The Mountain Lion's Pulse
Altoona Area School District - February 2023
NOTE FROM DR. PRIJATELJ
As we creep out of winter and head towards spring, days are getting longer and the weather is slowly getting warmer. Spring brings new opportunities for student participation in musicals, concerts, and sporting activities. I’ve attended a lot of exciting and competitive high school athletic events and look forward to the spring sport season. We have a lot of athletic talent in Altoona and playing multiple sports gives our athletes an opportunity to maximize their athletic potential.
Along that same line of thinking, don’t overlook our opportunities for your student to grow as an artist/performer this spring. Student performers, musicians, and artisans all work toward building a well rounded and diversity of experiences for our students.
Students who actively engage in sports, the arts, and creative opportunities have a direct advantage when faced with the challenges presented in college, technical school, or the workforce.
Please, parents encourage your children to be apart of these activities because the payback in having diverse experiences goes well beyond lines on a resume or application. These types of activities show resiliency, dedication, sacrifice and teamwork. All of which are highly desirable traits in developing a well-rounded individual.
Please take advantage of your opportunities,
Dr. P
Charles A. Prijatelj, Ed.D.
Superintendent Altoona Area School District
Chris McGeary Educator of the Year
Congratulations to Mrs. Chris McGeary, Kindergarten teacher at Juniata Gap! Chris was nominated for and won the Judith A. Rossi Educator of the Year Award presented by the Blair County Chamber of Commerce. Chris was quoted as saying, “I am a kid’s first impression; I try to make it a good one.” Chris makes a positive impression on both children and adults every day! We are so very fortunate to have Chris working in the Altoona Area School District!
AAHS Distinguished Alumni Class announced
The AAHS Alumni Association has recognized 49 distinguished graduates since it the inception of Distinguished Alumni Program in 2000. This year’s distinguished alumni class recognizes six alumni for their outstanding achievements both professionally and in their communities. On March 17th, alumni will visit the high school to speak with students about their career journey and experiences. On March 18th, the distinguished alumni will be honored at a dinner to be held in the Grand Pavilion at The Casino at Lakemont Park. C. Elton Crider ’48 will receive the Lifetime of Service Award for his commitment and dedication to AASD and the preservation of its history.
Tickets for the Saturday event can be purchased at AAHS Alumni Association.
School Boards 101
This year we will see the election of five (5) AASD school board members in November. Petition packets are now available at the Elections/Voter Registration Office for anyone who may be interested.
The school board is a is 9-member board whose responsibility is for the governance of the school district and ensuring the district runs effectively. Candidates must be 18 years or older, be a resident of Altoona for at least a year, be of good moral character and not employed by AASD or hold any other elected position.
If you have an interest in becoming a school board member or would like to learn more about the role of a school board member, we invite to listen to a recent podcast through Keystone Education Radio, School Boards 101: Educating Your Community.
Row 1: Kaitlyn Ventre, Student Representative; Eric Haugh; Dr. Frank Meloy, President; David Greenwood; Stephanie McGinnis; Elizabeth Benjamin, Solicitor
Row 2: David Francis; Kelly Irwin Adams; Dr. Charles Prijatelj, AASD Superintendent; Val Mignogna, Vice-President; Chris Cook; Ron Johnston
Family Game Night
Kindergarten Registration 2023-2024
Feeding School Kids Round Up Campaign by: Giant/Martin's Food Stores
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
Both the junior high school and high school are working with students and families on scheduling for the 2023-24 school year. Students are meeting with guidance counselors and looking at elective options, GACTC, and other courses for the upcoming school year. If you have questions about your child's schedule or the process, please do not hesitate to reach out to your child's guidance office.
Students and staff are busy grinding away in the classroom. The winter and early spring months provide stretches of uninterrupted educational time when a great deal of progress and skill development can occur. Encourage your students to work hard as we begin to prepare for spring state assessments and successful completion of another academic year.
Student attendance has been a hot topic recently. AASD administrators and staff have been working on addressing attendance concerns and are open to parent and community feedback on ways to improve student attendance. If you have ideas or would like to discuss your thoughts, please contact Mr. Hatch, Secondary Assistant Superintendent at 814-946-8218. If you have specific questions or concerns about your child's attendance, please reach out to their grade level principal. A reminder that all absences require a signed excuse in order to be considered a legal absence.
Please take advantage of the parent portal access on Skyward to monitor your child's academic progress. Sign up for notifications so that you know when your child may have missing assignments, potentially failing grades, or notifications from teachers. This information is updated in real time and notifications can be customized for your child. Communication is a key to student success. Please make an effort to be an active stakeholder in your child's education.
As always, thank you for being an integral part of our school community. Working together, we can ensure a bright future for our students!
Now is the time of the school year when the secondary school counselors will be meeting with students to schedule for the 2023-2024 school year. Please utilize the Course Description Books below to make informed decisions about academic planning.
AAJHS Scheduling Course Books
AAJHS 6th Grade Scheduling Course Book 2023
AAJHS 7th Grade Scheduling Course Book 2023
AAJHS 8th Grade Scheduling Course Book 2023
8th grade scheduling meeting for parents will be in the AAHS Auditorium Thursday February 23rd from 6pm - 7:30pm. The presentation is geared toward 8th grade students, but all parents of students grades 8 through 11 are welcome to attend.
AAHS Course Description Book
AAHS Course Descriptions Book 2023-2024
If you are unsure what courses you may like to take this may help.
