Thursday, August 21, 2025

 

Dear American Academy Parents,

Welcome back for another great school year! 

I cannot believe how quickly summer zipped by. I hope all of you had a great break and are ready for a great school year ahead! If you were able to stop by our beginning of year registration event (Rebel, Set, Go!) last week, you may have stopped by to say hello. It was so great to see everyone and see how all of your kiddos have grown just over the quick three months away from each other. 

For those of you who do not know me, I am Mallory Silva, the Dean of Students, formerly known as Mallory Buresh. Over the summer, I got married and we celebrated our honeymoon in Thailand and what an incredible vacation it was! A little bit about myself is that aside from just getting married, we have a sweet Cocker Spaniel named Winston and outside of working here at American Academy, I also coach varsity cheerleading at Legend High School.

I am beyond excited to welcome all of our wonderful students back in the building and look forward to meeting you at carpool, back to school night, or in the front office. 

Here are a few highlight pictures from this summer!

Please continue to read all of the information below for upcoming events, information, etc.

American Academy Character Focus: Respect & Responsibility

For August and September, our school is highlighting Respect and Responsibility. Teachers will weave these traits into lessons, while staff encourage and model them throughout the building.

Responsibility means taking ownership of thoughts, words, and actions. Students practice responsibility by:

• Caring for belongings
  

• Working with a positive attitude
  

• Resolving conflicts peacefully
  

• Owning mistakes

Respect means treating others with honor and dignity—and valuing yourself by protecting your mind, body, and integrity. Following the American Academy Manners is a great way to show respect daily.

 

Elementary Hero (4th & 5th Grade) – Parent Action Required

Hero is our behavior tracking system for 4th–5th grade. Students earn Hero Points each trimester and celebrate with a party supported by parent donations and volunteers.

Parent Access:

• Parents can view their child’s behavior record through their SchoolMint Hero account.
  

• An activation email was sent on July 29. Please find it, click the activation link, and select Google Login to connect your account.
  

• Contact Ms. Silva if you need help accessing your account.

New This Year:

• Parents will now receive real-time email notifications for negative behaviors (minor or major).
  

• This ensures timely communication and helps us partner with families to support student success.

 

Middle School Hero/Demerits – Parent Activation Required

SchoolMint Hero is our behavior management platform, used to track positive and negative interactions. Parents now receive real-time email notifications if a student receives a demerit or write-up.

Student Responsibility:

• All middle school students will receive a demerit card in the first week of school.

• Cards must be kept in the laptop bag front pocket and maintained throughout the trimester.

Parent Access:

• An activation email was sent on July 29. Please locate it, click the activation link, and use Google Login to connect your account.
  

• Contact Ms. Silva if you need help activating your account.

This system keeps families informed and strengthens the partnership between home and school to support student accountability and success.

Cell Phone Policy

• Phones must be off upon entering the building and may not be turned on until 3:15 PM.
  

• Students needing to contact parents must use the front office phone.
  

• If a phone is seen/used during the day, it will be confiscated and held in the office for parent pick-up.
  

• Repeated violations may result in students being asked not to bring a phone to school.

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Student uniforms

As you all know, part of American Academy attendance includes our Student Uniform Policy. All uniform tops and bottoms must be purchased through Dennis Uniform or Uniforms by Tommy Hilfiger. 

Key Rules:

• Hair: No tinsel allowed.
  

• Footwear: Boots of any kind (Uggs, combat, ankle, etc.) are not allowed. Snow boots must be changed into regular shoes indoors. No light-up shoes.
  

• Sweatshirts:
  

• Elementary: Only Dennis sweatshirts (Mon–Thurs).
  

• Middle School: Any AA sweatshirt from Dennis/Hilfiger, spirit wear, or sanctioned trips (e.g., Nature Bridge).
  

• Non-AA sweatshirts only on Dress-of-Choice days.
  

• Shirts: No long-sleeved undershirts under short-sleeved uniforms.
  

• Dress-of-Choice Days:
  

• No tank tops or bare shoulders.
  

• No ripped jeans (even with backing).
  

• Shorts/skirts must extend past fingertips.
  

• Leggings require a fingertip-length top.
  

• Accessories: No smartwatches (Apple, Garmin, Gizmo, FitBit, etc.). Devices will be held in the office if worn.
  

• Makeup (Grades 6–8 girls): Light mascara (black/brown), blush (neutral/pale pink), clear/pale pink lip gloss only. No false eyelashes or glitter.

 

Upcoming Dates to Make Note:

August 21st (5-6pm)- Parent Preview Night-MIDDLE SCHOOL ONLY

This is a wonderful opportunity for you to walk through a day of your student’s day and experience their schedule while receiving a plethora of information along the way.

Parent Preview Night - ELEMENTARY ONLY (Please follow date/times for your child’s grade level)

Come join us at AALM for a fun parent preview night where parents can walk through their student’s day to day at school. 

September 4th:

Kindergarten & 1st grade (5-6pm)

4th grade (6-7pm)

September 5th:

2nd & 3rd grade (5-6pm)

5th grade (6-7pm)

 

Parent Informational Night – Social Media Safety

 September 4 | 5–6 PM | Lincoln Meadows Campus
For 5th–8th Grade Parents

Join us for a special session with Robert Hackenson Jr. (Dynamic Influence), connected to the student assembly on Sept. 5. This event will help parents continue the conversation at home about social media safety.

Topics include:

• Latest social media trends & apps
  

• Recognizing and addressing cyberbullying
  

• Setting healthy screen time boundaries
  

• Protecting your child’s digital footprint

• This is a great opportunity to gain tools, ask questions, and partner with us in guiding students safely through the digital world.

September 5 – Dynamic Influence Assembly (5th–8th Grade)

We’re excited to welcome Dynamic Influence for the Social Media Landmines assembly on September 5. Through magic, illusions, and stories, Robert Hackenson Jr. will engage students in understanding the impact of their online actions.

Topics include:

• Digital footprints & future opportunities
  

• Cyberbullying: how to respond as a target or witness
  

• Mental health effects of social media
  

• Digital communication and avoiding misinterpretation. This assembly empowers students to make safe, positive online choices. Parents are encouraged to continue the conversation at home by asking students what they learned.

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• September 17th (National Date for Constitution Day) 

In honor of Constitution Day on Wednesday, September 17th, students throughout the building will be participating in activities in their classrooms. Students are welcome to wear red, white, and blue shirts with uniform bottoms to school! Please remember, this is a day to celebrate our nation’s history and unity — so while patriotic colors are encouraged, political attire or campaign-related items will not be allowed.

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.

Mallory Silva

Dean of Students, Lincoln Meadows