ACE ACADEMY Seminole Place
March Newsletter
Dear ACE Academy Families,
I hope this letter finds you well. We are looking forward to seeing you at the upcoming Conferences and Game Night! Be sure to use the link below to sign up for a conference time with your students teachers.
Important Announcements — Upcoming ACE Academy Events
- 03/10 — Senior PVCC field trip- to Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC). This is a great opportunity for students to explore college options—Return permission forms by March 5th
- 03/18 — Conferences — more details (times and sign-up links) are below. We encourage families to schedule a time to discuss progress and goals.
- 3/19-Family & Friends Game Night
- 3/19-Video Media Juniors Movie Outing
We are grateful for your ongoing support in fostering a positive learning environment for all our students.
With appreciation,
Jay Thomas, Principal
Calendar of Events
ACPS Calendar linked HERE
ACE Academy Events
03/10 Senior PVCC Field Trip
03/18 Conferences
03/19 Family Game Night
03/19 Video Media Juniors Movie Outing
03/20 No school for students
03/25-SAT DAY
03/27-DE English classes visit UVa Library
05/14-Senior Capstone Ceremony
Looking for Parent Volunteers!
Dear Parents/Guardians of Ace Academy,
I am the parent of a senior at Ace Academy. I am reaching out in hopes of finding some parents
willing to help with our last few teacher & staff appreciation events of the year. This staff is so
easy & appreciate anything we do. I’m looking for someone to organize food or treats for
February and March. I am also looking for a volunteer from each grade level for the Teacher
appreciation week in May. Please respond as soon as possible to stephrsnider@gmail.com or
(434) 981-2826.
Thanks!
Stephanie Snider
Great Opportunity from one of our Community Partners, Light House Studio!
Summer Opportunity for
3rd-12th Graders at
Light House Studio here in Charlottesville
Opportunity for Families
PVCC is hosting an event for current seniors.
Take a look at the flyer for more information.
ACE Students and Families ~
We are excited to let you know that we have partnered with ACPS Child Nutrition and on Friday we began offering a bagged breakfast option for students at a cost of $2.00 per meal. Students should report to Lena Campbell at the front desk when entering ACE Academy to request breakfast. Pre-ordering is NOT required, but to ensure accurate billing, please have students’ PIN numbers ready.
Each bagged breakfast would include one of the following options:
- Muffin with a cheese stick, milk, and juice
- Assorted cereal with a cheese stick, milk, and juice
- Cinnamon roll with milk and juice
- Mini pancakes with milk and juice
- Cherry or apple Frudel with milk and juice
- Mini Cinnis with milk and juice
Our Featured ACE Students!
🎮GAME DESIGN🎮
What is your name, what is your pathway, and how many years have you been coming to ACE Academy? William Lees, Game Design and three years.
Why did you decide to join ACE Academy?
I wanted to be a game designer since Elementary school.
What are your favorite things about being at the ACE Academy campus versus your base school campus? Small community, the environment.
What has been your most favorite thing you have created while attending ACE Academy?
The Game Tetronaughts which was a project for Technology Student Association.
What project are you currently working on?
I am currently working on my capstone project, which is a top down, survival game.
How does attending ACE Academy help you prepare for the future?
It is definitely preparing for my future career path.
What are your favorite things to do in your spare time?
Video games, reading, and playing instruments.
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💻CYBERSECURITY💻
What is your name, what is your pathway, and how many years have you been coming to ACE Academy? Ender Carpenter. I am in Cybersecurity and have been two years.
Why did you decide to join ACE Academy? Because I wanted to learn Cybersecurity and have known I wanted to work in that field.
What are your favorite things about being at the ACE Academy campus versus your base school campus? I like the freedom during our lunch time and have been slowly getting used to the changes this year. I like the idea of the focus of the capstone project.
What has been your most favorite thing you have created while attending ACE Academy?
The Carter's Mountain Field trip.
What project are you currently working on?
Getting certifications in cybersecurity.
How does attending ACE Academy help you prepare for the future?
The classes directly relate to what I want to do in college.
What are your favorite things to do in your spare time?
I like do some game design on my own, hammer mapping, and learning about cybersecurity.
