AIMSupt Newsletter - March 2023 - Issue 18
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National Teenager Day
National Teenager Day is celebrated on March 21st each year, right at the beginning of Spring. The transformative period developing from a child to teenager can be a difficult one. The brain is maturing and the amygdala, which processes emotions, develops more quickly than the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for decision-making. This metamorphosis is accompanied by morose behaviors and moods as teenagers begin to comprehend and categorize their emotions.
On this day we celebrate and encourage teenagers in their growth. We recognize them for learning self-determination and responsibility. AIMS District guides our students by providing them with role models and by teaching them to think abstractly. It is our blessing to support each student in developing and blossoming through their transformations.
AIMS District Middle School SGA shared quotes that describe what it’s like to be a teenager:
Elijah Rucker, SGA President (8th grade)
“With great power comes great responsibility” - Peter Parker
Kayla Pho, SGA Treasurer (7th grade)
"Being a teenager in 2023 is like living in a dream, but that dream will disappear once you wake up."
Marta Tesfamariam, SGA Secretary (8th grade)
"I think every teenager is a hero. When we are young we feel so much pain. Going to school is like going to war, people let you down all the time. Sometimes, it's very, very difficult to stay strong, but you have to." - Angelina Jolie
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National Nutrition Month
National Nutrition Month was created in 1973 by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to promote and encourage healthy eating habits. When it comes to nutrition, it is important to make informed and balanced decisions about the food we select and eat on a regular basis. We should incorporate frequent physical activity, and make an effort to move our bodies daily, to support peak functioning.
This year’s theme from the Academy is “Fuel for the Future:” keeping sustainability in mind when selecting our food products. One of the main ways we can reduce food waste while eating healthy is by cooking at home. Please find a list of sustainable and easy recipes to try on the Academy’s website.
We asked Ms. Ahmad, the Nutritional Service Coordinator for AIMS K-12, why nutrition is so important for our students:
“It is important that students eat healthy and balanced meals daily to help them focus and learn in school. A healthy meal promotes growth and development. It helps the overall strength and well-being of children. Good food plays an important role in child development as well. Calcium strengthens bones, protein builds muscle, carbohydrates provide energy, and iron supports growth and development. Eating a variety of food ensures that you get the required micronutrients and macronutrients for your body to function at its best.
AIMS promotes healthy nutrition by offering fruits and vegetables daily, serving proper food portions that meet students' caloric needs, and reducing saturated fats, trans fats, and sodium intake. AIMS encourages our students to participate in our breakfast, lunch, and snack service. We also serve a well-balanced nutritious meal by offering a choice of milk, grain, meat/meat alternatives, a variety of vegetables, and fruit.
Our school wants our students to learn healthy habits to ensure that they have the optimum nutrition to foster growth physically and mentally.”
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Music in Our Schools Month
Music in Our Schools month was organized to raise awareness about the importance of providing musical education to students. The AIMS District promotes inclusivity in education and access to music for every child. Music is proven to help us relax and to wake the brain up. Students tend to test higher in academics when they study music in school. We encourage students of every skill level to make music and learn new instruments as a means of expressing themselves.
Mr. Leyva, the music instructor for AIMS Middle School, describes his experience learning about music and the importance of music throughout history:
“Arriving in the United States in my early teens made me quickly realize that language can be expressed through music. Not being able to understand or speak the English language, I found an avenue of expression in my music class. As a music teacher now, I see students like me excelling in music as English learners. Celebrating national music awareness in education is the celebration of the universal language, which is a language that brings all races, cultures, social classes, and identities together.
Music in education is learning about ourselves and others. Music in education helps develop collaborative skills, awakens the spirit of performance, and the intention of perfection is developed. Aside from evidence suggesting that learning music helps students develop higher-order skills, increases the desire to learn, and benefits other cognitive abilities, what would be of the Renaissance Era without Renaissance music? Without Josquin Des Prez? What would be of the Baroque Era without Bach’s Music? Would we really see history the same way without music? Jazz music had a critical role in the Civil Rights Movement and was integral to African American History.
Music has been the reflection of society and culture for thousands of years, empowering the growth of humans as a species and as individuals. I can’t imagine what our society would be without music in education.”
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Youth Art Month
The Council for Art Education (CFAE) sponsors Youth Art Month to celebrate visual arts. The CFAE hopes to increase the support for quality school art programs and materials safety from education and government officials and our communities. They run a yearly Flag and Banner program where students create a state flag and the winner is displayed at the Convention for the National Art Education Association. They also select some 3D and visual art submissions to be displayed at the Youth Art Month Museum. If you are interested in submitting your student’s work, please find more information on the CFAE website.
AIMS uses the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Math) approach to ensure academic success. This technique is an improvement on the STEM curriculum because it focuses on Language, Arts and Critical Thinking in addition to the original Math and Science components. We believe that many skills are developed through the study of arts.
Mrs. Frost, the AIMS VPA & Auxiliaries Department Chair and Art Instructor, explains the many benefits of getting an Art education:
“Art is an invaluable part of education for youth, allowing them to explore the world and express themselves in a unique and meaningful way. By providing young people with access to the arts, we can help them develop confidence, creativity, and problem-solving skills. Art helps open their minds to different ideas, encourages collaboration, and allows them to see the world from a different perspective. Additionally, it is a great way to build a sense of self and a way to explore their own identity. Engaging in art gives youth the opportunity to tap into a deeper level of understanding and encourages them to think outside the box. Art can help young people explore their emotions and learn how to express themselves in a healthy way. Ultimately, art provides young people with the opportunity to engage with their environment in meaningful and creative ways.”
