Dear Family and Friends of ACS,

Our Eighth Grade Graduation Committee has already started planning this special event and we are actually in the process of raising funds to buy the essential items for graduation, like graduation presents, refreshments, decorations, etc…We are usually able to accomplish a lot on our little budget; however, we still do need to raise some money. This is hard to do because we don’t want to compete with our PTO or the parents who are raising funds for the Eighth Grade Washington trip, so I have approved a Dress Down Day fundraiser. We did this last year and it was very successful for the Graduation Committee, but also fun for our students and it didn’t feel like a competition with our other fundraisers. The way this works is that all staff and students get to dress down in appropriate Dress Down Day attire on Thursday, April 27; now our regular April Dress Down Day is on Thursday, April 13, but on the extra Dress Down Day are asking for a $2.00 donation. Now, all staff and students can dress down, of course, with no penalty whether they donate or not, but if you or your student(s) would like to donate the $2.00 that will go directly toward the Eighth Grade Graduation, we would appreciate it! Please mark this day on your calendar and send your student with their donation if you choose to participate. Thank you for your support!

Our PTO is still in need of volunteers for this year’s largest fundraiser, ‘The Education Expo.’ If you would like to help our wonderful PTO on this very important, but fun day, please call Wendy Walker at 303-814-9192.

The week of April 3 -7 is Educational Assistant Week! This year our theme is ‘The Ladies Club’. Please give our wonderful assistants a ‘thank-you’ as you drive through carpool or when you come into the building for all they do for our kids!

Soaring Hawk Elementary is offering a Parent Workshop about Internet Safety for Kids. There are alarming statistics about the exploitation and solicitation of school age children over the internet, and this workshop will center around keeping your students safe while on the internet. If you would like more information about this workshop, please stop by our office for a copy of the registration form.

A Look Ahead:

• Friday, March 24- Dress Down Day
• Friday, March 24- Elementary Virtue Assembly, 8:50, Cafeteria
• Friday, March 24- MS Virtue Assembly, 2:50, Cafeteria
• Friday, March 24- MS and Specials Newsletter goes home
• Friday, March 24- MS Movie Night!
• Monday, March 27-March 31- Spring Break- School Closed
• Week of April 3-7- Educational Assistants Appreciation Week!

Only one more week of CSAP’s before Spring Break! Have a great weekend!

Kindra Whitmyre-Nelson
Dean of Academy Charter School
email: nelsonk@academycharter.org
web: http://www.academycharter.org/deannelson

Dear ACS Families and Friends,

As a reminder, students in grades 3-8 will be testing for CSAP again next week! Please keep in mind that all testing times in the morning begin at 9:45 am and afternoon times begin at 1:30pm. We would ask that you schedule any appointments around these times if at all possible so we can have the best testing environment for our wonderful ACS students! Thank you to all the families who donated snacks for our ACS students. We appreciate your assistance with this!

3rd Grade:

• Tuesday, March 21st, in the morning and afternoon.

4th Grade:

• Tuesday, March 21st, morning and afternoon; Wednesday, March 22nd, morning and afternoon.

5th Grade:

• Friday, March 17th, morning.
• Tuesday, March 21st, morning and afternoon, Wednesday, March 22nd, morning and afternoon; Thursday, March 23rd, morning and afternoon.

6th Grade:

• Tuesday, March 21st, morning and afternoon; Wednesday, March 22nd, morning and afternoon.

7th Grade:

• Tuesday, March 21st, morning and afternoon; Wednesday, March 22nd, morning and afternoon.

8th Grade:

• Friday, March 17th, morning.
• Tuesday, March 21st, morning and afternoon, Wednesday, March 22nd, morning and afternoon; Thursday, March 23rd, morning and afternoon.

Please remember, for the most favorable testing experience, it is important to have your student well rested the night before the tests, have a good healthy breakfast, and come to school on time!

Last week’s Spirit Week concluded on Friday with a very entertaining pep rally in the gym. We had 8th grade students rapping about CSAP’s and some super heroes showed up to assist some students who were “stressing” over their tests. CSAP Man and CSAP Lady gave some helpful T-T-T’s (Test Taking Tips) to these students. These helpful hints are now posted in the hallway by the library so that all of our ACS students can be reminded how to stay stress free during CSAP’s!

The next Middle School “Movie Night” will be held on Friday, March 24th, from 4:00-8:00 in the gym. The movies that will be shown are: The Corpse Bride-PG and Star Wars Episode III-PG13. Details regarding movie night will be listed under the “Movie Night” banner later in the newsletter.

Parents and Students in grades 3-5: Please mark your calendars as Mrs. Runyan will be hosting a Talent Show for grades 3-5 on Thursday, April 27th, from 5:30-7:30 in the ACS gym. A sign-up sheet for auditions will be posted outside Mrs. Runyan’s room when we return from spring break. These auditions will be held the week of April 10th. More details will be coming soon!

