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Reminders
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For Amana Text Alerts -text @amana to 81010
Give to the Annual Fund - Help us Reach our $50,000 Goal!
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December 11
Teacher Work Day
School Closed for Students
December 15 Celebration of Learning Showcase Kindergarten - 9:30 AM 1st Grade - 1:00 PM 6th Grade - 1:00 PM ** December 16 Celebration of Learning Showcase 2nd Grade - 9:30 AM 3rd Grade - 1:00 PM 7th Grade - 1:00 PM ** December 17 Celebration of Learning Showcase 4th Grade - 9:30 AM 5th Grade - 1:00 PM 8th Grade - 1:00 PM **
December 18
Coach-book Order Deadline
December 18 Grades 3-5 Community Circle
8:00 AM - 8:30 AM
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Grades 6-8 Community Circle
8:40 AM - 9:10 AM
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Grades K-2 Community Circle
12:25 PM - 12:50 PMHome Access Survey Deadline -- Last Day of First Semester
Winter Break
School Closed
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January 31
Re-Commitment Deadline
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Stay Connected
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285 South Main Street
Alpharetta, GA 30009
678.624.0989
info@amanaacademy.org
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YOUR GENEROSITY IS APPRECIATED!
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Thank you to everyone who has donated to the Annual Fund so far. We have raised $45,000 to date, which is wonderful! Ms. Atkinson's class has exceeded 80% participation, so they have earned an extra 15 minutes of recess - they are so excited about this!
There's still time to donate before the end of the campaign, if you haven't already. Any amount is greatly appreciated and will benefit every student at Amana. Click on the donate button below, or be on the lookout for a pledge card to come home with your student this week.
Thank you for all that you do to support the students of Amana!
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ITS RE-COMMITMENT TIME AGAIN
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Dear Parents,
As we prepare for Open Enrollment for new students, we must calculate how many of our current students and any of their siblings new to the school will be attending Amana next year. We must have this information prior to the lottery so that we can calculate how many open seats we will have.
A $100 nonrefundable enrollment deposit is required for each new or returning student enrolling at Amana Academy for the upcoming school year. This enrollment deposit for returning students and incoming siblings is due by January 31. The deposit will be allocated toward bundled fees for a portion of Expeditionary Learning field studies costs, student classroom supplies, and field study uniforms. Families may choose to pay this deposit online in one lump sum or via a payment plan (with at least $50 due in December).
Payment of the enrollment deposit may be made online by following this link:
If you receive an error when you click on the link, please copy and paste the url into your browser bar. If that still does not work, then we have a computer set up in the lobby for you to use for the purpose of completing the re-commitment process. For your convenience, there is an option for you to pay the deposit over the course of several weeks or months, with at least $50 due before the end of January. All deposits must be paid in full before May 26, 2016 (the last day of the school year). |
| GEORGIA MILESTONES TEST RESULTS |
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Last April, the Georgia Department of Education launched the Georgia Milestones standardized test, which replaced the CRCT. Amana administrators and teachers were eager to receive the results from the test in mid-November for grades 3-8 and to analyze the data, which will inform ongoing instruction, and to share the school-level results with you here. Parents should expect to receive individual results for their children on December 18.
Georgia Milestones scores and CRCT scores are not directly comparable. Georgia Milestones assesses student learning along four levels of performance, compared to three, as was the case for the CRCT. These designations aim to shift the focus away from just test scores, instead capturing the progression of students' learning as follows: Beginning Learners, Developing Learners, Proficient Learners, and Distinguished Learners. Students who achieve the Developing Learner level or above have mastered basic grade-level concepts and skills.
Amana Results -
Given the diversity of Amana students and the wide range of performance in district schools, from a statistical perspective it is important that we compare our school's overall results to Fulton schools that have similar demographics. We sometimes refer to these as our "peer schools". What we found in our analysis is that in grades 3-5 that 82% students achieving the developing learner level and above was comparable to peer schools; and in grades 6-8 middle school performance of 89% demonstrated that our students outperformed those students attending peer schools. These results confirm analysis we have conducted in the past that show students who have longevity at Amana demonstrate more academic growth.
 Here are some key highlights from our initial analysis.
- Over 90% of last year's fourth grade students achieved developing learner or higher across subjects, with half of them at the proficient level or higher.
- 8th grade Math scores were also tops in Fulton County with 100% of students achieving developing level or higher, 70% of whom were at proficient or higher.
- English Language Arts scores were very impressive with 8th grade students achieving the highest scores in Fulton County at 98% developing level or higher and 74% at proficient level or higher - higher than all other Fulton middle schools! Also, 7th grade English Language Arts students scored 94% - the second highest in Fulton County with two thirds of students at the proficient level or higher.