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📹VIDEO & MEDIA TECHNOLOGY📹
*We want to give a huge congratulations to this months Video Leader of the Month!
JET CLINE was accepted to VCU Arts!!!
Way to go JET!!
What is your name, what is your pathway, and how many years have you been coming to ACE Academy?
Jet Cline- I came to ACE three years ago.
Why did you decide to join ACE Academy?
To pursue the Media Pathway.
What are your favorite things about being at the ACE Academy campus versus your base school campus?
I love getting to know people from other schools.
What has been your most favorite thing you have created while attending ACE Academy?
I love to work in our studio.
What project are you currently working on?
I am doing a voiceover and recording cover.
How does attending ACE Academy help you prepare for the future?
It has really helped me to explore potential paths.
What are your favorite things to do in your spare time?
I enjoy drawing and concept art.
Group: CENTER 1 FAMILIES
March ELA Update (Travis)
12th Grade:
Seniors are wrapping up a unit on The Canterbury Tales, where they explored satire, historical context, and advanced literary analysis while continuing to build critical reading and writing skills. They concluded the unit by writing a satirical tale of their own. Our next unit will be Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein!
11th Grade:
Juniors are working on a unit on The Great Gatsby and the Harlem Renaissance, emphasizing critical analysis, literary techniques, and author’s purpose, with opportunities to compare poetry from the era to Fitzgerald’s novel.
10th Grade:
Sophomores are finishing up a non-fiction unit on The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, which will focus on rhetorical devices and appeals, author’s purpose, and using strong textual evidence to support analysis. Their culminating project was a research paper on ethical issues in medical research and practice. Our next unit will be on Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime!
Physics
We are now working on our unit: let us entertain you where we are diving into the physics of waves and sound.
~Mr. Bertram
World Geography
This month, Dr. Mound's World Geography students began studying the physical and human geography of Europe. Students examined how Europe’s physical features, climate, and natural resources helped shape where people settled and how societies developed over time. They also began exploring the cultural foundations of Europe, including the influence of ancient Greece and Rome, the spread of Christianity, and the development of major European language families.
U.S. History
This month, Dr. Mound’s U.S. History students began a lesson looking at how rock ‘n’ roll reshaped American music and culture in the middle of the 20th Century. Beyond the music itself, topics addressed in this lesson include the “Great Migration” of African Americans from the South to the North, the “Generation Gap” between Baby Boomers and their parents, the growth of suburbia, and the “Sexual Revolution” of the 1960s.
Government
This month, Dr. Mound’s U.S. History students began a lesson looking at the Executive Branch, let by co-teacher Mr. Lyon.
Mr. Peck
World History
This month World History II and AP World History students wrapped up their unit on revolutions in Europe and the Americas and completed their second World History SOL assessment, which had them write an essay answering the question, “How did revolution change Latin America.” Our next topic concerns the Industrial Revolution and its social, political and economic consequences, such as the rise of capitalism, Marxism, nationalism, and a new wave of European colonialism.
U.S. History This month in U.S. history students are learning about the Civil War, beginning with the increasing tensions between states over slavery as the country expanded westward and as economic strains between northern and southern states that grew out of the American industrial revolution. Students also completed a research project on the major battles of the Civil War and how each battle impacted the War’s direction and outcome. To wrap up this unit students will learn about the Reconstruction era following the war to prepare for their second S.O.L. assessment for which they will write a comprehensive essay answering the question, “Were the freed people free?”
PVCC Government In PVCC government class students are currently learning about the political process, political ideology, and the roots of our two-party political system. Students will also be learning about elections and the campaign process to better understand the complex system of federal and state elections in the U.S.
March Cyber & IT Fundamentals Update
IT Fundamentals
The classroom has transformed into an indie game studio! Students are currently in the heat of their Platformer Game Project. Using Construct 3, they are designing multi-level worlds, defining character physics (like gravity and "coyote time" jumps), and programming "event-based" logic to handle enemy encounters and collectible power-ups.
Cybersecurity I
Cyber 1 is officially "dipping their toes" into the world of Networking.
Networking Basics: Students are learning how devices communicate across local and wide area networks, moving from web-layer vulnerabilities to the underlying infrastructure.