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Dr. Seuss’ Birthday
Dr. Seuss was a popular children’s book author and illustrator. He wrote classics like “Green Eggs and Ham,” “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” and “The Cat in the Hat '' and was well-known for his rhyming. Today, the National Education Association celebrates Dr. Seuss’ birthday with National Read Across America Day. The honored Theodore Seuss Giesel Award is presented to the winner of the most distinguished book for beginning readers each year.
AIMS Elementary school celebrated Dr. Seuss’ birthday, on March 2nd, with a door decorating contest. Different classrooms had different themes: Oh the things you’ll learn, learn to write with the names of Dr. Seuss books, postcards of the places they would go, and one fish two fish red fish, blue fish poetry. Each student designed their own “The Cat in the Hat” headband to wear for the day!
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National Pi Day
National Pi Day was originally organized by Larry Shaw and the Exploratorium to be celebrated on March 14th because 3, 1, and 4 are the first three numbers of Pi and it shares the same day as Albert Einstein’s birthday. Pi is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter or the distance around a circle: the distance through the circle. A circle is a bit more than 3 times its width around.
Pi (3.14…) has been calculated to more than 1 trillion decimal places and mathematicians continue to calculate further. The infinite number is important because it denotes a constant ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter.
Ms. Beh’s 8th Grade class is located in room 314, the perfect room for celebrating Pi day. The students learned to measure circumference and diameter on cookies, which they then got to eat!
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St. Patty’s Day
St. Patty’s Day is celebrated on March 17th in honor of the foremost patron saint of Ireland. This holiday celebrates Irish culture and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. Irish people celebrate with parades and Cèilidh: a traditional Irish social gathering with music, storytelling, and dancing. Many Irish people have immigrated to America since the 1600s, especially after the Irish Potato Famine left many people hungry and looking to move to fertile land. Our Irish immigrants have had a huge impact on business and building in America. Irish people helped to mind the mills and mines and to lay tracks and dig canals for railroads that shaped American travel. We celebrate St Patty’s Day to recognize the hard work and accomplishments of our Irish citizens.
AIMS Middle School hosted a Glow in the Dark themed dance on St. Patty’s Day. Students dressed up, had snacks and refreshments, and danced the afternoon away under the black lights. Thank you to All Tied Up for running the DJ booth and making sure everyone danced responsibly!
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Student Government, Assemblies, and Events
AIMS High School SGA partnered with All Tied Up to present the “Embracing Resiliency” panel. The assembly included Jaqueline Brown, Sr. Principal of Workday and VP of DEI Consulting, Anna Moody, Director of Social Impact and Generational Thrive for the Golden State Warriors, Ria Cotton, owner of Cotton Realty, Monica Stewart, a Nationally recognized Artist, Shanice Robinson MaED, Senior Director of Culture and Social Justice for USF, and Yvonne Beats, the former Mayor of Pittsburg. The panelist spoke about their experience as Black women in leadership roles and what it took to get there. They discussed the power of having confidence in yourself and using self determination to raise your voice. Many of the women had created vision boards to help outline their pursuits and to review after a year of achievement. Thank you to all the amazing panelists for coming to speak with our rising AIMS leaders.
Ms. Bakheit, Head of the Division for Academics in Middle School, partnered with Techbridge Girls, a program that focuses on bringing STEM to girls. She spoke about the pandemic’s effect on education at the Alliance for Girls/ Techbridge Panel along with AIMS 8th grader, Heven Adugna. The AIMS Techbridge Girls program opened up applications for new students this month. The girls will be learning technology and engineering through a series of projects and discussing their thoughts in a safe space with women as mentors.
AIMS Middle School formed their very own Instagram account for the Student Government Association. This page will introduce the SGA representatives, promote special events in the Middle School, and incorporate the SGA podcast. Students will work with Ms. Ellie, 6th Grade ELA/ History Teacher and club advisor for the SGA, to learn how to produce content and release it on a platform.
The AIMS Chess Team competed in the 10th Annual Williams-Easterling Community Chess Tournament. Each chess game in a quad is played in 30 minutes with a four player round robin. The quad is determined by player rankings. Nathan and Mayte won first place in their quads. Congratulations to the AIMS Chess Team and Mr. Cabrera; all your practice, hard work, and dedication paid off!
AIMS Elementary School hosted their Super Spring dance and Chess Tournament/ Game Room for students. Students had their choice of which event to attend and bought tickets with PBIS points earned for good behavior.
Congratulations to brother and sister duo Ubadi and Ojiugo Egeonu on being named 2023 BACSAC Varsity Basketball’s Most Valuable Players! Golden Eagles Volleyball season kicked off with two victorious games against LPS Hayward Royals and Hayward Twin Oak Falcons. Thank you to Coach Sunny Diaz for all your training and support. Go Eagles!
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Kudos and Roses
Thank you to Ms. Ahmad, Nutritional Service Coordinator for AIMS District, for providing our students with healthy foods and information on good nutrition habits.
Thank you to Musicians and Artists for encapsulating the emotions we didn’t have the words for and connecting people across the globe.
Thank you to Techbridge Girls for helping close the opportunity gap and break the glass ceiling for girls in technology and engineering.
Thank you to Ms. Ellie, our SGA club advisor, for teaching students how to be leaders and encourage their peers.
Thank you to all our mentors for believing in and guiding our students through the tumultuous period from teenager to scholarly young adults.
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Wishing you good health!
Respectfully,
Maya Woods
Superintendent
AIMS K-12 College Prep Charter District |
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