ADVANCEMENT TIMES
March 4th, 2022
UPCOMING EVENTS
March, 5th: TSI Test
March 5th: Virtual Job Fair
March 11th: Alumni Panel
March 14-18: Spring Break
We are VERY excited to share the outstanding news of Mr. Ekinci's selection to the NASA AAA program!!!
The SETI Institute selected 24 Science teachers from 13 States to become NASA Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors.
https://www.seti.org/.../24-teachers-13-states-become...
Congratulations on this amazing accomplishment!
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR ROBOTICS TEAM!!
Our robotics teams received 9 awards in total from various categories below from the 2022 FTC East League tournament. Both Red and Green teams are among the four teams advancing to the Texas East Regional Championship at San Jacinto College on Saturday March 5, 2022.
Motivate Award
1st place: This team of rookies designed a robot with an impressive array of features. They divided up their roles after a rehearsal dry run to test each other’s skill and aptitude. Motivating each other to perform at their very best, the award for Motivate goes to Team 8790 Mohawk Warriors Purple!
Control Award
2nd place: 5738 – Mohawk Warriors Blue
Connect Award
2nd place: 8790 – Mohawk Warriors Purple
1st place: This team came to town ready to connect with friends and family, mentors and mentees, young and old. And boy did they paint the town red. The award for Connect goes to Team 6455 Mohawk Warriors Red!
Think Award
3rd place: 6455 – Mohawk Warriors Red
2nd place: 5738 – Mohawk Warriors Blue
1st place: This experienced team demonstrated harmony by paving the path for the next wave of thinkers and innovators in robotics. They soared above the others in their attention to details in mechanizing their robot. Their innovations and motivations will serve them well as they progress to even greener pastures. The Think award goes to 4454 – Mohawk Warriors Green!
Inspire Award
3rd place: 6455 – Mohawk Warriors Red
2nd place: 4454 – Mohawk Warriors Green
The four teams advancing from the East League to the FTC Regional Competition are:
- 12857 – Phantom
- 4454 – Mohawk Warriors Green
- 16930 – Omen
- 6455 – Mohawk Warriors Red
Congratulations to CASE/HUDL Qualifier Winners!!
The debate team competed in the City Championship Qualifier on Saturday, Feb. 26th. Here are the results:
JV World Schools-3rd place: Jeimy M., Mackenzie K., Terence M., D'Ondre B.
1st Best Speaker JV Worlds: Terence M.
2nd Varsity Policy: Arielle P., and Caylin C.
1st Congressional Debate-Daniel Patel
Advancing to City Championships: Angy, Dylin, and Baha-8th place World Schools, Arielle, Caylin, and Daniel. Congratulations! These students will represent our school at the Bob Casey Federal Courthouse City Championships on Saturday, March 5th!
The Black History Month Festival was a total success!
The Black History Month Festival was a total success! Well in excess of 150 students, staff and parents attended and all performances were awesome! Special thank to Ms. Venson and Mr. Boutte, Pastor Aswad Walker, and the drummers from the Shrine of the Black Madonna and most of all, our amazing Black Student Union members!
LIMITED SPOTS LEFT FOR SPRING AP/STAAR EOC CAMP!
We are excited to announce a second AP/STAAR EOC Camp, open to all students, held April 22-24, 2022!
This fun and exciting event will be held at Camp Cho-Yeh located in Livingston, Texas, and will feature activities that focus on the Advanced Placement courses and any end-of-course exams offered on our campus, as well as a host of super fun activities such as aquatic center, laser tag, zip-lining, and paintball, etc.
Anyone who is enrolled in any AP Courses or one of the following STAAR EOC Courses can join the camp; Algebra I, English I, English II, Biology, and US History.
Here is a short video of our first camp in case you missed it.
The AP Camp fee is $150, which includes all meals, activities, boarding, and transportation. Payment can be made through RevTrak, and the payment schedule is as follows :
February 28, 2022 - $75 installment due
March 31, 2022 - $75 installment due
All payments are non-refundable.
