Dear American Academy - LM Parents, 

I truly hope you all had an incredible Thanksgiving break with family and friends. December is here and we are only 9 school days away from Winter break! This month always flies by, but it is filled with the most joy at the same time! Please read below some of the updates and events we have going on at AALM over the next few weeks/months. 

Upcoming Holiday-Themed Dress Up Days 
Tis’ the season! We would love to have our students join in on the Holiday fun. Below are the dates to mark your calendars! 
- Friday, December 13th - All grades: Holiday Hair, Don’t Care (sleep in the extra 15 minutes and cover that “do” with a hat). With the hat, students will still be required to wear full uniform.
- Thursday, December 19th - All grades: PJ Day (please be sure that this is dress of choice compliant) 

Events/Dates to keep in mind:

December 10th- Make A Wish Restaurant Fundraiser Night at Red Robin

• Visit the Red Robin located at 9130 Crown Crest Blvd, Parker CO 80138 (Don’t forget to mention Make-A-Wish!). All funds raised at this location will be added to AA’s fundraising total! 

December 18th - Holiday Hallway (Kindergarten- 5th Grade)

• Ms. Anderson will be putting together a SECRET festive holiday hallway like in the years past. This year she will be going for a Polar Express inspired theme! 

December 19th - Holiday Classroom Celebrations

• Please look for more information by specific grade level communications.

December 20th-January 6th - Winter Break 

January 6th - Professional Development for STAFF ONLY…students will resume school on Tuesday, January 7th 

January 26th - Harlem Wizards Game at Legend High School!

• More information about ticket sales and game details can be found at this link!

January 27th-January 30th - Wish Week

• Help us celebrate and raise money for this year’s Wish Week student! Please see below for more information.

Mizel Museum (5th-8th Grade)  

Before Thanksgiving Break, our 5th-8th grade students were able to pilot a program known as Mizel Museum. The program was titled: “Bridges of Cultural Understanding”. This online global field trip highlights diversity by providing students with the chance to explore rites of passage from various cultures worldwide.

• During the virtual presentation led by a Mizel Museum educator, participants will:
• Engage with themes, foods, objects, and stories from different cultures.
• Discover how various cultures celebrate special events and traditions.
• Examine the similarities and differences among communities, promoting empathy and understanding.
• Format: Four 30-minute live sessions with a museum educator, designed for K-8th grade students.
• Rites of Passage Lesson Topics:
• Lesson One: Birth and Childhood (Den, Bris, Baptism, First Samskaras)
• Lesson Two: Adolescence (Quinceañera, Sunrise Ceremony, Bar Mitzvah)
• Lesson Three: Adulthood (Korean Coming-of-Age Day, Voting, Creating a Home, Marriage)
• Lesson Four: Death and Remembrance (Pchum Ben, Dia de los Muertos, Qingming Festival)
• Standards-Based: This program aligns with Colorado standards in Social Studies, Language Arts, Comprehensive Health, and Visual Arts.

Our students and staff truly enjoyed this program and are hopeful to continue to do this every year!

End of Trimester Celebrations- HERO 

Hero is in full swing for Trimester 2 and the students are back to earning Hero points and more excited than ever after having our end of trimester celebration before Thanksgiving break. What a success that event was! Our parents make these events possible and I appreciate all of the donations that were given to our students for their hard work this trimester! The kids were so incredibly excited to spend their hero points. We look forward to seeing all the points earned at the end of Trimester 2. Reminder, all students started back at 0 for the beginning of Trimester 2. 

Attendance Notifications in T2 from Infinite Campus

Beginning November 18th, there will be an automated notification sent to parents through Infinite Campus that notifies parents of an attendance concern reflected in IC. In years past, the Dean was responsible for emailing families when a student reached 10% absenteeism. At 10% absent, the student is flagged in Infinite Campus as chronically absent. Parents will receive notifications at 10% and again at 15% or higher with deeper concern. If the absences continue to increase, there will be a more formal approach to documentation and parent meetings will be set up between Principal, Dean and family to discuss these matters on a more formal basis. These notifications will be sent on the 1st of every month throughout the end of the school year. 

