Arts Academy in the Woods
AAW Family Newsletter Sep 26, 2008 Issue 4
Trips
Attention students! Anyone interested in going on the Washington
D.C. trip needs to pick up an informational packet from Ms. Schurig
in room 208! Students going on the Washington DC trip must have
a $50.00 deposit turned in by Oct. 10, 2008. Please see Ms. Schurig
if you have any questions!
We would like to inform the students and families at AAW that, during
September, they will be able to continue to enroll for our European
trip to “Italy and Greece” or “Italy and Spain”!
Please visit Mrs. Herlea in room 200 for more information.
After School Groups
Destination Imagination will start on Thursday Oct 2 after school
in room 111 with Ms. Mantey.
Peace Council will start on Friday Oct 3 after school in Ms. Mantey’s
room, room 111. See Nadja Pizzimenti for more details.
Christian Club will start on Wednesday, October 1 after school in
room 212. See Emily Rudko or Alicia Johnston for more details.
Poetry Club is starting! Their will be a brief first meeting from
3:15-3:30 on Tuesday September 30. This will be an informative meeting
only.
Konnichiwa! Japanese Club will be held every Tuesday from 3:10 – 4:00
in Mr. Mitchell’s room. Come join other students while we
learn about Japan’s language, culture, and entertainment!
Please see Elaine Paiz or Michael Pawl for more information.
Fall Ball
The Fall Ball is Friday, October 24. Costumes are allowed but must
abide by the school’s dress code. Please no high heels. Tickets
go on sale Wednesday, October 1. There’s a drop box for song
requests. Guest requests must be in Thursday, October 23, either
to the office, Katie McQuaide, or Breanne Wolber.
PSAT
Sophomores and Juniors sign up for the PSAT in Ms. Ura’s office.
The cost is $15.00. Fee Waivers are available. Sophomores need this
test if they want to dual enroll next year. Juniors need this test
as the entrance exam for National Merit Scholarship.
Assemblies
Please join us each Friday at 2:40 for our weekly assembly. Nate
Montgomery and Jennie Brady have been organizing the assembly, and
they are doing a great job. There are many ways in which students
can participate in the assembly: performing, MC-ing, or being part
of the tech crew.
Festival of the Senses
Thank you to all of the students and staff members that participated
in the Clinton Township Festival of the Senses. AAW was represented
well, and we should be proud of our students.
Count Day
Count day has come and gone, and AAW will submit an enrollment of
308 students to the state. As many of you know, this is well short
of the enrollment goal of 350 students we were hoping for. Consequently,
AAW will have to make some cuts in our expenditures. Although all
options are on the table, please know that continued student success
is our number one priority at AAW.
Personally, I want to thank each family for your support so far
this year, and I ask you to continue to support your student and
our school as we go through this difficult time. We will keep you
updated on specifics as we make decisions.
Proud of our Students
I want to express how proud I am of our students. I’ve worked
in a number of different educational environments, and I’ve
never been in a school with so many mature students who genuinely
care about each other. Although each has her or his own obstacles
to overcome – and some obstacles are higher than others! – I
am happy to report that I haven’t yet met a student who tells
me that they are giving up. Each student here is demonstrating in
his or her own way that they are working towards improvement. Please
share this with your daughter, son, niece, nephew, godchild, or
grandchild. They need to hear that we are proud of them.
Mr. Spayde
College Rep Visits
Check the calendar for college rep visits to AAW! Coming soon Michigan State, Central Michigan, College for Creative Studies, College of the Atlantic, Art Institute of MI and Lawrence Tech. See Ms. Ura for details.
AAW performs Beethoven's Fifth
Beethoven's Fifth Symphony performed live by the Guitar IV ensemble at Arts Academy in the Woods. Arranged and directed by Nathan Montgomery, director of the guitar program at AAW. (Performance from Spring 2008).
School Hours
AAW School hours are: 8:00am - 3:10pm.
The building opens at 7:30am and is locked at 4:00pm.
School Board Vacancy
The Arts Academy currently has one opening on its school board. If you are interested, please complete the attached application, and submit it to the AAW office.
Please Join Us in Welcoming Mr. Spayde to our Staff
Dear Arts Academy Students, Parents, Staff, and Supporters,
I am honored and extremely excited to be joining the staff of Arts Academy in the Woods as Principal beginning in August 2008. From the moment I first heard about AAW, I knew this school, with its dedication to integrating studio instruction with the traditional academic disciplines, would be a good fit for my background, my experiences, and my vision for what a high school education can be. I look forward to getting to know all AAW stakeholders and supporters over the next few months while learning all I can about our school.
I have two main goals as I enter this new phase of my career. The first is to immediately coordinate a marketing and student recruitment campaign designed to increase the number of students enrolled at Arts Academy for the 2008-2009 school year. I have spoken with many staff members and parents about this endeavor, and we are well on our way to a successful summer of promoting the school and expanding our enrollment. There will be many volunteer opportunities available to AAW supporters, and I hope we can count on your support for this important initiative.
My second goal is to listen to you. AAW has many passionate supporters, and it is important that I understand the school from multiple perspectives before I begin my tenure as principal. I plan on having confidential meetings with AAW board members, staff members, parent and student leaders, either as individuals or as small groups, throughout my first few months as principal. I hope you will take some time to help me understand AAW better by letting me see the school through your eyes.
I will be at AAW all day on Thursday, May 22; 7:30-8:30 am, 2:30-3:30 pm, and 6:00-6:30 pm have been reserved for parents and other adults to informally meet me at the school. I will be available to meet with school staff from 9:00 – 2:00 pm. I sincerely hope that you will take a few minutes to introduce yourself. I also hope to present some of the volunteer opportunities available to AAW stakeholders during these times, and I hope you will take the initiative to sign up for an opportunity to support our school.
Please be assured that I do not plan to rush into our school with a preconceived agenda. If we are to grow and flourish as a school, we must do it together, and I look forward to a strong, collaborative relationship with the different groups that support AAW. Although substantive growth is not easy, it is rewarding, and I look forward to many years of growth with you at Arts Academy.
Sincerely,
Maxwell Spayde
Principal, as of August 2008