Titan eNews
Weekly Campus Update
Mission: To create a community of learners empowered to collaborate and compete in a rapidly changing world.
1st Years
2nd Years
Project One for 2nd years is on the books! True Grit has been a great opening project, giving learners a way to set a personal goal and monitor the progress and pitfalls that come with going out of your comfort zone. Good Health/Well-Being and Responsible Consumption/Production were the two United Nations Sustainable Goals that drove this project and provided opportunities for data collection and interpreting results. Along the way, learners developed better search strategies, became skilled at discerning credible sources, explored probability, combination and permutations, cultivated a knowledge of experimental design, became acquainted with microscopes, practiced public speaking, and used graphic tools to create informative visuals.
Next on the horizon for 2nd years is The Titan Thinker. In this project, five more of the United Nations Sustainable Goals will be the themes of learner investigation. Those goals include: Clean Water/Sanitation, Affordable/Clean Energy, Sustainable Cities/Communities, Life Below Water, and Life on Land. The 2nd year team is looking for parents and professionals who have knowledge or an interest in any of these fields to serve as mentors to our learners as they dive deep into these topics. As the project develops, guest mentor checkpoints will help steer our learners towards a deeper understanding of their topic of interest. The project invitation may be shared with individuals who might want to join our cadre of mentors. Interested individuals may contact pahsptsa@gmail.com.
3rd Years
3rd Years
3rd-year learners are entering the final few weeks of Stop the Presses. Final articles for the newspapers are due on Monday. Learners have crafted various articles that satisfy the expectations of six different content areas. Some learners worked to be able to cover the expectations in three articles, some decided to go ahead and write six independent articles. The final approach was left up to learner discretion. On Monday, copy editors will begin to lead their teams in the final selection of articles for their section of the newspaper.
With printing rapidly approaching, guilds are also engaged in selecting the final layout for their newspapers. Editors started today with leading their teams through analyzing their best layouts and then began working to weave each sections' design into the final newspaper layout. They have realized the importance of a detailed style sheet.
On Wednesday next week, the learners will be visited by professionals in the newsprint industry to provide insight and feedback that will carry them through the home stretch of this project.
We all look forward to welcoming parents into the building on September 17th for Open House. At this event, parents and guests will be able to examine the proof copies of the final newspapers that learners will be sending to the printer. Additionally, learners will put on an art show displaying mixed media artworks focusing on their individual identities.
Final copies of newspapers will be distributed to learners in the building and brought home the week following open house.
*for an important update on dual enrollment see below
4th Years
This week marks the end of the first project of the year, Mirror, Mirror. During this week, 4th Year learners had the opportunity to practice their Capstone pitches to facilitators. Learners were provided targeted and useful feedback to carry forward as they prepare to present their Statement of Intention to a formalized panel of professionals on Tuesday, September 11th. They are excited to pitch their ideas to panel members with specific content area knowledge.
This presentation is one of many things that will make next week a busy one for the learners. They will also experience the launch of their first group project of the year, Project Runway, and have a tour to Southwest Airlines Headquarters. Please be on the lookout for field trip permission forms to come home on Monday.
On September 17th, rather than a come and go greeting experience, there will be 2 sessions held for parents during Open House. financial aid advisor from UTD will speak with parents about financial aid and FAFSA from 6:30-7:00pm in the Dome. Facilitators will provide an overview of the 4th Year experience beginning at 7:00pm.
*Please see the UNT dual enrollment section for updates regarding textbook purchasing and the upcoming field trip.
UNT Dual Enrollment Update
Information on ordering textbooks has been added to both 3rd and 4th-year project courses in Empower. Learners should complete textbook orders ASAP to ensure that their orders are ready for pickup when all dual enrollment learners visit UNT on a field trip on Tuesday, 9/18. In addition to picking up textbook orders and receiving a campus tour, many courses will also hold class meetings on campus that day. Field trip permission forms have been distributed and should be returned by Friday, 9/14.
This field trip to UNT on 9/18 will require us to be out of the building during lunch. Learners should plan to eat using one of the following three options:
1) pack a lunch from home
2) plan to bring money and eat in the student union on campus
3) request a sack lunch through the cafeteria (see you facilitator for details)
A word from our PTSA - Membership!
1. Membership: Join PTSA! At Plano ISD Academy High School, we need our parents in order to reach our goal of academic excellence and authentic learning! Please join our PTSA and support us with your members, volunteerism, and more. http://www.planoacademyptsa.org
2. Learner Membership: Did you know that we have a large number of learner members? Please consider having your Titan join, too! Titans who are members both their junior and senior years are eligible for scholarships at graduation! http://www.planoacademyptsa.org
Mr. Stamets won the staff drawing for PTSA members today and was honored with a great spirit wear shirt!
All parents invited: Suicide Prevention Presentation
All parents invited:
Suicide Prevention Presentation
Tuesday, 9/11 6-7pm in the dome
Given by Michelle Nietert, M.A., CCA Clinical Director, Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor
Michelle has over 20 years of private practice and school counselor experience.
