This past weekend, June 3-5, 22 SAS 7th graders traveled to Philadelphia. As a year-end exploration of topics covered in 7th grade American History, the students visited many historical places. The group, chaperoned by Ms. Patton (social studies), Ms. Chapman (Spanish), and Coach Bahamonde (physical education and health), left for their adventure after school on Friday.

Saturday was the main event for the students, starting with the National Constitution Center. There, students explored constitutional issues of history such as The Civil Rights Movement, The Women’s Rights Movement, Slavery, and equality. Students were able to get involved through interactive exhibits that allowed them to assume the role of a Supreme Court Justice, take the Presidential Oath of Office, and Ask A Senator. In the seasonal Road to the White House exhibit, students were able to follow the campaign trail and hang sticky notes listing what they would do first if they were elected President of the United States. A major hit at the center was Signers Hall, which features life-size bronze statues of the signers of the US Constitution. The students got to see Founding Fathers such as Benjamin Franklin and Alexander Hamilton “up close and personal.”

After the National Constitution Center, students walked across the street to see the burial place of Benjamin Franklin. After lunch and some souvenir shopping at the Bourse Building (a historic commodities exchange building from the 1890’s that has been restored to include shops and food stands), students visited the Liberty Bell.

Independence Hall awaited the students next as they took a tour of one of the most important buildings in American History – where both the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution were signed. This tour included visits to the room in which the Constitutional Convention met as well as the building located next door which housed the first US Congress.

From there, the group headed to Reading Terminal Market for dinner, including the chance to get a *real* Philly cheesesteak. After Reading Terminal, the group traveled down Filbert St. to find the Philadelphia Love Statue which is currently located in Dillworth Park. While in the park the students got to see some street entertainers as well – including a soccer ball trick handling demonstration and a small drum corps. From there, it was a trip to the Philadelphia Art Museum to see the Rocky Balboa statue and run up the stairs as he does in the movie. Even after a long day of walking, many of the students made the long trek up the large staircase – laughing the whole time!

Sunday, Valley Forge National Park was on the agenda. The group took the driving tour of the park, stopping at several important sites including the National Arch, George Washington’s Headquarters, and the company cabins. At the cabins, the students met with Camp Follower Jen. Camp Followers were the women and sometimes children that followed the Continental Army and helped with a number of tasks like sewing, cooking, nursing, and other things that were necessary to help the soldiers. She showed the students some Revolutionary Era games and explained how most all game from the time had educational value because most people believed that if you could “trick” children into learning through fun, they would retain the lessons longer. She showed the students a dice game that taught math and a dice game using dice with letters that was similar to Boggle in that you have to make as many words with the letters you have as you can. The students also visited George Washington’s home and headquarters where he stayed during the winter spent at Valley Forge. They also got to see replica cannons and statues or monuments representing the various state militias that were represented in the Continental Army. After hopping on and off the bus for about 90 minutes for the tour and tour stops, it was time for lunch, and then to head home.

Although it was a very long and busy weekend, the students all had a great time, as did the chaperones. They were excited to share their experiences and fun with their family and friends. Many of the students purchased presents for siblings or parents and were excited to share the treasures that they found as well. After a very successful first 7th Grade Philadelphia Field Trip, plans are in the works to make this experience an annual tradition for the 7th graders at the middle school.

#SASAtoms #SASCS #Philadelphia #NationalConstitutionCenter #IndependenceHall #PhiladelphiaArtMuseum #RockyBalboa #ValleyForgeNationalPark #GeorgeWashington

On Tuesday November 21st, second graders in Ms. Peryea and Ms. Fogarty's class enjoyed their annual Thankful Feast. Parents and family members were welcomed into the classroom to share a meal and good company in honor of all the things that we are thankful for in our school community. Thank you so much to each person who contributed and participated!

#SASCS #SASAtoms

On Tuesday, June 6th, 2017, the Elementary students and families enjoyed a pirate themed Summer Reading Night on June 6th. The students received a treasure map which directed them to different activities. Among these activities were: a pirate ship photo booth, walk the plank reading area, treasure word hunt, and information for parents on the importance of summer reading. It was a swashbuckling good time!

