IMPORTANT EVENTS & DATES FOR APRIL & MAY

Parents, please take a moment to mark your calendars. The following are important dates that you do not want to miss:

• April 20-25: US AP Studio Visual Art Exhibit – Library, throughout the school day
• April 21: US Chapel – Student Center, 9:28am
• April 27: US Senior Brick Laying Ceremony – US Loop, 8:15am
• April 27: US Digital Cinema Awards Luncheon – US Band Room (210), 1:00pm
• April 27: Alternative Lunch – Click here to order: https://thefirstacademy.org/about/lunch/
• April 27-May 2: US Spring Visual Art Exhibit – Library, throughout the school day
• April 29: US Spring Visual Art – Meet the Artist Lemonade Reception – Library, throughout the school day
• April 29: US Senior Chapel – Student Center, 9:28am
• April 29: US Senior Theatre Showcase – Faith Hall, 7:00pm
• May 2: AP Exam – Chemistry – NOVA Southeastern Orlando Campus, 8:00am
• May 2: AP Exam – Environmental Science – NOVA Southeastern Orlando Campus, 8:00am
• May 2: AP Exam – Pyschology – NOVA Southeastern Orlando Campus, 12:00pm
• May 3: AP Exam – Computer Science – NOVA Southeastern Orlando Campus, 8:00am
• May 3: AP Exam – Spanish Lang – NOVA Southeastern Orlando Campus, 8:00am
• May 3: AP Exam – Physics 1 – NOVA Southeastern Orlando Campus, 12:00pm
• May 4: AP Exam – English Lit – NOVA Southeastern Orlando Campus, 8:00am
• May 5: AP Exam – Calculus AB – NOVA Southeastern Orlando Campus, 8:00am
• May 5: AP Exam – Calculus BC – NOVA Southeastern Orlando Campus, 8:00am
• May 6: AP Exam – AP Studio Portfolios Due
• May 6: AP Exam – AP US History – NOVA Southeastern Orlando Campus, 8:00am
• May 6: AP Exam – AP European History – NOVA Southeastern Orlando Campus, 12:00pm

RECOGNITION

National Merit Recognition

The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships that began in 1955. In the fall of 2015, approximately 1.5 million High school students entered the National Merit Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Out of the 1.5 million entrants, 50,000 with the highest PSAT selection index scores qualified for recognition in the National Merit Scholarship Program. Congratulations to 11th graders Caitlin Barker, Jessica Meena and Hamilton Murrah who were selected as part of the 50,000 students nationwide. For more information about the National Merit Scholarship Program, click here: http://www.nationalmerit.org/s/1758/interior.aspx?sid=1758&gid=2&pgid=424

NEW THIS WEEK

AP Exam Reminders – May 2016

With your AP Exams two weeks away, please be sure to plan accordingly!

• Remember that our AP Testing location will be at NOVA Southeastern Orlando Campus (you must be outside of the testing room by no later than 7:45 am for 8 am testing & 11:45 am for 12 pm testing
• Address: 4850 Millenia Blvd, Orlando, FL 32839
• AP Testing room assignment details will be sent next week
• If you are taking two exams in one day, please pack your lunch!
• Cellphone/backpack rules: https://professionals.collegeboard.org/testing/ap/test-day/bring
• Calculator policy: https://professionals.collegeboard.org/testing/ap/test-day/calculators
• Dress code: Jeans and TFA Spirit-wear

Alternative Lunch – April 27th

We will be having an alternative lunches on Wednesday, April 27th. The Junior Class is offering an alternative lunch for students in grades 5-12 and faculty to purchase those days.  Kindergarten through 4th grade will have separate arrangements and will need to check with their teachers for information.

Chick-fil-A Sandwich with chips & a water for $5.50. Extra Sandwich for $3.50

To order, please visit https://thefirstacademy.org/about/lunch/ to order this lunch if interested. Please submit your order by Monday, April 25th at 3pm.

When you submit your order, you should receive a confirmation page. You may need to scroll back to the top if your screen goes blank. You should also receive a confirmation email within 15 minutes from Larissa Galloway confirming receipt of payment. You do have the option of ordering for multiple students. Food distribution will be in the gym lobby.

Please remember that if you don’t like this option then you are welcome to bring something from home.

YOU ARE INVITED to an AP Exhibit!

Come visit the works of The First Academy’s

AP Studio Art Students’

Spring Exhibit 2016

This Wednesday, April 20th through Monday, April 25th!

In the TFA Library during library hours

Mrs. Collins’ 3D and Mrs. Gegerson’s 2D students have learned to host and develop a community exhibit, fulfilling several key points from the Florida State Sunshine Standards of curriculum for Visual Art. They exercised critical thinking and problem solving skills to solve aesthetic spacial relationships to provide an attractive public display for visitors. Visual artists are the ‘silent performers’ who receive their ‘applause’ through a viewers’ time spent looking at their piece.

For more information, please contact: CynthiaCollins@thefirstacademy.org (407) 206-8774 or Marshagegerson@thefirstacademy.org (407) 206-8741

Plastic Bottle Cap Collection

Our Upper School AP Environmental Science students have been invited by Sea Life Aquarium (at Orlando 360 on I-Drive) to construct a small mural made of bottle caps that will be displayed by their education department. Sea Life Aquarium is actively involved in turtle rescue and beach clean-up efforts so this a great joint effort. Thousands of sea birds, turtles and other marine organisms die because they swallow bottle caps and other pieces of plastic that clog their digestive system and leach toxins into their bodies, so we are excited about having the student body join in this educational effort by contributing caps to our collection.

In order to create this mural (see attached picture), the AP Environmental Science students NEED HUNDREDS OF PLASTIC BOTTLE CAPS OF EVERY COLOR no more than 2″ across. Please make sure the lids are clean of all food particles.

These plastic lids can include those from all types of beverage containers (including the paper containers with plastic spouts), condiment lids (ketchup, squeeze mayo etc), flimsy caps from spray cans such as PAM or hairspray, lotion caps, pull up liquid detergent style caps, oval stick deodorant lids, and even spray nozzles (the small ones like spray paint). We especially need blues, greens, reds, yellows and oranges, but all the other colors will allow us more variety in our coral reef. If it is a cap that is around 2 inches, it has to be flimsy enough so we can cut it (laundry caps are too thick to do this).

All lids can dropped off in Mrs. Wasylik’s classroom, US room 231, by Friday, May 6.

Thanks for your help!

-Mrs. Wasylik and the AP Environmental Science students

REMINDERS

Save the Date – End of Year Events

Senior Brick Laying Ceremony – Wednesday, April 27, 8:15am – US Parking Lot

Rising Senior Parent Meeting (at least one parent is required to attend) – Saturday, May 14, 9:00am – Student Center

Senior Step Up – Monday, May 16, 7:00am – Faith Hall Parking Lot

Graduation Ceremony – Friday, May 20, 6:45pm – First Baptist Orlando Worship Center

Guidance Updates

Class of 2017- Prep, Prep, Prep!

As the Junior year comes to a close, it is very important that all of you are planning on (re)taking the SAT & ACT.  There are a few more test dates coming up and it will benefit you to take the time in preparation for these important tests.  Please take advantage of these great programs!

SAT: Personalized free study program- https://www.khanacademy.org/sat   ​

ACT: Free study guide: http://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/test-preparation.html