ACP High School New Student Update

Hello, Future Knights!

On behalf of our faculty and staff, welcome to ACP High School and the Knight family!

I am excited for the upcoming school year and look forward to getting to know each of you. We have a great year ahead, and I cannot wait to get started.

This message is the first of several New Student Updates you will receive before the school year begins. You can expect at least one update per month between now and June. Beginning in July, all new students and incoming freshmen will be included in our weekly Knightly Updates, which are sent to all grade levels. These communications will include important information about orientation, class schedules, student spotlights, activities, athletics, and more. Please take a few minutes to read each update so you don’t miss key dates and deadlines - especially our Optional In-Person Registration Sessions, Math Placement Exams, and Incoming Freshman BBQ.

As you begin your high school journey at ACP, please know I maintain an open-door policy and am always available to meet with students and families. If you have questions, concerns, or ideas, do not hesitate to reach out. If you have not already done so, please download the ParentSquare app, as it is our primary communication tool for families.

I hope the remainder of your school year goes well. I look forward to meeting you soon. Until then, remember to strive for the impossible and be extraordinary.

Welcome to ACP — Go, KNIGHTS!

Rob Bickes

Principal

Although many families have had the opportunity to submit their course requests, we want to ensure all families have the opportunity to attend an in-person registration presentation.

We’re excited to welcome you and your student to campus next year! We understand that transitioning to high school comes with many questions, and we’re here to help. To support you through this process, our counseling team will be hosting optional registration presentations covering key topics such as course selection, graduation requirements, and other important considerations.

Each session will also include a Q&A opportunity; however, due to time constraints, we will not be able to meet individually with all incoming families. Reservations are not required - simply attend at a time that works best for your schedule. Please find the schedule for in-person sessions below.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

ACPHS Counseling Team

In-Person Course Registration Meeting Schedule

As mentioned above, the ACPHS counseling team is hosting in-person sessions on 8 different occasions to help answer any registration questions you have for next school year. Please find contact information below but if you have specific questions on classes or would like more guidance, please plan on coming to one of the sessions. All course request changes are due by Thursday, April 2nd. We are hosting 8 in-person sessions after the deadline. For families that come in-person on April 11th, 18th, 21st, or 23rd; we will accommodate changes but only for those families. In addition, math changes will also be taken into account after the deadline if the student is taking the Math Placement Exam. We appreciate your understanding of our deadlines. By limiting changes, it allows us to build a master schedule that helps with class sizes and ensure we can meet the needs of our students. More information regarding the Math Placement Exam can be found below in this newsletter.

New Student BBQ - one of our favorite events of the year is our New Student BBQ where each spring we welcome our new to ACPHS Students to our campus. The event is optional but over the last 5 years, we have had a great turnout and hope to continue the tradition this year. We have the majority of our teachers, administration, and upperclassmen leaders present to help build community right from the the start with our new, incoming students. While the majority of the attendees are typically incoming freshmen, all new, incoming students are invited regardless of grade level.

Please RSVP for our New Student BBQ which will be held Monday, May 18th. The event will be hosted by our ACPHS Link Crew to welcome all New to ACP students! The event will begin at 5:30pm and end at 7:30pm. We will begin the night in our main gym with a Pep Assembly from 5:30 to 6:30. We will then rotate out to our north practice field for a BBQ. We are excited to meet our future Knights! Please RSVP below by May 8th. Specific details regarding pick-up and drop-off will be sent out prior to the BBQ. For any one-off questions, please reach out to munguia.allysa@cusd80.com.

