Academy Adventures Midtown
-Building on Strengths-
November 2019
Campbell's Corner
Pumpkin Palooza was an awesome day! We had pumpkin decorating, caramel “apple” decorating, a pumpkin walk, a scarecrow craft, and a beanbag toss. Mrs. Record did pumpkin math and the students got to scoop out the insides and count the seeds! Mrs. Gilbert made magic potions with the students and they had a great time choosing what went in their potions and naming them!
Thank you to all of our families who came to movie night. We had some technical difficulties, but Mrs. Angela was able to get both movies playing. We had a great time, and everyone enjoyed nachos, pizza, popcorn and other tasty treats. We would like to have another movie night so please let Mrs. Angela or Mrs. Campbell know if you are interested.
Thank you to all our families who came out and supported our Taco Tuesday Performances. We hope that you enjoyed watching the performances and eating tacos! Mark your calendars for our December 13th Annual Holiday Cookies and Cocoa Performance!
Mark your calendar! Picture day is coming, Tuesday, November 19. It will be a free dress day but please make sure to follow the dress code. The photographer will be taking individual pictures as well as family photos. We will receive proofs so you can see what the pictures look like before placing your order online.
December is rapidly approaching which means tamales, lasagna, and cookie decorating! In order to make these events a smashing success we need volunteers! Come for an hour or two, stay for the morning or all day! No experience necessary, we will teach you. Watch for flyers or talk to your child’s teacher, Mrs. Angela or Mrs. Campbell.
Kindergarten & 1st Grade Class
Mrs. Gilbert's class has practiced some innovative learning to increase our reading fluency and math skills!
Kindergarten has increased alphabet recognition and sounds, and are able to identify beginning and ending sounds of words. We have SuperKids and Golly to thank for that! Almost all of Kindergarten can write and spell their names!! That is so exciting!
Kindergarten can now count, identify and group numbers 1-10! We have learned our numbers through Go Math games and Rocket Math practice.
Mrs. Gilbert's Kindergarten and First Graders have explored different ways to practice Sight Words through Play Dough, paint, Legos and chalk. We have used these ways to increase recognition and fluency while having fun and moving around the classroom!
Our class has explored the galaxy through Science! We have made a personal galaxy in a bag, and used the galaxy as a way to relax and increase focus if needed.
First Grade has been amazing in their willingness and readiness during our Title One groups! Not only have they become comfortable with the new program, they are becoming stronger readers! Thank you Title One Tutors!
First grade has mastered the concept of addition and subtraction (1-20), and will be introduced to new problem solving skills to increase memory of doubles!
Though October was fun and exciting, we cannot wait for November!
Thank you to all our families who came and supported us on Taco Tuesday! We hope you enjoyed the performance as much as we enjoyed putting it on for you!
Thank you to all parents and staff at this AMAZING school!
2nd & 3rd Grade Class
Where did October pass by to so quickly? No candy is allowed at school in the backpack from trick, or treating. Thank you for helping us follow the rules in school. Sugar tends to lead to chaos...:( We all love sugar; but the after effects of sugar, most definitely, do not love us! :)
We had have several functions in October! Pumpkin Palooza, Movie Night, and on Centers on Halloween day. Thank you to all our families who participated and supported the school.
In Reading, students read everyday in many different forms. The students read individually, in groups, one on one with me, one on one with the tutors and also with their peer partners. Reading is an essential skill which all students need to attain in order to be successful. Please don't forget to read with your child each night to help them grow in reading. They need practice at home too. I know many of you are helping your kids with reading at home. Thank you, for partnering with me...it takes a village!
In Math, the students continue to find the missing factor in a division problem. Second grade is working on place value. We just learned the zero trick to multiply the first two numbers and then add the amount of zeros back into the answer. We also learned the nine trick in multiplication. Ask your child to show you the nine trick. It is a pretty interesting trick. If you write the nines vertically, you will see a distinct pattern in the numbers. We are also working on rocket math three times a week. The students are studying their math facts. When they do not meet their goal, they are asked to bring home the math fact paper to study to help them progress in the math program. They should be closer to learning all their facts by the end of the school year.
In Reading, students have learned the skills of homophones, antonyms, compound words and contractions. The third grade students are reading CKLA book, Rattenborough's Guide to Animals. It is very scientific about vertebrates, invertebrates and the animal kingdom. I have used the more advance words for spelling words the past few weeks, which presents a challenge for both reading and spelling.
Second grade continues to read Superkids text which consists of texts in the voice of a character which is a teacher much like Mrs. Frizzle from the Magic School Bus. They are enjoying the stories.
In Grammar, students have learned noun and verbs; and now we have moved onto adjectives and adverbs. The students work on activities for learning these skills as well as acting out the action verbs(an activity which they all really love)!
In Writing, we are getting a new computer writing program called, Writing A-Z. The students will be writing at their instructional level. They should be starting up in a few weeks once they get that online and running.
We have two new additions to our staff. The students may mention working with Rosi, or Miss Dina. Welcome to Miss Dina and Rosi and thank you for your help!
