Good Afternoon Pueblo Academy of Arts Families,

This is Mr. Farias with the weekly update. As we embark in our second week of distance learning, I want to thank all of our families for the support and warm receptions our staff have received as we continue to plan learning opportunities for our students’, communicate with families, problem-solve and adjust to best meet the needs of our students. I also want to take a minute to give the Phoenix staff a shout out for their dedication and professional grit in this new venture on behalf of our students. It is truly amazing to see a school’s staff, students, and families RISE in a time of crisis. As you may already be aware, Pueblo School District 60 will commence with Distance Learning through at least April 30th in compliance with Governor Polis’ recent orders. 

Students in general education ELA and Math courses should continue to complete the daily attendance form. This helps us to see how many students are accessing their Google Classrooms on a daily basis. Students in Ms. Cid’s and Mrs. Austin’s classes do not currently have access to this form, but this will not negatively impact these students in any way. 

Parents, please be advised that we have noticed some students submitting incomplete work assignments in Google Classrooms. You might want to check in with your students and set some expectations with them on work completion. When students submit incomplete work, it may appear that it has been successfully completed when viewing your students Google Classroom. If this happens, our staff will do their best to communicate this to you and your student using the email addresses  you’ve provided in Infinite Campus. 

Parents, please take a moment to update your Infinite Campus contact information to ensure we have the best contact information for you available. Student grades will continue to be reflected in Infinite Campus. If you need any help with Infinite Campus Parent Portal, you can call for support at 549-7111.  

Also, be sure to follow us on our Social Media pages, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, to get the latest news and information. 

District 60 Nutrition Services will continue distributing meals to students at Pueblo Academy of Arts. Meals will be distributed Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Each meal will contain one lunch and one breakfast. To pick up a meal, parents are asked to drive to the kitchen door area. Other school sites for meal distribution can be found on the D60 website. 

I wish you and your family a healthy, happy, and safe week ahead. 

Have a great evening.

Good Afternoon Pueblo Academy of Arts Families,

This is Mr. Farias with the weekly update. I’m sure that you’re aware by now that Pueblo School District No. 60 and Pueblo Academy of Arts will be closed next week. Up-to-date information can be found on the school district website regarding school closures and the school district’s responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

On Monday, March 16th, students, families, and staff will be allowed to come into the school building between 8:00 -12:00 PM to pick up personal items, medications, instruments, music, and school supplies that might be needed during the school closure and over Spring Break. Families picking up medication will need to sign it out of the building. If it remains at school, it will be stored in a secured and locked location as usual. As of noon on Monday, all school district facilities will be officially closed.

3rd quarter grades will still be posted by Friday, March 20th at 2:30 PM. Information can be submitted to teachers during this closure through their district email accounts which can be found on the PAA website. Teachers will be using this week to begin planning for instruction should schools remain closed past Spring Break. In this case, a distance learning plan will be enacted which will provide students with daily learning opportunities and assignments posted to Google Classroom, which students have been using throughout the year already. Information will be provided if this becomes the case.

Also, please check the PAA website for information provided by Comcast about giving low-income families access to free internet services for the next 60 days. 

Be sure to take the time that we are being provided to engage in proactive practices to maintain you and your families health. Focus on getting well if you are already sick. And spend lots of time making happy memories with your family. As always, I appreciate your time and attention. Have a great evening.

Good Afternoon Pueblo Academy of Arts Families,

This is Mr. Farias with the weekly update. 

This week we will begin clearing for Spring sports. All students interested in participating in Track and Field need to have a valid Physical Exam on file with the school and must have all district athletics paperwork cleared through the front office before they are allowed to participate. We will be accepting paperwork in the main office until after school on March 18th. 

We will also be having a Band Concert provided by students in our instrumental music program on Tuesday evening. Our Orchestra program will be performing on Thursday evening. Both performances begin at 7:00 PM in the PAA auditorium. 

On Tuesday, students involved in the My Life program will be going on a field trip to explore Community Opportunities. 

