The Acorn
Message from Academy of the Canyons' Principal, Dr. Fine
Weeks of 2/26/2024-3/1/2024
I hope that you had a wonderful weekend! Friday is a Tues/Thurs schedule. We are pleased to announce that the UCEN Cafe web application to preorder food is working. The cafe makes wonderfully fresh food-large turkey sandwiches, fetuccine alfredo with chicken, chicken stir fry, pizza, salads, pupusas. The food is delicious! And, there are snacks as well. I was told that the COC Cafeteria will be undergoing construction very soon so our students options to purchase food will be the UCEN Cafe and Student Store. Please know that there is always FREE lunch available to students through the Hart District as long as the order is placed before 8:00am daily and the ASB student store (for snacks and ramen) is open daily.
Thank you for driving slowly and safely in the parking lot. We appreciate your care for our students, staff and community!
Upcoming Events
- March 1st-ASB Talent Show Audition Day After School
- March 2nd-Make a Blanket Drive in the COC Gym
- March 9th- Rooted in Nature Event by SEL Students, Volunteers Needed, Fulfill NHS Hours
- March 11th-Election Week
- March 15th-ASB Interviews
- March 22nd-Talent Show. All families are invited.
- March 17-End of 3rd Quarter
- April 1-5--Spring Break for AOC, No School for WSHUHSD and COC Spring Break (1st-7th)
- April 26-End of 4th Quarter Progress Report Card
- May 16th-Showcase, AOC Open House
- May 30th- Graduation at 6pm in the COC Performing Arts Center (PAC)
- May 27th-No School, Memorial Day
- May 30th-Last day of school, end of second semester, Last day of COC Spring 2024 classes
- May 31st-Teacher work day, no students
- June 1st-August 11- Summer Break
- August 12th- First day of the 2024-2025 school year. The 2024-2025 WSHUHSD Calendar is attached.
Have a wonderful week!
Sincerely,
Dr. Juliet Fine
Principal of AOC
(661) 362-3056
661-362-3056
Carla Tuttle, Office Manager/ Registrar- ctuttle@hartdistrict.org
Math Competition at USC-Math Enthusiasts are Encouraged
I’m an Outreach member of the Southern California Math Competition (SCMC), a student-run organization that hosts a bi-annual mathematics competition at the University of Southern California (USC)! Our mission is to challenge ambitious high school students to explore their interests in math beyond the traditional math curriculum. We openly invite the students of Academy of the Canyons to test their math skills at USC and to create fun, lasting memories with other like-minded students!
Students who participate will get a glimpse of the Trojan life, complete with a college-level math lecture by Professor Emerson and an engaging tour of the USC campus. Our bi-annual competition is taking place on March 23 at USC, and admission is completely free of charge. We hope that you will partner with us in our mission by encouraging your students to showcase their skills.
Please check out our website for more information and regular updates. If you’re interested in participating, you can fill out this pre-registration link and register early!
If you have any questions/concerns, feel free to reply directly to this email or email SCMC (attached below) if you have any questions. Thank you for your time!
Sincerely,
SCMC Member, Patricia Ong
Counseling Corner
9th Grade Students
- 9th grade students can NOT take COC summer classes. This is not part of the agreement with COC and AOC.
- 9th grade students can take College and Career Readiness classes through the Hart District. More information is on the district website https://www.hartdistrict.org/apps/pages/summer-school. Should your child want to take a CCR course, please have them see me. Classes take place all of July.
- Those currently enrolled in AOC's HA2T class have an opportunity to take a summer Geometry class (based on math department recommendation and STEM interest.) An email invitation will be sent Friday, March 8th. If invited, the class will take place in July1-31. As of now, it is scheduled to be online with online LIVE testing and commits students to taking higher level math courses at COC. This class is only for AOC students as the district does not have "get-ahead" classes over the summer.
