Dean's Digest
Friday, April 12, 2024
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Dear American Academy Parents,
We have officially completed the ELA and MATH sessions of CMAS! Our 3rd - 8th grade students were incredibly focused and on task! We are all so proud of them.
A Thought to Ponder:
Dinner conversations can be a great way to learn about your student’s day. Now, if your students are anything like mine when we ask “How was your day?” we receive the one-word response “Good”. So, here are a couple dinner time questions that may help create more conversation:
- “What new thing did you learn today that you didn’t already know?”
- “What was the best thing that happened to you today?”
- “When did you feel the proudest at school today”
- “What subject did you have a hard time with today?”
- “What is one thing you wish you could have done better today?”
What’s Happening Around Campus:
As the school year continues, students are developing their routines and study habits. The staff of American Academy Motsenbocker continues to impress upon the students to put their best foot forward and enjoy the educational journey they are embarking on.
Harlem Wizards
The Harlem Wizards are coming to town, and our entire American Academy community is invited to join the fun. From KindiePrep to 8th grade, all students, families, friends and neighbors are invited! You won't want to miss this school-wide fundraising event, where the Wizards will take on your beloved American Academy teachers and staff.
Motsenbocker Staff who are “Playing”:
Allison Bauer (Team Captain)
Robyn Hunt
April Winder
Jen Whittaker
Sarah Redder
Liz Glick
Jeff Wilson
Jean Mercy
Melissa Fenton
Andrea Bambury
Shannon Emerson
Jill Moyer and Alec Porter will be our refs!
Who? What? Why?
Check out what we can expect from the Harlem Wizards here!
Harlem Wizards AA School-Wide Event
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
7:00 - 9:00 PM (doors open at 6pm)
Legend High School Gym
American Academy Performing Arts Presents: "Anastasia"
Tickets are on sale now for the spring musical - you won't want to miss it.
Prepare to be transported from the twilight of the Russian Empire to the euphoria of Paris in the 1920s.
Tickets are officially available for our spring musical, Anastasia, which runs May 2-5 at The PACE center in Parker, CO.
We have two casts for this production. The Parker Cast, which consists of students from our LM and MB Campuses, and the Castle Pines Cast, which includes students from CP.
Tickets are available now and can be purchased at:
8th grade information:
On Friday, May 17th, 8th grade students have an exciting day retreat event planned at Edge Ziplines & Adventures. Please follow this link to register. Once registered, parents are REQUIRED to complete the waiver at this link. Students without a completed waiver are not fully registered and will not be able to participate.
American academy character:
During the month of April our character focus has been on Citizenship. Over the course of the month, teachers will incorporate lessons on citizenship into their planned lessons and activities. Staff throughout the building are encouraging students to be good citizens and are modeling the behaviors we expect to see from our students.
▪ Citizenship
o Citizenship is demonstrated by a person who is involved in trying to make the community, nation, or world a better place.
o To master this trait, one must start with the little things:
▪ Completing tasks to make our community a better place
▪ Being consistently engaged
▪ Considers the needs of others
▪ Develops ways to make our school better
What’s Happening Outside of Campus:
As technology continues to advance, so do the outside pressures that our students face. From YouTube Challenges to marketing of hazardous items to today’s youth the only way to stay abreast of all of it is through daily research. My hope is that the information provided in this section can give parents a starting ground of what is going on and open communication lines in regard to social media, hazardous items, and how to lead by example versus following the “cool” new trend. By no means am I able to list everything that is going on through social media, but hopefully this acts as a starting point.
internet & Social media awareness
Currently, the internet has many different challenges that are tempting kids to make very unsafe decisions. Active conversations with your children regarding social media and internet awareness are a great starting point to protecting their personal information and the content they are exposed to.
Education Week Article: Social Media is ‘Tearing us Apart’, Middle and High School Students Say
National Education Association Article: Social Media’s Impact on Students’ Mental Health Comes Into Focus
New York Times Article: Meeting the Mental Health Challenge in School and at Home
Parents, I truly hope that this newsletter has been informative and helpful. If there is additional information that you know of that would be fantastic to share with families, please reach out to me via email with details, links, etc. and I will add them to next month’s newsletter. As we all know, it takes a community of partnership and communication to ensure the safety and success of our students.
Thank you in advance for allowing me to positively impact their educational journey.
Robyn Hunt
Dean of Students, Motsenbocker
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American Academy
Motsenbocker Campus
P : 720-292-5619
F : 303-805-9901
rhunt@American Academyk8.org