Academic Transitional Academy

1520 Michigan Road, Port Huron, MI 48060 (Get Map)

Phone: (810) 364-3449

Fax: (810) 364-3347

Principal: Pete Spencer

Link to Pete's Blog: "Engage 2 Learn"

The mission of the ATA

The Academic Transitional Academy of St. Clair County

creates an engaging and motivating academic environment that promotes self-confidence and responsibility for students who have not succeeded in a traditional school setting. Courses are designed to help students meet the Michigan High School Course Expectations in science, math and English through the use of problem-based learning, curriculum integration and technology. Real-world learning experiences increase student awareness of opportunities beyond the school setting and prepare them for success after graduation.

ATA students part of new Danica McKellar math book

Hot X: Algebra Exposed! is the latest in a series of books by mathematician (and actress) Danica McKellar. McKellar is probably best known for her roles on TV's The Wonder Years and West Wing, but her fame as a mathematician and motivator of students is rising fast. Her books, targeted primarily to girls, are loaded with tips for mastering math, from basic math skills up to Algebra I, which all Michigan students must pass to graduate from high school.

ATA students completed a survey about a year ago about topics such as how they focus on homework at home, basic insecurities they may have, and the impact of boys on their success in school.  McKellar included many responses from ATA students in Hot X, which was just published. Examples include:

About the the subject itself, Dominique wrote, "Before I took algebra, I saw it as some sort of punishment! Now that I've gotten the hang of it, I never thought I would ever say this, but it can actually be fun."

Regarding homework distractions, Tabitha, wrote, "I usually say to my boyfriend, 'Look, I like spending time with you, but I need to focus on my work, and I'll see you on weekends. Okay? It always works out."

We are very proud of the ATA students whose insight and good ideas are included in the book and thank Danica McKellar for involving the students of the ATA in her worthwhile project.

9th Grade Orientation

Orientation for all new 9th-grade students will take place during the week before school starts.  Students and their parents or guardians are encouraged to attend one of the two scheduled sessions. Each session last two hours and includes:

• An overview of the ATA
• A chance to meet the teachers and other ATA staff
• Explanations of important ATA policies and procedures
• An overview of the Parent Connection and Moodle programs used to increase the home/school connection
• A chance to ask any questions you have about attending the ATA 

Please attend either of these two orientation sessions:

Tuesday, Aug. 31, 6:30–8:30 p.m.

or

Wednesday, Sept. 1, 9–11 a.m.

RSVP to let us know which session you will attend by calling or emailing ATA Administrative Assistant, Barb Treaster, at 810-364-3449 or treaster.barbara@sccresa.org.  Looking forward to seeing you!

10th Grade Welcome Back Night

Parents and guardians of 10th-grade ATA students are invited to attend Welcome Back Night on Wednesday, Sept. 1 from 7–8:30 p.m.

A mailing including an invitation to Welcome Back Night, a new enrollment card, and each student's ATA class schedule is being mailed home the week of Aug. 23. We hope that you will be able to join us on the evening of Sept. 1 to meet your child's teachers and learn more about the courses he or she will be taking at the ATA. Important ATA policies and procedures will also be reviewed, and the Parent Connection and Moodle online programs will be demonstrated. Parent Connection and Moodle have become important ways of improving the home/school connection.

Please call or e-mail us to let us know if you are attending. Call (810) 364-3449 or e-mail treaster.barbara@sccresa.org. Thank you!!

Survey for Student Success

10th-grade parents and guardians...Please click here to access a brief survey that will provide your child's teachers with information about him or her from your perspective. Knowing strengths, weaknesses, hobbies, etc. of our students ahead of time, helps us connect to them more quickly and engage them in the lessons and projects.

There is a hard copy of the survey being sent home that you can complete and either mail to the ATA or send in with your child. Please complete either the hard copy survey or the online survey.  You do not have to do both. Thank you very much.

