Good Afternoon Pueblo Academy of Arts Families,

This is Mr. Farias with the weekly update.

The PTO Meeting that was scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 12th, is being postponed due to some scheduling conflicts and will be rescheduled for a date and time to be determined in January 2020. 

We would also like our families to know that we are supporting the Pueblo Police Department by accepting new, unwrapped toys in our main office to donate to the Toys for Tots program. While communication of this program is just occurring, we are currently without any toys in our donation box. We hope you will help us fill our donation box over the next two weeks with plenty of toys that will go to children in need.

On Monday, Boys Basketball will play away at Heaton Middle School beginning at 4:45 p.m. 

On Tuesday, students that participate in the My Life program will participate in a field trip to Colorado State University-Pueblo. Students will be bussed to and from CSU-P from PAA. Also on Tuesday, our NAL team competes against Corwin International.  The competition begins at 4:45 at Central High School. 

On Wednesday, we host our Boys Basketball game in the PAA gymnasium. The Boys Basketball team will take on Skyview Middle School at 4:45 PM. Student Council encourages all students to get into school spirit by participating in a Phoenix Pride theme in the student section. Students are encouraged to wear their favorite PAA swag to the basketball game. Entry is $2 for students and $4 for adults. 

Student Council will also meet as a club from 4:30 to 5:30 PM to continue planning events for the school on Wednesday. 

During school on Thursday, those students that qualified to participate in the PAA Spelling Bee will do so in the morning. This closed competition will be completed to see who will earn the honor of representing Pueblo Academy of Arts at the District 60 Spelling Bee later this school year. Also, on Thursday evening, MathCounts will meet for practice from 4:30 to 5:30. 

Lastly, we would like to encourage all Phoenix families to purchase their yearbooks before Winter Break. Yearbooks are currently on sale in the main office or online using the link found on our school website. Yearbooks are currently $20, but they will increase to $25 after Winter Break. 

We also encourage all families to check Parent Portal to make sure that all parent contact information is up to date. This is in preparation for a new communication program, called Blackboard, that we will begin using after Winter Break. If your family would like to have these weekly callers, as well as other large scale communications, provided in another language, such as Spanish, please contact our main office and let us know.

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.

On Monday, Boys Basketball will play away at Skyview Middle School beginning at 4:30 p.m. 

On Tuesday, our NAL team competes against Heaton.  All NAL competitions occur at Central High School beginning at 4:45. Also on Tuesday, our GT After School Club meets from 4:30 to 5:30. 

On Wednesday, we host our Boys Basketball game in the PAA gymnasium. The Boys Basketball team will take on Liberty Point International at 4:45 PM. Student Council encourages all students to get into school spirit by participating in a Hippie Day theme in the student section. Students are encouraged to wear tie dye shirts and accessories to the basketball game. Entry is $2 for students and $4 for adults. 

Student Council will also meet as a club from 4:30 to 5:30 PM to continue planning events for the school. 

On Thursday evening, MathCounts will meet for practice from 4:30 to 5:30. 

Lastly, we would like to encourage all Phoenix families to purchase their yearbooks before Winter Break. Yearbooks are currently on sale in the main office or online using the link found on our school website. Yearbooks are currently $20, but they will increase to $25 after Winter Break. 

We also encourage all families to check Parent Portal to make sure that all parent contact information is up to date. 

Please be sure to contact our main office if you have any questions. Also, check out our school web page 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.

On Monday, Boys Basketball will play away at Pleasant View Middle School beginning at 4:30 p.m. 

On Tuesday, our NAL team competes against Risley Academy of Innovation.  All NAL competitions occur at Central High School beginning at 4:45. Also on Tuesday, there will be an informational meeting for all students wishing to try out for Girls Basketball. The meeting will be after school in the Learning Commons from 4:30 to 4:45. Our GT After School Group also meets on Tuesday after school from 4:30 to 5:30. 

