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This Week at Amana / October 24, 2011 |
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Dear Amana Family Members,
I want thank our parent organization PIE (Partners in Education) for organizing a wonderful International Festival this past Saturday. Hundreds of students, parents, teachers, grandparents, friends, Amana alumni, and guests enjoyed a truly community building event. One of the food vendors commented, "I have catered for many school 'international' festivals, but none as authentic and truly multicultural as this one!" New additions such
 
 
as the carnival games and the talent show were a big hit, and the older students enjoyed "The Amazing Race" challenge in Wills Park. Click here for more photos from the event (please send your videos or photos to rwilson@amanaacademy.org).
The festival would not have been possible were it not for dozens of parent volunteers who set-up the event, produced educationally-rich country booths and displays, graciously greeted our guests at reception, served as security, manned the carnival booths and outdoor activities, sold used uniforms, and much more! A special thanks goes to the following ladies for their incredible hard work in organizing the event: Carrie Doulfikhar , Linda Afani, Colleen Jaafar, Khadeejah Farooq, Hala Bahloul, Kristina Leidner, Jessica Spraggins, Julie Waugh and Brooke Heimerl (Ms. H).
Lastly, many thanks to our food vendors for their tasty eats. Make sure to support them with your business!
Iman Morrocan Restaurant
Hwy 9 Dominos Pizza
Baiwei Asian Restaurant
La Parrilla Mexican
Sincerely,
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Key Dates | |
10/28 - School Tour (tell your friends!)
10/29 - Governance Board Mtg
10/31 - Start of Red Ribbon Week
Detailed Calendar |
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Congratulations to Our September Students of the Month
The goal with Amana's Student of the Month program is to appreciate and acknowledge student leaders whose efforts and attitudes reflect the strengths conveyed in the Expeditionary Learning Design Principles. Each month, we recognize students from our elementary and middle school who exhibit the following characteristics:
- Are Open to Self-Discovery
- Always Have Wonderful Ideas
- Take Responsibility for His/Her Own Learning
- Show Empathy and Caring for Others
- Understand the Importance of Success and Failure
- Display Collaboration and Positive Competition
- Embrace Diversity and Inclusion
- Respect the Natural World
- Appreciate Solitude and Reflection
- Model Service and Compassion
We are eager for these successful students to act as role models for others and we offer our congratulations to the following September Students of the Month:
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Elementary School
Zainab AbdelSabour
Rashid Arafaith
Kinah Conn
Safa Ghaya
Mariam Hamki
Zara Imam
Zanee Jackson
Noor Jaleel
E'Lissann Jones
Daniyal Khan
Sedanah Mashhour
Ibrahim Merchant
Janaiah Rone
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Middle School
Hana Alterkawi
Ayari Almond
Muhammad Hajaj
Safwan Jaleel
Mohamed Odeh
Adam Uddin
Maria Zulfiqar
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 Congratulations to Our PIE Party Winners
Congratulations to Ms. Galioto's class for winning this year's PIE Party!! Ms. Galioto's class had the highest percentage of PIE Student Activity Fee payments...over 63% of the class paid their student activity fees before the September deadline! Here  on the right you can see the students in Ms. Galioto's class enjoying their fabulous "healty treats" party courtesy of the PIE.
Kindergarten came in strong this year with Ms. Blade's and Ms. Calloway's classes tying for second place each with over 60% participation.
We thank those of you who took the time to submit your child's PIE Activity Fees early in the school year. Parents, if you have not yet paid your child's $20 Activity Fee, you can still pay online or send in a check via your child's teacher (made out to 'Amana Academy' in a sealed enveloped labled 'PIE Activity Fee'). Thank you again for enriching our student's lives by supporting our many wonderful PIE activities. |
| Seventh Grade Science Mission: Jekyll Island
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Sixth Grade Goes Green at Southface
Beehives, composting toilets, and rooftop gardens, and beehives aren't things that most students in our part of the state get to experience. But when Amana sixth grade students went on a science field study to Southface in Atlanta, they saw all this and more.
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Image courtesy of Ecos Environmental Design Inc. |
"In science, we're learning about soil," says Kaliya Ross. "When the Southface workers dumped compost on the soil, we saw how all the bugs started spreading out and digging in the soil. It was really cool because I saw a lot of bugs starting to fly. They had a lot of vegetables out in the garden and the bugs started flying on the vegetables."