#SASCS #SASAtoms

On October 17th, Mr. Ben Walsh visited our 4th grade students and talked to them about business development and citizenship. Ben Walsh attended Ithaca College for his undergraduate work and earned his Masters Degree of Public Administration from Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. He worked for City of Syracuse for 6 years as Deputy Commissioner of Neighborhood and Business Development and also worked for the City of Syracuse Industrial Agency. Mr. Walsh currently works for Mackenzie Hughes Law Firm as the business director. While at SAS Elementary, Mr. Walsh answered each of the students' questions giving specific examples from their neighborhood. In addition, students were engaged and asked him questions about his job, college, and future goals. Thank you to Ben Walsh for visiting SAS Elementary!

#SASAtoms #SASCS

On Friday, November 17th, 2017 the SAS Middle School held its first Maker's Hall. What is a Maker's Hall? A Maker's Hall is a collaborative work event inside a school, library or separate public/private facility for making, learning, exploring and sharing that uses high tech to no tech tools. Middle school students were able to explore the training that NASA Astronauts experience, search for fossils, design boats, and much, much more! This event is a great example of the STEM experience that the Science Academies of New York strive to bring to all of our students. Thank you to the Terra Foundation for bringing us this great event! Go ATOMS!

#SASAtoms #SASCS #MakersHall

On Saturday, October 14th, 2017, Syracuse Academy of Science Charter School took third place in the third division, and first place in the second division of the third annual CNY Steamboat Challenge, which was held at the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology.

A total of 68 students comprising 34 teams participated in the design, build, and compete STEM event. Students built a boat out of recycled materials, including a metal engine that produces stem to propel the boat when heated by a tea light candle. Teams of between one and four students in grades four through 12 raced their boats on 3 inches of water inside 10-foot-long inflatable tracks.

The student STEM competition was divided into three divisions: first division is grades 4-6, second division is grades 7-8, and the third division is grades 9-12.

Winners received a medal and the winners' schools received a plaque.

We competed in the second and third divisions of the competition. The first place winners of the second division were Michael Scheer and Tahirah Abdul-Qadir, from the Syracuse Academy of Science. In the third division, the third place winners were Umesh and Lalita Dahal, from the Syracuse Academy of Science.

CNY Steamboat Challenge is organized by the Central New York Chapter of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and sponsored by the MOST and OBG. Support is provided by Lockheed Martin, NASA, Syracuse University's College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Technology Alliance of Central New York (TACNY), and Carrier.

#SASCS #SASAtoms #MOST #Steamboat #SteamboatChallenge

On Thursday, September 8th, 2016, the students at the Syracuse Academy of Science Middle School participated in our Olweus Anti-Bullying Kickoff. This research based program is intended to bring bullying out of the shadows and make it part of a central conversation to improve awareness. Classrooms circulated between three areas, classroom, the cafeteria for a guest speaker, and the gym. First, students participated in a classroom meeting with a team building activity that they roleplayed various situations that were designed to get students to move from being a bullying bystander to helping address and prevent it. In addition, students participated in a t-shirt design contest as they drew logos with anti-bullying messages. Lastly, Students participated in team building activities around the gym designed to build skills in communication, problem solving, and listening. Secondly, we had guest speakers, Jami Ryan and Maureen Foran-Mocete, and their team from the Child Advocacy Center, who presented to each grade level at Syracuse Academy Middle School. Their presentation focused on bullying prevention and how to turn bystanders into upstanders. The scholars were engaged and participated in answering and asking questions. Lastly, grade levels enjoyed different activities in the gym. The first activity focused on communication. Students worked in pairs to give verbal directions to a partner as they draw a simple image. The entire group shared their image to see which pair was able to communicate and recreate the image closest to the actual picture. The following three activities focused on trust, communication, and listening skills. Students work in pairs to guide their partner through a "mine field" while they are blind folded. Students had to get to the other side without hitting any of the items. A variation of this game required students to walk to a location blind folded and retrieve as many items as they could as their partner guided them verbally. Additionally, students worked in teams to get from one end of the gym to the other through a "sea of hot chocolate" as they stepped on "marshmallows". The last station was a photo booth where students formed many group poses with props to help send a "No Bullying" message. Students were good sports and enjoyed working in a variety of groups and pairs

.

#SASAtoms #SASCS

This past weekend, June 3-5, 22 SAS 7th graders traveled to Philadelphia. As a year-end exploration of topics covered in 7th grade American History, the students visited many historical places. The group, chaperoned by Ms. Patton (social studies), Ms. Chapman (Spanish), and Coach Bahamonde (physical education and health), left for their adventure after school on Friday.

