Volume 3, Issue 12: December 15, 2019

Welcome to The Mt. Lion Roar where you can read about some of the things happening in the Altoona Area School District. With nearly 8,000 students, AASD is the area's top choice for Academics, Arts and Athletics.

Gingerbread House Design What better way to learn about the design and engineering process but through the building of your very own gingerbread house? Second grade students at Ebner Elementary had a sweet treat in participating in this recent STEAM activity.

Baker Elementary Word Detectives

Meet Baker Elementary's newly sworn Word Detectives! Baker’s first grader students celebrated their Word Detective unit in Reading Workshop by completing an escape room. Students found clues, decoded tricky word puzzles, and solved mystery words in order to escape from the classroom to make it to lunch on time.  The escape room was no match for these agents!

Operation Warm

The spirit of giving was abundant throughout the elementary schools as volunteers converged to outfit students with new winter coats. Accuweather teamed with Operation Warm, a national nonprofit dedicated to providing new winter coats to children in need, to help alleviate the financial burden of buying seasonal clothing for hundreds of families at Penn Lincoln Elementary. Every child had the opportunity to select their favorite coat color and was individually fitted by a volunteer from Accuweather. Altoona Firefghters have been providing coats to Altoona children for several years through Operation Warm. Firefighters responded to the seven other elementary schools with coats for students as well.

AASD Adult Education Volunteer Spotlight Beth Ann Andrews has been a longtime volunteer tutor for the AASD Adult Education Program. A retired Physics and Math teacher, Ms. Andrews is this month's volunteer spotlight! Thank you Beth Ann! AASD Adult Education Volunteer Spotlight

Holiday Flurry

The AAHS Gilrs League sponsored a Holiday Flurry for faculty and staff. Teachers and staff were treated to a special buffett luncheon complete with basket door prizes!

AAHS Friends of Rachel recently met in the newly renovated AAHS Library to make Welcome Bags for new AAHS students and prepare for the upcoming Altoona vs. Hollidaysburg game on January 10, 2020.

The Mystery of Apollo

Looking for that last minute Christmas gift for the adult in your life? Look no further! The Neil Armstrong Planetarium is offering a 9-week Adult Education course, The Mystery of Apollo. For more information or to register: The Mystery of Apollo

Space Race Museum Receives Hitchhiker Satellite Donation

Thanks to a special donation from Bill and Jackie Forsht of Altoona, the Space Race Museum has a new addition, an actual Hitchhiker satellite! The Hitchhiker program was a cutting-edge program in the early 1980's. Private companies could purchase cargo bay space on Space Shuttle flights, and have astronauts deploy their own private payloads. The program ended abruptly with the Challenger explosion in 1986. This payload was purchased as a government surplus. The payload contains a small "cubesat" at its heart. What a great edition to the already interesting artifacts housed in the Space Race Museum.

Mr. Jim Krug, Neil Armstrong Planetarium Director.

Food Truck Face-Off

Who doesn't like food from a Food Truck? Students in Mrs. Juart's classes recently completed a Food Truck Face-Off Project. Students chose a theme for their trucks, completed a survey of their classmates food preferences and chose a challenging recipe to complete. Students created the recipes this week and set-up samples for their classmates. Students and a few guest judges reviewed each lab group's food truck design, menu, and recipe to vote for the overall best. The winners receive a small trophy and the title of Food Truck Face-Off Winner! This project allows students to showcase their planning skills as well as the cooking and safety skills they have developed through the semester.

6th Grade Scheduling for 2020-2021

Meetings for 6th grade students and parents to discuss the scheduling process for the 2020-2021 school year will be held at the Junior High School January 22 and January 24. Letters were sent to families and all students and parents are encouraged to attend. For more information: 6th Grade Student/Parent Scheduling Meeting

District 6 Champions - Large School

The AAHS Competitive Cheer Team won the Large School District 6 Championship on Saturady, December 14. The team advances to the State competition in January.

Mansion Park Stadium Reminder

Mansion Park Adjusted Winter Hours The stadium will be open 7:00 AM - 3:00 PM, weather permitting.

AASD Quick Links District Calendar School Board Meetings AASD Website AASD Athletic Schedules

‌ ‌ ‌