|
|
|
|
|
This Week at Amana / November 14, 2011 |
|
Dear Amana Family Members,
 The grass isn't always greener on the other side. I was reminded of this saying at the recent 2011 High Performance, Healthy Schools Regional Summit at the Georgia World Congress Center where I served on a panel discussion with leaders from High Meadows School and Arabia Mountain High School about how our three schools are implementing Environmental Curriculum. Questions from the general audience reminded me that we take for granted that all Amana students benefit from our school's appreciation of the natural world. My description of Ms. H's (Brooke Heimerl) EEOB class, 'green' STEM focused learning expeditions, and partnerships with 4-H and the Chattahoochee Nature Center sounded revolutionary to the group of educators who complained of schools where kids do not get exposed to nature or even recess!
Our teachers are passionate about sustainability and improving their teaching craft. Read below how Fulton County Superintendent Dr. Robert Avossa recognized 8th Grade STEM Teacher Mrs. Cherisse Campbell for her participation in a Green Boot Camp summer program sponsored by Honeywell Corporation. Also, 2nd Grade Teacher Kristin McNeil attended the Emory Oxford Institute for Environmental Education Summer Workshop.
These and other committed teachers understand that Environmental Education has a direct impact on student success, both academically and in terms of forming their identity as future leaders within their communities. My own daughter, who is now in high school, was inspired to pursue a career in marine sciences because of a project she did on Rachel Carson, the American marine biologist and conservationist whose writings are credited with advancing the global environmental movement. Just think what great contributions our children will make with their newfound knowledge and sense of purpose.
"Those who dwell...Among the beauties and the mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life...Those who contemplate the beauty of the Earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. - Rachel Carson.
Ehab Jaleel
Executive Director |
|
|
Key Dates | |
11/23-25 - No school
12/10 - Friends of Amana Brunch
12/11 - Middle School Open House
Detailed Calendar |
|
|
|
Amana Honored by Lt. Governor Cagle as Enviro. Ed Award Finalist
 Last week, Executive Director Ehab Jaleel and Environmental Teacher Brooke Heimerl attended the 2011 High Performance, Healthy Schools Regional Summit at the Georgia World Congress Center in downtown Atlanta. Sponsored by the U.S. Green Building Council, this event brought together more than 200 school leaders, teachers, and green building industry professionals, and offered presentations, panel discussions and educational workshops with local and national leaders in the green schools movement. Presenters included Director of the U.S. Green Building Council's Center for Green Schools Rachel Gutter, Lt. Governor Casey Cagle, and Captain Planet Foundation chairperson Laura Turner Seydel.
 Amana was selected as one of only three schools in the state of Georgia as a finalist in the 2011 High Performance Healthy Schools Awards for Environmental Curriculum. This program recognizes high performing schools that demonstrate excellence in integration of environmental literacy into their curriculum and comprehensive participation in activities that promote and encourage a healthy and environmentally friendly learning community. Amana was honored to be chosen as a member of a panel on whole school environmental education along with two other outstanding schools which focus on green practices: Arabia Mountain High School in Lithonia and High Meadows School in Roswell.
Amana is proud of our faculty (especially Ms. H.) and students for receiving yet another recognition this year. This is a great testament to our school's commitment to provide students with in-depth curricular experiences that help them become future global leaders who are focused on bringing about positive change as well as inspiring and empowering others around them to make a difference. |
|
Superintendent Recognizes Mrs. Campbell for Green Boot Camp
On October 13, Superintendent Dr. Robert Avossa thanked Mrs. Cherrise Campell, 8th Grade Math/Science Teacher, for being selected one of only 75 teachers nationwide to participate in the 2011 Summer Honeywell Green Schools Boot Camp. In his written statement, Dr. Avossa congratulated Mrs. Campbell "...on this achievement and for representing Amana Academy and the Fulton County School System so well."
The Green Boot Camp, an intensive, five-day workshop focused on best practice instruction methods for teaching energy, sustainability and environmental concepts. The camp was sponsored by Honeywell and attendees reported for duty at Union County Vocational-Technical Schools (UCVTS) in Scotch Plains, N.J.
Mrs. Campbell immersed herself into hands-on training that explored new and exciting ways to introduce green technology, sustainable living and environmental awareness topics into the school curriculum. Those enlisted teachers learned advanced teaching methods to bring back to the classroom as well as a foundation for implementing simple, but effective green practices into their everyday lives. CLICK HERE to view video about the camp.
"Our objective is to equip teachers with the tools to get students excited about science and engineering, and enable them to understand sustainable practices that will positively affect their families, schools and communities," said Paul Orzeske, president of Honeywell Building Solutions. "By teaming with a renowned institution like UCVTS, we are educating the next generation of green workers and building a foundation for environmental stewardship."
Mrs. Campbell has alread started to put her training into action, as she leads the 8th Grade fall STEM learning expedition, which includes building a solar powered shelter for homeless people. |
|
Congratulations to Our October 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 Students of the Month:
|
Elementary School
Muniba Anwar
Asim Bharde
Zack Burr
Zarah Chaudhry
Dominick Ciletti
Umar George
Layla Ghalayini
Quinton Grimes
Syed Hasan
DJ Hayslett
Dawson Holland
Ibraheem Mir
Mohamed El Mizab
Faria Panwala
Zaira Rashid
David Sims
Evan Scislowicz |
Middle School
Aurielle Barnett
Jourdain Chastain
Haniyyah Mahmood
Hadeyah Mobley
Uzor Okebalama
|
|
|
KitchenKids! Announced Finalist in Youth Multicultural Video Featuring Amana Faculty and Students
Thanks to many of Amana's staff and students who participated in KitchenKids! American Diversity Thanksgiving video. We are excited to share breaking news that KitchenKids! is a finalist in the national Youth Multicultral Video Contest! Click on the link above to view the YouTube video.
This multicultural video stars Mrs. LoCurto, Mr. Sanchez, Mr. Winborne and several Amana students and parents. KitchenKids! is gifting this Thanksgiving video to Amana Academy as a resource to share with the study body during the last Community Circle before Fall Break. |
|
Nominate Ms. H!
From the Environmental Protection Agency:
"The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), in partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is proud to announce the 2011-2012 Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators. As discussed in the "America's Great Outdoors: A Promise to Future Generations" report, in order to make environmental stewardship and conservation relevant to young Americans, environmental and place-based, experiential learning must be integrated into school curricula and school facility management across the country. This program recognizes outstanding K-12 teachers who employ innovative approaches to environmental education and use the environment as a context for learning for their students. Two teachers from each EPA Region will be selected to receive this award."
We think that we have a great candidate here at Amana: Ms. Brooke Heimerl, our EEOB teacher! We as a school will formally nominate Ms. H. but we need your help in providing letters of support. To see what the judges are looking for, please CLICK HERE.
What to do:
- Write a letter stating why Ms. H. deserves this award. Let your kids write a letter, too!
- Print your letter off, sign it, and place it in the box at the front desk. The deadline is December 18, 2011.
- We'll take care of the rest!
|
Eighth Grade Works with Mad Housers
 By the time they get to eighth grade, students are ready to begin tackling complex scientific problems and our students have done just that. On October 26, Amana's eighth grade hosted a guest expert from Mad Housers, an organization which builds small plywood structures to house the homeless. The guest expert gave background on their organization and identified some technical challenges with the current hut design. The eighth grade students were tasked with solving the current problems and then building a hut using the new design.
Students are very much engaged with the real-world applications of this expedition product. "I'm excited that we're actually going to be building a house that a homeless person is going to live in," said Amir Afani. A few days later, Amir and his classmates traveled to downtown Atlanta to study homeless camps. They will use this knowledge to help them design the best possible structure. To see the final product, make sure to attend the eighth grade showcase in December. |
Fifth Grade Gets Electrified!
On November 7, electricity expert visitors from Georgia Youth Science and Technology Centers came to visit the fifth grade to kick off their electricity unit in science. The guest experts helped students with Powertown, a study of electrical safety skills, to help students address their learning target of I can explain the importance of safety rules when handling electricity. Students also constructed circuits and experimented with electric magnets to help them focus on their learning target of I can explain how electricity is generated. "The students asked many questions and really wanted to know more about electricity," says Mrs. Herdt. Make sure to ask your students about the questions they asked--and they answers they got--during the guest expert visit. |
Kindergarten Studies Japanese Culture
Kindergarten students learned about diversity and inclusion with some help from Japanese ambassadors from The Konnichiwa Club. To help students learn about Japan, the visitors came to each classroom and spent 30 minutes with each class
to show clothing and pictures of Japanese food. The visitors also talked about Japan's flag, place on the map, and taught each class a simple Origami design. According to the kindergarten teachers, the kids most enjoyed seeing what boys and girls their age wear to school. They were also very excited about the hands-on activities. "I love my origami!" said one student. Make sure to ask your student to explain some similarities and differences in Japan and America. |
| Help Your Student Develop Higher-Order Thinking Skills
|
|
ANNOUNCEMENTS / REMINDERS |
|
KidsMail and Flash Drives for Tech Class
 By now, all parents of students in grades 4-8 should have received instructions for setting up a KidsMail account for their students. Please make sure that you have completed this task by the time your students return from Thanksgiving break. Remember, Amana has already paid for a one-year subscription to this service and use of the KidsMail account is required for all students in technology class.
Additionally, there are still some students who do not have a flash drive. Please make sure that your student has a flash drive no later than the week after Thanksgiving break. A 1G flash drive is all that is needed; these can be purchased for as little as $5 at stores such as Wal-Mart and Big Lots.
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please contact Rochelle Wilson. |
|
 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. Click Here to access our online database.
As you know, Amana requires a minimum of ten (10) volunteers hours per parent 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. |
|
Home Access Center Enhancement
 Maintenance to the Fulton County Schools Home Access Center website has been completed and parents are now able to add/change the email account of the login ID used to access the website. To add/change and email account, please perform the steps listed below:
- Log on to the HAC website
- Click on a child (if more than one child) to get to the main page of the website
- Click on the 'My Profile' link on the left menu bar. This profile will identify the 'owner' of the login ID. Remember it may be the mother or the father that owns that ID. The owner of the ID may add/change the email account for that person only.
- Click on the Registration menu link. Just under the Contact information is the 'Edit' link. Add or change the email address for the ID. Only ONE email address is allowed to be entered in HAC for any login ID. Click 'Save' at the bottom of the dialog page.
- Once a change is made to the contact the site registrar will receive an email notice that contact was updated.
Thank you for your patience while the system was updated. If you have any questions, please do not hesistate to contact me.
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Sherryl Hale
Data Specialist, Amana Academy |
|
Amana Robotics Teams Attended Area Scrimmage on November 5th
 | | Under the direction of Mrs. Barnett, the Amana Robotics Club supports two teams: Middle School Techno Titans and Elementary School Lego Explorers. Both teams participated in an area practice scrimmage at Pace Academy on Nov 5th. This year's First Lego League competition theme is Food Factor Safety. |
|
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! |
|
|
|
|
|
By