Academic calendar
Quarter 1 runs Aug 6, 2026 – Oct 9, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- Quarter 1Relevant now
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- Quarter 3
- Quarter 4
- Project Week
Campus language
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Showing 37 of 37 terms
A
- A-Day / B-Day
- The alternating block schedule system used to rotate classes throughout the week.
- AP
- Advanced Placement; refers to the college-level courses that are a mandatory part of the high school curriculum.
- AP Season
- The period in May when high school students take multiple Advanced Placement exams.
C
- CJ
- Communication Journal; the mandatory planner students use to record assignments and facilitate communication between teachers and parents.
- CJL
- Communication Journal; the mandatory physical planner students use to track homework and facilitate teacher-parent communication.
- Comp
- Short for Comprehensive Exam; high-stakes end-of-year tests that determine if a student promotes to the next grade.
- Comps
- Comprehensive Exams; high-stakes end-of-year tests that students must pass to promote to the next grade level.
D
- DECA
- An association of marketing, finance, and hospitality students often active in the high school levels.
G
- Grateful Food
- The specific catering vendor often associated with the school's meal program.
H
- Hot Lunch
- The school's catered meal program provided by external vendors.
I
- ITS
- International Thespian Society, the honor society for students involved in the school's drama program.
J
- JCL
- Junior Classical League; a popular club focused on the study of Greek and Roman classics, reflecting the school's Latin requirements.
K
- Kodiaks
- The school mascot, often used in the context of 'Kodiak Pride' or sports events.
L
- Lunch Bunch
- A supervised lunch period or social group often organized for younger students.
M
- MPR
- The Multi-Purpose Room, which serves as the primary cafeteria and indoor lunch area for students.
- MUN
- Model United Nations, a popular club where students simulate UN diplomatic sessions.
- MyHotLunchbox
- The third-party online platform used by students and parents to pre-order daily school lunches.
N
- NHS
- National Honor Society; an organization for high-achieving high school students.
- NJHS
- National Junior Honor Society; the middle school version of the honor society.
P
- Post-comps
- The period of the school year after Comprehensive Exams are finished, usually characterized by lighter workloads and end-of-year projects.
- Pre-Comp
- Practice exams or mid-year assessments designed to prepare students for the final Comprehensive Exams.
- Pre-comps
- Practice or mid-year examinations designed to prepare students for the final Comprehensive Exams.
S
- Senior Project
- A mandatory off-campus research project or internship completed by seniors in their final trimester.
- SPORK
- The proprietary digital curriculum and tablet-based platform used for textbooks and grading.
- STUCO
- Student Council; the student-led government body for the school.
- Student Hours
- The Basis-specific term for office hours, where teachers are available for one-on-one or small group tutoring.
T
- The Bistro
- The on-campus cafeteria service providing daily hot lunches for students.
- The Courtyard
- The outdoor area where middle and high school students are often permitted to eat lunch.
- The Curve
- The grading adjustment applied to Comprehensive Exams, a frequent topic of student speculation and discussion.
- The Grind
- A term used by students to describe the intense and demanding academic workload typical of the Basis curriculum.
- The MPR
- The Multi-Purpose Room, which serves as the cafeteria, gym, and assembly hall for all grade levels.
- The Planner
- The mandatory, school-issued communication journal used to track assignments and parent-teacher notes.
- The Portal
- The BASIS student and parent information system used to track grades, assignments, and attendance records.
- The Syllabus
- Often refers to the 'Basis Curriculum,' known for its accelerated pace and specific course sequences.
W
- Wholesome
- Refers to Wholesome Food Services, the third-party vendor that provides pre-ordered school lunches.
Z
- Zero Hour
- An optional class period held before the official start of the school day, often for electives or extra support.
- Zero Period
- An optional class period held before the official start of the school day, often for music or extra AP prep.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- A-Day / B-Day
- The alternating block schedule system used for middle and high school classes to rotate subjects.
- A-F Days
- The rotating block schedule system used to determine which classes meet on a specific day.
- A-G
- The set of course requirements students must meet to be eligible for university admission.
- Aux
- Short for Auxiliary; refers to the before-school and after-school care programs.
- Auxiliary
- The after-school program providing supervised care and activities for students after regular hours.
- basis_oro_valley_cafeteria
- BASIS Oro Valley Cafeteria
- basis_oro_valley_lunch_program
- BASIS Oro Valley Lunch Program
- Carpool
- The highly regulated morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up line procedure.
- CJL
- Connections, Justice, and Leadership; a specific component of the Basis curriculum focused on social and leadership skills.
- Early Release
- Scheduled days where students are dismissed before the standard end-of-day time.
- Front Office
- The main administrative area where students check in late or visit for official business.
- Late Start
- Specific days, often Wednesdays, when the school day begins later than the standard start time for staff professional development.
- Lower School
- The section of the campus designated for primary students, typically grades K through 4.
- Lower School Wing
- The area of the building housing primary and middle school classrooms.
- MPR
- Multi-Purpose Room, the central hub for lunch, assemblies, and indoor PE.
- North Campus
- The facility dedicated to Upper School students (grades 6–12).
- Oracle Campus
- The physical location of the school on N. Oracle Road, often used to distinguish it from other BASIS campuses.
- ParentSquare
- The primary communication platform used by the administration for school-wide announcements and alerts.
- PowerSchool
- The online portal where students and parents check real-time grades, attendance, and schedules.
- Primary
- The building dedicated to students in grades K-5.
- Primary Building
- The facility housing students in grades K–4.
- Primary School
- The campus building or section dedicated to students in grades K through 4.
- SmartPass
- The digital hall pass system students use on their devices to leave the classroom.
- South Campus
- The facility dedicated to Primary students (grades K–5).
- Student Hours
- The Basis-specific term for office hours, where teachers are available after school for tutoring and questions.
- Student Portal
- The online system (PowerSchool) where students and parents monitor grades and attendance.
- StudentSquare
- The student-facing version of the communication app used for school updates and club news.
- The Courtyard
- The central outdoor area where students congregate during breaks and lunch.
- The Field
- The outdoor turf area used for sports, recess, and physical education classes.
- The Front Office
- The main administrative hub where students check in late or visit the health office.
- The Gym
- The dedicated athletic facility used for basketball, volleyball, and physical education classes.
- The Loop
- The designated traffic route and area for student drop-off and pick-up by parents.
- The Lower School
- Refers to the academic wing and community for primary and middle school students.
- The MPR
- The Multi-Purpose Room, used for dining, physical education, and large events.
- The Planner
- The physical BASIS-branded notebook that students are required to carry and use for hall passes and organization.
- The Upper School
- Refers to the academic wing and community for students in grades 8 through 12.
- Upper
- The building housing the Middle and High School students (grades 6-12).
- Upper School
- The section of the campus or specific classrooms designated for grades 5 through 12.
- Upper School Wing
- The designated section of the campus for high school students (grades 9-12).
- Zero Period
- Optional or specific elective classes held before the official start of the standard school day.
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- Quarter 1 runs Aug 6, 2026 – Oct 9, 2026.
- How much campus context is included?
- 37 approved campus terms and 40 local details are included in full.
- Are all approved campus terms included?
- Yes. The complete approved glossary is available in the scrollable, searchable campus-language section.
- Where does this guide come from?
- Calendar dates, campus terms, and local details come from DormWay's approved campus reference library.