What is Your Favorite Part of ACA?
Rachel Shulikov The Charter – 4/22/2019 “The fact that if you are really good at something, then you can take a harder class, and its not weird.” Madilynn Reynolds, Freshman. “The math program.” Kathryn Taggart, 7th grade. “The flexibility in learning.” Aliona Shulikov, Parant “The students.” Kathleen Cantrell, ES Continue reading What is Your Favorite Part of ACA?
Reunification Drill
By Evalina Shulikov The Charter News- 3/10/2019 ACA is planning to have a reunification drill. Although we don’t have a set day for the drill, our school is planning to have it in the beginning of October, in the next school year. A reunification drill is a drill where the whole school walks to a location near the school but not on the school property. … Continue reading Reunification Drill
What Are You Most Looking Forward to This Summer?
“No studies…no studies.” Maximo Villali, 5th grade. “Hanging out with friends.” -Abigail Engle, 10th grade. “Not having to drive out to ACA four times a week, or more, really. But other than that, just you know, summer fun in the sun. We don’t have any major plans, just getting out on the rivers and kicking back. Not having to supervise the children on their studies.” … Continue reading What Are You Most Looking Forward to This Summer?
Taco Time and the People of Crime
By Hailey Fox Charter Features – 04/10/19 “I use many of my experiences as an employee at Taco Time and apply it to many of my health lessons I teach today. I think it has helped me present a more holistic approach to how I teach drug abuse and/or mental health,” write Drew Holland in an email. Drew Holland is one of ACAs teachers, he … Continue reading Taco Time and the People of Crime
ACA Plant Sale
Rachel Shulikov The Charter News – 4/11/2019 For about ten years the Parent Action Team (PAT) has been putting on the plant sale as a fundraiser. This year Valerie Johnson, ACA teacher and parent is in charge of the sale. The money that is raised is used by the PAT for their projects. This year 30 percent of the funds will be for the … Continue reading ACA Plant Sale
“What are you looking forward to most next year?”
By Natalie Ramsey The Charter 3/13/19 “Probably having more home subjects because it just adds a lot because I already have a busy schedule with dance and youth group.” -Alayna Meeker, 13, 7th grade. “Next school year I’m looking forward to it being my final year of high school and learning more, expanding my knowledge and since I am in the ACE program I am … Continue reading “What are you looking forward to most next year?”
Chemistry Class Sparks Reaction
By Miriam Lee The Charter News – 4/10/19 Student class schedules for 2019-2020 will be out this May, and high schoolers may be anticipating the new Chemistry class. The question is, which lucky sixteen students will be accepted into the class? Although Chemistry has been offered in the past, for middle schoolers and once for high schoolers, it hasn’t been an ongoing class at ACA … Continue reading Chemistry Class Sparks Reaction
ACA Student to Play At Ten Grands
By Sydney Starr The Charter News – 4/10/19 On April 19th and 20th, ACA Junior Rachel Modlin will be performing with the Ten Grands piano concert at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. Families can sign up at the welcome desk to reserve their seats for the show. Modlin’s Journey to Ten Grands Modlin explains her piano history: “I started when I was six with a … Continue reading ACA Student to Play At Ten Grands
Why You Should Always Read About Black History
By Rylie Young The Charter Editorials – 04/08/19 To represent history made by African American history, February become Black History Month in the U.S. It is a celebration of achievements and accomplishments made by African Americans— achievements that they’ve made that empowered their culture. However, it is not just about reflecting history, it is also about looking at current issues they face. While a month … Continue reading Why You Should Always Read About Black History
Three New Lunch & Learns
Three New Lunch and Learns By Rachel Shulikov The Charter News – 3/18/2019 Aside from Monday Science Lunch and Learn, ACA staff has started three new lunch and learns. The new Lunch and Learns started at the beginning of the second semester. The subjects will be Social Studies led by Chad Wynne, Math led by Debora Whittet, and English Language Arts (ELA) led by Sarah … Continue reading Three New Lunch & Learns
ACA Hot Lunches
By Evalina Shulikov The Charter Photojournalism- 3/11/2019 ACA sells hot lunches everyday of the week. From pizza to baked potatoes, from soup to nachos, there hot lunches waiting for you in the cafeteria during lunch. “The Snack Shack Coordinator and PAT President typically work together to price items, but the Snack Shack Coordinator has more insight since they are shopping or coordinating the shoppers to … Continue reading ACA Hot Lunches
“In a few sentences, how have you grown as a learner so far this school year?”
By Sydney Starr The Charter – 3/21/19 “I’d say that I’m way more able to work fast, like, as in I have more homework now; so I’m learning how to get things done more efficient and faster.” – Natalie Sawatsky, 15, Sophomore. “I think I’ve grown just by listening to people, and really understanding what they’re saying; and trying to intentionally learn from them, and … Continue reading “In a few sentences, how have you grown as a learner so far this school year?”
