ACCESS Academy Alternative ProgramDavid Holm
I will NOT be available for conferences on Thursday, November 17th. I will be at conferences all day on Monday and Tuesday, November 21 and 22.
Welcome to ACCESS if you're new and welcome back to all the returning kids! My name is David Holm (if you're a student, its "Mr. Holm") and this is my 4th year here.
The courses I'll teach this year:
- Math: 7th grade curriculum
- Wellness: 6th, 7th, and 8th grades - everyday.
- Wellness: 1st - 5th grades - wellness class is part of your electives rotation, so every four days.
- Health: 6th, 7th, and 8th grades
Ways to contact me:
- email: dholm@pps.net (preferred)
- phone: 503.916.3600, ext 72924
Outdoor School
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Outdoor School 2011 - 2012
Meeting: Friday, September 9th, 9:00am at ACCESS - This is a question and answer session with Sandy Camp Director Jeff "Snake" Dallas. All required paperwork will be passed out to students. Supply lists, medical information, etc. Students will attend and parents are encouraged to attend. Hope to see ya there!!
Open House: Sunday, September 18th from 4:00 - 6:00pm at the Sandy River location. This is a great opportunity for you and your student to visit the location prior to us going as a class. In the past, this has helped ease any anxieties for parents and students. Sandy River staff will be on hand to provide tours, give explanations as to how things are run, and to answer questions.
THE TRIP: We leave on Sunday, September 25 and return on Tuesday, September 27. Parents please have your students at ACCESS by 2:30pm on Sunday the 25th. If you have medications to check in, this will be the time. All medications need to be in their original packaging with the proper prescription paperwork. (This means that meds need to be in whatever bottle the pharmacy gave them to you in. If you need new prescription paperwork, the pharmacy can provide that to you.) On Tuesday, we'll return to ACCESS at 7pm. Parents should plan on being at the school by 6:45pm to see your child as the bus pulls in. Sometimes, as crazy at it may sound, the students become rather emotional after being gone from their family for a few days.
Outdoor school is one of my top memories every year. Its such an awesome experience for the students because of the emotional growth, the conquering of fears, and many of the kids come back with a new perspective of life. For so many its their first time camping in the woods, or their first time being hands-on in nature, or their first time being away from their families. I've never seen a student be disappointed in their experience.
For the 2011 - 2012 school year ACCESS will be attending the Sandy River location. This trip is going to approach very rapidly so be expecting paperwork within a week or so of school starting. I will provide info as I receive it from MESD. Heres what I have so far:
- September 25 - 27 (Sunday - Tuesday)
- Sunday: depart ACCESS at 3:00pm. Parents should plan on having their student at the school by 2:30pm to load their personal belongings onto the bus. Details of what to bring will be provided soon.
- Tuesday: parents pick up your students at 7:00pm at ACCESS.
Sandy River, Spring of 2011 (apologies to week 1 kids: as you may recall, my camera battery died...as in 'had a bad cell and couldn't be recharged' kinda dead. I'm sure you all took your own pictures but I was unable to get many during this week.)
Departure from ACCESS
Ian representing ACCESS at the final flag ceremony
Minhtam representing ACCESS at the final flag ceremony
Ella representing ACCESS at the tree planting ceremony
"Real Deal" Gabriel is just happy to be here!
Chloe, Kat, Dahlia, Jonathan, and Kian at the water field study
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Ceara, Rebeka, Tristen, Kat, Sharanya, Joanne, and Alyssa as the Loam Warriors!
Hmm, I don't recognize these three? Kinda looks like Alyssa, Caitlin, and Nadia but theres something different about them...maybe they're wearing someone elses jackets.
Chloe and Joanne representing ACCESS at final flag ceremony
Henry representing ACCESS at tree planting ceremony
Math
This math class is an accelerated pre-algebra CMP math curriculum.
This class is largely student-led which allows for them to investigate and learn from their mistakes with their peers rather than have a teacher-led lecture format.
The reason I do not list homework on this site is due to the diverse learning culture we have in class. This means that we move forward on a day-to-day basis and, sometimes, at different rates. If I don't feel the students have a firm grasp of a concept on any given day, I would rather take the extra time to work with them than try to follow a posted schedule.
“Mathematics is made of 50 percent formulas, 50 percent proofs, and 50 percent imagination.”
On the districts math calendar you will find each unit we complete but not necessarily in the same order. On the districts Monthly Calendar, although we do not follow the same order of units, you will be able to find each book we use and get a general idea of what we're learning.
Wellness
Guest Presenters: Operation Hope will be conducting a series of four presentations called "Banking On Our Future" to the middle school students. This is a great opportunity for our kids to learn about self-sufficiency and financial responsibility. The dates for these presentations will be on Mondays: November 14 and 28 as well as December 5 and 12.
Parents should feel free to plant the seed in your childs mind about how to successfully save money, how to budget, and the benefits and consequences of using credit. For more information about these presentations: http://financialbeginnings.org/youth-programs.asp
Check out the video section from this site, "Homeboy Goes to Harvard". Its a great site that promotes cultural awareness. http://homeboygoestoharvard.com/index.html I'd recommend checking out the introduction. After clicking on "video", next click on "Introductory Video".
Guest speaker: TEEN (Teen Education and Empowerment Network) will be presenting to the middle school grades on Monday - Wednesday, October 24 - 26, during each class' wellness time. The topics discussed:
TEEN (Teen Education and Empowerment Network) will be presenting to the middle school grades on Monday - Wednesday, October 24 - 26, during each class' wellness time. The topics discussed:- healthy versus unhealthy relationships
- promoting respect
- communication
- types of abuse
- gender roles
- power and control
- consent
- supporting friends
- media literacy
- bystander responsibility
CHOIR: We are beginning choir on Tuesday, September 20th. This will take place every Tuesday throughout the school year for the middle school grades.
Anti-Bullying Unit: Our counselor, Amy Henry, will be presenting the anti-bullying curriculum to the middle school classes during the month of October. This is Bullying Awareness Month and is perfect timing for our kids to learn strategies for dealing with unwanted scenarios. She will provide material for the students, as well as parents, to help stop bullying as well as recognizing signs of bullying. We are very excited to have her here this year.
This year we most likely will:
- begin every class with stretches and a warm-up jog
- play various sports including: basketball (in various forms), football, soccer, kickball, knock-down-the-pin, Dr. Dodge and various forms of dodgeball, Frisbee golf, capture-the-flag, ultimate Frisbee, and phillyball. We even made up a game that includes a football, two basketball hoops, and two hoola hoops!
- complete a health unit
- receive instruction on First Aide and CPR
- complete an anti-bullying unit with our counselor, Mrs. Henry
- have FBI visit us to discuss cyber-crime and cyber-bullying
- have a dental hygenist lead us in oral care lessons
- create a themed art project (last year was spanish inspired mosaics)
- for 7th/8th grade: anti-drug presentation by founders of From Drugs to Mugs and Faces of Meth. To see 8 mins of video: http://www.facesofmeth.us/drugs_to_mugs.html
- river and water safety with Multnomah County Sheriffs Office
- have the Red Cross teach us about disaster preparedness
- have a self-defense unit - Oh my gosh! This is intense. Checkout one of our instructors, Renee, from when she was featured on the news: click here
- participate in Run for the Arts
“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed.”
- Michael Jordan