Saturday was the main event for the students, starting with the National Constitution Center. There, students explored constitutional issues of history such as The Civil Rights Movement, The Women’s Rights Movement, Slavery, and equality. Students were able to get involved through interactive exhibits that allowed them to assume the role of a Supreme Court Justice, take the Presidential Oath of Office, and Ask A Senator. In the seasonal Road to the White House exhibit, students were able to follow the campaign trail and hang sticky notes listing what they would do first if they were elected President of the United States. A major hit at the center was Signers Hall, which features life-size bronze statues of the signers of the US Constitution. The students got to see Founding Fathers such as Benjamin Franklin and Alexander Hamilton “up close and personal.”

After the National Constitution Center, students walked across the street to see the burial place of Benjamin Franklin. After lunch and some souvenir shopping at the Bourse Building (a historic commodities exchange building from the 1890’s that has been restored to include shops and food stands), students visited the Liberty Bell.

Independence Hall awaited the students next as they took a tour of one of the most important buildings in American History – where both the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution were signed. This tour included visits to the room in which the Constitutional Convention met as well as the building located next door which housed the first US Congress.

From there, the group headed to Reading Terminal Market for dinner, including the chance to get a *real* Philly cheesesteak. After Reading Terminal, the group traveled down Filbert St. to find the Philadelphia Love Statue which is currently located in Dillworth Park. While in the park the students got to see some street entertainers as well – including a soccer ball trick handling demonstration and a small drum corps. From there, it was a trip to the Philadelphia Art Museum to see the Rocky Balboa statue and run up the stairs as he does in the movie. Even after a long day of walking, many of the students made the long trek up the large staircase – laughing the whole time!

Sunday, Valley Forge National Park was on the agenda. The group took the driving tour of the park, stopping at several important sites including the National Arch, George Washington’s Headquarters, and the company cabins. At the cabins, the students met with Camp Follower Jen. Camp Followers were the women and sometimes children that followed the Continental Army and helped with a number of tasks like sewing, cooking, nursing, and other things that were necessary to help the soldiers. She showed the students some Revolutionary Era games and explained how most all game from the time had educational value because most people believed that if you could “trick” children into learning through fun, they would retain the lessons longer. She showed the students a dice game that taught math and a dice game using dice with letters that was similar to Boggle in that you have to make as many words with the letters you have as you can. The students also visited George Washington’s home and headquarters where he stayed during the winter spent at Valley Forge. They also got to see replica cannons and statues or monuments representing the various state militias that were represented in the Continental Army. After hopping on and off the bus for about 90 minutes for the tour and tour stops, it was time for lunch, and then to head home.

Although it was a very long and busy weekend, the students all had a great time, as did the chaperones. They were excited to share their experiences and fun with their family and friends. Many of the students purchased presents for siblings or parents and were excited to share the treasures that they found as well. After a very successful first 7th Grade Philadelphia Field Trip, plans are in the works to make this experience an annual tradition for the 7th graders at the middle school.

#SASAtoms #SASCS #Philadelphia #NationalConstitutionCenter #IndependenceHall #PhiladelphiaArtMuseum #RockyBalboa #ValleyForgeNationalPark #GeorgeWashington

On Sunday, March 26, 2017 SASCS students participated in 38th Central New York Science and Engineering Fair (CNYSEF) today and competed against more than 40 schools and 200 projects. Students are judged by STEM professionals from local businesses and institutions such as Lockheed Martin and Syracuse University.

Our success in this science fair is unique among Syracuse schools as our school received 2 grand prize awards for the first time.

SASCS students from grade 4-12, won 17 (seventeen) awards and scholarship. Based on their performance at CNYSEF, two students (Jamila Eatman (11th grade) and Taha Hayali (6th grade)) won grand prize.

We thank all our students, our teachers and our parents for this success, and we hope to increase our achievements next year. Please congratulate all these students. They had a very long Sunday and they all made us proud.