Harlem Wizards 

We are beyond excited to bring back the high energy shenanigans of the Harlem Wizards, when they take on our very own American Academy Hoopsters (aka your favorite teachers and staff), January 26, 2025! 

This school-wide event is one you won't want to miss, and because we had a sell-out crowd last year, we've secured the Legend High School gym once again for this entertaining basketball game. It's going to be a night of laughter, fun and school spirit! We've even changed up the day and time to make this event more conducive for a school night, and tweaked halftime to run smoother and shorter. Watch for volunteer opportunities to come mid-December.  

Harlem Wizards AA School-Wide Event
Sunday, January 26, 2025
4:00 - 6:00 PM (doors open at 3pm)
Legend High School Gym 

Get more info and your tickets HERE! Tickets will make the perfect holiday gift or stocking stuffer!

Wish Week/Kindness Week (January 27th-January 30th) 

Kindness week this year is even more special than years past. This year we were able to combine kindness week with wish week! This year we have the incredible opportunity of raising money for our wish week student, Audrey. 

A little about Audrey:

• 5 years old and has relatives at the Castle Pines campus
• Has a condition known as “pulmonary condition”
• Her wish is to go to Disney World!
• Some of Audrey’s favorite things are:
• Colors: pink and purple
• Movies/Shows: Pinkalicious, Cinderella, Frozen, Peppa Pig, and Sleeping Beauty
• Food: Chik-Fil-A, Popcorn, In & Out, & chocolate cupcakes
• Hobbies: memory games, arts & crafts, going to the zoo, playing hide & seek, and completing obstacle courses
• At Disney, she would love to meet Elsa, Anna, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty 

Devices Not Permitted:

Before you shop for the holidays ahead of us, please consider the school’s policy on electronic devices.    

The following personal devices may not be used during AA business hours (7:30 am – 4:30 pm) without specific permission by administration or the school nurse. If students choose to bring any of these devices to school, they must remain in their backpack or locker and turned off.

• Cell Phones (use permitted after 3:35 pm for communication)
• iPads or other tablets not issued by American Academy
• Air Pods (or any Bluetooth earbuds)
• Internet, cellular, or Bluetooth-enabled smart watches (use permitted after 3:35 pm for communication)
• This includes Fitbit, Apple watches, Gizmos, etc.
• When in doubt, if it can connect to the internet, has touch-screen capabilities, or Bluetooth enabled it is NOT acceptable.
• MP3 Players, iPod Touches, iPods, or other music devices
• Any device that is used to play a non-academic game
• Any device that connects to a cellular network

What’s Happening Around Campus:

As the school year continues, students are developing their routines and study habits.  The staff of American Academy Lincoln Meadows continues to impress upon the students to put their best foot forward and enjoy the educational journey they are embarking on. 

Please refer to the principal newsletters for details regarding upcoming events as well as reminders for winter dress code.  Boots should be below the ankle bone and when wearing snow boots to school, make sure students have a change of shoes for building use.  

American Academy Character:

During the month of December our character focus will be focused on Generosity. Over the course of the month, teachers will be incorporating lessons with activities solely focused on generosity.  Staff throughout the building have been encouraging generosity and modeling the behaviors we expect to see from our students.   

• Generosity

• Sharing what you have with others

• Saving in order to be able to give

• Not expecting anything in return

• Giving of my time and talents

• Being kind and encouraging 

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 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 Impacts 

Please see below the link to a great article that shares the impact of social media, cell phone group text messaging, internet, etc.  

https://www.lovewhatmatters.com/10-reasons-why-todays-teenagers-are-so-anxious/ 

Here are some more informative articles on the negative effects of cell phones, social media, and gaming on young children and teenagers.

Charms and Harms of Social Media 

10 Harmful Side Effects of Mobile Phones on Teenagers 

Concerns About Getting Cell Phones for Kids and Teens 

Unhealthy Video Gaming: What Parents Can Do to Prevent It

Here is a great youtube channel for parents to understand the stresses and anxiety of students when it comes to school and peer conflict situations. There are several yoga videos that are great for students if you find that they are starting to get stressed about school. 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx0XrhMk5oSd5HkZ8g-mkuA

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 Buresh
Dean of Students, Lincoln Meadows