Alma School District Newsletter
December 2, 2022
Alma’s foreign exchange system suits Italy native Ada Marcuccio
Ada Marcuccio leaned heavily on her older sister Giulia right before boarding a plane for America.
The Milan, Italy, native is among 14 foreign exchange students who settled in the area back in early August just as school was starting at Alma High School. On top of moving 5,100 miles and changing time zones, Marcuccio was greeted with a September heatwave.
“At the beginning it was hard,” she said. “Plus, it was so hot and humid. It’s humid in Milano, but here, you can feel that.”
Alma’s current group of foreign exchange students includes those from France, Spain, Italy, Denmark, Finland, Vietnam, and Germany.
“I was so excited about coming here,” Marcuccio said. “It’s really different from Europe - everything is bigger. I remember when I first got here everything was really clean and really organized. People are so nice and helpful.”
Marcuccio is part of Alma’s 10th year of hosting kids with specific F1 visa programs from across the world.
Cast Spotlight: Kaitlyn Kelley
Senior Kaitlyn Kelley is making a splash with her first high school theatre experience as Matilda’s mother, Mrs. Wormwood. She was active in the Middle School program under Marti Salisbury, but since that time her focus has been on the choral music program at Alma High.
Miss Kelley says, “The Alma Theatre Program especially attracted me through the consistent hard work that is put in. I like that there is always a striving to better yourself and put in extra dedication. She adds, “My biggest challenge preparing for this production has been adjusting to the new environment I am in. As this is my first high school theatre experience, I felt a little underprepared and scared, to be honest. I have been working hard with others and myself to not only physically prepare for this show but to mentally prepare myself for it. It's taken a lot in me to grow trust and confidence in myself and I could not have done it without the rest of the cast.”
We’re so glad that Kaitlyn has “come out of her shell,” as she puts it, and has found her voice in the theatre world. It’s a departure from the quiet time she enjoys in libraries, thrifting, and being in her own space. “Being new to the theatre program in my final year of high school has been a great learning experience. I never had the confidence to jump back into the theatre program after middle school up until now and I am grateful I finally did. The work ethic and time management is very solid in the program and is a huge skill for life after high school.”
Thank you for taking that leap, Kaitlyn. Airedale Theatre is excited to introduce you to the Skokos stage. Congratulations on your new beginning!
MATILDA THE MUSICAL
Presented by AHS AIREDALE THEATER at the Skokos PAC
December 1-4
Reserved Seating $15 Adults/$10 age 18 and under
Call (479)632-2129 for opening night BOGO tickets!
Silly Goose
Alma Intermediate had a few special guests on Monday! Jake Johnson, Barrett Curd, and Cole Canthaseny are 6th-grade students at AMS and now officially AUTHORS! How cool! They stopped by to give a book talk on the book they have written titled Silly Goose.
Silly Goose is the main character in this creative story about a goose who wants desperately to fit in with the popular crowd. Unfortunately for Silly Goose, this creates some rather difficult days. It is not until Silly Goose finds his true friend that he learns he should never need to change his outward appearance to be accepted.
Silly Goose is published by Abound Publishing and is now for sale! Click here to purchase.
Marketing Students Field Experience at the Crystal Bridges
Fashioning America: Grit to Glamour
On Monday, November 21, 2022, thirty-eight Alma High School marketing students participated in a field experience tour of the Fashioning America: Grit to Glamour exhibition at Crystal Bridges in Bentonville, AR. The exhibition features American fashion from the late 1700s to the Metaverse. From Met Gala designs to a pair of Levi’s jeans from the 1800s, the exhibition tells a story of American fashion from a diverse group of designers, past and present. “I discovered designers that I didn’t know about!,” shared Margaux Jegou, an international exchange student from France.
One of the participants commented that they “learned about the fashion industry and how hard it is to make it as a designer.” Macklaine Easton shared, “I learned that an important factor in fashion is marketing-from photography, to display, to getting your designs to the consumer.”
The participants participated in a Goosechase event, with 65 missions dealing with the exhibit. The missions focused on the over 100 garments and accessories featured in the exhibition, with questions about the history of ready-made clothing, “What year did advances in ready-made clothing production take place in America?” to “What does “bespoke” mean?” to What Parisian designer wished he had invented jeans?” All of the responses were found in the exhibition. Coming in first place in the Goosechase was fashioningyomama, the team of Emily Hatley and Sarah Banks, followed by the second place team, GuardQueens, of Kailee Gwinn and Destiny Lindsey and in third place, the Chic Duo, the team of Olivia Reed and Lydia Mann.
And, in case you were wondering, ready-made clothing production advances took place in 1846, bespoke is when garments are made for a particular customer, and Yves Saint Laurent wished he had invented jeans!
Police visit
This week at AMS Sargeant Passen, Officer Shepherd and Officer Blount (K-9 Officer) of the Van Buren Police Department visited students to instruct a Fatal Vision Class to 7th-grade students during their health classes. They started with a classroom portion of fatal vision that covered information on the legal limits of alcohol in the bloodstream if someone decides to drink and drive.
Sargeant Passon spoke about DWI, DUI, and public intoxication. He discussed the tests (field sobriety and breathalyzer) that officers have to administer when they stop someone who is suspected of driving while intoxicated, as well as the consequences of being charged for one of the 3 offenses.
Officer Shephard led the DWI driving portion where students got to drive the golf cart with fatal vision goggles to simulate them being intoxicated. Officer Blount and his K-9 (KARR) came to show a drug dog works on the streets. He demonstrated this by having Officer Shephard put on a bite suit or bite arm sleeve and then demonstrated the commands KARR uses to take down the suspect. Officer Blount also spoke to the kids about drugs that he has confiscated while on duty. He showed the students actual drugs that he has packaged up so that they can recognize them if they ever encounter drugs on the streets.
A big thank you to Van Buren Police Department for taking the time to discuss this important information with our students!
Nationals Bound
Alma Dance is going to NATIONALS! They are currently raising money to attend the UDA Nationals in Orlando, FL. They hope to make their community proud as they represent Alma in January. If you are interested in contributing follow the link below.
Caught doing right & being kind at AMS
SKOKOS December Calendar of Events
APS Christmas Program
RISE Arkansas
R.I.S.E. (Reading Initiative for Student Excellence) Arkansas encourages a culture of reading by coordinating a statewide reading campaign with community partners, parents, and teachers to establish the importance of reading in homes, schools, and communities. Each month they share a newsletter that is full of helpful tips for families. Check out the latest edition of the RISE Arkansas newsletter below.
In the December issue: season's readings, guide for life, vowel teams, and sports teams!
School meal payment information
School menus
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Some key features of using My School Menus:
- View the menus and items offered at your student's school.
- Filter items by allergens.
- Easily translate to other languages (app).
- See detailed Nutrient Information for each menu item as well as for a complete meal.
Read what's new on Press Row!
Alma School District
Email: webmaster@almasd.net
Website: www.almasd.net
Location: 916 U.S. 64, Alma, AR, USA
Phone: 479-632-4791
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Twitter: @AlmaSchools
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GO AIREDALES!