Governing Board Meeting, Monday, January 8th at 6 p.m.

Dear Family and Friends of ACS,

Second quarter is over already! This year is going so fast, as they usually do. I feel so blessed to be here and to be part of your student’s life, even if it is just during a tiny bit of the day. I am so thankful for the staff we have here at ACS, this year especially. I actually feel like I am getting back to my old self, after having two years of working long hours and very hard to make this an aligned K-8 school in all areas, and I have all my staff to thank for helping me do this! They really are doing an amazing job this year. I am also thankful to all the parents in our school that help make this the best school we can! It is also your hard work and dedication that makes us what we are today. Thank you, thank you, thank you all! Please have a wonderful and safe Winter Break!

Dates to Remember:

• December 14- End of Second Quarter
• Friday, December 15- Teacher Work Day- No Students
• December 16- December 31- Winter Break- School Closed!
• Monday, January 1- New Year’s Day- School Closed!
• Tuesday, January 2- K-8 Testing Day; Students by Appt.
  • January 2- Beginning of Third Quarter
• • Wednesday, January 3- 1st Rotation for 3rd Quarter- MS Specials Only
• Thursday, January 4- Boys Basketball Game- home- 4:00 (B Team Only)
• Monday, January 8- Governing Board Working Session, 5:00 & Governing Board Meeting, 6:00
• Tuesday, January 9- Girls Basketball Game- away- 4:00 & 5:00
  • January 9- Boys Basketball Game- away- 4:00 & 5:00
• Thursday, January 11- Girls Basketball Game- home- 4:00 & 5:00
  • January 11- Boys Basketball Game- away- 4:00 & 5:00
• Friday, January 12- Dress Down Day!
• Monday, January 15- Martin Luther King Day- School Closed!
• Tuesday, January 16- Girls Basketball Game- away- 4:00 & 5:00
  • January 16- Boys Basketball Game- home- 4:00 (A Team Only)
• Wednesday, January 17- Author Visit- Mark Ludy
• Thursday, January 18- Girls Basketball Game- away- 4:15 (A Team Only)
• Thursday, January 18- Boys Basketball Game- home- 4:00 & 5:00
• Friday, January 19- Staff In-service Day; 8:30- 3:30
• Tuesday, January 23- 2nd Rotation for 3rd Quarter- MS Specials Only
  • January 23- Girls Basketball Game- away- 4:00 & 5:00
• Thursday, January 25- Girls Basketball Game- home- 4:00 & 5:00
  • January 25- Boys Basketball Game- away- 4:00 & 5:00
• Friday, January 26- PTO Breakfast
  • January 26- Elementary Virtue Assembly, 8:50, Cafeteria
  • January 26- MS Virtue Assembly, 2:50, Cafeteria
  • January 26- MS and Specials Newsletter goes home
• Tuesday, January 30- Girls Basketball Game- home- 4:00 & 5:00
  • January 30- Boys Basketball Game- away- 4:00 (A Team Only)
• Thursday, February 1- Girls Basketball Game- home- 4:00 & 5:00
  • February 1- Boys Basketball Game- away- 4:00 & 5:00
• Tuesday, February 6- Girls Basketball Game- home- 4:00 & 5:00
  • February 6- Boys Basketball Game- away- 4:00 & 5:00

Have a great weekend and stay warm!

Kindra Whitmyre-Nelson
Dean of Academy Charter School
email: nelsonk@academycharter.org

Dear Families and Friends of ACS,

This past semester has whizzed by and I can’t believe we’re heading into 2007. I’d like to take this time to tell you about some important dates coming in January.

• Middle School Elective sheets for 3rd quarter were distributed to students this past week. Students will receive their new schedule with their new elective on Wednesday, January 3rd, during AM homeroom. Their regular schedule will stay intact and only the elective will be different.
• ACS K-8 Testing Day:
  Don’t forget, Tuesday, January 2nd, is a reading testing day for all of our students in grades K-8. Please read the following information so you are well informed regarding how this process works!
  • Elementary (K-5) parents- If you have not signed up your student, please call the school office on Friday, December 15th, so you can get your student scheduled for this important reading test!
  • Middle School (6-8) parents- Middle School testing this year will be similar to last year’s testing in the spring. Some of our students will be individually tested, while others will be tested in a group. If you have not signed up your student, please call the school office on Friday, December 15th, so you can get your student scheduled for this important reading test! The office will let you know if your student will be tested individually or in a group, the times available and how long the testing will take. We need to have these scheduled before we go to Winter Break.
• ILP Review: If your student is on an ILP (Individual Literacy Plan), your student’s teacher will be calling you to set up a time to review the ILP. These reviews will take place in January.
• CSAP TESTING: We have received the finalized CSAP testing window. The following window times apply to students in grades 3-8. I will not have the specific days and times until I receive the actual number of tests each grade level must complete for each content area they are testing. Please avoid scheduling appointments during these time frames as it is important to have students here on testing days. I hope by giving you advanced notice of the possible time frames it will assist you in scheduling around these times we could be potentially testing.
  • Third Grade Only:
    Week of February 5th-9th and February 12th-15th
  • Grades 3-8:
    Possibly-Weeks of March 5th -9th, March 12th-16th, and March 19th-23rd

I hope you all have a wonderful break that is filled with many happy memories spent with those you love and cherish!