Grade 5:

Morgan Purcell: High Honor CNYSEF Award Medallion

Grade 6:

Taha Hayali: Highest Honor CNYSEF Award Medallion

Adam Sheaffer: Honor CNYSEF Award Medallion

Grade 7:

Naomi Turner Honor CNYSEF Award Medallion

Grade 11:

Jamila Eatman: Highest Honor CNYSEF Award Medallion

SPECIAL AWARDS & SCHOLARSHIPS

SUNY Cortland Science Leadership Scholarship ($10,000)—Amela Mujak

IEEE Awards in Electrical and Computer Engineering: Sofia Fanizzi

Suny Oswego Genius Olympiad Awards: Jamila Eatman

Terra Science and Education Award: Amela Mujak, Wah Hee Dar, Amina Andelija, Sophia Sheaffer, Sofia Fanizzi, Dionne Delafe, Morgan Purcell, Taha Hayali, Adam Sheaffer, Naomi Turner.

Association for Women geoscientists award: Jamila Eatman

ASU Walton Sustainability Solutions Initiatives Award: Wah Hee Dar

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Award. Sophia Sheaffer

Ricoh Sustainable Development Award Sofia Fanizzi

Stockholm Junior Water Prize—Amina Andelija -eligible to compete in state competition

US Air Force—Amela Mujak, Jamila Eatman

GRAND PRIZES

Broadcom MASTERS: Taha Hayali

New York State Science Congress—Jamila Eatman

#SASAtoms #SASCS #STEM

Eighth-grader Alexius Pierce made the go-ahead layup in the game's last minute, and junior Diamonne Harris hit four straight free throws in the final 10 seconds as the Syracuse Academy of Science held off Allegany-Limestone, 55-50, in a Class C girls basketball state semifinal at Hudson Valley Community College.

The Section III-champion Atoms (20-4) will play in the 8-year-old program's first state final at 4 p.m. Saturday against Section IX champion Millbrook.

"It feels unbelievable," said Harris, who led all scorers with 20 points. "We worked so hard - day after day - it was all worth it. It feels so good."

"We just willed our way (to the win), said senior leader Lyrik Jackson, who scored 14 points, grabbed eight rebounds and made five steals for the Atoms. "Coach said keep pushing. We didn't want to go home."

SAS, which trailed by six points at the half (32-26) sparked its second-half offense with a pressing defense that forced Allegany-Limestone into 22 turnovers and yielded a dozen steals.

The #SASAtoms also held Gators' star senior center Morgan Davis to 14 points, about five below her season's average. Morgan only had six in the second half.

"Amazing. Just amazing," said #SASCS head coach Reggie Pickard. "I'm still kind of dreaming - like are we here or not, you know? We're doing everything possible to win a championship. We've worked hard for eight years, and here we are."

The Atoms trailed by as many as eight points late in the second quarter but caught the Gators just two minutes into the third using a press that started paying off in turnovers.

"Our pressure has been the key for us all year," Pickard said. "We force turnovers, make the game kind of ugly.

I thought if we pressured a little more in the second half it would harder for them to get the ball to their bigs."

Allegany-Limestone, from Section VI near Olean, still led by two at the start of the fourth quarter, but SAS sophomore Xyel Bradford's 3-pointer put the Atoms ahead, 41-40, with just under 7 minutes left. Pierce hit another huge three with 2:30 left to play that gave SAS a 47-46 advantage.

But the Gators continued to make big baskets, too, and Allegany-Limestone had a 50-49 lead, and the ball, with just under a minute left to play.

On the in-bounds play, Harris dove for a steal and somehow got the ball to Pierce, who drove in for what would turn out to be the winning points, making it 51-50, Atoms.

The Gators began fouling, but Harris proved worthy against the pressure, hitting two sets for free throws in the final eight seconds.

"It was very nerve-wracking, but we do this all of the time in practice," she said. "I have to stay calm."

Allegany-Limestone coach Frank Martin said his team just couldn't quite hold it together in the final minutes against the SAS quickness.

"I'd love to have the last minute and a half back," he said. "We weren't as good as we needed to be to close this game out. We just weren't as good as we needed to be at the end."

The Atoms had a scare in the final seconds when Jackson took a shot to her head when she went down chasing a loose ball and an Allegany-Limestone player fell on top of her. She had to be helped off the court but was up and talking in the aftermath.

Harris said she hoped to go swimming in the hotel pool later in the day, but her coach wasn't hearing it.

No, no. We're not going to do any swimming," he said, laughing. "Too much muscle movement. They got mad at me last night because I took their phones from them. I'm doing that again tonight, too."

