Academy Family Newsletter

Hello Academy Parents and Guardians,

We enjoyed celebrating our wonderful counselors this week. We are very thankful to have them supporting students and teachers.

Course Selections- 2023-2024 School Year

Course Requests for 5th-7th grade have started going home. Please look over the classes your child choose for the 2023-2024 school year. The Course Requests Forms are attached below.

Progress Reports went home today, Friday, February 10, 2023.

Please, Please, Please send in absence excuses. Please try to have your child in school daily. Everyday counts for learning success.

Please remind your child of the NO CELL PHONE POLICY. We want to focus on learning and not managing the cell phones daily. Thanks for your help and support.

Please continue to discuss with your child the importance of completing assignments on time and staying focused during learning times. We are excited to see all of the progress our students will make this nine weeks.

Arrival and Dismissal Expectations

In the morning, there are two arrival points - carline and bus. Students should NOT be dropped off in the front parking lot unless it is after 8:00 am. The earliest arrival time is 7:30a.m.

PLEASE, PLEASE do NOT drop students off in the front of the school unless after 8:00a.m. Then, you must sign them in. We have seen several students running across the parking lot before 8:00a.m. This is not one of the supervised drop off locations. Buses drop off in the front loop. Car riders need to drop off in the car line area. If you have questions, please let us know.

AAA Way

This month we are highlighting our Media Center Expectations. Please remind your child. The playbill is below.

Important Spring Dates

Thursday, March 30th- Kite Day

Saturday, April 15th- Fine Arts Festival

Thursday, May 11th- Fun Day

Wednesday, May 24th- Half Day, Stars and Clowns performance- LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!

ACAP Vocabulary Words of the Week

1. meager- very little

2. eerie- (adj.) strange and frightening

3. jut- (v.) extend out, over, or beyond the main body or line of something

4. vigilant- (adj.) very alert, watchful

5. attribute- a quality belonging to or characteristic of an entity

6. fallacy- a mistaken belief, especially one based on unsound argument

Have an awesome weekend!!!

Our Best Always!

Kitrise Torain

AAA Middle, Principal

kitrise.torain@hsv-k12.org

Dr. Evelyn Coffey

AAA Elementary, Principal

evelyn.coffey@hsv-k12.org

Another great source of information - Join our Facebook Group page Academy for Academics and Arts! Join Twitter @AAAMiddle

Congratulations to our Stella Star Students of the week – February 13-17, 2023. We are so proud of their commitment to excellence. #WhyAAA #OurBestAlways

6th Grade

Caleb Nixon

Malaya Jones

7th Grade

Colin Maxwell

Alaysia Reed

8th Grade

Drake Anderson

Tatiana Mills

❏Pre-K- Wednesday, May 17, 2023 @1:00p.m.

❏K and 1st Grade- Wednesday, May 17, 2023@9:00a.m.

❏2nd and 3rd Grade- Thursday, May 18, 2023 @9:00a.m.

❏4th and 5th Grade-Friday, May 19, 2023 @9:00a.m.

❏6th and 7th Grade-Monday, May 22, 2023 @9:00a.m.

❏8th Grade-Tuesday, May 23, 2023 @9:00a.m.

8th Grade Celebrations- Girls wear white/ Gentlemen wear black/ blue/ khaki pants with a white shirt and tie/ bow tie.

The Elementary K.I.S.S. (kids invite someone special) Dance will be Friday, Feb. 17 from 6-8 pm in the school cafeteria. Students in PreK through 5th grade come to enjoy a night with music, refreshments, a photobooth and games! Presale tickets are $3 per person. Adult(s) and student(s) both need a ticket. Tickets will be delivered to students before the dance.

Purchase tickets here: https://www.academypta.com/swag/elementary-school-dance-tickets

Join PTA, Mrs. Torain and Dr. Coffey for a casual, open conversation during the "Coffee with the Principals" in the library after drop off on Wednesday, Feb. 15. This is a great opportunity to bring your questions, get to know them and hear what is on the horizon for the school year and AAA. Coffee and treats are on the house! See you there!

Please remember these important magnet dates.

We have the carline ending by 3:25p.m. If you pull in after this time, please go to the front office to sign out your child. Here are a few things that will help:

1. Please pull into the line in which you would like to exit. Pull in the line closest to the school if you are turning right onto Sparkman. Please pull in the second line if you plan on exiting left on Sparkman. THANK YOU!
2. Please do not yell at our faculty and staff. They are working hard to get your child to you in the safest way possible.
3. Display your child's name in the windshield, even as you pull up to the loading area. It is difficult to see names that are on the dash board.
4. Carline tags can be displayed on the sun visor with clips or rubber bands. Please keep the car tags in your sun visor until you are completely out of carline.
5. Being distracted by a cell phone, slows the line down more than one might realize. Please stay off the phone in carline.
6. The front line turns right on to Sparkman and the back line turns left on to Sparkman.
7. Pull up as far as you can.
8. Pull up as close as you can to the car in front of you.
9. Bus transportation is available to zoned schools. Most of the buses drop off at their first stop by 3:25 PM.
10. Afterschool tutoring pick up - Parents MUST park and walk to the door to check their child out.