ES meetings
Rachel Shulikov The Charter News – 3/18/2019 ACA is one of the only schools that has ES meetings. And that’s another reason what makes it so different from other schools. ES meetings are for students to have a teacher to “helps to make sure that all areas of education are covered, [and] all the different subjects and standards for those subjects.” said Diana Brainerd, Lead … Continue reading ES meetings
ACA Joins Marker Recycling Organization
By Rylie Young The Charter News – 02/23/19 Striving to become a more eco friendly school, ACA is pushing to find new ways of recycling, reusing, and reducing. Their current goal? To keep markers out of landfill, and find a way to reuse them. Study hall teacher, Merrie Miller stumbled upon a program called ColorCycle which is facilitated by Crayola. ColorCycle is a marker … Continue reading ACA Joins Marker Recycling Organization
The Zaniac Shakes Things Up
By Rylie Young The Charter News – 03/15/19 Parent Action Team invited, Alex Zerbe, “The Zaniac,” to perform and entertain at an assembly. The Zaniac is comedian, juggler, magician, and educator. He first stepped into fame when he attended America’s Got Talent, back in season two. He now has his own shows and assemblies at schools and festivals. On Wednesday, March 6th, The Zaniac had … Continue reading The Zaniac Shakes Things Up
Suicide Prevention
By Natalie Ramsey The Charter- 3/14/19 Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the US. During 2017 there were over 47,000 deaths from suicide in America, and suicide rates are increasing each year. People of all ages are unaware about the severity of the matter, which is why schools should prioritize educating its students and teachers on suicide and suicide prevention. There … Continue reading Suicide Prevention
Meet the Autism Service Dogs Training at ACA
By Sydney Starr The Charter Features – 3/11/19 You’ve likely seen two adorable white/golden dogs strutting around campus sporting green ASDA (Autism Service Dogs of America) vests — who are they? Stella Stella is a two-year-old labrador, poodle, and golden retriever mix. Trainer Jill Mohr remarks, “Stella is a more bold, curious, loving Labradoodle.” And Grana Khan, a student trainer, says a quirk of Stella’s … Continue reading Meet the Autism Service Dogs Training at ACA
Welcome New Playground
By Miriam Lee The Charter News — 3/8/19 As you may have noticed, Alliance Charter Academy has a new playground and it’s ready for play. The previous playground was burned down, and authorities say it was arson. See “Arsonist Burns Down Our Playground” by Rylie Young for more details. An estimated $15,000 worth of equipment was lost in the fire, according to Young’s story, and … Continue reading Welcome New Playground
The Evening of the Spoken Word
By Matthias Armstrong The Charter News – 2/22/19 From the wide taste of literature to the smell of pizza and popcorn, readers and watchers alike seemed to have fun at this ACA event called “The Evening of the Spoken Word.” The library was filled with event goers, and the readings showed it with a wide variety of poems, writings, and excerpts being read including the … Continue reading The Evening of the Spoken Word
What are you looking forward to with the new playground?
By Matthias Armstrong The Charter News – 1/28/19 “I’m hoping it looks a bit more modern than it did and hopefully a little bit bigger.” – Jorge Garcia, 15, Freshman. “Personally for me it’s not really going to be that big of a deal but having at least the fences not there anymore so that the soccer ball can’t get kicked in. you won’t have … Continue reading What are you looking forward to with the new playground?
The Monday Lunch and Learn
By: Alyssa DiLoreto Science tends to be a complicated subject and class time can’t always cover all the content. At ACA, some of the teachers noticed students struggling in their classes. That’s why the Monday Lunch and Learn was created. The Monday Lunch and Learn is in room 207 (the science room) from 12-12:30pm. The teachers Ann Heppner and Denise Monte are in the room … Continue reading The Monday Lunch and Learn
Mr. Toth’s Hobby: Crabbing
By Evalina Shulikov The Charter News Briefs- 2/25/2019 Besides being a math teacher at ACA, Mr. Toth enjoys crabbing. Mr. Toth thinks crabbing is “fun and easy.” His dream is to go to the coast, catch crabs, oysters and make tacos. Some of the places Mr. Toth goes crabbing to are Tillamook Bay, Netarts Bay and Astoria. His family usually goes crabbing at bays because … Continue reading Mr. Toth’s Hobby: Crabbing
Tribute to Mark Silverman
By Miriam Lee and Rylie Young The Charter News “We’re a giant jigsaw puzzle, with so many different pieces and I felt like Mark was a piece of the puzzle that was kind of connecting all of us.” – Carla Calhoun A month ago, ACA’s beloved counselor, Mark Silverman, passed away. Mark had been out on medical leave for about a month before he died; … Continue reading Tribute to Mark Silverman
2019 – 2020 Class Schedule is Expected To Be Released Early
By Sydney Starr The Charter News – 2/27/19 The first draft of the 2019 – 2020 class schedule has been sent out to teachers just over a month earlier than last year. This means the final draft is on track to be released to students and families almost a month sooner than last year. Diana Brainerd, lead ES, associate director, and member of the administrative … Continue reading 2019 – 2020 Class Schedule is Expected To Be Released Early
Lack of Parking Space
By Evalina Shulikov The Charter Opinion- 2/5/2019 Our school needs more parking space. It is not easy to find parking space that is close to the school and that is not blocking neighbors’ driveways. A way we could solve the problem is by making another row of parking spaces in the soccer field. Our soccer field is big enough for an extra row of parking … Continue reading Lack of Parking Space
Bathroom redo
The Charter News – 2/5/2019 Rachel Shulikov In December, during the winter break, several students, with supervision of adults, redecorated a part of both bathrooms on the upstairs floor. One of the students that helped redo the bathrooms, Paige Stickney said, “We repainted the doors to help bring a more positive attitude to ACA and give students something positive to look at after the break.” … Continue reading Bathroom redo
An Evening of the Spoken Word
By Natalie Ramsey The Charter Features – 2/1/19 Recently, members of the Language Arts Committee have been working on organizing An Evening of the Spoken Word. This event is not only for students and their families to enjoy the spoken word, but is also to promote the literary works of students On February 20, 2019, from 6:00-7:30pm, the ACA library will be opening its … Continue reading An Evening of the Spoken Word
The Snow Ball is Here!
