Akimel A-al Middle School Welcomes You

CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Kyrene Akimel A-al Middle School | 2720 East Liberty Lane | Phoenix, AZ 85048
480.541.5800 tel | 480.541.5810 fax | www.kyrene.org
An A+ School of Excellence™
High Standards; High Achievement; High Expectations for All
Akimel A-al Middle School Welcomes You
February, 2016
Dear Incoming Sixth Grade Families:
We would like to take this opportunity to welcome your child and family to
Kyrene Akimel A-al Middle School. We are very excited to partner with you as
your child makes the important transition from elementary to middle school.
We have a number of transition activities planned in the spring which will
hopefully make the transition a smooth one for you and your child. These
activities include a visit to a PTSO meeting of our feeder elementary schools
(Estrella, Lagos, and Milenio), fifth grade students from those feeder schools
touring Akimel A-al Middle School, and an orientation evening in March at
which you and your child will learn about the middle school program and
have an opportunity to tour the campus.
Additional information will be posted on this webpage and sent through our
ListServ email distribution list in the spring. Information will also be sent to you
from your child's elementary schools.
Students are most successful when their parents are actively involved in their
education and work in partnership with their teachers. We look forward to
teaming with you to provide your child the best possible opportunity to
succeed.
Sincerely,
Stephanie Phillips
Principal
Class Schedules: Class schedules will be distributed on the day of the Meet the Teacher/
Curriculum Night event TBD.
First Day of School: The first day of school for the 2016-17 school year is Monday, August 1, 2016.
Fifth Grade Tours of AMS
Fifth grade students will visit AMS in
March for a program overview, a
tour of the campus, and an
opportunity to sample a middle
school lunch.
Tours have already been
completed
Orientation Night
Parents and students are invited
to learn about the sixth grade
middle school program and meet
the sixth grade and exploratory
teachers.
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
6:00—7:00 pm
Meet the Teachers
A Meet the Teacher /Curriclum
Night event will be held on TBD.
Information will be posted on the
AMS website
in late July.
Exploratory Interest Sheets
Exploratory Interest Sheets will be
given to your child when his/her
school visits AMS. Please review
and complete the forms with your
child. These must be returned to
your child’s 5th grade teacher.
Meet Mrs. Kaluzny
Orientation Activities
Fifth Grade Visit to Akimel A-al Middle School
Fifth grade students from Estrella, Lagos, and
Milenio Elementary schools will have an
opportunity to visit and tour the AMS campus. AMS
students will lead groups of 5th graders on a tour
of the campus and share their view on life at
middle school. Fifth grade students will also get to
experience lunch at middle school.
We’d like to introduce you to Mrs. Chris
Kaluzny, 6th Grade Dean of Students.
Mrs. Kaluzny is the primary contact for
sixth grade students and families.
Mrs. Kaluzny is a 25+-year veteran with
the Kyrene School District. She has
taught sixth grade at both Akimel A-al
and Altadeña Middle Schools and has
been the sixth grade student advisor
at AMS for the past nineteen years.
If you have any questions, or would like
to make an appointment to meet with
Mrs. Kaluzny, she can be reached at:
School Phone: 480.541-5800
E-Mail: ckaluz@kyrene.org
To purchase a lunch, students can: 1) Use their
lunch account to purchase a lunch ticket for $2.50 at their elementary school
cafeteria. They must bring the lunch ticket with them to give to the AMS cafeteria
staff. 2) Purchase a lunch at the AMS cafeteria for $2.65. Students will need to
bring cash. They cannot use their lunch account at AMS. Or, 3) students may also
bring their own lunch.
Lunch choices include, but are not limited to, pizza, hamburgers, cheeseburgers,
hot dogs, corn dogs, and curly fries. In addition, the students may choose from a
variety of individually priced a la carte selections (prices vary). We encourage
students to select a well-balanced lunch.
Orientation Night
A ‘Welcome to Akimel A-al Middle School’ evening will be held on Tuesday, March
16th . At 6:00 pm, parents and incoming 6th grade students, will meet in the AMS
multipurpose room. The purpose of this evening is to share the sixth grade middle
school program and provide a time for families to meet the sixth grade teachers.
We will also have a ‘Meet the Teachers’ event in August. Details will be on the
AMS website in late-July.
Exploratory Interest Sheet
Your child will receive an
exploratory interest sheet during
the tour of AMS. Please review
this form with your child and
encourage him/her to list his/her
rankings carefully. Schedules
cannot be changed after
schedules are written.
Kyrene Akimel A-al Middle School
2720 East Liberty Lane
Phoenix, AZ 85048
Tel: 480.541.5800
Fax: 480.541.5810
www.kyrene.org/aki
Stephanie Phillips, Principal
Debbie Wilkinson, Asst. Principal (8th)
& Athletic Director
Ashley Schutkowski, Student Advisor (7th)
Chris Kaluzny, Dean of Students (6th)
Completed sheets must be
returned to your child’s fifth
grade teacher by the date listed
on the form.
Time
Period Class
8:30—9:36
1
Core Content
9:39—10:43
2
Core Content
10:43—11:13
11:16—12:20
Lunch
3
A/B Day Rotation between two
exploratory classes
EXPLORATORY OPTIONS
Semester-Long: Art, Computer
Technology, Drama, Family & Consumer
Science, Physical Education*, Spanish,
World of Music *Students may request two
Exploratory
12:23 -1 :27
4
Core Content
1:30 -2 :34
5
Core Content
2:37—3:30
6
iClass
semesters of Physical Education
Year-Long: Band, Chorus, Orchestra
Parent Involvement
Opportunities
Parent Teacher Student Organization
We look forward to meeting and working with as many of you as possible in the coming
2016/2017 school year. The PTSO Board will be available at the Incoming Sixth Grade Orientation
Night on March 16th. We hope that you will participate in our team which supports AMS
programs and staff. PTSO fliers and Volunteer Interest Forms will be available at the orientation
and in the school office. Please let us know if you are interested in a leadership position with the
PTSO. We would love to have you join us.
