RECOGNITIONS

School Spelling Bee Winners 

Congratulations to William Drummond, 5th grade student in Mrs. Reid's class, for winning the elementary school spelling bee. Will's championship word was "barracks." Click Here for a video of Will spelling the winning word!
 
Congratulations also goes to Rayyan Thaaj (right), 8th grade student in Mrs. Campbell's homeroom, for winning the middle school spelling bee. Rayyan's championship word was "alibi." This is Ryyan's second consecutive year as Amana's middle school winner.

Both students will represent Amana at the Fulton County Schools District spelling bee next month. We look forward to their continued success.

Azusa Callaway Awarded Fulbright Scholarship    

Amana Academy Kindergarten teacher Azusa Callaway has been awarded a Fulbright scholarship. This highly prestigious program offers grants to study, teach and conduct research for U.S. citizens to go abroad and non-U.S. citizens to come to the United States. Ms. Callaway's scholarship will allow her to travel to Germany and study diversity in the German educational system.

 In addition to studying diversity in the German educational system, she will have the opportunity to meet and study with other outstanding educators from around the world. We know Ms. Callaway will have many important insights to contribute since she is coming from Amana, one of the most diverse schools in metro Atlanta.

The program will take place this summer and Ms. Callaway hopes to share what she learned with the Amana staff next fall. While in Germany, Ms. Callaway will gain a great deal of insight into German culture and the life of German schoolchildren, thus expanding and adding to the menu of cultures on which our teachers are experts. Look for the addition of German culture in the Kindergarten expedition next fall.

Katie Morris Awarded $700 Target Grant    

First grade teacher Katie Morris has been awarded a $700 grant from Target.  Target stores provide grants to K-12 schools and other nonprofit organizations to  bring art and cultural experiences to schools, support educational field trips, and provide early childhood reading programs. Ms. Morris has applied her grant to the first grade Atlanta Botanical Garden Field Study, which is a key experience for their Plants expedition. We look forward to seeing how much the first graders will be learning from this field study!

 

Parent Mr. Craig Dean Named to State STEM Education Advisory Council  

PIE President Angelika Otte presenting Craig Dean Volunteer of the Month Award

Amana would like to recognize volunteer extraordinaire, Craig Dean, a first grade parent who has been very involved with the Fund Development and STEM Education crews this past year.  Mr. Dean's background is in physics research and technology development with Argonne National Laboratory, the Battelle Memorial Institute, and Translumen Technologies.  Mr. Dean has shown remarkable commitment and dedication to Amana by writing grant proposals, providing teachers with real-world STEM examples and serving as a catalyst for math and science innovation. Thanks to his efforts, Amana was recently awarded the Toshiba America Foundation grant for science and math education in support of our eighth grade STEM expedition.  Additionally, Mr. Dean has been named to the Georgia Department of Education STEM Advisory Council which brings together leaders in fields of education and business for the purpose of advancing STEM educationin the state of Georgia.  Serving on the state's STEM Council, Mr. Dean will have the opportunity to influence the development of:

ANNOUNCEMENTS / REMINDERS

RE-COMMITMENT DEADLINE TOMORROW:   

Don't Let Your Child Miss The Boat! 

Board Nominations

Annual Fund Update: Computers, Donations, and More

As of last Thursday, we have raised $9,715 for the Annual Fund and are on our way to the $50,000 goal. We have had 58 donors so far! We are using part of these funds to order 10 new classroom computers and 10 new LCD projectors for our teachers and students to use.  Thanks to all of you who have made a contribution!  

We've had some feedback about the public display of donation amounts. We understand the need for privacy and have changed the settings on Fundly so that donation amounts will be displayed only if you create your own personal fundraising page, which you do not have to do in order to donate. The identified donation amounts you see publicly displayed on Amana's Fundly page are the amounts from those who have chosen to create their own fundraising page on Fundly and link it to Amana.  

The power of Fundly is that it allows us to reach beyond the walls of Amana and get others involved in our cause; this is why we chose this particular fundraising site. However, please rest assured that unless you create your own personal fundraising page, only a select few individuals will ever see your donation amount. If you don't want to make an online donation, please feel free to send a check to the school: Amana Academy, Attention: Liz Lambert, 285 South Main Street, Alpharetta GA 30009.  We would love reach $15,000 in donations by the end of this month. If every family at Amana donated $20, we would reach our goal!

The next phase of our Annual Fund is the Verizon Fun Walk which will be held on March 24th. You will be receiving information in the coming weeks.   

As you consider your donations, please don't forget to support our sponsors: Cost Plus Auto Brokers - Hamid Isber (770) 552-4477, Slomin's Security -Jose Vera (404) 822-3160, Fit Fusion - Bridgett Humphrey (404) 832-5783, Covered Girl Fashions - 90 Milton Ave, and Amana Construction (no affiliation with our school) - Mr. Salahat at (678) 468-8022. Purchasing goods or services from these sponsors will also donate to our Annual Fund. 

If you would like to be a sponsor for the Annual Fund, please contact either Ehab Jaleel or Crystal Canaday. Either one of us will be glad to send your offer out to the Amana family.

Have a great week!

Crystal Canaday
Annual Fund Chair  

EVENTS / OPPORTUNITIES

Sign Up for New Clubs!     

Elementary Environmental Club  

Who: Elementary students
What: Students will have the opportunity to discuss environmental issues as well as to brainstorm, create and develop a service project related to improving environmental issues.
When: Thursdays after school
Cost: Free
Contact/More Information: Mrs. McNeil  

   

Drama Club
Who: Students in grades 1-8

What: You've always thought your kids could win an Oscar for their dramatic interpretations of frustration when you ask them to clean their rooms. This spring, give them a way to transform that angst into character motivation at Sui Generis Visions. These classes will help your petite performers grasp acting technique, fundamentals of scene work, improv, and more. The year will end with a multi-cultural Storybook Theatre Production!  

When: Thursdays from 3:15-4:00pm
Cost: Free
Contact/More Information: Drama Club 
 

Chess Club

Who: All Amana Academy students
What: Championship Chess presents a systematic, fun way to build chess skills during chess instruction and while students play. Studies show that chess improves math, reading and problem solving and our methods connect these academic benefits to our classes. Classes include instruction, chess play and guided analysis.
When: Fridays from 1:15-2:15. Spring Session is February 24-May 11.
Cost:  $110
Contact/More Information: Chess Club   

Dance Club
Who: Students in grades 3-8
What: This will be a jazz dance class. Jazz is an upbeat dance style with modern music. Be ready to move!
When: Fridays from 4pm-5pm
Cost: Free
Contact/More Information: Ms. Ragghianti's Dance Team Website

Lower Elementary Art Club
Who: Students in grades K-3
What: Come practice your art skills!
When: Tuesdays, February 7-March 20.
Cost: Free
Contact/More Information: Mr. Winborne

Upper Elementary/Middle School Art Club
Who: Students in grades 4-8
What: Come practice your art skills!
When: 7-week session beginning March 28 (more details TBA)
Cost: Free
Contact/More Information: Mr. Winborne 

 
The FAA - The Future Aviators of Amana Club
Who: Students in grades 6-8
What: Come practice your art skills!
When: Starts Monday Feb. 6th at 3:40 pm and on Saturdays at Peachtree Dekalb Airport
Cost: Fees do apply
Contact/More Information: Mr. Winborne   

 

Free Parenting Workshop at High Meadows  

Parents of tweens and teens are invited to attend a special parenting workshop at high meadows. Sue Blaney, author of Please Stop the Rollercoaster! will be presenting a workshop at High Meadows on Wednesday, February 8, from 7-8:30pm in the Community Center. Her program is open to the entire community and will aid parents of adolescents by presenting:

• The most common communication mistakes parents make and how to avoid them
• Parents' keys for successful engagement with their adolescent
• Why parents need to understand adolescent development
• Where parents most need to invest their time
• Why it's important for kids to fail
• The most sage advice for keeping adolescents safe in regards to alcohol use

Anyone is welcome and parents of students in grades 4-8 are especially encouraged to attend.  

CLICK HERE for more information. 

Job Bank: Together We Can Make a Difference  

Dear Amana Parents/Guardians:

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!