ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL

Pulling Together801 E. Arctic Ave. Palmer, AK 99645Call us at 907-746-2358 or Fax us at 907-746-2368 or visit us at www.matsuk12.us/acc

1. Calendar

2. job Corner

3. Classroom News K-2

4. Classroom News 3 & 4

5. Classroom News 5

6. Notes from K-5 Labs

7. Classroom News 6 & 7

8. Classroom News 8

9. Auction Information

March 8, 2013

Date Time Field Trips and More

Mar 11 -15 Spring break

Mar 29 Ski day at Alyeska

April 2,3,4 SBA Testing

April 5 Early Release

Early Release Days will be

Pizza day/ April 5th Order slips will be due the Wednesday of that week, for this months pizza!

SBA Testing will be on April 2, 3, and 4. The District is providing breakfast to all our students on all three days. We need about 4 parents to pick up, bag, and deliver them to the classrooms each morning. They will be available for pick up by 6:30 am and need to be into the classrooms by 7:45 am. This job can be divided up so a couple of parents pick up the items, and others do the bagging and delivery to the rooms. Please call or email the office if you are able to help with this.

Dear Families,A special thank you!!Thank you to the many parents that helped as we stripped and cleaned out the portables. A special thank you to Greg Pugh who spent numerous hours, including his Saturday, removing expensive technical wiring, internet equipment and phone connections from the old portables and then creatively reconnected on a temporary platform.   We are extra thankful that Mr. Pugh volunteered his expertise and time so that our “back 40” classrooms had phones and internet before he left for TDY.Spring Cleaning….Kids Out Growing Their Uniforms?Please remember to donate uniform clothing that your children have outgrown to our Academy Closet!Adios to 5 portables!It was bittersweet to watch the first portable depart from our campus.  Even though the portables were in poor condition, for 15 years they provided students with a place to learn.  Someday no one will even remember the struggles and the challenges of the first 15 years.

Job Corner Get your hours now!

1 Pick up SBA breakfasts and deliver

2 Deep clean main bathrooms one a month

Yearbook Order Forms

Yearbooks are $15 if ordered by March 22 they are $20If ordered after that. We need a final order count for the publisher by March 30. Please turn in order forms to your teacher or into the office you can also pay with depit/credit card.

It’s very important to have all orders turned in by the March 22 date.Thank you

ClassRoom News K-2

Kindergarten NotesThis week in reading our students illustrated a poem called Jennifer Juniper. They did a

marvelous job and had a lot of fun acting it out on Thursday. We continue to practice the phonograms we still need to. Sometimes practicing seems mundane, but you can’t learn what you don’t practice. We will learn some new phonograms after the break.

In math we practiced time to the half hour since we worked on the fraction half last week. We also began putting numbers and patterns in our student made math books. The books are looking nice. After the break we will continue to review concepts as we add them to the book.

Thank you for the great snacks! This week we had yogurt parfait one day and bananas with peanut butter on another. These kinds of snacks help the students be more focused for math.

I am wishing you all a wonderful break!Ronni Berg

First Grade FactsHave a TERRIFIC break with your kiddos! Please, please, please have them read and re-read to you. Be ready for changes in reading homework, fun with learning about habitats and jumping into a unit on measurement1 Hope to greet a refreshed and ready- to-hit-the-end-of-the-year-with-gusto class on March 18th! .. . Mrs. Mayer

Updates from the Music Room: Six very talented Academy students competed in the Mat Su Burough's Middle School Solo and Ensemble Contest this past weekend. Last Saturday, March 2nd, Eva Venema, 8th, Sienna Best, 8th, Mikayla King, 8th, Benjamin Anderson, 8th, Abraham Anderson, 6th, and Samuel Anderson, 5th all sang solos before an audience and an adjudicator. They were scored on a 100 point system in areas of focus ranging from memorization of music, articulation, tone, rhythm,appearance, tempo and meter accuracy, dynamics, technique, phrasing, and overall performance. This was a two month or more process of learning and perfecting for each soloist. I am so very proud of all the hard work, time, and energy each student put into his/her performance. Each one scored a superior rating which meant that they scored 90 to 100 on their score sheets! :) They were a wonderful representation of Academy as well as amazing talent from our small school! This is Academy's third year attending this competition. Our first year we only had 1 participant, our second year 3 participants, and this year 6. I hope that as more students participate and learn about this great event that more will want to pursue doing this. It is a great opportunity to prepare for high school solo and ensemble events as well. If anyone has any questions- please don't hesitate to ask. By the way, it is not for just vocalists- piano, string instruments, drums, brass, woodwinds, and guitar all have opportunities to compete as well. On to our honor choirs! We had our first week of 4th/5th grade honor choirs and middle school honor choirs this week. I am so impressed with the work ethic and excitement in learning this new music of the participants! From now until March 28th for the middle school participants, we will be meeting each Wednesday and Thursday right after school until 3:45pm. For the 4th/5th Grade participants we meet Monday's and Friday's after school until April 18th- except for Early release Friday's. Thank you for your support in our music programs at Academy! We are becoming a known entity in our Borough wide Music Programs, which is great! Have a fabulous Spring Break. Any questions or concerns you can call, e-mail, or just stop me at school! Amber Anderson Music Teacher 775-3933 or aba@mtaonline.net

