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Resources2021-06-28T23:18:10+00:00

Curriculum Links

We use cutting-edge technology and state-of-the-art programs.

Whatever path you take,

make sure it unleashes your potential.

Calendar

The Path to Potential provides a calendar to help families keep pace. Click the button below to view the 2021-2022 Path to Potential calendar.

Handbook

The Path to Potential provides the Parent and Scholar Handbook so that all scholars and their parents are familiar with the guidelines, operations, scholar responsibilities, and policies regarding the school and enrollment. Please keep a copy for reference.

Equipment Requirements for Success

The Path to Potential is a digital online school. Online learning requires the use of technology to have the optimal educational experience. It’s important scholars have home connectivity and reliable computer options to complete lessons and assignments.

Internet

High-speed internet is recommended. How much internet speed do you need?

  • 5+ Mbps – For 1 person and regular browsing
  • 10+ Mbps – For 1-2 people, HD video streaming
  • 20+ Mbps – For 2-4 people, ultra HD streaming, or gaming
  • 40+ Mbps – For 4 people, simultaneous HD streaming, and gaming

Computers, Devices, and Equipment

While there are few materials needed for digital online schooling, it’s important scholars have a reliable computer, preferably less than 5 years old.

  • Tower with monitor, or
  • Laptop, or
  • Chromebook, or
  • Microphone
  • webcam
  • Earbuds
  • Printer

Materials

Digital learning can be done anywhere there’s an internet connection, but it’s important that scholars have a quiet, clean, and designated area to study in. Clutter creates chaos, and scholars tend to spend more time looking for their notes or materials than they spend studying. Success with digital online learning requires:

  • Clean work area
  • A quiet studying area
  • printout of course pace chart and syllabus
  • calendar/planner
  • pencils and college-ruled paper for students who would like to take written notes

Operating Systems

Courses work best on the following operating systems:

  • Windows 10 and newer
  • Mac OSX 10.6 and newer
  • Linux
  • ChromeOS

Operating Systems

Courses work best using the following supported browsers:

  • Edge (latest version)
  • Firefox (latest version)
  • Safari (latest version)
  • Chrome (latest version)

Operating Systems

Supported browsers usually require the following plugins and settings:

    • Javascript enabled
    • Flash – the latest version is recommended
    • 1024×768 is recommended
    • Pop-up blockers should be disabled
    • Cookies should be enabled.

Mental Health Resources

The Path to Potential is committed to the well-being and success of our scholars. While many scholars transition to digital learning, some may experience stress and difficulties. Please familiarize yourself with the signs to look out for that may indicate your teen is suffering. It’s important to understand that if you or your teen are suffering, there is help and support out there for you.

If you feel a situation is an emergency, call your local police department or dial 9-1-1.

Finding Balance

Everyone experiences stress at some point in their lives to some degree. Scholars who practice mindfulness, have good time management skills, find constructive ways to express their emotions, and have the ability to relax deal with stress better.

  • Sadness or hopelessness
  • Withdrawal, indecisiveness, nervousness, and confusion
  • Bizarre, alarming statements
  • Comments threatening other people
  • Evidence of engaging in dangerous behavior
  • Irritability, anger, or hostility
  • Tearfulness or frequent crying
  • Changes in personal hygiene
  • Withdrawal from friends and family
  • Loss of interest in activities
  • Lack of energy
  • Infrequent school attendance
  • Poor school performance
  • Changes in eating and sleeping habits
  • Restlessness and agitation
  • Feelings of worthlessness and guilt
  • Lack of enthusiasm and motivation
  • Fatigue or lack of energy
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Unexplained aches and pains
  • Thoughts of death or suicide

If you suspect that a teenager is suicidal, take immediate action. For 24-hour suicide prevention and support in the U.S., call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK. To find a suicide helpline outside the U.S., visit IASP or Suicide.org. To learn more about suicide risk factors, warning signs, and what to do in a crisis, read Suicide Prevention.

Isolation makes depression worse, so encourage your teen to connect socially. Depressed teens tend to withdraw from their friends and the activities they used to enjoy. Encourage your teen to go out with friends or invite their friends over.  Make sure you set aside time to talk to your teen, without distraction. Teens know when you’re not paying attention or if you’re trying to multi-task. Your support can make a big difference in their recovery.

Take advantage of your teen’s interests and talents. While teens may lack motivation, it’s important they do the activities they love, such as sports, art, dance, music, or after-school clubs. Help your teen find a cause they can volunteer and support.

It’s important that your teen stays both physically and mentally fit. Inactivity, inadequate sleep, and poor nutritional habits exacerbate depression. Encourage your teen to get enough sleep, avoid junk food and curb the number of hours they spend playing video games, talking on the phone, and using their devices.