By: Hailey Fox The Charter Features – 1/30/19 On Friday February first in the school gym will be the winter formal or Snow Ball. Grades 9-12th should are allowed to join in on the dancing from seven to ten at night. It costs eight dollars if you get a ticket at the study hall and ten dollars at the door. All guests must fill out … Continue reading The Snow Ball is Here!
Why They Should Remake the Transformers Movies
Transformers has been a loved franchise since the 1980s. What’s cooler than alien robots that can transform into practically anything? I grew up watching the transformers, the TV shows. I loved it so much. I was so excited when my dad finally let me see the live action movie that I had heard so much about. Little did I know, I would soon be disappointed. … Continue reading Why They Should Remake the Transformers Movies
Are Teachers Paid Enough?
By Miriam Lee The Charter News – 1/7/19 The debate on whether teachers are paid fairly or not has become quite the controversy. The average public school teacher is paid significantly more than the average private school teacher. However, both public and private school teachers are paid less than the average college graduate. And at ACA, a public charter school, it’s less than most public … Continue reading Are Teachers Paid Enough?
Diana Brainerd Adopts a New Role at ACA
By Miriam Lee The Charter News/Feature – 12/13/18 A rose by any other name is still a rose. Diana Brainerd with another title is still Diana Brainerd. From the start of ACA, to now, Diana Brainerd has always had an important role in the ACA community—whether that be as a parent, friend, OBOB coach, ES, teacher, or associate director. “Diana has the experience, from her … Continue reading Diana Brainerd Adopts a New Role at ACA
Why You Should Care About Using Plastic
By Rylie Young The Charter Opinions – 1/7/19 I’ll get straight to the point, I believe that we should all try to avoid plastic. Soon I’ll explain why, but first let’s look at the history of plastic. According to the Science History Institute, the first plastic was invented in 1869 by John Wesley Hyatt, who was searching for a substitute for Ivory— a substance made … Continue reading Why You Should Care About Using Plastic
ACA Student Saves Endangered Wildlife
By Rylie Young The Charter Features – 12/12/18 Milarae Rymsza, a sixth grade ACA student, is just twelve and has already raised hundreds of dollars for wildlife. Milarae loves to paint, and she loves animals. She is a soft spoken person, but her actions speak louder than words. For the past six years she has combined these passions by painting pictures and selling them, giving … Continue reading ACA Student Saves Endangered Wildlife
How to Donate to ACA’s Library
By Sydney Starr The Charter News Feature – 01/24/19 Like many of us, you may have boxes of cast off books sitting in your garage collecting dust (and mold), from your KonMari tidying frenzy. You’ve been meaning to donate them for months, but you have no idea how to go about it. Thankfully Jennifer Hitchcock, ACA’s librarian, sat down and explained how you should donate … Continue reading How to Donate to ACA’s Library
What Has ACA Done For You?
By Natalie Ramsey The Charter, 1/24/19 “It’s taught me things and has given me friends. It’s also given me a good place to learn.” – Tyler Scott, 12, 6th grade. “For me, ACA has helped me to become more structured with my time and just more organized with my school work. The teachers here are also really friendly and nice.” – Maddy Keyser, 15, Sophomore. … Continue reading What Has ACA Done For You?
What did you like most about Mr. Silverman and what will you miss most about him?
By Evalina Shulikov The Charter Features – 1/11/2019 “What I liked most about him is probably his friendly spirit and what I will miss most about him is just seeing him around school and talking to him.” -Grace Mikkelsen, 14, 8th grade. “He always knew how to answer questions right on the spot but wisely. It was always a well thought-out answer. What I will … Continue reading What did you like most about Mr. Silverman and what will you miss most about him?
Is Homeschooling for You?
By Evalina Shulikov The Charter Opinions- 1/9/2019 Homeschooling has become a schooling option for many parents with all the new academic requirements students have to learn. Over the years curriculum and programs have grown quite a bit for the homeschool community. Homeschooling has become more popular because parents are realizing how convenient and safer homeschooling really is. One reason homeschooling is great, is that parents … Continue reading Is Homeschooling for You?
