The Mountain Lion's Pulse

It’s January and the cold winds are blowing. Believe it or not, January, February, and March are the most productive months in the educational year. Routines and expectations are set and both the teachers and the students have a focus on learning. This is an important time to make sure that your child is in school and ready to learn. The structure and uninterrupted learning time afforded in these months allow teachers the ability to make the biggest strides in teaching the curriculum and moving your child(ren) forward. Also, a hungry child doesn’t learn as well as a a child who has had a good breakfast. To that end, the state is paying for every child to have breakfast every day while in school. Please take advantage of this opportunity if your child, for whatever reason, didn’t get a good breakfast before heading out the door to school.

In short help us to ensure that your child’s educational experience is a successful one. Make sure your child is well fed and in school. If you have issues that you need help with, please send a note to your child’s teacher, counselor, or principal so we can help make sure your child is successful.

Thank you,

Dr. P

Charles A. Prijatelj, Ed.D.

Superintendent Altoona Area School District

In honor of the commitment and time school board directors volunteer on behalf of our schools and communities all year long, January is designated School Director Recognition Month. The work of these public servants is vital to the success of our students and schools.

School board directors’ work is complex and diverse. From voting on budgets to adopting policy to conducting comprehensive planning, school boards make key decisions that drive public education. School directors devote, on average, 10 hours each month to board business, which has only been made more challenging by the ongoing effects of the pandemic and related issues that impact the well-being of our students and families.

The success of our schools is a collective effort of all stakeholders. Please be sure to recognize our Board of Directors for their time and dedication.

A special thank you to the AASD Board of Directors for their commitment to the continued success of the Altoona Area School District.

Row 1: Mackenzie Kelley (2021 Student Representative), Dr. Charles A. Prijatelj, Dr. Frank Meloy, Val Mignogna, Stephanie McGinnis. Row 2: David Francis, Kelly Irwin Adams, Ron Johnston, Eric Haugh, David Greenwood.

We hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday and a very happy new year! As we move through January, we are quickly approaching the end of the second marking period. Parents are encouraged to continue monitoring your child’s progress via Skyward. Skyward includes the most up to date information regarding your child’s attendance and grades. Make sure your information is up to date to receive emails and text messages from the school. These important announcements include school newsletters, emergency information, and so much more.

Learning is “Snow” Cool is coming to each of the AASD Elementary schools in the month of January. K-2 families are encouraged to attend a fun event that will provide guidance on how to support four youngest readers at home. There will be various stations with games, crafts, and prizes that support early literacy. Join us to see how Learning is “Snow” Cool!

Third grade teacher, Mrs. Nicole Dunio, was awarded Teacher of the Month for December 2022 by Forever Media and the Allied Milk Producers. Mrs. Dunio and her class were treated to some holiday sugar cookies and milk as a special treat! Mrs. Dunio received surprises from the sponsors. We are so lucky to have Mrs. Dunio at our school!

Below is this month's McAuliffe Heights Eagle TV Broadcast. The MHI Eagle TV anchors do an amazing job! A huge thank you to Mrs. Sackandy and Miss Wineland for helping the students create their own TV broadcast!

The Altoona Area School District is proud to be a part of the @GIANT Feeding School Kids Round Up program! January 1-February 28, parents and community members can round up at the register to support public school district efforts working to eliminate childhood hunger.

Through the Feeding School Kids initiative, public school districts like Altoona can use

funds to support meal programs to expand food distribution programs, create on campus

food pantries, supply extra weekend meals, and eliminate outstanding student

meal debt.

Join us as we round up to fight hunger within Altoona Area School District!

#FeedingSchoolKids #EliminatingHunger

Altoona Area High School will host the SnowBall Dance for students in grades 9-12 on Thursday, January 26 from 6-8:30 PM in the AAHS Field House.

Tickets are $5 and will be sold January 20 – January 26 before homeroom and during lunch.

No paper tickets will be issued. The ticket will be tied to the student’s ID which must be presented upon entering the dance.

