Chalk It Up!

It is a well documented fact that children learn better with information is provided across more than one of their senses (touch, taste, vision, hearing, balance).  There are many inexpensive multi-sensory experiences you can use at home to work on learning to write letters and/or learning to spell.

• Put some shaving cream on a cooking sheet with raised sides.  Let the child “write” a letter with their finger, then “erase” with their hand and start over.  If you have a child that still puts fingers in their mouth, this may be better done with something edible like whipped cream or pudding.

• Practice making letters with pipe cleaners or “wiki-stix”.  These bendable items are perfect for early letter making.

• Practicing writing letters outside on a driveway or sidewalk with wide “sidewalk chalk” is a great multisensory experience.

• Fill a small bucket with water and get a large paintbrush.  Let your child “paint” letters on a driveway, sidewalk, or even the side of a building.

• Get a set of letter stencils and cut letters out of coarse sandpaper.  Let your child trace their finger over these letters to help learn their shapes.

Performance Based Learning and Conner Prairie

Today was an exciting day as Fortune administrators meet with Rich Cooper, Vice President & Chief Programs Officer for Conner Prairie. Increasing opportunities for performance based learning for our students while making connections within our community has lead us to a new and wonderful collaboration with Conner Prairie for this coming year. We look forward to the new doors that have been opened and the wonderful learning that will take place within the doors of Fortune and on the grounds of the Prairie!

Baseball, BBQ and Blogging!

Summertime fun is filled with baseball, barbecues, bicycles, and the beach! We also know that the summer break can cause a regression in reading and writing skills. Fortune Academy is launching an exciting way to engage our  students this summer.

  Have they read a great book? They can write about it!

 Traveled to a museum? They can write about it!

 Watched a new movie? They can write about it!

 Attended a camp? They can write about it!

 Get the idea?! We would love for  them to write about that they learned, read, or watched!  They can then enter their writings to be published in the Fortune Student Blog on our website!     We will have special awards for those students who are published on the website when school resumes in August. 

Here is how it works: 

Enjoy your summer and share with your child this summer experience!

With your help, students submit their written work as often as they wish to jgeorge@thefortuneacademy.org

With your help, visit our website often to see if their work is published on the Student Blog! 

The Student Blog will begin June 7th!

Coming Up This Week in High School

Biology--Tulbert

Students will be learning about genetic mutations (Chapter 13). And Human aHereditu (chapter 14).  This is our last chapter for the year. After we finish chapter 14, we will be studying for the exam.  Next week we will also start a lab where students wipe areas in the school to see what is on them. We will grow cultures in petrie dishes, and thes see what happens when we drop in hand sanitizer on the growth.

Anatomy and Physiology--Tulbert

Students will be starting Chapter 8 on the Endocrine System.  This is our last chapter for the year. After we finish this chapter, we will be studying for the exam.

Independent Biology--Tulbert

Student will Finish Chapter 13 )Mendelian Genetics) and take a test.

Psychology--Tuilbert

Students will be completing Chapter 26 on Abnormal Psychology, and taking a test on that chapter.

LA Lab I- Carroll

We will continue working on our Vocabulary Board Game. We’re wrapping up the rules, and starting the creative process.

English II- Carroll

We will continue practicing vocabulary strategies, using text evidence to help us comprehend a text, and activating prior knowledge before we start reading a text. We are developing our skills for having effective group discussions, and practicing giving kind, constructive feedback to peers.

LA Lab

We will be practicing to effective note while we read texts.

Studio Arts

We are wrapping up our fabric bowls, and starting personal fabric arts projects.

Health-Simon    

Students will continue to learn about contraception.  Students need to bring binders to every class. We will also begin learning about PSAs and discuss steps for creating our own PSA based on topics learned this semester.

Geography - O’Donnell

Students will continue their unit on the islands of Oceania.  Students need to bring their notes to class everyday to research different aspects of their country.  

Economics - O’Donnell

Students will continue their Senior Thesis for Economics answering essential questions about the real nature of either the new tax plan or the new tariffs.  

College/Career Planning - O’Donnell

Students are working on part two of their Career Planning Workbook.

Coming Up in High School

Eng I - Sheehy
We are reading F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short story, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” alongside a long list of vocabulary.  We discussed “anachronism” in literature and the students are considering a topic that they could write about with an anachronistic theme.

Eng IV - Sheehy
We are listening to the audiobook of “The Illustrated Man” and watching parts of it from the movie.  Along with discussion, the students will begin writing their own version of “The Last Day of the World.”

Language Arts I & II - Sheehy
We are in the middle of the Editing, Revising, & Rewriting stages of our opinion papers on School Shootings and Gun Control.  Upon completion, we will develop a form to fill out to be our own film critics to use while watching one or more of the following movies:  “The Wizard of Oz,” “The Greatest Showman,” “Remember the Titans,” or “Facing the Giants.”

Pre Calculus - Ahearn
Working on Logarithms

Algebra 2- Ahearn
We are finishing up our lesson on Mixture Story Problems

Algebra 1- Ahearn
Factoring Polynomials

Paced Algebra -Ahearn
Solving Systems of equations by graphing with equation conversions

Geometry- Ahearn
Introducing SAS and SSS Triangle Proofs

Biology--Tulbert
We will finish Chapter 12 on DNA, have a chapter test, and start Chapter 14 on Heredity.

Anatomy and Physiology--Tulbert
We sill finish Chapter 10 on the Blood. Have a chapter test, and start the chap[ter on the Endocrine system.

Independent Biology--Tulbert
We will have the Chapter 9 test Monday and start Chapter 13.

Psychology--Tulbert
We will have the Chapter 28 test in 2 parts the first part of the week.  We will then organize notebooks and gather test materials from the whole semester.

Speech and Communication - Dust
The date has been set!

**LIVE **From the Theatre at the Fort

Y.O.L.O Talks May 17th from 1:00-3:00.  

Currently this is a closed event, but as the draws closer and our speakers become more comfortable with their individual messages, invitations may be extended. Video production of each talk will be available post performance.

Next week we begin practicing our Talks. Saying ‘um’, pacing back and forth, turning away from the audience - these are just a few bad habits we pick up when we’re standing in front of a room. This week we will begin to practice and work to become more comfortable and begin building a connection with the audience.

Geography - O’Donnell
We are currently working on a Human Geography project involving the islands (and “garbage island”) on Oceania.  We are looking at birth rates, mortality rates, human distribution and land capacity to just the health and viability of the islands.

Economics - O’Donnell
We are currently engaged in our “Senior Thesis” in Econ.  Students had their choice to cover either the recent tax plan or the recent proposed tariffs.  We are are engaged in step one of the project, which is finding at least two unbiased reports defining what these things are.  We will them build on that to look at each partisan view of the subject.

College/Career Planning - O’Donnell
We are working on a Career planning workbook.  

Health-Simon    
We just finished up our study of reproduction and will begin studying contraception.

Digital Arts - Casey
We have concluded our section on music production and will be sliding into movie making this week.