Thursday, September 16, 2021

Juniper Pod Bulletin                                      Thursday, September 16, 2021
Calendar Items:
September 2021
    17 Friday, No Classes 6-12, Faculty/Staff In-Service
    25 Saturday, Fall Sports Day and Homecoming
    27 Monday, No Classes for Grades 6-7, 6-7 Parent Conferences
 28-30 Tuesday-Thursday, 6th Grade Day Hikes
  October 2021
     1 Friday, 6th Grade Day Hikes, cont.
   7-8 Thursday-Friday, No Classes 6-12, Fall Break
    24 Sunday, Admission Open House
    28 School Photo Retakes

Mask Usage
Since our return to in-person learning last spring, we have continually stressed appropriate mask usage.
Until our entire community is able to be vaccinated, in fact, mask usage is key to our ability to remain on
campus. Our students have by and large been really wonderful about mask usage, but we have shared
these guidelines with them and would appreciate you reminding them at home as well:
:: Students should come to school each day with a well-fitting and comfortable mask.
:: Students must wear masks at all times when indoors. Masks must be worn over the mouth and nose.
:: Students should keep their masks handy for transitions between indoor and outdoor spaces.
:: Students must wear masks during all outdoor class meetings and other assemblies.

Homecoming Spirit Week
Homecoming is coming next weekend, and 6-7 students are invited to the festivities. We will be sending
information home soon about next Friday’s activities, which will start at the end of the school day with
an all-school pep rally, and end in the evening with an all-school bonfire. In the meantime, next week is
Homecoming Spirit Week, and each day of the week has its own theme. Please encourage your student
to dress for the occasion!
:: Monday is Pajama Day
:: Tuesday is Decades Day
:: Wednesday is Heroes vs. Villains Day
:: Thursday is Coachella Day (hippy attire… flowing skirts, concert T-shirts, flowers in your hair, etc.)
:: Friday 9/24 – AA Spirit Day - school colors!

Attendance
Accurate attendance is critically important, and we have updated the absence form on our website.
Parents can now easily report illnesses, appointments and planned absences through the link below in
My Backpack.

6-7 Counseling – Lorrie Swanson (swanson@aa.edu)
I have been able to see all the 6th graders to introduce the mood meter, and explore the many things
that impact our emotions. We worked on social skills by exchanging information with others, with an
emphasis on eye contact, and listening.

Puberty is happening! Please help your child with hygiene, showers, clean clothes, and deodorant.

Parent Mixer Save the Date: Welcome Home!
Please join us for a parents-only mixer the evening of Thursday, September 23 from 6-8 p.m. to
help us kick off Homecoming 2021. With continued efforts to keep our community healthy and safe,
we’ll gather outdoors on the east end of our beautiful campus. Our very own SAGE Dining team will
provide refreshments including some of our campus favorites and local fare.

The event is free for all current parents, but if you have not already, please let us know if you will
attend. RSVP here! Click “register” and scroll down to “parent mixer.” While you are on the
registration site, feel free to sign up for additional homecoming events, including “Classes Without
Quizzes” and lunch on Saturday, or to order your homecoming t-shirts.
Dress code is “Charger chic”. Show your school pride by wearing red and black, or any Academy team
jersey or Charger gear you may own. We look forward to welcoming you HOME!
Contact advancement@aa.edu with any questions.

Homecoming Charger Café Concession Volunteers Needed
Volunteers needed for concession shifts throughout the day at Charger Café, Saturday, September
25th. Come enjoy Homecoming and support your Academy Chargers from the Charger Café. If you
are available to volunteer, your help would be greatly appreciated. Please use this link to sign up. All
volunteers must be fully vaccinated. Only adult volunteers are allowed to work Concessions at this
time. No children or students please. We will have no more than three people working at any time to
keep Charger Café from getting too crowded.

Emily Hiller
presidentelectaapa@aa.edu

West Campus Bookstore Volunteers Needed!
Are you interested in volunteering in the 6/7 Division? AAPA and The West Campus Bookstore need
your help. We have many available time slots for the 2021-2022 school year. Volunteers can choose
times to work that best accommodate their schedules. Time spots are available throughout the week,
Monday to Friday between 7:30 AM and 2:00 PM. Volunteering in the bookstore is an excellent way to
become familiar with the faculty, staff and students in the 6/7 division.

What We Do: The AAPA volunteers run the cash register and help restock items as needed. Kids and
faculty come in throughout the day to buy snacks, books and academic supplies.

Shifts: Volunteers work one shift approximately every other week throughout the school year. The
bookstore uses a 1/3/5 and 2/4 schedule. This means you will be scheduled to work for the day of the
week and time you selected on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th (if applicable) day of the month, or the 2nd and 4th
day of the month. If grades 6/7 are not in session, the WCBS is closed.

Substitutes: We also rely on volunteers to substitute for shifts when the normally scheduled volunteer is
unavailable. Volunteers find substitutes by emailing the group email list, which I provide. This is usually
accomplished by selecting “reply all” to the most current WCBS group email.