On Thursday, 8th grade students will receive information and begin scheduling for their high school classes next year. Students will work with counselors from their selected high schools to receive school specific guidance to their high school course selections for Central, South, Centennial, and East High School.

Parents, we are interested in finding a parent volunteer who would be interested in serving on the Secondary Literacy Task Force. The focus of this task force is to provide a recommendation to the Superintendent on Literacy Curriculum that will be adopted by the school district for next school year. This task force entails attending two Friday Task Force meetings from 8-4 PM that are planned to occur on April 3rd and April 17th. Lunch will be provided both days. If you are interested in participating, please contact our main office and leave your name and contact number. 

We are also offering our Math tutoring sessions after school this week. Please see our school website for a detailed schedule of when each grade level math tutoring session is planned to occur. We encourage all students needing any help in math to attend one or all of these sessions, especially as we inch closer to the end of the 3rd quarter grading term. 

As always, I appreciate your time and attention. Have a great evening.

Good Afternoon Pueblo Academy of Arts Families,

This is Mr. Farias with the weekly update. 

This week we have very few events scheduled as our Winter sports have pretty much come to an end for the season. This week, our regular after school clubs and activities will still occur, with the exception of MathCounts which has concluded its season of competition and will therefore no longer be meeting. Any adjustments to these schedules will be provided by the sponsor of the club to the students via school announcements. 

We are also offering our Math tutoring sessions after school this week. Please see our school website for a detailed schedule of when each grade level math tutoring session is planning to occur. We encourage all students needing any help in math to attend one or all of these sessions, especially as we inch closer to the end of the 3rd quarter grading term. 

Lastly, please remember that the start and end times of our school day have changed for the rest of the school year. Our school day now begins at 8:27 and concludes at 4:23. 

Remember that these announcements are also posted on our school website for your reference later in the week. As always, I appreciate your time and attention. Have a great evening.

Good Afternoon Pueblo Academy of Arts Families,

This is Mr. Farias with the weekly update. 

I want to begin by congratulating our MathCounts Team for a successful competition this weekend at CSU-Pueblo. During our team’s first year and competition, they were able to finish in 4th place out of 10 competing schools. They will be notified at a later date if they qualify to compete at the State competition. We also had a student, Christopher Pollock, take first place in the individual competition. Congratulations PAA MathCounts team! We are proud of you all!

On Monday, the middle school Wrestling Championships are scheduled to begin at 3:00 PM at Central High School. Also on Monday, our Girls’ Basketball team will play away against Heaton Middle School beginning at 4:30.

On Tuesday, we invite parents and guardians to join us for our grade level Academic Awards Assemblies. This year we have adjusted our academic awards to recognize students' semester accomplishments. This is in alignment with the practices in our local high schools and will allow us to recognize students similarly to the high schools which are aligned to the Laude system. We will also be recognizing students who have perfect attendance for the first semester. Please see the announcement on our school web page for detailed information including our assembly schedule and start times. 

On Wednesday, Girls’ Basketball will play away against Craver Middle School at the Craver MS gymnasium beginning at 4:45. 

Also on Wednesday, all 8th grade students and a chaperoning adult have been invited to attend the South High School production of Little Shop of Horrors free of charge. This show precedes their opening night performance and is a great opportunity for our 8th grade students to experience the performing arts program in one of our feeder high schools. Concessions will be available with cash purchases. Doors open for this event beginning at 6:45 PM. 

In addition, to our regularly scheduled clubs and activities, we are glad to announce that after school math tutoring has begun and is available to any student in need. Please see our school website for details on each grade level’s tutoring schedule. 

Lastly, please remember that the start and end times of our school day have changed for the rest of the school year. Our school day now begins at 8:27 and concludes at 4:23. 

Remember that these announcements are also posted on our school website for your reference later in the week. As always, I appreciate your time and attention. Have a great evening.

Good Afternoon Pueblo Academy of Arts Families,

This is Mr. Farias with the weekly update. 

