Local businesses, families, teachers, staff, and individuals worked together to raise over $23,000 for Almond Acres Charter Academy by hosting their, Wild, Wild West Drive-Through BBQ and Online Auction. The school, which will be breaking ground this fall for their new school facility in Paso Robles, will use the funds to benefit their Project Based Learning, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics), and Athletics programs.
“We typically host an annual in-person auction, but due to COVID, we decided to switch gears and hold a smaller-scale fundraiser that was safe for everyone to participate,” said event coordinator, Jenn Phillips. “What we didn’t expect was the generosity of local businesses. We know this has been an incredibly difficult year for businesses, and we feel so honored that they wanted to support the students at Almond Acres in whatever capacity they could.”
The main sponsor for the event that took place on Oct. 3, was Roots on Railroad, an eatery that opened on 13th Street and Railroad earlier this year. Other top-level sponsors included The Backyard on Thirteenth, Engineered Power Solutions, G & H Autobody, The Partridge Family Olive Company, Mechanics Bank, and Tractor Supply Company, who hosted the event in their parking lot.
At Almond Acres, we grow great kids. Our new school in Paso Robles is going to be a beautiful expression of our teaching and educational philosophy in 4D. We are taking our educational philosophy and bringing it to life in our school building.
How do we do this? With intention! And planning. It is our philosophy to facility. We will educate the whole child here — heart, mind, body and soul — to the eight intelligences. Let’s visit the plans together.
Our focus is to create spaces that are dynamic — where collaboration can readily appear. This collaboration could be between teachers, students, and staff and will stimulate our project-based learning, while keeping every child safe within a self-contained campus.
An interior classroom wall can open so two classes can join together. Teachers can co-teach students allowing them to augment and supplement their lessons with one another — and share ideas, talents and expertise. After all, the eight intelligences apply to our teachers just as it does to every AACA student.
Distance learning has taught us how well our teachers collaborate and share expertise. We carry this idea forward by having grades adjoining one another so K-1 can collaborate, 2-3, 4-5, and middle school. We are shifting the siloed teacher/classroom paradigm into a malleable, flexible and collegial experience for all educators alongside our paradigm shift for their students.
Studies show academic achievement thrives best when teachers collaborate. Our new adjoining classroom ideas not only allow teachers and classes to adjoin, we also have small group meeting rooms and shared teacher offices. Up to four teachers will share an office and our small group meeting rooms will allow specialists to push into the classroom more easily and kids to spend less time away from their core class environment and eliminate any stigma they may feel leaving their class.
Our internal courtyard will be open to the sky overhead. We will have fountains and natural elements; it will be an inviting and peaceful welcoming. Our eighth graders are creating monuments to all eight intelligences. They could be sculptures, poems, rock carvings — we cannot wait to see what they design!
Our multipurpose room will serve many needs including a gymnasium for athletics.. It also has an internal collapsible wall that can fold up and allow both spaces (the gym and central courtyard) to hold 500-800 people. By having the gym inside the core of the school building we keep all children safe. There is a hallway surrounding the gym and atrium to buffer sound.
Our Kindergarten and first grade classes are at the north end of the building and have slightly larger classrooms. Our second and third grades and fourth and fifth grades will be side-by-side with the collapsible wall in-between to integrate subject areas and share teacher expertise and passions.
Our middle school will have two wings at the front of our new school. These two areas will be academies that focus on humanities classes like language arts and social sciences. We will have a learning space here that mimics a college library. The other middle school wing will have STEM and STEAM classes — including a creativity lab. This project-based learning lab will be used for science and art classes.
Outside, our playground is lower to ease some elevation changes. This creates a natural amphitheater. The fields are completely ADA compatible with access on all sides. Our classroom doors to the outside do not have door handles on the exterior; our students, stuff and teachers re-enter through main access doors. The entire school is circled by a drop off lane for easy pickup and drop off. Our video below explains every aspect of our design.
At Almond Acres Charter Academy teaching, supporting and stretching the whole child is always top of mind. With our new school facility in Paso Robles, we will bolster student retention while encouraging creativity. We can improve neurological strength in our soon-to-be engaging, dynamic and flexible school spaces. We encourage collaboration for teachers and students alike…and soon our school will enable this even further. This is how we grow great kids. We cannot wait to share this new school with YOU!
About Almond Acres
Almond Acres is moving to Paso Robles. Almond Acres Charter Academy is a public, tuition-free K-8 school that employs credentialed teachers and administers state-mandated testing to provide families in northern SLO County an additional choice in public education. Open to all students in all communities, the school is currently located in San Miguel and moving to Paso Robles for the 2021-22 school year. AACA’s mission is to help students succeed academically and socially by educating the whole child: heart, mind, body and soul. We grow great kids!
7 Habits of Highly Effective People is a well-loved book at our school. It is useful and thought-provoking in the best of times, but now perhaps more than ever it feels timely and even prophetic. 7 Habits thinking catapults us during tough times like these. Together, we are in a distance-learning-during-a-pandemic boat, getting bounced around. Our 7 Habits thinking can cut through the uncertainty and disequilibrium; it can be our rudder.
There is an old saying that, “a man without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder.” A ship floating in water — without direction — can easily lose its way. A captain with a hand on the rudder guides the ship to its destination.
Our AACA rudder — especially right now — is guided by our principles. We will not stray from our course to grow great kids and educate with care and intention. We have the end in mind. Using our rudder, we are moving through this crisis. We are riding the waves, we will not sink! We know our strengths — our school benefits from the power of positive principles.
These past few weeks have especially reminded our AACA family the value of 7 Habits thinking. Together, we recognize:
Being Proactive: Bring students back to school safely and as soon as possible while managing the logistics and administration of the school.
Beginning with the End in Mind: The longer we stay in Distance Learning, the harder it will be for students to achieve academic gains.
Put First Things First: Make decisions based on our highest values.
Thinking Win-Win: Make decisions that will support the families and faculty/staff.
Seeking 1st to Understand all perspectives (staff, families, and students) via surveys, staff feedback, engagement levels, and staff collaboration meetings.
Synergy: Work together to create the best model for all stakeholders (especially students) based on current health guidance.
Sharpen the Saw: Collegial support and stakeholder synergy is helping to keep us strong!
“I am sure glad that I know how to practice the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Determining what is in the best interest of student achievement and what is most safe are too often at odds. There are many conflicting factors as we navigate the reopening of schools.” Bob Bourgault, Director, Almond Acres Charter Academy
We are extremely grateful to our board, families, staff, and students for the patience, persistence, and positive attitudes we have all needed during this very interesting time in our shared history.
We will continue to do the next right thing to Grow Great Kids!
Did you know our middle schoolers have a 1:28 student to teacher ratio? Every great kid is known for who they are in grades six to eight. Join our small, caring school and enroll today!
About Almond Acres
Almond Acres Charter Academy is a public, tuition-free K-8 school that employs credentialed teachers and administers state-mandated testing to provide families in northern SLO County an additional choice in public education. The school is located inSan Miguel and is open to all students in all communities. AACA’s mission is to help students succeed academically and socially by educating the whole child: heart, mind, body and soul. We grow great kids!
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