ClassRoom News 3 & 4

Third Grade NewsI hope everyone has a wonderful spring break. When we come back we will have a regular spelling test. The list went home today. We will continue with multiplication while we simultaneously gear up for the SBA tests. On Tuesday, March 19 we will have a parent meeting at 3:00. We will be discussing World Fair, our community service project and quilt planning. Please plan on attending, this is the last chance for volunteer hours.Mrs. Weetman

Fourth Grade Factoids

We finished up our unit on Treasure Island. In math, we continued working on multiplication. After spring break students will work on 2-digit by 2-digit multiplication.

Hope you all have an enjoyable spring break!

Mrs. Ambrosius

News from Mrs. Liebing’s Room" This week we have finished up our math unit on measurement and probability. It is a long unit and difficult because it requires that students read and think carefully in order to decide what information and processes they need to solve the problems. We spent a lot of time working on slowing down to carefully look at questions on quizzes and tests rather than rushing through and going on what a student “assumes.” Some students are still struggling with this.! In reading we read “Dragons and Giants” a Frog and Toad story and used it as a subject for some sentence expanding with adjectives. Ask your students if they think Frog and Toad were brave in the story. We also read a couple of poems about courage. Toward the end of the week we read a tall tale about Johnny Appleseed who had two great loves in his life and because of them was heroic in an unusual way. Students also recited the poem, “Hurt No Living Thing” which went along perfectly with the story of Johnny Appleseed. ! After the break we will be doing a short poem named, “Seashells.” We will also be starting an at-home reading assignment with chapter books. Students should have brought a note home already about this. They will need to have a book chosen for the assignment by a couple of days after the break so they are ready to start reading. ! I hope each of your families have a wonderful spring break.! ! ! ! Mrs. Liebing

Benbow Buzz" Language Arts – This week we focused on drawing conclusions to increase reading comprehension. We continued writing summaries of the short reading passages to improve sentence writing skills as well as summarizing with plenty of detail. We finished Because of Winn Dixie and began writing rough drafts of our comparison papers.

Math- We wrapped up the chapter on fractions and took the test. Phew! Just in time for Spring Break! Timed tests for multiplication and division facts continue to be part of our daily routine, so please ensure that your child has time every night to practice these important facts. Remember, a great way to practice is by going to the website www.gregtangmath.com and playing a game called “Kakooma.”

Have a great weekend and, as always, feel free to contact me with any comments or concerns! cherie.benbow@matsuk12.us

ClassRoom News from 5th

The Real ReportCore upcoming events- 3/22 Taiko Drums at the PAC.

LA- This week students completed the first book of Don QUIXOTE. They have really had a great time reading about his crazy behavior, and their murals in the hall look terrific. For our final project, students completed a 5 paragraph synthesis essay. It was tough, but good practice for the upcoming SBA’s.I sent home the 2nd Book Response Project- DUE 3/20/13, so those students who want to get it done during Spring Break can.

Math- This week we continued to explore fractions. Students learned to find the greatest common factor, simplify, and compare fractions. We used hands on manipulatives, some games, and of course basil material to really get these tough concepts. ! ! ! ! HAVE A GREAT SPRING BREAK.! ! ! ! ! ! MRS. REAL

Mr. Olson’s PackLanguage Arts student’s focused on spelling. Students completed a packet of spelling/vocabulary words pulled from our book, Fredrick Douglas. We had a lively discussion about slavery, and why it was the norm in the South in that era. We finished our book and wrote some great poems, accompanied by wonderful illustrations.

Math students learned all about Algebra! Students explored variables, algebraic expressions, distributive property, and then applied their understanding to real world problems.

Thanks Mr. French for taking such great care of the kids this week!