Our next student award for academics belongs to Evelyn. Evelyn loves to read and excels at all Core subjects. Evelyn loves to do homework, and has taken on the responsibility of learning at home while focusing on extra homework. Awesome work Evelyn!
Our Student with the great attitude this month is Key'vea. Key'vea completes her work happily whenever I ask her. Key'vea responds with, on task compliant behavior, and a sweet smile. Thank you Key'vea for having a cheerful attitude!
These next two months will be busy ones. We welcome any volunteer help, for any of our upcoming functions. We could use several volunteers. Thank you. Holiday greetings for a delightful and blessed holiday season. :)
4th & 5th Grade Class
In CKLA 4th is continuing to learn about The Middle Ages and what life was like for the lords and ladies of the manors and castles. They will be learning how knights became knights and about their life and training as well as what life was like for knights and serfs. 5th will continue learning about the Early Civilizations of the Maya, the Aztecs, and the Incas as well as myths that they believed. They will also be learning about the European explorers and the changes they brought to the early civilizations of the Americas.
In GoMath, 4th grade is working on comparison statements and models; multiplying tens, hundreds, and thousands, estimating; and using expanded form. 5th grade is learning how to divide by 1- and 2-digit divisors, estimating to divide, and then they move onto decimals: place value, rounding, adding, subtracting, and patterns.
4th and 5th continue to practice their multiplication facts during Rocket Math. Students are given 2 minutes to practice the facts on their level and then 1 minute to complete as many problems as they can.
Nightly homework should include reading, (including the stories we are texting you) and multiplication facts. New spelling words will be coming home next week.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!!!!
One of our favorite Academy Adventures Midtown traditions is our December Baking days! It is a part of our fundraising efforts, but mostly we love it because it is a great time for families to be involved!
We will be making Tamales (December 5th), Lasagna (December 12) and Decorating Cookies (December 19). These days are a lot of fun for the students, staff and families. Tamales require a lot of hands! Last year we made around 45 dozen! We have many people in the community who look forward to our Tamales and buying them for the holidays.
Watch for the volunteer form to be coming home soon! Any help you can provide, either donations of ingredients and/or your time would be greatly appreciated!
Pumpkin Palooza!
Thank you to all our families who came and joined us for our 1st Annual Pumpkin Palooza! We hope you had as much fun as we did! Check out some of the pictures from our festivities.
TACO TUESDAY PERFORMANCES
Thank you to all our families who joined us for Taco Tuesday! The 4th and 5th grade class did a great job presenting facts about Arizona and the United States! The Kindergarten and 1st Grade students amazed us with what they were Thankful for!
Great job by all the students! Check out the pictures and video!
note: Performances were done outside so the audio is not the best quality but if you turn up your volume you can hear the students! We do have videos of each child taken after the performance reciting their parts of the performance. If you would like a copy of your child's performance, please bring a flash drive and Mrs. Angela will be happy to put transfer the videos to you!
Enjoy!
Title IVA - Healthy Snack Program
Students continue to enjoy their Healthy Baking Classes! During October, they got to try several new recipes including Orange Julius and Smoothies! They loved the cool, healthy and refreshing treats on warm afternoons! The students will soon learn how to make healthy versions of ice cream using bananas!
With it being October, students also made a lot of different recipes that included pumpkin and fall spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, etc.! We will continue to add new recipes and are slowly working into more savory type snacks such as egg salad, devil eggs, 3 ingredient dough recipes and more!
Here is a recipe the students have made and really enjoyed! Now you can make it at home!
PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP BARS
Prep time: 5 mins
Author: Melanie F. | Nutritious Eats
Serves: 16
Ingredients
- 2½ cups rolled oats
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup oil
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup bittersweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray a pan with cooking spray.
- Mix all the ingredients from oats to salt together in a large bowl and stir until well combined.
- Stir in chocolate chips.
- Pour mixture into prepared pan and using a rubber or wooden spatula, smooth the top out evenly.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
- Let sit in pan for about 15-20 minutes.
- Cut into squares and enjoy
- Stored in an airtight container or ziplock bag with the air squeezed out. Can be stored at room temperature for up to two days, then refrigerate up to a week.
Title I Parent Texting Program!
Part of our Title I program this year is the Parent Texting Program. This is an additional way that the school can communicate with parents regarding their children's academic progress and what is happening at school. One of the exciting Parent Texting Program activities we have started to implement this year is sending home short stories and questions for parents to read and review with their children.
Children have said how much they enjoy reading them and discussing them with their parents. This is meant to be a FUN activity. Just that little bit of reading and discussion with your child will help them improve their reading and comprehension skills!
Watch for weekly stories and take a few minutes to read them with your child and discuss the questions. Teachers are also working on incentives within their class for the students who are reading and discussing the stories!
If you have any questions, please speak with Mrs. Campbell or your child's teacher.
We would love to create a cookbook that includes recipes the students are making at school, as well as your favorite recipes! We are hoping to put together a Cookbook as a fundraiser just in time for the holidays! If you have a recipe or recipes you would be willing to share, please let us know. You can email recipes to info@academyadventuresmidtown.com or drop them off at the school. We appreciate your support!