CTF Project: To put their skills to the test, the class is launching a Capture The Flag (CTF) project. This gamified challenge requires students to solve puzzles and find hidden "flags" by applying their knowledge of web security and network discovery.
Cybersecurity II: Network Operations
This month, Cyber 2 is moving beyond the hardware to focus on the "Rules of the Road"—Plans, Procedures, and Policies.
The Essential Question: Students are tackling: What are different plans, procedures, and policies for organizations?
Crisis Response Simulation: The class engaged in a high-pressure simulation of a network breach, forcing them to think critically about incident response in real-time.
Policy Research & Governance: Students are currently researching IT policies from real-world companies. By analyzing employee manuals and security guidelines, they are drafting their own professional IT policies to protect against future vulnerabilities. This unit concludes with a deep dive into Common Documentation and Service Agreements (SLAs/MOUs).
Cybersecurity III
Our Cyber 3 veterans are reaching a major milestone.
Security+ Homestretch: The class is officially wrapping up the CompTIA Security+ curriculum.
Exam Readiness: The focus for the remainder of the month shifts to rigorous practice testing and study sessions. Students are identifying their "weakest links" in domain knowledge to ensure they are fully prepared for the professional certification exam.
Special Events & Milestones
Senior Field Trip: At the end of February, our Seniors took a deep dive into the industry with a visit to TopNotch Computer Systems. They toured the facilities and gained firsthand insight into enterprise-level IT operations and career pathways.
🏆 Virginia High School Cyber Cup: Tomorrow, Saturday, March 7th, our Juniors head into competition! They will be representing the school in this prestigious state-wide event, solving complex security challenges in a race against the clock. We wish them the best of luck!
Guest Speaker Series: Towards the end of March, the Seniors will host a guest speaker from the tech industry to discuss the transition from the classroom to the professional workforce.
Video Media & Technology
March Video & Media Technology Update
IT Fundamentals
The students are working on creating a platformer game from scratch using the Construct 3 game engine. They must create or find all their own assets in order to bring this to life.
Video & Media Tech. I
During the month of February, students in Video and Media Technology I worked on a mini-documentary project. Students selected a historical figure from either the Harlem Renaissance or the Black Arts Movement as the focus of their film. Throughout the project, students learned how to develop production scripts for documentaries, manipulate images using the Ken Burns effect, and operate audio equipment to record their own voice-overs. They also continued to build their editing skills by working with non-linear editing software to assemble and refine their final projects.
Video & Media Tech. III
Students in Video and Media Technology III have been working at the Music Resource Center, where they are gaining hands-on experience with professional audio equipment. Throughout this unit, students have been learning how to record audio and edit their recordings using a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). By the end of the third quarter, students will complete the MRC Crash Course and finalize their audio projects.
Senior Capstone
As the third quarter concludes, students will meet with Mr. Berry to present their prototypes and share their proposed timeline for completing their capstone projects during the fourth quarter. Students who have not made sufficient progress on their capstone projects will be assigned an alternate research assignment to complete for the remainder of the school year.
IT Fundamentals
The students are working on creating a platformer game from scratch using the Construct 3 game engine. They must create or find all their own assets in order to bring this to life.
Game 1
The students are continuing to create a 2D adventure game in Unity.
Game 2
The students are working on their 3rd 3D minigame in Unity. This involves jumping over obstacles, implementing sound effects, and particle effects.
Digital Visualization
The students are animating a character to interact with an object of their choice in a 10 second animation.
We are approaching cold and flu season. We need to have a signed copy of the medication release form on file to administer any medication to students. If you would like the option for us to administer medications to your student, we need a signed copy of the medication release form. Please have you student pick up a form from the nurses office or you may print off the attached form. Parents will need to provide medication with students name and DOB on bottle . ~Zina
Dear Families,
We’d like to share a list of local community resources that offer support in a variety of areas, including mental health services, food and housing assistance, and opportunities to give back through donations or volunteering. We know that everyone’s needs—and ways of supporting others—are unique, and we hope these resources are helpful for you or someone you know.
Help Happens Here- Mental health services
Street Sheet Resources for Charlottesville and Albemarle-
Comprehensive list for all kinds of resources