On Wednesday, we host our Boys Basketball game in the PAA gymnasium. The Boys Basketball team will take on Corwin International at 4:45 PM. Student Council encourages all students to get into school spirit by participating in a Blackout of the student section. Students are encouraged to wear black to the basketball game. 

On Thursday, Student Council will host a school dance. The dance will occur during the school day and we will run an assembly schedule. All students who have not received a behavior referral this quarter are invited to attend. Admittance is $2 and tickets will be sold during the school day. All proceeds from the dance will go back to Student Council so that they can continue to find ways to celebrate our student culture at Pueblo Academy of Arts. Alternate activities will be provided to those students who cannot go or who do not wish to attend. School uniforms are still expected to be worn by students on the day of the dance.

On Thursday evening, our Boys Basketball team travels to play Risley Academy of Innovation at their gymnasium. The game starts at 4:45 on Thursday evening. MathCounts will also meet for practice from 4:30 to 5:30. 

Please be sure to contact our main office if you have any questions. Also, check out our school web page 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.

On Monday, we will have National Academic League (or NAL) practice after school. Boys Basketball will play Swallows at the Swallows Charter Academy gymnasium on Monday evening beginning at 4:45 p.m. Also on Monday evening, we will be celebrating Pride & Patriotism at Memorial Hall beginning at 6:00 PM. 

On Tuesday, our NAL team competes against Roncalli STEM Academy. All NAL competitions occur at Central High School.

On Wednesday, MY LIFE participants will be attending a field trip to visit Air Force and Colorado College campuses. Students involved in the MY LIFE program will need to report to the North Side KMart parking lot no later than 8:00 AM to board the bus. Students will return and need to be picked up from the North Side KMart parking lot at 4:30. Parents please be prompt in picking up your students at this time.  

Also on Wednesday, we will be hosting our first PTO meeting in the PAA Learning Commons. We invite all parents who are interested in participating in the PTO to this meeting to meet and discuss the formation of this group for the benefit of the school. We will also be reviewing some achievement data and get an update on some activities occurring at the school. The meeting will occur from 5:30 to 6:30 PM.

Student Council will also meet on Wednesday to continue planning for our upcoming dance. Student Council members please plan on staying for this meeting on Wednesday.

On Thursday, our students will have the opportunity to hear from some of our local medical professionals on Substance Use Prevention through grade-level presentations provided by the S.U.R.E. Program. After school on Thursday, our MathCounts club will meet and practice from 4:30 - 5:30 PM. Also, on Thursday evening, progress reports for 2nd Quarter should be posted in Infinite Campus. Parents are encouraged to look at these progress grades to check your student’s academic progress so far this quarter. 

Please be sure to contact our main office if you have any questions. 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, we will have National Academic League (or NAL) practice as well as our GT After School Club will be meeting. Both activities begin at 4:30 and will conclude at 5:30. Boys Basketball will play Vineland Middle School on Monday evening at the PAA gym beginning at 4:45 p.m. Ticket prices for Middle School Athletics are as follows: Single Games are $2 Students, $2 Senior Citizens, and $4 for Adults. There are also single game Family Passes, Seasonal Booster Passes, and Annual Booster Passes for bargain prices. You can inquire about these passes at the ticket sales booth available at each game. 

On Tuesday, 7th grade students will undergo vision and hearing screening in the morning. 

On Wednesday, all students will engage in a Healthy Kids Colorado Survey. These surveys will be given to students in their Leadership class and will only take about 10-15 minutes to complete. 

On Thursday, our Boys Basketball Team will go on the road and play Roncalli STEM Academy at their gym. Parents, please remember that the other middle schools are still in session until PAA releases. Therefore, there is no reason that an athlete needs to be picked up early for an away game. The games will begin when the visiting team arrives to the venue. 

Also, on Thursday, we will be having our monthly $2 Jeans Day. Students are invited 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 our Jean Days are returned directly back to the students through various activities and events in the school.