When: Monday, May 18th, 5:30 - 7:30pm

Where: ACPHS; Gym and North Field

RSVP: Please use the Link Below

**This is a student only event. Drop-off and pick-up will occur in our west drop-off zone.

Freshmen Orientation - Friday Morning, July 10th or Monday Morning, July 13th

We will have two different dates for Freshmen Orientation this year. There will be an alpha split to determine which session students will attend. Freshmen Orientation is run by our ACPHS Link Crew Program. Each year, they do an outstanding job and we look forward to another great time this year. More details to come in our New Student Update Blasts on exact times and details, but we want to make sure families had the date as they plan for the summer. There will be no make-up orientation so we hope that all new students can make the event. However, once the alpha split is determined, families will have a process to switch days if they are unable to attend their given day. Freshmen orientation is strictly an orientation, where there is not planned time for many logistical items. We highly encourage all freshmen to also attend the Welcome Walks (info below) to do things like walking course schedules, pay fees, or some other logistical items. Once again, we highly encourage freshmen students to not only attend Freshmen Orientation but also attend one of the Welcome Walk sessions. More info below on Welcome Walks.

Welcome Walks - Friday Afternoon, July 10th and Monday Afternoon, July 13th

This upcoming year, we will be offering 2 different dates for our Welcome Walks, Friday, July 10th and Monday, July 13th. They piggy back student orientation dates on purpose so freshmen students have the opportunity to complete logistical items after orientation. Our Welcome Walks are designed to give all students - from incoming freshmen to returning seniors - the opportunity to walk the campus and locate their classrooms for the upcoming year. It’s a great way to get familiar with the layout before the first day of school. During this time, students can also visit the bookstore to pay fees, pick up parking placards, purchase spirit wear, and even check in with counselors, who will be available throughout the event. We will be communicating exact times in our future updates. Students can choose to only attend one of the dates.

ACPHS highly recommends that all new CUSD students complete a math placement exam to help us place the student in the most suitable math course. The math placement test is also open to current CUSD students. Our goal with the math placement test is to simply ensure that we start students off in the correct course. Within math education, we have students enroll from a variety of different schools and the placement test helps us take a data-based approach to ensuring that students enroll in the right math course on day one of their freshmen year. The Placement Test is only for students who are selecting a course other than Algebra 1. If you selected Algebra 1 as your 9th grade math course, you do not need to sign up for the placement test.

Families may select one of the following Math Placement Test dates. As a reminder, the test is optional but highly recommended. The test will be offered on the following 4 dates.

Option 1: Thursday, April 2nd; 5:00pm - 6:30pm

Option 2: Saturday, April 11th, 8am - 9:30am

Option 3: Saturday, April 18th, 8am - 9:30am

Option 4: Thursday, April 23rd; 3pm to 4:30pm

Each of these testing sessions will follow the same time frame and logistics. Please see below for specifics for the day of testing.

Location: ACPHS Cafeteria

Pick up and Drop Off: Parents should pick up and drop off their students in the North Parking Lot adjacent to our school’s cafeteria. Click here for map and driving directions. The testing will take place in our school’s cafeteria. When testing begins, students will not have access to their phones. After the test is completed, students will be able to access their phones.

Testing: Students will be given exactly 60 minutes to complete their exam.

Materials: Students should bring at least 2 pencils or pens. Students will use their writing utensil(s) to show work; however, the test is multiple choice Scratch paper will be provided. All math placement exams are No Calculator Exams. The testing aims at the conceptual side of the math standards and students cannot use a calculator on the exam. Students do not need to bring a backpack. We want to keep everything as simple as possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does the student have to be an incoming freshmen to take the math placement exam?

A: The math placement exam is open to all students at all incoming grade levels to ACPHS. Although the majority of the students who take the test are incoming 9th grade students, we do have students 10th - 12th grade transfer students take the test as well to verify their math placement.

Q: How does the scoring work? When will I receive my score?

A: You will receive an email communication within 2 weeks of your testing date with your student’s score. If your score suggests that your student signed up for the correct course, the email will verify the course and no further action is needed. If your student’s score suggests that they should level up or down, parents will receive a phone call from ACPHS administration with options for making the change.

Q: Can we retake the math placement test?

A: Retakes are not permitted. The test is helping us to ensure the best math class for a student. If the administration suggests that your student should enroll in a different math course other than what was originally selected on your registration form based on the score, we ask that parents listen to the information. Over the past 4 years, ACPHS feels like the data and information given to parents to help select the best math course is valid and reliable. We ask that you trust our recommendation.