Why Small School Environments Are Better Than Large Schools
By Rachel Shulikov The Charter Opinions – 1/14/2019 Small schools have an advantage compared to large schools. Students have a better environment, and they have a closer relationship with their teachers and each other. In small schools, teachers and students have a closer relationship. Teachers seem to care more about the students. There are usually fewer students in a classroom so the teacher can concentrate … Continue reading Why Small School Environments Are Better Than Large Schools
Multi-Grade Classes May Leave Kids Behind
Natalie Ramsey The Charter Opinions- 1/14/19 Multi-grade classes are hard on both the students and teachers involved, and it is still up in the air whether they are they best option of education. These types of classes are often used in smaller schools to ensure that they will have enough students to run the class, but often times, having a mixed age group can create … Continue reading Multi-Grade Classes May Leave Kids Behind
Should You Crack Open a Real Book?
By Sydney Starr The Charter Opinions – 1/10/19 In this day and age it can feel as though reading a paper book is all but obsolete. But, there is good reason to crack open a real book. I think paper books provide an experience that digital books just can’t match. And, studies show that a majority of people prefer paper books, and reading from paper … Continue reading Should You Crack Open a Real Book?
Suzanne Edwards Brings Many Musical Skills to ACA
Evalina Shulikov The Charter Feature- 12/12/18 This year, Suzanne Edwards has joined the team of ACA. She loves to sing and plays many different instruments. She teaches choir, piano, and marimba. She loves music and is said to have an immense amount of musical talent. Suzanne Edwards has many musical talents such as singing and playing many instruments. Her main instruments are voice and piano, … Continue reading Suzanne Edwards Brings Many Musical Skills to ACA
Why Doesn’t DC Make Blockbuster Hits Like Marvel?
By Matthias Armstrong The Charter News – 1/1/19 When you compare DC and Marvel and their cinematic appearances it is clear that DC is struggling to make and keep making good films, but why is that? It seems today that Marvel movies dominate the superhero genre in basically every way. For example, their comics and characters get the spotlight while their movies make billions of … Continue reading Why Doesn’t DC Make Blockbuster Hits Like Marvel?
How Can ACA Benefit From Reading The Charter?
Journalism, many are divided upon what its use is and why we need it. Recently, there has been an uproar in calling out “fake news” in many journalist platforms. Even though the art of reporting and writing may be sketchy now a day’s, there are still many reasons on why we need journalism. About three years ago,an ACA teacher, Michael Lancaster decided to add a … Continue reading How Can ACA Benefit From Reading The Charter?
New ES, Jenna Friesen
Rachel Shulikov The Charter Feature – 12/17/2018 This year ACA has a new ES –Jenna Friesen. She came to ACA in August 2018. Friesen was born in Newberg Oregon. She taught in Thailand for a year and a half, and was a nanny for a while. Her husband is from Nepal, and she has family in Oregon. This is how Friesen got the job. “I … Continue reading New ES, Jenna Friesen
Would you homeschool your future kids?/ Why did you homeschool your kids?
By Rylie Young Charter-Ed Territory – 12/17/18 Elliot Lute, a Kindergartener: *nods* “Because I can teach them stuff” Benjamin Coleman, a freshman, who has been going to ACA 12 years: “In the future? Probably not. If I homeschooled them for 12 years, I feel like they need to change just like a normal person would do. They go from elementary to middle, to a high … Continue reading Would you homeschool your future kids?/ Why did you homeschool your kids?
The Undefined Representative of ACA: the Display Case
By Hailey Fox The Charter Features – 12/17/18 The display case here at ACA seems random when compared to other schools display cases. However, every item in the case reflects how unique ACA is from all the other schools and shows what we value is different. The Trophies When you look at the other display cases at most other schools all you see are awards. … Continue reading The Undefined Representative of ACA: the Display Case
The Shoes That Live
By Sydney Starr The Charter Features – 12/14/18 Everyone at ACA has walked by them at least once, probably many times a day without noticing. The shoes have been in the display case for 10 years—ever since Colin Couch designed them through the Doernbecher Freestyle program. How The Shoes Were Designed Couch was a student at ACA, and he graduated in 2009. Along with the … Continue reading The Shoes That Live
“What’s your favorite season? Why?”
By Hailey Fox The Charter Features – 11/7/18 Continue reading “What’s your favorite season? Why?”
ACA’s Testing Scores
By Hailey Fox Charter Newsroom – 11/14/2018 Last year when the students at ACA took the science OAKS test, the 11th graders fell short of the district by 0.2 percent. According to administration, the charter by ACA has a clause that states ACA will always exceed the OCSD (Oregon City School District) in state testing scores. Since the scores were lower compared to OCSD’s scores, … Continue reading ACA’s Testing Scores
New Long Term Guitar Substitute
By: Alyssa DiLoreto After we said goodbye to ACA’s guitar/ukulele teacher, a new one came in and taught/prepared the classes for the Winter Concert. When the previous guitar teacher left, it took ACA a while to find someone to replace him. Within a few weeks they found Brady Heinsoo, who was willing to step in. “My little sister Hallie goes here.” Says Mr Heinsoo, “She … Continue reading New Long Term Guitar Substitute
“How would you describe ACA in two words?”
