On Monday, December 4th, Mr. Panighett and Ms. Herrera took a group of 28 8th graders to see a performance of Encore - a compilation of short stories and poems they had read including, "The Tell Tale Heart," "The Raven," "The Monkey's Paw," "The Necklace, "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County," and  "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"- at the Rochester Auditorium. They also went to McDonald's for lunch afterward.  They were wonderful on the bus, they were by far the most well-behaved in the theater, and they even received accolades from several staff members and patrons at the McDonald's. They were, in a word, awesome, and made us very proud.

#SASCS #SASAtoms 

Click here to view photos of the event

On Sunday, December 3, 2017, the SAS High School robotics team attended the FIRST^® Tech Challenge (FTC) robotics competition qualifier at Sauquoit High School in Sauquoit, NY. FIRST^® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) was founded in 1989 by inventor Dean Kamen. The nonprofit public charity inspires young people to become innovative science and technology leaders by engaging in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, technology, math and engineering (STEM) skills. In turn, those skills help to build self-confidence and foster communication and leadership skills.

Eleven members of the SAS Atoms robotics team attended the competition. The team became the 4th alliance captain and, after semi-finals selections, the 3rd alliance captain. Ultimately, the robotics team received the Rockwell Collins Innovate Award and advanced to the FTC Super Regional Competition, which will be held January 14, 2018, at SUNY Polytechnic Institute in Utica.

Congratulations to the entire SAS Atoms team. Led by Mr. Zengin and Mr. Altindis, the team includes the following students: Lalita Dahal, Umesh Dahal, Karl Russo, Jade Regner, Brenden Reilly, Joseph Capra, Huda Ali, Zakaria Ali, Natalia Amado, Abdullah Cetin, Ali Barbour, Tahirah Abdul-Qadir, Michael Scheer and Benjamin Cameron.

#SASCS #SASAtoms 

Click here to view photos of the event

On Tuesday November 21st, second graders in Ms. Peryea and Ms. Fogarty's class enjoyed their annual Thankful Feast. Parents and family members were welcomed into the classroom to share a meal and good company in honor of all the things that we are thankful for in our school community. Thank you so much to each person who contributed and participated!

#SASCS #SASAtoms 

Click here to view photos of the event 

On Monday November 20th, 2017, Second grade students at SAS Elementary participated in a Greek dancing lesson run by our very own Ms. Georgiadis this week. As a culminating activity for the ELA unit on Ancient Greece and Greek Myths, students were able to learn steps to the dances using Greek music and learned to say a few conversational words in Greek as well! Thank you to Ms. Georgiadis for sharing her cultural background with all of our students!

#SASCS #SASAtoms 

Click here to view photos of the event

On Friday, November 17, 2017, the SAS Middle School held its First Annual Boys’ Empowerment Night. Guest speakers included SU basketball players Eric Devendorf, Dejuan Coleman and Geno Thorpe, plus SU women’s basketball coach Cedric Solice. Our boys were assigned sports teams and followed a full schedule that included activities in a video game room, a board-game room, a photo booth and a basketball game. Coach B. led the boys in a team-building exercise, and later they had a talent show hosted by Mr. Alessi, which included six acts. A highlight of the night was a big basketball game in which all the students played. The empowering night was wrapped up by a speaker who happens to be a member of the SAS staff himself: Mr. Joshua, Assistant Dean of Students at the high school. He gave the boys a great testimony on how to change one’s life for the better. At SAS, the entire student is addressed—both scholar and citizen. Events like this one help our ATOMS grow as positive contributors to society. Thank you to all who helped put this on for our young men!

 #SASCS #SASAtoms

Click here to view photos of the event

On Thursday, November 16th, 2017, through Monday, November 20th, 2017, the SAS Middle School presented Student Scholar Awards to students in all three grades. These awards were given to students who achieved proficiency in one or more of the NYS Math and ELA exams. The Student Scholar Awards ranged from $25 to $75. Thank you to the Terra Foundation for these awards, which help drive amazing student success. In addition, we appreciate all of our SAS families who attended the event. Without your help, we would not be able to achieve the success that we as a school have enjoyed! Keep reaching for the stars, ATOMS!

 #SASCS #SASAtoms #TerraSci

Click here to view photos of the event 

Throughout November, Ms. Orioli, counselor at the Middle School, has been conducting character education lessons. This month she has been targeting the character trait of respect as the central part of these lessons. Students work with each other as a team to discuss what respect means to them and how it fits into our school activities. These lessons are important to SAS because they help to develop our students into great citizens as well as great scholars! Throughout the school year, lessons will continue, highlighting different character traits.

#SASAtoms #SASCS

Click here to view photos of the event

On Friday, November 17th, 2017 the SAS Middle School held its first Maker's Hall. What is a Maker's Hall? A Maker's Hall is a collaborative work event inside a school, library or separate public/private facility for making, learning, exploring and sharing that uses high tech to no tech tools. Middle school students were able to explore the training that NASA Astronauts experience, search for fossils, design boats, and much, much more! This event is a great example of the STEM experience that the Science Academies of New York strive to bring to all of our students. Thank you to the Terra Foundation for bringing us this great event! Go ATOMS!

#SASAtoms #SASCS #MakersHall

Click here to view photos of the event 

On November 20, 2017, in the spirit of giving thanks, students at SAS elementary school tallied the number of canned goods and nonperishable food they recently collected to donate to the Rescue Mission. Each class participated in the school-wide food drive, which resulted in 436 items! In case you are wondering which class collected the most, we are pleased to announce that Ms. Murdie and Ms. Fraiser’s class is this year’s winner, with 83 items collected. Congratulations, and thanks to all the generous families that participated in this community-enriching project.

#SASCS #SASAtoms #charterschools 

Click here to view photos of the event

On November 17, 2017, SAS Elementary School Dean Pamela Smith was recognized as one of 40 ambitious, hard-working, civic-minded individuals under age 40 who have made extraordinary efforts and accomplishments in the workplace and the community. The group was honored at a dinner held at the SRC Arena and represents diverse backgrounds, experiences and skills. One common characteristic is that all of them thrive on active community involvement in advancing public good.
            Mrs. Smith credits her family and many dedicated educators with supporting her endeavors and accomplishments, but she cites Dr. Hayali as having the most influence on her career. “Dr. Hayali has influenced my career by serving as a mentor and has given me the encouragement I needed to continue higher education and advanced certifications.” And what are the principles that guide her? “The two guiding principles in my personal and professional life are to be good to others and focus on growth.” Congratulations, Mrs. Smith, for being recognized as a great role model. Keep up the excellent work!

#SASCS #SASAtoms