At the core of Almond Acres Charter Academy’s mission to grow great kids, is the belief that every student has innate talents. We recognize that some students are strong in math and sciences, others in reading and writing. Some are athletic, while others are gifted musicians. Every student is smart. The only difference is HOW they’re smart.
Since the school began in 2012, we have incorporated the arts into our learning program. We have worked to expand our theatre program for the past couple of years.
We are thrilled to have a drama teacher, who is also our librarian, leading this effort with the oversight of our Program Director, Amy Baker.
A Theatre Experience for Every Age
Early Exposure: K-3 Performances
Our younger students can participate in short, engaging plays (30 minutes or less) that introduce them to imaginative storytelling, movement, and confidence-building. These performances foster early communication and teamwork skills. Past performances have included Stuart Little, Charlotte’s Web, and Snow White as well as other fairy tales and renderings of favorite picture books.
Building Skills in Grades 4-5
For our older elementary school students, we focus on slightly longer productions that introduce young actors to more complex narratives. Students learn more about stage direction and blocking while developing their memorization skills and stage presence. The 4th and 5th grade productions are now being performed at the Templeton Performing Arts Center and have included productions of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,Jack and the Beanstalk and
The Wizard of Oz.
Middle School: Taking Center Stage
Once our students reach middle school, they are ready to participate in a full-length production. These productions allow students to shine onstage. Often, attendees comment that they are seeing the students in a whole new light. Some students, who may be quiet and reserved in the classroom, transform when they find themselves in costume under a spotlight.
Our middle schoolers become familiar with the audition process and role preparation, while some help with set design, tech, and stage management.
Like the 4th and 5th grade plays, middle school productions take place in a professional theatre setting at the Templeton Performing Arts Center in front of family, friends, and the community. Our recent middle-school-only productions have included Treasure Island and Wonderland.
Spotlight on Other Drama Programs
Clubs, Field Trips, and Showcases
In addition to our annual productions, Almond Acres has a 3rd Grade Drama Club, 4th/5th Grade Drama Club, and Middle School Drama Club. The drama clubs are mostly student-led and focus on improv games, script writing, student-directed skits, and family get-togethers outside school.
Almond Acres also takes grade-level VAPA field trips while the Drama Club and production students have taken theatre field trips to see plays at SLO Repertory Theatre, PCPA, The Great American Melodrama, Atascadero High School, and Paso Robles High School. Our AACA drama students have had unique opportunities to take theatre tours and attend Q&A sessions with actors, production directors, and artistic directors. Students make connections with other theatre programs in the county that they might also participate in.
This spring, AACA will host its first Drama Showcase. The Drama Showcase will feature student-written and directed scripts. Rehearsals occur during lunchtime Drama Club.
Beyond Almond Acres
In the summer of 2024, we hosted our first annual collaborative theatre production. The camp-style program is open to all students aged 7 to 17 in northern San Luis Obispo County. Students must audition for the play. If they are cast, they participate in a 3-week camp-model rehearsal process to prepare for one weekend of shows. Tickets to the performances are available to the public for purchase! By collaborating with the Templeton Performing Arts Center on a summer theatre intensive, Almond Acres has positioned itself as a community leader in creating a North County youth theatre program accessible to all.
The Benefits of Theatre for Children
At Almond Acres, we know that participation in theatre builds confidence and public speaking skills. Students develop storytelling skills, leaning into their creativity and imagination to think outside the box.
Working with other students onstage improves teamwork and builds responsibility as they learn to rely on their castmates and contribute to a collective goal.
Stepping into the shoes of different character roles allows students to develop empathy as they understand other perspectives. Even academics are enhanced as students strengthen their reading comprehension, memorization, and problem-solving skills.
Your Support Matters
The support and encouragement we receive from our families and community for our theatre program makes all the difference! There’s something special about standing onstage and looking out into the audience and seeing friendly, familiar faces smiling back. We believe the arts have a place in education, and we love being able to celebrate the unique gifts and talents of every student through this channel!
On any given day, if you take a walk through the Almond Acres Charter Academy (AACA) middle school wing, you’ll hear the sounds of learning and joy in our halls and classrooms: Spirited debates and discussions, laughter among friends, and conversations between students and teachers. You’ll see a community of teachers and learners engaged in active thinking, creating and doing. You’ll undoubtedly notice our commitment to nurturing the heart, mind, body and soul throughout the unique middle school years. Here’s a glimpse of what we offer our bright 6th-8th grade students at our tuition-free charter school:
1. Authentic Academics
Our daily schedule looks similar to a traditional middle school day: We use “periods” for students to rotate through English Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Recreation and Electives and include a morning and lunch recess. But, as middle school parents can attest, that’s where the similarities end:
The Middle School Leadership Team is unique because it comes up with the BEST ideas for activities. It’s really fun and creative and so hands-on. When there’s a problem, they’ll solve it.
