05 pm. Please reach out to Mrs. Hillyard whillyard@apamail.org if you have any questions or would like to volunteer. 

College Fair – Calling All Parents! – September 27

Did you love your college experience?  Are you passionate about your career? If so, you would be perfect to join us this year on September 27th. Present to elementary students or junior high! Sign up here if you are interested. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A094DAEAE2FA1FA7-college.  Please reach out to Mrs. Hillyard at WHillyard@apamail.org with questions.

APA Yearbooks

Yearbooks can be purchased at the following website: www.treering.com/validate using passcode 1013947202713106. The price for yearbooks is $22.68, but you can get a 10% discount if you order before October 31st. 

Professional Qualifications

Our parent surveys consistently express confidence and overwhelming satisfaction with our teachers at American Prep.  In accordance with state regulation, all APA teachers are licensed through one of three licensing paths: Professional, Associates, and LEA specific.  Parents are welcome at any time to request information regarding the professional qualifications of the student’s classroom teachers including: 1) whether the teacher has met state qualification and licensing criteria for the grade levels and subject areas in which the teacher provides instruction or whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or other provisional status through which state qualification or licensing criteria have been waived; 2) the baccalaureate degree major of the teacher and any other graduate certification or degree held by the teacher, and the field of discipline of the certification or degree; and 3) whether the child is provided services by paraprofessionals and, if so, their qualifications. 

School Parent and Family Engagement Policies

School Parent Involvement Policies vary slightly by campus and are located within the Parent-Student Handbooks https://www.americanprep.org/parent-student-handbooks/. These Handbooks are distributed annually to parents and are now accessible on the APA website under the Parent Library drop-down tab. West Valley Parent-Student Handbooks will be available in Spanish.

District Parent and Family Engagement Policy

American Prep recognizes that parent and family engagement is key to student achievement.  We provide many opportunities for parents and family members to participate in, and stay informed of, their student’s academic achievement.  American Preparatory Academy trains staff annually during pre-service and teacher academy on how to communicate, build meaningful connections, and otherwise involve parents/families and the school.  These topics are reinforced during professional development opportunities throughout the year as needed.  Additional details regarding parent and family engagement are available in the annual Parent-Student Handbooks (PSHB) which are distributed annually, posted on the school websites, and available in Spanish at our West Valley campuses. For the full District Parent and Family Engagement Policy, please refer to this link on the policy page of the americanprep.org website.

Mandated Assessments and Opt-Outs

American Preparatory recognizes that Standardized Testing is an essential tool for measuring student learning and teacher success.  The data obtained from these assessments may be utilized by teachers and administrators to review student academic progress, plan instruction, and share with students and parents. Summative assessments allow for data to be used in public reporting about school quality. Parents may opt-out of most state standardized tests by submitting a Parental Exclusion form to the Academic Director.  You can learn more about the state assessments administered at American Prep and find the testing schedules for your student’s campus by following this link: https://www.americanprep.org/state-assessments/.

Calendar

• September 6             5th/6th Grade Take Flight Event
• September 11            Academic Extended Day Begins
• September 12           Parent Empowerment Meeting
• September 14           Elementary Mid-Term Missing Work Deadline
• September 25-29    College Week

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September Builders Theme: I am a builder when I build with enthusiasm.

We use cheers in our classrooms at APA to bring enthusiasm to our days.  The rhythmic chants are an affirmation of excited learning.  They affect emotional animation and energy.  Ask your children to teach you a few of our cheers so that you can bring this same enthusiasm into your home. 

Parent Empowerment Meeting

Our first parent empowerment meeting will be about internet and cell phone safety.  This will be a virtual meeting at 7 PM on September 12th. You can join this meeting by using the following zoom link: https://uetn-org.zoom.us/j/89267303321

College Fair – Calling All Parents!

Announcing our first annual College Fair!! This is only possible with amazing parent volunteers.  Did you love your college experience?  Do you have a career you are passionate about?  Then  you would be perfect to join us this year! Wednesday, September 27th is the date! Watch for the sign up genius link, but save the date for now!

