In this edition: School Fees, Purpose of School Uniforms, Mentoring Opportunities, Carpool Rules & Etiquette, Senior CCRs, 2018 Summer Reading, 2018-19 ACT Prep Courses, Drama Council, Choir Seeking Part-Time Accompanist, Galapagos Winterim: Last Chance for Registration at Current Price, Co-ed Ultimate Frisbee, Tell Me About: Winterim & MSI (Middle School Intensives)
Upcoming Dates and Deadlines
Front Office Hours
7:30am-4:00pm Monday-Thursday
7:30am-1:30pm Friday
Monday, September 3
Labor Day Holiday – NO SCHOOL
Tuesday, September 4
First day to set up payment plans (see details below)
Wednesday, September 5
6:00pm Ultimate Frisbee Parent Information Meeting (room 227)
Friday, September 7
Deadline to complete the 2018 Summer Reading Survey
Thursday, September 27
Last day to purchase yearbooks with FREE early-bird bonuses
Deadline to pay annual student fees, graduation fee, year-long and first-semester class fees OR to set up a payment plan for those fees. (Payment plans must be set up in person at the Finance Office — take care of this before the payment deadline to avoid long lines!)
School Fees
Annual student fees, graduation fees, and year-long and first-semester class fees have now been assessed and are available to pay in the front office or on our RevTrak fee payment site. If you plan to pay your fees online, you will need to log in using your PowerSchool parent account username and password. After you add your fees to your cart and go to Checkout, you will need to log into (or create) your separate RevTrak payment account to enter your payment information.
If you need to set up a payment plan for annual student fees, graduation fees, and/or year-long and first-semester class fees, you may do so in person at the Finance Office BEFORE September 27th. Do it early! Lines will get long toward the end of September.
Questions? Email the Finance Office at finance@maeserprep.org.
Purpose of School Uniforms
Maeser believes that education is something more than just going to school. This is the school’s statement on school uniforms, explaining why we feel they are important:
KARL G. MAESER PREPARATORY ACADEMY believes that education is a serious and sacred endeavor. Thus, in many ways schools can be sacred buildings. They are a place where students can converse with the sages of the past, grapple with the issues of the today, and wonder at the mysteries of tomorrow.
Just as someone might dress differently or in a specific way to enter a house of worship like a church, temple, mosque, or synagogue, students dress in school uniforms to prepare their minds and bodies for the sacred act of learning. Wearing clothes that are different from a student’s normal, everyday attire indicates that there is something special about what they are doing. A school uniform contributes to the atmosphere of all students’ sacred and serious academic endeavor.
Note on Uniform Enforcement
Parents will receive an email if their student has received 3 uniform violations. This is to keep parents in the loop so they can address any concerns with their student or administration. When a student receives 5 violations, they must serve a one-day suspension.
Please note that joggers are not approved, and that pants/skirts may not have external (jeans-style) pockets. Any questions about the uniform can be directed to Mrs. Ellis (robyn.ellis@maeserprep.org) or Ana Wiersdorf (ana.wiersdorf@maeserprep.org).
Mentoring Opportunities
Powerful and meaningful relationships between students and their teachers are a significant part of what makes Maeser a great school. We encourage students to seek out teachers as mentors that they can learn from and grow with. In order to foster these mentoring relationships, we have adjusted our school schedule on Fridays. Every Friday, school will be out at 12:00, but from 12:00-1:00pm teachers will be providing engaging and unique activities for students to participate in. We would like to encourage students to stay at school on Fridays for these activities.
These mentoring opportunities are as varied as our students and faculty. There are teachers planning music jam sessions, origami, learning to code, dispensing life advice, playing Dungeons and Dragons, creating art, singing to residents of nearby retirement homes, and many others. You can see a calendar of these different mentoring opportunities on the school website, or by clicking here: Mentoring Opportunities
We hope this new approach to mentoring provides your student with an opportunity to get to know a teacher even better, and develop a relationship that will last throughout their time here at Maeser, and even beyond. Thanks for all you do to support Maeser’s mission!
Carpool Rules & Etiquette
Enter: 1600 North OR 1200 West
Exit: 1200 West ONLY (Students:) Use this entrance for easiest access to the student lot!)
DROP-OFF: The school building opens at 7:00am. Carpool lanes are wide open between 7:00-7:40am. Avoid the rush and come early.
PICK-UP: Students always take at least 5 minutes to get out to carpool after school. Avoid lines and come at 3:40 pm and you will have very little wait time.
Carpool Do’s and Don’ts
DO: Pull all the way forward in both lines.
DO: Remember carpool is one way.
DO: Encourage your student to come right out to your carpool as soon as possible.