-AACA Parent
All middle school students participate in our school-wide Shared Start and a homeroom Morning Meeting. We believe this boosts belonging and community in our K-8 school.
AACA middle school teachers utilize a Project-Based Learning (PBL) approach that is the core component of our instructional program and is integrated across all subject areas whenever possible. We also make connections throughout the community with field trips, guest speakers and service components. PBL makes learning authentic and lasting–just what a middle school brain needs.
Our dedication to STEAM Education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, & Mathematics) has helped us develop popular events and programs like Destination Imagination, an after school STEAM program open to all students, and our Annual Maker’s Faire.
2. Leadership & Character Development
All AACA students participate in a yearly study of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, developed by Steven Covey. Through our Pathways Course, middle school students further their understanding of the 7 habits and also have opportunities to refine their problem-solving and decision-making skills. The Pathways Course includes essential college and career readiness skills.
An optional weekly Leadership Class is popular among our 6th-8th graders. Students in the Leadership Class lead many aspects of our school including Shared Start, recess and lunchtime activities, school-wide contests, and fundraisers. In fact, if you come for a tour of our middle school, you are most likely to be welcomed and led around by a member of our middle school leadership class. Who better to share with prospective families than the ones who get to experience and shape it everyday?
I think AACA has such a unique middle school environment. Not only are students taught to be considerate leaders, but students are given many opportunities to show their initiative skills. Leadership and citizenship is exceedingly highlighted. And most of all Almond Acres stretches and educates students as a whole child: heart, mind, body, and soul.
-AACA Parent
3. Service Learning
Our middle school students are active volunteers in our community, putting into practice what they learn through service learning projects, a cornerstone of our curriculum. Field trips and guest speakers help us learn from and interact with the community. The skills students learn in school often spill out into summer, with many students choosing to serve and engage in Paso Robles’s many amazing community offerings. Being good citizens is an important aspect of our AACA school model.
4. Arts
AACA arts electives are some of our most popular middle school classes. We offer choir, instrumental and vocal, art and drama. Each year our students put on a student-run musical theater production and a talent show. We also showcase student art at our annual art show.
5. Sports
We may be a small school, but our sports teams still pack a punch. From Cross Country to Flag Football, Volleyball, Basketball, Track & Field and Ultimate Frisbee our middle school students get to compete against other local middle schools and hone their skills. Being a part of a team in middle school provides a solid foundation in teamwork and sportsmanship.
Additionally, all middle school students receive physical education classes with our full-time recreation & wellness teacher.
AACA Middle School is like a family – it is small and all the students know one another. Teachers are able to give more attention to individual students because the class sizes are smaller. The philosophy of Heart, Mind, Body, Soul is very unique for a school as it promotes teaching students foremost and curriculum follows. When we take the well-being of every student into consideration, it makes it much easier for students to focus and learn the curriculum.
-AACA Teacher
6. Positive Student-Centered Culture
It is possible to attend a middle school that is a positive environment for growth and development as a tween and early teen. Our middle school embraces sixth to eighth graders as current AND future leaders, ideators, problem-solvers, and independent contributors. Due to our small size, AACA middle schoolers can each be known for who they are and the safe community feel of a K-8 building contributes to fewer discipline and behavior problems than a traditional middle school. And fewer behavior issues means less time pulled away from academics.
Want to check out AACA Middle School in person? We welcome prospective families to chat with us and take a tour of our new building. Even if your student is looking for a better fit for 8th grade, it’s never too late to join us.
About AACA
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. Located in Paso Robles in a newly built, state-of-the-art facility, AACA is open to all students from 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!
Middle school is a powerful transition for young people. Moving from a more dependent to independent relationship with parents and teachers creates a ripe opportunity for great thinking development. The anticipation of a new school, new people, and challenging academics requires extra patience, grace, and intelligent thinking skills. At Almond Acres Charter Academy, we ease this transition from middle school to high school with attention to leadership and character development built into our child centered education. We have your child’s future in mind from the minute they step through the door at Almond Acres. Beginning in kindergarten, we target students’ strengths and areas of improvement by affirming all the ways they are smart and stretching them into the best version of themselves. Our intentionally small school helps build strong relationships, giving students a solid foundation from which to grow into the capable and competent people they are.