Hamzah Khan was impressed with Southface's rooftop garden (right) and solar panels. "I would like to have solar panels on our school some day," he says. "They would run most of our energy."
"The most interesting thing that I did was go to the atrium that connected the two centers," says Jabhari Wallace. "I learned that the concrete in there extracts heat from the sun and gives off energy so you don't have to heat the atrium." |
Fifth Grade Explores Booth Western Art Museum
During their field study this week, fifth grade students "saw America's story," to quote the Booth Western Art Museum.
Fifth graders have been studying the Civil War as part of their expedition. The Booth Western Art Museum allowed students to experience the types of daily activities which were common during that time period but are now seen as art. "The blacksmith showed us all kinds of materials used to make metal crafts," says one student. "Another lady showed us how to bead. But the pottery was the best part. [The artist] had clay and she had this wheel and she pushed with her foot, and every time she pushed her foot she would push her hands together to make the bowl round."
As a souvenir of their experience, students were able to create a beaded craft to take home. Look for the influences of this field study on the students' Showcase products in December!
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Kindergarten Field Study: Cagle Dairy Farm
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Student Success: Conversations Keep You Involved
Dr. Christina Arpante
August and September have come and gone and October is soon to follow. Summer's end seems like so long ago now that the first quarter is complete. The 2011-2012 school year has started well, with our focus on academic and personal leadership. Teachers, staff and students have worked together toward greatness in scholarship as they prepare to become global leaders. Now that routines have been realized and reality has hit, it is important for all of us to review the goals we set for ourselves, assess where we are, and determine the best way to proceed. In order to do so, there are a few questions that are helpful and can lead us in a productive direction. When asking these questions, keep in mind that it is powerful for teacher, parent, and student to work through the questions individually and then sit down to discuss together, as we all need support. Consider reflecting on the following questions:
- What have I learned about myself during this first quarter?
- Where have I succeeded both personally and academically?
- What is it that I wish I had done differently?
- Have I consistently continued to work toward achieving the goals I set for myself? Why or why not?
- Moving forward, what are one or two goals I want to work toward before end of the first semester? What are some steps to take that will help me meet my goals?
With middle school in general, and also as the classes become larger, there are several things that might assist parents during the tumultuous years of 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. First and foremost, keep in mind that students' bodies are changing and kids are getting trying to figure out who they are. That being said, middle schoolers are quick to react-with academics, friendships, and other interactions. Also, they are forgetful and /or easily distracted. It is important that parents and teachers initiate trusting yet inquisitive conversations, respond proactively, model appropriate behavior and ask probing, non-accusatory questions to help clarify. Some "conversation starters" are as follows:
- I know you were stressed out about that [insert subject here] test. How did it go?
- Your teachers appear very involved with your class and with the content this year. What are you enjoying about your classes? What do you wish was different?
- What's your favorite time of day at school?
- How do you feel you're doing with your classes? Do your grades compare with what you were expecting?
- I remember how there were several personalities I had to get used to in class. Do you find yourself assessing class situations? Do you have any questions on how to approach a situation?
- Who did you sit with at lunch today? What was today's topic of discussion?
It's normal for kids' friendships to undergo change. Keeping involved with your child, remaining calm, and looking at situations with an objective lens can assist with decreasing social issues, increasing self-esteem, increasing academic performance, and even decreasing health issues. All that being said, should you notice change in behavior patterns-your child becomes defiant, more withdrawn or outgoing than usual, more compliant than normal, or any other patterns that are uncommon, reignite dinner or car conversions. Inquire, discuss, and brainstorm....together. And keep the school in the loop. |
Bloom's Taxonomy Extends Student Learning
Rochelle Wilson
"My child is very bright. What can I do to push him ahead?" ask our proud Amana parents. Often, the expectation is that an advanced child should be provided with work from the next chapter or even the next grade. A more advanced way to help all students, though, is to move them through the different levels of what's called Bloom's Taxonomy.
Bloom's Taxonomy is a way of classifying "thinking tasks" according to their complexity. It helps to think of all "thinking tasks" as belonging somewhere in a pyramid (below).
 | | Bloom's Taxonomy Pyramid |
Each level builds on the previous one and students should progress through the levels in order.
