Noteworthy Knights

The aim of all IB programs is to develop internationally minded people who, recognizing their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world. As IB learners, we strive to be inquirers, knowledgeable, thinkers, communicators, principled, open-minded, caring, risk-takers, balanced, and reflective. These students were nominated by their teachers.

Thinkers exercise initiative in applying thinking skills critically and creatively to recognize and approach complex problems and make reasoned ethical decisions. - Sierra Anderson and Isaac Donoza.

Caring students show empathy, compassion, and respect towards the needs and feelings of others. They have a personal commitment to service and act to make a positive difference in the lives of others and to the environment.-Noah Watts, Kiya Shoemake, Ellie Jones, Cannon Palacio, Tyson Daily, and Mrs. Heitland.

Principled students act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness, justice, and respect for the dignity of the individual, groups, and communities. They take responsibility for their own actions and the consequences that accompany them. -Tanner Lewis, Luis Guerrero, and Charlie Santiago.

Communicators understand and express ideas and information confidently and creatively in more than one language and in a variety of modes of communication. They work effectively and willingly in collaboration with others. -Luis Guerrero

Inquirers develop their natural curiosity, acquire the skills necessary to conduct inquiry and research, and show independence in learning. They actively enjoy learning and this love of learning will be sustained throughout their lives.-Brigham Kydd

Chess Club

Guess what? In November, The Academy’s Chess Club made a comeback! On the 10th, several students showed up early in the morning to attend the first chess club meeting, led by sponsor, Mrs. Daniels. For the first meeting, members learned the basics of chess, including how to set up a chessboard and the rules of the game. They also learned about the roles of the different pieces, which make the game enjoyable. Chess Club meets on Wednesdays before school. There is more exciting news to come, so stay tuned!

Novel Writing Club

November is National Novel Writing Month or NaNoWriMo. Authors around the world attempt to write an entire novel in a single month. The club shared methods of overcoming writer's block. Here are some excerpts from our Novel Writing Club authors:

“The only way to fix all her jumbled emotions was to climb, to hike again. Aisling mountain was too far away. Where could she do this? Where could she hike? Then, with sudden certainty, she looked outside her window, glancing with a newfound knowledge at the large, ominous mountain.” - Rivulet Peak, Cosette Sampson

“Fright pounding through her, Alanah tightened her grip on the bow. This person knew her name, and they were getting closer and closer. Within seconds, the person would appear, and Alanah only had half of a moment to attack before they attacked her. Her hands were shaking, and she prayed that when the person stepped into view, she could fire with precision.” - Figuratively Real: Shadow of the North, Book 4, Claire McNamee

“As the mighty engine roared my older sister Amelia Earhart blew me a kiss as she strapped herself into the plane. She is the bravest person in the whole universe! As her plane went flying off into the distance the crowd cheered as loud as stampeding elephants.”- Grace Earhart’s Story, Olivia Merrill

Robotics @MAAS

Our Newsletter Team had an opportunity to learn a lot from Mr. Pond about our Robotics Club. The MAAS Robotics Club competes in the (FLL) First Lego League, an international robotics tournament. Every school year they have a different topic. This year's topic is Cargo Connect. The missions that are on the table are all based on real-world problems that occur in the business of shipping cargo. All four teams are working on their Project, which is a non-robot solution to a cargo problem. The teams imagine a solution and present their imaginary solution to a panel of adult judges. This counts for a third of their overall score. They also work on the Robot Game, programming each robot to accomplish as many missions as they can. “It's very difficult. It doesn't look that way, but it is.”- Mr. Pond.

There is a long history of the First Lego League at Mesa Academy. There have been numerous teams at MAAS. Many of those teams won trophies that can be seen in the cases in the main hallway. Ms. Merlene along with some parents have done some coaching in the past. In 2012, Mr.Pond began coaching a team, his daughter's team. “About four years ago a few kids came to me and asked if I would coach them. We started a ‘robotics club’ with four teams. This year we have those same four teams, with different students and with Ms. Wylie as a co-coach.” - Mr. Pond.

The FLL’s tournament/festival season is from November-June

Battle of The Books

Ms. Hayward

Bonny Hayward is one of our esteemed science teachers here at the academy. This month, her 6th-grade students are uncovering exciting information about moon phases while 8th graders are learning about dinosaur extinction theory. Students across all grades are preparing their science fair experiments as they will soon begin their actual experimenting. Ms. Hayward’s favorite unit to teach is the 8th grade DNA/Genetics unit. When explaining why, she said, “I love to see their faces when they extract their own DNA.” Ms. Hayward also said that here at Mesa Academy, she loves when inquiring minds are present and students display their true love for learning. Interestingly, a subject that Ms.Hayward would like to teach, other than science, is health and nutrition. She especially enjoys discussing how the human body responds to nutrition during athletic training. During Ms. Hayward's time here, she has had many surprising lab experiences. Once, while her students were doing a lab, a potholder was burning on top of a burner. Then, a student attempted to put out the already existing fire with another potholder. As a result, the other pot holder also caught on fire! We all appreciate our great science teachers and Ms.Hayward is no exception. A special thank you to Ms. Hayward for keeping us updated on all Academy Science Fair information.