Thank you for your patience! We can't wait to see how much this process improves next week. :)

1. The front circle is for BUSES ONLY in the afternoons!
2. Please do not park your car on the circle.
3. We have buses that drop off and pick up students every day between 2:30 and 4:30.
4. The curbs around the circle are not for car pick up and drop off, they are for buses only!

Cell phones must be powered off while students are in the building. Students will receive consequences based on the HCS Behavior Learning Guide if phones are on.

Please talk with your child to make sure they understand this procedure.

Thank for your support! Our students have been following the No Cell Phone Policy.

ELA:

Stricklin- We are finishing up our narrative writing unit. We have completed our planning and drafting. We are currently working on revising. The students completed narrative story is due on or by February 27 at the latest. Students should include the following in their narratives. All notes for these assignments can be found on Schoology. Example narratives can be found in the Drafting a Narrative assignment.

1. Magnetic Lead

2. Point of View

3. Dialogue

4. Thotshots

5. Dynamic Resolution

6. Figurative Language

7. Concrete Language

8. Sensory Details

9. Paragraphing

Estelle- We have begun a novel study of Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan. Each day in class includes grammar & vocabulary practice in addition to the following comprehension activities (on the chart at the bottom of section).

Math: Next week we will continue Data analysis and Statistics. They have been challenged with new concepts and multi-step problems which has been a great struggle. Data graphical analysis and interpretation will be on deck with two assignments and a quiz, if prepared.

Social Studies:

Science - We continue our unit on The Sun, Earth & Moon. Our upcoming lessons include investigating solar and lunar eclipses. These lessons build on the concepts of celestial body (Sun, Earth, Moon) movements such as rotation & revolution and the reasons for lunar phases. I encourage you to sky watch with your child, noting patterns you see in both the day and night sky. (on the chart at the bottom of section)

ELA: We started our persuasive vs informative unit this past week. Students are working on a project due next week that will be a test grade. Honors ELA due date: 2/14 by 8:00a.m. ELA due date: 2/15 by 8:00 a.m. In this project, students are creating their own products and advertisements using pathos, ethos, and logos: rhetorical strategies. Even though it is a group project, students will be graded individually based on their completion of their copy of the project, their participation in the commercial for the project, and if they turned it in on time. After the project, we will move into fact vs. bias and how we can determine the credibility of online sources. All of these activities are leading up to the major test grade at the end of the unit: an argumentative research paper and project that will span the last two weeks of the quarter. Please help your student remember that online assignments must be completed AND submitted by the due date. The late work cut off for non-test grades is always the following Monday by 8:00 a.m. unless otherwise noted. Please help your student be proactive and anticipate digital issues. It is always better to get the assignment to the teacher in some way than not at all.

Math: Information is below labeled Garner's Newsletter.

Science:

We are learning about DNA and cell reproduction (mitosis and meiosis). We will be watching how plants grow and how they can reproduce without seeds. Our next test will be the week of February 27th covering how cells reproduce and DNA. Students will receive a study guide the week prior to help study. Please help your student remember that assignments must be completed AND submitted by the due date. The late work cut off for assignments is the following Monday by 8:00 a.m. (except in cases of absences).

Social Studies: This week we are wrapping up our lesson on climate. Next week we will have a test towards the end of the week. Students will receive their study material at the beginning of the week. Students need to ensure they are studying. Please help to remind students about turning in their assignments on time. Students are taking home a worksheet over the weekend that needs to be turned in on Monday 2/13. I spoke with all the students about their grades this week. Students have been told what they need to do the rest of the 9 weeks to improve or maintain their grade.

ELA: Students will continue to compare and contrast the perspectives in a variety of fiction and nonfiction from diverse historical, cultural, and global viewpoints. They will also analyze how the authors use key literary elements (plot, characters, dialogue) to contribute to the meaning of the text. Authors include (but not limited to) Langston Hughes, Junius Edwards, and Toni Cade Bambara.

Math:

8th Grade Accelerated Math: Greetings! We will continue exploration, inquiry and application with real world connection of the Pythagorean Theorem and its converse. We will also review previous topics incorporating angles; triangles; parallel lines cut by a transversal, Properties of Exponents and Volume through bell work, quick writes, stations(group work) etc…We will also revisit Polynomial Operations and its application in real world situations. Students should be completing at least 2 iReady lessons per week. Classwork should be completed during class time. Homework is a means to reinforce and offer extended practice to master standards. Students will have homework 1-2 days during the week. Please have students check Schoology daily for assignments and updates. Classwork assignments are typically posted in class as well. Students should have their computer fully charged, pencil, paper/notebook, ruler and calculator (if possible) with them daily for class. Have an amazing week! :-)