A science lesson that progresses through the levels of Bloom's Taxonomy might look something like this:
Remembering: The student defines a list of science vocabulary words.
Understanding: The student can recognize three different minerals from a picture of ten samples.
Applying: The student illustrates three types of minerals.
Analyzing: The student tests a sample to see if it is a mineral.
Evaluating: The student evaluates the tools he or she used to conduct the experiment.
Creating: The student writes a lab report about how he or she tested his or her sample.
Sometimes students move through all levels of Bloom's Taxonomy with one concept at one grade level; other times they do not. This is due in large part to the Georgia Performance Standards which indicate via the verbs used which level of Bloom's Taxonomy the students should reach. The fourth grader who lists European explorers, then, will become the eighth grader who can evaluate the impact of those European explorers.
When you're helping your students at home, look carefully at the learning targets or directions for the activity. If your student is asked to complete a low-level task and can do so quickly and effortlessly, consider extending your student's learning by asking a more difficult question from the same subject.
Some Examples:
Math homework assignment: Complete a worksheet of multiplication tables (Level 1: Remembering).
Parent-assigned extension: Ask your student to explain the rules for multiplying numbers (Level 2: Understanding, plus some great communication practice thrown in!)
Language Arts homework assignment: Describe the main character in the book you're reading (Level 2: Understanding).
Parent-assigned extension: Ask your student to choose her favorite character and sketch a portrait of her (Level 3: Applying, plus the chance to practice her art skills).
Social Studies classwork: Compare and Contrast the Paleo Indians and the Archaic Indians (Level 4: Analyzing).
Parent-assigned extension: Ask your student to evaluate the impact of climate change on both of these groups (Level 5: Evaluating, plus a good conversation-starter about future climate change).
Science project: Evaluate our current use of fossil fuels (Level 5: Evaluating).
Parent-assigned extension: Design a solar-powered lawnmower engine (Level 6: Creating, plus your student may even mow the lawn for you).
It's important to remember that just as a building requires a strong foundation, a student's mind also requires a strong foundation of low-level Bloom's skills before he or she is ready to move on. For example, the student who has not memorized his or her multiplication tables is not ready to move on to higher-level tasks; the student who can't identify Asia on a map isn't ready to explain how the Silk Road enabled trade. So, if you notice that your student has trouble with more complex tasks, it may be time to revisit some of the basics.
Below are some useful resources for using Bloom's Taxonomy at home with your student:
Overbaugh and Schultz: An excellent overview and explanation of Bloom's Taxonomy; provides a sample list of verbs; includes both the old version of Bloom's as well as the new version; includes a generic list of sample questions to ask at each level. Perfect for the parent who wants more information on Bloom's Taxonomy.
Bloom's Apps: A list of apps for your smartphone or tablet, organized by Bloom's level. Great for your tech-savvy student on the go!
Visual Bloom's: A list of web and computer resources, organized by Bloom's level. A fantastic alternative to mindless internet surfing!
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ANNOUNCEMENTS / REMINDERS |
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Connect With Us Online
On Facebook? Have a Twitter account? Use Yelp? If so, we'd love for you to join our online community!
Facebook
Several times a week, we post classroom pictures, announcements, and links to relevant news. We enjoy reading and responding to your comments as well as helping you connect with other parents. There are several unofficial Amana pages but the only one we own and maintain is the one that's linked below.
Twitter
We update our Twitter account, too. Look for announcements and re-tweets of educational news and local events.
Yelp
We've recently claimed our Yelp posting. If you're fast, you can be the first one to review us!
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 Help Us Track Your Volunteer Hours
Research shows that schools with the highest levels of parental involvement perform better. Of course, Amana parents ALWAYS score at the top of the list when it comes to parental volunteer support, but we need your help tracking the time you donate to the school via our online tracking database available on the Amana website (under the
Quick Links & Forms drop-down menu button on the front page). As you know, Amana requires a minimum of ten (10) volunteers hours per household per year, but most families typically give much, much more. And the volunteer data you help us record serves as part of your child's permanent record at Amana, plus it helps us win grants and recognition at the local and national level, so please do not forget to log your hours TODAY! Click here to visit the Volunteer Hours Tracking Log and thank you for your ongoing support and commitment to your child's academic success. |
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 Box Tops Deadline is Just Around the Corner!