Teens need at least an hour of physical activity a day. They don’t need to be an athlete. Going for a walk or bike ride, taking a hike, or going for a swim is beneficial. Likewise, teens need 9-10 hours of sleep per night to be rested and function properly.

Nutrition is important for optimum health. Unhealthy foods filled with sugars and starches have a negative effect on mood and energy.

It’s important to be understanding. Depression can be difficult and you may experience exhaustion, rejection, and aggravation when dealing with a depressed teenager. Try to remember your teen is not being difficult on purpose, but because he or she is suffering.

Governance

For additional governance information, please read more at the Grande Innovation Academy.

General
THE GRANDE INNOVATION ACADEMY (the “Corporation”) requires directors, officers and employees to observe high standards of business and personal ethics in the conduct of their duties and responsibilities. As employees and representatives of the Corporation, we must practice honesty and integrity in fulfilling our responsibilities and comply with all applicable laws and regulations.

Reporting Responsibility
It is the responsibility of all directors, officers and employees to report ethics violations or suspected violations in accordance with this Whistleblower Policy.

No Retaliation
No director, officer or employee who in good faith reports an ethics violation shall suffer harassment, retaliation or adverse employment consequence. An employee who retaliates against someone who has reported a violation in good faith is subject to discipline up to and including termination of employment.

This Whistleblower Policy is intended to encourage and enable employees and others to raise serious concerns within the Corporation prior to seeking resolution outside the Corporation.

Reporting Violations
The Corporation has an open door policy and suggests that employees share their questions, concerns, suggestions or complaints with someone who can address them properly. In most cases, an employee’s supervisor is in the best position to address an area of concern. However, if you are not comfortable speaking with your supervisor or you are not satisfied with your supervisor’s response, you are encouraged to speak with someone in management whom you are comfortable in approaching. Supervisors and managers are required to report suspected ethics violations to a member of the Corporation’s Executive Committee. For suspected fraud, or when you are not satisfied or uncomfortable with following the Corporation’s open door policy, individuals should contact a member of the Executive Committee directly.

Executive Committee
The Executive Committee is responsible for investigating and resolving all reported complaints and allegations concerning violations and, at its discretion, shall advise the Corporation’s Executive Director and/or the Board of Directors.

Accounting and Auditing Matters
The audit committee of the board of directors shall address all reported concerns or complaints regarding corporate accounting practices, internal controls or auditing. The Executive Committee shall immediately notify the audit committee of any such complaint and work with the committee until the matter is resolved.

Acting in Good Faith
Anyone filing a complaint concerning a violation or suspected violation must be acting in good faith and have reasonable grounds for believing the information disclosed indicates a violation. Any allegations that prove not to be substantiated and which prove to have been made maliciously or knowingly to be false will be viewed as a serious disciplinary offense.

Confidentiality
Violations or suspected violations may be submitted on a confidential basis by the complainant or may be submitted anonymously. Reports of violations or suspected
violations will be kept confidential to the extent possible, consistent with the need to conduct an adequate investigation.

Handling of Reported Violations
A member of the Executive Committee will notify the sender and acknowledge receipt of the reported violation or suspected violation within ten business days. All reports will be promptly investigated and appropriate corrective action will be taken if warranted by the investigation.

Grande Innovation Academy (“GIA”)

Policy Regarding Disclosure of Personally Identifiable Records Pursuant to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

FERPA affords parents and students who are 18 years of age or older (“eligible students”) certain rights with respect to the student’s education records and creates certain obligations on the part of an educational institution.

This Policy sets out the procedure to follow in situations in which GIA releases personally identifiable educational records to a third party or agent of the school.

Generally, under FERPA, a school must obtain written consent from a parent before the school discloses personally identifiable information (PII) from the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.

GIA may disclose PII without prior written consent from parents in the following situations:

  1. To school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the school as an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff member (including health or medical staff and law enforcement unit personnel) or a person serving on the school board. A school official also may include a volunteer or contractor outside of the school who performs an institutional service of function for which the school would otherwise use its own employees and who is under the direct control of the school with respect to the use and maintenance of PII from education records, such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant, or therapist; a parent or student volunteering to serve on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee; or a parent, student, or other volunteer assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.
  2. To officials of another school, so long as the student is enrolled or preparing to enroll in that school and the disclosure is for the purpose of the student’s enrollment or transfer.
  3. To authorized representatives of the Comptroller of the United States, the Secretary of Education of the United States, or state and local educational authorities.
  4. If the disclosure is in connection to financial aid for which the student has applied or is receiving, so long as the disclosure is necessary to determine eligibility for the aid, the amount of the aid, the terms and conditions of the aid, or to enforce the terms and conditions of the aid.
  5. To state and local officials or authorities to whom student information is permitted or required to be disclosed by statute.
  6. To organizations developing, validating, or administering predictive tests, administering student aid programs, or improving instruction on behalf of or for the school so long as the disclosure is pursuant to a written agreement that meets the requirements of 34 C.F.R. § 99.31(6)(iii).
  7. To accrediting organizations for the purpose of carrying out accreditation.
  8. To the parents of a dependent student as defined in Section 152 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
  9. To comply with a judicial order or lawful subpoena, so long as the school first makes an effort to notify the parent of the student in advance, so that the parent may move to quash the subpoena or order if desired, or where the parent or school has initiated legal action against the other and the records are relevant to the issue in the action.
  10. Where the disclosure is in connection with a health or safety emergency.
  11. Where the disclosure is of information that has been designated by the school as “directory information” and the conditions of the directory information notice have been met.
  12. To the parent or eligible student.
  13. Other such disclosures that are permissible under 34 C.F.R. § 99.31 and determined appropriate by the Director of the school.

It is GIA’s policy that any disclosures of PII made without parent consent, even where those disclosures are permitted as described in this policy, must be approved by the Director of the School or his/her designee, except in the case of a health or safety emergency. Failure to obtain approval prior to disclosure under this policy will result in disciplinary action, which can include termination.

Recordkeeping. GIA will maintain a record of all disclosures of PII made pursuant to this policy. That record will be maintained as long as the PII records are maintained for the student.

The record will include:

  • The name of the individual or entity that requested or received records.
  • The provision under which the disclosure was made (court order, litigation involving the
    student, etc.).
  • The names of State and local educational authorities and Federal officials and agencies
    that may make further disclosures of the PII without consent.

Where the disclosure was pursuant to the health or safety exception, the record will include the
following information:

  • The articulable and significant threat to the health or safety of a student or other individuals that formed the basis for the disclosure; and
  • The parties to whom the information was disclosed.

The parent of the student has the right to review the record of disclosures. The record of disclosures will be maintained in the student’s cumulative file.

Being a Title I school means receiving federal funding (Title I dollars) to supplement the school’s existing programs. These dollars are used for:

  • Identifying students experiencing academic difficulties and providing timely assistance to help these student’s meet the State’s challenging content standards.
  • Purchasing supplemental staff/programs/materials/supplies
  • Conducting parental Involvement meetings/trainings/activities
  • Recruiting/Hiring/Retaining Highly Qualified Teachers

The Grande Innovation Academy’s Title 1 program is a schoolwide program which means that the Title program serves all children in the school.  All staff, resources, and classes are part of the overall Schoolwide program. The purpose is to generate high levels of academic achievement in core subject areas for all students, especially those students most in need.

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and the Title IX regulations prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, including gender-based and sexual harassment discrimination, in the School’s educational programs and activities, including employment. The School is committed to maintaining an educational and working environment free from sex discrimination and harassment and encourages any student or employee who believes they have been subjected to discrimination on the basis of sex, whether by students or by School employees, to utilize this procedure. For more information on Title IX please download our policy. For more information on Title IX Decision Makers, download our information sheet.

Parents have the right, as well as the responsibility, to direct their children’s upbringing in a manner consistent with their beliefs and with knowledge of each child’s unique needs, talents, and abilities. The United States Supreme Court and the state of Arizona recognize this fundamental right and therefore has a robust set of laws that protect parental rights to direct a child’s upbringing, education, and health care. Download your copy of the Arizona Department of Education Parental Rights Handbook here.

Child Find is a component of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA ’04) that requires Public Education Agencies (PEA) to locate, identify, and evaluate all children with disabilities, aged birth through 21, located within their boundaries of responsibility who are in need of early intervention or special education services.

AZ Find

The Grande Innovation Academy Local Wellness Policy covers our goals for nutritional standards, promotion, and education, goals for physical activity, our school wellness committee and membership, implementation of our program, and community engagement.  Download the Wellness Policy here.

The purpose of this school safety policy is to generally set forth the principles by which The Grande Innovation Academy responds to threats against the School and its students, employees, and volunteers. Given the sensitivity of the subject matter contemplated by this policy, this is intentionally a non-exhaustive consideration of the School’s safety protocols; therefore, this policy supplements but does not replace any other safety protocols or applicable state or federal laws governing the School’s obligations to maintain a safe learning environment.

