April Newsletter

ASU Prep Digital’s mission is to design new models for educational success to raise academic achievement for all learners.

Note from Your Director

Hello Sun Devils!

We trust your Spring semester is going well and wanted to thank you for your dedication and commitment to crossing the finish line next month. Our teachers, LSCs, and support staff are here to support you and cannot wait to celebrate your success. Even though the year is winding down, we still have several exciting events planned in the upcoming weeks. We are thrilled to host our first annual ASU Prep Digital Prom on Friday, May 13, 2022! Additional information on Prom can be found below in this newsletter!

We’re a little over a month away from celebrating the Class of 2022 in person at ASU’s Desert Financial Arena! Click HERE to view our graduation website for all of the most up to date information. Congratulations to the Class of 2022, and we look forward to honoring all of you!

Finally, on behalf of our entire school, we would like to thank all of our students, their families, their supporters, and our staff for a successful state testing season. We’ll be wrapping up state testing at the end of this week, with more than 100 staff members traveling to more than 40 cities/towns across Arizona to administer the AASA, AzSCI, ACT Aspire, and ACT exams to required students. We have loved getting the chance to see our Sun Devils in person across grades 3-8, 9th, and 11th!

Sincerely,

Dr. Laura Maloney Director of Academics

Mr. Michael Kasper, M.Ed, Director of Academics

Staff Spotlight

Carol Melagrano, Elementary Teacher

Carol Melagrano has been in education for 14 years and has been with ASU Prep Digital since July, 2020. Her favorite part of being in education is, “the honor of playing a small role in the upbringing of our next generation. They are our future and it is so cool thinking I got to spark a love for learning in them at a young age.” Her teaching philosophy is, “all about creating a student-centered learning environment that brings life to the skills and standards being taught each day. Getting students excited to learn is the most powerful thing I can give them and hope they carry it with them long after they leave my classroom.”

Loree Cox, Middle School Science Teacher

Mrs. Loree Cox is an exceptional middle school science teacher who helped start up our digital middle school two years ago. Before coming to ASU Prep Digital, Mrs. Cox started teaching at a tiny high school on the east coast of Florida. She tells the story, “I literally rode my bike up to the school and dropped off my resume at the front office because they were not answering the phone. The principal’s secretary chased me into the parking lot and had the principal conduct my interview that day. I taught high school chemistry and biology there for fourteen amazing years. That little school was filled with sandy surfers and we spent our days exploring our estuaries. The kids taught me to love science even more than I already did!” In addition to teaching science, Mrs. Cox loves to watch her kids surf and go boating.

Brooke Toon, High School Science Teacher

Mrs. Brooke Toon has been teaching High School Science for 8 years. When asked what she loves about teaching at ASUPD, she said, “I love teaching at ASUPD because the students are so committed and determined to succeed! I feel that ASUPD provides a great culture to all students to self-advocate and demonstrate their personal commitment to growing academically. I have never experienced such a supportive school-wide culture before coming to ASUPD.” When she is not teaching her Prep-digital students, Mrs. Toon loves going to the park and hiking/biking with her family. She loves a good adventure!

Meet The Teachers

Laura Young, Elementary SPED

Laura has been in love with the field of education her entire life! She has worked in education for 17 years. Her favorite thing about being in education is watching students learn and grow! She loves creating fun and engaging activities to help them achieve their goals. Her favorite books are Harry Potter. She has read the books and seen the movies more times than she can count. Her 7 year old loves them too and they read a chapter a night. She believes that all children are capable of achieving their academic and social success when given the right tools, motivation, love, and support! She believes in partnering with families to ensure that my students are feeling safe, inspired, connected, and that they are growing!

Todd Schipper

Mr. Schipper started his professional track as a field biologist. After that, he taught English in South Korea, which is where he realized he loved teaching! He then became a secondary science school teacher and taught in Winslow, AZ for ten years before coming to ASU Prep Digital to teach middle school science. Mr. Schipper says he loves teaching as ASU Prep Digital because, “I feel like I am able to focus on helping students daily on a personal level. I love the new experiences/challenges that ASUPD provides, as well as, the fun and supportive staff that inspire me to keep working to better myself and who help so much whenever there is a need.”

