Community Update: January 15, 2017

Sunday, January 15, 2017

Dear Advanced Learning Academy Families,

Before the winter break, on Tuesday, December 13, 2016 the SAISD school board approved the Advanced Learning Academy’s  in-district charter application.  Included in the charter is the option to consider an extended school year calendar. Under an extended school year calendar, students would return to school the second week of August and end the school year in late June shortening the summer break from the current eleven weeks to seven weeks.  However,  students would attend the same number of days per calendar year and additional student holidays would be embedded into the calendar, along with the traditional Thanksgiving, winter and spring break.  On Wednesday, January 25 we will hold an informational meeting at 6 p.m. at our Fox Tech campus to discuss the benefits and challenges of this calendar flexibility and gather feedback from the community. We hope to have many of you  present as we continue to explore possibilities for our school.

On Wednesday, January 18th, our 4th-10th grade teachers will host a Report Card Pick-Up Night at the Fox Tech campus beginning at 6 p.m. Please look for signs and faculty directing you to the correct meeting space as you arrive. Along with picking up your student’s report card, teachers will be present to share course and class updates. The following evening on Thursday, January 19th our PTSA will hold a meeting in the Fox Tech cafeteria at 6 p.m. for all K-10th grade families and friends of the Advanced Learning Academy.

For the last few weeks, our K-3 students at ALA on Euclid have been completing a

Passion Project. On Friday, January 20th, these students will be exhibiting their project and sharing their learning. Students are invited to wear “Sunday Best” dress for the day in honor of the special presentations. Each Friday, following January  20th presentations students may continue to elect to wear a college shirt and jeans.

Finally, Ms. Stengel, Ms. Boydston, and the ALA at Fox Tech theatre students are hosting several community production nights to build the set pieces, props, and costumes necessary for each of the plays.  On the linked flyer, you will see a long list of needs and the dates and times for upcoming community production calls.   The community consists of students, parents, and ALA teachers.  

On January 26th, our plays will open for our community.   Folktales from Around the World, starring our own 4th and 5th grade students, as well as a 6th -10th folktale performance will be shown on Thursday beginning at at 2:30pm.  The second round of featured stories will be show on Friday beginning again at 2:30pm.  Please see the Folktales from Around the World  flyer for more details.   

Alice in Wonderland opens on Thursday, January 26th in the evening.   Tickets will be sold at the Report Card Pick-up Night on Wednesday, January 18th, and the January 25th Meeting. Tickets will also be sold at the door on the night of the play beginning at 6pm.  Please see our flyer, Alice in Wonderland , for more details.  

We would love to see you there!  If you have any questions regarding the plays or crew meetings, please feel free to email, astengel1@saisd.net .

Sincerely,

Kathy Bieser