Glendale Union High School District 7650 N 43rd Avenue Glendale, AZ 85301

Sophomore Credit Checks—Oct. 2-6 Freshman Career Unit—Oct. 16-20 End of 1st Quarter—Oct. 6 Booster Club—Oct. 9 College visitation Oct. 18

Apollo faculty and staff is pleased to welcome several new members this year; many come with much experience and several have deep ties to Glendale Union High School District. Ray Alonzo—Special education— Mr. Alonzo is returning part –time from retirement. Luanne Ashby—Assistant Princi-pal of Student Services—Ms. Ashby has spent the past 20 years at Moon Valley.

Superintendent Brian Capistran Governing Board Members Patty Kennedy, President Pam Reicks, Clerk Patti Hussey, Member Susan Maland, Member Andrew Pulcipher, Member Highlights is the school’s official educational newsletter whose purpose is to promote open communication throughout the school year. Comments and inquires may be directed to Karen Biesbrouck, correspondent of High-lights, 8045 N. 47th Avenue, Glendale, AZ 85302

Public Notification of Nondiscrimination Annual Public Notification of Nondiscrimination Glendale Union High School Dis-trict does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability in admission to its programs, services or activities, in access to them, in treatment of individuals, or in any aspect of their operations. GUHSD provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. GUHSD Career & Tech-nical Education Department does not discriminate in enrollment or access to any of the programs available, such as business, applied technology, FACS, nursing, and fire science. The lack of English language skills shall not be a barrier to admission or participation in the district’s activities and programs. GUHSD does not discriminate in its hiring or employment practices. This notice is provided as required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Questions, complaints or requests for additional information regarding these laws may be forwarded to the designated compliance coordinator(s), call 623-435-6006 or 623-435-6067, 7650 N. 43 Ave., Glendale, AZ 85301 Notificación Pública Anual de No Discriminación: El Glendale Union High School District (GUHSD) no discrimina en base a raza, color, nacionalidad, género, edad, o discapacidad de admisión a sus programas, servi-cios, o actividades, en acceso a ellas, en el tratamiento a individuos, o en ningún aspecto de sus operaciones. GUHSD provee el acceso igual a los Boy Scouts y otros grupos designados para los jóvenes. El departamento de Educación Técnica y de Carreras de GUHSD no discrimina en su matriculación ni en el acceso a cualquier de sus programas disponibles, como negocios, la tecnología aplicada, FACS, enfermería, y formación para bomberos. La falta de habilidades con el inglés no será una barrera a la admisión ni la participación en las actividades del distrito y sus programas. GUHSD tampoco discrimina en sus contratos o prácticas de empleados. Esta noticia es provista y requerida por el Título VI del Acto de Derechos Civiles de 1964, Sec-ción 504 del Acto de Rehabilitación de 1973, Título IX de la Enmienda Educativa de 1972, en el Acto de Era de Discriminación de 1975, y el Acto de los Estadounidenses con Habilidades Diferenciadas de 1990. Ud. puede comunicarse con el coordinador de cumplimiento sobre preguntas, quejas, o para más información con respecto a estas leyes. Director de Operaciones y Atletismo, 623-435-6006 Directora de la Educación Especial 623-435-6067, 7650 N. 43rd Ave. Glendale, AZ 85301.

Apol lo High School Parent Newsletter

A Proud Member of the Glendale Union High School District Volume 44, No. 1 Fall 2017

POSTAGE

Mark your calendar Fall Break—Oct. 9-13 PSAT—Oct. 8 Link Back Up—Nov. 1 Veteran’s Day—Nov. 11 Booster Club/Site Coun-cil—Nov. 13 ASVAB—Nov. 29

Thanksgiving Recess—Nov. 23-24 Booster Club—Dec. 11 Final Exams—Dec. 20-21 End of 1st semester/2nd quarter—Dec. 21 Winter Break—Dec. 23-Jan. 7

Note from the principal

Welcome to our new Hawks Nicole Castro—Math—Ms. Castro is a 2000 Apollo graduate and has 11 years previous experience teaching. Adam Maynes—English/U.S. Histo-ry—Mr. Maynes is a 2002 Apollo grad-uate and previously subbed on campus. Stacy Merrin—ELL—Ms. Merrin is a retired Phoenix police officer and start-ed last January at Apollo. Jennifer Sturm—Psychologist—Ms. Sturm has previously taught English and Special Education.

