Have you met Brian (he/him) - our AMAZING building/gardening/culinary teacher?! "The moment of creation, the original thought, the sudden self realization. Any artist or creative person will tell you these are the most exciting times for them. For me, helping others get to this point is my why. Helping people gain the confidence to look at a challenge and say, 'I can work this out,' Is my why. Showing up for these moments is my why"
Come learn something new with Brian and experience your own "AHA" moment
Did you know Jen (she/her) has been an armadillo for over 10 years?!
When we asked why Jen teaches she realized "I can only make it six months working a job that does not involve kids before I feel personally unfulfilled."
That's love for her work and for every student she interacts with!
Have you met Summer Brandon (she/her)? She's been an Armadillo for years, but have you asked her WHY?!
When I started my MAT program in 2005 I answered a similar question..."Why teach" The bottom line for me is that I want the world I want and teaching/education is how I choose to earn it.
I feel like the real question here is why ATI? I choose ATI because I know that traditional systems of education were built to uplift a narrow few, and exclude or squash into submission so many wonderful, wacky and unique people who are capable and smart and have bright futures if they can just get a fair break and support. I think systems should be designed to support people, not the other way around. And I think people who choose to be a community system together, like we do at ATI, need to uplift, challenge and appreciate one another as we prepare ourselves for the next great thing. I think there are hundreds of ways to solve problems when we can be flexible, kind and collaborative and that's what I hope to support at ATI this year with the FLEX program.
ATI staff are back in action this week planning for an amazing year ahead. We are welcoming new team members that we cant wait for y'all to meet. Keep an eyw out for new face and come meet the team at Ramp Up next week!
Meet Emerson Miller (she/her) - our new ELA teacher!
Why am I a high school English teacher? Because I believe in the power of transformative education and in building a strong community of learners. As bell hooks famously wrote in her book Teaching to Transgress, “Home was the place where I was forced to conform to someone else’s image of who and what I should be. School was the place where I could forget that self and, through ideas, reinvent myself." A safe and supportive school environment matters, and for me, that place was in the English classroom. It was there that I read literature that empowered me to build a better world. My hope is to inspire my students to do the same. I believe that the ELA classroom should be radical and thought-provoking. If I can get my students to listen to me play my guitar, then I hope I can also encourage them to read a good book.
The first day of classes is quickly approaching.
We cannot wait to see our returning students and families, and welcome all the new! Check out the attached Armadillo News.
Today our Personal Pathways student leaders got to practice focusing on assets/opportunities and owning our locus of control...in short, being super adaptable and open minded. We visited OSU Cascades campus in Bend where we saw some cool learning spaces including a 360 collaborative classroom designed by MIT, an art studio, and great dorms, and then grabbed some yummy smoothies from Emerald City Smoothie before heading to OSU main campus in Corvallis. We blazed our own self guided tour trail and saw some beautiful buildings, encountered an automated meal delivery robot, and viewed a sweet crafting center in a campus that is really its own city. Along the way we played our own impromptu game of Fear Factor. We braved a super stinky port-a-potty, extracted quite a few prickly pear spines from a person who shall remain anonymous, and changed up our housing for the night on the fly when the road to our Airbnb was closed due to wildfire. Whew!
Two more amazing college visits and one more fantastic day to go!
#charterschool
#charterhighschool
#learningroadtrip
#armadillotech
This week we are bringing back our Personal Pathways program with PY+. So far our student leaders have been certified in CPR/ 1st Aid and AED use, learned leadership practices, created personal budgets, toured two college campuses, floated a river, experienced dorm life, and walked 16,000 steps...and we still have two days to go! By the end of this week these folks will have visited 6 campuses, built new connections and life skills, and gotten a head start on their Career Related Learning Capstones that will prepare them for graduation and their post high school plans. Way to go team!
#YouBelongAtArmadillo
#charterschool
#charterhighschool
#learningbydoing
Have you ever discovered something fun during demolition? We have! It turns out that our Science Lab was originally a house next to the church that became the Big Room and Bat Cave. And we found a log left behind in the Art room fireplace from the duplex conversion. Surprises!
Our elected PRIDE club leaders are enjoying the first day of their leadership retreat. Over the next few days they will connect with community leaders, experience PDX Pride, explore the city of Portland, and plan for next year.
Today this crew drove up to Portland, enjoyed the dlights of Burgerville and Sizzle Pie Pizza, explored Powell's Books, and saw some bridges at the waterfront to close out the day.
#ArmadilloCharterSchool
#YouBelongAtArmadillo
#ArmadilloPride
ATI has a new APP (available for Apple and Android). It has News, updates, events and everything you need to enroll at ATI. For ATI students, staff and families a messaging feature will be added soon to replace ClassTag!
Download the app today to get all our updates!
Renovations are ramping up at ATI in July. Chexk out the views from today...
Help us Rename the Armadillo!
Click the link, read the descriptions, and cast your vote!
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeXyzWvlzVjcy1NAm1B7cUt71gc284SLveflFcA0Vv-VfWK1w/viewform?usp=sf_link
ATI is under construction this summer to remodel ans update two of our buildings. It's an exciting time here! Walls are coming down, flooring is coming up, and everything has been moved out. Keep an eye out for more updates
Thanks to @AuslandGroup for helping us make it happen!
Come see us at Medford Pride tomorrow (Saturday 6/24/23) at Pear Blossom Park 12-6pm for our FREE photobooth, FREE D20 dice game for SWAG, and Tie-Dye bandanas, shirts and take-home kits for sale.
Bring your inclusive, supportive and joyous vibes to our booth and say hi!
The Spring BBQ was hosted yesterday by Brian and the culinary/gardens class. It was super tasty and a fun time together! This community time celebrated the hard work of students and staff so far this year and fueled us for a strong finish to the 22-23 school year.
Hey ATI Graduates - Graduation tickets are now ready for pick up at the ATI office! Each grad gets 10 tickets. You may request extra tickets starting 5/28. Graduation is at Rose Theater (inside Phoenix High School), June 9th 6:00pm. Doors open at 5:30.
We made a table shaped like a fish for fun, and today someone added the gills, tail and an eye. Our people are the best!
Teacher appreciation day#2 brought to ATI staff by Kit and May! They handed out snuggly hand made blankets to all teachers this morning.
#armadillotech
#charterhighschool
#charterschool
#YouBelongAtATI
Today we kick off #TeacherAppreciationWeek by encouraging each of us to take a moment to think of a teacher who has helped or encouraged you and then tell them what they did that helped. Teachers rarely get to see the impact of their love and hard work, and one of the best ways to thank an educator is to share your story and remind them that they helped you along the way.