- 9th Grade students and families, do you want to learn more about the University of California system? Learn more by attending the UC for Everyone Zoom session on February 29, 2024 at 6pm. Registration is required. Register at https://ucop.swoogo.com/ucforeveryone24
10th Grade Students/11th Grade Students
- Those students who submitted their summer requests and completed their CNF for COC summer classes will be registered by COC and me on Feb. 27th (Tuesday). For COC Summer classes, all students have to do is pay fees after 1pm via MyCanyons on 2/27.
- To pay fees: Once students see their correct classes on MyCanyons, they click on "My Billing" and then "Make a Payment"
- COC Summer Session dates are below:
- Summer Session 1: June 3 – July 6 (5 weeks)
- Summer Session 2: June 10 – August 3 (8 weeks)
- Summer Session 2.5: June 17 – July 20 (5 weeks)
- Summer Session 3: July 8 – August 10 (5 weeks)
- Do you want to learn more about the University of California system? Learn more by attending the UC for Everyone Zoom session on February 29, 2024 at 6pm. Registration is required. Register at https://ucop.swoogo.com/ucforeveryone24
12th Grade Students
- March is the month when the majority of college decisions begin rolling out. Good Luck!
- Students and families still have time to submit the FAFSA by the CA priority deadline of April 2, 2024. Visit https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa to complete the Free Application
- Students, please check Google Classroom for additional tips and reminders
- If students are choosing to stay at College of the Canyons after high school graduation, they can take advantage of Canyons Promise which allows students to have free tuition. Learn more about Canyons Promise at https://www.canyons.edu/studentservices/enrollmentservices/canyonspromise/signupcriteria/index.php
Pictures from the Week of the 2/19/24-2/23/24
"February Face-Off"
We had so much fun all week at AOC getting ready for February Face-Off! Thank you to AOC Associated Student Body for their hard work and efforts! It was an incredibly fun filled event for families and our students.... And, WAY TO GO SENIORS!!! We're so proud of you for winning the tournament! Congratulations to all of our teams! You did a great job showing your team spirit all week long! And, thank you to the incredibly talented Dr. Shapiro for the half time rap show! "History, History..." and our resident band, 13% Milk! Their half time show rocked the house! What a fun evening! Thank you, AOC for coming out to support this event!
A special thank you to ROOTS for providing free water for all of our students and families at the event to keep everyone hydrated and THANK YOU to ASB for your hard work. It was an awesome week full of school spirit!
Make a Blanket Drive on 3/2
Make a Blanket Drive at COC East Gym on 3/2 from 10am-4pm
Please email sgarvar@hartdistrict.org with any questions about the event.
Hello AOC Families!
We would love to have you join us on our Make-A-Blanket Day on Saturday, March 2 from 10 AM to 4 PM at the COC East Gym! Nonprofit ventures - Project Linus is a chapter of a non-profit organization that specializes in making and delivering handmade blankets across the valley to provide love, security, and comfort to children who are seriously ill and traumatized. It is also our mission to provide a rewarding and fun service opportunity for interested individuals, students, and groups in our local communities, for the benefit of the children.
Our event this year is on March 2. We will be located at College of the Canyon’s East Gym at 26455 Rockwell Canyon Rd, Santa Clarita, CA 91355. There will be food trucks at the event if you would like to purchase food!
Furthermore, if you are unable to participate in our Make-A-Blanket Day Event or cannot attend the event for the full amount of time, you can drop off blankets on the day of the event from 10 AM to 2 PM! We ask that ALL participants fill out the attached form below to sign up and receive instructions on how much fleece to bring and the number of service hours participants can earn. Participants will be emailed a service hour confirmation form at the completion of the event. To learn how to make the tied fleece edge blankets, please check out our website @scvprojectlinus.org.
We have included a digital flier and the sign-up sheet. We encourage all participants to help us spread the word. If you have any questions regarding the event, please feel free to contact us events.svcpl@gmail.com.
Event Sign-Up Form: https://forms.gle/tthSvbfz5cnTQhiC8
Digital Flyer: https://drive.google.com/file/d/11V8KfgI5Fddc4LmlJVfQxmh-sSb5mr4x/view?usp=sharing
Video Promo: https://youtu.be/2RO1vdSQzpo
Instructional Video for how to make blankets the Project Linus Way: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vEzen4G5n8
Mock Trial Team Continues to Compete and WIN!!!