Article posted at highschoolsports.syracuse.com/news/article/-7252830500074...

Eighth-grader Alexius Pierce made the go-ahead layup in the game's last minute, and junior Diamonne Harris hit four straight free throws in the final 10 seconds as the Syracuse Academy of Science held off Allegany-Limestone, 55-50, in a Class C girls basketball state semifinal at Hudson Valley Community College.

The Section III-champion Atoms (20-4) will play in the 8-year-old program's first state final at 4 p.m. Saturday against Section IX champion Millbrook.

"It feels unbelievable," said Harris, who led all scorers with 20 points. "We worked so hard - day after day - it was all worth it. It feels so good."

"We just willed our way (to the win), said senior leader Lyrik Jackson, who scored 14 points, grabbed eight rebounds and made five steals for the Atoms. "Coach said keep pushing. We didn't want to go home."

SAS, which trailed by six points at the half (32-26) sparked its second-half offense with a pressing defense that forced Allegany-Limestone into 22 turnovers and yielded a dozen steals.

The #SASAtoms also held Gators' star senior center Morgan Davis to 14 points, about five below her season's average. Morgan only had six in the second half.

"Amazing. Just amazing," said #SASCS head coach Reggie Pickard. "I'm still kind of dreaming - like are we here or not, you know? We're doing everything possible to win a championship. We've worked hard for eight years, and here we are."

The Atoms trailed by as many as eight points late in the second quarter but caught the Gators just two minutes into the third using a press that started paying off in turnovers.

"Our pressure has been the key for us all year," Pickard said. "We force turnovers, make the game kind of ugly.

I thought if we pressured a little more in the second half it would harder for them to get the ball to their bigs."

Allegany-Limestone, from Section VI near Olean, still led by two at the start of the fourth quarter, but SAS sophomore Xyel Bradford's 3-pointer put the Atoms ahead, 41-40, with just under 7 minutes left. Pierce hit another huge three with 2:30 left to play that gave SAS a 47-46 advantage.

But the Gators continued to make big baskets, too, and Allegany-Limestone had a 50-49 lead, and the ball, with just under a minute left to play.

On the in-bounds play, Harris dove for a steal and somehow got the ball to Pierce, who drove in for what would turn out to be the winning points, making it 51-50, Atoms.

The Gators began fouling, but Harris proved worthy against the pressure, hitting two sets for free throws in the final eight seconds.

"It was very nerve-wracking, but we do this all of the time in practice," she said. "I have to stay calm."

Allegany-Limestone coach Frank Martin said his team just couldn't quite hold it together in the final minutes against the SAS quickness.

"I'd love to have the last minute and a half back," he said. "We weren't as good as we needed to be to close this game out. We just weren't as good as we needed to be at the end."

The Atoms had a scare in the final seconds when Jackson took a shot to her head when she went down chasing a loose ball and an Allegany-Limestone player fell on top of her. She had to be helped off the court but was up and talking in the aftermath.

Harris said she hoped to go swimming in the hotel pool later in the day, but her coach wasn't hearing it.

No, no. We're not going to do any swimming," he said, laughing. "Too much muscle movement. They got mad at me last night because I took their phones from them. I'm doing that again tonight, too."

Article posted at highschoolsports.syracuse.com/news/article/-7252830500074...

On Tuesday March 21st, 2017, the second graders at SAS Elementary were treated to a read aloud done by Ms. Kristina Ferrare, a Forestry Program Specialist from the Cornell Cooperative Exchange. She read the story The Grapes Grow Sweet. The story depicted grapes growing in a vineyard and how the family made grape juice. After getting to ask questions, the students were able to sample grape juice and talk about the similarities and differences between Niagara white grape juice and Concord purple grape juice. Our students are so lucky to get these experiences!

#SASAtoms #SASCS

On Monday, November 13, 2017, the 7th grade students took a trip to SUNY ESF. The students went on a tour of the college led by current ESF students. On this tour, students learned about the history of ESF as well as the many programs that they offer. Our students also participated in college based scientific exercises lead by ESF professors. On this college visit, students learned that the sky's the limit, and they can do anything that they put their minds to. “Begin with the end in mind” is our motto in 7th grade. We encourage the students to think about their goals and plan for the future. This trip is an excellent example of that commitment!