Parents of 8th Graders: We need your help! Mr. Hall is preparing the 8th grade graduation video and he needs some “baby” pictures of each of our 8th grade students. These pictures can be anywhere from infant to 3-4 years of age! Please send the pictures in a marked, sealed envelope and turn them into the office. We want this to be a surprise for our graduates! Your pictures will be returned once the video is completed! Thank you to those who have already sent your photos in!

Since spring is just around the corner, I’d like to share with you this year’s Spring Music Program dates:

• Tuesday, April 25th, after school orchestra will be performing in the library at 6:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, May 2nd K-1 spring program, 6:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, May 9th, Band Spring Concert, 6:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, May 16th, 2-3 spring program, 6:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, May 23rd, 4-5 spring program, 6:30 p.m.

Mark your calendar now for these events. Dean Nelson will be including them in her “Look Ahead” section of the newsletter in the very near future.

Thank you as always for your support of Academy Charter School!

Kendra Peters
Assistant Dean of Academy Charter School
email: petersk@academycharter.org

I think maybe this is the busiest week that I have experienced here at ACS! I have seen so many folks doing so much this week and I want you to know that you are doing a great job---you really do make a big difference at our school.

We are still in need of an assistant soccer coach for the girls’ soccer team. Mr. Leo Lech is willing to coach the team but he needs an assistant also. Leo doesn’t even have a student here anymore, but is willing to help out---isn’t there someone out there that can help the girls out?

The PTO provided a wonderful lunch for the ACS staff today. They will be providing lunch for the staff again tomorrow, so please call Jackie Radcliffe at 303-663-7498 to let her know what you can do. The lunch theme for tomorrow is Italian….this is an easy way to get volunteer hours.

The Education Expo folks still need volunteers also. Please contact Wendy Walker via email at dwwalker1990@msn.com or by calling her at 303-814-9192.

Don’t miss the wonderful classroom baskets that are on display this week and next week. Thanks to all of you that have contributed to these baskets and the classroom coordinators that have worked hard to put them together—great job!

Thanks again for “Making a Difference” at ACS!

Anne Belfrage
Volunteer Coordinator
belfragea@academycharter.org

Remember, during parent teacher conferences on March 16th and March 17th, classroom baskets will be displayed for bidding. The baskets will also be displayed for bidding before and after school on March 20th and March 21st, and again before the 6:30 p.m. PTO General Meeting on March 21st. Basket Winners will be announced after the March 21st meeting, but you do not have to be present to win! Baskets will be on display in the hall of the school during the above mentioned times, where you can view the baskets and enter your bids on the bid sheets attached to each basket.

Thank you in advance, to all the parents that supported their classroom’s basket. Sincerest thanks to the classroom coordinator’s that gave so much of their time organizing this effort.

Let the bidding begin!!!!!

Click here for more details on movie night

The Governing Board met this past Monday evening. Misty O’Leary from the PTO gave an update on the May 13th spring fundraiser, the Education Expo. The event is geared like a day camp and will be held at the school. It will feature a variety of activities for students based on their age group. Misty urged parents to sign their child up early for a discounted price, and to volunteer and/or be a sponsor of event. This fundraiser will be preceded by the PTO basket auction, which begins today. Parents are encouraged to be generous in their bidding, as all funds go to support ACS.

Results from the January parent survey were handed out at the meeting. Click here to see the survey results. Personal comments from the survey are kept confidential, and used constructively throughout the school. Thanks go to ACS parents Michelle Fisher, Tina Rolle, and Julie Harkin for their time and effort in helping to set up the survey. One additional survey will be distributed to parents toward the end of the school year to get your final thoughts about ACS.

Carpool safety was a hot topic at the meeting. Some parents have been observed dropping their children off in the parking lot during morning carpool, rather than following the prescribed carpool policy. There are only two methods allowed to drop off your child in the morning – use the carpool lane and drop your child off at the curb, or park in the lot and walk your child onto the sidewalk or to the school building. Several near misses have been witnessed, and changes must be made immediately. Some suggestions as to how the rules could be enforced included having violators cited and fined, possibly eliminating carpool, and/or having parents out in the parking lot to stop violators in the act.

We are looking for a few good people! If you are dedicated to our school and would like to have a voice in decisions affecting ACS, the Governing Board needs you! There will be two open positions on the board at the end of this school year. Interested parties should fill out an application - available from GB president Kirk Huffstater or office manager Anne Belfrage. Return completed applications to the front office by April 12. Voting will begin April 18 and end on April 21. New members of the board begin their terms on July 1, 2006. If you have any questions about serving on the board, please contact any current Governing Board member.

ATTENTION ACS COMMUNITY

One of our final fundraisers for the 8th graders going to Washington, D.C. will be selling Butter Braids. These delicious light and flaky pastry treats will still be available for order during Parent-Teacher Conferences, March 17th. Don’t find yourself or your freezer without a couple of these stored for any occasion. Look for our table in the Lobby. They will be delivered just in time for Easter on April 13th.

Cay Schweers
303-660-5235

The lost and found is overflowing! Please check for items your student may have lost. We will be gathering all items left at Spring Break and donating it to a charity. The Lost and Found is located in the school cafeteria.