In This Edition
March MS Chili & Hoedown Activity, Assessment Announcements (Utah Aspire Plus, RISE), Math Girls Rock!, A Swingin’ Stomp for the Whole Family!, Classical Literature Scholarship (Seniors Only), 23-24 Maeser Prep Trustlands Final Report, Share Your Story, Volunteer Help Needed (MS Chili & Hoedown, Maeser Advancement Committee, Report Your Volunteer Hours, Questions About Volunteer Hours), Sports Announcements (Maeser Sports Guide, 4th Term Sports Academic Eligibility, Sports Physicals for 2024-25), Counseling Announcements (Counseling Donations), Can We Reach You In Case Of Emergency? (Opt In For School Text Messages, Update Your Contact Information)
2024-25 School Calendars
2024-25 Academic Calendar
2024-25 Activities Calendar
2025-26 School Calendar
Front Office Hours
Today (Friday): 8:30am-12:30pm
Next Week: CLOSED for Spring Break
**PARENTS: Please remember to check in at the front office when visiting the school during school hours. We appreciate your help in keeping our students safe!**
Upcoming Dates and Deadlines
Friday, March 28
9-9:45am In-person Advisory Friday
9:45-11:30am Maeser’s Got Talent
MS Activity: Chili & Hoedown
March 31-April 4
Spring Break – School & Office Closed
Wednesday, April 9
Utah Aspire Plus – 9th & 10th grades ONLY
Saturday, April 12
7-10pm Family Stomp
Monday, April 14
RISE testing begins in 7th & 8th grade classes
April 14-18
Spirit Week
Thursday, April 17
3:30-5:00pm Math Girls Rock!
Friday, April 18
Spirit Bowl during Advisory Friday
Friday, April 25
Submission deadline for the 2025 Classical Literature Scholarship (seniors only)
March MS Chili & Hoedown Activity
On March 28th, after the school talent show, Middle School Student Council will be hosting a chili luncheon and then a hoedown in the gym. A special guest will teach various line dances and swing dances. It’s sure to be a rootin’ tootin’ good time!
We need some help with donations for our chili luncheon! If you make a delicious chili, or are willing to donate another food item please sign up here: MS Hoedown Chili Luncheon
Assessment Announcements
It’s that time of year again… when we assess our students’ growth and proficiency in core subject areas!
The Utah State Board of Education has implemented summative assessments for our students in grades 7-10 (as required by Utah Statute 53E-4-303): middle school students take RISE tests for English, Writing (8th grade only), Science and Math; students in 9th and 10th grades take Utah Aspire Plus – a special pre-ACT test for 9th and 10th grade students that provides a predictive ACT score and areas for improvement to prepare for the ACT, as well as growth and proficiency scores for Utah standards.
These changes provide our students with improved assessments that help prepare them to succeed on the ACT and other college readiness exams.
9th and 10th Grades: Utah Aspire Plus – Wednesday, April 9
Fixed-form high school assessment with subtests in Reading, English, Math, and Science; provides students with a predictive score for the ACT
8th Grade: RISE – April 14-May 1
Multistage adaptive summative tests in English, Math, Science and Writing
7th Grade: RISE – April 14-May 1
Multistage adaptive summative tests in English, Math, and Science
2025 State Testing Schedule for Students in 7th-10th Grades
9th and 10th grade students will take the Utah Aspire Plus on Wednesday, April 9 (the Wednesday after Spring Break).
This is a special testing day for students in 9th & 10th grades — only students taking Utah Aspire Plus are allowed on campus on Wednesday, April 9. Please make arrangements for your students in other grades, as we will not have space or supervision for them on campus.
Middle school students will take their RISE tests in class beginning Monday, April 14. The full in-class testing schedule for RISE will be published in next week’s Maeser Updates.
Please make every effort to avoid scheduling appointments during state testing, to avoid interruptions and distractions during testing.
We appreciate your help in creating a focused and productive testing environment for our students!