Volunteer Vaccinations Required: With continued adherence to public health orders and putting the
health and safety of all individuals on campus at the forefront, all Bookstore volunteers are required to
be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (one dose of Johnson & Johnson or two doses of Moderna or
Pfizer, plus two weeks), and proof of vaccination must be provided.

If you are interested in Volunteering please contact:

Christina Bachicha
AAPA Bookstore Volunteer Coordinator
cmbachicha@msn.com / 505-553-0393

AAPA - Volunteers Needed on Friday, September 24 to Help with Bonfire
This year's bonfire will be on September 24, 2021 and will be for the whole school. We need your help to
bring firewood, drinking water, ingredients for s’mores and to attend the event to help keep everyone
safe. Donations can be brought to the 6-7 Administration Building, Room 80 (directly across from Mrs.
Jones office).

Click here to sign up: https://signup.com/go/FLOWkqF

Questions? Contact Colin Hallahan at spork31@gmail.com or Josh Stein at joshuasstein@gmail.com

Extracurricular Activities
Our list of extracurricular activities is available to students on the 6-7 Division Page on Canvas. Students
have access to detailed information on this page at all times and are encouraged to check it regularly for
updates. Students have also been receiving information about new extracurricular club listings in their
daily morning announcements.

Musical Instrument Storage
Students have been reminded that musical instrument storage on the West Campus is only allowed in
Ms. Bielejec’s office, next to the MPR. There is no instrument storage in the main lobby of the
administration building, in the class commons, or next to lockers.

Community Service Club – Club Sponsor: Matt McCracken (mccracken@aa.edu)
Are you interested in helping people? Do running food drives, making fuzzy blankets, and creating a
positive impact on your community sound like a fun time? Do you like candy? Come join the 6/7
Community Service Club on Wednesdays afterschool until 4:15 in Room 85-86 to learn about how you
can do fun projects for different nonprofits that could use your help and have some sweets while you’re
at it!

We look forward to seeing you!
Sincerely,
The 10-12 Student Exec. Board members
Sofia, Joanne, Lynn, and Riley

6th Grade Art Club – Anne Hirsh Greene (hirshgreene@aa.edu)
6th Grade Art Club will be every Wednesday afternoon from 3:30-4:30, unless noted otherwise. The Art
Club is run as a student-directed rather than a teacher-directed experience. Students are encouraged
to make their own creations; I am here to assist students in any way possible so the time is spent in a
fun and productive manner. Students need to just “show-up” for Art Club, there is no sign-up. The club
is very flexible, a student can come every Wednesday afternoon, or whenever their schedule permits.
The club is in the sixth-grade art room, V2, in the Visual Arts building.

Health Office Announcements – Shelby Parsons (parsons@aa.edu)
    Medication
      If you have medications to drop off at the Health Office for the new school year, please contact
      the Health Office at 858-8876 to coordinate a time. Examples include EpiPens, inhalers, or
      ADHD medication that will need administration during the school day.

        If you anticipate your student to need an over-the-counter (OTC) medication such as Advil or
        Tylenol, please bring this to the Health Office for storage. Students may carry one dose in the
        original container of an OTC medication on themselves if their parent or guardian deems them
        competent to self-administer appropriately. As a reminder, students are not allowed to carry or
        self-administer any controlled substances such as Adderall or prescription cough syrup, etc.

     When Should I Keep My Student at Home?
      As our students return to in-person learning, community health is a top priority. When your
      student is not feeling well, please consult this screening tool to determine when they should stay
      home.

        Does your child have any of the following symptoms?
         •   Temperature 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher
         •   Chills, unusual fatigue, and/or flu-like body aches
         •   Sore throat, congestion, and/or runny nose
         •   New cough (for students with chronic allergic/asthmatic cough, a change in their cough from
             baseline)
         •   Shortness of breath
         •   Diarrhea (more than three times in six hours), persistent nausea, or vomiting
         •   New onset headaches, different than mild/chronic headaches student may experience
         •   Loss of smell or taste

         Has your child:
         •   Been exposed to COVID-19 in the past two weeks?
         •    Started an antibiotic for something infectious in the past 24 hours?

         If you have answered YES to any of the above questions, please keep your child home and call the
         health office at (505) 858-8876 for further guidance.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION
To promote lifetime fitness & wellness the Physical education department has created a fun community
activity that will create an atmosphere of teamwork, unity, cooperation, competition and tons of
excitement. We will start our intramural program with 5 days of volleyball action on most C1/D1 days.
The first 2 days will include an introduction to the intramural program, establishing team names,
rules/regulations, gym assignments, volleyball lessons and finally “family” practices. The remaining 3 days
will consist of pool play, seeding brackets and the pod championships. We will have a Gold and Silver
champion/runner-up for each pod that will hold title and glory throughout the year.

ART – Anne Hirsh Greene (hirshgreene@aa.edu)
In Art class students are completing their truly amazing contour drawings. Drawing is a learned skill,
which takes lots of practice, focus and perseverance. The final contour drawings will be next week on
Tuesday, September 21st and Wednesday September 22nd.

