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!
Ahhhhh summer. A break from the school year routine that parents both long for and worry about: the sweet silence of the alarm clock, lunch boxes that stay tucked away in cupboards and the concern that children might lose the academic gains they worked so hard for.
But just because school is out for the summer doesn’t mean the learning ends. Now is the perfect opportunity to make learning a little less formal and a lot more exploratory. Fear not–you don’t have to be a certified teacher to prevent the summer slide. Read on for 4 big tips and a list of fun activities that will keep your child’s skills fresh and won’t force you to visit Pinterest daily.
1. Read, Read, Read
Summer is the perfect time to melt into a good book. Even 20 minutes a day of reading, whether independently or together, can help keep children’s fluency and comprehension skills fresh. Make reading an inviting summer afternoon activity for your child: Hang a hammock in a shady spot or pick a few beach reads and spend a couple hours under an umbrella. When you model reading alongside your children, they are much more likely to pick up a book.
If your child needs a little extra motivation, our local Paso Robles library has a wonderful summer reading program called Read Beyond the Beaten Path. After signing up, children of all ages are encouraged to track their reading minutes, participate in reading challenges and win prizes. Librarians are also an incredible source of recommendations if you need a new series for the voracious reader in your life or a graphic novel to jumpstart a more hesitant reader.
2. Attend our Expanded Learning Opportunity Program
Want a little more structure for your child’s summer learning? Almond Acres is hosting a summer Expanded Learning Opportunity Program from July 5-29 with Program Director, Amy Brabenec. K-8 students are invited to attend to work on fundamental skills for an extra 4-9 hours. If you are interested, contact Amy Brabenec at abrabenec@almondacres.com.
3. Keep it Low Key
Ditch the workbooks and flashcards. Learning happens all around us when we engage our senses, talk to people and get moving. Here are a few simple activities to sharpen thinking and develop creativity when your child says “I’m bored”:
Encourage writing every day by keeping a journal of daily activities or a travel log of adventures. Include memory scraps like wristbands or ticket stubs and draw pictures of plants and animals you see on a hike. Even beginning writers can draw and add captions to their journals.
Write Postcards
Bring addresses and stamps if you are traveling and have your child send postcards to friends, grandparents and teachers.
Put your child in charge of the money for an activity. Pay for ice cream in cash and calculate how much you are due back. Older kids can learn about the family budget by meal planning and shopping for groceries.
Plan a Road Trip
Older kids can organize and plan a family trip. Incorporate map reading skills, elapsed time and calculating mileage and gas cost (ouch!) for a day trip. If a National Park is on your travel agenda, don’t forget that all 4th graders and their family have free admission and access to history, geology and geography lessons.
Get Creative
Keep simple art supplies ready to spark creativity: paper, scissors, glue and paint have endless possibilities. Kids of all ages love the squishy novelty of Air Dry Clay. Your budding movie director can even turn those clay creations into an original Stop Motion Studio video. Beads and string are also super popular with all ages and help develop hand/eye coordination and concentration.
4. Target Specific Needs
There is generally no need to fill your child’s day with a full curriculum. But if you are aware of specific areas in which your child may need a little more attention, you can keep the summer vibe going by targeting skills in a daily, low-pressure practice session.
For example, if your kindergartener needs more practice with identifying the sounds of letters, you can spend 5-10 minutes a day working with Bob Books or an app that turns phonics into a game. If your 3rd grader wants to be quicker at multiplication facts, play a card game together each day to practice until he’s fluent. Kids can have the restful summer break they crave while still strengthening skills with a quick daily habit.
Almond Acres looks forward to welcoming your child back to school in September after a restful and rejuvenating summer break. Have fun together and come back to tell us all about it!
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!
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