A+ Charter Schools continues Virtual Open Houses, student voting for school mascot

 

A+ Charter Schools began hosting virtual Open Houses via Zoom in March, with great success for families and students. The school will continue this platform to meet with families and students interested in enrollment for the 2020-21 school year for grades 7-10.

The new school will be located at 41735 W. Alan Stephens Parkway, west of Banner Health. Construction of the new campus is well underway and will be ready for the Fall 2020 school year. Offering a virtual Open House allows flexibility for families interested in enrolling to attend the meetings, as well as an opportunity for parents to ask questions while learning more about the school model.

Starting on Thursday, April 30 through Thursday, May 28, the school will host meetings every Tuesday at 1PM and Thursday at 6:30PM. More details are available on Facebook with the specific Zoom link to join. Students are welcome to attend with their parents.

A+ began hosting an after-school PBL (project-based learning) Club in the fall for students who were interested in enrolling in the school. Students were presented with a challenging question to design a school mascot that represented the core values of the school, as well as could positively represent and impact the community of Maricopa.

Principal Rachele Reese said, “At A+ Charter School, we are committed to serving our community. It is to this effect that when we decided to have our students select their school mascot, we formulated our challenge question in a manner that would include input from our community. Our students completed their PBL assignment after they surveyed members of our community.”

Over the course of the club, students worked individually to gain input from local community members, which they then presented their mascot ideas to the PBL Club. The students voted and narrowed down the mascot options to three – an archer, jaguar, and German Shepherd. Then, students began working in groups to prepare a presentation for the Maricopa City Council. In the midst of working in groups, the COVID-19 pandemic began, schools were closed, and individuals asked to shelter in place. At that time, A+ began facilitating the PBL Club via Zoom so students could continue to work in their groups on the mascot project.

Justin Price, academic advisor, said “Just like the workforce, our PBL students quickly moved from working face-to-face to an online platform.  Their adaptability to change, knowledge of current technology, and eagerness to finalize their project really shows the true potential of the next generation.”

Because the students could not present their mascot selections to the Maricopa City Council in person, A+ recorded each group presentation and sent the videos to the City Council for feedback and a vote. These votes along with a vote from each student who enrolls in A+ Charter Schools will determine the school’s mascot. Follow the school’s social media for updates on the mascot selection.

A+ Charter Schools began enrolling for the 2020-21 school year earlier this year. The school will open with students in grades 7-10 and add grades 11-12 in subsequent years. Space is limited and enrollment is filling up quickly. For families interested in enrollment for grades 7-10, visit the online enrollment portal at enroll.aplusaz.org. For more information, please visit their website at www.aplusaz.org or call 520-265-5589.