Sunday Howl 11.1.20
Picture Day Follow Up: Thank you to all of you who braved the elements to come out for our Middle School picture day! If you were here for the high school or middle school picture days, and are interested in purchasing photos, here is the information in case you did not receive the email directly from Lifetouch. You just need to go to mylifetouch.com (before, on or after picture day....about 2 weeks after picture day you can actually SEE your child's image AND if you order after picture day, the package is sent directly to you instead of in bulk to the school...costs a little more to ship that way but some folks like to see the image before buying.) Once you go to this website you will need your Picture Day ID it is EVTFNF6DM. You can use this until after the "proofs" are delivered to the school, then there is a seperate PORTRAIT ID that is included on the proof, you will need to have that once the proofs are delivered to purchase online.
If you were not able to make it, we have two picture makeup days scheduled for December 3rd and December 7th. We use these pictures for the yearbook, power school and student id's. So, even if you are not interested in purchasing photos, we would still appreciate it very much if you could bring your student for their picture.
PTO meeting: Our next PTO meeting is scheduled for this coming Tuesday, November 3rd, at 9:00 am. Please go to the PTO website page, which is directly linked to the Explore Academy website, for a link to the Zoom meeting. We alternate between morning and evening meetings, so if you can't make it to this one, December's meeting will be in the evening. All of the minutes are posted on the PTO website.
Bark Invites went out this week!
Explore Academy uses Bark for Schools to help us monitor school-issued accounts for signs of digital dangers. When potential issues like cyberbullying, suicidal ideation, and threats of violence arise, Bark sends us a notification. Parents and guardians can benefit from receiving these alerts, as well.
By now, parents should have received an invitation (via email, possibly in the spam folder) to create a free account for the Bark for Schools Parent Portal. After registration, parents will start receiving after-hours alerts when Bark detects potentially time-sensitive issues.
Bark for Schools is free for both our school and for parents. For even greater coverage, parents can also sign up for Bark for Families, which monitors texts, chat, email, YouTube, and 30+ social media platforms for potential safety concerns. Explore Academy has secured a 20% discount for Bark for Families — parents pay $11.20 per month to cover an unlimited number of accounts, devices, and children.
If there are any questions, please contact Newell Ramsey at IT@exploreacademy.orgl. Thank you for your support as we strive to help keep our students safe both online and in real life.
School Lunches:
The National School Lunch Program is being extended into the fall for all public schools. This means that school lunches are free at this time. Check the Howl each week for the link that provides the weekly lunch menu. These menus are posted a week in advance.
Place your order by Thursday of each week for the following week using this link: https://forms.gle/Kmxttpk15Dye5edGA
Pick up weekly lunch order on Monday’s at the Explore Academy Masthead location.
If you live too far from Explore we are told that APS and RRPS are also offering seamless meals as long as your child is between 1 and 18 years of age. Parents / guardians can contact the school closest to them.
Click here for the School lunch link: https://forms.gle/Kmxttpk15Dye5edGA
Email restrictions lifted for Juniors and new Seniors - This week, all Juniors, and new Seniors, have been given the ability to send and receive email to the outside world. This will allow communication with a mentor for the Major Capstone project, and facilitate applications to colleges and scholarships. Email monitoring and filtering is still in place.
Virtual College Fair The National Association for College Admission Counseling is holding a virtual college fair, Sunday November 8th, with more than 600 college and university representatives. Create your schedule by selecting which colleges you’d like to learn about. Sign up to attend their live and interactive Zoom sessions. Students everywhere can log in, drop in, and ask questions. It's a great opportunity for you to explore your college options. Sign up here. Each virtual fair is a free, one-day event. Attend as often as you like. Families invited, too.
Virtual College Camp
New Mexico State University is inviting all middle and high school students, parents, and families to participate in a free Virtual College Camp. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7. Registration is required.
Upcoming SAT Test Dates Please be aware these are subject to change based on current public health orders. Seniors are encouraged to sign up for the December test date. The deadline to sign up is November 5, or late registration November 17, for the December 5 test date.
https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/register/dates-deadlines
Upcoming ACT Test Dates Please be aware these are subject to change based on current public health orders. Seniors are encouraged to sign up for the December or February testing dates if you have not taken the ACT or SAT exams. Sign up by November 20th for the December 12th test date. Or sign up by January 8th for the February 6th test date. http://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/registration.html