Rachel Shulikov The Charter Features – 11/18/2018 “Big and educational.” -Sam Kennedy, 13, 8th grade. “Amazing community.” -Gracelyn Pen, 14, Freshman. “Extraordinarily rare.” -Anita Kaiser, parent. “Student oriented.” -Ann Heppner, teacher and ES. Continue reading “How would you describe ACA in two words?”
School Mascot
By Evalina Shulikov The Charter News- 11/15/18 Did you know that our school actually has a mascot? Have you ever wondered what our school mascot is? Well, our school mascot is an eagle! We have a big banner in the gym with our mascot on it. “I like the eagle because it’s a symbol of strength and majesty and that’s encouraging to me.” said Kristen … Continue reading School Mascot
“If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be, and why?”
By Miriam Lee The Charter Features – 11/16/18 “I wish that there were fewer homeless people.” -Samuel Rux, 6th grade “I would change our views of other humans to something more positive, because a more positive community will get more things done, because if everybody respects each other and isn’t at each other’s throats… if everyone isn’t arguing all the time, we can get things … Continue reading “If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be, and why?”
Voters Approve
By Miriam Lee The Charter News – 11/16/18 New students, new staff, a new school? A district-wide bond proposal has been approved by voters. As a result, ACA along with other schools in the district, will be undergoing modifications, which should be complete within the next five years. “The updated plumbing and the HVAC [heating, ventilation, and air conditioning] system will be awesome—we might feel … Continue reading Voters Approve
ACA launched a new website design
By Rylie Young The Charter News – 11/16/18 Alliance Charter Academy launched a new and improved official website. The website is live and constantly being updated to display current and relevant information about our school and the upcoming events, that prospective and attending families need to know. This look, which was launched on October 30th, is a welcomed update from the previous design that was … Continue reading ACA launched a new website design
New Health Standards
By Rachel Shulikov The Charter News – 11/15/2018 The state health standards have been changed. Now ACA is giving out new curriculum, but according to Drew Holland the curriculum hasn’t really changed Drew Holland, ACA’s health, PE, and middle school science teacher said, “The new health standards really haven’t changed that much from the old health standards. What has changed, however, is the amount of … Continue reading New Health Standards
New Spanish Speaking Group
By Matthias Armstrong The Charter News – 11/09/18 A new Spanish speaking group has formed at ACA, and its goal is to build a learning Spanish speaking community within ACA. Starting every Tuesday, at lunch, the new spanish group will be meeting in the speech room to converse and learn new things, for instance grammar and vocabulary in Spanish. People already in the group have … Continue reading New Spanish Speaking Group
ACA’s New Positive Impact Team
By Sydney Starr The Charter News – 11/14/18 An Alliance Charter Academy (ACA) student has created a new action group, the Positive Impact Team. This group is focused on making the school more environmentally friendly and positive for students and families. Team Information and Goals The team will be having meetings every other week on Tuesdays during lunch, the location is to be determined. Rylie … Continue reading ACA’s New Positive Impact Team
Family Study Hall
By Evalina Shulikov The Charter News- 11/14/18 Looking for a good place to study? This year our school has a family study hall. It is located downstairs, the room next to the preschool classroom. It is the perfect place for students and parents to study and do their homework. It is available Monday-Thursday from 9:00-12:00 in the morning. According to parents and students that … Continue reading Family Study Hall
“Who is someone in the ACA community that you are grateful or thankful for, and why?”
By Sydney Starr The Charter, 10/31/18 “Erin Holman, she has been supporting students in my class, and she’s encouraging… friendly and great to collaborate with.” – Carly Carruthers, Language Arts Teacher and ES “I’m really grateful for my ES, Megan Burt, she’s really helpful and easy to connect with. I had her as my teacher last year, she’s really amazing. I love her. She … Continue reading “Who is someone in the ACA community that you are grateful or thankful for, and why?”
Student Turnover
By MacKenzie Waterman Usually Alliance Charter Academy has an extensive wait list, but since many students left last year we were able to get through the entire waitlist and still have fourteen spots open. “I just find it interesting that we’ve had a higher turnover than normal.” said Seanna Bloemer, ACA’s Director and a former ES. The school can’t deny access to anyone but, they … Continue reading Student Turnover
Ladies and Gentlemen, Please Welcome Mark Silverman.
By Rylie Young The Charter News – 10/31/18 This school year, ACA has undergone major staff changes with staff leaving and new staff joining. Last year’s counselor, Megan Coggins, left to spend time with her new baby. In her place, this year is Mark Silverman. Mark Silverman, ACA’s new counselor, states “I really value diversity and inclusive environments where people regardless of where they come … Continue reading Ladies and Gentlemen, Please Welcome Mark Silverman.
