Friday, November 8, 2019—In honor of Veterans Day, elementary Atoms learned the importance of showing appreciation to those who served in the U.S. Military and what it means to be a Veteran. Students wrote thank you letters, made crafts and brought gifts to one of their favorite Veterans, co-teacher Mr. Garcia who served in the U.S. Military, as a way to say thank you for your service. Thank you to all the brave men and women who have served (and are currently serving) in the U.S. Military.

Saturday, November 9, 2019—Imagine if you were given a bundle of wood and some glue, how strong can you make a bridge with these materials? Elementary, middle and high school Atoms competed against over 139 participants in the MOST's STEM Build 'Em & Bust 'Em competition. And of course, in true Atoms fashion, they won! The bridges they designed and constructed could rival any of the famous bridges like the Golden Gate, and Brooklyn. Below are the competition details and highlights for each school.

Competition Details

• Teams must design a bridge using balsa wood kids consisting of 14 2-foot long 1/8 inch square piece
• Glue will hold the pieces together
• Bridge length: 250-300 mm
• Width: 50-75 mm
• Height: Less than 100 mm

Elementary School

Atoms started designing their blueprints for the bridges over a month ago and worked together cutting and gluing to create their design. Although the students didn't place, they certainly enjoyed every element of the competition and are looking forward to next year's Build 'Em & Bust 'Em competition.

Middle School

Category 1 Winners

• 1st Place: Christina S and Sophia K - Led by Mrs. Smith
• 3rd Place: Wajih H., Yousif R., and Elijah N.  - Led by Mr. Saritga

High School

Category 2 Winners (8th Grade)

• 1st Place: Malayshia Green & Maya Plaza
• 2nd Place: Yakina Sika, Grace O'Neil, and Jaylin Regner
• 3rd Place: Saige Collins

Category 3 (High School)

• 1st Place: Anthony Losurdo
• 3rd Place: Joseph Capra & Caprianna Cornier
• 4th Place: Teng Kiir & Thiep Lual

Congratulations to all of our Atoms who participated, we are so proud of you! For more pictures from this event, please visit our Facebook page.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019—SUNY Oswego, founded in 1861, located on the lakeshore of Lake Ontario, has 60 undergraduate majors and over 70 minors was the college visit of choice for our sophomore Atoms. Students attended an information session where they learned about the history of the college, student life, admission requirements, as well as, tuition. Following the information session, Atoms had an opportunity to partake in a campus tour. Students took in the natural beauty of the college, visited a classroom, athletic facilities, residence halls and concluded their tour at Cooper Dining Hall - where they enjoyed a delicious meal. Thank you, SUNY Oswego for such a great college visit.

Friday, October 18, 2019—Syracuse Academy of Science High School had the privilege of welcoming Sgt Gabriel of the United States Marine Corp. Sgt Gabriel spoke with the juniors and seniors about the NROTC Marine Option Scholarship. Through this program students will be allowed to fully experience college for free, and will have the same college experiences as their peers. As part of the program, students will participate in Naval science classes and spend the first two summers learning about the Navy and the Marine Corp. In the third summer, students would spend six weeks attending Officer Candidates School. Thank you, Sgt Gabriel for your service and for speaking with our students about joining the United States Marine Corp. Semper Fi, Oorah!

Tuesday, September 17, 2019—Where greatness meets goodness, LeMoyne College offers an experience of a Jesuit, Liberal Arts education located right here in Syracuse, New York. High school seniors discovered what it means and takes to become a LeMoyne College Dolphin. Students attended an information session where they learn about the admission process and its requirements, student life, LeMoyne College facts and key information, as well as, tuition information. Following the information session, Atoms had an opportunity to partake in a campus tour where they received a first hand look at campus life, student life, classrooms, the beauty of the campus, athletics, dining services and so much more! Thank you, LeMoyne College for sharing this experience with our high school seniors.

Friday, October 25, 2019—With Thanksgiving slowly approaching, people often find themselves reflecting on what they are thankful for, and look for ways to give back to the community or those in need. With the anticipation of guest speaker, Ms. Heidi from the Food Bank of Central New York, 5th and 6th grade Atoms in Mrs. Swidowski’s social studies class, give back to the community through the efforts of collecting food donations for the organization. Ms. Heidi shared with the students the importance of the Food Bank of Central New York and how it serves around 31,000 meals a day across 11 counties. Thank you, Ms. Heidi and the Food Bank of Central New York for inspiring our Atoms and sharing how we can continue to strengthen our communities and work together to eliminate hunger through nutritious food distribution, education and advocacy in cooperation with the community.

Thursday, October 31, 2019—Scary good times were had at the annual Syracuse Academy of Science Elementary School Fall Festival. Atoms dressed in their favorite costumes and participated in Halloween games and activities. Activities included Hot Potato (or should we say gourd), ghost bowling, pin the eye on the monster, pumpkin fishing, candy corn ring toss, and the handmade photo booth. It was a howling good time for faculty, staff and students!

Tuesday, October 29, 2019—It’s not every day that you get to witness a pumpkin flying. On a recent field trip to the Golub, “Our Farm,” Atoms had a front row seat to this physics experiment. With the help of the Golub family, they placed a pumpkin on a catapult and launched it across the field - interestingly enough, when pumpkins hit the ground they make a loud bang noise! Students were also able to meet and pet the animals on the farm, such as a 10 week old calf, goats, rabbits, sheep and dogs. What’s more, Atoms had the opportunity to ride a horse. Their favorite part of this fall field trip was not only picking their own pumpkins to decorate for Halloween, but completing a challenging dragonfly corn maze. Thank you Golub Family for such a fun field trip on your family’s Farm. A perfect start to a holiday.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019—Elementary Atoms received a brief lesson in Civics as they learned about the important responsibilities of congressmen, specifically New York State's 24th Congressional District Congressman John Katko. Eager to learn more about the congressman, students wrote personalized letters inviting the congressman to come in and speak with their class, and to be a VIP Guest Reader. Congressman Katko, will you come in and read to the kindergarten Atoms?

Wednesday, October 23, 2019 — Our Atoms took the Pledge to create a world without bullying. Sponsored by our Counseling Department at the High School, Atoms had the chance to wear orange in support of the Pacer National Bullying Prevention Initiative. To learn more about this program, visit their website at https://www.pacer.org/bullying/pledge/