Space is very limited and is on a first-come, first-serve basis, so reserve your spot right away! Spots cannot be reserved without paying the first installment through RevTrak.
CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR REGISTRATION
Once your 1st installment is paid and, your spot is reserved. A permission slip is required for all students under the age of 18.
Click here to see the permission slips.
We look forward to spending an awesome weekend camping and learning with you!
If you have any questions, email at akaraarslan@harmonytx.org
Representation matters!
TX public charter schools employ 5x as many Black educators as the state avg. See what it means when talented teachers of color shine for students: #BlackExcellence #BlackHistoryMonth #txed #txlege Texas Public Charter Schools Association Texas Black Caucus Foundation.
UT COMPUTER SCIENCE SUMMER ACADEMIES
The Department of Computer Science at the University of Texas at Austin is offering nine residential and three virtual summer academies this year.
Academy for Women and Academy for All (previously First Bytes and Code Longhorn) are both free week-long academies geared toward students entering grades 10-12 in fall 2022. These academies are focused on increasing diversity and inclusion in STEM and allow students to explore the world of computer science, learn to code, and get a taste of collegiate life.
Our tuition-based academies focus on specific areas of computer science and are geared towards students entering grades 9- 12. This summer we are offering Academy for Robotics, Academy for iOS App Development, and Academy for Game Development.
The deadline for applying to Academy for Women and Academy for All is Sunday, March 20th. The application for our tuition-based academies will remain open until spots fill.
Website: bit.ly/utcs-academies
If you have any questions, please email academies@cs.utexas.edu.
Harmony-UTD Virtual Spring Break Camps
5 days of engaging camps to explore Coding & Biology!
The goal of these camps is to provide an opportunity for all the students of Harmony Charter Schools to get exposed to the world of software development & pre-medical biology curriculum.
Registration for Camps: https://utd.link/harmony-spring2022
Houston PREP
Houston PREP is an intensive mathematics-based pre-college enrichment program, which provides educational enrichment opportunities for high-ability middle and high school students.
WHY?
Explore and prepare for careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
WHO?
7th, 8th, or 9th-grade students who are high achieving and are interested in learning about
engineering and science professions.
WHEN?
June 13 –July 22, 2022 Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
WHERE?
All program functions, except for field trips are at the University of Houston – Downtown.
COST?
Free! No tuition! Free Lunch! In previous years, free transportation was available
for Aldine, Alief, Sheldon, Galena Park, and Spring Branch ISD students. We will request it for the upcoming summer.
The Class of 2022 Graduation Ceremony
Dear Advancement Senior Class of 2022, Parents and Students:
Harmony School of Advancement is delighted to announce that we will be hosting an in-person Graduation Ceremony for the Graduating Class of 2021-2022. Seniors and their guests are cordially invited to attend.
The Class of 2022 Graduation Ceremony will be held May 26th at 6:30 PM at University of Houston’s Cullen Performance Hall.
Seating is limited and ticketing is required. In order to walk as a graduate for the class of 2022 and reserve seating for a limited number of guests, all participating seniors must meet the following criteria:
Pay Graduation Fees in full by March 15th. Payment may be made online or to the front office.
The Senior Graduation Fee is $300.00 and includes 2 chords, cap & gown, diploma,
formal diploma cover and venue admittance tickets for up to 5 guests.
Additional tickets can be purchased separately (see below). Parking fee for UH is not included.
Pick up your tickets in person during the distribution window. Purchased tickets will be available to collection for all students who have paid their fees between May 16th - May 25th. No guests will be admitted without a physical ticket, water marked by HPS.
NOTE: Students and their families are awarded 5 tickets per family as part of the Senior Dues Prepaid package. Additional tickets will be released for purchase on May 16th for $5.00 per ticket for a maximum of five extra tickets per family. Additional tickets are sold on a first come first serve basis.