This presentation will be in advance of Mrs. Nietert speaking with 1st-3rd years on Friday, 9/14th during Titan Time. Her ppt will be shared with our 4th years by our counselors at a later date since they will be at Southwest Airlines on the 14th.
Please come to this PTSA sponsored speaker event and feel free to invite other parents that may be interested.
Engineering Internship Opportunity for 3rd and 4th Years!!
ACE Mentorship Program of Plano/Frisco.
ACE is free after school program for juniors and seniors who are interested in pursuing a career in Architecture, Construction, and Engineering. Students learn about various A-C-E industries each week and are mentored by local A-C-E professionals.
The ACE Mentor Program of Plano/Frisco meets each fall semester here in Plano (Legacy and the Dallas North Tollway). The mission ofACE Mentor Program of America, Inc. (ACE) is to engage, excite and enlighten high school students to pursue careers in architecture, engineering, and construction through mentoring and to support their continued advancement in the industry.
Our ACE Plano/Frisco Program begins Thursday, October 4th and ends Thursday, January 31 with our ACE Awards and Presentation Night. We will meet every Thursday from 5:30 to 7:30 pm (most of the time in Plano). The program will last about 15 weeks (minus holiday weeks) and cover all topics you see in the attached schedule.
Students do have to apply to be part of the program, but the program is absolutely free. We even have scholarship opportunities for the seniors at the end of the program (This past fall we gave away $20,000 in scholarships).
You may learn more about the application and program here: https://www.acementordfw.org/
Counselors' Corner:
Upcoming Colleges on Campus
September 11 Georgia Tech
Iowa State University
University of Michigan
Colorado Christian University
September 12 Simmons College
Johns Hopkins
September 13 University of Colorado Boulder
University of East London
September 14 Baylor University
September 20 Southwestern University
The full list of universities on campus can be found in Naviance and is updated regularly.
Juniors and Seniors have access to small group meetings with certain schools.
The sign up is located in Naviance-see your counselor if you need help.
PSAT
On October 10th sophomores and juniors will be taking the PSAT.
Plano ISD pays for all sophomores to test, juniors may test for $16.00
September 21 is the cutoff for payment which can be made online or in person to Mrs. Madding in the counseling office.
We strongly encourage all juniors to take the PSAT as this is the best practice for the SAT and is the National Merit Qualifying Exam.
Questions? Contact the counseling office.
Senior Parents
Join Bill Mack, financial aid advisor at UTD, for information regarding the FAFSA and financing a college education at Open House September 17th at 6:30pm in the DOME.
The FAFSA, which determines how much federal aid a student is eligible for, opens October 1st.
A completed FAFSA is often required for scholarship consideration for many universities as well as outside scholarships.
National Suicide Prevention Week
DFWHC to sponsor Sept. 9 broadcast detailing depression awareness and suicide prevention
Mark your calendars and set your radio dials for theSeptember 9 two-hour broadcast “I’m Listening,” a program to inspire community awareness on depression while highlighting the start of National Suicide Prevention Week. The event is sponsored locally by the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council (DFWHC) in a continuation of its 2018 mental health and substance misuse efforts in the community.
“The goal of the radio program is to create community awareness and to end the stigma surrounding mental health and suicide,” said W. Stephen Love, president/CEO of DFWHC. “While the program will originate from Seattle and feature national celebrities, it will also include local medical professionals who will share stories and resources.”
The live broadcast will air commercial-free from 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. on radio stations 98.7 KLUV, Jack FM, Alt 103.7 and 1080 KRLD; and from 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. on 107.5 La Grande.
National celebrities to participate include Michael Phelps and Jared Leto.
OPEN HOUSE is Monday, Sept. 17th from 6:30-8:00 pm!
Save the Date!
9/11 Parent Program Suicide Prevention sponsored by PTSA
9/11 Senior Capstone Pitches to Panelists
9/14 4th Years to Southwest Airlines Headquarters
9/14 Titan Talk 1st, 2nd, 3rd Years Suicide Prevention sponsored by PTSA
9/18 3rd and 4th years in Dual Enrollment take UNT tour
9/19 Art 3 Seniors Field trip to ArtCentre Plano
9/17 Open House 6:30-8:00 pm PTSA Board Meeting @ 6:00 pm9/24 School Picture Make Up Day
10/8 Learner/Facilitator Holiday
10/9 Parent/Teacher Conference Day Learner Holiday
10/10 CoGAT Testing 1st Years
10/10 PSAT 2nd and 3rd Years
10/18 Jostens Senior Ring Orders for 3rd and 4th Years
10/12 Titan Talk 3rd Years Jostens Senior Rings presentation
10/26 Homecoming Game
10/27 Homecoming Dance
11/2 Seniors Cap and Gown presentation by Jostens
11/9 Senior Cap and Gown orders