Parent Info

Welcome Letter

Welcome Students & Families,

On behalf of the faculty of the Global Academy @ ASU Prep, I would like to extend a warm welcome to you. We are grateful that you have selected our school as your school of choice. The aim of Global Academy is to empower students to take ownership of their learning and their education pathway, and provide an opportunity for all students to see themselves as scholars with a clear route to post-secondary opportunities.

Please review all of the information contained in this handbook so that you are equipped with knowledge about the systems and procedures of Global Academy to ensure your academic success. Global Academy prides itself as a program that works most successfully when all stakeholders are actively involved. I invite you to learn more about Global Academy by visiting https://www.asuprepglobalacademy.org/ and if you have additional questions or concerns, please reach out to globalacademy@asuprep.org.

Sincerely,

Rachel Maleski, M.Ed
Principal, Global Academy @ ASU Prep

2025 - 2026 Global Academy @ ASU Prep Academic Calendar

Click here to view the 2025-2026 School Calendar.

Family Commitment

Global Academy @ ASU Prep follows a “high tech, high touch” model. While our curricular materials may be accessed asynchronously, the relationships between teachers, faculty, and our students and families are not! Success in our program is dependent on the partnership among students, teachers, parents and guardians. To that end, frequent two-way phone communication with teachers is an expected element of academics at Global Academy.

Engaging in your child’s education will make him/her a more successful student. Examples of family involvement may include:

• Encourage live learning session attendance and participation
• Build rapport with teachers and other faculty
• Attend learning conferences
• Log in to the parent portal and Learning Management System weekly to monitor grades and coursework
• Role play Discussion Based Assessments and help prepare for exams and tests
• Set up a designated work space in the home
• Get involved in activities
• Arrange family activities to honor students for their effort and hard work
• Encourage communication with their teacher to support their needs
• Complete school surveys
• Share information about IEPs and 504s to your child’s instructional team as necessary for review and consideration
• Actively review teacher feedback and convey any concerns to instructor

Attendance Requirements

Full-time students at Global Academy @ ASU Prep are expected to regularly log in and participate in academic activities. Depending on each student’s unique needs, we recommend that student work time totals a minimum of 30 hours per week. A standard full-time course load consists of six credit hours per academic year.

Consistent participation in coursework is essential for academic success. Although we appreciate that health and family take precedent, we do ask that families prioritize school commitments. If a student participates in extracurricular activities or works part-time during the week, it is recommended that they consider their pacing and make appropriate expectations to complete coursework at their target end-date.

Vacations or Days Off: Because Global Academy @ ASU Prep allows students to work ahead or catch up on course work by allowing 24/7 access, students have the flexibility to take days off and still stay on pace. All notifications for vacations or days off should be sent via email to your teachers.

It is required for students to make continuous progress in their coursework. Full-time students who do not maintain continuous progress and who fail to remain in regular communication with each teacher may be locked out of their account until an academic plan for success is established. If full-time students and families do not demonstrate both continuous progress in their courses and do not remain in consistent communication

Email

• Reading and responding to email is expected
• Email is to be used for school-related work between students and teachers and/or students to students
• Sending bulk email is prohibited

Phones & Texting

• Regular phone communication and texting is an expectation between students/parents and teachers and other faculty
• Students will discuss academic material with their teacher(s) via phone on a monthly basis
• Students are required to have a working voicemail system for faculty and staff to leave messages
• Inappropriate texting, including sending electronic photographs or videos with nudity, is strictly prohibited
• Global Academy @ ASU Prep is not responsible for costs associated with long-distance phone calls, use of data or school-related apps, or texting. Please check with your phone provider to know your specific phone plan.

Live Learning Sessions

All 6th – 12th grade courses include a dedicated weekly live learning session. Student attendance and participation is an integral part of bridging the online content to real-world applications as well as collaboration opportunities with peers around the globe. However, we understand that our students are learning with us from all over the world and may not be able to attend these dedicated learning sessions. We encourage students to connect with their teachers to schedule personalized learning sessions based on teacher availability and student schedule.

Discussion Boards

A discussion board forum contributes to the development of critical-thinking skills and allows time for thoughtful, in-depth reflection on course topics. By facilitating a global, exploratory learning platform to respond to the work of others, discussion boards pave the way to approach your own learning in diverse ways.

Discussion boards are used for educational discussions that pertain directly to the course and not for social conversation. Being thoughtful to differences of opinions allows everyone to contribute to the topic while also allowing intense discussions.

When posting on the discussion board in your course, be sure to abide by the following rules:

• All posts are to be on topic and within the scope of the course material
• Be respectful of opinions that differ from your own
• Read all the posts in a discussion board before posting to avoid repetition
• Avoid plagiarism by giving proper credit when referencing or quoting another source
• Be open minded and push yourself to truly consider differing opinions
• Never insult or make fun of another student’s post
• Avoid slang words and use concise language

Discussion Board posts will be evaluated by your teacher to determine your understanding of an idea or concept that has been presented in a lesson. Before composing your response, it is always a good idea to refer to the discussion board rubric that will be used to evaluate your work.

Required Materials and Technology

While the majority of the curriculum will be online, some courses do require additional course materials (i.e., a novel, inexpensive lab supplies, etc.). Please check the syllabus for each course for full details.

Students will need access to a webcam, microphone, headset, and printer access. Technology requirements are: