|
|
|
|
|
The Amana Journal / September, 2013
|
|
Dear Amana Family and Friends,
This month marks an important milestone in Amana Academy's history, as we will be submitting an updated Charter petition to Fulton County Schools by September 20th requesting a third charter term. The renewal process started a year ago with Board members Nada Diab and Andrea Cooper Gatewood laying out expectations per Fulton County and Georgia Department of Education policies and rules. Our authorizers are most interested in understanding how well our innovative program impacted student achievement, and what our plans are for new levels of innovation and quality.
As you will read in this issue of the Amana Journal, our intent is to continue to improve our implementation of the Harvard-based Expeditionary Learning model, and to invest in our teachers - who can now receive credit from DOE for our in-house training courses.
Taking public comments into consideration, the final PDF version of the Charter Renewal Application and Addendum are posted on the home page of our website. As part of the required procedure, Amana Academy must make this application available to our parent community, and a "yes" or "no" vote must be taken. Voting by parents on the Application will begin on Tuesday, September 10 and run each school day through Tuesday, September 17 from 7:30 AM until 6:30 PM in the school's lobby. In order for our petition to be accepted, we must receive a majority of "yes" votes among those families that vote on the Charter Renewal Application. Ehab Jaleel Executive Director
|
|
|
Key Dates
| |
9/12 - Whole School Community Circle
9/16 - Family Fun'd Night: Pizza Hut
9/21 - Apple Picking in Elijay, GA
9/27 - Grandparents Day (RSVP Here)
9/28 - Volunteer at Rivers Alive and REI events
10/1 - Family Fun'd Night: Chick-Fil-A
10/17 - International Festival
Click Here for Complete Listing
|
|
Connect
| |
 
|
|
|
|
Want to Boost Student Learning? Invest in Teachers.
Amana wins DOE PLU provider status and partners with Fulton County on TAG training.
At Amana Academy, we have always recognized that teachers are our most important asset. But hiring the best teachers we can find is not enough. This year, Amana is implementing new programs that enhance our teachers' skills and empower them with new ideas. To this end, Amana Academy is honored to have been authorized by the Georgia Department of Education as a Professional Learning Unit (PLU) credit provider - a unique achievement among charter schools.
A PLU is a unit of credit based on 10 contact hours of formal teacher instruction or its equivalent and on verification that the intent of the formal instruction has been implemented on the job or on mastery verification. These courses are built upon Amana's own in-house teacher training, which all our teachers undergo. Amana teachers will now begin to receive credit for these courses, enabling them to fulfill State requirements to renew their teaching license. The school's training program propagates the Amana principles of Expeditionary Learning throughout our staff's approach to teaching. Not only is Amana investing in its own teachers, but in coming years, we envision broadening the reach of these courses to teachers from across metro-Atlanta.
Amana has also embarked on its goal of certifying 100% of its teaching staff with TAG (Talented and Gifted) endorsement. Thanks to the generous donations of parents during last year's Annual Fund drive, Amana is able to provide a cohort of eight teachers to gain TAG certification this year. Other cohorts will undergo certification each subsequent year. Through TAG certification, classroom teachers learn to cater to the individual learning needs of the students in their class, whether or not they are classified as TAG. Those students with enhanced creative, analytical, or academic abilities will be able to
 | | From left - Mona Hussain (7th grade ELA), Erin Augustine (KG), Maria Annunziata (KG), Rene Stanton (2nd Grade), Kristin McNeil (2nd Grade), Michelle Varelius (6th Grade ELA), and Kati Searcy (Fulton County Instructor) |
receive the extra depth and challenge they need throughout all their educational subjects.
A big part of the Amana trust is our teachers. When we grow and develop their skills, we commit to them a faith in their abilities to teach our children in the best possible way. The recognition by the department of education and our new TAG endorsement initiative reflect the commitment Amana Academy places on teacher professional development and its importance to student achievement.
|
 The OAR Award Goes to...
The Outstanding Achievement Recognition (OAR) award is one way Amana Academy celebrates individuals at our school who embody the stewardship ethic and who make a significant contribution to academic instruction, or student experience & enrichment, or the school's operations.
This month's recipient of the Amana OAR award is Dr. Christina Arpante, Director of Middle School and Intervention & Connection Classes. Amana is proud of its dedicated educators. If you see Dr. Arpante around campus, make sure to congratulate her on winning the OAR Award! |
|
In the Spotlight: Ms. Natalie Edirmanasinghe - School Counselor
 Welcome to a new year at Amana Academy! I am thrilled to be part of the Amana Crew this year as the Counselor for Elementary and Middle School. My name is Natalie Edirmanasinghe. I am new to Georgia coming from a school counseling role at a middle school in Jacksonville, FL. As a school counselor, I look over the personal/social, academic, and career development of all students at Amana. I like to describe my role as the person who ensures that students have the skills to gain the academic content from the teachers. As research shows us, students must feel significant within the school and have their basic needs met to be able to learn. Therefore, I work with parents, teachers, administrators, and students to learn what the needs are of our students and help them gain the skills to fulfill them.
