Academy Weekly Newsletter - 10/17
From The Academy at Sturgis Brown High School
Dear parents, guardians, and students,
**Every week a different Academy student will act as a student ambassador for the weekly newsletter. Their message will feature some information about the student, The Academy, and what happened throughout the week.**
Hello,
My name is Elijah Stroud. I enjoy playing sports. I also enjoy hiking and outdoor activities. When I am older, I want to be an American History teacher. I want to help kids the way Mr. Fasso has helped me!
This week in The Academy was very busy. Deni Martin visited and explained the Build Dakota Scholarship which was very fun to learn about! In English we have made ample progress in our book. We have learned about dystopian novels and what they are. I have really enjoyed this unit in English!
The Academy is very special to me. Without The Academy, I wouldn't be anywhere close to the person I am today. The Academy isn't just about school; we are a family. I love and respect every student who is in The Academy, and I have made very good friends. I value my spot in The Academy. If I got the chance to restart my high school career, I would choose to be in The Academy every single time.
English Notes by Ms. R
English students write a journal entry, practice a spelling word, and learn a new vocabulary word every day. They also practice grammar. This week students continued learning the building blocks of English grammar by studying proper sentence structure, fragment sentences, and run-on sentences. They also learned how to spell commonly misspelled words such as changeable and dystopian and the root word rupt as well as words like disrupt and interrupt.
We also finished reading Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 this week in class! The students are looking forward to watching the movie adaptation of the book as a special Halloween treat on the 31st!
The students' carefully crafted utopias have been now turned into dystopias! The students/country leaders are creating propaganda posters and writing speeches in hopes that they can get their countries back on track! Come listen to the students' speeches on the 23rd and 24th to see if they can reclaim their utopias!
Students are also reading an independent reading book throughout the course of this trimester. This trimester they are reading dystopian novels such as: 1984 or Animal Farm by George Orwell, The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, The Crucible by Arthur Miller, etc . Students were able to select a book from 25+ different fiction dystopian books. The students read this book every day and write a paragraph about what they read. At the end of the trimester, they will complete a final project about the novel they selected.
If you would like to know what is coming up in Academy English, please feel free to review my trimester lesson plans. They can be found here.
Governement Notes by Mr. Fasso
In Chapter 6: The Executive Branch at Work, we explored the vast and intricate structure of the federal bureaucracy. We discussed how the federal government, through its various agencies, manages essential services such as mail delivery, tax collection, and national defense.
We defined bureaucracy as a structured administrative system that implements policies through a specialized staff. The executive branch is the largest part of this bureaucracy, including agencies like the IRS and the Department of Justice.
We also touched on the Executive Office of the President, emphasizing its key components, such as the National Security Council and the Office of Management and Budget, which assist the President in managing national policies.
The presentation highlighted the evolution of the executive departments and the role of the Cabinet in advising the President. We concluded by discussing independent agencies and their importance in carrying out government functions without direct political pressure.
We explored the topic of foreign aid and engaged in a lively debate surrounding its implications. The key questions we discussed included whether the U.S. should prioritize foreign aid based on strategic importance or humanitarian needs, and the effectiveness of such aid in promoting global stability and security.
Students examined various perspectives, including the role of foreign aid in modern diplomacy versus potential interference in the sovereignty of recipient countries. We also considered whether the U.S. should reduce foreign aid to focus on domestic issues and how foreign aid impacts economic development and the fight against global poverty.
I appreciate your continued support as we navigate these important topics.
Principles of Algebra and Geometry by Mr. Leonhardt
This week students reviewed and learned new strategies for solving algebraic equations. This included solving simple equations as well as more complex equations that included fractions. They also learned to solve common formulas they encounter for a specific variable within the formula which can be very helpful in other content areas like science and finance. They will have an assessment over these topics next week.
By: Mr. Leonhardt
Integrated Science by Mrs. Wheaton
We have finished up the acids and bases unit and hopefully the students are familiar with which everyday products are acids and which ones are bases. Next week we begin a physics unit on motion and hopefully we will learn many life lessons in this unit as well! Thank you for sharing your child with me!
School to Work by Ms. R
This week The Academy was visited by Deni Martin from the Build Dakota Scholarship! Ms. Martin spoke to the students about career exploration and the unique opportunities that the Build Dakota Scholarship offers! Thank you so much for coming in to speak to us, Ms. Martin!
Academy students continue to benefit the community through their work in many ways and are employed by a variety of companies such as (but not limited to): Pizza Ranch, KOA, Culvers, and the Sturgis Brewing Company.
Edgenuity/Online Learning Notes
SBHS Academy Building
Coleen Keffeler, Assistant Principal
Wayne Sullivan, Assistant Principal
Website: Sturgis Brown High School
Location: 12930 E. Highway 34, Sturgis SD 57785
Phone: (605) 347-2686