AIMSupt Newsletter - April 2023 - Issue 19
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Mask Mandate Survey
As of April 3, 2023, the California Mask Mandate for High-Risk and Healthcare Workers, including indoor childcare facilities, has been lifted. Emergency orders have been in place since March of 2020. Here at AIMS College Prep Charter District, our main priority is the health and safety of our students, parents, and staff. We do not want to make a decision on our masking policy without consulting with our community and gauging your feelings about the removal of the mask mandate at our schools.
Please take some time to fill out our Mask Mandate Survey to make sure your opinion is heard.
We are stronger together and together we are AIMSTRONG.
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Spring Uniform Reminder
The weather is getting warmer and AIMS District would like to remind students to wear uniform appropriate outfits for the rest of the school year. Please remember that all shorts, skirts, and dresses must be at least knee length and all pants, skirts, and shorts must be navy or khaki colored.
All AIMS students must be wearing a white or navy collared shirt, even under a sweater. Polos must have the official AIMS patch on them. Please contact your school if you need more polos and patches. No hoods may be worn. Shoes must be athletically appropriate. Necklaces must be worn inside of shirts. Jeggings, leggings, sweatpants, and jeans are not part of the AIMS uniform with the exception of the PE uniform. Acrylic/gel nails are not allowed on campus. The official AIMS jacket and sweater colors are navy blue and white.
Special exceptions: High school students can wear AIMS spirit wear tops everyday. Middle School students can wear AIMS spirit wear tops on Fridays. However, special dress days, organizational, or homeroom attire is not permitted without prior Head of School approval.
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State Testing and Preparation
The California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) testing will occur in May and June of the 2023 school year. The ELA and CAAs tests for English Language Literacy and Math are proctored in grades three through eight and in grade eleven. The CAST and CAA tests for Science are given in grades five, eight, and once in high school. There is also an optional Spanish Assessment (CSA) that can be taken in grades three through eight and in high school. AIMS District encourages students to take practice tests through the CA Department of Education site to prepare for the testing. The tests use a series of selected responses, constructed responses, fill-in the blank, and graphs to measure student ability to integrate knowledge and make sure they will be college and career ready.
Each AIMS District School will have their own testing block for the SBAC. Please review the dates below and remind your students to come to school prepared.
AIMS Elementary School
May 8th - June 2nd
AIMS Middle School
May 22nd - June 2nd
AIMS High School
May 22nd - May 25th
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Charter Renewal Reprieve
California Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil announced new legislation on charter renewals, SB 739, in March of 2023. Charter renewals typically happen every five years, however this legislation will allow all charter schools whose terms expire between January 1, 2024 and June 30, 2027 additional years to renew. This is an extension of a protection California Governor Gavin Newsom offered for charter schools in 2021. SB 739 was also sponsored by the California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) who advocates for the entire state charter sector. This bill has not yet been approved. Currently, AIPCS II will be up for renewal in the upcoming school year. Please stay tuned for meetings and engagements with Oakland Unified School District, our local authorizer.
The new legislation is a pandemic protection measure to ensure school stability. It is particularly crucial for the most affected: schools who serve low income and vulnerable student populations. During the pandemic, the state of California suspended testing, assessments, and attendance metrics in order to focus on virtual learning. This led to a data gap for school performance metrics on the state dashboard. As we have shifted back into in-person instruction, schools have continued to face student attendance issues as well as school closures. Since the state is committed to continuous evaluation, they will wait until they can assess post-pandemic data that is comparable to the pre-pandemic data to make renewal decisions.
Charter schools must still comply with all the accountability measures they are normally required to meet. The state of California is looking to renew charter schools that demonstrate high academic performance, excellent student attendance, and have made strides in closing the opportunity gap.
AIMS District will continue to focus on providing high quality instruction and support to our 1,300 K-12 students. With an incredibly diverse set of students, where 71% qualify for free or reduced lunch, closing the opportunity gap and creating equal access to education is at the forefront of our mission and values. The results reflect the work. Our students perform in the top 12% in Math and 24% in Language for state testing, have a 100% college acceptance rate, and meet 100% of the A-G requirements.
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College Decision-Making
100% of AIMS students are accepted into colleges or universities after graduation. AIMS District believes in equal opportunity for ALL students. We offer financial support for SAT and ACT testing as well as test preparation materials. AIMS pays for college applications and offers 1:1 college counseling to ensure student success. We have developed some tips to help our students with college decision-making and to assist parents of new college students.
