Friday, February 28, 2020—

UAS middle school held its 7th Annual Science Fair. Students spent a lot of time preparing their projects. First, they had to develop a hypothesis, then conduct an experiment and collect data to present their findings to judges invited from local colleges such as MVCC and SUNY POLY Institute. 

In total, about 50 projects from students in grades 6 through 8 were in the competition. Some of the project titles were as follows:

Does smell affect taste?
What the FLIP is going on here?!
Which paper towel brand is the strongest?
What cleanser is the best?
Does music genre affect a person's blood pressure?
Can the food we eat affect a girl’s heart rate?    

Wednesday, February 26, 2020—UAS Elementary School atoms, staff and parents came together at a very meaningful assembly that celebrated Black History Month. Our scholars performed some poems and songs that touched upon the meaning of Black History Month and why it is important to know about it. A poem titled “I am somebody" was performed collaboratively by students in all grades, along with their teachers. While the commemorative month is a good time to celebrate the achievements and culture of the Black community, this focus is not intended to be limited to only one month of the year. Students also benefit from learning about the accomplishments and struggles of people of color throughout the year.

Thursday, February 27, 2020—UAS high school scholars had an amazing experience at this year’s annual Black History Month ceremony. Scholars were inspired by the life story of Mr. Fredrick Nichols, a Republican running for the 119th Assembly District, while enjoying their peers' performance throughout the ceremony. Everyone loved the inspiring presentation, as well a live performance of a drum circle formed by the UAS community and led by Mr. Alex Dankwa. In his performance, Dankwa stated that the drum circle brings us together as one community, echoing our school motto Many Atoms, One Family!

Friday, February 28, 2020—UAS middle school hosted a Monthly Coffee Hour with Parents. The event provides parents with the opportunity to participate in a restorative circle that discusses different sets of topics each month. This month’s topic was about cybersecurity and the safe use of social media. Our school counselor provided strategies parents can use to ensure that their children develop safe and healthy social-media habits. Parents had a chance to share their opinions and experiences regarding the use of social media, as well as ask questions about any topic related to our school. This event is growing in popularity, and school staff look forward to meeting more parents at future coffee hours. 

Friday, February 28, 2020—#UASCS middle school hosted an American Heart Association’s Pie-in-the-Face Event at a school assembly. While cigarette smoking has declined, vaping has been on the rise, especially with teens. It is easy to get access to vaping supplies and flavors that attract underage users. At the assembly, students learned that many youth in upcoming generations are going to be outlived by their parents. YES, MANY PARENTS WILL OUTLIVE THEIR CHILDREN. This is due to increases in childhood obesity, sleep deprivation, and smoking/vaping. Other factors also play a part in this, so UAS is doing all it can to stress the importance of heart health this year.

Monday, February 25, 2020—We love celebrating student success. This week #UASCS Elementary Atoms were celebrated for their "Student of the Month" status. Scholars were recognized for their hard work and persistent effort. Way to go, Atoms! 

Saturday, February 15, 2020—Utica Academy of Science Charter School is now accepting applications for the 2020-2021 school year. As a part of our school promotional events, school staff and alumni organized a table and digital display event at the Sangertown Square Mall. It was wonderful to see so many interested parents obtain information about school and enrollment procedures. Missed us at the mall but still want to apply? No problem! Application Link 👉 apply.sany.org 

Wednesday, February 12, 2020—Our Atoms may be booked solid with winter vacation plans this week, but we can't stop ourselves from sharing pics from their most recent field trip to the Utica Public Library. First-grade #UASAtoms explored the library, set up their library cards, and enjoyed a Pete The Cat storytime. Don't you just love the library?

Monday, February 3, 2020—It's a race to the Golden Sneaker Award! In all #UASCS Elementary Physical Education classes, students are working as a team to achieve the Golden Sneaker Award. The Golden Sneaker Award goes to the grade level classes that earn the most points as a team. Each class can earn up to five points a class. This award started this January and will be given out monthly to those that show great cooperation, effort, participation, attitude, and preparation. We have been working really hard on the importance of teamwork and how to become a great teammate. **Congratulations to our January Winners: Kindergarten: Ms. Monahans Class, First Grade: Mrs. Shibley’s Class and Second Grade: Mrs. Muhic’s Class.

Friday, January 31, 2020—The Power of Play. At #UASCS we know that play is absolutely critical to developing confident and thoughtful citizens. In order to provide some hands-on play, Kindergartners took a field trip to Utica Children's Museum. We all had a great time trying on various dress-up outfits, and playing pretend! There was a pretend kitchen area, grocery store area, hardware store, veterinarian clinic, car garage, and so much more! We were also able to explore and learn about dinosaurs, as well as try out some musical instruments. On one of the upper floors, we were able to play with life-size foam tinkertoys. A fantastic time was had by all!