No Maeser Updates next Friday, December 23. We will resume on Friday, December 30 in preparation for the start of Winterim and MSI on January 2. Have a safe and happy holiday season!
In This Edition
HS Snowball Dance, Winterim & MSI (Winterim, MSI, MS Spelling Bee, Winterfest), Applications for New Students, Brighton Ski/Snowboard Program, Wright Driving School, Winterim & MSI Volunteer Opportunities (MSI: Dungeons & Dragons, Sewing Basics, Yoga; Winterim: Board Games, Family Science, Healthy Eats, Hispanic Culture, JaNoWriMo, Therapeutic Recreation), Volunteer Help Needed (Mock Trial Attorney Coach, Mock Trial Courtroom Artists and Journalists, Teacher Appreciation, Report Your Volunteer Hours, Questions About Volunteer Hours), Sports Announcements (Winter Sports Academic Eligibility, Sports Physicals, Maeser Sports Guide), Can We Reach You In Case Of Emergency? (Opt In For School Text Messages, Update Your Contact Information)
Front Office Hours
Christmas Break
The school and front office will be closed for the Christmas Break through January 1 and will reopen on January 2 for the first day of Winterim.
Winterim & MSI: January 2-19
Office Hours
8:30am-2:30pm Monday-Friday
School Hours
9:00am-2:00pm Monday-Friday
School & Office Closures
Monday, January 16 – Civil Rights Day
Friday, January 20 – Teacher Work Day
Upcoming Dates and Deadlines
Friday, December 16
8:00-10:00am 6th period
10:30am-12:30pm 8th period
Saturday, December 17
7:00-11:00pm HS Snowball Dance in the Maeser gym
December 19-30
School and Office CLOSED for the Christmas Break
Monday, January 16
NO SCHOOL – Civil Rights Day
Thursday, January 19
4:30-7:00pm Winterfest!
Friday, January 20
NO SCHOOL – Teacher Work Day
HS Snowball Dance
The high school Snowball Dance will be held this Saturday, December 17, from 7:00-11:00pm in the Maeser gym. This dance is a Senior Capstone project to raise money for Feeding America and Toys for Tots. Dress is Formal. Admission is $10 or one NEW toy per person.
Winterim & Middle School Intensives (MSI): January 2-19
Winterim is a distinctive program and feature of Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy. Winterim (high school) and Middle School Intensives (MSI) enhance student learning by providing intensive, focused educational experiences and are a great opportunity for students and teachers to explore together subjects that wouldn’t fit into a normal school routine. Exploration, hands-on learning, in-depth study, and fun combine to give students a unique opportunity to explore new interests.
Students will be on campus Monday through Friday from 9am-2pm, and will have the opportunity to explore new interests and grow in ways that are different from the regular classroom. Regular uniforms are worn during Winterim & Middle School Intensives.
Winterim
While Winterim is a fun and different approach to learning, courses are still rigorous and students earn academic credit. In some cases, a Winterim course may be more challenging than a regular class. Because of this, combined with the shortened time period of Winterim, attendance is crucial. Students who miss class during Winterim will find it difficult to keep up. Winterfest is a valuable part of the Winterim experience, and Winterfest projects, presentations, and attendance are part of the Winterim grade.
Middle School Intensives
Middle School Intensives (MSI) takes place at the same time as Winterim. Students take a break from their normal classes and take specialized classes that are designed and taught by our staff. Students also take part in two or three field trips. School times for MSI are from 9am-2pm Monday through Friday.
Information packets for MSI have been distributed and signed permission slips were due on Monday, December 12. If you have not yet returned your middle school student’s MSI permission slips, please contact Mr. Gilbert (ted.gilbert@maeserprep.org) ASAP.
MS Spelling Bee
We will be holding our annual spelling bee during Middle School Intensives. Classroom spelling bees will be held January 2-5, with the school spelling bee on Tuesday, January 17 at 10:30am.The top three winners of the classroom spelling bees will qualify for the school spelling bee. 1st and 2nd place school winners of the school spelling bee will then compete in the regional spelling bee. Winner of the regional spelling bee will then compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.
Middle school students can prepare for the class spelling bees by studying the 2023 Maeser Spelling Bee Rules and List.