Outside of teaching, Mr. Schipper loves to ride his bike, get outside hiking, skiing, and bird watching. Right now, his interests are more centered around the interests of his three kids (two, three and eleven year old boys) and he says, “They are the center of life for myself and my wife Melissa. So it seems I spend a lot of time with monster trucks, Legos, video games and the trampoline!”

Lizeth Vazquez, Algebra I Adjunct (Math Department)

Lizeth Vazquez began working as a high school math teacher in 2007. She became a teacher because of her passion: “I love teaching and finding ways to teach math to reach any gaps and to help all my students.” Lizeth graduated from NAU Yuma in 2007 with a Bachelors in education; a Masters in Educational Leadership in 2010; and a Masters in Bilingual Education in 2016.

Staff Members of the Year

Lindsay Carr, Teacher of the Year

Lindsay Carr is an enthusiastic teacher who believes education should equip students with the skills needed to thrive in society. This is her 4th year teaching electives with ASU Prep Digital. She currently teaches Psychology and Senior Seminar; in addition, she has taught Art History, Health and Personal Wellness, and Leadership. Lindsay’s classroom is an interactive place where students build upon their interests and strengths. Her instruction emphasizes real-world application, problem-solving, and peer collaboration. Lindsay also serves as the Faculty Advisor for Psychology Club, Faculty Council for the National Honor Society, and is a Mentor Teacher for student interns at Arizona State University Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College. Lindsay graduated with her B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Sociology. Then, she completed her M.S. in Applied Psychology and was inducted into Phi Kappa Phi for graduating among the top in her class. She obtained her Secondary Certificate in Arizona and is certified to teach grades 6-12. Lindsay is married to her amazing husband Joel and they have an adventurous son, Triston. They currently reside in San Angelo, Texas.

Heather Churney, Staff Member of the Year

Heather Churney has served as a high school counselor for 12 years in California and Arizona. She joined the LSC team at ASU Prep Digital in June 2020 to meet the need for quality online education in Arizona. She graduated with her BA in Communication Studies from Chapman University, an M.Ed. in Educational Counseling from Azusa Pacific University with a PPS Certification in California and Arizona. She also has the pleasure of serving as an adjunct instructor, mentoring future school counselors. Heather has a passion for helping teens in all areas including their academic, college/career and personal success. Heather resides in Queen Creek, AZ with her husband Robert and two children, Collin (8) and Hailee (6).

Kathleen Attilio, Staff Member of the Year

Kathleen Attilio is a dedicated educator, facilitator, instructional coach, and training/curriculum specialist with 26 years of educational experience with PreK-12 students and adult learners. She has a desire to make a positive impact on education through effective and engaging educational practices to support diverse learners. Kathleen currently serves as the Personalized Learning Manager for ASUPD. In this role she manages the MTSS process and serves as the 504 Coordinator. She has over 20 years of experience with mathematics and special education instruction, and 6 years of direct leadership experience managing gifted programming. Kathleen is a graduate of Northern Arizona University with a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and has a strong background in blended, personalized, and online instruction. Kathleen is married to her high school sweetheart, Mario, with three adult children, Andrew, Jake and Emily. Kathleen and Mario, both board game enthusiasts, live in Flagstaff, Arizona, and enjoy all things outdoors.

School Updates

Elementary School

As we embark toward the end of the school year, we wanted to remind all students and parents to begin reflecting on what grades they would like to see at the end of the semester. We want to encourage students to take the necessary steps to achieve that goal. Please do not wait until the last minute as there will be no guarantee teachers will be able to grade everything at the last minute.

Summer School for Elementary: Thinking ahead to Summer School? We are proud to offer two programs this Summer. Click here to learn more about Summer School.

Elementary Information Sessions: Beginning in April, our teachers will be offering Info sessions for Kindergarten through 5th Grade. If you are interested in a sneak peek into next year, click here to register for an upcoming information session.

Career Day: Grade levels are hosting independent Career Day focused guest speakers and academic projects for students to explore career fields

1st Grade Experts: 1st grade has a panel of experts visit and share careers for everything from music production to helicopter piloting!

Learn more about our Elementary School here: https://www.asuprepdigital.org/elementary-school-program/

Middle School

State testing will begin on April 4th (see below for updates). While testing will last two weeks, students will be scheduled for either the first week (April 4-10) or the second week (April 11-15), not both.. There will be no assignments due for high school courses during the first week of testing. The due dates will resume on Apr 17, 2022. Therefore, if your student is scheduled to test during the week of April 4th, there will be no assignments that they will need to complete that week. However, if your student is scheduled to test during the week of April 11th, they are expected to use the week of April 4th to complete the work due on April 17th.

