ASU Preparatory K-8 schools have extended their grade levels and uniform colors to accommodate new high school students and promote University-inspired spirit to foster the notion that students are prepared for success in college.
The three-year-old public charter school, affiliated with ASU, resides on both the Polytechnic and Downtown campuses.
The prep academy began with K-8 grade levels and established a ninth grade curriculum this fall.
The school will expand through 12th grade and make a complete high school by 2014, said Phoenix ASU Preparatory K-8 Attendance Coordinator Norma Jean Duran.
The four-year expansion also offers a change in wardrobe for its students. The ninth grade students currently wear gold-collared shirts instead of the maroon and white-collared shirts the K-8 students wear.
“Gold, in the school uniform is an added option to look forward to and is reflective of what goes on at the University level,” ninth grade teacher Mary Anzur said.
Every Friday, ASU college students, faculty and staff traditionally wear gold.
ASU President Michael Crow’s recent push toward more school spirit with the Game Day Initiative at ASU was the influence for the prep academy’s gold-colored spirit and maroon colored uniforms.
“The philosophy behind the uniforms is to create that culture of school spirit, unity, focus on education and not necessarily the clothes that people are wearing,” said David Lujan, chief administrator of the preparatory academy.
“Once they come to ASU or any college, they’re going to make their own choices so why try to limit their freedom now?” said journalism sophomore Joey Post, who was required to wear uniforms in middle school.
Prep academy officials have heard no negative feedback from the color additions other than a difficulty finding the specific gold color.
As long as the color is a deep yellow and still looks similar to the gold in the University examples, then the color is permitted, Duran said.
Reach the reporter at ctetreau@asu.edu
