Titan eNews
Weekly Campus Update
Mission: To create a community of learners empowered to collaborate and compete in a rapidly changing world.
Counselors' Corner
UPCOMING DEADLINES
Many seniors are applying to universities with early action deadlines of November 1.
Please stay aware of your deadlines, and if you need letters of recommendation, your facilitators and counselors ask for two weeks lead time to get those done.
If you have any questions, stop by the counseling office.
Application Essays
Writing those college essays is time consuming, and usually what seniors leave until the last minute to complete.
When we ask them if they’ve completed their applications, the answer it typically “well, I’ve done everything but the essay.”
Below is a link to a thoughtful and lighthearted take on parental assistance with essays…enjoy the read!
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/03/well/family/how-i-know-you-wrote-your-kids-college-essay.html
Colleges on Campus
October 12 University of Connecticut
October 19 Marshall University
October 24 Concordia University
October 29 University of Texas @ Arlington
October 30 University of Nebraska
Letters of Acceptance
Seniors who have received a letter of acceptance from a college or university, we would love to celebrate that with you!
Bring your letter or letters or emails to the counseling office and share with us the good news.
We like to post those acceptances on a bulletin board outside the counseling office because we are proud of your accomplishments.
Brown University Information Meeting
Tuesday, October 23rd, 6:30pm
Nimitz High School
100 W Oakdale Road
Irving, Texas
Visit www.brown.edu/go/visit to register
NASA High School Aerospace Scholars Program
Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center
2101 NASA Parkway Houston, Texas 77058-3696
September 28, 2018
Reply to Attn. of: AD4/HAS Dear High School Educators:
This letter is to inform 11th grade students of an opportunity that could lead to them spending a week at NASA’s Johnson Space Center this summer.
Texas High School Aerospace Scholars (HAS) is a unique program that encourages high school juniors from across Texas to explore the vast opportunities awaiting them in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields. Today’s workforce suffers from a shortage in these areas, but with your help we can work to improve the nation’s pipeline.
HAS begins with an interactive, online learning experience and culminates in an all-expenses-paid visit to NASA’s Johnson Space Center during the summer. During the week-long visit, student teams work with NASA scientists and engineers to compete in hands-on design challenges and design a mission to Mars. HAS is a great opportunity for juniors to explore the opportunities available to them, especially if they have an aptitude in math or science. School districts may also choose to allow students to receive a high school science elective credit towards graduation upon successful completion of the program.
The State of Texas, along with various community organizations, has partnered with NASA to support HAS. State senators and representatives from each district administer the selection process and ensure representation from around Texas. Lodging, meals, and transportation to and from Johnson Space Center are provided at no cost to the student.
How can you help?
Please encourage students at your school to apply for the program by visiting www.has.aerospacescholars.org. The website includes detailed program information, the student application, important dates, and a downloadable poster to spread the word to classrooms about this unique opportunity!
1st Years
This week 1st-year learners began working on an advertising and marketing plan for their Farm to Table product and during Project Time, they created storyboard sketches. In Physics with Mr. Hardy, they are learning trigonometry. In math classes with Mr. Stone, they are learning how to visually represent linear equations, inequalities, and functions. In World Geography with Ms. Stephens, the learners are finishing up presentations about their role-playing video game characters. The characters were created based off of a country and the socio-economic indicators such as gross domestic product and life expectancy. In Engineering, with Mr. Hudnall, learners are utilizing the Engineering Design Process to create a prototype that serves are particular purpose. In this case, they are are designing, creating, and programming Lego Mindstorms robots! In English with Ms. Wright, they are practicing their annotation skills with the short story, “To Build a Fire,” and applying their notes to writing literary criticism. In Art & Tech, with Mr. McCoy, leaners are making a logo in Photoshop for their company in Farm to Table.
2nd Years
A lot can get done at the Academy in a short amount of time. It was a short week at the Academy, albeit one that didn’t feel quite so short. Second Years took the PSAT this week, which can earn students an opportunity for a National Merit Scholarship, as well as a good idea of where they are in terms of SAT readiness. We’re about halfway through Titan Thinker, and the research papers are starting to look like research papers! As learners submit the “Results” sections of their papers, all the time they have spent over the last two week compiling data that impacts their theses, formatting into tables, and finding meaningful ways to present this data, comes to a close. Next up, the “discussion” section! We are getting closer and closer to Symposium night, where the fruits of the Second Year’s labor will be celebrated. Ask your learners about all the great research they have been doing into their UN Development Goal!
3rd Years
Many 3rd-year learners started their short week with the PSAT on Wednesday morning, then they all rolled right into working on K'Ching again that afternoon. Teams have selected company names and begun specifically and concretely defining their target audiences. Be sure and ask them who their "Mark & Julie" are!
K'Ching teams are planning to start working on the prototypes for their products. To that end, they crafted narratives to describe their products. They will ultimately use these narrative descriptions in their marketing, but first, they serve as part of the marketing surveys the teams are currently creating. They will use these surveys to help determine the demand for their products and the most effective price points at which to sell them.
*For those taking a dual enrollment class through UNT, please see below for an important update.
