EAGLES SOAR NEWSLETTER
W. Charles Akins High School
April 20th - April 24th 2020
The biggest updates to date are AISD School Board passing a new grading policy, the cancelling of all AISD proms, graduation being moved from May to August, and Governor Abbott's decision to keep schools closed for the remainder of the the 2019-2020 school year. These are big pills to swallow and we are working diligently to support our students and families in all ways. Please reach out to us if you need anything during these trying times. We will utilize all of our resources to assist you.
As of today we are scheduled to graduate the class of 2020 on August 12th, 2020 at 10:00 am at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin. All AISD high schools are currently scheduled to graduate August 11th-August 13th 2020 at the Frank Erwin Center. More information to come from Herff Jones concerning caps, gowns, and graduation announcements.
AISD will begin holding a curbside chromebook service to help students with chromebook and charger issues starting April 21st. The nearest site for our students is Crockett HS. Therefore if your students chromebook won't turn on, has a cracked screen, won't connect to the internet, or has a broken keyboard please take it to Crockett High School starting tomorrow from 9:30am - 3:30pm. Please make sure to bring a piece of paper with your student's full name, ID number, and the description of the problem. I will post the flyer below.
I will post the new grading policy below and all Akins assignments moving forward will be posted in your student's BLEND courses.
We miss our students tremendously! We hope and pray everyday that you and all of our student's family members and all Akins community members are healthy and safe! We are here for you all!
Sincerely,
Tina Salazar
Principal
W. Charles Akins ECHS
#WingsUp
MR. SALEK Wins AISD High School TEACHER OF THE YEAR
We are so proud to announce that our very own Mr. Armin Salek has been awarded the AISD high school Teacher of the Year. Mr. Salek is a product of AISD schools and graduated from Anderson High Scool. He is completing his fifth year of teaching and he currently teaches our law classes and has helped build that program to the extent of taking 3 teams to the Mock Trial State competition this year. One of our teams qualified for nationals this year being the highest qualifying team in school history.
Through his journey in becoming a lawyer, Salek saw that it took a team to get him to the point of walking the stage. He transitioned to education so he could provide similar opportunities to other students.
At Akins, Salek created an innovative legal curriculum and with the help of his Law Practicum, a group of senior students, he established Eagle Aid. Eagle Aid is the first high school legal aid clinic in the country where students gain legal experience and feel empowered to help others in their community.
“When students leave my internship, they leave as members of the board of directors of an established nonprofit, student attorneys in the only high school legal aid clinic in the country, mock trial champions, and the beneficiaries of a robust legal curriculum that introduces South Austin students to what most attorneys do not learn until their mid-twenties,” Salek said.
CONGRATULATIONS MR. SALEK! WE LOVE YOU!!!
Akins Senior Webpage: Look here for updated Information Seniors
REVISED AISD Graduation Schedule August 2020
AISD Computer Curbside Service
Grading Guidelines
*The 10-week spring semester is still open for students to complete work that was assigned or scheduled before March 13. Students will have until May 26, 2020, to complete missing or outstanding work that will help them improve this 10-week spring semester grade. These grades will be recorded in the TEAMS gradebook.
*The 10-week spring semester average will be used by the teacher to determine the transcripted grade of “Pass” (70 or higher) or “Incomplete” (lower than 70). It can also be used to recover fall semester credit if a student failed the first semester of a year-long course and if averaging the failing fall semester and the passing spring semester numeric grades together is 70 or greater. The spring 2020 grades will never factor into the student’s cumulative GPA or rank GPA.
*Activities and assignments for continuous learning will be assigned to students from April 6 through May 27, and teachers will provide students with feedback on this work in BLEND. Students will receive "No Marks" during this period of continuous learning, due to the unique nature of these circumstances.
*Teachers will use maximum flexibility in assessing and evaluating student learning for the remainder of the school year. To that end, assignments submitted during the period of continuous learning can positively influence students’ overall grade for the year, based on their understanding of the content for the whole year or “demonstration of proficiency.” In other words, any work assigned since April 6 may only benefit the student by positively contributing to the final grade. Only final grades will be shown on transcripts; the “No Marking” period of continuous learning will not show on a student’s final transcript.