“Pathways” Leadership Skills Classes
With guidance from our executive director, we help middle school students prepare for adult life by developing the thinking skills and habits of mind necessary for success. Each of the three grade levels, 6th, 7th & 8th, examine essential skills and habits that will help them navigate life after AACA.
In 6th grade, students take a deeper dive into the school-wide study of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens. These habits help to keep us focused on dreams, positive relationships, and skills for life long after our school years. In our 7th grade leadership class, students hone in on these same skills with more advanced reading: The 6 Most Important Decisions You’ll Ever Make A Guide for Teens: Updated for the Digital Ageby Sean Covey. This study examines the critical decisions made during the adolescent years that can make or break happiness and success in life. Self-worth, Parents, Friends, College/Career, Dating, and Extracurricular Activities are examined using the AACA decision making model.
We also incorporate lessons designed around essential skills such as healthy keys to communication, smart decision-making, and effective study skills. Our community partners provide ample opportunity to strengthen social skills through field trips, service projects, clubs and sports. Strengthening social skills from an early age helps students deal with the stress of change as they grow, leading to resilient, confident kids, prepared to tackle what comes their way.
8th grade promotion is bittersweet as we send our students on their way to new horizons. We know we have prepared them to spread their wings and fly and are grateful when they return to share their success with us. It’s an honor to support our students on their life’s pathway. Almond Acres Charter Academy grows great kids now and beyond 8th grade.
About AACAAlmond 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. Located in Paso Robles in a newly built, state-of-the-art facility, AACA is open to all students from 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!
At Almond Acres Charter Academy, we grow great kids. We believe an education that addresses all aspects of a student’s life creates balanced, happy learners. In fact, our scholastic mission is to help students succeed academically and socially by educating the whole child: heart, mind, body and soul. This mission is embedded in our school DNA and informs how we grow together every school day, and even when not in school together. It truly sets us apart from other K-8 learning environments.
At Almond Acres, we grow great kids. Our middle school students are active volunteers in our community. Choosing to serve over the summer, our great kids are not given required service hours or obligatory assignments to engage in Paso Robles’s many amazing community offerings. Rather, they’re choosing to support our community during their summer break. Being good citizens is an important aspect of our AACA school model. And these middle schoolers are leading the way!
Community Service
Here’s what some of our middle schoolers, past and present, have to say, in their own words about their volunteering and community service:
“This summer I volunteered at a summer camp called Camp Good News for a week. I also have some volunteer opportunities through the Atascadero Antlers later in summer
I really enjoy seeing how much just a few hours of my time means to people.
AACA taught me the value of helping others and being part of the greater community.”
~Kenichi Parkhurst (graduate)
“During summer I have helped out with a V.B.S program at my church with kids my age. I got to help out with the second and third graders while teaching them about God.
Helping others has always inspired me to be a better person so I’ve always liked helping others because it not only warms someone else’s heart but also warms mine.
I have made many new friends through these experiences and I have also created a better bond with others I wasn’t as close to.
I think AACA has inspired me to volunteer through friends because my friends usually always have some fun things going on to join. But I think AACA has mostly inspired me to not be afraid to be myself and that every mistake is a lesson to learn and I have many of those possibilities while volunteering. “
~Mia Kosharek (8th grade)
“So far this summer, I have volunteered at a vacation bible school (VBS) as a group leader. I basically helped watch the kids as they went to their different activities throughout the day.
I also plan to volunteer at the Children’s museum this summer. I also babysit for friends of ours.
What I enjoy most about helping others is learning from the people I help. Most of the time when I help people out it includes children and I actually learn a lot from these kids because of their point of view on things.
AACA has inspired me in my volunteer work by always pushing me to be the best version of myself. It also inspired me because AACA has taught me to work hard and do the best that I can and to put first things first. I think by helping people I am practicing those important lessons I was taught.”
~Divy Emmons (graduate)
“ I love to help others and provide assistance where needed. I enjoy helping parents with their kids by babysitting because it brings me joy to hang out with younger kids. I also enjoy helping others so that they can do things that are important to them and by feeling that I impacted someone’s life positively.
Because of the Big Buddy program at Almond Acres, where older grades have a big buddy day where they get to do crafts and hangout with the younger elementary kids, I have wanted to babysit and hangout and support younger children and their families.”
~Kai Stoltzfus (8th grade)
“I’ve never done volunteer work prior to starting school at AACA, but this summer I had the opportunity to volunteer for a vacation bible school in the community. Students at AACA invited me to attend a weekly youth group and the youth group asked me to volunteer.