Please be sure to contact our main office if you have any questions. 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. In an effort to keep you informed, I want to encourage you to like and follow our Facebook page. Not only will you get a glimpse of all the positive things we are doing at our school, but you will also find important updates concerning the safety of your student in the event our school ever has an emergency that requires your attention. Social media is one of the tools we will use to keep you informed, so please be sure to find our page and like it. You can also follow our other social media posts on Twitter, Instagram, and You Tube.

Phone calls like this one will also be used and it is very important to make sure you keep your contact information updated with our school. In other words, if you get a new phone number, informing us of this change is the only way to ensure you receive future calls.

On Tuesday, we will host our first PTO meeting of the year. It will be from 5:30 to 6:30 in the PAA Learning Commons. Please join us if you’d like to learn about how to become more involved at Pueblo Academy of Arts. We are hoping to establish a parent group this year that will support the school through planning, feedback, fundraising, and community involvement to support and improve the school for our students.

On Tuesday, October 29th, WEB Leaders will be meeting right after school in the Learning Commons.  We would like each Web Leader to donate a bag of candy. The candy will be used to make Halloween-o-grams.

This week we will also have some Halloween activities occurring within the school. WEB Leaders are sponsoring a Pumpkin Decorating Contest. Students will need to bring in their own carved or decorated pumpkin to the school on the 30th with their $1 entry fee. Students will be awarded prizes in three categories including spookiest, most creative and most humorous pumpkin. The winners of the Pumpkin Decorating Contest will be announced at our first Town Hall which is scheduled for October 31st. 

Also on Thursday, October 31st, students will be allowed to wear a Halloween themed shirt to school to celebrate the holiday. There will be no fee for students to wear this Halloween themed shirt. However, this is not a jeans day, so students will be required to wear their uniform bottoms to school this day. Students that do not follow dress code expectations on this day will be required to call home for proper attire. Also, please note that Halloween costumes are not allowed at school, nor are Halloween props or candy. Only Halloween themed shirts will be allowed to be worn during school on October 31st. 

Please be sure to call our main office if you have any questions. 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 be hosting our Student-Led Conferences from 4:30 to 6:30 pm on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday after school. 6th grade students will meet with their parents in the Learning Commons, 7th grade students will meet in the cafeteria, and 8th grade students will meet with their parents in the wood gymnasium. Please come join us on one of these evenings to listen to your students explain their academic and personal progress throughout the first quarter of the school year. 

Your students have spent a lot of time and energy preparing for their conference with you. Please make an effort to honor their work by attending a conference date/time of your convenience. Teachers will be available for questions and answers, but we ask that you schedule a time to meet with teachers at another time for longer, more personalized and in-depth conversations. 

Also on Monday, our Gifted & Talented After School Club will be meeting in Rm. 26 from 4:30 to 5:30 pm.

On Tuesday, students in the My Life program will attend a field trip. Information will be provided to you from Mrs. Carleo. 

Also on Tuesday, Student Council will meet from 4:30 to 5:30 pm. 

Thursday, our MATHCOUNTS student group will practice from 4:30 - 5:30 pm.

Lastly, this week your student will be engaged in ANET Interim assessments in ELA and Math. These assessments are given to measure student progress on academic standards and the results are used to analyze learning gaps and provide focused points of reteaching. Your student’s attendance is vital this week. Please make sure to have students to school on time this week, and every day of the school year.  

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. We have many events this week and there is a lot of information embedded in this message. 

All athletic clearing documents, including an active physical, are due in the main office by Monday, October 14th for those interested in trying-out for Boys Basketball. Try-outs will run from 4:30 to 6:30 pm on October 15th -17th (this Tuesday through Thursday). Remember that only athletes cleared through the main office will be allowed to try-out. 

Also on Monday, our Gifted & Talented After School Club will be meeting in Rm. 26 from 4:30 to 5:30 pm.

Tuesday we will be having School Picture Retakes. Anyone who purchased pictures and wishes to retake their picture, please be sure to follow all instructions in your enclosed picture packets that students were asked to pick up in the main office. Students will be called down for picture retakes during the day on Tuesday.