AMS Site-Based Council
If you are interested in becoming a member of Akimel A-all's site-based council, please contact
Administrative Specialist, Leila Dalton, at ldalto@kyrene.org. Parent positions will be filled in the
fall.
Communication
Weekly eBlasts
Through the AMS List Serve we are able to send important messages
directly to you by e-mail. We encourage you to sign up now to start
receiving news from Akimel A-al Middle School. To subscribe, go to
www.kyrene.org, find the “Subscribe to Newsletters” link under the Quick
Links section of the homepage, and select the Kyrene Akimel A-al Middle
School box to receive news from AMS. Type your email address and name
in the boxes and submit.
AMS Website
We strive to make the Akimel A-al Middle School website a valuable
communication tool between the school and parents. You will find
news items and announcements on the home page
(www.kyrene.org/aki), information on our administrators, teacher
websites, information on sports, and a news page which includes
morning announcements, weekly eblasts, student recognition news,
and more news which we call “Rattler Tales.”
5th to 6th Grade Transition Information
On the news page of the AMS website, you will find a link to our 5th
to 6th grade transition information. We encourage you to check
the page frequently for the latest information.
IMMUNIZATIONS
Are your child’s shots up to
date? The Arizona
Administration Code requires
certain immunizations for school
attendance/entry.
Please note the immunization
requirements listed below:
Students 11 years of age and
older are required to have one
dose of Tdap vaccine (if 5 years
have passed since their last dose
of tetanus/diphtheria containing
vaccine. Most children had their
last DPT when they were 5 years
old, so most 11 year old children
will be due for a booster.)
Students 11 years of age and
older are required to have one
dose of Meningococcal vaccine
(MV, MCV4, or Menactra).
These immunizations will be due
by the first day of school, August
4, 2014 if your student will be 11
years old by that date.
Please review your child’s
immunizations with your health
care provider. When your child
receives the necessary
immunizations bring the record
in to school. The record must
show the child’s name, date of
birth, the month, day and year
that the shot(s) were given and
the name of the clinic or
physician that administered the
vaccine. You can contact your
school health office if you have
any questions.
Sports
MIDDLE SCHOOL SPORTS
KYRENE SCHOOL DISTRICT VISION
Kyrene’s vision is to prepare all students to
meet future educational and life
challenges in order to make positive
contributions to society.
KYRENE SCHOOL DISTRICT MISSION
To realize our vision, Kyrene seeks to inspire
and engage our diverse community of
students, staff, families and citizens to
ensure continuous academic
achievement and personal growth for
every student.
AKIMEL A-AL MIDDLE SCHOOL RATTLER
CREED
We promote academic excellence by
providing a quality environment which
fosters relevant, life-long learning for our
community. We honor trust, growth,
accountability, professionalism,
enthusiasm, respect, communication, and
diversity.
SCHOOL MOTTO
High Standards;
High Achievement;
High Expectations for All
Akimel A-al Middle School is an Arizona
Department of Education “A” School.
Kyrene offers both “cut” and “non-cut” sports for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade
students. Cut sports include: soccer, basketball, volleyball, cheer, softball,
and baseball. The non-cut athletic opportunities include cross country,
wrestling, and track and field.
FALL
Boys Soccer (JV & Varsity)
Girls Volleyball (JV & Varsity)
Cross Country (non-cut)
SPRING
Boys Baseball (JV & Varsity)
Girls Basketball (JV & Varsity)
Track and Field (non-cut)
WINTER
Boys Basketball (JV & Varsity)
Girls Soccer (JV & Varsity)
Girls Softball (JV & Varsity)
Wrestling (non-cut)
Cheer (JV & Varsity)
Class Schedules
Class schedules will be available:
* ParentVue on TBD
* Schedule Pick-Up on TBD,
9 –10:30 am, AMS MPR
* Prior to Meet the Teacher/
Curriculum Night, TBD,
Times TBA
First Day of School
The first day of school for the
2016-17 school year is
Monday, August 1, 2016
Judith Cotharin
Student Services & Athletic Secretary
Tel: 480-541-5805
Email: jcotharin@kyrene.org
Clubs
There are many extracurricular opportunities for students at AMS…
Theater  Student Council Class Representative  TACO (Totally Anonymous Cleaning Organization)  Battle of the Books (BoB)  Best Buddies  Jazz & Wind Ensemble 
Mini Town  National Junior Honor Society  Yearbook  Friends Across Borders 
Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) 
Honors Choir  LEGO Robotics
Radical Rattlers (Math Club) 
Not all clubs are active each year and some clubs
may not be open to 6th grade.
Akimel A-al Middle School is an Arizona
Educational Foundation
A+ School of Excellence™
School Hours (2016-2017)
8:30 am—3:30 pm
with 2:00 pm early release every
Wednesday.
CONTACT
Debbie Wilkinson,
Assistant Principal & Athletic Director
Tel: 480-541-5805
Email: dwilki@kyrene.org
Learning
Events
At Akimel A-al Middle School, we have a
number continuing traditions of
excellence.
Some events for our families to look
forward to:
Evening Under the Stars (Oct/Nov)
Astronomy Night (Nov/Dec)
Patriotic Day (Apr/May)
-Spirit Assemblies (23 times/year)
-School Spirit Days
-School Dances
Opportunities
Sometimes, you need a little help with
their classwork and homework. AMS
offers the Lunchtime Homework Club
and a before school Learning Lab where
students can get extra help from