ACP Winter Newsletter

Thursday, December 18th marks the end of our 3rd block for the 2025–2026 school year. Please note that this will also be an early release day, with students dismissed at 11:15 AM.

Final exams will be held on the same day. We encourage all students to come prepared, stay focused, and finish the block strong!

Get ready to show your school spirit! Holiday Spirit Days are happening on campus December 15th–18th. Dress up, celebrate the season, and have fun with your classmates while spreading holiday cheer. Check out the schedule below for each day’s theme.

Join us for a virtual information session designed especially for families of students in the English Language Development program! The session will be on December 16th at 3:30 PM. We will share information about the program, helpful resources, and how to support your student’s language growth at home. Details on how to join the session will be sent to families of ACP EL students via email. We can’t wait to connect with you!

As we approach the end of the 1st semester and the holiday season, I want to thank all our staff, students, and parents for their support this year. ACP is such a special place! I remember when I first came to ACP back in 2021 and heard about the mission and vision of the school. The "AT HOPE" message truly resonated with me and my personal beliefs. Many years ago, I heard a school leader say that schools should be "compassionate places of student learning". I adopted that as my vision for every school I have been a part of since that time. ACP is more than a school to those who have spent time here. While it is a place of learning, it is also a place where people care. Over the last couple of weeks, Coach and I have tried to meet with every student in the school to hear their voice to share what they like about ACP, what ideas they have, and how we can improve their experience here. We appreciate the parents who have offered their time and talents to ACP. We are also forming committees to review our policies and procedures, as well as to plan activities and events. If there are any parents who would like to be a part of our PAC (Parent Advisory Committee), please reach out to me (kmarble@accelschools.com). As we wrap up block 3 and leave for a holiday break, I want to thank all our students and families for choosing ACP for their education. We are honored that you give us the opportunity to share our school with your family. We wish you a Happy Holiday and hope that you will enjoy the winter break. See you back on January 5th! Go Lions!

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As we enter the joyful month of December, we want to take a moment to thank you for your continued support and partnership. This time of year is always filled with excitement, learning, celebration, and varsity basketball, here at school, and we’re happy to share a few important reminders with you.

• First home game is 12-3-25 at the Mesa Interstake center at 6:30 pm.
• Block 3 ends on 12-18-25
• Winter break starts on 12-22-25, and school starts back up on 1-5-26.

"The best part of the holidays is not the lights or gifts, but the laughter and love shared with family"

As we wrap up the semester, the Operations Team at Academy with Community Partners High School wishes all of our students, families, and staff a safe and joyful winter break! We are here to support you every step of the way, so if you have any questions or need assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Looking ahead, state testing is just around the corner. Keep an eye on your inbox for important updates and guidance from our Testing Coordinator to help you prepare. Thank you for being part of our ACP community, and we look forward to a successful start to the new year!

Hot chocolate is more than yummy! Drinking a warm beverage in winter can actually help your body regulate its temperature and keep you cozy.

Ice can float! Unlike most solids, ice is less dense than water, which is why it floats. This keeps fish and other aquatic life safe in frozen lakes.

On Thursday, November 20th, ACP hosted a memorable Thanksgiving Feast, and it was truly a community effort. We are grateful for the incredible support from our school community and from the Mesa East Stake, who participated in the Just Serve for Thanksgiving initiative. Not only did many volunteers donate food, but they also rolled up their sleeves to serve meals, replenish food stations, and help with cleanup. Their many hands truly made light work. A thank you to all of our families who joined us for the celebration. Your presence made the event even more special!

Our recent College and Career Fair was a fantastic experience for our students! They had the opportunity to connect directly with representatives from a wide range of colleges, universities, career programs, and military branches gaining valuable insights into their future education and career pathways. Students also enjoyed taking home plenty of fun swag, including lanyards, stress balls, cups, bags, and more.