DRAMA – Rebecca Holmes (holmes@aa.edu)
This week in Drama 6, students completed their Shields activity. The activity is designed to highlight
individual strengths, explore group dynamics and reveal students’ undisclosed (or under disclosed)
abilities. Designed as an icebreaker before writing an original play in a small group, the Shields activity
begins with a close examination of self. Each student devises a metaphor based on their perceived
persona, likes and skill sets. Next, they devise a symbol that represents their strength and their
metaphor. The finished shield will contain the symbols of all group members. The project underscores
the importance of abstract thought and diverse backgrounds while procedural steps invite conversations
and new friendships.

SCIENCE – Mary Ann Jurney (jurney@aa.edu) / Amanda Busby (busby@aa.edu)
This week we learned about the derived units of area, volume, and density, and we used this new
knowledge to complete the Measurement Lab. We practiced measuring distance, volume, and mass, and
we introduced students to the displacement method for measuring volume. Next week, we’ll review
precision and accuracy in measurement, then jump into a metric scavenger hunt where knowledge of
the metric system will be tested and refined. Students will decide which tools to use, make
measurements, and determine the precision of each measurement. Enjoy the beautiful weekend.

ENGLISH – Eric Knutson (knutson@aa.edu)
We continue investigating thematic big ideas in the lyrics of songs and delving into the sometimes
strange, sometimes wonderful, sometimes disconcerting worlds of the fantasy genre. Our most recent
readings in Flights of Fantasy were the shadowy “Bureau d’Echange de Maux” by Lord Dunsany and the
quirky “Ms. Lipshutz and the Goblin” by Marvin Kaye.

We’re also going over the key foundational terms and concepts for a study of sentence structure:
phrase, fragment, clauses, sentence, simple sentence, nouns and verbs, and subjects and predicates.
Using images as starting points of inspiration and discourse, currently students are composing simple
sentences with vivid action verbs (from the more descriptive and artistic end of the “descript-o-meter”
word-choice spectrum). At the end of the week, we also added a verbal brushstroke method to their
skill sets: the participial phrase (which is new material for most, if not all, students).

TECHAPPS – Susan Geores (geores@aa.edu)
Did you know you can install up to FIVE FREE versions of Microsoft Office on your home
devices?! That means full versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more! For free! How do you get
this fantastic deal? Log on to portal.office.com with your AA student credentials and click the Install
Office button in the top right quadrant of your screen. The five licenses will work with Windows, Mac,
iOs, and Android devices. (Sorry, Chromebooks – you’ll need to stick with Office Online.)

SPANISH – Rick McKnight (mcknight@aa.edu)
This week your students learned the numbers 0-31, days of the week, months of the year and how to
tell the date in Spanish. We put our skills to the test by playing some games, reporting our birthdays to
the class and taking a quiz. We also took time to learn about Mexican Independence Day, which was
celebrated this week and not on Cinco de Mayo, as is commonly believed. Your students will be taking a
quiz soon on the date in Spanish and should spend some time studying numbers, days and months this
weekend.

HERITAGE SPANISH – Mike Linsell (linsell@aa.edu)
We have met twice this week and have started to work on some basic constructions in Spanish
grammar. We have spent our two class periods reading brief short stories and working on reading and
listening comprehension.
Sr. L.

HISTORY – Ed Baklini (baklini@aa.edu)
Happy Thursday afternoon to everyone! Just a reminder, the Europe map test will occur on September
21st and 22nd. We will continue the physical geography unit for the next couple of weeks and wrap it up
with earthquakes and volcanoes before moving on to the other social science units, government and
economics. Please continue to encourage our young scholars to type up and review their notes. As
promised, we will also begin an overview of the contemporary technological marvels and mishaps and
their influence on recent history. As always, if you have questions, concerns or comments, please
contact me. In the meantime, have a pleasant weekend!

MATH – Matt McCracken (mccracken@aa.edu)
My 6th grade math students did amazing on their first middle school math test! Well done,
students! I’m very pleased with the progress they’ve made with integer operations. We now turn our
attention to rational number operations. This is another fundamental skill of math; students will learn to
work with decimals, fractions, and mixed numbers. We'll likely spend a few weeks on this skill before
we eventually segue into proportions and linear relationships.

MATH – Gayle Massaro (massaro@aa.edu)
Pre-Algebra: The students have been busy wrapping up the first chapter and creating a cartesian plane
football helmet in class. Just a friendly reminder that the Chapter 1 Test is on Monday, September
20th. The students have a completed study guide to help them review the concepts. Next week we
will also begin the next chapter on Operations with Integers. Students will take a look at how integers
can be used to represent a variety of weather data and how integers can be used to describe increases
and decreases in average precipitation.

Accelerated: The students have been busy wrapping up the first chapter and creating a cartesian plane
football helmet in class. Just a friendly reminder that the Chapter 1 Test is on Tuesday, September
21st. The students have a completed study guide to help them review the concepts. Next week we will
also begin our next chapter on Rational Numbers and Equations. It would help to review converting
fractions to decimals and vice versa. As always, continue practicing multiplication and division facts at
home. Knowing these facts will help students tremendously in this next chapter.