Academy Parent Newsletter

Dear Parents,

We had a great first week of 2026 here at AHS! Our students came back excited and ready to learn. We also had a great PTSA meeting on Thursday evening. I encourage you to join and participate in our PTSA. You can learn more here: https://planoacademyptsa.membershiptoolkit.com/

Have a wonderful weekend!

Sincerely,

Dr. Josh Howard

January 15th: Pet Partners Therapy Dogs on Campus

January 16th: College Fair 2026

January 30th/31st: AHS Thespian Society Puffs Performance

February 4th: Food Truck Stay Day - Egg Stand

May 30th 2PM: Graduation 2026!

Scholarship awards are still coming in but Academy Seniors have already received over $1.5 Million in Scholarship offers so far!!!!!!!!!!!

Parents - Please complete the parent consent form for all activities your child will participate in during Titan Time. You only need to do this once per year so no action is needed if you already submitted your consent form during fall. You only need to submit a new one if your child will be participating in a new activity this spring.

Students - Please complete the Titan Time Selection form for January 6 - March 13th.

We’re excited to introduce our super fun "Stay Day" events — think of it as a lunchtime adventure right here on campus! On these days, we’ll have at least one awesome food truck serving up delicious food, drinks, and snacks for both students and staff. It’s a great chance to enjoy a restaurant-style meal without leaving campus, making lunch more fun and flavorful!

The best part? When you join us for Stay Day, not only do you get to chill and dine with your friends, but the school also earns 10% of the sales, which helps us improve your experience all year long. These funds go toward cool stuff like field trips, science equipment, art supplies, teacher appreciation and so much more to make our school even better!

We’ve brought food trucks to the campus to help build a stronger, more vibrant school community where everyone can stay, connect, and enjoy their lunch together. So come out, support your school, and be part of the fun — let’s make Academy High School the best place to learn, grow, and eat!

Dear AHS Junior Parents - You received the email below this week and it does apply for our current AHS Juniors too.

Become a Healthcare Hero in Plano ISD’s EMT Program!

Watch Video

Are you interested in a career where you can truly make a difference—saving lives, serving your community and stepping directly into the healthcare field? Our 12th Grade Collin College EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) Program offers students an exciting opportunity to become a future hero in healthcare.

This hands-on program prepares students with real-world skills used by first responders every day. Students will learn emergency medical care, patient assessment and life-saving techniques while exploring a high-demand, rewarding career pathway.

Why Choose the EMT Program?

• Gain foundational skills for careers in healthcare, emergency services and public safety
• Ideal for students interested in nursing, medicine, fire services or allied health careers
• Develop leadership, teamwork and critical-thinking skills
• No prerequisites courses required this year; however student must be 18 by April 1, 2027, to participate

Important Deadline

• Students must sign up by January 16th at 5:00 PM
• Register here

For students who are passionate about helping others, who thrive in fast-paced environments or want an early start in the healthcare industry, the EMT program is an excellent choice for senior year.

Parents, please encourage your student to complete their course application as soon as possible as several teacher references are required. If you have questions or would like more information about the program, feel free to reach out to your counselor or CTECenter@pisd.edu.

Let’s empower our students to become the next generation of healthcare heroes!

Please use this link for instructions on setting up Skyward Family Access

The Family Access portal will allow parents/guardians to monitor and participate in your child’s education, including the ability to:

• Review grades
• Check schedules
• View upcoming assignments
• Keep track of attendance
• Manage fees and payments
• Access other important information

Dear Parents,

We are moving away from a standards based grading system and the use of Empower as our platform. We will be fully transitioning to a traditional grading system with all grades entered in Skyward with the start of the 26/27 school year. Our math team has been using Skyward and a traditional grading system this fall semester. Some teachers in other content areas will begin using Skyward and a traditional grading system for the upcoming Spring 2026 semester. All Academy teachers will use Skyward and a traditional grading system starting with the 26/27 school year. This transition plan is designed to help us continue to move toward clear and consistent college preparatory grading practices at AHS. Please reach out to me if you have any questions.

Thank you,

Dr. Howard

Please review our practice for incidents involving academic dishonesty:

Teachers enter all academic dishonesty incidents in 360 as admin-managed. Administration council with students and assign the consequences below.

• 1st time- redo max 70

• 2nd time- redo, max 50

• 3rd time and beyond- zero and 1 day ISS

PSAT/SAT Resources: https://www.pisd.edu/departments-66/advanced-academics/psat-and-sat

Resources include general information about each test, test preparation resources, and how to interpret score reports.