 In the Elementary school, I am facilitating the teachers in implementing Responsive Classrooms. Responsive Classroom is a social curriculum and classroom management tool that focuses of providing students with a sense of significance, belonging, and fun within their academics. Teachers facilitate Morning Meeting which involves a greeting, sharing, activity, and morning message. Students are involved in decision making, rule creation, and helping in the classroom to give them responsibility of their learning. In Middle School, we are taking Responsive Classrooms and making it developmentally appropriate. The teachers and I will be working on creating consequences that are logical to the behavior of the student. I am also providing resources for Crew Advisement.
In both schools, we are showcasing a Design Principle each month. Middle School has also developed Habits of a Scholar that align with our Design Principles. I will be meeting with every grade quarterly to discuss topics based on the need for the grade level. In September, I will meet with all classes to introduce myself and talk about how a counselor can help students, how they can refer themselves to me, and what kinds of issues students can come to a counselor with. I am excited to get to know the students and families of Amana. Also in September, I will be hosting a Cafe Chat with the Counselor. This will be a time where parents can get to know me and what it is I do and how I do it. Please join me on September 20, 2013. There are details to come. Again, it is an honor to be part of the Amana Crew and I look forward to meeting you all. |
|
Building a Community of Learning
Expeditionary Learning promotes wellness in students and school staff members. Teachers include outdoor time and physical activity for students, whenever possible and appropriate, to energize students' minds and bodies and encourage enjoyment of the natural world. The foundation of a successful Expeditionary Learning school is a community that brings out the best in students and staff. The school climate is characterized by safety, kindness, joy in learning, and positive leadership by staff and students.
|
|
New Middle School Wing Nears Completion
According to Evergreen Construction, we are still on target for an October move-in date for our new middle school wing. All the walls have been installed, and work during the remaining weeks will focus on wiring, windows, insulation, and finishes - such as paint and tiles. Parents and students who took a sneak peak tour commented that the 18,000 square foot space looked much bigger than they had expected. The new wing will house 12 classrooms, collaborative learning spaces, a STEM club shop, bathrooms, a teacher work area, locker spaces, and windows - yeah! We appreciate students and teachers being patient in our current cramped quarters during these first weeks of school - the renovated space will be well worth the wait!
|
|
ANNOUNCEMENTS / REMINDERS |
|
Clubs Expo Featured 30 After School Activities!
Research has shown that after-school activities help youth develop social skills, improve academic performance, and help them build strong supportive relationships with adults other than their parents. Young children benefit especially from the social skills development and improved academic skills. This leads to improved conflict management and better school attendance.
Middle-school aged youth who continue to participate in after-school activities are more likely to be engaged in school and attentive in class. Participation in after-school activities continues to be a benefit for students right through high school. Adolescents in after-school programs are optimistic for the future and have more interest in school than peers who are unsupervised after school.
Encourage your child to participate in a club today and contact the club organizers of your choice!
|
|
Ned Show Teaches Perseverance; Creates Yo Yo Madness
On August 27th students enjoyed the Ned Show at the Alpharetta Community Center. The Ned Show promotes positive behavior and academic achievement. NED stands for: Never Give Up, Encourage Others, Do Your Best.
 | | From left - students walking through Wills Park to the Alpharetta Community Center; NED Assembly; NJHS students selling Yo Yo's to fund the NED Show at their next school engagement. |
|
|
Curriculum Night
Thank you Amana Academy teachers for an outstanding series of curriculum nights! Parents were treated to a well organized format, which in some grades featured hands-on activities that modeled engaging Expeditionary Learning techniques students experience in class.
|
|
Friday Afternoons are for Planning & Professional Development
While each school is unique, there are key features that all Expeditionary Learning schools have in common: extended blocks of class time, a commitment to integration of the disciplines, opportunities for student research and contribution beyond the school walls, challenging curriculum and high expectations for every student, and common planning time for teachers. This is where Friday afternoons come in.
Our school's daily schedule from Monday through Thursday is a bit longer than other Fulton County schools to allow for early dismissal on Fridays where parents come into the school to pick up their children from the classroom. The early dismissal provides teachers with valuable professional development and planning time. Teachers use planning time for designing curriculum, improving instruction and assessment practices, and reflecting on and refining aspects of school culture. Parents can help teachers by picking up students in a timely manner by 1:20 PM.
 | | Teachers meeting during Friday afternoon planning time. From top - the 3rd Grade Crew meeting with Mr. Harden (Student Achievement Instructional Coach); and the 1st Grade Crew. |
|
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! |
|
|
|
|
|