Greetings: Community involvement creates great schools. As principal, I com-mend the Apollo High School com-munity on being recognized as an “A” school for academic excel-lence. Excellence at Apollo, how-ever, is not limited to academics. The opportunity to represent Blue and Gold on the playing field, on stage in theater productions, in band and choir concerts, in dance performances, within visual arts, and through club participation requires de-termination, dedication, and discipline. Extracurricular excellence is a challenging pursuit that demands the balance of academic and team/club responsibilities. None of us could achieve excellence without support. Thank you, parents and community members! I encour-age you to become an active member in the Apollo community, as parent and community involvement is vital to a safe, successful neighborhood school and its many programs that affect young lives directly and positively. I look forward to meeting you and collaborating with you for a successful 2017-18 school year.

Brooke Parsons

Link crew welcomes the Class of 2021

SOAR Center and Career Center Apollo offers many resources to help students be successful, including the SOAR and Career Centers. The SOAR Center is open everyday before school at 7:00 a.m. and Monday through Thursday after school until 4:00 p.m. Computers and instructional aides are available to help students with their academics. A late bus is available for those who need it. The Career Center help students with college and career readiness. Students can stop by before school, both lunches, and after school to receive post-high school assistance. Services include help filling out college applications and scholarships, instructions on job interviewing and resume writing, and planning goals for after high school. The Career Center also arranges field trips to colleges, universities, and tech-nical schools so students can make educated decision about where they want to go next. Additionally, the center arranges for schools and employers to visit cam-pus to give students information.

When freshmen stepped on campus for their first day of school, they were greeted by their Link Leaders, upper-classmen to show them the ropes, and mentors, teachers who track their pro-gress throughout the year. In addition, they attended assemblies and small group activities to help acclimate them to the Apollo culture, and then toured their new home for the next four years.

Apollo rap artist goes viral Apollo senior Isaiah Acosta went viral on the In-ternet last spring as his rap video “Oxygen to Fly” with local rapper Trap House and again his story is being featured on the website Great Big Story, as well as at the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City on Sept. 7. Acosta, who cannot speak, expresses himself through poetry and rap, and he is well-known for his community service, raising funds for Phoenix Chil-dren’s Hospital and the Children’s Medical Network Hospitals. He also speaks out about bullying, which he has experienced, particularly online since his story has gone viral. Isaiah Great Big story can be seen at http://greatbig.is/2eGDSIW and his newest rap, “Hate is for the Weak” can be purchased through Apple Mu-sic.

KNOW THE WARNING SIGNS: The following are signs that may point to a pos-sible mental health problem or emotional dis-turbance in an adolescent: Decline in school performance Loses interest in things usually enjoyed Inability to cope with problems and daily activities Unexplained changes in eating or sleeping Severe mood swings Poor concentration – can’t think straight or

make up his/her mind Sexual acting out Sad and hopeless for an extended period of time Anxious or worried more than other young people Use of alcohol or drugs Intense fear of becoming fat Persistent nightmares Threats of self-harm or harm to others Considers suicide Self-injury or destructive behavior Frequent outbursts of anger and/or aggression Repeated threats to run away

Fall Sports

IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER: You are not alone Every child’s mental health is important Many children have mental health problems These problems are real, painful, and can

be severe Mental health problems can be recognized

and successfully treated

WHAT CAN YOU DO?:

Listen to your child Don’t make judgments Assure them things can get better Contact your school social worker