A huge thank you to the following organizations for spending the day with our students and helping make this event a success:

• Grand Canyon University

• Southern Utah University

• Mesa Community College

• Chandler-Gilbert Community College

• University of Advancing Technology

• Pima Medical Institute

• RSI

• Northern Arizona University

• Arizona College

• Benedictine University

• Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences

• Arizona State University

• Army National Guard

• U.S. Navy

We appreciate their support and commitment to empowering our students to explore their next steps with confidence!

On Monday, November 10th, our in-person and online seniors had the opportunity to take their official senior photos, complete with cap and gown. We are incredibly grateful to our community partner, Photos by Mary Jordan, for generously donating her time and talent to make this possible.

Digital photos will be available soon, and all participating students will receive their images as soon as they are ready. Thank you to everyone who took part in this special milestone!

We are so grateful for Eric Lowe and Midwest Food Bank for their incredible support of our families this holiday season. On Friday, December 5th, 2025, Eric delivered 60 Holiday Food Boxes, each filled with all the fixings for a festive meal. Thanks to their generosity, our families can enjoy a joyful and well-stocked holiday table!

Members from the Mesa East Stake generously deliver food on a regular basis to support our students. We are incredibly grateful for their ongoing dedication and community support in helping ensure our kids have food and snack items available to them every day!

Mighty Lions Choose to ROAR

R - Respectful

O - Open-Minded

A - Achievers

R - Responsible

Weekly ROAR Drawings

Each Thursday, we hold our weekly ROAR drawings to celebrate students who consistently demonstrate our Mighty Lions values. Students who receive ROAR cards can drop them off in the front office collection box for a chance to be recognized and rewarded. It’s one more way we honor students who Choose to ROAR, being Respectful, Open-Minded, Achievers, and Responsible every day!

Key Components of ROAR

• Clear Expectations: We establish and communicate clear behavioral expectations for students across different settings within the school. This helps students understand what behaviors are expected and how they can achieve them.

• Positive Reinforcement: We recognize and reward positive behavior through various incentives and praise. This reinforces desired behaviors and encourages students to continue making good choices.

Benefits of ROAR:

• Improved Behavior: By focusing on positive reinforcement and clear expectations, ROAR helps reduce behavioral issues and promotes a more respectful and cooperative school environment.
• Enhanced Learning: A positive and supportive environment allows students to focus on learning and achieve their academic goals.
• Stronger School Community: ROAR fosters a sense of community and belonging among students, staff, and families, contributing to a more inclusive and supportive school culture.

Regular attendance is key to student success, whether you’re learning in-person or virtually. Every class session provides critical instruction, opportunities to engage, and connections with teachers and peers. Missing even a single day can make it harder to keep up with lessons and assignments. For our virtual students, logging in consistently ensures you stay on track and fully benefit from all learning resources. Let’s make attendance a priority to ensure all students are reaching their goals!

1. Call the Office at (480)-833-0068 & Press "1" for Attendance

2. Email the attendance office at attendance@acparizona.org with the following information:

➔Student First and Last Name and Grade Level

➔ Date of Absence

➔ Reason for Absence

➔ Parent/Guardian Name Reporting the Absence

➔ Parent/Guardian Contact Phone Number

➔ Attach any Medical Documents (if applicable)

Guardian Dashboard Login Guide

We’re excited to help you stay connected. Attached below are directions to log in to your Guardian Dashboard, your go-to place for updates on your student’s progress. If you need your login credentials or have any questions along the way, our school team is happy to help, don’t hesitate to reach out!

To recognize the amazing progress our students have made this year, all EL students at ACP will participate in the AZELLA Reassessment in person in February 2026. We look forward to recognizing and celebrating students’ growth!

Friday School is a great opportunity for students to catch up on missed hours due to absences. Held on Friday(s) from 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM, excluding the first and last Friday of the block.

In October 2025, the Lions traveled to Flagstaff for a divisional flag football game. For many team members, it was their first time experiencing the beautiful views at Sunset Point, making the trip a memorable one both on and off the field.

In November 2025, the Lions had the opportunity to play a varsity basketball game inside the Arizona Cardinals Stadium. The team performed impressively, showing their skills in front of enthusiastic fans and proud families!