Tips to Support your Child during Online Learning
*Balance screen time and non-screen time activities.
*Students should take brain breaks and move regularly as they study.
*Discuss what your child is learning and ask questions.
*Establish times for quiet and reflection.
*Remain mindful of your child’s stress.
Mobile WIFI-buses with free wifi locations- English and Spanish
College and Career Center Newsletter -Melissa Gutierrez
Update for AP EXAMS: Advanced Placement (AP) Exams to be taken Online
AP Exams will be given from May 11-22. Make-up test dates will be available for each subject from June 1-5. Each subject’s exam will be taken at the same time worldwide. o We recommend testing during the first testing window.
2-D Art and Design, 3-D Art and Design, Drawing, Computer Science Principles, Research, and Seminar will use portfolio submissions and will not have a separate online exam. All deadlines for these submissions have been extended to May 26, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
2020 AP Exam Format o The 2020 AP Exam administration will be delivered in a 45-minute online exam for each course. Students will not be required to use free-response booklets for these shortened exams. o This year’s exams will cover skills and concepts learned through early March. o Most 2020 AP Exams will have 1–2 free-response questions, each question timed separately. Students can take them online or handwrite answers and submit a photo. See more about specific courses here.
Students may not consult with others. A comprehensive and strict set of protocols to prevent and detect cheating is in place, including but not limited to:
o Students will be required to verify their identity and confirm work is their own on exam day. o Students’ work will be provided to their teachers after the exam. o Plagiarism detection software will be used on every exam submitted. Students and teachers can now access
free, live AP review lessons, delivered by AP teachers from across the country on YouTube.
These optional, mobile-friendly classes are designed to be used alongside work assigned
by schools.
AP Online Classes and Review Sessions on YouTube enable AP students to complete the few remaining topics of each AP course, and then focus on reviewing the course to prepare for the exam.
In AP Classroom, students will see a new Optional Student Practice section that includes the most relevant free-response questions to help them practice the concepts and skills that will be tested in May 2020.
Your student can take these exams on any device they have access to—computer, tablet, or smartphone—or they can submit a photo of their handwritten work.
As usual, 2020 AP Exams will be scored by our network of college faculty and AP readers and reported on a 1–5 scale.
We plan to release scores as close to the usual July time frame as possible.
Students trying to gain an unfair advantage will have their scores canceled, and their school and potential colleges will be notified.
We're confident that the vast majority of higher education institutions will award credit as they have in the past. We've spoken with hundreds of institutions across the country who support our solution for this year's AP Exams.
OnRamps Update: College grade
OnRamps Update for the college side:
Unit Quizzes:
1. Unit 4 quizzes—for all OnRamps HIS students—will be converted into a completion grade. If your students completed Unit Quiz 4 prior to the shutdown, their current score will be replaced by a full credit score (60/60 points). For students and sections who have not yet completed the Unit 4 Quiz, a Unit 4 Quiz will be available by early Wednesday afternoon (March 25th) as an assignment in Canvas, and offered as an encouraged-but-optional, asynchronous, open-book assessment. Any student with access to their college Canvas course can take the Unit 4 quiz at any point between now and April 20th, which is the last day of the Calendar D exam window. If they complete even a portion of the quiz, they will receive full credit for the assignment. We recognize that some students won’t be able to complete the Unit Quiz on Canvas because of accessibility or connectivity issues. Those students will not be penalized. Their Quiz Grade total will instead be calculated based on Quizzes they were able to complete.
2. Unit 5 Quizzes—for all OnRamps HIS students—will also be converted into a completion grade. If your students completed the Unit 5 Quiz prior to the shutdown, their current scores will be replaced by a full credit score (60/60 points). For students and sections (a large majority) who have not yet completed the Unit 5 Quiz, a Unit 5 Quiz will be available by early Wednesday afternoon (March 25th) as an assignment in Canvas, and offered as an encouraged-but-optional, asynchronous, open-book assessment. As with the Unit 4 Quiz, any student with access to their college Canvas course can take the Unit 5 quiz at any point between now and April 20th, which is the last day of the Calendar D exam window. If they complete even a portion of the quiz, they will receive full credit for the assignment. We recognize that some students won’t be able to complete the Unit Quiz on Canvas because of accessibility or connectivity issues. Those students will not be penalized.