4th Years
This week 4th- year learners spent lots of time working hard on their upcoming presentations for Southwest Airlines. Don’t forget the presentations will be held here at the Academy Thursday, October the 25th. Even though it was a short week learners started working on some new and exciting topics. In government, learners began their study on the federal bureaucracy. Commonly referred to as the fourth branch of government, the federal bureaucracy employs 2.5 million Americans, and is worth some serious consideration. In SRD learners are working on identifying different types of sources and assessing the source’s validity and credibility. Students are compiling annotated bibliographies on primary, secondary and tertiary sources. Students understand the purpose of the Literature Review section of the Capstone Proposal Research Paper. In calculus, leaners continue to go over techniques to find derivatives and it's used to find a tangent line. PreCalculus went over Cauchy’s method and the Rational Zero Theorem, these methods that help learners narrow down possible solutions for polynomial functions. In English, learners began work on the Argument Description Essay. They practiced close reading strategies and worked to thoroughly annotate their selected text. By doing so they were able to craft a clear thesis statement, identify the primary argument and secondary arguments in the text, as well as analyze how the author supported their claims.
*See update below regarding UNT Dual Enrolment.
DUAL CREDIT ENGLISH PARENT LETTER: ARGUMENT DESCRIPTION (UNIT 1)
Dear Dual Credit English Parent,
Your learner should have submitted two assignments in the last two weeks related to our first unit, in which we begin to explore and identify the key elements of persuasion (rhetoric) that we will rely on throughout the coming academic year. I hope that you have seen them working on (and reworking) these portions of their drafts at home.
When musicians want to improve, they study the music of successful musicians. Similarly, writers and rhetors who want to improve study successful, published arguments. This is why our first unit in ENGL 1310 focuses on argument description--the process of observing and accurately describing the persuasive "moves" an author uses in an argument. This close reading of arguments helps us in two important ways: (1) we see strategies that other authors have used that we might want to try and (2) we learn to read carefully, for finer details, which will help us to identify and support better arguments of our own.
Major Assignments and Checkpoints:
As assignment due dates differ depending on the year of your learner, please see the linked course syllabus, which includes fall due dates for all learners. The writing prompt for this unit is also linked.
How Can You Help?
A few of our learners seem to be struggling with turning in the assignments, and I understand that university expectations regarding deadlines might be a challenge, especially for our new 3rd years. About 20% have not submitted either of the first two process assignments, so it might be a good idea to check in with them and encourage them to engage. These assignments are designed to scaffold their learning and writing processes so that they are more likely to enjoy success on the final, submitted products for each unit. Please encourage them to contact Dr. Childers directly with questions "early and often": self-advocacy and time management are important aspects of the university-level experience that former Academy students report benefitting from.
Questions for the Dinner Table:
- Why is this course about life skills, not just academic skills?
- Where in our everyday lives to we need the skills to argue persuasively?
- What are the 8 elements of an argument that you'll focus on in this course?
- How can the arrangement of an author's argument influence its reception?
- How can word choice subtly push an audience to accept one viewpoint over another?
- How can word choice reveal and author's perspective? or even bias?
- What is the relationship between a primary claim and a secondary claim?
- What's another more commonly used term for a primary claim?
- What types of evidence are available for persuasion? and why might an author choose one type over another?
- What are the implications of an argument?
A Message from Student Council
Student Council will begin selling tickets to Homecoming Dance on Monday, October 15th. Tickets will be sold at lunch and will be $15 thru Wednesday October 17th. They will be $20 from October 18th-October 26th and $25 at the door. Anyone that wants to bring a date from another school, must see Ms. Ojeda for a guest pass.
The tailgate, hosted by PTSA, will be on Friday, October 26th at Hackberry Park from 4:30-6:30 pm and will feature our Ultimate Frisbee team playing against themselves as well a presentation of the 2018 Homecoming Court during halftime. Chik Fil-A and snow cones will be available for sale as well as spirit gear. This is a community event and parents and alumni are welcome.
All American Film Festival
We are excited to celebrate our Titans who were a part of the making of the short film, Holepunch, that was nominated for an award in the All-American HS Film Festival in New York this past weekend. Out of 800 films submitted, Holepunch was one of only 9 films with a nomination in film editing! The Titans that were a part of Holepunch: Alex, Gopal, Tristan, Natalie, Sara, Libby, Ibrahim, Asad, Michael, Seana, Thomas, and Crystal.
A message from our partners, the Richardson Radio Control Club
The Richardson Radio Control Club will be holding their annual Memorial Fun Fly on Saturday, October 20 this year. Given the interest from many at the Academy, learners have been extended an invitation to come out to the field and see these cool aircraft in action and the skilled pilots that fly them. Their Memorial Fun Fly is a tribute event honoring those club members that have passed away. It's also their fund raiser to contribute to three local organizations: The Branch Volunteer Fire Department, The Allen Community Outreach Center, and the Veterans of North Texas.
See the flyer below for event details. They loved their time on campus with 4th years in the launch for Project Runway and welcome any and all from the Academy to drop by and visit and see these planes and pilots firsthand. There's no admission fee. They will have concessions there for snacks and lunch too.
Save the Date!
10/12 End of the 1st 9 Weeks
10/18 Jostens Senior Ring Orders for 3rd and 4th Years
10/12 Titan Talk 3rd Years Jostens Senior Rings presentation
10/25 Project Runway Presentation Day
10/26 Homecoming Game
10/27 Homecoming Dance
11/2 Seniors Cap and Gown presentation by Jostens
11/9 Senior Cap and Gown orders
11/15 Senior Capstone Proposals Due
12/17-19 Senior Capstone TED Talks