#SASAtoms #SASCS #SUNYESF

Syracuse Academy of Science senior Lyrik Jackson insists that the #SASAtoms are a balanced team, with no superstars.

But the all-state guard looked an awful lot like one midway through the fourth quarter of tonight's girls Class C basketball sectional final at Syracuse University's Carrier Dome.

Little Falls had whittled what once was a 19-point #SASCS lead down to eight points at the end of the third quarter.

Midway through the final quarter, the Mounties were still hanging around - down only 10 and threatening to inch closer.

Jackson went to work. She canned back-to-back 3-pointers on consecutive possessions then, after a basket by fellow senior Diamonne Harris, Jackson scored a breakaway layup to put her team back in control with a 16-point lead and just over a minute left to play.

The fifth-seeded Atoms went on to a 63-42 victory over Little Falls to earn the first girls sectional championship in school history.

"I just said I don't want to go home," said Jackson, who scored a game-high 25 points. "Coach said to just keep playing, keep pushing."

SAS is now 18-4 and advances to state regional play. The Atoms will face the Section IV champion on March 10 at a site in the Syracuse area.

Little Falls, the No. 2 seed, finishes its season at 19-5.

It was a milestone win on a journey for SAS, and its coach, Reggie Pickard, that began in 2010-11 after the school put its first varsity girls team together.

Pickard and assistants Donniesha Terry and Rasheada Caldwell built a solid program that began winning more than it lost in the 2013-14 season.

Getting that championship proved a bit more elusive for the Atoms.

SAS earned berths in the sectional finals the past two years, but lost both times - to Cooperstown in 2015-16 and a three-overtime heart-breaker to Thousand Islands last March.

"We just told them we have to leave everything on the court," Caldwell said. "Just go out and do what we do. We're aggressive. We play hard. The girls really wanted this - especially losing last year."

This time, the Atoms prevailed.

But not before the Mounties from the Center State Conference II made SAS work a little.

Little Falls went on a 13-2 run in the third quarter to shave a 19-point SAS lead to just eight points, 40-32, after three quarters.

"My kids played with a lot of heart," Mounties coach Pam Munger said. "They put it out there in the second half. They could have walked away, they could have said they were done. They battled back. We got it to within eight. We just didn't have enough offense today."

Olivia Langdon scored 15 points to lead Little Falls, which was seeking its sixth sectional title.

SAS got 12 points from eighth-grader Alexius Pierce, Caldwell's daughter, and nine each from sophomores Freey Pleasants and Xyel Bradford.

"My teammates - it's all them," Jackson said. "They knew I was hot and they got me the ball - I've got to give them all the credit."

Despite Jackson's modesty, Caldwell said, she is a special player.

"We have a strong team this year, and all of our players can score," she said. "But Lyrik, she put the team on her back. She carried us. She's just one of those great players"

Pickard, who sent Caldwell out for the post-game interview while he stayed in the locker room for awhile, said it was hard to put his feelings into words.

"I'm overwhelmed," he said. "This is a big win, not just for SAS but for the whole community."

Article posted at highschoolsports.syracuse.com/news/article/-6252816500080...

On Thursday, March 2nd, 2017, SAS Elementary Dropped Everything And Read (DEAR)! To celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday, the whole school took 15 minutes out of their busy day to grab a great book and read. Students and staff all participated, spending time diving into their favorite stories! Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

#SASAtoms #SASCS #DrSeuss

On Friday, November 3rd, 2017, SAS Middle School students participated in a fall dance. Students danced the night away, had a dance off competition and enjoyed some pizza and drinks. At the end of the night, three prize baskets were given as a raffle. Proceeds will be used for future events for our students!

#SASCS #SASAtoms

On Saturday, November 12th, 2016, students from the SAS Middle School attended Rochester's 20th Annual Children's Book Festival. The Festival was honored to host author Linda Sue Park and main character Salva Dut of the book "A Long Walk to Water." The session was centered around “Books change readers; readers change the world!—A celebration of the book A Long Walk to Water.” This experience was part our NYS 7th grade ELA curriculum, we just finished reading this book as part of our unit. The book tells the true story of local immigrant Salva Dut, a former “lost boy of Sudan” and founder of Water for South Sudan, who overcame incredible odds to not only survive war in his country but to return years later and provide water to his people. Students had the opportunity meet both Linda Sue Park and Salva Dut.

