Academy Family Newsletter
Academy for Academics and Arts 1.7.2022
Happy Winter Break!
Hello AAAwesome Academy Parents and Guardians,
What an exciting way to start the 2nd semester. Thank you for adjusting to E-Learning. Thank you to the Academy teachers, parents, and students for your flexibility.
This semester, we are working on making sure our students are prepared for the ACAP. Additionally, we are working on making sure all students make academic progress and show growth.
Important Dates:
- Report Cards will go out Monday, January 10, 2022.
- A.A.A. Spelling Bee Competition (In auditorium)- January 14, 2021 Parents are invited to attend the AAA School Wide Spelling Bees in the auditorium. The AAA Middle School Spelling Bee will be at 9:30 am and the AAA Elementary School Spelling Bee will follow at 10:30 am. Social distancing procedures will be enforced.
A.A.A. Reflections Breakfast Reception is Friday, January 14, 2022 from 7:30a.m.-8:00a.m.
- Make-Up pictures for Grades PK - 8 are Friday, January 14, 2022.
- Fine Arts Festival is Saturday, February 26, 2022- You will receive more information from the PTA.
Just A Reminder
Students that arrive at or later than 8:00 am will need to be signed in at the front office using the Sparkman Drive entrance. It is important to follow these time procedures so that we do not interrupt arrival for our Pre-K students, which begins at 8:00 am.
Please be in carline by 3:20. At 3:25, we stop calling names on the radio and students transition to the front office. If it is after 3:25, students can be picked up in the front office. If you are signing your child out in the front office, PLEASE do not park on the curb. The lane next to the curb is for buses only. Due to some changes in routes, we have buses that need access to that lane from 3:00 - 4:00.
If you need assistance with access to PowerSchools, please contact the front office or email Ms. Olinger at kristina.olinger@hsv-k12.org.
Attendance and Check-In/Out
Please email your check-in/out notes and excuses to Ms. Calhoun, Ramona.Calhoun@hsv-k12.org. If you need to check out your child, you can email Ms. Calhoun for a quicker process.
Please monitor your child's health every morning before sending him/ her to school. If your child is not feeling well, please keep him/ her home. If you or your child test positive for COVID, please email Nurse Hanks and your child's administrator. Nurse Hanks will be assisting with the clinic right now. Her email is Elizabeth.Hanks@hsv-k12.org.
Character Word of the Month: Punctuality
Please feel free to email or call with any comments or concerns. Our doors are always open.
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!!
Our Best Always!
Kitrise Torain
AAA Middle, Principal
Evelyn Coffey, PhD.
AAA Elementary, Principal
Another great source of information - Join our Facebook Group page Academy for Academics and Arts! Join Twitter @AAAElementary and @AAAMiddle
AAA Make-up Pictures Information
Reflection Contest Winners Breakfast- Friday, January 14, 2022 at 7:30a.m.-8:00a.m.
Elementary Visual Arts Category:
1st place: Beatrice Westmeyer
2nd place: Lena Bonds
3rd place: Sophia Draine
Honorable Mention: Georgia Miller
Middle School Visual Arts Category:
1st place: Tatianna Mills
2nd place: Christopher Bailey
A.A.A. Hotspots
NSBE Professionals Scholarship Contest
Engineers (NAL NSBE Professionals) invites 5th thru high school students
within the Northern Alabama school districts to participate in our annual
scholarship contest. The NAL NSBE Professionals was established out of a
need to stimulate and sustain minority participation in Engineering and
the Applied Sciences. This chapter of NSBE Professionals encourages and
advises youth in their pursuits of careers in engineering and the applied
sciences by offering programs and services that include scholarship
endowment, tutorial programs, advanced study skills and much more.
We offer the following scholarship opportunities:
• Creative Minds Poster contest for 5th grade students encourages academic
excellence at an early age
• U. S. Space Academy Scholarship sends students in grades 6th-8th to
Space Camp for a week
• High School STEM Essay Contest provides a $150 cash award to High School
students who write an essay that focuses on their STEM-related community
services and activities
• The 2-year College Scholarship provides a $500 scholarship to high
school seniors pursuing technology related degrees
• The Timothy Briggs Leadership Scholarship awards $1000 to high school
seniors who exemplify community leadership and are pursuing a STEM degree
Please note that scholarship deadline is Tuesday, January 18, 2022. We
encourage you to give this information to students that would be
interested in participating in this scholarship opportunity. Additional
details and the scholarship application can be found at our website
(http://www.nsbe-northalabamaae.com/programs.html ) and applications are
attached.