Be in possession of a BLACK cap and gown. Gown distribution will occur in the 3rd Quarter. A cap and gown is included in the price of the Senior fees. If a gown is lost or misplaced prior to the ceremony one may be purchased at The Graduation Store on Fondren. All seniors must wear a black cap and gown in order to participate in the procession. Other personalized regalia is permitted as long as it is appropriate and not offensive.
Completed the graduation checklist and turned it into your assigned counselor by the deadline.
Commit to attending rehearsal the day of graduation from 2:00 – 5:00 at Cullen Performance Hall. May 26th is considered a field trip day. Seniors do not need to report to school and should report directly to Cullen Performance Hall (4300 University Drive, Houston, TX 77204) at 2:00. NO transportation will be provided from HSA to University of Houston.
We are honored to offer our Seniors this opportunity for acknowledgement and celebration at this unprecedented time. We hope you plan to join us.
Sincerely,
The Advancement Graduation Committee, Counselors and Administration
Contact: Astacia Payton, Dean of Academics (amorocco@harmonytx.org) , Akin Karaarslan (akaraarslan@harmonytx.org) Vehbi Sonmez, (vsonmez@harmonytx.org)
STUDENT ACADEMIC SUCCESS SCHOLARSHIP (SASS)
The Harmony School of Advancement College & Career Counseling (CCC) Department is launching the Student Academic Success Scholarship (SASS). This is a specialized scholarship fund intended for students who have financial needs and want to participate in academic activities such as extracurriculars and competitions.
The second round of SASS funds will be allotted specifically for the upcoming Graduation Trip to Florida and will cover all or partial costs of the trip for the chosen SASS finalists. Students can apply by picking up an application package from their assigned counselor in the Student Service Center in room 301 and submitting all materials by the deadline of February 18th.
The CCC Department hopes to encourage students to take part in this exciting activity by providing scholarships to those students who otherwise would not be able to attend. If you would like to be a donor to this scholarship fund and assist Advancement students in being able to participate in activities, please visit the Advancement web page, click on RevTrak and add "SASS donation" in the notes.
For more information on the SASS or regarding the AP/EOC camp, please contact Mr. Akin at akaraarslan@harmonytx.org.
HARMONY ALUMNI NETWORK
The Alumni Network guides Harmony students to higher education opportunities while increasing their career, leadership, and social skills for a smooth college transition.
Learn more about the network at www.HarmonyTx.org.
Harmony Grow Your Own Educational Assistance Program Application
Harmony Public School's Grow Your Own Teacher Program (GYOT) is an innovative fellowship developed to prepare HPS's future educators and leaders. Our program provides a competitive financial opportunity – up to $20,000 for four years – for current HPS students and/or HPS graduates to pursue a bachelor's degree that leads to teacher certification.
In addition, GYOT participants will receive professional development from central office experts, one-on-one coaching from a highly qualified teacher mentor, and networking opportunities with student colleagues from across Texas. Participants will earn teacher's certification before returning to serve as an HPS classroom teacher.
Application Link: https://www.harmonytx.org/careers#gyot
Application Deadline: April 1, 2022.
GYOT Application Link
Free Tutoring Available to All HSA Students!
Harmony is proud to partner with TutorMe to offer FREE on-demand tutoring with real-life subject experts for every student in virtually any subject.
Need help? Just login in to Clever in your MyHarmony Portal, then select TutorMe to get started with your first online tutoring session.
STUDENT ASSISTANCE FORM
As we embark on a new school year unlike any other, we at Harmony recognize the increase in challenges that many of our students and families are facing. As such, if there is any need, for example, a need for food, clothing, mental health support, or if your family is going through a difficult time and it is affecting your child, please let us know.
This year, we are offering parents the means to communicate any non-academics needs to the school through a Student Assistance Form, better known as a SAF. By submitting a SAF, you will be alerting the campus administrators to your child’s needs and will give us an opportunity to provide resources, support, or some form of assistance.