DO NOT: Park or drop off in front of the building at ANY time of day.
DO NOT: Ask your students to wait for you at the front of the building. Have them meet you on the north side for carpool.
DO NOT: Use the faculty (south) lot for carpool. You may use the north side parking lot as your park and ride as you wait for your students.
DO NOT: Use the church as your carpool line or parking lot. They will tow unless you have special permission from facilities maintenance at the church.
Senior CCRs
Senior CCRs begin Sept 4th. Make sure you are on track for graduation, learn how to order your cap and gown and all the other important things for this year and graduation. Make an appointment with your counselor today!
Mrs. Anderson (last names A-J)
2018 Summer Reading
The deadline to complete the Summer Reading survey is Friday, September 7th. Students can access the survey by clicking here: 2018 Summer Reading. They must be logged in to their Maeser email account to access the survey.
2018-19 ACT Prep Courses
Sophomores: EARLY Bird sign up is now open for our FREE ACT Prep Course. (Thanks, Trustlands!) Sign up at the front desk for one session before the course is opened to the general student population.
Session 1: November 1st, 8th, and 15th
Session 2: March 14th, 21st, ann 28th
Session 3: April 25th, May 2nd and 9th
Drama Council
If you are interested in working to be a part of and improve Maeser’s Drama program, contact Mr. Hults in Room 126 for an application!
Choir Seeking Part-Time Accompanist
Parents, the Concert and Chorale choirs need a part-time accompanist! If you would be interested in accompanying us in 3rd & 4th periods (9:50 – 11:30), PLEASE email Arielle Groves ASAP at arielle.groves@maeserprep.org! Great option for volunteer hours.
Galapagos Winterim: Last Chance for Registration at Current Price
If you’d like to join us on an island adventure in the tropics, please sign up now! This will be Maeser’s only international Winterim this year. After September 24th, the price may go up. For more information, visit the tour website: www.explorica.com/slade-7735, or email Mrs. Slade (stefanie.slade@maeserprep.org) or Mr. Kreitzer (josh.kreitzer@maeserprep.org). Highlights include: visiting Quito, Ecuador to learn of its history and culture, visiting several islands in the Galapagos archipelago to learn more about island biogeography and to see the beautiful and diverse animals residing there,including Galapagos penguins, marine iguanas, and flamingos.
Co-ed Ultimate Frisbee
Co-ed Ultimate Frisbee will be starting September 18th. There will be an information meeting for parents on Wednesday, September 5th at 6:00 pm in room 227. Signups are currently open for all who wish to participate. Please contact Mr. Woolley if your student is interested in playing for the Middle School or High School team (michael.woolley@maeserprep.org).
Tell Me About: Winterim & MSI (Middle School Intensives)
Winterim Requests, Deadlines, and Fees
Monday, September 24
Winterim requests open*
Winterim Independent Study proposals due by 12:00pm (noon)
Last day to register for Galapagos Winterim at the current rate!
Friday, September 28
Winterim Independent Study proposal rewrites due by 12:00pm (noon)
Winterim requests close
Monday, October 22
Credit Recovery Winterim assigned after 1st term grades finalized
Thursday, November 1
Winterim fees available to pay online or in the front office
Thursday, November 15
Winterim fees are DUE (if unpaid after this date, your student will be dropped from their Winterim)
* High school students will make their Winterim requests online via a Google Form – they will need to be logged into their Maeser email accounts to access the Winterim requests form. More details are coming as we get closer to the date when requests open – stay tuned!
Middle School Intensives (MSI)
All 7th and 8th graders will participate in Middle School Intensives (MSI) during the Winterim term. Students will take a break from their normal schedule during MSI and will be enrolled in classes designed by the middle school teachers.
Winterim Schedule & Uniforms
Winterim term begins on Wednesday, January 2nd. Classes will be in session from 9:00am-2:00pm every day. Lunch is at 11:00am.
Students are required to wear their regular uniforms during Winterim and MSI, unless they are doing an activity that prohibits them from doing so. However, students do not need to wear their full dress uniform on Mondays during Winterim.
Winterfest
Winterfest will be held on Saturday, January 19th. Students can come set up their Winterfest projects at 9:00am and Winterfest will run from 11:00am-1:00pm. All students should attend and wear Full Dress uniforms. We hope you will come to see the wonderful things our students will have accomplished!
Winterim Term Attendance
Winterim is a part of the Maeser curriculum and therefore attendance is taken and is required for credit. In order to receive credit for Winterim, which is a Maeser graduation requirement, students must participate and attend all classes during this time. Exemptions for vacations are not granted during this time due to the seat time required for credit. Please plan your vacations in accordance with our holiday break if at all possible.