Final Exam:
1. The HIS 315L Final Exam will be reduced from two prompts to one.
2. The Final Exam prompt will be a cumulative “Big Idea” question drawing only from materials covered in Units 1-3.
3. Final Exam will be administered as a take-home, open book exam, and students will be given a week-long window—corresponding to your original, weeklong exam administration window—to upload their responses. They will be graded based on the rubric associated with the second exam prompt.
Update from Student Support Services (SSS Office)- Meg Scamardo
Hi everyone,
We had a GREAT first week of our virtual services and groups. We absolutely loved seeing some of y'all and re-connecting with our students at this time. We hope to be able to continue to connect with any of y'all who need us during this time. We miss everyone so much!
This week we wanted to share a message from one of our fabulous community partners the SAFE Alliance. Please read their heartfelt message to our Akins community below.
Dear parents, guardians, and caretakers in the Akins Early College High School community,
Thank you so much for working together to provide our students as much stability and support as possible during these unprecedented times. In addition to providing families with educational content, we want to make sure you know what to do if you or a loved one is in an unsafe situation at home.
The SAFE Alliance, or SAFE, is a non-profit located in Austin and their mission is to Stop Abuse For Everyone. Despite the covid-19 crisis, their doors and supportive programs for people affected by abuse remain open. You can access SAFE to learn more about their services, ask questions, and get immediate help by contacting the 24-hr SAFEline:
- Call: 512-267-SAFE (7233)
- Text: 737-888-7233
- Chat: //safeaustin.org/chat
For more information on healthy relationships and signs of abuse, you can visit the following websites:
To report suspected child or elder abuse:
We want to reinforce that even during quarantine, you are not alone. We are here to help you and your children stay connected and stay safe!
Check out SSS's newsletter here for more up to date information and helpful resources. https://www.smore.com/xb85v
For more information about Student Support Services at Akins, make sure to follow us on Twitter @SSSatAkinsHS and join our remind by texting "@8368hf3" to 81010. Please feel free to call us at (737) 231 - 0201 or email Ms. Scamardo at margaret.scamardo@austinisd.org. Please remember that we are here for you, and you are welcome to reach out if there is anything we can help you with!
Thank you!!! Have a great week 🙂
Meg Scamardo, LMSW
School Social Worker
Student Support Services
Akins High School
10701 S. 1st Street
Austin, TX 78748
(512) 841 - 9878
Update from Akins Community In Schools (CIS) - Sara Balkanli
Hi Akins Friends!
I am hoping you are all healthy and safe. It has been a long few weeks apart! I am missing each of my Akins students very much. I am so proud of you all for doing what you can to stay engaged with each other and online distance learning. I know it can be challenging but I believe in you!
CIS has started our weekly check ins with students. It’s been so much fun seeing everyone- and a few pets too, mine included! If you haven’t been able to schedule your check in please let me know. I would love to support our CIS students and their families wherever possible!
CIS is also currently enrolling new students for ongoing academic and social support. If you are a 9th grade student and would like to join CIS it is not too late! Please reach out to me at 512-640-9351 or email me at sbalkanli@ciscentraltexas.org to get more information.
As usual, please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or would like support. CIS is a proud partner of Akins HS and we are happy to help! Stay healthy and safe, Eagles!
Sara Balkanli MA, LPC-Intern
Program Manager-Akins High School
Communities In Schools of Central Texas
3000 S. IH 35, Suite 200, Austin, TX 78704
512-640-9351, sbalkanli@ciscentraltexas.org
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The mission of Communities In Schools is to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life.
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W. Charles Akins Early College High School
Email: tina.salazar@austinisd.org
Website: https://www.akinseagles.org
Location: 10701 S 1st St, Austin, TX, USA
Phone: 512-841-9900
Twitter: @TinaSalazar19