On Monday, Girls’ Basketball will play away against Skyview Middle School beginning at 4:30.

On Tuesday, our wrestlers will battle on the mats against Craver at their gym beginning at 4:45. Our NAL team will continue their championship playoffs against the other middle schools at Central High School beginning at 4:30. Also, on Tuesday, All City Middle School Band will perform at South High School beginning at 7:00.

On Wednesday, Girls’ Basketball will play against Liberty Point at the PAA gymnasium beginning at 4:45. 

In addition, to our regularly scheduled clubs and activities, we are glad to announce that after school math tutoring has begun and is available to any student in need. Math tutoring sessions are established for each grade level and meet from 4:30 to 5:30 pm according to the following schedule: 

6th Grade - Tuesday and Wednesday

7th Grade - Monday through Wednesday

8th Grade - Tuesday and Thursday

All of our after school clubs will meet at their regularly scheduled times this week. Changes to these schedules for the rest of the year will be communicated by club sponsors to students via school announcements. 

As always, I appreciate your time and attention. Have a great evening.

Good Afternoon Pueblo Academy of Arts Families,

This is Mr. Farias with the weekly update. 

This week, in celebration of our upcoming Valentine Dance, we will be having a spirit week. Each day of the week we will have a different theme to which students can dress appropriately according to the spirit day. Remember that students must still abide by district dress code expectations. Students are also expected to dress in khaki uniform pants every day during the Spirit Week. No Jeans are allowed. Each day a student participates will cost $2 and all the funds raised will go to support a specific student club at Pueblo Academy of Arts. We hope you will consider participating and supporting our clubs and culture at PAA. 

On Monday, our Spirit Day is Nerd Day and Girls’ Basketball will play away against Pleasant View Middle School beginning at 4:30.

On Tuesday, our Spirit Day is Jersey Day and our wrestlers will battle on the mats against Roncalli at their gym beginning at 4:45. Also, NAL will continue their playoffs against the other middle schools at Central High School beginning at 4:30. 

On Wednesday, our Spirit Day is 80’s Day and Girls’ Basketball will play against Corwin International at the PAA gymnasium beginning at 4:45. We will also be hosting our second Town Hall celebration for students during the school day. 

On Thursday, our Spirit Day is Valentine Shirt Day. Our school dance will be held during the school day and all students who have no failing grades or behavior referrals for the quarter are invited to attend.  

All of our after school clubs will meet at their regularly scheduled times this week. Changes to these schedules for the rest of the year will be communicated by club sponsors to students via school announcements. 

Lastly, students’ 3rd quarter progress grades have been posted. Please check Parent Portal to review and discuss your student’s progress this quarter with them. 

As always, I appreciate your time and attention. Have a great evening.

Good Afternoon Pueblo Academy of Arts Families,

This is Mr. Farias with the weekly update. 

On Tuesday night, our wrestling team will battle on the mats against Corwin beginning at 5:00 PM in the Corwin International gymnasium. 

On Wednesday, Girls’ Basketball will play against Swallows Charter Academy beginning at 4:45 PM in the PAA gymnasium. Parents, please be advised that students that leave the gymnasium are not allowed to re-enter after they have left the event. We’ve had some concerns with students leaving the games and bothering our neighbor’s homes in the area and causing some issues in the parking lot. The Pueblo Police Department will be increasing patrol in our area as a result. Please be aware of your student’s whereabouts. 

This week there will be one more opportunity for 8th grade students to explore the offerings at one of our local high schools. East High School's 8th grade night will occur on Wednesday from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. We encourage all eighth-grade students to attend each 8th grade night to explore the offerings and pathways they may consider to reach their graduation goals.

Also on Wednesday, those students that won the PAA Spelling Bee will be competing against other middle school students in the District 60 Spelling Bee that will be held at Centennial High School beginning at 6:00 pm. 

On Thursday, students are invited to participate in our monthly $2 Jean Day. Students are allowed to wear their blue Jeans on this day for $2. Remember that patterned or colored jeans, as well as sweatpants and leggings or tights, are not permitted. Students should wear blue jeans that are free from holes and do not show skin. All proceeds from this fundraiser go directly back to the students through school events and incentives.