National Junior Honor Society

NJHS service day at AZ Visionwalk in Feb. students helped guide visually impaired walkers at this 5k event for the Foundation Fighting Blindness. The NJHS student spent time helping visually impaired walkers to fight blindness. What a meaningful experience for our students to connect with the community.

Vet Club Field Trip to the Phoenix Herpetological Society

We had a great time at the Phoenix Herpetological Society and I had the chance to meet our student’s other family members as well! Our tour lasted longer than expected because we were having such a good time! – Jessica Berger, Vet Club Sponsor & MS Science Teacher

MS/HS Student Club Opinion Form

Clubs have been a huge success here at ASUPD and now we want to hear from you about the types of clubs you’d like to see become available next year! Please fill out the short survey HERE to give us your opinion!

Global Leadership Exchange

A virtual exchange program with students in other countries. Engage in addressing real-world problems, designing potential solutions with your teammates abroad, and learning to work cross-culturally in the process. You will emerge from this half-credit elective with a greater understanding of how to work with people in a global, digital setting. Currently, we offer an exchange program for Middle School students in partnership with a high school in South Africa. For more information please see our GLE Flyer HERE.

Learn more about our Middle School program here: https://www.asuprepdigital.org/middle-school-program/

High School

As we return from Spring Break, we start to feel the excitement of and acceleration toward the end of the semester and the 2021-2022 school year! We are so proud of what our students have accomplished thus far and look forward to another successfully completed school year. To ensure that success, it is important that all students stay on pace in their courses. Is your student struggling? Encourage them to reach out to their teachers! Our teachers are happy to help through 1:1 meetings or small group instruction to help the students achieve their academic goals.

Announcing: High School Prom!

We are thrilled to announce our first annual ASU Prep Digital Prom on Friday, May 13, 2022! Join us for an evening of dancing, celebration, and fun at Warehouse 215 in Phoenix, AZ.

Prom is open to all high school students. Ticket prices start at $50 (a $5 surcharge is added to each single ticket). Ticket sales have begun and will be open through April 30, 2022.

Tickets are available on a first come, first serve basis. A special eventbrite link will be sent to students through their asuprep.org email. If you have questions, please check out the links below. Guests between the ages of 13-19 are welcome (ticket purchase required for each guest).

Considering Summer School?

We have nearly our full course catalog available to our students for these accelerated sessions. Keep in mind that the Summer School courses offer the same content as during the school year over a four week period. For that reason, interested students should plan to take only one class per summer session. Contact your LSC with any questions.

ASU PhD Candidate, Devin Bowes, Research Presentation

Topic: Assessing the potential of wastewater-based epidemiology to understand population-level dynamics of dietary behavior. Click HERE for Flier & Sign-up Information.

Global Leadership Exchange

A virtual exchange program with students in other countries. Engage in addressing real-world problems, designing potential solutions with your teammates abroad, and learning to work cross-culturally in the process. You will emerge from this half-credit elective with a greater understanding of how to work with people in a global, digital setting. Currently, we offer an exchange program for high school students in partnership with a high school in Morocco. For more information please see our GLE Flier HERE.

Raja Habbal is one of our H.S. Teachers who serves our Global Leadership Exchange, currently partnering with Morocco and she recently shared this video clip from their alumni meeting. GLE alumni meetings with secretary of state Antony Blinken in Morocco. In attendance is Aya Ben-Saghroune, she is an example of powerful women in STEM and a wonderful student.

MS/HS Student Club Opinion Form

State Standardized Testing Updates

AASA Writing Field Test – January 25, 2022 through February 15, 2022

All Arizona, full-time students are required to participate in annual in-person state assessments in a variety of subject areas. The very first state exam we have coming up is the AASA (formerly AZM2) Writing Field Test. The purpose of this test is to pilot new types of writing prompts and editing tasks with the goal of improving the current writing exam. This exam is for all of our Arizona, full-time students in grades 3-8, and is one single writing exam that is completed in one testing session.

Calling all Juniors and Seniors: Register NOW for the SAT and ACT

Calling all upperclassmen! It’s time to register for the SAT and ACT. We recommend you taking the exam in the spring of your junior year and again by fall of your senior year. Please visit the links below to register. Bear in mind that there are strict registration deadlines (typically a month before the test), so please register early!

