Academy High School Back-to-School Magazine

ACADEMY 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR FOSTERING A PROFESSIONAL ENVIRONMENT, INSPIRING CREATIVITY, AND EMPOWERING STUDENTS TO COLLABORATE AND COMPETE IN A RAPIDLY CHANGING WORLD TITANS

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WHAT'S Maker Space NEW? 2021-2022 With an emphasis on science, technology, The staff at Academy High School Special thanks to the members of engineering, arts, and has been hard at work preparing the our Principal Advisory Team who mathematics (STEAM) school for your return in August. We have meet weekly with campus and interdisciplinary know you are curious about next administrators to be your voice in connections, student year and wanting to know what to planning for the new school year! expect in 2021-2022. learning will be anchored in real world Some exciting improvements are in experiences which rely store for you! We welcome you, and we are ready to partner with you in on continuous this amazing year of learning ahead! collaboration with others both inside and outside the school.

CATHY GASCHEN, ADMINISTRATOR: TRUST THE WAIT. EMBRACE THE UNCERTAINTY. ENJOY THE BEAUTY OF BECOMING. We are committed to walking on this path of your becoming with you.

WELCOME BACK! A MESSAGE FROM PRINCIPAL LYNN OJEDA we've I'm so proud of each of you! You embraced the challenges of your last school year with grit and determination. Your resilience has seen you through; missed and now, a new school year awaits! Our new 1st years and returning 2nd years have never you! known Academy the way our upperclassmen have. We are counting on 3rd and 4th years to lead, to tell our story, to welcome our newest Titans, and to build the campus culture that makes Academy a very special place to be a learner. I want to see our 1st and 2nd years stepping into leadership and holding each other Academy High School accountable for the standards we expect. The story you write this year will be the one that is told to those Photo credit: who come after you. I'm counting on you, Titans!! https://www.thebluebook.com/iProView/292623/bartlett-cocke/general- contractors/construction-projects/plano-academy-high-school-327097.html

WE CAN'T LEARNER PROFILE DO IT ATTRIBUTES OF A TITAN: WITHOUT YOU COLLABORATOR COMMUNICATOR You made a commitment in choosing Academy High School, an agreement to aspire LEARNER to meet our Learner Profile to the best of your SENSE OF SELF ability. FLEXIBLE In a highly collaborative environment and as a OPEN-MINDED member of project teams, your choices PROJECT-ORIENTED matter. People are counting on you to be all in, to work hard, to make our school better RESILIENT because YOU ARE HERE. RESPECT SELF-DIRECTED KNOWS THEY ARE THE FUTURE autonomy belonging contributing PHOTO CREDIT: HTTPS://WWW.ATPE.ORG/EN/NEWS/ATPE- NEWS-ARCHIVES/ATPE-NEWS-(1)/BRICK-BY-BRICK

We've had a MAKE-OVER! The Plano ISD Facilities team has been hard at work this summer on the little things that make a BIG difference. We've had a fresh coat of paint, patching and repairs, electrical work and more. While these may seem like minor things, they make a BIG difference in our school!

DID YOU KNOW? PROFESSSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS WE ARE CONTINUOUSLY LEARNING. We engage in learning all year long. We attend conferences, complete book studies, invest in training, and seek opportunities that make us better in our professional practice. We have facilitators and administrators 0 5that provide professional development and training to others locally and nation-wide. Our 13 combined staff achieved level of education is staggering and includes those who have earned multiple postgraduate degrees including PhD and PhD candidates. We also have facilitators who are dual-certified and certified in other states. Russell Young, our AHS Teacher of the Year, is a Nationally Board Certified Teacher which is no small feat! Our Innovation Leadership Team engaged in professional learning on leading research in best practices for designing and furnishing spaces to Guiding our work...complement learning and student achievement. In an overview of the book, Blueprint for Tomorrow: Redesigning Schools for Student-Centered Learning, we find the following: Author, \"Prakash Nair—one of the world’s leading school designers—explores the hidden 2 7messages that our school facilities and classrooms convey and advocates for the “alignment” of the design of places in which we teach and learn with twenty-first-century learning goals.\" Photo and quote credit: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/blueprint-for-tomorrow-prakash-nair/1120314377

WE'VE MADE SOME Above Academy Science Lab 2 Photo credit: https://www.thebluebook.com/iProView/292623/bartlett-cocke/general- contractors/construction-projects/plano-academy-high-school-327097.html CHANGES Based on our Keep reading to learn more! professional Featured Spaces include: learning, we have made exciting The Commons improvements in Engineering Studio our school. La Plaza for LOTE Quiet Zone a new Project Area!

