Thursday, August 11th, 2022- Classes may have already started, but we’re throwing it back to summer! Utica Academy of Science Cybersecurity Class went on a two-day Cyber boot camp in Virginia with Mr. Seker, and the school’s Dean, Mr. Ersoy. College-bound Students had a chance to take a Cybersecurity class at CyberNow Labs and visit the prestigious Verizon Security Operation Center. Special thanks to CyberNow Labs for letting our students use the Security Operation Center and Verizon CISO Steve Swanson for the warm hospitality and an eye-opening presentation on cybersecurity issues.

Thursday & Friday, September 8-9, 2022- It's hard to believe we've already had a full week of classes! Utica Academy of Science Junior Senior High School students had their first-week grade-level assemblies in the cafeteria last week. The administration and teachers reviewed school-wide expectations, support systems, and academic opportunities for the upcoming school year. Atoms also had a chance to ask their own questions as we kick off the 2022-23 academic year.

Wednesday, August 3, 2022: What would summer school be without bringing a little fun into the mix? Utica Academy of Science Junior Senior High School ENL Department took ENL students out in the community to see downtown Utica, Munson Williams Museum, and Utica Library. Students were able to get a library card. The class also stopped by Utica Coffee.

To see more pictures from this exciting trip, visit our Facebook page.

Friday, June 17th, 2022—Bounce house, relay races, hula-hoop contest, tug-of-war, parachute games, and more! It sounds like an epic Field Day at Utica Academy of Science elementary school.

We all know that the Atoms don't just work hard, but they play harder! To celebrate all their hard work, students participated in a day full of fun, festivities, activities, and competition. Throughout the day, Atoms were given chances to win awards, with the top prize being the Sportsmanship Award. This Sportsmanship Award was awarded to the students who displayed a great attitude while following the rules, helped out their classmates who might be feeling discouraged, and showed positivity and kindness to others throughout the day.

We want to thank the teachers, faculty, and staff who helped make this Field Day event possible and for coordinating all the activities and events. We hope all our Atoms are having a happy, healthy, and great summer!

Wednesday, June 22nd, 2022—The last week of school can only mean one thing - it's time for the 'best day ever' at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, New York. To celebrate all their hard work, Utica Academy of Science elementary school's 3^rd-grade class took a walk on the wild side for an outdoor adventure at the Zoo. 

Home to over 700 animals representing 216 different species, the Atoms were able to learn about a wide variety of animals that can be found worldwide. Some favorite animals included Chooch the donkey (and her barnyard friends), the colony of Humboldt Penguins, visiting the monkeys at Primate Park, the Asian Elephants, and Bjorn the Andean Bear.

We want to thank the Rosamond Gifford Zoo for an incredible experience and memories the Atoms will cherish for years to come. This was, in fact, the 'Best Day Ever' and the perfect way to wrap up the school year.

Wednesday, June 15th, 2022—Utica Academy of Science elementary school students 'break a leg' in their Spring Concert performance, Shine. This singing and musical performance allowed the Atoms to demonstrate the many skills they learned this year in music class and lessons in motivation, hard work, and self-confidence.

We want to thank everyone who helped make the Utica Academy of Science elementary school's Spring Concert possible and for your continued support of the arts throughout the year. Please click here to visit our Facebook page to view additional pictures from Utica Academy of Science elementary school’s Spring Concert performance of Shine.

Wednesday, June 8th, 2022—Utica Academy of Science elementary school's 4^th-grade class soars to new heights in their first annual musical, Wright! This performance was the definition of true teamwork as the entire 4^th-grade class was involved. From demonstrating their musical talents to learning about the history of the Wright brothers and their story of flight, everyone had an equal role to play in this musical performance.

The Wright musical is about always working toward your dreams and believing in yourself. This musical certainly took off and showcased the many talents of the Atoms. From rapping to singing to dancing to special lighting effects, this musical (much like the Wright Brothers) will undoubtedly go down in history!

We want to thank everyone who helped support the arts and these talented Atoms and for all who were in attendance at our three shows! Please click here to visit our Facebook page to view additional pictures from Utica Academy of Science elementary school’s musical performance, Wright.

Tuesday, June 7th, 2022—Utica Academy of Science elementary school's 1^st-grade Atoms have all the zoo vibes when they take a walk on the wild side while exploring the Utica Zoo for a field trip.

From Lions to Bactrian Camels to Spider monkeys, to beavers and everything in between, students learned about animals worldwide. The Utica Zoo is home to over 200 animals representing 99 species, with the main exhibit collection having over 140 individual animals representing 64 species.

Some fun facts the Atoms learned include that Bactrian Camels Najla and Furlow can drink 30 gallons of water in only 13 minutes! As well as the African Lions Donovan, Corky, and Murphy's roar could be heard as far as 5 miles away, and lions are the most social of the big cats! Their lion prides can have up to 30 individuals.

Thank you, Utica Zoo for such a ‘Zoo’per experience! Please click here to visit our Facebook page to view additional pictures from Utica Academy of Science elementary school’s 1^st-grade field trip to the Utica Zoo.

Thursday, May 26th, 2022—Utica Academy of Science elementary school's 6^th-grade Atoms discovered, learned, and played during a field trip to the Museum of Science and Technology (MOST). 

This hands-on, minds-on day allowed the Atoms to apply what they learned in the classroom with the various interactive exhibits, science experiments, and much more. Some topics the students learned about at the MOST include paleontology, plate tectonics, biology, and aeronautics.

Students even put their STEM skills into action by participating in Build. With multiple building blocks of all shapes and sizes, Atoms could pretend they were architects, civil engineers, and designers through sensory play.

Atoms also dug deep into the Earth's history by exploring the Earth Science Discovery Cave. Students learned about plate tectonics, cave formation, climate change, and the geologic history of New York state.

One can't simply learn about Earth's history without first learning (and traveling back in time) to the age of the dinosaurs. Students visited the Dino Zone, where they saw lifelike dinosaurs created in collaboration with paleontologists that are displayed in scenes depicting what life was like on Earth over 65 million years ago. This exhibit was a favorite for many students and an excellent spot for a few photo ops and selfies!

Not to be outdone, students learned about Aerospace engineering, physics, and space science when visiting the Lockheed Martin Flight & Space exhibit ... which includes a zero-gravity jumper!

Needless to say, this field trip to the MOST was out of this world; in fact, many students fell asleep on the bus ride home. 

Thank you to the MOST for such a memorable and remarkable experience! Please click here to visit our Facebook page to view additional pictures from Utica Academy of Science elementary school's 6^th-grade field trip to the MOST.

Monday, July 4th, 2022—Red, White, and Blue, we wish a happy 4^th of July to You! We hope all our Atoms have a happy, healthy, and safe Independence Day. Below are some fun facts about the 4^th of July.

• There are approximately 16,000 Independence Day fireworks displays that take place each year.

• Americans typically eat 150 million hot dogs on Independence Day, "enough to stretch from D.C. to L.A. more than five times," according to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council.

• The 50th star was added to the American flag on July 4th, 1960, to symbolize Hawaii's admission as the U.S.'s 50th state.

• Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest is held annually on July 4th. In 2018, champion Joey Chestnut ate 74 hot dogs with buns in just 10 minutes.