Dear ACS Families and Friends,

The ACS staff has been hard at work preparing your elementary children to perform during our Winter Programs! The students are learning and practicing Christian, Jewish, and secular songs. We want to provide Winter Programs that are meaningful and represent all of our students and their families. I think you will love these performances and hope you can attend!

We have chosen our CCIRA winners and they were announced during our Virtue Assemblies last week. Our four winners whose stories were sent to CCIRA are Drake Eakin, Ryan Ordunez, Brianna Coyhis, and Laurel Teal! Congratulations! We also chose three winners per grade level and these winners plus their stories will be published on our webpage this week! Please read their stories and congratulate all of our super writers!

On a quick carpool update, ACS has purchased a large royal blue and white flag. This flag will be used to indicate when carpool is closed. We will hang this flag along with our American flag on the days when we have lightning or other issues that force us to close carpool. This flag has two large triangles that are royal blue and white. When the weather turns bad, be sure to look for this flag!

As always we want to thank you for your support of ACS. With your support we can make ACS the best school it can be!

“The only dreams impossible to reach are the ones you never pursue.” Michael Deckman

Sincerely,

Yvette Brown
Academy Charter School Dean
browny@academycharter.org

Important Dates

• December 7 Band Program
• December 10 Governing Board Meeting
• December 12 Winter Program K-2nd grade
• December 13 Vision/Hearing Screening
• December 13 PTO Meeting
• December 19 Winter Program 3rd-5th grade
• December 20 Dress Down Day and Winter Classroom Parties
• Dec. 21-Jan.6 Winter Break
• January 7 1st day back to school after break

CSAP

Below you will find the link to the released CSAP items from 2004!
http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdeassess/documents/csap/released_items/2004CSAPRelItems-AnchorsWeb.pdf

3rd/4th grade Math
Two different ways of representing the number 527 are shown below.
527=500+20+7
527=4 hundreds +11 tens + 17 ones

Part A Write another way to represent 527.
527=

Part B Write the number that is represented.
1 thousand + 3 hundreds + 18 tens + 2 ones

Core Knowledge Information

Since knowledge is changing so rapidly, isn't the best approach to teach children to "learn how to learn," rather than to teach specific knowledge?

"Learning how to learn" is an admirable aim but a misleading slogan. If learning is to proceed on any principle besides random chance, then schools need to follow a carefully sequenced body of knowledge. Children learn new knowledge by building upon what they already know. It's important to begin building foundations of knowledge in the early grades because that's when children are most receptive, and because academic deficiencies in the first six grades can permanently impair the quality of later schooling. The most powerful tool for later learning is not an abstract set of procedures (such as "problem solving") but a broad base of knowledge in many fields.
The idea that "knowledge is changing" is only partly true, and, as it pertains to schools, mostly misleading. It is true that some ideas and terms did not exist or were not widely known years ago. But the obvious fact that the modern world is changing — sometimes, as in the case of the breakup of the Soviet Union, in dramatic and dizzying ways — in no way should lead to the conclusion that "knowledge is changing so fast that we can't keep up with it" or that "what we learn today will be obsolete by the year 2010.” The basic principles of science and constitutional government, the important events of world history, the essential elements of mathematics and of oral and written expression — all of these are part of a solid core that does not change rapidly, but instead forms the basis for true lifelong learning.

Dear Families and Friends of ACS,

It’s so hard to believe that almost half of the year is past! This year has definitely flown by for me! Please remember that my “column” in this newsletter will primarily focus on Middle School items and events as well any information regarding extra curricular activities such as band and orchestra.

Reminders:
The homework alignment schedule for sixth graders is listed below:
M- Math/Science
T- LA/Math/Spanish
W-Social Studies/Math/Science
TH-LA/Math
F- None, except when students have fallen behind or have make-up work from being absent.

Late and Missing Work:

I’d like to clarify for you the policy on late and missing work received from our middle school students. Students will receive one-half credit for this work. Please be aware that teachers will not be grading this work the day it is received, but more than likely it will be later after they have graded current assignments. Although the student has turned the work in, it isn’t “actively” a part of their grade until it is graded.

Also, with the use of the Parent Portal, you may see that the grade that was reported to you on Thursday or Friday may look different come Monday morning. Many teachers will grade papers received on Thursday or Friday over the weekend. Our eligibility for sports is based on the grade that was current as of Noon on Friday. This is the grade that determines if a student may participate in the next week’s sporting event, not the grade that is current in IC when you look there. I hope this clarifies this for you! Mrs. Arnell has some additional information regarding eligibility in this newsletter.