Plano ISD senior high school graduations will be celebrated across three evenings. The graduation dates, times and locations for the senior high schools and Academy High School are as follows:

• Plano Senior High School | WED | MAY 27 | 7 PM | Ford Center at the Star in Frisco

• Plano East Senior High School | THU | MAY 28 | 7 PM | Ford Center at the Star in Frisco

• Plano West Senior High School | FRI | MAY 29 | 7 PM | Ford Center at the Star in Frisco

• Academy High School | SAT | MAY 30 | 2 PM | Plano ISD Robinson Fine Arts Center

Graduation details are available for students and families at www.pisd.edu/graduation

About the scholarship:

The Plano Retired Teachers Association (PRTA) is the local unit of the Texas Retired Teachers Association. The Plano unit, comprising nearly 500 retired educators and school employees, helps its members stay informed about local, state, and national issues of interest. The organization encourages networking and advocates for laws and legislation that benefit educators and students. This organization’s goal is to advance causes related to education and community volunteerism. The Plano Retired Teachers Association offers three scholarships, one at each of the three senior high schools, each valued at $ 1,000, to graduating seniors planning to pursue a career in education.

Eligibility: Graduating Senior at Plano Senior High School, Plano East Senior High School, Plano West Senior High School, and Plano ISD Academy High School. (Academy HS seniors will apply through the senior high attendance zone where they reside.)

Criteria: Applicant plans to pursue a career in education

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeyWLNZTm7zdZpw5el1C2ZL804B7Ro2DF8D7prY65Pb-Xe1Bw/viewform

The application with documents is due April 8th, 2026.

The committee will meet soon after the application deadline to review if necessary.

Recipients will be notified by April 15, 2026.

Dear Parents,

Our doors open at 8:30 AM each day. Please be mindful of this when planning your morning drop off time as we head toward colder weather.

Thank you,

Academy Administration

Guinn Special Programs Center, in partnership with Top Achievers and IntelliChoice, offers free math tutoring every Saturday, 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. at Guinn Special Programs Center, 2221 Legacy Dr, Plano, TX.

• Open to all PISD students

• Approximately 3:1 student-to-tutor ratio

• Individualized support, including help with homework

• Light breakfast provided

• All materials included

Register at: https://topachieversfoundation.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/106/responses/new

Use this link to add many to your student's lunch account: https://www.schoolcafe.com/make-payment

Dear First Year Parent or Guardian,

Congratulations! After a rigorous selection process, your learner and their team have been hired as expedition coordinators! After performing extensive background research on a region, the team will develop a themed expedition designed to immerse participants into the region’s culture. The travel itinerary should provide experiences that allow participants to explore each aspect of culture (Social, Historical, Economic, Environmental, and Political: SHEEP) within the region through the lens of the theme of the expedition. Teams will then create a booth to showcase how their travel itineraries capture the rich culture of the country. All booths will use appropriate research and creativity to communicate their message.

1st years will host a travel fair on March 12, 2026 from 4:30-6:00pm for family and friends to come view expedition booths and vote on their favorite trip!

Project Curriculum Overview

Art: We’re focusing on the process of Art Criticism. Learners will analyze artworks and artifacts from various time periods and cultures to discover how different people communicate their values and beliefs.

Biology: The main focal points of biology will be cellular processes and plant systems. These concepts build upon previous learning from class, which included biomolecules, animal body systems, and mechanisms of maintaining homeostasis. Learning will be supported through laboratory experiments that will allow students to see real-time demonstrations of chemical reactions, including fermentation, cellular respiration, and photosynthesis.

CADD: Working on symmetric design and 3D printing. Students will be able to design scenes that represent the environment of their Region.

English: Literary elements and culture are the lenses we use to explore different iterations of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet in this project. How do authors tell stories and express culture? How do authors’ cultures shape their stories? Learners will participate in a book club by selecting a Romeo and Juliet inspired story to explore culture and how literary elements are used to express themes. Book options are Son of the Mob by Korman, Street Love by Myers, These Violent Delights by Gong, YOLO Juliet by Wright. Students may use a school copy or purchase their own copy.