NEW FURNITURE We purchased new furniture inspired by these examples to complement our new and existing spaces. This furniture is designed to be flexible, comfortable, student-friendly, and beautiful. Practicing our motto \"Take care of ourselves, take care of each other, take care of our school\" will be important to the life of the new furniture in the building. *FURNITURE is on order and arriving soon after school starts! Furniture pictured from the HON Education catalogue . bit.ly/HONcataloguebl

A space for learners to be human beings. THE COMMONS Furniture pictured from the HON Education catalogue . bit.ly/HONcataloguebl MEET ME THERE! The power of diverse spaces and flexible At school early? Need a place to be This space was designed with YOU in with friends? The Commons is now mind. Generously gifted by our lounge seating is that open in LS 1-2. Filled with lounge PTSA, you'll find gaming stations learning can take place and café style furniture, this space is there, too. Bring your controller and sure to be a learner favorite! The join your friends! With furniture anytime, anywhere, Commons is an open, flexible space groupings in The Commons, you will and with anyone! to access before school, during lunch, find lots of options for being with during flex time, and will serve as a your team or friend group. Fun We love learning and learning space, too! colors and a cool vibe make this making meaning upgrade Titan-tastic! together ! New furnishings will arrive shortly after school starts.

Welcome to your new Engineering Studio! This space in LS 4 on the first floor is a partner space to Project Area 1. Here you will have space to tinker, to build, and to innovate for your projects. It's where your ideas com to life! Our 3D printers, soldering irons, and Lego Mindstorm robots and more will all be housed there so let your imagination fly! THE ENGINEERING STUDIO STEAM

RECHARGE in the quiet zone NEED TO GET AWAY? The Quiet Zone on the second floor is furnished with you in mind. We all need a minute to ourselves, a moment to think, a space to be.

FEATURE Activity Lot CHOOSE YOUR DESTINATiON: You have a one hour lunch break. We want you to have some fun with people you work hard and collaborate with during learning time. Be outside, enjoy the sunshine, and MOVE! Use this mid-day break to wake up your brain and body to power through the afternoon. Updates on the Activity Lot include painted zones such as a basketball free throw lane, an updated 4 square court, and a new pickleball court!

la PLAZA LOTE: LANGUAGES OTHER THAN ENGLISH RE-IMAGINED A flexible grouping schedule allows all LOTE learners to engage in language learning that is customized to their readiness and proficiency level. NEW this year is a learner's ability to progress at their own pace! Language learning is being transformed to meet each learner where they are in their progression. Leading-edge research- based practices will shape learning and be designed with the unique readiness of each Titan. LS 19 for French and LS 12-13 for Spanish are ready. Vámonos and allons-y!

CLUBS !srehto eripsni lliw taht bulc a etaerc ro uoy seripsni taht gnihtemos dniF .snoitazinagro esoht no tcapmi A place where you can find your people! na dah ev'uoy woh dna seitivitca ralucirruc-artxe ni tnemtimmoc detartsnomed ees ot tnaw segelloc tub ,snoissap dna stseretni HOUSE OF ARTS HOUSE OF THE AND MODERN AGE esrevid ruoy wohs ot elba uoy era ylno toN !sbulc tuoba erac segelloC ENTERTAINMENT Video gaming Table Top Games Film Book Technology Music/Theatre Garden/Environmental Art HOUSE OF HEALTH AND HOUSE OF COMMUNITY WELLNESS IMPACT Gym - Personal Fitness Hope Squad Yearbook Team Sports Student Council National Honor Society WANT TO START A NEW CLUB? Stay tuned for information on signing up for the club fair to pitch your club to the school.

GO TITANS!COMPETITIVE TEAMS A place where you make your mark with other Titans in competition! TITAN MOTORSPORTS Compete in go-kart building, racing, and marketing, and more. Requires outside school hours. TITAN ESPORTS Compete in video games, marketing, commentating, content development. Requires outside school hours TITAN ROBOTICS Compete in building, driving, marking, fundraising & more. Requires outside school hours.

STUDENT AGENCYPHOTOCREDIT:PISDTWITTER. TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR LEARNING \"YOU GET OUT OF IT At school early? Need a place to be This space was designed with YOU in with friends? The Commons is now mind. Generously gifted by our WHAT YOU open in LS 1-2. Filled with lounge PTSA, you'll find gaming stations and café style furniture, this space is there, too. Bring your controller and sure to be a learner favorite! The join your friends! With furniture PUT INTO IT\" Commons is an open, flexible space groupings in The Commons, you will to access before school, during lunch, find lots of options for being with ~ ALUMNI during flex time, and will serve as a your team or friend group. Fun learning space, too! colors and a cool vibe make this upgrade Titan-tastic! NIGEL RAMIREZ '19

FLEXIBLE Voice, MONDAY Choice, SCHEDULE & Getting the job done! We learned a lot from the 2020-2021 school year. One big take away is the need to provide learners with some flexibility in their schedule where possible. Welcome to Flex Day! Mondays are now YOUR day! Every learner will have a personalized schedule each Monday that meets their needs. You will follow a unique schedule designed just for you. Where you are and what you are doing will depend on your progress, your needs, your choices and our trust in you. ENRICHING STUDENTS WILL BE YOUR TOOL! Photo credit: https://www.enrichingstudents.com/ Need a tutorial? We can do it! Want to explore something more deeply with your facilitator? We've got you covered! Need some help from a different facilitator or Titan tutor? We have a way! Want to attend a seminar of interest? There will be opportunities! Want to create a study team to prepare for an AP test? You will have the time during the school day! Looking for time in the Fab Lab, more CAD, learning how to code, growing your web skills? Every learner will have engineering time on Mondays.

