Thursday, February 13, 2020—Kuukua Yomekpe, The Owner and Head Chef of Asempe Kitchen, LLC stopped by Ms. Dickinson and Mr. Scheemaker's first-grade class. Ms. Yomekpe makes and serves Ghanaian cuisine in downtown Syracuse.

Ms. Yomekpe taught the students how to prepare and cook their own crepes. She wove culturally relevant facts into the cooking demonstration leaving students not only with a full belly, but a full mind as well. For example, did you know babies in Ghana are not named until 8 days after their birth? Atoms also learned how to properly wrap hair with a Duku. We believe in the value of culturally-relevant teaching in our classrooms, and reminding Atoms that they are citizens of this world. Thank you, Ms. Yomekpe, for sharing your time with us! 

Thursday, February 6, 2020—The Trophy goes to the kindergarten #SASAtoms for having a blast at The Ultimate Goal. Sharks & Minnows, soccer, and musical chairs were just a few of the team games students played. The highlight of the trip for Atoms was definitely jumping from one rug to another while swinging on a rope. Or was it seeing the teachers running and chasing after to them to tag them? Either way, it was a fun day to practice physical education and teamwork skills they have been working on throughout the year. Way to go, Atoms! 

Thursday, February 6, 2020—Several of our fourth graders participated in our annual #SASCS Geography Bee. These Atoms were a picture of perseverance, courage and hard work portrayed by their immense knowledge of questions that ranged from facts about the United States to multiple continents throughout the world. The top three winners in order from third to first were: Cicero Stroman, Ali Ghazi, and Marius Lang! An amazing job by all who participated!

Wednesday, February 12, 2020—The #SASCS Elementary Health Office is celebrating #HealthyHeart Month by teaching our students on ways to keep our hearts healthy. Here are just a few ways to help build a healthy and strong heart!

? Smile
? Laugh
? Sunshine
? Wash Hands
? Brush Teeth
? Sleep
? Exercise
? Drink Water
? Quiet Time
? Play Outside
? Eat Fruits
? Eat Vegetables

Monday, February 11, 2020—We believe in preparing our students for their futures with practical support. According to 2018-2028 Employment Projections from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, of the 30 fastest growing occupations, 18 are in healthcare and related occupations. To better help our students understand what opportunities exist for them in the healthcare industry, we took a group of 21 #SASCS Juniors to Upstate Medical University to attend a medical careers panel which included twelve professional staff members. The panel shared heartwarming personal stories and great information about potential career paths. Thank you, Upstate, for supporting our Scholars! 

Wednesday, February 5, 2020—Starting Monday, February 10th we will start our 6-week mood boost program. Each week will focus on a different mood and students will be able to enjoy a special menu item that will enhance the mood of the week. Week 1 will focus on foods that help us feel alert, Week 2's mood will be calm, week 3's mood will be confident, week 4's mood will be happy, week 5's mood will be smart, and Week 6's mood will be strong. Every Tuesday students will receive a coloring page with the mood of the week, and on Fridays, they will receive a trading card that states the mood and a healthy recipe that ties to it. To kick off this initiative students were introduced to the program and got to try blueberries with balsamic and thyme which is a "smart food recipe" and also broccoli raisin salad which is a "calm food recipe." Every student also received a bracelet to take home. Thank you, Chartwells for sharing this great program with our students! We are looking forward to the fun that is to come in the upcoming weeks!

Saturday, February 8, 2020—Three #SASCS MS teams attended the SUNY Oswego Nor'Easter Robotics Competition. The teams competed in nine qualifying rounds in team-building challenges. After the qualifying rounds, all teams were paired up and competed one more time in the final round. Team Roboquad took 1st place with an impressive 105 points, Team Gear took 5th place and Team Let’s Code came in 10th overall. Way to go, Atoms!  

Friday, February 7, 2020—At the Syracuse Academy of Science, we believe in celebrating our #SASAtoms victories. Throughout the first week of February, we rewarded scholars who earned the highest number of DOJO points in January. One grade level per day was rewarded with a bounce house, puzzles, coloring, and fun balloon games with their peers. Great job, Atoms!

Tuesday, February 4, 2020—The #SASCS middle school STEAM club competed in a global art competition revolving around the theme, ‘Endangered.’ Students created both drawings and sculptures of animal species seriously at risk of extinction. Each sculpture was created using only recycled objects and items that were going to be thrown out, such as water bottles, empty glue containers, marker tops, old textbook newsprint, packaging peanuts, cardboard, window screens, wire, and much more. Although our students did not place an award, we are very proud of our atoms for participating in a global event and bringing awareness to these endangered animal species by displaying their beauty in the form of art.

Tuesday, February 4, 2020—How do we support our Atoms in becoming caring and involved citizens? To start, we teach them how the system works. Freshman and sophomore Atoms took a field trip to the Onondaga County Courthouse and Justice Center where they toured the new and old courthouse, witnessed court proceedings, learned about various career opportunities within the court system, and attended a question and answer session with deputies at the justice center.