Math: In Geometry we study logic. Through our logic lessons we will develop If-Then statements related to our travels. Geometry students will also learn about similarity and proof, which teaches our learners how to organize and follow steps to find a solution or come to an answer that is expected. Algebra 1 will explore Laws of Exponents and Radicals, Polynomial Operations, and Solving Quadratics. Similarly, having a step by step plan (or itinerary) will help teach our learners how to organize their trip itinerary in a logical step by step manner.

World Geography: Through this project, learners will explore the spread of different cultures throughout different regions of the world and the impact they have had on social, historical, economic, environmental, and political (SHEEP!) aspects.

Project Anchor Doc

Expedition criteria:

Team Responsibilities

• Expedition title

• Expedition theme

• Target audience

• At least one immersive experience for each of the 5 aspects of culture (S.H.E.E.P.) through the lens of the theme of the expedition.

• Social cultural experience

• Historical cultural experience

• Economic cultural experience

• Environmental cultural experience

• Political cultural experience

• Your expedition itinerary must include at least one visit to a science museum and one visit to a national park, arboretum, botanical garden, Audubon center, or other preserved natural space.

These visits will count toward your SHEEP immersive experiences.

• Animation

• Stamp

• Budget with trip price

• Google Earth Tour

• Trip Poster

• Trip Brochure

• 30-second TikTok video

• Identify and represent a cultural folktale and a modern author from one of your destination countries.

• Cultural Artifacts: Historical booth design, 3D printed environmental diorama, cultural artwork, themed fashion, folktale

Individual Responsibilities

• For one location (city, town, recreational area) within the region, plan a two-day itinerary

• Include at least two immersive S.H.E.E.P. experiences (through the lens of the theme of the expedition)

• Ensure that all experiences fall within the budget.

Booth Criteria:

• Based on research, create a booth that provides an interactive experience that tells the story of the essence of the expedition and how the expedition immerses participants into the 5 aspects of the region’s culture (social, historical, economic, environment, political)

• (1) Multimedia experience (Google Earth Voyager)

• (1) Interactive cultural experience (e.g. creating art, learning a dance, creating music, cooking demonstration, playing a traditional game, playing a game that introduces participants to the culture of the country (trivia, matching, etc.))

• (5) Cultural artifacts (e.g. historical booth design, 3D printed environmental diorama, cultural artwork, themed fashion, folktale). In addition you may also include music, currency, flags, logo, t-shirts, promotional products, etc.) - all artifacts must be created at the Academy.

• Each team member will select one of the 5 cultural artifacts and write the story of that artifact. What is its significance? What does it represent? How is it a cultural artifact?
  
  

Questions for the dinner table:

• How are you analyzing the data you found about your place to inform your expedition?

• What commonalities have you found in the functions you have studied in math this year?

• What causes culture to change over time?

• Is it important for cultures to maintain traditional ways?

• How or where do I track my ideas and develop a plan?

• What makes a trip memorable?

• What are some of your favorite trips? Why do you like these?

Thank you for all your support! Please let any of us know if you have questions about or ideas for this project.

Sincerely,

The 1st Year Facilitators

Please review the third year website here (updated weekly): https://sites.google.com/pisd.edu/3rd-year-team/home

Become a Healthcare Hero in Plano ISD’s EMT Program!

Watch Video

Are you interested in a career where you can truly make a difference—saving lives, serving your community and stepping directly into the healthcare field? Our 12th Grade Collin College EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) Program offers students an exciting opportunity to become a future hero in healthcare.

This hands-on program prepares students with real-world skills used by first responders every day. Students will learn emergency medical care, patient assessment and life-saving techniques while exploring a high-demand, rewarding career pathway.

Why Choose the EMT Program?

• Gain foundational skills for careers in healthcare, emergency services and public safety
• Ideal for students interested in nursing, medicine, fire services or allied health careers
• Develop leadership, teamwork and critical-thinking skills
• No prerequisites courses required this year; however student must be 18 by April 1, 2027, to participate

Important Deadline

• Students must sign up by January 16th at 5:00 PM
• Register here

For students who are passionate about helping others, who thrive in fast-paced environments or want an early start in the healthcare industry, the EMT program is an excellent choice for senior year.

Parents, please encourage your student to complete their course application as soon as possible as several teacher references are required. If you have questions or would like more information about the program, feel free to reach out to your counselor or CTECenter@pisd.edu.

Let’s empower our students to become the next generation of healthcare heroes!

4th year math information here (updated weekly): https://tinyurl.com/4thyearMathNews