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

Is everyone having a good time?? It is very crazy on this last day before break. I would like to thank all of our wonderful parent volunteers—you have worked so hard this year! Please know that you are contributing in a very positive way to the education of your student by being involved here at the school.

We had a drawing this morning for all the folks that have logged 20 or more hours of volunteer time so far this year. The winners are: the Bushlack Family, Haneke Family, Heikes Family and the Kullander Family. They will each receive a $25.00 gift certificate and a special ornament.

Thanks again for being on our wonderful volunteer team! Happy Holidays.

Anne Belfrage
Volunteer Coordinator
belfragea@academycharter.org

Calendar

Special Messages

The PTO Board wishes the entire ACS Family and Your Loved Ones the most of peace, health, happiness and good cheer during this Holiday Season!!!

Wreath Update - MickmanBrothers (the company we bought wreaths from) was unable to fill our order for the light sets. The PTO will be sending out reimbursements for this.

Christmas Program
Thanks to Aleigh McNeill, Wednesday nights 3-5 Christmas Program was taped. If you are interested in purchasing a CD of the performance, please email Misty O'Leary at jimandmisty@comcast.net.

Fundraising Corner

Winter Festival
A very special thank you to the people who made our Winter festival possible! We couldn't have done it without you!

The Fabulous Emcee extraordinare, Mike McVicar, Brenda Knight, Dean Nelson, Dean Peters, the teachers and administration at ACS, Morgan Pears, The Hardy's, The Powell's, Cheryl Ardry, The Brinkman's, Misty O'Leary, Mike Burchett, Tina Villari, Barry Haneke, Debra Mirizio, Kathleen Montgomery, Nadine Einhorn, Cindy Solomon, Kim MacDonald, Sherry Hill, Sharon Hunter, Heidi brady, Cali hanson, The Linder's, Mindy Whitworth, The Burkhardt's, Kristen Sidney, The VerBerkmoe's, Renae Grouts, Mr. and Mrs. Bushlack, Mr. and Mrs. Cullingsworth, Kirk Van Tamelen, Nicki Shearer, and the countless others that stepped in at the last moment to make this event a success!

We would like to extend our gratitude to Erik Pears for donating his time to our Winter Festival.

And last but not least, a BIG thank you to our sponsors:

• Hardy Financial
• REA
• Wells Fargo Bank
• Little Caesar's Pizza
• Loan Arranger Show/Banker's First Mortgage

Enrichment Corner

Keep an eye out – Taekwando, as well as Hip-Hop Dance, are expected to be coming in February!!!

To learn more about Enrichment opportunities, contact Sherry Hill at s.hill@beef.org or 303-814-2115.

Social Corner

PTO Social Committee coordinates Teacher Breakfasts on a monthly basis. To learn more about helping, contact Allyson Ford at allyson4d@hotmail.com.

Next Breakfast January the 26th.

Teacher Breakfasts are a great and easy way to not only show support for our outstanding staff; it is also an easy way to help satisfy part of your time commitment to the school.

… and Don’t Forget!…
Restaurant Nights
December’s Chick-Fil-A Restaurant Night is Thursday, December 21st and will be for the benefit of our Eighth Grade classes. Take a break from the hustle and bustle of your holiday shopping and support ACS at the same time! Everyone is welcome to participate and, Eighth Grade Families, this is a great chance to show your school spirit by literally putting your money where your mouth is!

January’s Applebee’s night is scheduled for Tuesday, January 2nd, and will benefit our Academic Support Department (Reading/Hearing/Speech). This date is also the Reading Testing day, so take your kids out to dinner as reward for a job well done, as well as to support ACS! Don’t forget to take your flyer, which will be passed out on Testing Day, January 2.

August's Chick-Fil-A Restaurant Night raised $120, originally slated for the 8th Grade. The 8th Grade will be given another chance during December, since their August night occurred so early in the new school year and wasn't advertised as well as we would have hoped. For this reason, the PTO Board has decided to allocate August’s Restaurant Night proceeds to any future shortfalls that may occur.

Thank you for your continued support of this culin-icious fundraiser that directly impacts the grades and departments at ACS!