American Academy (AA) 8600 Park Meadows Drive, Suite 100 Lone Tree, CO 80126 (temporary facility) 720-873-7395 Grades K-8 Calendar: Traditional www.americanacademyk8.org

Pictured from the left, Roberta Harrell, American Academy CAO, Marissa West, Jessie Walters and Warren Astler. (photo courtesy of American Academy)

Two American Academy Students Receive Colorado Creative Energy Challenge Award

Jessie Walters and Marissa West, 8th graders from American Academy, won the 2008 Igniting Creative Energy Challenge for the State of Colorado. Johnson Controls is the proud sponsor of the Igniting Creative Energy Challenge, a contest where they ask students across the United States and Canada to submit creative projects that demonstrate how we can all make a difference in energy conservation and the environment. Thousands of entries were received. The girls were presented with an MP3 Player and American Academy Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Department received a check for $1,000. Warren Astler was the Science Teacher who coordinated this project. The award is also sponsored by Philips, The National Energy Foundation and the United States Energy Association.

The Space Foundation Names 2008 Flight of Teacher Liaisons

Congratulations to American Academy Science Department Chair Warren Astler, Middle School science teacher Audra Chapleski, and third grade science teacher Shanna Shocklee, for being selected into The Space Foundation 2008 Flight of Teacher Liaisons.

Educators from elementary school teachers to administrators as well as a teacher with NASA’s Aerospace Education Services Program from across the United States, including American Samoa and Puerto Rico, were among the 69 individuals chosen for this honor. This remarkable group of educators were recognized and participated in a professional development workshop in conjunction with the 24th National Space Symposium.

The Space Foundation’s highly-regarded Teacher Liaison program, now in its fifth year, selects teachers who actively promote space and science education in the classroom and the community. Those chosen for this honor serve as advocates for space science education, and conduits into their classrooms, schools, and districts. Teacher liaisons are selected by a panel consisting of an industry expert, teacher liaisons, member of the military, and Space Foundation representative.

Challenger Center for Space Science Education Recognizes American Academy Teacher

Amanda Lane-Cline, Director of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) at American Academy was awarded the Challenger Center for Space, Science Education 2008 Teacher of the Year. Each year, Challenger Center recognizes five teachers from the United States who exemplify the spirit of the Challenger 51-L crew’s educational mission. All nominated teachers have gone above and beyond to educate their students, enriching their community and ensuring that their students have the opportunity to succeed in future endeavors. In addition, they have made a noticeable impact on students and their community though their commitment to teaching and learning science, technology and mathematics.

Challenger Center’s Teacher of the Year Award is a special medallion that was produced by NASA from a small ball of pure aluminum material that was taken on the Apollo 8 mission. Upon return to Earth, this memento was melted with a larger amount of pure aluminum from which the special medallions were struck. A small number of the medallions remained entrusted to Mr. Turner Wiley who was Chief of NASA Communications (NASCOM) Engineering Branch at the Goddard Space Flight Center during the Apollo 8 mission.

American Academy Announces Science Fair Winners

American Academy students exhibited more than 120 projects at their Science Fair in May. The winners include:

Fifth grade - BEST IN SHOW - First place – Nikolas Hatton - Which window will save the most energy? Second place – Trevor Cree - Is it easier for a right handed person to shoot from the right or shoot from the left? Third place – Abbie Rinerson - Does the print color affect a person’s ability to name a word?

Fifth grade category winners include:

Physics, First place, Gabby Porras; Second place – Connor Mawhinney;

Chemistry First place - Callum Neely, Second place – Kole Kearney;

Biology/Zoology - First place – Gabby Hotaling, Second place – Will Piesiski;

Health/Human Behavior, First place – Trevor Cree, Second place – Abbie Rinerson;

Environmental, First place – Nikolas Hatton, Second place – Adam Biel.

Fourth grade – BEST IN SHOW - First place – Spencer Rohlwing - What affect will caffeine have on plants? Second place – Jack Guenther – What will fall faster at different heights a nickel or quarter? Third place – Blake Arnold - Do people like plain popcorn, buttered popcorn salted popcorn or butter and salted popcorn the best?

Fourth grade category winners include:

Physics: First place – Jack Guenther, Second place - Paige Mawhinney, Third Place – Devin Adams, Honorable Mention (HM) - Tyler King, HM: Cami Crowley;

Chemistry: First place - Joel Meyers, Second place – Brandin Kuklinsk; Biology/Zoology: First place - Spencer Rohlwing, 2nd place – Levi Bass, Third place – Taylor Stordahl, HM – Maddie Hutchinson;

Health/Human Behavior: First place - Blake Arnold, Second place – Kendall Graham, Third place – Cheyenne Walker;

Environmental: First place - Zachary Gordon.