Assessment FAQs
9th and 10th Grades: Utah Aspire Plus
The Utah Aspire Plus is a hybrid of the ACT Aspire and test items covering Utah standards. This is a computer delivered, fixed-form high school assessment for students in grades 9 and 10. The test includes subtests for Reading, English, Math, and Science. The tests will provide students a predictive score for the ACT, which is taken by all Utah 11th grade students and is the most commonly submitted college readiness assessment for local universities.
What is Utah Aspire Plus?
Utah Aspire Plus is a hybrid between ACT Aspire and assessment items covering Utah’s 9th and 10th grade standards in English, Math, Reading, and Science.
Will the test be administered in one sitting, like the ACT?
USBE leaves this up to local schools and districts to decide. Maeser has elected to offer Utah Aspire Plus in one sitting, to help students practice in a setting similar to taking the ACT. Because Utah Aspire Plus is slightly longer than the ACT, students will have a 30-minute lunch break before the Science subtest. Testing will end at approximately 1:30pm for most students.
Will Utah Aspire Plus be timed?
Yes, Utah Aspire Plus is a timed test – practice taking exams under timed conditions helps prepare students for success on timed high-stakes tests like the ACT.
Is Utah Aspire Plus computer-adaptive like RISE?
No. While the text will be taken online like RISE, Utah Aspire Plus is a fixed-form test like ACT.
Why aren’t we assessing writing in all grades anymore?
The Utah State Board of Education made a policy decision to only assess writing in grades 5, 8, and 11. Writing is still part of the Utah English Language Arts standards and it is expected that students will be taught and assessed in those standards in their English classes.
What kind of score report will my student receive?
Utah Aspire Plus score reports are very similar to the report provided by ACT for the ACT Aspire, including a predictive ACT score.
7th & 8th Grades: Readiness Improvement Success Empowerment (RISE)
What is RISE?
The RISE assessment is a multistage computer adaptive criterion referenced assessment system that includes summative tests for English, Math, Science, and Writing.
Will RISE be computer adaptive?
Yes, the statute requires these tests to be computer adaptive, but this assessment will be multistage adaptive instead of item adaptive.
How does a multistage adaptive test differ from an item adaptive test?
Both testing methods are algorithm-based approaches to administering testing, but rather than selecting individual items, groups of items are selected, building the test in stages.
The biggest advantage for our students is that they will now be allowed to navigate backward and forward within each stage or test section, so they can review and revise their answers as needed! The inability to go back and change an answer to a previously submitted question was one of the biggest frustrations our students had when taking prior state tests, so we’re thrilled that this functionality has been built in to RISE.
Which students will participate in RISE and for which subjects?
Maeser students in grades 7-8 will participate in RISE. Both grades will be tested in English, math, and science; in addition, 8th grade students will be tested in writing.
Why aren’t we assessing writing in all grades anymore?
The Utah State Board of Education made a policy decision to only assess writing in grades 5, 8, and 11. Writing is still part of the Utah English Language Arts standards and it is expected that students will be taught and assessed in those standards in their English classes.
Where can I get more information about RISE?
The USBE has produced a short video introducing the RISE test – you can access it here: Introducing RISE (Readiness, Improvement, Success, Empowerment).
Make-up Testing & Parental Exclusions
What if my student has to miss their scheduled testing?
Missing a test day does not excuse a student from state testing. We will be pulling students out of class in April and May for make-up testing. Please make every effort to have your student here on the scheduled testing dates so they can avoid missing class in the last critical weeks of school.
Can I opt my student out of RISE or Utah Aspire Plus?
While we hope you will allow your student to participate in RISE and Utah Aspire Plus – both to receive feedback on areas your student can improve in preparation for the ACT and to help our school improve instruction – we will always respect a parent’s desire to exclude their student from state testing.
Though you can submit a Parental Exclusion Form at any point, submitting the form to the school at least 24 hours prior to the test date helps us ensure that your student does not access the test and is not scheduled for make-up testing.
Math Girls Rock!
The next meeting of Math Girls Rock! will be held on Thursday, April 17th from 3:30 to 5:00pm. This is open to all students (boys and girls) in any grade. If you need a permission slip, please contact Mrs. Plott (rochelle.plott@maeserprep.org). Permission slips must be returned by April 15th. If you have already participated with us before, you don’t need a new permission slip. As always, there will be fun math, treats, and prizes. Contact Mrs. Plott with any questions.