When looking for the perfect college, there are many aspects to consider. It’s helpful to develop a short list of colleges and rank them in order of your most or least interested to attend. A few important factors include: location, enrollment size, majors and programs offered, scholarship availability, cost, and graduation rate. It is also important to consider factors like the opportunities around the school and the distance from home. Consider where you’d like to live, what class sizes you are comfortable with, and what academic programs you want to explore.
Once you have a few colleges in mind, schedule visits to the campuses and ask some questions. You want to get an understanding of the campus culture to determine if it’s the right fit for you. Compare financial aid packages and consider other costs like housing, meal plans, and books. Think about college ranking and prestige; is your college known for your major? You have to decide what aspects are most important to you. An educated decision can help you to make the best decision.
You’ve done all your research, you selected your dream school, and you’ve answered the acceptance letter. How can your parents and guardians help?
AIMS District's best tip for parents and guardians of a new college student is to communicate! Go with your student to an orientation for their new school. Discuss finances and money matters, academic goals, and how often you will talk with your student while they are away. Try to include younger siblings who may be feeling the distance when their older siblings move away. Help with moving day so your student feels comfortable and well situated from day one.
It’s incredibly difficult to let go and let your child spread their own wings. Try your best to offer guidance and encouragement while leaving room for them to make their own mistakes. Offer them freedom and trust by allowing them to find solutions for their problems instead of solving it for them. Send care packages and stay in touch. Congratulate yourself for all the hard work you put in to raise your child and be proud of this big accomplishment!
If you would like some more tips and tricks or guidance for college, please check out AIMS College Bound Kids website or get in contact with Mr. Kabeer, AIMS College Bound Coordinator.
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A-G Award
AIMS College Prep Charter District has received the esteemed A-G Quality School Award from Families in Action for Quality Education and Energy Convertors. AIMS High School has an 100% completion rate of A-G requirements for Black and Latinx students. The average in Oakland is 44% for Black students and 55% for Latinx students as compared to 80% for White and Asian students.
A-G requirements are a series of courses taken in High School that are required by both the University of California and California State University systems. AIMS District hopes to close the opportunity gap by providing the fundamental support and access to A-G coursework students need to be eligible for a 4-year university.
AIMS District is ensuring student success through requiring tutoring for any student receiving a C- or below instead of waiting for a D grade to arise. We offer Saturday school to students who need extra support to understand the class materials. This early intervention and check in approach allows for a higher A-G completion rate.
If you are interested in attending the A-G Award Ceremony, please RSVP here. The event will be held on Thursday April 27, 2023 at Bay Area Technology School to celebrate the Oakland students, families, educators, leaders, and elected officials working hard to promote A-G requirement awareness and equal access to college.
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Spring: A Time for New Beginnings
“All the flowers of all the tomorrows are in the seeds of today.” Native American Proverb
As the Spring sun makes its first appearance from the clouds, we switch our focus to renewal, hope, and new beginnings. California had one of its rainiest seasons in years this Winter and many people experienced the negative effects of flooding. However, that same rain carried us out of our long drought and cultivated the seeds that will nourish us through this Spring.
Change and growth require a lot of energy; we clean our houses and cleanse our bodies in order to make space for transformation. Spring cleaning is normally deep cleaning. We go through the cupboards, discard old clothing, and even get to the dusting we put off all year. Similarly, we do the deep work of letting go of old patterns, habits, and beliefs to create enough room to try something new.
Springtime captivates our senses and inspires us through celebrating new life. We watch in awe as seeds grow from sprouts, to buds, to flowers. We are reminded of the value of persistence and taking things one step at a time. We are inspired to start fresh and to risk doing things differently. The warm colors and beautiful aromas wake us up and propel us in our growth.
Let nature renew your dreams and remind you to be grateful this Spring. Some of the best new beginnings come from cultivating a peaceful mindset that allows for the changes.
AIMS Elementary School students celebrated Spring by writing Haikus for Haiku Poetry Day.
Natalie, 4th Grade
Trees have leaves falling
Leaves are red, brown, yellow, and green
Oh what fun leaves are.
Maraki, 4th Grade
It is a nice place,
It’s good for my vacation
It’s my home country.
Edom, 4th Grade
Today is the day
I can go visit knowledge
To get into college
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Student Government, Assemblies, and Events
AIMS District partnered with All Tied Up to bring Middle and High School students to the 2023 MBK Youth Summit. President Barack Obama founded the MBK (My Brother’s Keeper) Alliance in 2014 to address the opportunity gap for young men of color. The MBK Alliance outlines a series of educational and career milestones for participants and encourages building safe and supportive communities to help reach those goals. AIMS students got a special introduction to MBK Bay Area Alliance from Mr. Emron, Deputy Chair. They heard from a series of panelists and participated in workshops covering how to choose colleges and how to practice mindfulness in art. AIMS students participated in an MBK Alliance Podcast and interacted with students from all over California.