Volunteer Hours and Contributions

We are grateful for all of the ways parents contribute to the success of APA.  While contributions are no longer counted as volunteer hours, we do want to recognize all of the ways that you contribute to APA. Please use this link to record any hours volunteered, items donated, or contributions made: https://forms.gle/jNMh7gEHkXYuMTMt8. Thank you, again, for all that you do for the school!

APA Yearbooks

Yearbooks can be purchased at the following website: www.treering.com/validate using passcode 1013947202713106. The price for yearbooks is $22.68, but you can get a 10% discount if you order before October 31st. This website also includes options to include custom pages for your child by April 12th. 

Reading University at Payson City Library

Payson Library has started adding our RU lists to their catalogs. You can view these lists on their website at catalog.paysonlibrary.org. In the search bar, you will type APA. You will then change the drop down box that says “In Library Catalog” to “In Lists.” Press search, and you should see the RU books they house at their library. 

Salem Students Help Read the Constitution

On August 31, 2023, the first Utah State Capitol Constitution Live Reading Kick-Off was led by the Constitution Live Youth Council. There was a 45-minute live-streamed reading of the Constitution. Our Salem students that participated in this event are Emma Morgan, Rowan Meagher, Ellery Meagher, Afton Jewkes, Naomi Jewkes, Hazel Reynolds, and Lily Reynolds.  We are excited to follow this event with our campus reading of the constitution on September 19th. 

Emergency App Drill  

Thursday at 2:40, our staff will be running a drill of our emergency app on our phones. If you notice staff briefly using their phones during carpool, it is a test of our system. 

Professional Qualifications

Our parent surveys consistently express confidence and overwhelming satisfaction with our teachers at American Prep.  In accordance with state regulation, all APA teachers are licensed through one of three licensing paths: Professional, Associates, and LEA specific.  Parents are welcome at any time to request information regarding the professional qualifications of the student’s classroom teachers including: 1) whether the teacher has met state qualification and licensing criteria for the grade levels and subject areas in which the teacher provides instruction or whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or other provisional status through which state qualification or licensing criteria have been waived; 2) the baccalaureate degree major of the teacher and any other graduate certification or degree held by the teacher, and the field of discipline of the certification or degree; and 3) whether the child is provided services by paraprofessionals and, if so, their qualifications. 

District Parent and Family Engagement Policy

American Prep recognizes that parent and family engagement is key to student achievement.  We provide many opportunities for parents and family members to participate in, and stay informed of, their student’s academic achievement.  American Preparatory Academy trains staff annually during pre-service and teacher academy on how to communicate, build meaningful connections, and otherwise involve parents/families and the school.  These topics are reinforced during professional development opportunities throughout the year as needed.  Additional details regarding parent and family engagement are available in the annual Parent-Student Handbooks (PSHB) which are distributed annually, posted on the school websites, and available in Spanish at our West Valley campuses. For the full District Parent and Family Engagement Policy, please refer to this link on the policy page of the americanprep.org website.

School Parent and Family Engagement Policies

School Parent Involvement Policies vary slightly by campus and are located within the Parent-Student Handbooks https://www.americanprep.org/parent-student-handbooks/. These Handbooks are distributed annually to parents and are now accessible on the APA website under the Parent Library drop-down tab. West Valley Parent-Student Handbooks will be available in Spanish.

Mandated Assessments and Opt-Outs

American Preparatory recognizes that Standardized Testing is an essential tool for measuring student learning and teacher success.  The data obtained from these assessments may be utilized by teachers and administrators to review student academic progress, plan instruction, and share with students and parents. Summative assessments allow for data to be used in public reporting about school quality. Parents may opt-out of most state standardized tests by submitting a Parental Exclusion form to the Academic Director.  You can learn more about the state assessments administered at American Prep and find the testing schedules for your student’s campus by following this link: https://www.americanprep.org/state-assessments/.

Dear Parents,

We were planning to start our Academic Extended Day (AED) on Tuesday September 5, but will delay until Monday September 11. We need time to complete our planning and clearly communicate this new program so it has a smooth launch for our students, staff, and families.

Everyone should continue to pick up their students at 3:10 pm/2:10 pm until September 11. Thanks for your patience and understanding!

Salem Administrative Team