All of our after school clubs will meet at their regularly scheduled times this week with the exception of Student Council who has moved their meeting to Thursday in order to run the concession stand for the Girls’ Basketball game on Wednesday. 

Please be sure to contact our main office if you have any questions. Also, check out our school webpage and social media for information and updates.  As always, I appreciate your time and attention. Have a great evening.

Good Afternoon Pueblo Academy of Arts Families,

This is Mr. Farias with the weekly update. 

This week there will be another opportunity for 8th grade students to explore the offerings at one of our local high schools. South High School's 8th grade night will occur on Monday from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. We encourage all eighth-grade students to attend each 8th grade night to explore the offerings and pathways they may consider to reach their graduation goals.

Also on Monday, our Girls’ Basketball team will meet Vineland Middle School on our home court. The game will begin in the PAA gymnasium beginning at 4:45 PM.

On Tuesday night, our wrestling team will battle on the mats against Risley beginning at 5:00 PM here at PAA. 

Also on Tuesday, PAA will be hosting our Showcase event to discuss the Choice Enrollment process and the offerings here at Pueblo Academy of Arts to 5th grade students. The event will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 PM. If you know anybody who has a 5th grade student interested in finding out more about PAA as a school choice for next year, please share this information with them.  

For our My Life student participants, the My Life Family Resource & Dinner Night is scheduled for Tuesday from 5:30 to 7:30 at the PCC Ballroom. RSVP with either of our counselors if you are planning to attend. 

Wednesday, our Girls basketball team plays at home against Roncalli STEM Academy beginning at 4:45. 

On Thursday, our students involved with the United Way Mentoring Program will be going on a tour of the CSU-Pueblo campus. Students must turn in a signed waiver and permission form to attend this field trip. Permission slips must be turned in to a school counselor by Wednesday. 

All of our after school clubs will meet at their regularly scheduled times this week with the exception of Student Council who has moved their meeting to Thursday from 4:30 - 5:30 PM. 

Please be sure to contact our main office if you have any questions. Also, check out our school webpage and social media for information and updates.  These weekly updates are also located on our school web page should you ever need to refer to it later in the week. Thank you for your time and attention. Have a good evening.

Good Afternoon Pueblo Academy of Arts Families,

This is Mr. Farias with the weekly update. 

This week there will be two opportunities for 8th grade students to explore the offerings in two of our local high schools. Central High School's 8th grade night will occur on Monday from 6 to 7:30 pm. Centennial High School will host their 8th grade night on Wednesday from 6 to 8 pm.  We encourage all eighth-grade students to attend the local 8th grade nights to explore the offerings and pathways they may consider to reach their graduation goals.

On Tuesday night, NAL has a match against John Neumann beginning at 4:45 at Central High School. Also on Tuesday, our wrestling team will be traveling to Pleasant View Middle School to battle on the mats beginning at 5 p.m. 

For our My Life student participants, the My Life Family Resource & Dinner Night that was scheduled to occur on Tuesday night has been changed. This event has been rescheduled for Tuesday, January 28th from 5:30 to 7:30 at the PCC Ballroom. RSVP with either of our counselors if you are planning to attend. 

Wednesday, our Girls basketball team plays at Risley beginning at 4:45. Also, on Wednesday, Student Council meets at 4:30 to discuss ongoing planning for our upcoming dance and Town Hall events.

On Thursday night, the United Way invites all community members to participate in a Mentor Appreciation Dinner begin held at the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center from 5 to 7 pm. Families and community members interested in attending this event should RSVP no later than January 21st by calling 719-225-8580. A copy of this event flyer will be posted on the PAA website for your reference.

Please be sure to contact our main office if you have any questions. Also, check out our school webpage and social media for information and updates.  These weekly updates are also located on our school web page should you ever need to refer to it later in the week. Thank you for your time and attention. Have a good evening.