AIMS High School held a Cultural Dress Day during Spirit Week. The students performed cultural dances and presented fashion pieces from all over the world to celebrate AIMS diversity! Our first dances from Ethiopia were the Amhara dance Eskista and the Tigrinya dance the Shim-Shim dance, which emphasize shoulder movement. Next, we saw the Saudi Arabian Najdi Ardah dance, which is a cultural dance for showing their heroic spirit. The students then performed the Swange dance from the Tiv people of Nigeria with feathers and fluid movements. Finally, we saw the Jarabe Tapatio, the National Dance of Mexico, where the men court potential partners with dancing, kicks, hops, and beautifully colored outfits. The students brought out a custom Eritrean Flag umbrella during the fashion show, where we got a second look at all the dancers' amazing cultural dress.
AIMS Middle School hosted a Carnival themed Open House to provide incoming students and families with information about the curriculum and the groups and clubs available next year. Families got an opportunity to meet Middle School staff and ask all their questions about the school. The Open House was three levels of fun with delicious food, games, and prizes. There was a special live performance from the AIMS Middle School Band! For more information about the Middle School, please visit their school website.
AIMS District outreached to our local communities this enrollment season in celebration of our truly diverse student body. We asked current AIMS students why they like AIMS, how they receive support from staff, about their experiences at school, and what life at AIMS is like. Please check out our Instagram and Youtube shorts to see the student response! We worked with Oakland Post, USPS, and El Timpano to reach out to more POC students and families in Oakland. We spoke with local foster facilities to reach our more vulnerable community members and offer them AIMS educational support. Finally, we took it directly to the community, by visiting local community and youth centers in China Town, Dimond District, and Downtown Oakland to distribute enrollment fliers. Would you like to apply for AIMS? Check out the AIMS Admission Page for more information!
The BACR after school program took AIMS Elementary Students on a field trip to the Oakland Museum of California. They students were amazed at the contemporary painting and sculptures in the entryway to the museum. They explored fashion, utensils, and tools from different historical periods. The Koi fish swam to the surface of the pond to peek at the kids exploring flowers in the gardens. They learned all about the multitude of animals and plants that live deep in the ocean waters. Thank you to BACR and Oakland Museum of California for welcoming AIMS and giving the students a fresh look at history!
The AIMS Chess Team competed in the 10th Annual Williams-Easterling Community Chess Tournament. Nathan, Jayden, Aiden, Allen, Kaleb, Mayte, Cantu, and Mikel represented AIMS in the tournaments and Nathan and Mayte won first place in their quads. Each chess game in a quad is played in 30 minutes with a four player round robin. The quad is determined by player rankings. Congratulations to the AIMS Chess Team and Mr. Cabrera; all your practice, hard work, and dedication paid off!
In AIMS Athletics this month, the Badminton season has begun. In the first game against Oakland High, the Lady Eagles secured four doubles and the Men's Eagles earned two doubles. In their second games against Oakland Tech, the Lady Eagles had three singles and doubles and the Men secured a single. In their third games against Skyline, AIMS Girls secured a 15 to 0 victory and AIMS Boys led 5 to 1. AIMS HS Lady Eagles Soccer team, under leadership of Coach Paola, defeated rival Oakland Charter and Senior Nadia Barron scored a hat trick during the game. They will face off against Griffin Tech Academy next.
Special congratulations to AIMS Senior Ubadi Egeonu for winning the 2023 CIF-State Spirit of Sport Award. This honor is awarded for demonstrating the 16 principles of Pursuing Victory with Honorism, being active in school and community service, and exhibiting leadership qualities. He has served as team captain for basketball and volleyball teams at AIMS as well as President, Vice President, and Secretary of the SGA. He is a two time recipient of the National African American Recognition Award, has been recognized on the Superintendent’s List four consecutive years, and is an active member of leadership group All Tied Up. Go Eagles!
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Kudos and Roses
Thank you to our frontline healthcare and high risk workers for your bravery and hard work through the pandemic.
Thank you to California Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil and the California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) for advocating for charter public schools.
Thank you to My Brother’s Keeper Alliance (MBK) for providing youth with new opportunities and resources for achieving career and educational milestones.
Thank you to Oakland Museum of California for preserving our histories and teaching our students through exploration.
Thank you to All Tied Up and BACR for supporting our students and connecting them with new networks for growth.
Thank you to our teachers and staff for going the extra mile to teach Saturday school and tutor students in A-G required classes.
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Wishing you good health!
Respectfully,
Maya Woods
Superintendent
AIMS K-12 College Prep Charter District |
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