On Thursday, October 23rd, our student body came together for a Homecoming Pep Rally at the end of the school day. It was a fun opportunity to cheer on our football team and show school pride before their big game!

On Thursday, October 23rd, ACP hosted a fantastic Homecoming Dance! A huge thank you to all of our students and Student Council members who helped make the event a success. We also appreciate The Click Crew Photobooth for joining us and capturing all the fun memories!

In October, our teachers and students had a spooktacular time participating in our Halloween Door Decorating Contest! Congratulations to Ms. Dunford’s class for their winning “Kindness is Brewing” door. A big thank you to everyone who participated and to Ms. Guzman and Mr. Sorensen for judging the creative entries!

Remember that each year there is an AZ tax credit of $200 for individuals and $400 for families when you donate to a school. This means that if you give a donation of that amount to the school (with receipt) you get that as a tax credit back on your AZ state taxes. Business/Corporate donations can be up to $800. These donations are used to help our sports and other extracurricular activities. Please talk to Mrs. Guzman at the front office if you'd like to make a donation. For more information, you can go to https://azdor.gov/tax-credits/public-school-tax-credit

Forgot Your Password?

Contact the School Operations Manager, Taylor Sorensen at tsorensen@accelschools.com for assistance.

Psychology

Students have been diving into altered states of consciousness, practicing guided meditation to explore how the mind processes awareness. We’re now shifting focus to memory and thinking. Students will kick off this unit with a hands-on lab investigating how information moves from short-term to long-term memory, a fun, interactive way to connect theory with real-world experiences.

English 12

Our students recently completed a collaborative project analyzing and teaching short stories of their choice. As we move into our next unit, students will take their understanding of narrative craft and write short stories of their own. We’re excited to see their creativity come to life on the page!

Consumer Math

Students are progressing through Consumer Math A and B online at their own pace, while working with Mr. Mazon on projects and activities outside the digital classroom. This block, students are focused on realistic budgeting, calculating income, writing and depositing paychecks, and planning expenses. Some projects even explore dividing a paycheck between friends and evaluating spending habits over two months, providing hands-on experience with real-world financial skills.

Check Out This Project!

Students put their Consumer Math skills to work by creating realistic two-month budgets. From calculating paychecks to planning expenses and splitting costs with friends, this hands-on project shows math in action!

World History

Students recently completed their Silk Road Trader Journals, imagining journeys to faraway lands and trading highly coveted goods with people from across the globe.

U.S. History

Students are working on the Abolitionist/Reformer Spotlight project, researching individuals who significantly influenced positive change in the world. This project allows students to connect history with the impact of courageous, visionary leaders.

Science

This block, students have explored a variety of hands-on labs, including creating lava lamps to demonstrate chemical changes, participating in an egg-drop contest to study Newton’s Three Laws of Motion, and building catapults to understand how simple machines combine to create complex machines. Next week, students will conclude the block by studying light waves and preparing for their final exam.

Mythology

Students have explored Greek and Egyptian myths and are finishing Norse mythology this week. They are gearing up for a final project where they can choose which mythology to focus on.

Poetry & Drama

Students have been reading The Empire Striketh Back, a modern adaptation of Star Wars in Shakespearean play format. Groups are currently acting out chosen scenes and designing sets, costumes, and practical effects, bringing these creative interpretations to life on stage.

Senior fees for all current 12th graders for the 2025–2026 school year are due by April 1st, 2026. Payments can be made easily online using the link provided. Please make sure to submit your payment to stay on track for all senior year activities and graduation planning.

Family income forms play a crucial role in supporting our school and students. As you receive this form from our office, please take a moment to complete it. Family income forms are essential for determining eligibility for various federal and state funding programs. These forms help schools qualify for funding that supports educational resources and services.

Parents and guardians may request information about the qualifications of their teachers at any time by emailing our Operations Manager, Taylor Sorensen at tsorensen@accelschools.com. These are also available at our school office at 433 N Hall in Mesa, AZ.

Questions? Call our front office at 480-833-0068