AV Mock Trial Competition Round 2, Prosecution. The team performed very well!
Celebrating Our Science Olympiad Team and Susmit Das!
Celebrating Susmit Das's Outstanding Achievements in Science Olympiad 2024
Susmit participated in the Division B category, designed for grades 7 through 9 (through Rio Norte), where he not only competed with great enthusiasm but also demonstrated exceptional skill and knowledge. We are immensely proud to report that Susmit was awarded a total of 5 medals, including two gold medals (1st prizes), one silver medal (2nd prize), one 4th prize, and one 5th prize across various science events. His outstanding performance and dedication to science and innovation have been truly inspiring.
Moreover, Susmit's commitment to excellence and his passion for mentoring his peers played a significant role in the overall success of his team. With his contributions, his team secured the 2nd position out of 16 competing schools, a testament to their hard work, team spirit, and Susmit's leadership. This collective achievement has qualified them to compete at the state level in April, an opportunity that fills us with both excitement and pride.
We are looking forward to the upcoming state-level competition in April and are hopeful for another outstanding performance by Susmit and his team.
As we look to the future, Susmit is already setting his sights on next year with an unwavering determination to continue his journey of Science Olympiad 2025. He will be representing the Academy of Canyons with great pride and is committed to bringing prestigious awards to the school. Way to go, Susmit!!!
ROOTED in Nature-Volunteer Event
March 9th-Special ROOTED in Nature Event , Volunteers Needed
Hello folks!
The SEL program’s project, Rooted in Nature, invites all students to join us to build a hiking trail off of AOC! This trail will connect to the trail behind COC’s Early Childhood Education Center, allowing students to spend time in the nature around us.
Students will earn 3 NHS hours applicable for the Spring Semester and will make a lasting impact on the AOC campus.
The event is on March 9th between 12:00 - 3:00 pm.
Please sign up through this form:
https://forms.gle/dGbw15DEtXxfqKpZA
We are capping this at 20 people, so please sign up as quickly as possible!
We can’t wait to see you there!
--
Vela Reynolds
12th Grade, Academy of the Canyons
Sister Cities Art Competition -Poets, Musicians, Fine Artists
Hello and hope this finds you well. We’re inviting your students to participate in the 2024 Young Artists and Authors Showcase, a partnership between Santa Clarita Sister Cities and the City of Santa Clarita. This annual competition is part of Sister Cities
Students are invited to share their perspective on the 2024 theme “CLIMATESCAPE: Resilient Cities for Tomorrow's Climate,” and highlight the challenges of climate change and its impact on communities. Categories include art, essay/creative writing, poetry, music, and photography (see attached for details).
Local winners will be announced at an Awards Ceremony in late April, featured in a virtual exhibit, and recognized at a City Council meeting. The top five entries in each category will be sent to Sister Cities International in Washington, D.C. to compete with submissions from other Sister Cities organizations across the globe for the $1,000-grand prize per category. We’re proud to share that Hart District students have competed successfully at the national/international level, and we’re hoping that more will be added to that list.
Thank you in advance for your help in encouraging your students to participate. We’ve found that extra credit or a class assignment motivates students to participate and hope you’d consider such, if appropriate. We look forward to receiving entries from your students!
Please visit SantaClaritaSisterCities.org for more information, and feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Best,
Tess Simgen
____________________________
Tess Simgen
Vice President
Santa Clarita Sister Cities Program
Arts & Events Supervisor – Volunteer Engagement
City of Santa Clarita
Phone: (661) 250-3726
Academy of the Canyons
Email: jfine@hartdistrict.org
Website: https://www.academyofthecanyons.com/
Location: Academy of the Canyons, Rockwell Canyon Road, Santa Clarita, CA, USA
Phone: 661-362-3056
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Academy-of-the-Canyons-Middle-College-High-School-330158873741614
Twitter: @Academy_Canyons