THE PROJECTS PROJECTS 13 FACILITATORS WORK DURING THE SUMMER TO REVISE AND ? ? ?REFINE PROJECTS. Your project experience will always reflect the collective expertise and curriculum knowledge of your grade-level team. Each summer we are hard at work creating the very best that AHS has to offer! When our facilitators ask for your feedback ? ?on projects, we listen and adjust. Photo credit:https://localprofile.com/2017/11/29/full-steam-ahead-plano-academy-high- school/

Marzano High Reliability Schools™ Member \"Dr. Marzano’s vision for K–12 education is simple: the vast majority of schools can be highly effective in promoting student learning. To show how, he created the Marzano High Reliability Schools™ framework. This framework, based on 40 years of educational research, defines five progressive levels of performance that a school must master to become a high reliability school— where all students learn the content and skills they need for success in college, careers, and beyond.\" From https://www.marzanoresources.com/hrs/high- reliability-schools/ Join Academy High School in our work with HRS and proven research-based practices that positively impact student performance. Our goal this year is to earn Level 1 certification.

Fab Lab IMPROVEMENTS WE ARE STOCKED UP! The Fab Lab has received new inventory of tools and materials! What will you create? At Academy, we want your solutions and innovative ideas to move beyond the Engineering Design Notebook. You prototype is waiting!

DID YOU KNOW? SHANNON YOUNGER -MERTZ Shannon Younger has a Master’s degree in teaching and learning and 7 years’ experience teaching both English Language Arts and Visual Arts. Her passion 4th for education stems from her devotion to engaging earners and her deep Y e a r interest in exploring and analyzing the human experience and facilitating a community of diverse individuals who may share their unique perspectives and experiences. Ms. Younger-Mertz will serve as the English 4 and Art 3 English facilitator for 4th years offering specialized instruction for learners continuing in Art as well as a Humanities model of English Language Arts & Art Instruction. STEAM

I AM CURIOUS, I DEVELOP NEED-TO- LEARNS, I HAVE AGENCY IN MY LEARNING. Having only 3 project areas just doesn't make sense. And, we hear you! There are 4 grade levels, and we need 4 spaces to create, develop, ideate, and more! LS 17 has been TRANSFORMED! ANOTHER PROJECT AREA? MISSION Furniture pictured from the HON Education catalogue . bit.ly/HONcataloguebl ACCOMPLISHED!

THIS JUST IN! HERE'S TO YOUR HEALTH! Thank you to our PTSA parents for their donations to our clinic! Nurse Adams is just around the corner! With new patient beds and a waiting bench added this year, you will have everything you need to get care in style. The health grade vinyl on these furnishings means you always have a sanitized surface for your needs. Face masks As a reminder, learners may are not carry and self-administer medication without an approved OPTIONAL health plan from Nurse Adams. in the 2021-2022 school year!

‘ALL PROGRESS TAKES PLACE OUTSIDE THE COMFORT ZONE.’ MICHAEL JOHN BOBAK, DIGITAL ARTIST

WE'VE RAISED THE BAR Your fitness needs have evolved, and OPEN GYM weight training is an essential element of your DIY Workouts. We are proud to select afternoons share that our center has the from 4:30-5:30 pm equipment you need! Squat rack Standard Lifting Bar Adjustable Bench Weight Plate Set Swiss Bar Dumbbell Set Dumbbell Rack Glute Ham Bench Lock-Jaw Barbell Collars Box Jump Box T-Bar Row Dip Station Farmer’s Walk Handles Fitness Sled Battle Rope *Weight equipment is on order and will arrive shortly after school starts!

WE ARE A LEARNING COMMUNITY WE LEARN BETTER TOGETHER One thing we have learned in our experience of school with safety protocols and learning from home is that we need each other when we are learning. We need to be together, collaborating at a table, and making meaning of new learning in small and large groups. You are an important member of our learning community ,and your commitment to be a Titan, modeling our Learner Profile, will positively affect your learning and the learning of your peers. You have every member of our staff in your corner, ready to help and support you in your learning. Welcome back to in-person school and the best year of school yet!

2020-2021 Plano GO TITANS! ISD Academy Teacher of the Year: Russell Young 2021 TI Innovation in Teaching STEM Award Winner: Tina Cone 2021 Plano ISD 100 Support Staff Winner: Ara Jackson SHOUT OUT!

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