The AAHS Performing Arts Club is very excited to induct 20 theater students into their newly chartered Thespian troupe #10718. The International Thespian Society is an honors organization with theatre troupes all over the world, recognizing achievement in high school theatre arts. To be inducted, students must acquire points signifying 200 hours working in theatre. Further honors and scholarships can then be earned as students progress through the drama program.

The club is also thrilled to produce the hit musical, 42nd Street this April 13-15. Auditions were held before the holidays and 50 students will be tapping onstage while just as many help behind the scenes, painting backdrops, building sets, and making hundreds of costumes. We couldn't do this without the support of our school and community - the club would like to thank the AASD Foundation for a generous grant to buy tap shoes and hire a guest artist choreographer to assist with this huge production. We also thank the Fine Arts Boosters, Fiore Toyota and Mr. Tom Smith for generous contributions to purchase new equipment and technology for our auditorium. To make a donation or purchase a program ad in support of our upcoming show, please contact Ben Cossitor at bencossitor@altoonasd.com.

The Fox Sports/MLTV Partnership began during the 2020 AAHS Football Season. During MLTV’s live streaming of the home football games due to the pandemic, Fox Sports agreed to broadcast our live stream via the Fox/ABC 23 website in addition to the MLTV Live YouTube channel to reach a wider audience. This project has continued through the 2022 football season and has been quite successful. Because of this success, we decided to expand the partnership.

During the 2021-2022 school year, we discussed the possibility of taping one of the Fox programs in the MLTV Studio with students in the broadcasting program learning from and working side by side with professionals in the field. This idea then developed into our current partnership taping “The Zone with Referee Rich”.

Several AAHS broadcasting students were selected to participate in the partnership and work side by side each Wednesday to produce the show. The MLTV students learn directly from the professionals how to shoot, edit and produce “The Zone with Referee Rich”. Through this partnership, our broadcasting students gain valuable experience and further develop the skills needed to be successful in not only the field of broadcasting, but also in working with a group to achieve a common goal. The students are quite excited each week and produce a two minute segment on their own within the show to highlight various topics. Currently, we are looking into expanding this partnership to include a teaching component where each week the professionals at Fox come in to teach a variety of skills and concepts before the taping of the show.

You can read the Mountain Echo article written by Myah Lear, Media Manager, by clicking here.

The counselors will soon begin course scheduling for next year. We will be conducting class meetings during the school day to review the scheduling process.

• 9th grade students – January 25th

• 10th grade students – January 24th

• 11th grade students – January 25th

• 8th grade students – February 21st and 22nd (at AAJHS)

We want every 8th grade student to have a successful transition to the high school setting. To assist with this process the counselors have schedules an evening meeting and encourage all parents/guardians of 8th grade students to attend. Please come to the HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM on February 23, 2023 at 6:00pm for this meeting. Enter the B Building main entrance doors; the auditorium will be on the left. Your child is welcome to attend; however, they will hear this information during the assembly at the junior high on either February 21st or 22nd.

As students are making decisions for further education after high school, applying for financial aid can be a difficult process. Several questions about the financial aid process can be answered by the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency website. Below are links to upcoming presentations providing some assistance with the financial aid process.

Borrowing for Education: Which Loan is Right for Me?

If you have already filed the FAFSA and State Grant Form, where do you go from here? Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) Access Partners will present a review of the different borrowing options and examine the details associated with each option. The representatives will answer your questions as you sort through the information and make decisions that are right for you and your family. Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process. They will guide students and families through a step-by-step process of filing the FAFSA and state grant application.

Tuesday, January 17, 2023

6:30 pm

Register Here

Test dates and information about the SAT can be learned by going to http://sat.org/. For ACT test dates and information please go to act.org.

For more information please visit the Counselor page on the AAHS website.

Each year the Technology Department hires two students from the District’s School-to-Career (STC) Program. The students – one who works in the morning and one in the afternoon – are assigned to work in the AAHS and AAJHS.