Looking ahead to college

Even though ATA students are in the first half of their high school experience, now is the time to take steps toward attending college or another kind of school after high school. The St. Clair County RESA has partnered with local schools and other community organizations to develop a great local KnowHow2GO program.

The RESA's website contains local KnowHow2GO information. You will find information and answers to questions on how to prepare for college and a schedule of events, including guest experts on getting into college and opportunities to prepare for success on the important ACT and SAT exams. 

You can also go to the national KnowHow2GO site that has suggestions on what students should be doing to prepare for college from 8th grade on. Don't wait. Now is the time for you to begin to "Know How to Go!"

Pictures from Mrs. Roussel's  science activity.

Things are heating up in science  

In March, students in Mrs. Roussel's 10th grade physical science class tested a variety of elements for different properties. One of the tests was a flame test. Elements, when burned in a flame, give off particular colors that help scientists and engineers identify them.  Students carefully tested the elements under the watchful eyes of Mrs. Roussel and Mr. Sygit, the Project Room Instructional Coordinator. 

CSI: St. Clair County

Ninth-grade students completed a forensics unit last year that integrated knowledge and skills from all three ATA courses (math, science and English). Students learned how to gather and analyze evidence to solve several different mysteries. The final crime was the apparent murder of the ATA principal!

Small teams of student detectives analyzed clues such as DNA, fingerprint, and tool impressions, to identify the perpetrator. They used newly-learned algebra skills to identify the killer. Could it possibly be one of the ATA teachers? Ask your child to find out.

Integrated units like this one require a great deal of time to plan and prepare. The unit included numerous hands-on activities and a field trip to the Port Huron Museum. The payoff comes when students make the connections between all three courses to solve a problem, which they clearly did in this unit. The 9th-grade teaching team, along with Mr. Sygit and Mr. Hard, should be congratulated on such a successful project.

Ya gotta know the angles

When you know the angles, or at least know the length of congruent sides of a triangle, you can find the height of really tall things. Mr. Cavis' geometry students took advantage of the relatively mild November weather last year to go outside and measure some big things.  

They kept their feet on the ground and used only a simple mirror and a tape measure to discover the height of the tallest point of the ATA, the flagpole, and one of our lightposts.  To do so, they had to put their new understanding of congruent triangles to use.

Marshmallow models

It is nice when a scientific concept can be modeled with inexpensive materials. It is especially nice when a concept can be modeled with something inexpensive and edible. Mrs. Richmond's 9th-grade science students modeled the processes of DNA translation and transcription using licorice and little colored marshmallows.

The important concept that students were able to get their hands on is that a particular base, such as adenine (represented by yellow marshmallows) always pairs up with another base, thymine (represented by pink marshmallows).  The students could make chains of DNA and RNA molecules, which could then be deconstructed and eaten. 

Hole in one!

FORE!

If you have ever played miniature golf, you know that it's all about playing the angles. And if you've ever taken geometry, you know that it, too, is a lot about angles. So, Mr. Cavis and Mr. Sygit, the ATA's project room facilitator, teamed up to combine mini-golf and geometry for learning and fun. The goal of the project is for students to learn about and practice measuring angles.

The project room served as a nine-hole miniature golf course for 10th-grade students. Mr.Sygit helped 9th- and 10th-grade students construct the nine holes over the past two weeks. Before they could begin striking the balls, the students had to measure and predict the angles they think are needed to get the ball around obstacles and into the hole. There were no complaints as dozens of angles were measured and recorded. Then the fun began as they tested their angles.

Constitution Day 2009

Live streaming presentation
from the front office

On Sept. 17, 2009, Mr. Spencer broadcast a short Constitution Day presentation live from his office to all six classrooms at the ATA. In the past, he went from classroom to classroom talking to the students about Constitution Day, which meant interrupting the lessons that were in progress.

With the live video stream, set up by Mr. Hard, the message was delivered to all at one time, minimizing disruptions to the classes. The teachers reported that the students were very engaged during the ten-minute presentation. We look forward to ATA students using this tool to share with others what they are creating and what they have learned.