WHAT CAN YOU DO?:

Listen to your child Don’t make judgments Assure them things can get better Contact your school social worker

Deborah Dunn 623-435-6349 Call the Crisis Line 480-784-1500 Call 911 in an emergency

The fall play Noises Off runs Nov. 8-11, with 7:00 p.m. shows nightly. Ticket prices are $7 at the door; $5 pre-sale tickets are available through theater students, in the bookstore, or in room 1301. Noises Off is a comedy about a cast putting on a play making this a play within a play. The cast includes sophomore Tessa Livingstone as Dottie, sophomore David Ortiz as Lloyd, junior Jose Palafox as Gary, and junior Leah Living-stone as Brooke. Buy your tickets today and save!

Save money, purchase activity card

Football Last season’s record: 4-6

Football Schedule

Aug. 25 Centennial 0-41 (L) Sept. 1 Mesquite 27-3 (W) Sept. 8 Deer Valley Home Sept. 15 Lake Havasu Away Sept. 22 Arcadia Away Sept. 29 McClintock Home Oct. 6 Maricopa Away Oct. 13 Kellis Home Oct. 20 Ironwood Away Oct. 27 Sunnyslope Home Varsity games are at 7:00 p.m. JV plays on Thursdays at 6:00 p.m. Freshmen play at 6:00 p.m. on Wed. Support STUCO! Did you know, when you attend games and purchase from the snack bar, you are helping to support the student council and the vari-ous activities they host throughout the school year, such as assemblies, parades, and even prom. So attend an event and bring your appetite today!

Golf Goals for the season: The goal of every golf season is have all golfers improve their games and have fun playing the game of golf. This season’s star athletes: They have two returning golfers, Tallon Zoltz and Jacob Smith. Tallon plays as the number one golfer, and Jacob’s game has seen great improvement in the off season. Along with two returners, they have five beginning golfers to the team: Alicia De-Philips, Melanie Diaz, Inai Luevano-Palomera, Inette Luevano-Palomera, and Brayden Coburn. Biggest game/competition of the season: Their biggest match of the season will be the GUHSD Invitation which is held in Prescott at the beginning of the season. This match includes all nine schools and allows Apollo to compete against its sister schools. From the coach: “I look forward to seeing the experienced

and beginning golfers make improvements in their games as the season progresses” -

Coach Dan Coburn

Booster Club

Parents, get involved! Booster Club supports all students at Apollo through volunteering and fundraising.

We are looking for parents to join

Booster and get involved in their school! Please download the member-

ship form (in both English and Span-

ish) from the Apollo website and turn it in with your $10 family donation. We

have several committees that need help,

including snack bar, fundraising, spe-

cial events, information and recruit-ment, and setting up sport and activity

banquets.

Contact Booster Club

at ApolloBooster@gmail.com if you

have any questions. Like us on Face-book! Apollo High School Booster

Club has all the latest news and high-

lights. Booster Club meets monthly at 7:00 p.m. in the Big Hawk. Here are

this year’s meeting dates: Oct. 9, Nov.

13, Dec. 11, Jan. 8, Feb. 12, March 12,

Apr. 9, May 14.

Counseling

Sophomore Credit Checks/ registration for 2018-2019 school year classes are October 2-6 in World History Classes. All students have until Febru-ary 2 to make changes to their next year’s electives. Freshmen will be participating in AZCIS (Arizona Career Information Systems) the week of October 16-20. This pro-gram asks a series of questions that lead a student to possible career interests. This will occur during PE classes in the media center. All freshman and par-ents meet with their counselor from Oct.16-Dec. 8 to set up this plan for high school, choosing challenging classes that support their career inter-ests. On Oct. 25 sophomores and juniors will have the oppor-tunity to take the PSAT test. There is no late start that Wednesday and the test takes place in the auditorium from 7:30-11:30 a.m. Tests must be purchased in the bookstore by Sept. 21 to guarantee a spot. Juniors will take the ASVAB in the auditorium on Nov. 29 from 9:00 a.m. –12:30 p.m.

