ASU Prep Digital’s mission is to design new models for educational success to raise academic achievement for all learners.
Note from Your Director
Dear ASU Prep Digital Students and Families,
Hello Sun Devils!
We were so proud of our graduates in May! Did you miss our 2022 ASU Prep commencement ceremony? You can relive our students’ special evening here. It is hard to believe we are already in June and we hope your summer is off to a great start!
We are looking forward to our upcoming school year with you. Enrollment is now open for the 2022-2023 school year! Students that are continuing their education with ASU Prep Digital don’t need to do anything, as your LSC will be reaching out to review a schedule of your courses for the upcoming school year. The 2022-2023 School Year Calendar is available on our website under the resource section.
Some exciting news: Love the flexibility of online school, but want a little more face-time with teachers and peers?
We have two unique programs that allow ASU Prep Digital high school students to spend time working with their peers in-person at an ASU college campus. They participate in guided workshops, hands-on activities, and real-world projects supported by a personalized learning advisor. The rest of the week, they will work at home on their digital lessons, supported by a local Learning Success Coach.
Upcoming Info Sessions:
To find out more, please visit our website and complete the online registration form, if interested.
Let us know if you have any questions about these exciting new opportunities. Enjoy the rest of your summer!
Sincerely,
Dr. Laura Maloney Director of Academics
Mr. Michael Kasper, M.Ed, Director of Academics
Meet The Teachers
Jennie Spencer, 4th Grade Lead Teacher
This is Jennie Spencer’s 16th year teaching. Her favorite thing about being in education is the relationships she builds with students and families. Listening to live music is one of her favorite things. She believes that all children should have the equal right to learn in a safe and caring environment that challenges them. She feels that it’s so important to put students at the center of every decision we make. Her goal is to create a classroom full of learners who feel safe enough to take creative risks, and confident enough to know that we grow from their mistakes.
Eric Roth, 8th Grade Math
Eric Roth is originally from Archbold, Ohio and currently lives in Flagstaff, Arizona. He’s been working with ASU Prep Digital for two years. He enjoys biking, running, and hiking in his free time. The weather, terrain, and scenery are perfect for outdoor fun in Northern Arizona. When asked about one of his heroes Eric said, “one of my heroes is Corrie ten Boom. She never stopped seeking out opportunities to do good, serve others, and share her light and faith, even and especially when it came at great personal risk to her.” One of the things he enjoy most about ASU Prep Digital is getting to work with students from all around the state, country, and world. He feels very fortunate that he gets to facilitate the interaction of students from various backgrounds during live lessons. What he enjoys most about teaching is building confidence in students and showing them they are capable of doing anything they set their mind to.
Michelle Medina, Honors Geometry Part A teacher
Michelle Medina has been teaching for four years. Her degree is in Forensic Science and she did the alternate route certification to become a teacher. Her favorite thing about being in education is that every day is something new whether it is teaching a different lesson or working with a different group of students. She never feels stagnant. Michelle also enjoys working with students and helping them to not only become better problem solvers but also to be better human beings whether that is being more responsible or tolerant of others. Even if she is not having a one on one conversation with each student every day, that she is still making an impact on them. In her opinion, “teaching is more than just helping students to become better problem solvers. It is about giving them the life skills they need to thrive and become better human beings.”
School Updates
High School
Nathan Amador
Nathan is a junior in his second year at ASUPD, with aspirations to get a Masters in Theoretical Physics, followed by a pHD in Quantum Mechanics. Nathan’s passion for physics extends into all of his courses, and it is not uncommon for him to espouse on some advanced mathematical equation or new theory on quantum gravity that he has developed in the course of a live lesson. Therefore, when I learned about a NASA sponsored Future Engineers contest that was challenging students to “Learn about nuclear batteries that power space exploration and write about what energizes you”, I knew I had to share the opportunity with Nathan. He applied, and just found out that he has been selected as a finalist! He will learn next week whether he wins or not, but either way, I am extremely proud of him and all that he exemplifies as an ASUPD student! Here is a link to the contest: https://www.futureengineers.org/powertoexplore
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:
- Summer school in the ASUPD elementary school is in full swing! Students at ASUPD are returning for summer session 1 and summer session 2 to take part in Math Refresh and Reading Refresh courses either at their grade level or a grade level above. These courses help students avoid the ‘summer slide’ with academics fresh in their minds. In addition to weekly playlists with asynchronous work, our elementary teachers also engage students with fun, academic based games and interesting live lessons. LSCs continue to provide amazing support our ASUPD students as they work through their summer coursework.
- Planning for fall 2022 is at the forefront of administrators minds’ daily. In addition to continuing our pod groups, the elementary school is preparing to launch its Gifted Program and will be communicating with families about enrichment and differentiation opportunities as well as any curriculum changes. Stay tuned for more information about elementary clubs, also, and our back to school day plans!
6-8:
- Many of our teachers are conducting summer sessions to assist students in their learning. We are meeting with staff to prepare for the upcoming school year, including adding a few more electives to the middle school. We are excited about these courses as we feel that they will be of great interest to our middle school students. We can’t wait to share more information on these exciting new electives with you soon!
9-12:
- We are already halfway through our Summer School Session 1! Our teachers and students have been working hard through our accelerated Summer School courses. To support students through this intensive pace, teachers are holding two live lessons for their students each week. Social Studies, English, and Elective live lessons are scheduled on Mondays and Wednesdays; while our Mathematics, Science, and World Language live lessons are scheduled for Tuesdays and Thursdays. Note: Students should have completed their first DBA last week (June 6 – June 10). DBA 2 is due this week!
- Summer Session 1 ends on June 29th. We will have a short break, and then return to Summer School with our second session starting July 11th.
- 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.
Microschools
To help fulfill our mission of designing new models of educational success, the ASU Prep team is working with passionate parents to create flexible school program alternatives. These programs are designed to serve families looking for just the right mix of in-person and digital learning to meet student needs, while accessing ASU faculty through an on-campus experience.
- 1 day per week on-campus, semester-based
- Honors Elective high school credit earned
- Faculty-supported workshops that focus on real-world, project-based learning
- Application-based; available to all ASU Digital 9th-11th grade students
- Available at ASU Polytechnic campus in Fall ‘22 and ASU Tempe in Spring ‘23
- 2 days per week on-campus, year long program on the ASU West campus or the ASU @ Mesa City Center campus
- Available to all ASU Digital 9th-11th grade students, 12th grade students upon review
- Faculty-supported workshops that focus on real-world, project-based learning
- Students will be enrolled in concurrent ASU courses
- Core content support on-site with a Personalized Learning Advisor
To find out more and apply to any of these programs, please visit our website and complete the online registration form.
Make sure to #RepThePrep and check out the ASU Prep School store!