Students and teachers had a chance to take many pictures with the author. The students also participated in craft activities, presentations, and they were able to meet those who write and illustrate books for children, tweens, and teens. It was a great experience for the students and they really enjoyed themselves.

#SASAtoms #SASCS

On Sunday, January 14, 2017, the SAS High School robotics team attended the FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC) robotics competition Regional Championship at SUNY Polytechnic Institute, in Utica, NY. FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) was founded in 1989 by inventor Dean Kamen. The nonprofit public charity inspires young people to become innovative science and technology leaders by engaging in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, technology, math, and engineering (STEM) skills. In turn, those skills help to build self-confidence and foster communication and leadership skills.

Six members of the SAS Atoms robotics team attended the competition. The team won 4 out of 5 of their matches earning 7th place overall. However, the competition was stiff and the team was unable to make it into the semifinal matches. Ultimately, the robotics team had a great time but unfortunately, they were not able to qualify for the East coast super regionals. The team says they hope to move to the next stage in the competition next year in the 2018-19 FTC season.

Congratulations to the entire SAS Atoms team. Led by Mr. Zengin and Mr. Altindis, the team includes the following students: Lalita Dahal, Umesh Dahal, Karl Russo, Jade Regner, Brenden Reilly, Joseph Capra, Huda Ali, Zakaria Ali, Abdullah Cetin, Ali Barbour, Tahirah Abdul-Qadir, Michael Scheer and Benjamin Cameron.

#SASCS #SASAtoms

Eighth-grader Alexius Pierce made the go-ahead layup in the game's last minute, and junior Diamonne Harris hit four straight free throws in the final 10 seconds as the Syracuse Academy of Science held off Allegany-Limestone, 55-50, in a Class C girls basketball state semifinal at Hudson Valley Community College.

The Section III-champion Atoms (20-4) will play in the 8-year-old program's first state final at 4 p.m. Saturday against Section IX champion Millbrook.

"It feels unbelievable," said Harris, who led all scorers with 20 points. "We worked so hard - day after day - it was all worth it. It feels so good."

"We just willed our way (to the win), said senior leader Lyrik Jackson, who scored 14 points, grabbed eight rebounds and made five steals for the Atoms. "Coach said keep pushing. We didn't want to go home."

SAS, which trailed by six points at the half (32-26) sparked its second-half offense with a pressing defense that forced Allegany-Limestone into 22 turnovers and yielded a dozen steals.

The #SASAtoms also held Gators' star senior center Morgan Davis to 14 points, about five below her season's average. Morgan only had six in the second half.

"Amazing. Just amazing," said #SASCS head coach Reggie Pickard. "I'm still kind of dreaming - like are we here or not, you know? We're doing everything possible to win a championship. We've worked hard for eight years, and here we are."

The Atoms trailed by as many as eight points late in the second quarter but caught the Gators just two minutes into the third using a press that started paying off in turnovers.

"Our pressure has been the key for us all year," Pickard said. "We force turnovers, make the game kind of ugly.

I thought if we pressured a little more in the second half it would harder for them to get the ball to their bigs."

Allegany-Limestone, from Section VI near Olean, still led by two at the start of the fourth quarter, but SAS sophomore Xyel Bradford's 3-pointer put the Atoms ahead, 41-40, with just under 7 minutes left. Pierce hit another huge three with 2:30 left to play that gave SAS a 47-46 advantage.

But the Gators continued to make big baskets, too, and Allegany-Limestone had a 50-49 lead, and the ball, with just under a minute left to play.

On the in-bounds play, Harris dove for a steal and somehow got the ball to Pierce, who drove in for what would turn out to be the winning points, making it 51-50, Atoms.

The Gators began fouling, but Harris proved worthy against the pressure, hitting two sets for free throws in the final eight seconds.

"It was very nerve-wracking, but we do this all of the time in practice," she said. "I have to stay calm."

Allegany-Limestone coach Frank Martin said his team just couldn't quite hold it together in the final minutes against the SAS quickness.

"I'd love to have the last minute and a half back," he said. "We weren't as good as we needed to be to close this game out. We just weren't as good as we needed to be at the end."

The Atoms had a scare in the final seconds when Jackson took a shot to her head when she went down chasing a loose ball and an Allegany-Limestone player fell on top of her. She had to be helped off the court but was up and talking in the aftermath.