Q: My student is currently an 8th grader at a CUSD junior high/middle school and has already selected their math course, can they take the placement test?

A: Yes. A current CUSD student is still allowed to take the test. As students from CUSD are typically placed in the correct course right from the start because of our vertically aligned curriculum, we do have have families that take this option each year to verify their student’s placement. You will be given your score just like non CUSD students and you can make an informed decision on your student's math course for next year.

Q: The registration information has a hard deadline for course changes, is there an exception for math?

A: Yes. For math. If your students is taking the math placement test, we do make schedule changes for these students if administration feels like it’s in the best interest of the student. If the administration recommends a different math course for your student based on the placement test score, you will get a phone call to go over the options. Like stated earlier, if we feel your student selected the right math course, then you will get an email verifying that the placement test score has verified what your student has chosen.

Q: Why are calculators not allowed?

A: The assessments are specifically designed to ensure students have a conceptual understanding of math standards and a calculator is not needed. The numbers are kept low on purpose so calculators are not needed. We are testing for conceptual understanding and not procedural understanding.

Q: Is there a Study Guide?

A:There is a purposely not a study guide. We just want to know the foundation for each student. For us, it's not about cramming before an exam. It's about the core understanding and ensuring students have the foundation before going to the next course.

ACPHS Athletics wants to make sure you get all the information you need if your student is planning on playing sports next year at ACPHS. Please be sure to always check out our ACPHS Athletics' Website, https://acphs.cusd80.com/athletics, to stay up to date with current information. Many of our athletic programs host summer camps so please check the website to stay current with athletics' information.

As we begin planning for the 2026–27 school year, we want to share important information about the process for requesting and assigning student bus transportation. The Chandler Unified School District (CUSD) will once again offer very limited bus service for families to ACPHS who reside within CUSD Boundaries. Families must request transportation and be selected in order for their student to be assigned a seat. We will be sharing more information in our future updates. However, please see important points below for a general overview for the bus lottery.

• Future Communications will solidify the date and time that our bus link request form will go live

• An email will go out to all ACPHS prior to the "go live" date and will contain a link to a request form for those interested in bussing.

• The form will go live Monday, April 20th at 8:00 PM

• Submissions will be timestamped and bus assignments will be made on a first-come, first-served basis.

Our school is committed to creating a student-led community where all students can voice their opinions and make a difference in their school environment. The student government is an excellent opportunity for students to develop leadership skills, learn about the democratic process, and represent their peers. Please use the link below to access the application. The process will include submitting an application form and writing a personal statement. Applications are due by May 8th. Please reach out with any questions.

Jeanette Noriega, Student Government Advisor

Noriega.jeanette@cusd80.com

Over the course of our school’s history, ongoing efforts have been made to review, update, and maintain dress standards that reflect our commitment to professionalism, school pride, and a respectful learning environment. These standards are designed to balance student expression with the shared values and expectations of our school community. The established guidelines apply to all students attending ACP High School and are expected to be followed at all times.

All polo shirts must be purchased through ACP’s approved vendors (see below). All students are required to wear approved shirts while on campus. Please review the general uniform guidelines listed above to ensure compliance.

Families are welcome to purchase pants and shorts from other retailers, but these items must align with the established uniform guidelines in terms of style, fit, color, and modesty.

Please know that our administration carefully evaluated a range of vendors to find those who offer excellent customer service, along with affordable, high-quality products that meet our standards.

We encourage families to use the summer break to explore the approved vendors and find ACP apparel that aligns with our attire expectations. This is also a great opportunity to purchase additional spirit wear to show your Knight pride throughout the year.

Use the links below to order both daily uniform items and spirit attire.

School Day Begins: 7:15 (gates close at 7:25)

School Day Ends: 2:15

Office Hours: 7:00-3:30

School Address:

4477 S. Gilbert Rd., Chandler, AZ 85249

Phone Numbers:

Administration: 480-424-8700

Attendance: 480-424-8703

Fax: 480-224-9268

Find us on the web: www.cusd80.com/acphs