Reports from our LabsWorld of WritingBy Mrs. WeetmanWe wrapped up this rotation with the retelling of a Fairy Tale. Each individual could choose any fairy tale to retell. After break this rotation will switch. The 3rd, 4th and 5th, graders will be practicing for SBA’s. Our focus will be how to brainstorm quickly and write a detailed but condensed piece on an appropriate topic.

" Español.Spanish Newsby Miss Agoff

Third, Fourth and Fifth graders were working with vocabulary this week. We played Around The World, The Light Saber Game and did some Spanish Crossword Puzzles. Due to Intensives this rotation has been short and sweet and ends at break

ExperimentsBy Mrs. TompkinsAll labs have worked on locating information in non-fiction reading while exploring the universe.

4th grade Dissection date has changed to April 26, 1-2:20 pm. Parents are needed!Important dates:5th Grade Science Fair-April 22, no parents are allowed in the lab before 1pm.5th Grade Dissection-April 25, parents are needed on this afternoon!4th Grade Dissection-April 26, parents are needed on this afternoon!

"

ArtBy Mrs. HollerThis week in the art room the first grade students studied the sculptures of Degas. They investigating how artists use different materials to create texture. They created their own posing forms and used textured paper to add clothing. later in the week all the primary students learned about Alexander Calder. They folded and joined paper to make sculptures called stabiles. Ask your K,1, or 2 student to tell you what the difference between a stabile and a mobile is!

" I hope you have a wonderful break!

News from the Top, 6th and 7th grades

6th Grade NewsStudents had a fine week. We are preparing for our Government in Action trip to Juneau with numerous activities and by reading The Giver, a novel about a utopian community and a hero who risks it all for his values. Mr. Titus courageously conducted a student court this week, it'll be fun for the kids to compare it with the real deal in Juneau. Some math students had a fine opportunity in the kitchen this week, thanks in advance to the moms who helped make it happen! If I'm here to write next week's newsletter to thank you properly, I guess it turned out okay. The study of plate tectonics ended this week with a quiz, we'll do some hands-on physics after the break. Have a relaxing Spring Break!

Mr. SchumacherMr. Titus

Adventures in History with Mrs. A! Seventh Grade

This week students continued learning about the Russian Revolution and how Russia became a communist country.

Eighth Grade:

This week, we continued with the Cold War unit, reading about the events at the end of WWII.

Mrs. Ambrosius

Español Siempre!Senorita CaterinaSixth graders are working to review their body parts. We have been playing Simon Dice and finishing up our Inca research. Students will be writing their Inca five paragraph essays over break.Seventh graders have been working with AR verbs during Trabajo Rapido, oral conversation and textbook work. Over break they will be working on their Conquistador Treasure Chest project.Eighth graders have been able to play some of our games entirely in Spanish. We continue to work with the vocabulary of hospitals, sickness and disease. They will be creating their own game boards over break that we hope to use with future generations of students." ""

The last year,

Making News with Mrs. Molina

I simply cannot believe it is Spring Break already! The year is flying by and the daylight is slowly returning. Wow!

In Math we have been continuing our unit on Geometry and the students have really impressed me with how quickly they are catching on to these concepts. They are developing a great understanding of the importance of the Geometry vocabulary.

In Social Studies we continue to explore the accomplishments, challenges, and failures the British faced during their Imperial period. We have had some wonderful discussions and have also been watching an awesome video series. Please be aware a British Imperialism project has been assigned and is due Tuesday, March 26th.

We are wrapping up Pearl Buck’s The Good Earth this week. The students took both a vocabulary test and a test on the novel’s content, after a very specific review. The students also received and started reading our autobiography for the year, Jerry Spinelli’s Knots in My Yo-yo String. The students have had time to read in class and have been given their own autobiography assignment that is due Friday, March 22nd.Have a wonderful break!Mrs. Molina

Algebra" Chapter 8 and exponents are well under way. We have worked with scientific notation, negative exponents, and multiplying and dividing exponents.

REAL English 1This week in English 1 students completed the heart wrenching tale, Night. We have enjoyed deep discussion, created artistic expressions, and practiced vocabulary. The final exam, on Monday, gave students a chance to write short essay answers- much like those expected on the SBA’s. ! Students began a new book, Warriors Don’t Cry and a new project- MY HERO- DUE 3/21/13. I also handed out the 2nd BooK Response Project for those students who want to work on it over Spring Break- DUE 3/20/13. HAVE A GREAT SPRING BREAK.! ! ! ! !! MRS. REAL

8 Science with TompkinsThe class is continuing their construction of earthquake resistant sugar cube houses. We will continue this project after Spring Break.