Moodling and Googling

ATA teachers and support staff are using Moodle and Google, which are web-based computer application tools, to help students write more, collaborate, stay organized and demonstrate what they have learned among other things. Each teacher has a Moodle page that students can access any time of the day from home or their home school. Course assignments are available on the site along with helpful resources related to the current topic. Parents and guardians are encouraged to visit the Moodle sites using their child's login information.

GPS and a new ATA parking lot?

Geometry students have already been posed with a real-world problem to solve, during which they will learn an important geometry concept. Mr. Cavis told them that the ATA needs more parking and that they need to measure the current parking lot to help them plan for a new one. 

Instead of using tape measures or pacing off the distance, students are using GPS receivers to get the coordinates of the corners of the parking lot. They then learn to use the distance formula to calculate the rather large distances involved.

(Note: The ATA has plenty of parking and will not be adding spaces. But the problem is real-world and one they might face in the future.)

Connecting with parents and guardians

A close relationship between a school and the parents and guardians of its students is key to the success of its students. The ATA provides several ways of staying in contact with our parents and guardians. 

• Freshmen Orientation and 10th Grade Welcome Back Night are gatherings with parents before the year begins.

• Parent Connection: The online way for parents to check their son or daughter's grades and assignments at any time during a marking period. Click here for more information on Parent Connection and how to access it.

• Parent-Teacher Conferences: Relaxed 15-minute conference appointments with the entire teaching team allows for the sharing of information and ideas to increase each student's success.

• Pre-arranged conferences with teachers: ATA teachers are also happy to meet with parents before or after the regular conference dates as long as the arrangements are made ahead of time. (Please call the ATA to arrange a meeting with one or more of your child's teachers.)

• Phone, e-mail, and letter communications: ATA teachers frequently contact parents when they see a need or want to share some good news. That is often done with a phone call, although some parents like using e-mail for messages and updates. The front office staff also contacts parents when potential problems arise, such as attendance rates that could lead to loss of credit or poor marking period grades that could also lead to loss of credit. Such contact is made by phone or letter.

• Newsletters: School newsletters are sent home with every progress report.

• The ATA website: The website is updated at least once a month with new, timely information.

One of the benefits of being a small school is the ability to keep in close touch with its students' parents and guardians. Be sure to take advantage of as many of the above means as possible.  Don't hesitate to contact us to ask questions about anything you want.

Interventions: What happens at the ATA when students aren't learning?

Click here for a description of some of the things that occur when students fall behind in their assignments or their grades. Some of them require help by a student's parents or guardians.

ATA technology use spotlighted

Several ATA students and teachers are highlighted in the St. Clair County RESA's video production: Capturing the Possibilities: Reaching All Learners. The video can be viewed online from the RESA website by clicking here. Look for the many ATA students and teachers included in the video with others from around St. Clair County.

The ATA uses technology for several reasons, including:

• To research current issues and information as part of real-world problem solving
• To gather and analyze data and report on what was discovered
• To assist students in reading and writing
• To motivate students who are using computers and other technology so often outside of school
• To provide students with 24/7 access to their ATA assignments and learning resources.

We are continually looking for new ways for students to utilize technology to improve their learning and engagement in school.

The ATA is clearly on the cutting edge of technology use in education. Technology not only engages many students, but there are many tools that make the curriculum more understandable to students who struggle with a more traditional approach to teaching.

Weather-related closings

If a student's school district is closed due to bad weather, they are not expected to report to the ATA that day. However, the ATA remains open for school unless all seven school districts in the county are closed. If your district is open, the ATA will be open.

Special ATA closings

If a special circumstance arises that cause the ATA to close when other districts are open, the home high schools will be contacted and they will notify their ATA students. 

Quick links

• Employee forms
  
• For parents
• Parent or Guardian Survey for Student Success
  
• Staff directory
• Student handbook
  
• Academic Transitional Academy 2009–10 Amended Budget
• Academic Transitional Academy 2010–11 Budget
• ATA Budget Transparency
• Board of Trustees