Questions? Please contact Andi Howard, our spelling bee chair, at andihoward1121@gmail.com.
Winterfest
Winterfest is an opportunity for students to showcase their learning to their fellow students, parents, and the broader community. At Winterfest, our high school students present the final product of their learning to the community. For example, they may perform a short reading from the novel they’ve been writing, demonstrate a new skill they’ve developed, or show off something they have created.
This year’s Winterfest will be held on Thursday, January 19 from 4:30-7:00pm. Mark your calendars and plan to attend with your family to celebrate our students’ Winterim accomplishments!
Winterfest is mandatory for all HS students as part of the learning experience of Winterim. Middle school students are highly encouraged to attend. All students must be in Full Dress Uniforms for Winterfest.
Applications for New Students Close Tuesday, January 31
If you would like to apply to Maeser for your student’s siblings for the 2023-2024 school year, be sure to submit an application by January 31. Applications can be found on the Maeser website under Admissions. Please be sure that you are using the 2023-2024 link.
All applications received by midnight on Tuesday, January 31 will be entered into our lottery. Siblings of current students will receive priority status in the lottery. After the lottery, any applications will be added to the waitlist.
If you have any questions, please contact our registrar at registrar@maeserprep.org.
Brighton Ski/Snowboard Program
It’s almost time to sign up for Brighton Ski/Snowboard for family and friends of Maeser. (A signup link will be given in future Maeser Updates.) It is $190 for 5 Friday nights, February 24 – March 24, and includes a 2 hour group lesson and the lift pass for the rest of the night. Plan on being there at 4 pm because the classes leave at 4:15 sharp. This price doesn’t include rentals. Maeser students, family members, and faculty/staff and their families of all ages 8 and older are welcome.
This activity is a service provided by Brighton for the Maeser community; it is not sponsored by Maeser. If you have questions, email Laralee Ireland at lireland26@gmail.com.
Wright Driving School
Wright Driving School is offering a $25 discount during the month of December. They will pick up and drop off students at the school for their drives. Click here for more details: Wright Driving School Flyer.
Winterim Volunteer Opportunities
Winterim & MSI
We have several needs for volunteer help and/or supplies for our Winterim and MSI classes. Every $5 spent = 1 volunteer hour. Thank you in advance for supporting our Winterim and MSI classes!
MSI: Dungeons & Dragons
Volunteers needed to DM small groups of students through their 2 day adventures. We are looking for volunteers who have familiarity with D&D, previous experience DM-ing preferred. Loosely structured adventure to be provided. We will be following Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition gameplay*. *Rule of Cool applies. For more information and to sign up, please visit our SignUp Genius: MSI Dungeons & Dragons. Questions? Email Ms. Davis: tia.davis@maeserprep.org.
MSI: Sewing Basics
Volunteers needed for every section. Sewing skills not required, you can learn with the students, mostly supervision and assisting with supplies. Come join your student in this fun class. Many helping hands make it easier. Contact marlene.goodrich@maeserprep for information.
MSI: Yoga
Donations of yoga mats and foam yoga blocks needed! We need about 15 yoga mats and 25 foam blocks. The items can be returned to you at the end of MSI. Please email Ms. Benson at bailey.benson@maeserprep.org if you would like to donate or lend supplies. Thank you!
Winterim: Board Games
Used board games can be donated to the Board Game Winterim at the rate of 3 volunteer hours/game. Contact steven.dowdle@maeserprep.org or erin.smith@maeserprep.org to arrange drop off/delivery. Donations will be accepted up to the first week of January. Games may be intact or not (but please note if they aren’t complete.
The Board Game Winterim is also looking for donations of all sorts to help students create their games. For more information and to sign up, please visit our SignUp Genius: Board Game Winterim.
Winterim: Family Science
The Family Science Winterim is in need of snacks for their field trip retreat. Every $5 spent = 1 volunteer hour. For more information and to sign up, please visit our SignUp Genius: Family Science Winterim.
Winterim: Healthy Eats
The Healthy Eats class needs to borrow some kitchen items for their Winterim. These will be returned on 1/19/23 as there is no storage space available at the school for these items. For every item you lend for the full Winterim time, you may receive 40 hours of volunteer time. For more information and to sign up, please visit our SignUp Genius: Healthy Eats Winterim.