A Swingin’ Stomp for the Whole Family!
On Saturday, April 12th from 7-10pm, we will have our first-ever FAMILY STOMP!
Spring Fling: Big Band Swing will include:
- A live swing band featuring student vocalists
- Two 30-minute swing dance instruction sessions for everyone (7-7:30 and 8:30-9:00)
- A 1940’s/1950’s costume contest with prizes
- Free refreshments
Purchase your tickets early! This will be a great event for students and their families to enjoy together. Tickets will cost $6/individual, $10/couple, $20/family.
Classical Literature Scholarship (Seniors Only)
We’re excited to announce the 8th annual Maeser Classical Literature Scholarship! This is a scholarship designed specifically for Maeser seniors. If you’ve had a powerful experience with literature during your time at Maeser, this is your chance to share and potentially win $500 cash. Details can be found here. The submission deadline is April 25th. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions. Good luck and happy reading!
23-24 Maeser Prep Trustlands Final Report
If you’d like to see Maeser Prep’s goals and progress on the 2023-24 Trustlands Grant you can find it here. To see the goals for the 24-25 school year, please visit the school’s website. Click the “About Maeser” tab and then “Trustlands”. If you are interested in serving on the Maeser Prep Trustlands Council, please contact Maeser’s director, Ted Gilbert at ted.gilbert@maeserprep.org.
Share Your Story
As we work to raise funds for our new Fine Arts Center, we want to show potential donors what truly makes our school special. We are gathering real stories of how this school has shaped students’ lives. Have you seen your child grow in confidence, discover their passion, or use their talents to make a positive impact? Whether it’s a moment in the arts, athletics, academics, service, or leadership, we want to hear about it! Some ways you can share are: 1) Send us a personal experience that highlights the school’s impact, 2) If you have photos or videos that capture these moments, we’d love those too!, 3) Know an alum doing something amazing? Let us know!, and 4) Identify things the school does that make us so unique and are valuable for our students. Submit ideas to maeser.advancement@maeserprep.org or join our online forum for Maeser parents to discuss ideas and see volunteer opportunities at https://maeservolunteers.freeforums.net/.
Volunteer Opportunities
MS Chili & Hoedown
We need some help with donations for our chili luncheon! If you make a delicious chili, or are willing to donate another food item please sign up here: MS Hoedown Chili Luncheon
Maeser Advancement Committee
At Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy, there are numerous ways to get involved and make a meaningful difference! There are several opportunities that require small blocks of time and many that can even be done from home. From writing and gathering information to organizing events, the advancement committee has need of your help. Your unique talents and time can have a lasting impact on improving the experiences and opportunities for our students. If you would like to receive information about volunteer opportunities, please sign up here: Advancement Committee Parent Volunteer List
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
Maeser Sports Guide
Looking for more information about sports offered at Maeser? Check out our Maeser Sports Guide, where you’ll find all the sports and teams we offer, tryout information, and coach names and contact info!
4th Term Sports Academic Eligibility
Eligibility for activities/sports during the 4th term will be based on 3rd term grades. Students must have earned a GPA of 2.7 with no Fs/NGs. In addition, 10th-12th graders must be on track for graduation.
Sports Physicals for 2024-25
All students, middle school and high school, who will be playing sports in 2024-25 need a physical in order to play. Physicals completed on or after March 10, 2024 are good until July 15, 2025. Any physicals completed before March 10, 2024 will not be accepted (per UHSAA policy) for the 2024-25 school year.
Here is a link to the UHSAA form which Maeser uses for ALL athletes: UHSAA Physical Form
Counseling Announcements
Counseling Donations
The School Counseling team is in need of large bags of individual sized candy. You can use this towards your volunteer hours!
Kind: an assortment- chocolate, hard candy like jolly ranchers, tootsie pops or rolls, whatever comes in the assorted bags is fine. We would like some non-chocolate as well.
Amount Needed: 4-5 bags/month
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!