As you know, Amana actively participates in the general Mills Box Tops for Education program each year and there are two submission deadlines we have to meet - the end of October and the end of February. Our school coordinator is preparing to send in all our Box Tops received since the beginning of the school year in order to meet the first submission deadline on October 31.
Now is the time to gather up all those Box Tops you've been saving and put them together to send in to school! If you've asked any friends or family members to help you collect Box Tops, ask them for their Box Tops too and thank them for helping to make a difference.
When you are gathering your Box Tops, it will help our coordinator if you cut them out neatly along the dotted lines and "bundle" them in groups of 10, 25, or 50.
Even if you only have a few, it's important to send them in ASAP! Remember, each Box Top is worth 10¢ to our school - and that adds up fast when every family participates! If you want to know how to save more Box Tops in the future, see the list of Participating Products and All About Box Tops pages. Thank you for your support! |
 National History Day Spots Still Open
Middle School students who are interested in participating in Amana's National History Day club are invited to attend our second meeting this coming Monday, October 24, from 3:15-4:00. The club will meet every Monday but we can work to accommodate the schedules of those already participating in other Amana clubs on Mondays. Rochelle Wilson, NHD club sponsor, has created a LiveBinder of information for interested students. Please click here to review this binder before Monday's meeting. |
 Georgia Fitnessgram Underway
Beginning this school year, Amana Academy, like all public schools in Georgia, will be conducting an annual, comprehensive fitness assessment for all students during physical education classes. Amana students will be practicing proper form for each test from now until the official assessment month (February). If you are interested in assisting with the tests in February, please contact either coach. For more information on the GA Fitnessgram standards, please visit the following website: http://www.fitnessgram.net/newstandards/ |
 New Spanish Language Program at Amana
Amana is pleased to announce the launch of the new after-school Spanish language program. Classes are offered once a week as follows:
Mondays - 3:15-4:15 (K-2nd grades)
Tuesdays - 3:15-4:15 (3rd-5th grades)
Wednesdays -3:15-4:15 (6th-8th grades)
Taught by experienced native-speaking teachers, our "Spanish Club" after-school program is an introduction of basic expressions, greetings, and other thematic units to help children communicate in Spanish in their day-to-day lives. Using the rich cultural elements of the Americas, introductory vocabulary is reinforced through storytelling, games and music. Our "Spanish Club" is geared for children ages 5 to 14 years with little or no prior experience with the Spanish language. Registration fee, including materials, is $9 per week, $105 for a three-month session and $209 for an entire six months. For additional information and to download the registration form, please click here. |
 National Family Literacy Day is Tuesday, November 1st!
Promote literacy in your family by taking time to read with your child at least 30 minutes on this day.
· For younger, non-readers, read them their favorite books.
· For older, beginner readers, take turns reading to them and having them read to you.
· For older, independent readers, take time out of your busy day to spend time reading together. They read their book and you read yours, together in the same room. Showing them your love of reading will foster theirs. |
 Red Ribbon Week Starts October 31st
Red Ribbon Week is the oldest and largest drug prevention campaign in the country and takes place in schools all across America during the month of October. Red Ribbon Week serves as a vehicle for schools to take a stand for the hopes and dreams of our children through a commitment to drug prevention and education and a personal commitment to live drug free lives with the ultimate goal being the creation of drug free America. In celebration of this time honored tradition, Amana's PE department will be creating a mural in conjunction with a series of "spirit" activities the last week of this month.
You can share in the excitement of the Red Ribbon campaign at home by encouraging your child to participate in the 2012 Red Ribbon Theme Contest. Entries must be received by December 1st, 2011 via email to info@nfp.org or via mail to National Family Partnership, 2490 Coral Way, Miami, FL 33145. Please include your name, school, telephone number and email address. Winners will be notified by December 15, 2011. All entries become property of the National Family Partnership. NFP reserves the right to select the theme or design from one submission and match it with another submitted theme or design. |
Thank You!
If you ever have any questions or concerns, please contact your child's teacher  directly, or any one of our Administrative team members. If your question was not addressed, then feel free to contact our Governing Board. Amana's main number is (678) 624-0989 and you may also find email contact information for all of our staff by visiting the Amana Staff Directory. On behalf of the Governing Board, the Amana faculty and staff, and the school Administration, thank you for entrusting your child's education to us. With your continued support, we will continue to mold the very best and brightest global leaders within our community! |
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