AlphaBest After-School Program
HCS Cell Phone Policy (Personal Devices)
Message from Lee High School Creative and Performing Arts Magnet Program
The application for Lee's Creative and Performing Arts Magnet Program closes January 12, 2022. Lee's Magnet Program offers an enriched study in Dance, Theatre, Technical Theatre, Vocal, Instrumental, Creative Writing, Film and Video, Visual Arts, or Photography. If you are interested in learning more about these programs, please visit leehigh.org, leemagnet.org, or email Assistant Principal Megan Carrol at megan.carroll@hsv-k12.org. To apply, visit https://www.huntsvillecityschools.org/departments/magnet-programs
From the Desk of the 6th Grade Team
Please send students with ear buds, earphones, or some sort of listening device. We use these for individualized learning. All Students need new notebooks for each class and pencils and notebook paper for the 2nd semester. Please send in kleenex and Clorox wipes if possible.
Reading:
Lanza Reading- we will be working on 6th grade Reading skills and standards using Graphic organizers and a variety of genres and passages. I will be putting a reading log in Schoology for your child to submit weekly the amount of pages read and a summary weekly of the pages read from a book each week. This will be a grade.
Estelle Reading- we will be working on 6th grade Reading skills and standards using Graphic organizers and a variety of genres and passages. Reading materials to be determined.
ELA:
In ELA, we are continuing to work on our radio plays. The Hitchhiker, written by Lucille Fletcher, is a 1940s era radio play. The students are working on recording these plays in their groups. This project is completely student driven. Through this project students are learning to identify and create the story elements: suspense, flashback, and foreshadowing by using sound effects, music, and voice acting. Our essential question that we are working on answering is “Why is fear such a popular form of entertainment?” We will continue to work on using the RACE strategy to write paragraphs and essays to fully comprehend and answer this question. With this in mind, students will also discover new vocabulary and the meanings of Greek and Latin roots and affixes. We will be recording our plays on Thursday, January 13 or Friday, January 14.
We will be wrapping up this unit with a Comprehension skills test and a narrative writing extension to the radio play. Students have wondered and asked what happens because the radio play leaves you wondering what is going to happen.
The nonfiction text that will help us answer our essential question is titled, “Why Is Fear Fun?” This allows students to explore what makes this a popular form of entertainment.
Finally, we will wrap up the unit by answering our essential question by citing evidence from the different texts and media we have experienced throughout the unit.
Math: We are working on Numerical expressions using the correct order of operations. Module 5 in McGraw Hill Math Book on our Computer. They are to work on Freckle and ALEKS over the Holidays if possible . We will be starting Algebraic expressions when we get back in 2022!!
Science: We will be studying Earth’s magnetic field, cosmic radiation/solar winds, and begin differentiating between weather and climate. Study materials will be derived from a variety of sources.
Social Studies: We will start the new quarter by studying the Roaring Twenties, the Jazz Age, and the Harlem Renaissance.
From the Desk of the 7th Grade Team
ELA: Next week, students will be finishing their vocabulary for Quarter 3; this vocabulary will accompany the novel we will be working with, A Long Walk To Water. They will begin the unit by learning background information and discussing point of view before moving into supplementary articles about other refugees, responding to comprehension questions, and continuing to review topics such as summarizing and inferencing.
Math:
Foundations - We are just finishing up Percents and Proportional relationships. As we move into the new year we will begin with learning and practicing a new skill set. Algebraic expressions and equations will be introduced upon our return to school from winter break. Additionally we will continue to review and practice tools and strategies for ACAP.
Accelerated - Having just completed our work on Expressions, upon our return to school from winter break we will move completely into working with linear equations and inequalities. We will also complete the unit on Expressions with a project rather than a test, to show growth and knowledge of expressions.. Please be on the lookout for the rubric and instructions.
Science: Over the winter break, I want all students to rest and enjoy their family time because it’s necessary. After the break, students will be continuing their study of the human body and cellular structure with very great detail. All students will need a new composition notebook for the 2nd semester, and they need to prepare for ACAP practice testing in Science upon their return. Have a wonderful winter break!!!
Social Studies: We have finished our Civics class, and will be beginning Geography when we return from Winter Break. If you or your student is looking for their social studies work, it will be in a new Schoology course, called Geography. I will be sending home a syllabus with more information about the new course for the 2nd semester after we get back from break. Our study of Geography will begin with the basics such as latitude, longitude, map skills, and landforms so that we can have a solid foundation before we begin studying different regions.