Also on Tuesday, we are excited to host our first Music and Art Night. Our instrumental concert will showcase our Jazz Band and Concert Band. The concert will be held from  7:00 - 8:30 pm in the PAA Auditorium. During this event, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade art students’ work will be showcased in our Phoenix Faces Installation Please come and join us for these performing arts events. 

On Wednesday, Student Council will meet from 4:30 - 5:30 pm. Please watch the morning announcements for information on where to meet.

Thursday, our MATHCOUNTS student group will practice from 4:30 - 5:30 pm. Students who are interested are still able to join. 

On Friday, our first quarter grading period will have come to an end. 1st quarter grades will be posted in Infinite Campus Parent Portal by this Friday at 2:30 pm. These grades will be great indicators of your student’s success this school year. Please be sure to take some time to review these grades with your student and also look at your student’s work submissions throughout the first quarter. Discussions with your student that involve reflection and goal-setting are great family activities to engage in this coming weekend.

Finally, we’d like to cordially invite all of our families to participate in the 2019 PEACE SUMMIT. This event occurs at the Colorado State Fair Events Center this Saturday from 11:00 - 1:00. The event celebrates all District 60 schools and our students’ collective efforts to focus on peace and prevent bullying in our schools. The event includes several of our community partners who share these same goals. PAA will have a table, to showcase some of the great things we do at Pueblo Academy of Arts to ensure a positive community. Students are encouraged to show up wearing your purple and silver.

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

This is Mr. Farias with the weekly update. On Monday, our Gifted & Talented After School Club will be meeting from 4:30 to 5:30. Students will meet in Mrs. Puffer’s classroom. Also, beginning Monday, all 6th grade students will be undergoing CoGAT testing which is an assessment that helps to identify Gifted & Talented students. CoGAT testing occurs annually with all 6th grade students in District 60.

Both our JV and Varsity Softball teams also have a game on Monday evening. The JV game begins at 5:00. The Varsity game will follow the JV game. Both games are going to be played on the Corsentino Field at the Runyon Sports Complex. 

On Tuesday, the football team will have Study Hall in the Phoenix Room. Details can be provided by the coaches on the duration of this study hall time. 

On Wednesday, Student Council will meet from 4:30 - 5:30. Please watch the morning announcements for information on where to meet.

Thursday, our MATHCOUNTS student group will practice from 4:30 - 5:30. Students who are interested are still able to join. 

Thank you for your time and attention. Have a great evening.

Good Afternoon Pueblo Academy of Arts Families,

This is Mr. Farias with the weekly update. It is our goal to get back 100% of the Family Economic Surveys that many students received last week. These forms are due on Tuesday, October 1st in the main office. If you received one of these forms, please take a few minutes to complete it and have it returned to school. The funding from these forms help support your students at Pueblo Academy of Arts. If you received one and cannot find it, please come to the building to use our computers to sign up online. Staff are waiting to assist you. 

All students with perfect attendance in the month of September had their names entered into a drawing for a chance to win a prize. Prizes include several personal electronic devices and we will hold these drawings tomorrow, on Monday. Remember, those that attend today, achieve tomorrow! Please be sure to have your students to school on time all day, every day. 

Thursday, our MATHCOUNTS student group will practice again beginning at 4:30. We had a large number of talented students show up to participate last week. We are excited to have a strong group this year and are still seeking interested students to join. 

Also, this Thursday we will be allowing students to participate in a $2 jeans day. This fundraising activity will raise funds that will be used to increase a positive school climate and positive behavior incentives for the student body. Students are allowed to wear jeans that have no decals, no holes/tears, and no decorations for $2 on Thursday. All clothing must adhere to school and district expectations. 

Students will also be allowed to wear a Pueblo Academy of Arts spirit shirt on Thursday. There is no charge for wearing a PAA spirit shirt or PAA jersey on this day. We love that our students show pride in their school and in themselves!

Thank you for your time and attention. Have a great evening.