- We are proud of 7th and 8th grade students, half of whom took high school biology or high school Physical Science and Coordinate Algebra and achieved 100% pass rates in Biology and Algebra.
 Key Actions - Our 2020 Vision goal is to perform among the top 5% of Fulton County schools, so even before the data was released; we started taking action to ensure that we improve on our first year experience with the Milestones Test. In addition to ongoing Expeditionary Learning teacher training & support and teachers frequently reviewing student performance data (STAR testing, etc.), here are some other key actions we are taking:
While whole school results are interesting; given our unique diverse population, we emphasize the importance of looking at your own child's performance and having ongoing communication with your teacher. The individual results will be made available on December 18th.
As State School Superintendent Richard Woods said in a press release when the test results were released, "These results show a lower level of student proficiency than Georgians are used to seeing, but that does not mean Georgia students know less or that teachers are not doing a great job - it means they've been asked to clear a higher bar."
Now that we have experience with the Milestones test, Amana teachers and adminsitators are leaning into this challenge in a consistent manner with our mission to provide balanced authentic learning experiences and to prepare students for high academic achievement beyond what they think possible.
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| MILESTONES COACH BOOKS DEADLINE 12/18 |
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Last year, the Georgia Department of Education launched the Georgia Milestones standardized test, which includes questions that require higher depth of knowledge and the ability to explain your reasoning in math and ELA. At Amana we dig deeply into the standards and feel that our students are better prepared than students that don't have the benefit of the Expeditionary Learning model, but a little review is always helpful.
We are pleased to offer the Crosswalk Coach (Science & Social Studies) and Common Core Performance Coach Workbooks (Math & Reading/LA) to help your child prepare for the Georgia Milestone Assessments. This grade specific series provides students with the level of rigorous practice that is called for by the Common Core Standards. Books are available for grades 3-8. We suggest purchasing the answer guides (especially for Math and Reading/LA), since there are many questions which require a constructed response, modeling, and short essays.
They may only be purchased this year online only at:
Deadline order Extended: Friday, December 18, 2016
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The IXL board has been updated as of Wednesday, December 9th, 2015. Look for your child's name on the IXL board in the main hallway. December is the final month for the IXL competition and we ask students to finish strong. We are proud that we have 11 students who passed the 5,000 problem milestone so far and these students will be recognized during the honors ceremony in January. For our overachievers, we have added an additional challenge with a milestone of 10,000 problems,. Safiullah Mohammed in third grade have passed this milestone with 10,380 problems and we have other students following close. All students who get their names on the IXL board will be candidates for a drawing to win an iPad!
Here are the students of the week:
K - Zane Raza
1st Grade- Noah Samson
2nd Grade - Ameer Adas
3rd Grade - Safiullah Mohammed
4th Grade - Adam Adas
5th Grade - Esther Keiza
6th Grade - Makayla McCain
7th Grade - Nadirah Ali
8th Grade - Ahmad Junearick-Echols
And our class of the week with 5, 648 problems worked out is: Mr. Herrington's class. Congratulations!
If you would like to receive certificates sent to you by email, go to settings once your child is logged into IXL and enter your email address.
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On, Thursday, Jan. 7th 4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. There will be an informational meeting for anyone who is interested in joining Finley and the Amana Bald Eagles.
Last year was the first time Amana hosted a St. Baldrick's Event. The Amana Bald Eagles raised $15, 991 for childhood cancer research. Students and teachers shaved their heads for this amazing cause. For the first time we are inviting two other schools to join our event. This will be an opportunity to raise money while having a little competition and collaboration. Please see Mrs. Singmna if you are interested in attending this meeting. You can also register by going to the St. Baldrick's Website and finding Amana Bald Eagles The official event will take place on SaturdayJan. 30th from 1:00p.m.-4:00p.m. If you are not able to attend the event but still want to shave your head or volunteer in any way please contact Mrs. Singman. Here is the link to register:
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WRITE-SCORE PARENT WORKSHOP POSTPONED
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The Write Score Parent Workshop, scheduled for this Friday 12/11 from 12 until 1 pm is being postponed until after the winter break. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Thank you,
The Title 1 Crew
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| PARENT HOME ACCESS SURVEY |
Parent Home Access Survey
Parents and guardians are invited to give feedback about our Parent Portal/Home Access Center that provides important information about your students.
The survey is available in English and Spanish and is open through December 18.
Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts about our Home Access Center.
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| FULTON COUNTY OFFERS INFO SESSIONS ON REDESIGNED SAT |
 The Fulton County School System's School Counseling Department is presenting Parent Information Night: the Redesigned SAT.
There will also be a brief question and answer session at the conclusion of the event.
There is no registration. Parents of students in grades 6-12 are invited (middle school parents are invited to attend as well as high school parents).
Roswell High School Auditorium
Thursday, December 17, 2015 6:30-7:30 p.m.
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