From the Desk of the 8th Grade Team
ELA: Students will continue working on their Edgar Allan Poe presentation. They are to take one of his works and bring it to life using the ART of their choice (visual, dance, music, drama). They’ve already selected their work. The Poe Festival will tentatively be the last week in January.
We also will begin our nonfiction unit. Our author study for the next couple of weeks is Dr. Martin Luther King. “Letter From Birmingham Jail” and “ I’ve Seen The Promised Land” are two of his works that they will independently read and then respond to critical thinking questions.
Math:
Honors Geometry: Exploration, inquiry, and application -Polygon Angle Sum theorem,Properties of Parallelograms, Proving a quadrilateral is a parallelogram, Properties of Rhombuses, Rectangles, Squares, ACAP/STAR Standards and skills review/practice-algebra (elimination, properties of exponents, scientific notation), etc...
8th Grade Accelerated Math: Continued - Exploration, inquiry and application of parallel and perpendicular lines and graphing with Real World Connection, solve linear inequalities of various forms, solving systems of equations using substitution, solving systems using elimination, solve systems by graphing, graphing inequalities in two variables etc....
8th Grade Regular: Continuation of learning - slope and rate of change, graphing using slope - intercept form y = mx + b, application to real world situations, hands-on practice slope activities as well as online activities to manipulate graphs and slope, identify functions, scatter plots, systems of equations etc..
Science: Over the winter break, I want all students to rest and enjoy their family time because it’s necessary. After the break, students will begin their study of Physics and continue with their study of Chemistry to continue their preparation for ACAP testing. All students will need a new composition notebook for the 2nd semester, and they need to prepare for ACAP practice testing in Science upon their return. Have a wonderful winter break!!!
Social Studies: When we return from break, we will begin our study of Ancient China.
From the Desk of the Middle School Arts Departments
Creative Writing- Creative Writing students are finishing up their mystery genre study by writing mini-mystery stories based off “The Mysteries of Harris Burdick” by Chris Van Allsburg. After winter break we will begin a genre study on Poetry.
Media Arts - 7th & 8th grade - Students will resume working on their “mirror” video.
Media Arts - 6th Grade- .We will begin the study of podcasts.
Theater/ Technical Theatre/Stars & Clowns
Theatre Performance:
For Theatre Performance Students - You are required to audition for The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. All of the information is on https://www.whyaaa.org/ms-theatre.html. You need a monologue, resume, and audition form. All of these can be found on the website. You don't have to use the monologues provided on the website if you have a different one that you want to use. I will be counting your audition as a grade. Let me know if you have any questions.
Stars and Clowns:
Well, we made it!!! A round of applause to every family that worked so hard to make ACT Night a huge success! Each and everyone of you are to be commended. You are the reason we can do what we do. Without your support and commitment it would not be possible. Thank you!
Now it’s back to the drawing board. We are working to put together our competition set, as well as creating some fun pieces for Spring ACT Night! I cannot wait to see what these amazingly talented students will produce this semester.
Music
Strings-AAA Fine Arts Trip info link to register was forwarded in email Dec. 1. Find the link to register for the Cincinnati Music in The Parks Festival. We do fundraiser starting in January. NOTE THAT you can try very hard to raise $20 from twenty people/family/friends/organizations, generating enough to make the first two payments. Much praise and love to all AAA musicians and especially personally to all string orchestra members! 2022 is going to be spectacular and DYNAMIC;)
Band
AAA band classes will be reviewing classroom expectations and procedures. Students will play for chair placements and receive new sheet music for the semester. All band students participating in Solo & Ensemble competition need to sign up for Band Solo & Ensemble Academy Time on Wednesdays.
Band 2: Music in the Parks Competition Trip 1st payment is due January 14, 2022. “20 for 20” information sheets will be going home this week.
Choir-
AAA choir classes will be reviewing classroom expectations and procedures. Students will start preparing for the upcoming semester.
Women’s Choir Announcement: UAB Honor Choir has been changed from January 11th to March 1st.
Mixed & Women’s Choir: Music in the Parks Competition Trip 1st payment is due January 14, 2022. “20 for 20” information sheets will be going home this week.
Visual Art-
We will begin a semester with new art projects that integrate math and collaborate with the other arts, we are excited to see what the students will create. Students will transition into Graphic Design and learn how to properly show, exhibit, and share their works of art properly and professionally.
Dance-
- In Class- We are starting the semester off in class with strength and conditioning to prepare our bodies for our technique classes that we will soon move into. We will revisit our ballet and jazz training. Also this semester, we will begin to work in tap. This a new genre of dance for many students and I am excited for them to have this new opportunity.
