ACC Graduating Seniors Head to College

On June 8 at Boston University's Morse Auditorium, ACC said goodbye to a phenomenal senior class. Our graduation ceremonies are unique in that we speak about each student individually, sharing teacher and peer impressions of every graduating senior. As acceptance to college is a graduation requirement, we are so proud that all of the young people who crossed the stage have exciting post-secondary plans. Some will attend four-year colleges such as Boston University, Mount Holyoke, Virginia State, Regis, and Northeastern. Others will begin at two-year programs such as Bunker Hill, Mass Bay, and Roxbury Community College. One of our seniors will commit to public service through the City Year Program. We are confident that all of our students have exited Another Course to College with the skills necessary to excel at the college level and beyond. Congratulations to the Class of 2009!

Poetry Out Loud

This is our second year participating in the Poetry Out Loud competition, a recitation contest sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts.  Students memorize two poems by prominent writers and recite them at a school-wide competition.  The winner moves to a semi-final round sponsored by the Huntington Theatre Company, facing students from all over the Boston area.  At the state finals, a representative for Massachusetts is chosen to compete at the national event in Washington, DC.  Visit www.poetryoutloud.org for more information.

We are so pleased that ACC's student representative, Fabienne Casseus, was selected as one of the five Boston area semi-finalists to compete in the state finals next week.  Fabienne, pictured second from left in above photo, is an eleventh grader and spoken word poet.  We are wishing her the best of luck as she continues in the competition, and we will be sure to keep you posted.

ACC and the Arts

All students at Another Course to College take art for at least one semester, where they learn not only about artistic movements throughout history, but they also nurture their critical thinking skills through the analysis of significant works. The art department is led by Ms. Connie Thibaut, who teaches both introductory level courses for our ninth graders, and advanced level seminars for students with serious interest in visual art. Pictured at right is senior Linda Kim, displaying her product from their portraiture unit.

Right now, Boston Public Schools are facing a massive financial deficit for the 2009-2010 school year, which forced individual schools to cut their budgets by as much as 15%. Because of this, we will lose our art program if additional funds are not restored in time for September. A loss of such a valuable discipline and a talented teacher would leave a huge hole in the ACC community. Please visit www.bostonpublicschools.org for the latest information around community budget meetings. Families from all over the city are speaking out on behalf of Boston's students.

UPDATE: ACC was able to secure restoration funds that will allow a half time position in Art next year. We all know that there is no true replacement for Ms. Thibaut, but we are pleased that Visual Arts will still be offered to ACC students. We are also actively working to bring performance arts experiences to our young people; some of our students are now members of Boston Public School's City-Wide Choir.

College: Mission Possible

As soon as our ninth graders arrive at ACC, we begin exposing them to colleges and universities in and around Boston.  Our freshmen have already toured B.U. and Northeastern this fall.  The sophomores traveled to Salem State and visited the campus for a day.  Our juniors split into teams and participated in a college scavenger hunt (pictured above), learning about thirteen schools in total.  Twelfth grade students engaged with college admissions representatives at a college fair held at ACC in collaboration with Boston Community Leadership Academy.  We believe it necessary to explicitly review throughout a student's high school career what is required to be accepted to the college of one's choice, as well as what is required in order to graduate from there.  High school is the tool to equip our young people with the critical thinking and analytical skills necessary to succeed in a post-secondary environment.

Halloween at ACC

Student Government held its first annual Halloween bash after school this past Thursday.  Students enjoyed goodies to eat, played Guitar Hero, danced to the latest tunes, and watched a performance by ACC's Step Squad.  We are excited by the initiative that our students are taking to organize fun activities to build our school community.  There is a lot of academic work to be done at ACC, which is why it is so important to take time every once in a while to unwind and laugh.

ACC After Hours

We are very excited by the number of extra curricular opportunities in which our students are participating this school year. Last week, we elected our student government after a spirited round of campaigning. In addition to our student Senate, faculty advisors have been started the Chess Club, Recycling Club, Community Service Club, Knitting Club, and others. There are also groups that students themselves have founded, such as Anime Club and Step Squad.

Pictured above are a small group of students from the Running Club, along with Ms. Simpson and Ms. Conklin. Our students have participated in three road races already (including the Tufts Women's 10K Race this past Monday), and run twice a week after school. We are thrilled that they are taking the opportunity to increase their physical fitness. Thanks to Ms. Brewer and Ms. Waldman for getting this group off the ground.

Back to School Night

We held our first Open House of the school year this past Monday, September 22.  What a wonderful event!  Over eighty families attended, following their children's class schedule, meeting teachers, and learning how to access grades online.  ACC faculty were able to share their course syllabi and expectations, and parents had the opportunity to ask questions and share strategies to maximize student success.  Pictured above were our welcoming team of ACC students, who signed parents in and made sure that the evening went smoothly.  

Our next event for parents is our Parent Council meeting this Thursday, October 2.  We will create goals for the year, and elect a parent representative to the Governing Board.