Under supervision and direction of Technology Department staff STC students learn to do basic troubleshooting for iPads, Chromebooks, laptops, and printers. They learn to enroll new devices; collect devices in need of repair from students and deliver back to students after they are repaired; and work with Technology Department spreadsheets for device tracking.

This year the Technology Department is being assisted by AAHS Senior, Caleb. Here is what he has to say about working in Technology:

Why did you decide to become a School-to-Career student?

"My brother was in the School-to-Career program when he was a senior so that is how I knew about it. I figured it would be a great opportunity to learn more about my potential career choices, while also making some money during the school day."

What do you do as a STC student for the Technology Department? What do you like best about being in the Technology Department?

"I work mostly with repairing Chromebooks and laptops, sometimes other tech, but mainly computers. Working with computers has always been a huge interest of mine. I built my own computer just a short while ago, so to be able to get paid to do a hobby of mine has been pretty awesome."

What have you learned about yourself by working in the Technology Department?

"I have learned that work is hard. Oftentimes as a kid and student you get too wrapped up in your own world and think being a kid is hard, but it doesn’t get any easier. However, I’ve also learned that finding a job that interests you and one that you enjoy can make the days go a lot faster, and be much better."

What are your career plans after you graduate from AAHS?

"I plan to accept my admittance into Penn State University to obtain a bachelor’s degree in Cyber Security and Data Analytics. I hope to then pursue a career within my field of study, in a big city, and experience all life has to offer me."

We are looking to hire substitute custodians. First, second, and third shifts available starting at $12 per hour with possibility of advancement when regular positions arise. Strong consideration is given to substitute employees demonstrating superior work ethic.

Welcome to the ESS Refer a Friend program! This program is open to the public with certain exceptions (Click here for program Terms & Conditions).

We’re excited to connect with qualified educators that share our passion for supporting student achievement. ESS has rewarding openings for substitute teachers, paraprofessionals, and other school support staff at schools throughout the country, and you’ll earn a $100 reward for every successful referral.

Register Today to Join the ESS Refer a Friend Program!

You can refer as many friends as you’d like – there’s no limit to your referrals or rewards! Earning referral rewards and helping your friends achieve a rewarding career in education is just a few steps away:

• Click the Register button to sign up for our Refer a Friend program.
• Once registered, you’ll be directed to your referral dashboard, from which you can start sharing your unique referral link with friends via email, social media, or text message. You can also track your referral statistics and rewards.
• Your friends must register as your referral by following the link you shared with them. Once registered, your friend will receive a confirmation email with a link to begin their application!
• If your referral meets the qualifications outlined below, you will receive a $100 reward through Tango Card to redeem for the gift card of your choice!
• Make sure to bookmark your dashboard so you can easily return to track your referrals and invite new friends!

Qualifications

• Referred candidates must register using your referral link by completing the associated form before they begin their ESS application.
• Referred candidates must be brand new to the ESS application process to be eligible.
• Referred candidates must complete their application, get hired, and work 10 of their first 45 calendar days within 120 days of the referral submission (the 45-day period begins on the date of the candidate’s first completed assignment).
• Referred candidates must not have undergone any disciplinary action.

Since this is an automated process run through third-party software, all program rules must be followed to be eligible for a reward. We are unable to make exceptions or manual adjustments.

Additional conditions apply. Click here for program Terms & Conditions.

Already Registered?

Click the Sign In button to access your ESS Refer a Friend dashboard. Once you’re signed in, make sure to bookmark your dashboard so you can easily return to track your referrals and invite new friends!

Sign In

Click here for more in-depth instructions with screenshots.
Questions? Contact us at Refer@ESS.com.

AASD Website

District Calendar

Employment Opportunities

AASD Athletic Schedules

School Board Meetings

Altoona Area Alumni Association

You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube.

Email: cprijatelj@altoonasd.com
Website: https://www.aasdcat.com
Location: 1201 8th Avenue, Altoona, PA 16602, USA
Phone: 814-946-8350
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AltoonaSD
Twitter: @AASDSuper