- Production- Our spring production is titled, Under The Big Top! It is circus theme, and it is going to be a high-energy, fun show for everyone. We do have a main character cast list and lead ensemble cast list posted at school that will also be posted on our website- www.WhyAAA.org/MS-Dance. All students who take dance at AAA are in our productions, and it is a summative grade! We will have a Parent Meeting to discuss this semester and our production on January 14th at 5:30pm. This will be held at the school in the cafeteria near Ms. Randolph’s classroom, with a Zoom option for parents who can not physically attend. That Zoom link will be posted in Schoology under this class’s Resource folder. This meeting is required.
- Alabama Dance Festival- AAA Dance Magnet will be attending the Alabama Dance Festival, virtually. This will be required for National Honor Society dance students, and optional for all other dance students. AAA will be registering all students, so parents need not worry about that. The dates are January 22-23, and students will come to AAA to take class in our studio.I will share more information via email about what classes we are registered for. If you are not in National Honor Society, but would like to attend, you must email Ms. Randolph- Taylor.Randolph@hsv-k12.org.
The Ladder to Your Child's Success
It is always best to handle concerns at the lowest level possible. This will ensure concerns are addressed in a timely and efficient manner. Our faculty and staff are dedicated to supporting their students. Please give the teachers an opportunity to resolve issues at the classroom level first.
- Step 1: If your concern involves your student’s teacher, please email that teacher first. You may request a conference or try to resolve the issue via email.
- Step 2: If after attempting to resolve your concern with the teacher you feel your concern is not resolved, please contact the counselor. The counselor can handle non-disciplinary issues. Debbie Smith is the middle school counselor. Her email is Debbie.Smith@hsv-k12.org. Dimetia Smith is the elementary school counselor. Her email is dimetia.smith@hsv-k12.org.
- Step 3: If after attempting to resolve your concern first with the teacher and second with the counselor, you feel your concern is not adequately addressed, please involve the principal, Dr. Evelyn Coffey, elementary, and Kitrise Torain, middle. Appointments may be made through the office managers. Elementary- Mrs. Lawler (Ingrid.Lawler@hsv-k12.org)/ Middle- Mrs. Dillard (Erica.Dillard@hsv-k12.org)
What is the AAA Way?
What's Happening at A.A.A.
A.A.A. Middle School Odd and Even Day Calendar
Laptop Charger Replacements
Chromebook chargers are available for purchase for $30 each. The chargers may be picked up at the front office. Prior to pick-up, you can pay the charger fee with a Credit Card/Debit payments via MySchoolFees: www.myschoolfees.com. Sign in as GUEST, Select AAA Elem (or Middle), Select Public, Select Chromebook Charger $30, be sure to list child’s name in the COMMENTS. Or you can pay the $30 fee at the time of pick-up with cash or check. All checks should be made payable to Academy for Academics and Arts Elementary (or Middle) School. If you have any questions, please contact the school at 256-428-7600 and speak to Dana Tucker, Bookkeeper.
Stay Connected: Important School Contacts
Data Generalist: (Registration) Kristina Olinger Kristina.Olinger@hsv-k12.org
Attendance - Ramona Calhoun at Ramona.Calhoun@hsv-k12.org
Cafeteria and Nutrition - Norma Martin at norma.martin@hsv-k12.org
School Counselor - Debbie Smith at debbie.smith@hsv-k12.org
Nurse -Elizabeth Hanks at Elizabeth.Hanks@hsv-k12.org
Librarian & Technology - Brenda Levert at brenda.levert@hsv-k12.org
Elementary Principal - Evelyn Coffey at evelyn.coffey@hsv-k12.org
Middle School Principal - Kitrise Torain at kitrise.torain@hsv-k12.org
Stay Connected: Important Dates
January
January 5, 2021- Students Return to School
January 7, 2021- Report Cards Go Home
January 12, 2021- Magnet Window Ends (Current AAA magnet students do not need to reapply for AAA)
January 12-13, 2021- The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe Auditions
January 14, 2021- Spelling Bee Competition
January 18, 2021- Martin Luther King, Jr Day- School Closed
January 26, 2021- National Honor Society Auditions
February
Academy for Academics and Arts
Email: kitrise.torain@hsv-k12.org
Website: https://www.huntsvillecityschools.org/schools/academies-academics-and-arts
Location: 4800 Sparkman Drive Northwest, Huntsville, AL, USA
Phone: 256.428.7600
Facebook: facebook.com/AcademyforAcademicsandArtsElementary
Twitter: @AAAMiddle