8th Grade Regular: Greetings! We will continue exploration, inquiry and application with real world connection of the Pythagorean Theorem and its converse. We will also review previous topics incorporating angles; triangles; parallel lines cut by a transversal, Properties of Exponents and Volume through bell work, quick writes, stations(group work) etc…We will also revisit Polynomial Operations and its application in real world situations. Students should be completing at least 2 iReady lessons per week. Classwork should be completed during class time. Homework is a means to reinforce and offer extended practice to master standards. Students will have homework 1-2 days during the week. Please have students check Schoology daily for assignments and updates. Classwork assignments are typically posted in class as well. Students should have their computer fully charged, pencil, paper/notebook, ruler and calculator (if possible) with them daily for class. Have an amazing week! :-)

Science: Hello AAAmazing students and parents! Over the next few weeks, we will continue our study of Physics (Force, Energy, etc.) and this will require all students to be prepared from bell to bell. Please remind your children to come to class prepared with ALL materials everyday! I will be posting review and homework assignments along with class notes in your child’s Schoology folders, so all students should be regularly checking the Schoology accounts for all classes. Have a wonderful weekend!

Social Studies: We are finishing up our religion unit soon. Students are finalizing a pretty big presentation so please make sure they have completed this or are in the process of finalizing it. Please make sure students are staying on top of things and as a reminder late work without an excused absence will be 50% off on arrival so it is important that your students stay up to date with all assignments. Other than these items, I wish you all the best and a happy weekend.

Creative Writing - Our creative writers are moving forward with their poetry unit writing a number of different genres of poetry per week as well as continuing their workshop submissions and reviews. Students are looking forward to hosting an open mic night in early March where they will read/perform some of their original pieces. More details to follow.

Media Arts - 7th & 8th grade - Students will edit their videos based on the script that they wrote.

Media Arts - 6th Grade-

AAA Theatre -

• Rehearsals for Comedy of Errors are underway.

• Make sure that you are aware of when rehearsals take place and who is called to each rehearsal. Our calendar is online.

• Please see our website, www.WhyAAA.org/MS-Theatre for all information!

• Please make sure we are following the pick up procedure! Thank you!

• Tickets for Comedy of Errors go on sale March 1st at www.WhyAAA.org/MS-Theatre!

• Become a AAA Theatre Sponsor today!

• More info at www.WhyAAA.org/MS-Theatre

• Theatre Performance Classes

• Intro to Theatre

• Students are working on building improv scenes.

• Theatre I

• Students are working on a Black History Month one pagers and decorating a door in honor of Camilla A. Brown and Princess Jackson - 2 prominent Black theatre choreographers.

• Theatre Production

• Students go to the Alabama Thespian Festival next week!

• The Yellow Boat will be performing this Saturday, Feb. 11th

• Blue Cast - 2:30pm

• Yellow Cast - 7pm

• Tickets $5 at WhyAAA.org

• Technical Theatre

Stars & Clowns

We have begun learning our competition pieces for Atlanta! The students are learning to site read and sing more difficult pieces. I am so proud of the work they are doing. Mr. Carter, our accompanist, is working hard to make sure we have practice tracks. Students should be practicing every day. I will post the tracks in Schoology when they are ready.

Ask you student about the fundraiser for Stars and Clowns. Information sheets have been sent. Don’t worry THIS fundraiser is easy. We call it 20 for $20. All you have to do is ask 20 people for $20 the money can be applied to your trip or it can go towards another student’s trip that needs financial help. It is an easy way to ensure everyone gets to go on the trip! Thanks for your help!

Music

Strings-PICTURES for orchestra members will be Thursday, February 16th. Members will responsibly take their uniform shirts home Wednesday so that they come to school in fresh full formal orchestra black. We have opportunities to share music experiences or observe through the following three groups right now: All-State Orchestra finalists are rehearsing all day this Saturday in Moody music building Tuscaloosa, The Valley Conservatory music studios of Huntsville have student string orchestras and are starting Sunday rehearsals. AND our own Lee Magnet Orchestra department will soon have their new High School strings members join us for rehearsing and our May 11 Spring Concerts:) Keep supporting your child and our strings for many wonderful things to come (like 8th, 7th, 6th grade sign ups for class scheduling) Be well and blessed

We are happy to accept any gift card donations ($5-10) to use for Teacher Door Prizes. Donations can be dropped off at the front office.

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 Erica Dillard or Ingrid Lawler, Bookkeepers.

Grades and Coursework - Contact the teacher first please firstname.lastname@hsv-k12.org

Data Generalist: Ramona Calhoun at Ramona.Calhoun@hsv-k12.org

Attendance - Ramona Calhoun at Jahshay.McKeller@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 - Christina Darby at Christina.Darby@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

Elementary Admin Assistant- Mary Christopher at Mary.Christopher@hsv-k12.org

Middle School Admin Assistant- Erica Dillard at Erica.Dillard@hsv-k12.org

February

February 27-March 3- Read Across America Week

PK-5th grade and 6th-8th grade Arts Magnet school in the Huntsville City School District.

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