ACA and The Father’s Heart Ministry
By Matthias Armstrong For almost a year ACA has been helping with The Father’s Heart Street Ministry to tackle the problem of homelessness and people in need around Oregon City, but our contributions and involvement are just beginning. Many people at ACA are unaware of our involvement with the Father’s Heart Street Ministry but this amazing story and cause deserves the attention of … Continue reading ACA and The Father’s Heart Ministry
Julie Swanson’s New Position
By Rachel Shulikov Since Jill Mohr stepped down from her part-time lead teacher position a couple months ago, we’re well into this school year with Julie Swanson as our new lead teacher. Swanson qualified for the job and is now ACA’s new lead teacher. Swanson started off as a teacher, she taught high school Language Arts and also was an ES. When she heard about … Continue reading Julie Swanson’s New Position
EF Educational Tour to Spain and France
Sydney Starr The Charter News In June 2019, Chad Wynne, ACA’s Social Sciences department head, will be leading a small group of two students and one mom, on an educational tour through Spain and France. This tour group is unusually small, Wynne says “We are a very small group, and so it’s just me, two students, and one of those student’s mom’s. I was hoping … Continue reading EF Educational Tour to Spain and France
ACA’s Next Drama Club Performance
By Hailey Fox The Drama Club at ACA has done many plays, some original, and some classics. This year, they will be performing The Tempest, a play written by William Shakespeare. There are a lot of students in the play this year, Liberty Cox is one of those students. Cox plays Miranda, the main character’s daughter. According to Cox, “My Boo” is Ian Sofich. He … Continue reading ACA’s Next Drama Club Performance
Harvest Dance 2018
By: MIRIAM LEE 10/24/18 ACA’s annual Harvest Dance—previously organized by parents—has been taken over by the students. Get ready for a night of music, dancing, treats, and spooky decorations. The ACA newsletter states that this year’s dance will be held in the ACA cafeteria from 7:00-10:00pm, on October 26th. According to Hallie McMillan, one of the student organizers, grades 7th-12th can pre-order tickets for $5 … Continue reading Harvest Dance 2018
Bucks For Buckets
By Alyssa DiLoreto – 10/24/18 Portland is long overdue for a large earthquake but if the Bucks for Buckets fundraiser does it’s job, ACA will be better prepared if and when the “big one” strikes. Earthquakes and other natural disasters have hurt so many people, and broken so many lives due to unpreparedness. This year, Oregon City School District is working on being prepared for … Continue reading Bucks For Buckets
The Book Nook
By Mackenzie Waterman Note: Author has familial connections to the subject of the story. Owning a bookstore has always been a dream that Megan and Paul Waterman shared. In December of 2017, their dream came true, they opened “The Book Nook”. The name comes from a quote from Longfellow. “The love of learning, the sequestered nooks. And all the sweet serenity of Books.” Megan and … Continue reading The Book Nook
Kim Kruger Leaves ACA
By Sydney Starr The Charter News As the 2018-2019 school year starts for families at Alliance Charter Academy (ACA) there will be one less familiar face there, Kim Kruger, The Curriculum Manager, has left her job. Karen Downing, who worked with Kruger as the Curriculum Assistant, has now transitioned to working full time as the new Curriculum Manager. In addition, ACA has hired a parent, … Continue reading Kim Kruger Leaves ACA
Arsonist Burns Down Our Playground
By RYLIE YOUNG – 08/03/18 On August 13th, at approximately 2 am, the Oregon City Police Department and Clackamas Fire arrived at Park Place Elementary to find the school’s playground engulfed in flames. The fire was contained and put out quickly. However, it wasn’t before an estimated $15,000 worth of playground equipment was burned, along with two picnic benches. After further investigation, the authorities discovered … Continue reading Arsonist Burns Down Our Playground
Who is Denise Dille?
by: Rachel Shulikov There is a staff member, a teacher, an ES, that not everyone knows, because she was doing something that not everyone knew about. Her name is Denise Dille. Dille was born in Oregon, then she moved to Arizona, and lived there for eight years, until she moved back to Oregon. She likes dogs and cats. She got married to her high school … Continue reading Who is Denise Dille?