Tamales! We need your help! Every year we make 35+ dozen tamales as part of our December Baking Days! Students get to try the tamales and we also sell them as part of our fundraising efforts. We need volunteers for the following:
- A Volunteer to help lead our efforts
- Making the meat & masa
- Donations of supplies
- Selling them!
- Hands on help the day of tamale making (December 5th)
We have sent home a sign up sheet. If you can help, please let us know! Thank you!!
If you park to come into the school, please pay attention to where you are parking! Please be respectful of the surroundings and:
- Do Not Block the neighbors driveways
- Do Not Block mailboxes
- Do Not Block the school's three (3) drive ways so people cannot get out of the parking lot
- Do Not Park in front of the school door
- Do Not Block the roadway
We appreciate your attention and cooperation in making the area safer.
- Every Wednesday is Late Start! School begins at 9:00 AM. Students can arrive at 8:30 AM for breakfast. Please do not arrive prior to 8:30 AM, we do not have anyone to monitor your children.
- Parents please make sure that you are not dropping off your child(ren) prior to 7:30 AM. Gates open at 7:30 AM. We do not have staff available before that time to watch your children. If you arrive prior to 7:30 AM, you will be required to wait out front with your child until 7:30 AM. If you have any questions, please speak with Mrs. Campbell.
- On Wednesdays, students cannot arrive prior to 8:30 AM. If you arrive earlier, you will need to wait with your child outside. We do not have staff available to watch your children prior to 8:30 AM.
- Our after school program, extended day learning Adventures, is a free program open to all enrolled students. The program begins right after school at 2:15 pm and goes until 5:00 pm. Please make sure you are picking your child up by 5:00 pm.
- This program is not mandatory. If your child does not behave appropriately and participate, you will be required to come pick them up and depending on the circumstances they may or may not be allowed to return. Please speak with your child about acting appropriately and participating after school.
How can you help?! There are many ways to help support the fundraising efforts such as:
- Ask Local Businesses for Donations for our Raffles, Help with Bake Sales, Donate items for Bake Sales, Help Sell and/or Buy Raffle Tickets, Attend Meetings and Provide Input, Help with Advertising Fundraising Events, Sign Up to help with a particular fundraiser, and much more!
- Watch for information to come home about our upcoming fundraising events and meetings. If you have any suggestions, please speak with Mrs. Campbell.
- Ask your friends and family if they would like to buy tamales or lasagna!
Gallery
PERFECT ATTENDANCE AWARD!
Congratulations to all the students who had Perfect Attendance! To qualify for Perfect Attendance, students cannot miss a day of school, including “no lates” or “no early outs”.
Gabriel Arenas
Robert Rosthenhausler
Erika Veloz Herrera
Iris White
ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS!
Congratulations to all the students who received an Academic Achievement Award! The Academic Achievement Award may be given to a student in each class that exhibits excellence in the quality and/or quantity of their school work. Recipients are selected by each classroom teacher. There is one student per month selected from each classroom.
Za'Karaya Butler -
Za'Karaya puts in extra effort and stays after school and works with Mrs. Gilbert on practicing her skills.
Evelyn Nguyen Spitler -
Evelyn loves to read and excels at all core subjects. She loves to do homework and has taken on the responsibility of learning at home while focusing on extra homework! Awesome job Evelyn!
ATTITUDE AWARDS!
Congratulations to all the students who received the Attitude Award! A student is selected for an Attitude Award based upon their demonstration of a “want to do” and “can do" academic attitude, along with being positive and having the courage to be imperfect. “If you don’t try, you don’t get!” Recipients are selected by the classroom teacher. There is one student per month selected from each classroom.
Iris White -
Iris always has a positive behavior and attitude. She has worked hard on increasing her social interactions with her classmates.
Key'vea Harris -
Key'vea completes her work happily whenever asked. She responds with on task compliant behavior and a sweet smile! Thank you Key'vea for having a cheerful attitude!
PICTURE DAY!
Tuesday, Nov 19, 2019, 09:00 AM
3025 North Winstel Boulevard, Tucson, AZ, USA
TAMALES!
Thursday, Dec 5, 2019, 08:00 AM
3025 North Winstel Boulevard, Tucson, AZ, USA
RSVPs are enabled for this event.
NO EXTENDED DAY!
Thursday, Dec 5, 2019, 02:15 PM
3025 North Winstel Boulevard, Tucson, AZ, USA
LASAGNA DAY!
Thursday, Dec 12, 2019, 08:45 AM
3025 North Winstel Boulevard, Tucson, AZ, USA
RSVPs are enabled for this event.
ANNUAL HOLIDAY COOKIES AND COCOA PERFORMANCES
Friday, Dec 13, 2019, 09:00 AM
3025 North Winstel Boulevard, Tucson, AZ, USA
RSVPs are enabled for this event.
Academy Adventures Midtown
Email: info@academyadventuresmidtown.com
Website: https://academyadventuresmidtown.com
Location: 3025 North Winstel Boulevard, Tucson, AZ, USA
Phone: (52) 777-3757
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Academy-Adventures-Midtown-sponsored-by-Ed-Ahead-601505409905965/