Note: Students who qualify for free and reduced lunch should contact their LSC to receive a fee waiver for their exams.

ASU Prep Digital’s CEEB Code is 030175.

SAT Registration: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/register

ACT Registration: http://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/registration.html

Meet Benji, Your Digital FAFSA Assistant

As part of our college prep culture, we ask that all graduating Seniors complete the FAFSA, which stands for “Free Application for Federal Student Aid.” Would your family be willing to help us with this important college-going point of pride for us? Our goal is to have 100% participation no matter what the student’s choice is after graduation.

Need help with your FAFSA? We’ve got you covered! Ask Benji your questions by texting 602-786-8171. @benjifafsa is your digital FAFSA assistant and will quickly respond with answers. Submitting FAFSA is the first and most important step to making college more affordable. Many universities and colleges require a completed FAFSA on file to be considered for merit based scholarships.

ASU Admissions: Attention Seniors!

ASU has some fantastic webinars coming up to help you prepare for next year!

Topic: Paying for College: Understanding your costs and financial aid – Join the Paying for College: Understanding your financial aid session to learn about your financial aid package and resources available to you. Our team of experts will guide you through understanding your costs, accessing and understanding your awards, and answer your questions about paying for college. Webinar Registration Link

Topic: Next Steps for Admitted Students – You’re admitted! Now what? This session will guide you through your next steps to enroll at Arizona State University. Learn about New Student Experience, including how to register for classes, selecting your housing, student life, how to get involved on campus and everything you need to know to be successful before classes start. Webinar Registration Link

StuGov x Safe Space Discussion: Diversity in Education

Hosted by: Student Government & Diversity Club

ASU Summer Programs

ASU Summer Programs are available for students in grades 8th – 12th in a variety of topics including engineering, leadership, math and the arts. Programs are offered on all four ASU campuses and online, and formats range from day camps to residential programs, where students have the opportunity to live on campus. https://eoss.asu.edu/access/programs/summer

Academic Support

Academic Enrichment Programs

When student curiosity is ignited, their learning knows no bounds. Our selection of academic enrichment programs let students join small groups that dive deep into learning areas of their choice, advancing their subject knowledge, building their confidence, and increasing their critical-thinking and problem-solving skills.

K-5

Teachers continue to offer small groups, open office hours, and focus groups, please watch your weekly playlists to see what your teacher is offering for support and help. Please continue to attend Live Lessons and small groups regularly. We respectfully ask that students have their cameras on to increase engagement.
Our Kindergarten through 5th Grade teachers are offering monthly info sessions for each grade level beginning in April. Click here to register for a sneak peek session.
LSCs are offering weekly study halls for students, 1:1 sessions and small groups, and our LSCs are offering a third Career Spotlight, which has highlighted different areas of work and sessions that have spanned throughout the year.
Teachers continue to offer lunch bunches and Fun Fridays.
Our LSC team utilizes Gather Space or Gather Town as well as Kumospace for Fun Friday engagement.

6-8

Forks Up Friday will continue on Friday, April 15 with a Lego challenge. See your Learning Success Coach for more details on how to join in the fun!
LSCs continue teaching digital citizenship in middle school homeroom, covering topics on cyber bullying, safe online practices, and and respecting others in a digital space. Our LSCS reach out regularly to all students on their caseloads, and offer zoom 1:1 help sessions as needed.

9-12

Many of our teachers are offering one to one or small group help sessions to support students who are struggling or off pace with assignments.

Peer Tutoring Sun Devil Success Team – We are a group of students working to aid our peers. You can schedule a meeting for one week or continue to meet with us every week. To schedule a meeting you will be required to fill out this form. Middle school meetings will be held on Mondays and High School meetings will be held on Wednesdays. Once you have signed up your tutor will contact you before the meeting. Subjects Available: Algebra 1&2, Art History, Biology, Chemistry, English 9-12, French Geometry, Modern World History, Spanish 1 &2, Us History. Middle School Math, English, Science and Social Studies.

Socialize and Accelerate Learning

We’re building a supportive academic culture that lets students connect with others who share their passions and academic interests. Not only does this make learning more fun, but it allows students to encourage each other on their learning journeys.

Learn more about our Academic Support Program offerings here.