It was a great experience. I enjoyed seeing the kids happy after a difficult year. I would be interested in more volunteering jobs in the future. I do feel AACA helped me find friends and inspired me to get more involved more than other schools I have been to.
For example, before AACA I went to a public middle school and it was nothing like Almond Acres. When I first came here, the community was very positive. Overall, the friends I’ve made this year at AACA, changed the year for me all together and made me understand what a difference I can make by volunteering.”
~Avery Mathews (8th grade)
“What I enjoy most about helping others is the satisfaction you get when you’ve made a difference in someone’s life.
I’ve made a bunch of new friends, it’s so much fun getting to meet new people and especially becoming buddies with the kids.
AACA has taught and inspired me to be the best version of myself and to think of others before yourself.”
Almond Acres is relocating 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!
The eighth grade class at Almond Acres is currently posing the question, “How does art live on?” Throughout this project-based learning unit, the students have researched artists and their artwork to uncover the impact art has on our society and our souls.
Using a project-based learning model during this educational unit is more meaningful for students. They have incorporated science, history, art, literature, English language, technology, and math while attempting to answer the core question.
To help answer the question, “How does art live on?” students and their families toured the Allegretto Vineyard Resort in Paso Robles. This beautiful retreat hotel was designed with art as a focal point. The tour was led by the site designer, Doug Ayers.
Every detail of the resort was constructed with the idea of bringing harmony to visitors. The students saw collections from all over the world, with different mediums, from different eras. From lighting fixtures to paintings, furniture, chapels, monoliths, sculptures, and water features, every piece had a story and a purpose.
We asked Charlotte Reid, Middle School ELA teacher at Almond Acres Charter Academy to share with us her insights as to what the eighth graders are creating and why — for the new AACA school in Paso Robles, opening in fall 2021.
1. Why did you tour the Allegretto Hotel? Where did you focus your time and attention on the hotel grounds? “Mr. B set up the tours with the owner, Doug Ayers, when he heard about our Art Unit in 8th grade. Doug Ayers has spent years traveling the world and visiting sacred places. He has also studied many different traditions of architecture and decorating, which he has used to create an aesthetically pleasing and peaceful resort. Much of the artistic pieces come from around the world (such as doors from India and a carved statue in the chapel), from the earth (many crystals and a giant slice of a redwood), and even local artists. He showed us the massive chandelier in the entry which he had commissioned – it represents the energy patterns/centers in and around the human body (also called chakras). We saw the beautiful chapel he designed to allow the sun to fall through specific windows during the solstices. The walls are specially made from ground marble or quartz which is mixed into a plaster – it is similar to plastering found in Italy and has a shimmer to it that is quite lovely. He has created several labyrinths for meditation. He has the first audio labyrinth which has different harmonious sounds that help balance energy during the walk through the labyrinth. Every small detail of this resort was intentionally created by Doug Ayers.”
2. What is the goal of this family art tour? How did this time inform the 8th graders’ group project? “Originally, we would have gone on a field trip into Paso where we would have visited art around town and the art studios where students could talk with the artists themselves. However, because of Covid, we had to come up with an alternative. Mr. B arranged an art tour for families to attend that would give them some insight into different types of art, architecture, and design. Students have been researching different artists, art movements, and art forms as part of their unit which asks the question: “Does art enhance our lives?” For this unit, students will be developing a personal mission statement and then creating a piece of art which embodies this mission statement.
Students will also use the information they have researched and learned from the Allegretto tour to create/develop a group piece of art for the new school. This will be part of their graduation/promotion from 8th grade.”
Kenichi Parkhurst, an Almond Acres 8th grader on the trip added, “It was really cool to see such a large collection and variety of art in one place. The pieces fit together so well that it was like looking at one big collage.”
3. What are the 8th graders going to build/create for the new PR school building? Can that be revealed at this time? “Students have not started to design the art piece for the new school site. However, it will be in the new courtyard. “
4. What else should we know about this fantastic undertaking by the ‘big kids” of AACA? “This will be their contribution to the new school as the first students who started at AACA in kindergarten and are graduating from 8th grade.”
Because Almond Acres Charter Academy knows that learning is most impactful when creativity is involved, the eighth-grade class will use the knowledge they acquired while touring the Allegretto for an amazing project! As their gift to future Almond Acres families, the students are helping design the atrium at the new school site in Paso Robles. This beautiful expression of art will consist of many different features, providing a warm welcome to all who enter the school.Find out more about Almond Acres Charter Academy today!
About Almond Acres
Almond Acres is relocating 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!
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