Academic Planning - What Path to Choose?
Rotary Career Fair for 10th Grade students
This year’s fair is on Wednesday, April 19, 2023 at the Blair County Convention Center. We want as many sophomores as possible to attend!
Below is the link to the Google Form where you register to attend:
In order to attend the Rotary Career Fair, you must complete and submit the Google Form by February 28, 2023. All interested students who successfully register will receive a parent permission form to be signed and returned to the counseling office.
Thinking about playing Sports in college?
In order to compete at an NCAA Division I or Division II school, you need to meet eligibility requirements certified by the NCAA Eligibility Center. This link may answer some questions about this process.
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 is the information for upcoming SAT and ACT registration deadlines . More test dates and information about the SAT can be learned by going to http://sat.org/. For more ACT test dates and information please go to act.org.
SAT:
Test Date: March 11, 2023
Regular Registration Deadline: February 10, 2023
Late Registration Deadline: February 28, 2023 (Late Fee Applies)
ACT:
Test Date: April 15, 2023
Regular Registration Deadline: March 10, 203
Late Registration Deadline: March 24, 2022 (Late Fee Applies)
Numerous Scholarships are available now.
For additional information please visit the Counselor page on the AAHS website.
Technology Department School-to-Career Students:
In the January issue of Mt. Lion’s Pulse, you were introduced to Caleb, one of two of District School-to-Career (STC) students hired by the Technology Department. This month we asked Patryck, the Department’s morning STC student, to share with us his thoughts about working in the Technology Department.
Why did you decide to become a School-to-Career student?
“I decided that participating in School-To-Career would be beneficial to me because I wanted experience juggling both school and work while showing on my transcript that I am a well-rounded student.”
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 at the help desk fixing mobile devices. The best part of my job is learning all the things that go into a job in technology and also interacting with people while fixing their devices.”
What have you learned about yourself by working in the Technology Department?
“Through the School-To-Career program, I have learned that I am able to balance a life with not only school and work, but also extracurricular activities, such as swimming and Future Business Leaders of America.”
What are your career plans after you graduate from AAHS?
“My plans are to swim for Penn State Altoona’s swim team for two years, then finish my last two years at the main campus while majoring in Computer Science.”
The Technology Department is happy to provide experience and training to students like Patryck and Caleb so they can not only get a feel for the technology field, but also to help train these students for a future career in technology.
NAfME (National Association for Music Education) All Eastern Orchestra Festival:
Sarah Saylor - a Junior Bass player in the AAHS Orchestra has been selected to participate in the NAfME All-Eastern Orchestra Festival in April in Rochester, NY. Congratulations to Sarah on this fantastic accomplishment.
PMEA (PA Music Educators Association) All-State Jazz Ensemble:
Two AAHS Jazz students have been selected to participate in the PMEA All-State Jazz Festival in April at the Kalahari Resort in the Poconos. Sarah Saylor - a Junior Bass player was selected for the All-State Jazz Band and Jack Kuhns - a Senior Piano player was selected for the All-State Vocal Jazz rhythm section. Congratulations to both of these students for this fantastic accomplishment.
PMEA District Orchestra:
The AAHS Orchestra students participated in the PMEA District Orchestra Festival. Of the 32 students that participated 15 were selected to advance to the Western Region Orchestra Festival in March.
PMEA District Chorus:
The AAHS Chorus students participated in the PMEA District Chorus Festival. Of the 10 students that participated 9 were selected to advance to the Region III Choral Festival later this month.
PMEA District Band:
The AAHS Band students will be participating in the PMEA District Band Festival this month. The 14 students that are participating are hoping to advance to the PMEA Region Band Festival which will be hosted at AAHS on Wednesday, March 22 - Friday March 24, 2023.
PMEA District Jazz Festival:
The AAHS had 14 instrumental and 2 vocal students participate in the PMEA District Jazz Festival during January. Congratulations to these students for being selected and on a great festival.
Blair County JHS Band Festival:
The AAHS had 6 band students and the AAJHS had 13 students participate in the Blair County Band Festival at Bellwood HS. They will participate for a second day on Tuesday, Feb, 21 with a concluding concert at 7pm in the Bellwood HS Auditorium.
AAHS Pep Band:
The AAHS Pep Band has been playing at select Boys and Girls Varsity Basketball games in the AAHS Fieldhouse. The final performance for the Pep Band will be Tuesday, Feb. 14 when the Boys Basketball team hosts Mifflin County.
AASD String Spectacular Concert:
The AASD Elementary Stings have begun rehearsing for the AASD String Spectacular Concert that will feature them along with the JHS Orchestra and the HS Orchestra. The concert will be held on Thursday, March 2, 2023 at 7pm in the HS Auditorium. Tickets are $3 and will be available at the door.
Spring Athletic Screenings - February 23th and March 2nd
THURSDAY – FEBRUARY 23, 2023 at the JHS at 3:00pm
JR HIGH:
BOYS TRACK,
GIRLS TRACK
BASEBALL,
SOFTBALL,
CHEERLEADING
THURSDAY – MARCH 2, 2023 at the HS at 3:00pm
AAHS:
BOYS TRACK,
GIRLS TRACK,
BASEBALL
SOFTBALL,
BOYS VOLLEYBALL,
BOYS TENNIS,
CHEERLEADING,
LIONEERSRefer a Friend and Earn $100!
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Qualifications
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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.
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Altoona Area School District
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