IC News:
Missing assignments on the report page in infinite campus will include 1st quarter assignments as well as 2nd quarter assignments. Our second quarter started on 10-29-07, so please disregard any assignments prior to this date as teachers cannot take any assignments from 1st quarter. I hope this helps to clarify any confusion this may have caused!

Thank You:
I’d like to thank Jamie Medina for letting us know about the wonderful musical production of Cinderella and letting us know who to contact in order to attend this performance! The entire middle school staff and students, as well as 30+ parent volunteers (THANK YOU!) went to this amazing production yesterday. I am very proud of our students as they were wonderful ambassadors of ACS by displaying such incredible respect and manners while we were at the performance! Way to go Middle School! I’d also like to thank Maria Gordon for organizing the carpool arrangements and Brenda Knight and her team for getting students into their cars safely!

Here are a few of the activities that are happening for the rest of 2007 as well as some important events scheduled for January!

• The first Band program will be held this Friday, December 7th, at 6:00 p.m. in the Gym. The students have been working on their selections and are ready to “show off” their skills! Please join us for this event!
• Our next Virtue Assembly will be held on Wednesday, December 19th, at 8:50 in the cafeteria for elementary students and at 2:50 in the Gym for Middle school students. Please join us as we celebrate our Core Virtue of “Giving” for this month!
• Our Middle School grade level coordinators will be calling for assistance with help in planning goodies for our Middle school holiday parties soon. If you already know you would like to assist, please contact the following grade level coordinators and let them know how you can help! 6th grade: Christi Fuller, 303-814-9279; 7th grade: Tracy Belk, 303-681-2685; 8th grade: Barbara Ireland, 303-660-4881. These parties will be held on Thursday, December 20th, from 2:30-3:25.
• Parents of 8th graders: We will be having representatives from DCHS and CVHS here the week of January 7th to speak to the 8th graders who are planning on attending these high schools next year. At this time they will receive their registration packets as well as course descriptions. Castle View High School will be meeting with students at 2:45 on January 8th. They are planning a parent information meeting on January 10th as well. Please be sure to attend this night if your student is planning on attending CVHS next year! Douglas County High School will be meeting with students at 2:45 on January 10th. We have not heard when their information night will be. When we do, we’ll let you all know!

Thank you as always for your support of ACS, our students, and staff!

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

Schedule Items

• December 13 – PTO Executive Mtg. 6PM – ACS Library

PTO Executive Meeting

The PTO Board will be holding its next Executive Meeting on December 13th at 6:00 p.m. in the ACS Library. Executive Sessions are open to anyone who wishes to attend and observe. Executive Meetings are preparatory, review, and planning in nature where the Board discusses matters pertaining to the ACS Community.

Special Messages

THE PTO BOARD extends its wishes to all within the ACS Community for a healthy, happy, blessed and peace-filled Holiday Season!!

PTO NEWSLETTER - Watch your email or Friday Folder for detailed PTO information in the upcoming monthly PTO Newsletter.

December is buzzing by and I have seen so many of you volunteering your time here at the school. Thanks for making time in your busy schedule to help out here at the school.

I am still needing volunteers to help with the vision and hearing screening next Thursday and Friday. Please let me know if you can help me with this important project.

Help yourself to the candy in the basket at the office counter—a little sweet for all you do.

Thanks again for making a difference at ACS!!

Anne Belfrage
Volunteer Coordinator
belfragea@academycharter.org

This is a reminder for our parents and student athletes regarding our eligibility policy. In our handbook it states: “A student athlete is considered ineligible if the average grade is a ‘D’ in 2 classes, or an ‘F’ in one class.” The deadline for teachers to report this to the Athletic Director is NOON FRIDAY. The Athletic Director will inform parents through email and a note home that their child is ineligible to play in all games the following week based on the grade on Friday at 12:00 pm. The student has until noon the following Friday to bring the grade up in order to become eligible to play again.

We encourage all parents to be checking IC to help monitor their child’s grades. Please understand that the grades will change as teachers are continuing to grade tests and papers and input them into Infinite Campus over the weekend. Our eligibility for sports is based on the grade that was current as of noon on Friday. This is the grade that determines if a student may participate in the next week’s sporting event, not the grade that is current in IC when you look there on Sunday or Monday. Those new grades will count towards next week’s eligibility requirements.