Winterim: Hispanic Culture
The Hispanic Culture Winterim is in need of some gift card donations to support the activities during Winterim. Every $5 spent = 1 volunteer hour. For more information and to sign up, please visit our SignUp Genius: Hispanic Culture Winterim.
Winterim: JaNoWriMo (January Novel Writing Month)
Writing snack donations and once-a-week group lunches needed to help our young authors reach their 30,000 word novel writing goal. Bring snacks to room 147, preferably on the first day of Winterim, or anytime during the first week of Winterim. Donations dropped off at the front office should be labeled JanoWriMo. For more information and to sign up, please visit our SignUp Genius: JaNoWriMo Winterim. Questions? Email Mrs. Frampton: debbie.frampton@maeserprep.org.
Winterim: Therapeutic Recreation
The Therapeutic Recreation Winterim needs donations for their field experience. Please help if you can. For more information and to sign up, please visit our SignUp Genius: Therapeutic Recreation Winterim.
Volunteer Help Needed
Mock Trial Attorney Coach
Our HS and MS Mock Trial Teams are in need of an Attorney Coach. If you are a practicing/retired attorney with time to help train our teams in preparation for our State competition, please contact Mr. Geary at douglas.geary@maeserprep.org.
Mock Trial Courtroom Artists and Journalists
We are looking for artists and journalists for our High School (9th through 12th grades) and Middle School (7th and 8th grades) Mock Trial teams. We need an artist and a journalist for each team. Artists will be sketching a courtroom scene to be submitted in competition with other High School teams around the State. Journalists will be writing an article on one of the courtroom trials we will be having and submitting it for competition. If you are interested in either of these, please email Mr. Geary.
Teacher Appreciation
Volunteer to help bring Teacher Appreciation treats for the year by month. Thank you for putting a smile on a teacher’s face today! This is TRULY a blessing for our team. The little things are often the BIG things! For more information and to sign up, please visit our SignUp Genius: Teacher Appreciation Opportunities.
Report Your Volunteer Hours
DON’T FORGET! Report your volunteer hours once you’ve dropped off your donation: Report Parent Service Hours. Each $5 spent for donations counts as one hour of volunteer service!
Questions About Volunteer Hours?
Contact us at volunteer@maeserprep.org.
Sports Announcements
Winter Sports Academic Eligibility
Eligibility for participation in winter activities/sports will be determined by 1st term grades. All students must have earned a Q4 2.7 GPA with no Fs. In addition, high school students cannot have any Fs/NGs/Incompletes from previous high school terms. All Fs/NGs must be made up by October 12th (the last day of the term).
Sports Physicals
All students, middle school and high school, who will be playing sports next year (2022-23) need a physical in order to play. Physicals completed on or after March 10, 2022 will be good until July 15, 2023. Any physicals completed before March 10 of this year will not be accepted (per UHSAA policy) for the upcoming school year.
Here is a link to the UHSAA form which Maeser uses for ALL athletes: UHSAA Physical Form
Maeser Sports Guide
For a list of the sports that are available at Maeser for both MS and HS students, click here: Maeser Sports Guide. The Sports Guide includes whether the team is boys, girls, or coed, when tryouts are, who the coach is, and the coach’s contact information, if it is available.
Can We Reach You In Case Of Emergency?
It’s important to keep your contact information up to date and opt-in to receive text messages from Maeser — in case of an emergency, this is how we notify parents! In addition, we use your contact information to notify you about important school events and school fees deadlines.
Here’s how to make sure you’re getting all of our important announcements and information:
Opt In For School Text Messages
Our school utilizes the SchoolMessenger system to deliver text messages to your mobile phone with important information about events, school closings, safety alerts, student fees, and more. We will only use text messaging for urgent and important information.
You can participate in this service by sending a text message of “Y” or “Yes” to our school’s short code number, 67587.
You can also opt out of text messages at any time by simply replying to one of our messages with “Stop”.
Update Your Contact Information
If any of your contact information has changed – email address, mailing address, phone number – please let us know asap so we can be sure you’re getting school and teacher communications.
Thank you for helping us keep in contact with your family!