Attendance Office Attention Parents: Students are required to have parents call the Attendance Office the day of an ab-sence. Please use the appropri-ate extension, listed below, based on the first letter of your student's last name. A-G: Ms. Ramirez 623-435-6310 H-O: Ms. Velasco 623-435-6309 P-Z: Mrs. Farrell 623-435-6321

Direct verbal communication between the parent and the school is the best deterrent of truancies. If the absence is not called in the day of, please clear the absence within 48 hours.

Fall clubs and sports featured

Part of what makes Apollo such a wonderful place is the vast amount of students here who get involved. In fact, 89% of the student body was involved in a club or sport on cam-pus during the 2016-17 school year. Here are just a few of the clubs to be on the lookout for this year! Initially, some of the best clubs on campus are formed to spread awareness on issues that are important to students here at Apollo. Some of these clubs include groups such as Ani-mal Awareness, Environment al Awareness, and Club S.O.D.A (Sexual Orientation and Diversity Awareness). For example, Club S.O.D.A's main purpose is to promote the inclusion of all students, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. They also help to eradicate hate language from Apollo's campus. Furthermore, Animal Awareness strives to bring aware-ness to the "adopt don't shop" concept, as well as calling attention to cruelty-free products and helping local rescues and shelters. Similarly, Environmental Awareness' main goal is to inform the community of environmental issues and volunteering on behalf of the environment Volleyball - This is a sport on campus that encourages girls to be active and play volleyball. Additionally, even if you aren't an athlete yourself, please come out and support Apollo's Lady Hawks Volleyball Program at events, as they train hard and appreciate your support. Spiritline - The purpose of Spiritline is to help with sportsmanship and creating a welcoming environment. This cheer group looks forward t o bringing school spirit to our community and participating in competitions. Apollo is a busy and involved place to be!

Family activity cards are available to the parents/guardians of Apollo High School students for $60. This is a great way to support our “HAWKS” and at the same time make it affordable for you and your family to attend more events. Here is how they work:

Cards can only be purchased at the Bookstore- they will not be sold at games and a credit will not be given for games you attend prior to obtaining your card.

This card can only be used at APOLLO HIGH SCHOOL regu-lar season home athletic events. Tournaments, regional playoffs, and state playoff games are not included.

This card will only be issued to the immediate families of Apollo High School students. This includes two parents/guardians and up to four siblings UNDER high school age. Apollo students will have the option to obtain a student activity card for $30.

The card must be presented at the designated gate and identifi-cation will be required for entry. All family members must enter together and all children must be accompanied inside the gate by the parent/guardian listed.

This card is non-refundable and non-transferrable. Lost or sto-len cards can only be replaced at full price.

Free Adult English classes

Glendale Union High School District offers healthy meals every school day in compliance with the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. Breakfast costs $1.50; lunch costs $3.00. Ala Carte options are also available for purchase. MyPaymentsplus (https://www2.mypaymentsplus.com/welcome) is an online application that allows parents to pay for meals, view cafeteria purchases, receive low balance alerts, or enroll in autopay. Students are allowed to charge up to $9 without adequate funds on account. GUHSD also participates in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs which al-lows for students who qualify to receive meals at a discounted rate. Students may qualify based on household size and income. Please contact Mary Perez (623) 435-6040 or your school’s cafeteria office if you have questions regarding eligibility.

Did you know that 1 in 5 children and adolescents have a men-

tal health disorder that can be identi-

fied and treated?

Free adult English classes are being offered to family and friends of Apollo students. These classes run until Dec. 14, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Classes are held in room 612 and 207. It’s not too late to join the classes! If you are interested, please contact Bridget Augustine at (623) 435-6300, ex. 6482 or e-mail at bridget.augustine@guhsdaz.org.