TWO Academies Monthly Newsletter
October-November
Thoughts from the Lead Teacher
I can't believe we are already through the first quarter. Our students have done such an amazing job so far this school year. Many students have earned their spot on the Honor Roll and continue showing so much growth. If your student has questions or is struggling please be sure to reach out to their teacher. Also, watch for a message in parent square because we will have virtual tutoring open again for students to go to for help!
These next few months will be packed with lots of holiday cheer and celebrations. We are working on ideas for our next fundraiser. If you have any thoughts please feel free to reach out and let me know! I will also be sending out an invite for parents to join our Parent Advisory Committee. Please be on the lookout!
If you have not already downloaded Parent Square please do. It is a wonderful tool to help you keep up with all the communication from your child's teachers, programs, and school.
As we start the second quarter please remember to make sure your student is on time to school and present. We do have Richland 2 guidelines for magnet programs and expanded choice that we have to follow regarding attendance. If you have any questions or concerns you can reach out to me!
Parents if I can get your help with something. We are open for shadowing and tours of our program. We have a sign up form on our website and social media. If you could pass along any current Richland 2: 5th graders, 6th graders, or 7th graders that may be interested in our program, come visit. Choice 1 will open December 12, 2022 and run through January 25, 2023. We would love lots of potential students to come visit our program and see all the amazing things we are doing!
Military Family Night
Pep Rally
FOCUS
What does the Brain Research Say....
This month our gender strategy is competition. This is a great strategy to use at home with boys or girls. Middle school student's brains thrive on competition. This doesn't have to be in the form of a game. It can simply be beating their best time or trying to reach a goal by a given time. Girls do better when the competition is against themselves. They are working to better their personal goals rather than team goals. Boys do great with team competition. They use each other to support and push each other to be better.
You can use this at home with homework, chores, and grades. You can set up competitions each week or month and let your child choose an appropriate award for reaching that goal. You may have to start small and build to bigger and longer timeframes.
Teacher Spotlight - Ms. Pogoy - 6th Grade Math (International Teacher)
Our national hero from the Philippines, Dr. Jose P. Rizal, once said: “Ang kabataan ang pag-asa ng bayan.” (The youth is the hope of the nation). Growing up, I have always been inspired by his words and literary works and devoted myself to becoming a good citizen. I have always believed that the youth can do more if somebody motivates them to bring out their full potential. Hence, I decided to become an educator.
I am Ma. Fatima L. Pogoy (Ma. is read as Maria), an international teacher from the Philippines. I started teaching at Dent Middle School in Two Academies last year as a 6th grade Math teacher. Teaching Math is challenging because most students (even me when I was a kid) have a preconceived notion of Math as a difficult subject. But when I let them be exposed to how Math is modeled and applied in real life situations, and learning the subject in a step-by-step manner, having meaningful activities to enrich their understanding, little by little most of them have come to love Math. As a teacher in the Two Academies, I always love to let them be in collaborative groups or pairs and share their thinking and learn together, doing hands-on activities, using manipulatives and having interactive notebooks for note taking.
I graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Secondary Education major in Mathematics (BSEd Math). I was a scholar of the Department of Science and Technology - Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) during my college years at Cebu Technological University ,and graduated as Magna Cum Laude. When I passed the board exam for teachers and got my license last 2014, I immediately worked in a public high school. I taught Math to junior and high school students and also assisted in some office work (monthly liquidation reports). I worked in that school from 2014 - 2021, before coming here at Dent Middle School as I would like to learn and explore more about the culture of other countries.
When I was in the Philippines, I was part of the Teacher’s Choir where we sang during school/district programs/events/Catholic mass. I love to sing and was even one of the voice coaches for singing competitions in our division. So when I have free time, I love to write songs about dreams, self-empowerment, family, friendship, and faith. I am a fan of SB19 and BTS and I get empowered by their songs when I listen to them. I also love to read books (I have been a Potterhead since I was a kid), watch series, anime and movies. I also keep in touch with my family and friends back home every weekend.
I believe that as a teacher, learning never stops. I am continuously improving myself to be better in my craft. I am excited to see my students every day and let them discover the wonder of Mathematics!
Calendar
Nov. 7 - Make Up Picture day
Nov. 8 - No School, Election Day
Nov. 15- Parent Tour for Prospective Magnet Families
Nov. 17 - Parent University (featuring Gender Strategies) 6-7:30pm (watch your email for more information)
Nov. 18 - Salute to Scholars (more information coming but will be in person)
Nov. 23-25 - Thanksgiving Break
Upcoming:
Dec. 7 Richland 2 Choice Fair for Middle and High Magnet and Expanded Choice R2i2. If you are thinking about a magnet for high school this is a great time to check them out. This will be in person.
TWO Academies
Email: thawthorne@richland2.org
Website: http://twoacademies.weebly.com/
Location: 2721 Decker Boulevard, Columbia, SC, USA
Phone: 803-699-2750 .72120
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/twoacademies
Twitter: @twoacademies