Farewell, Phillips
By: MIRIAM LEE 10/03/18 Suzanne Edwards is taking over all the choirs, piano and marimba. Valerie Johnson is teaching drums and creativity. — Seanna Bloemer, ACA Director Alliance Charter Academy (ACA) has lost their multi-talented music teacher. Students are at a loss, missing their beloved teacher, but also missing their friend. Margie Phillips, former instructor at ACA, now works full-time at Elmonica Elementary School … Continue reading Farewell, Phillips
Late Policy Reform
By Matthias Armstrong A change sweeps across ACA classrooms and it comes in the form of the late policy, and so far it has met favorable reviews. Not all classes have had major changes but a few have embraced a new policy and students and teachers are already seeing the difference. Teachers this year have reworked and reworded their late policies to better convey their … Continue reading Late Policy Reform
Yellow Jackets at ACA
By: Hailey Fox – 10/03/18 If you’ve been at this school for a few years, you might know that bug control at ACA has been a problem, from the wasps that invaded the boys bathroom to the ladybug nests in the ceiling of the gym. Unlike those problems, yellow jackets aren’t a big threat as long as you are careful. If you were around last … Continue reading Yellow Jackets at ACA
Marcus Yonce
By: Evalina Shulikov A new Educational Specialist and teacher just joined the team at ACA this year! Marcus Yonce is a quiet and independent person who has a love for writing. He has experience with vast cultures which will be beneficial to our diverse school. Mr. Yonce went to a university in Seattle and got a four year degree for accounting, but realized he didn’t … Continue reading Marcus Yonce
New Director: Seanna Bloemer
By Alyssa DiLoreto Meet Seanna Seanna Bloemer is not just the new director of ACA, she’s also a friend, wife and mother of two ACA graduates. Her favorite pastimes are hiking and reading. Bloemer has been working at our school for twelve years, and an Education Specialist (ES) for eleven years before her new position. She absolutely adores helping, guiding and working with her students … Continue reading New Director: Seanna Bloemer
The Charter Newspapers – Print PDFs
For the 2nd Semester of the 2017-2018 school year, much time and effort was spent toward gathering elements for feature story packages and designing spreads with InDesign. Here are the three newspapers we produced: First Print Edition 2nd Print Edition spreads 3rd Print Edition Continue reading The Charter Newspapers – Print PDFs
Why Students Need Vacations
By Victor Heimbigner Students need vacations from school specifically, it’s good to learn, but the stress of school can get to some kids and they end up not being very social in life or they are always stressed. With breaks and vacations, this helps relax the students and if they decide to work over the breaks they can make some money for their needs. Vacationing … Continue reading Why Students Need Vacations
A Healing Kiss
By Faith Burton Does kissing a child’s “booboo” help in aiding pain relief? From the time I can remember, anytime I would smash my fingers, get a paper cut or inflict any type of injury to myself, my parents would kiss it and it would feel better. My aunts, grandmas, and friends to their kids all do the same. Even though it seems like a … Continue reading A Healing Kiss
Parks and Recreation is (One of) the Best Shows of Our Time
By OLIVIA SILBERNAGEL Everyone has their own likes and dislikes in TV shows but Parks and Recreation (commonly called Parks and Rec) is a show that has something for nearly everyone. Parks and Recreation is a comedy that originally aired on NBC and ran from 2009 to 2015. The show features a small fictional city called Pawnee, Indiana and the antics of Leslie Knope (played … Continue reading Parks and Recreation is (One of) the Best Shows of Our Time
Why “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” are Not as Good as The Classics
By Alyssa DiLoreto Star Wars has been all the rage recently with the new movie “The Last Jedi.” Many young people enjoy this film, as well as the previous movie “The Force Awakens.” While both these films have high ratings, and a huge income, there are still many people who do not like these films one bit. I’m one of them. I have been I … Continue reading Why “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” are Not as Good as The Classics
Skaters Are People Too
By Luke Burton, The Charter Opinions Skateboarding is an activity that lots of people do all around the world. Although many people do it, a lot of people don’t like the activity. Some people say that it’s too dangerous and anyone who skates is involved with drugs, alcohol, and is disrespectful. This is definitely not the case. I know this because I am a skateboarder. … Continue reading Skaters Are People Too
Gamecube Classic coming to 3DS
By Colin Hughes Luigi’s Mansion is a Gamecube classic that I’m pretty sure that every Mario fan would find as one of the best Gamecube games ever. It was given a 7/10 by IGN and a 7.9/10 by GameSpot so you can tell it was good. The game has an interesting history, too. Luigi’s Mansion was originally a tech demo for the Gamecube when it … Continue reading Gamecube Classic coming to 3DS
“Everybody learns better when they’re awake”
SAMANTHA RANDS, The Charter Opinions Schools should have later classes because lack of sleep is not good for your health or education. Public school’s classes start at about 7:25am, ACA’s earliest classes start from 8am-9am. According to The National Sleep Foundation, teenagers need about eight to ten hours of sleep every night. To achieve this, students will have to go to bed at around 9pm. Teenagers … Continue reading “Everybody learns better when they’re awake”
Over Usage of Opiates Today
By. Elizabeth Tarsia Due to lack of knowledge, our healthcare system has been over prescribing highly addictive painkillers. The addictive quality of the drug and susceptibility of the user, opiate usage and overdose percentage is through the roof . Our healthcare system should be cleaning up the mess the lack of knowledge has caused. My family has a long history of opiate usage, and it … Continue reading Over Usage of Opiates Today
Putting Sobriety First
By Constantine Van Sickle Alcohol Anonymous open meeting, 7035 NE Glisan 12×12 club Portland 12:00am This past Saturday was the first Alcohol Anonymous (AA) meeting I have ever attended. It was certainly eye opening to a be apart of a different type of community and witness the physical and mental warfare people go through daily. I was accompanied by a friend that is not a … Continue reading Putting Sobriety First
Homework: Is it helping us or hurting us?