The School’s  Executive Director or their designee, will report to local law enforcement any suspected crime against a person or property that (i) is a Serious Offense or involves a Deadly Weapon or Dangerous Instrument or Serious Physical Injury; or (ii) any conduct that poses a threat of death or Serious Physical Injury to a School employee, student, or other person on the School’s property (collectively, “Suspected Criminal Conduct”). All capitalized terms in this paragraph have the meaning set forth in Arizona law.

In accordance with applicable state and federal law, including FERPA, the School’s Executive Director or their designee, will notify the parent or guardian of each student who is involved in Suspected Criminal Conduct. School employees are expected to report and document any Suspected Criminal Conduct by immediately notifying any member of the School administration of the incident and promptly preparing a written report of the incident and providing the report to a member of the School Administration. The School may, in its discretion, discipline any School employee who the School believes failed to properly report and document Suspected Criminal Conduct, and the School will maintain a record of such disciplinary action. In accordance with applicable law, the School will, upon reasonable request, make such a disciplinary record available to a public school considering hiring that employee.

In accordance with applicable state law, if the School determines a student has been harassed, threatened, or intimidated on School grounds or in a manner that substantially disrupts the School’s learning environment, the School’s Executive Director or their designee, will notify the parent or guardian of that affected student.  Threatening or intimidating behavior and harassment have the meanings set forth in A.R.S. § 15-186.01.

To download a copy of the School Safety Policy, please click here.

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Student Assistance Act protects the rights of all homeless/highly mobile students. The act defines homeless children as youth between the ages of 2 to18 years old who lack a fixed regular and adequate nighttime residence and may:

  • Live in a hotel or motel;
  • Live in a shelter/transitional housing program;
  • Sharing housing with another family due to loss of housing, stemming from hardship;
  • Live a trailer park or campsite due to the lack of adequate living accommodations;
  • Live in an abandoned building, parked car, or other facility not designed as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings;
  • Lives with another person due to the death or incarceration of a parent
  • Lives as a youth on their own due to abandonment or runaway status

Students are identified by the District Homeless liaison or through referrals made by District employees, community members, city agency employees or self-referrals. If you think your children may be eligible contact the local liaison to find out what services and supports might be available.

Please download the McKinney Vento Act for more information regarding the rights of eligible students.

For more information, refer to the Arizona Department of Education resources for homelessness. 

Frank Migali
Homeless Education Coordinator
Arizona Department of Education
1535 W. Jefferson Street
Phoenix, AZ 85007
(602) 542-4963

If you need further assistance, call the National Center for Homeless Education at the toll-free HelpLine number: 1-800-308-2145.

If your family lives in any of the following situations:

  • In a shelter, motel, vehicle, or campground
  • On the street
  • In an abandoned building, trailer, or other inadequate accommodations, or
  • Doubled up with friends or relatives because you cannot find or afford housing

Then, your preschool-aged and school-aged children have certain rights or protections under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act.

Your children have the right to:

  • Go to school, no matter where you live or how long you have lived there. They must be given access to the same public education, including preschool education, provided to other children.
  • Continue in the school they attended before you became homeless or the school they last attended, if that is your choice and is feasible. If a school sends your child to a school other than the one you request, the school must provide you with a written explanation and offer you the right to appeal the decision.
  • Receive transportation to the school they attended before your family became homeless or the school they last attended, if you or a guardian request such transportation.
  • Attend a school and participate in school programs with children who are not homeless. Children cannot be separated from the regular school program because they are homeless.
  • Enroll in school without giving a permanent address. Schools cannot require proof of residency that might prevent or delay school enrolment.
  • Enroll and attend classes while the school arranges for the transfer of school and immunization records or any other documents required for enrolment.
  • Enroll and attend classes in the school of your choice even while the school and you seek to resolve a dispute over enrolling your children.
  • Receive the same special programs and services, if needed, as provided to all other children served in these programs.
  • Receive transportation to school and to school programs.

When you move, you should do the following:

  • Contact the school district’s local liaison for homeless education (see phone number below) for help in enrolling your child in a new school or arranging for your child to continue in his or her former school. (Or, someone at a shelter, social services office or the school can direct you to the person you need to contact.)
  • Contact the school and provide any information you think will assist the teachers in helping your child adjust to new circumstances.
  • Ask the local liaison for homeless education, the shelter provider, or a social worker for assistance with clothing and supplies, if needed

Latest News

We stand by our scholars.

Scholars with questions may reach out to Ashlee Miller, the “Guide on the Side” from 7 AM – 4:30 PM Monday – Thursday. Mrs. Miller has direct communication with the online teachers and has access to every scholar’s schedule. She’s here to help make sure you’re on the right path!

520.381.2360 | Email Us | Copyright © | All Rights Reserved | Grande Innovation Academy | Created by the Branding Habitat
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