By Kenzie Waterman On average, students get 3.5 hours of homework a day, depending on how much procrastination they do. Now, I know that doesn’t sound like a lot –when you think about the fact that we have 24 hours everyday. But, if you factor in the 7 hour school day, the fact that we are supposed to to get 10 hours of sleep, that … Continue reading Homework: Is it helping us or hurting us?
Watch Your Step! We should be more cautious of our Carbon Footprint
By RYLIE YOUNG – 05/16/18 You have probably heard the term “Carbon Footprint” but what does that mean and why should you care? A carbon footprint is “the amount of carbon dioxide and other carbon compounds emitted due to the consumption of fossil fuels by a particular person, group, etc.” Carbon, although a naturally occurring element, is a greenhouse gas. So if the United States, … Continue reading Watch Your Step! We should be more cautious of our Carbon Footprint
Your Twin is your best friend
By Taylor Younger In the spring of 2002, on April 15 two babies were born. One girl and one boy. They might have not known it at the moment but they were going to be the best of friends there entire life. But not just best friends… twins. Being part of a “twin unit” is a unique experience that can play a positive … Continue reading Your Twin is your best friend
Director takes new job, Compliance Officer retires
By Kenzie Waterman As this school year is coming to the end, unfortunately so is some of our staff’s time here. Vicki Nelson and Nic Chapin are leaving the school and will not be returning next year. Vicki Nelson is the Compliance Officer at Alliance Charter Academy, since September of 2011. “As Registrar and Compliance Officer, I maintain the staff and student database and am … Continue reading Director takes new job, Compliance Officer retires
Senior Prank 2018
By Faith Burton Although the origin of senior pranks are unknown, we do know that they are prevalent as ever in schools across the globe. In America we call it “Senior Prank”, and Europe and Australia its called “muck-up-day”. In previous years, the pranks have been unruly, and without censorship, these days most schools require that a staff member must be present and all prank … Continue reading Senior Prank 2018
Come to the Dark Side – CWI Saving Money, One Bulb At a Time.
By RYLIE YOUNG – 05/02/18 Join the dark side and turn off the lights! This year’s Contemporary World Issues class is small with only eight Freshman/Sophomore students, but they are making a difference. The class is trying to promote the use of natural lights within your school. The class believes our school waste an excessive amount of artificial light, and if we relied more on … Continue reading Come to the Dark Side – CWI Saving Money, One Bulb At a Time.
Mario’s return to the theaters
By Colin Hughes It was announced that Nintendo was striking a deal with Illumination Studios, the company behind Despicable Me and the Secret Life of Pets, on January of 2018, to make a Mario Movie. The release date has yet to be determined, though. The last time there was a movie about Mario was when Super Mario Bros. starring Bob Hopkins and John Leguizamo was … Continue reading Mario’s return to the theaters
Alliance Charter Academy’s 2018 Graduation Ceremony
By Luke Burton, The Charter News As our seniors move on to bigger and better things we come together to celebrate at graduation. This year, graduation is at Jackson Campus on June 2nd, at 6:00pm. During the graduation ceremony the graduates have each asked a teacher or parent to hand them their diploma and give up to a one minute speech. These speeches usually include … Continue reading Alliance Charter Academy’s 2018 Graduation Ceremony
OBOB 3-5th grade 2018-19
By Victor Heimbigner OBOB for the ACA will not be the same next year. What it looks like for the 3-5th grade is undecided and will be determined this summer by the ACA board. The reason it is undecided is because there is controversy about the book “George”. Alex Gino is a author who wrote a book named “George”, a transgender kid at the age … Continue reading OBOB 3-5th grade 2018-19
Destination: Globals
BY CONSTANTINE VANSICKLE Alliance Charter Academy’s very own Destination Imagination (DI) team is heading to globals! Advancing to globals is a huge achievement for such a small team and they are looking forward to representing the State of Oregon at the Global competition at the University of Tennessee on May 23rd through May 27th. But going to globals also has a financial toll. That’s why … Continue reading Destination: Globals
Possible changes to testing weeks
By, Elizabeth Tarsia As you all might have noticed state testing might have seemed shorter from previous years. Well some changes have been made to the tests themselves and to the prep needed for certain subjects. Before this last testing session there were lessons that needed to be taught previous to taking state tests. Those lessons have been taken away and the test consists of … Continue reading Possible changes to testing weeks
Special Olympics
By. Taylor Younger In the 1950’s and early 1960’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver saw how unjustly and unfairly people with intellectual disabilities were being treated. A couple years later in 1962 Eunice started a summer camp in her very own backyard in washington D.C for those who were being treated unfairly. Eunice’s idea and her movement on this situation was revolutionary at the time. … Continue reading Special Olympics
Recalled Romaine
By Colin Hughes If you just came home from the grocery store with a head of romaine lettuce, you’d better get rid of it. There’s an outbreak of E. coli causing almost 150 people to fall sick in 29 states where people eat romaine lettuce. A subsequent study between March 13th and April 25th of 2018 showed that romaine lettuce may be contaminated with E. … Continue reading Recalled Romaine