Harris said she hoped to go swimming in the hotel pool later in the day, but her coach wasn't hearing it.

No, no. We're not going to do any swimming," he said, laughing. "Too much muscle movement. They got mad at me last night because I took their phones from them. I'm doing that again tonight, too."

Article posted at highschoolsports.syracuse.com/news/article/-7252830500074...

Searching high and low for elusive gem stones, students in all three grades of SAS Middle School visited the Herkimer Diamond Mines on Wednesday, September 26th. Each grade was given a tour of the facility and an introduction to the quartz-based "Herkimer Diamond." Students enjoyed the fun, educational trip and many of them brought home multiple samples. They look forward to future visits with us—and so do we! Go ATOMS! #SASCS #SASAtoms

On November 17, 2017, SAS Elementary School Dean Pamela Smith was recognized as one of 40 ambitious, hard-working, civic-minded individuals under age 40 who have made extraordinary efforts and accomplishments in the workplace and the community. The group was honored at a dinner held at the SRC Arena and represents diverse backgrounds, experiences and skills. One common characteristic is that all of them thrive on active community involvement in advancing public good.

Mrs. Smith credits her family and many dedicated educators with supporting her endeavors and accomplishments, but she cites Dr. Hayali as having the most influence on her career. “Dr. Hayali has influenced my career by serving as a mentor and has given me the encouragement I needed to continue higher education and advanced certifications.” And what are the principles that guide her? “The two guiding principles in my personal and professional life are to be good to others and focus on growth.” Congratulations, Mrs. Smith, for being recognized as a great role model. Keep up the excellent work!

#SASCS #SASAtoms

On Tuesday, Sep 26th 2017,Syracuse Academy of Science High School students visited SUNY-ESF. The trip was coordinated by the outreach program and hosted by Dr. Richard Beal, Jacob O'Connell and Maura H. Stefl.

The campus visit started with a brief visit to the Chemistry laboratories at SUNY-ESF where students had an opportunity to see some of the best analytical instruments. After the arrival of other high schools, Dr. Beal gave an energetic presentation. SASCS-HS students joined their peers from other high schools and worked on a group activity, building system diagrams for 10 different global issues. This activity helped students visualizing today’s pressing matters and developing a deeper understanding of global problems. Following the activity, students had lunch and a guided tour visiting campus library, hydrology laboratory and paper engineering departments. At the Hydrology laboratory, students listened a presentation about water flumes and how they are used to study river systems. Later, while visiting the paper engineering department, they learnt about the paper production and how the by-product are being used to produce biodiesel.

The trip was very valuable and informative for students. They enjoyed learning about different career opportunities and what SUNY-ESF has to offer to their prospective students.

#SASCS #SASAtoms

On Friday, January 20th, 2017 the SAS Middle School held its 2nd Quarter Award Ceremony. This is a special event in that staff and students get to celebrate a wide range of accomplishments. Awards including Best Academic, Best Citizen, Student of the Month, and Most Improved were given to deserving students. In addition, the many great students who achieved Honor and High Honor Roll were also recognized. The event was highlighted by a performance by the Middle School Step Team. Events such as this are a celebration of the many accomplishments of our students as they work to accentuate all that SAS stands for!

#SASAtoms #SASCS

During the week of December 3rd, SAS first-graders made a planned visit to Hospital Land at The Marley Center (Crouse Hospital Affiliation). Students had a chance to role play being nurses, care givers and patients, in a gentle approach to introducing hospital services to young children. First-graders also were able to try out a hospital bed and use all sorts of other equipment to experience patient care firsthand. This unique community-service program is designed to lessen fears and confusion of young children who may have to visit a loved one in a hospital or spend time there themselves. Since 1976, Crouse Hospital has provided the educational program to 165,000 first-graders throughout Onondaga County.

#SASCS #SASAtoms

On Friday, February 17th, 2017, the second graders at Syracuse Academy of Science spent the afternoon before February break playing outside for a good cause. Students went outside to play in the snow and took part in the Snow Angel Challenge to support the Salvation Army's mission of working to end poverty in the area. The second grade teachers pledged to donate to the cause for every student who participated in the challenge. Students held discussions earlier in the day about things they can do to help others and what poverty meant. Many walked away with a better understanding and a desire to work toward ending it. We are so proud of our second graders as they develop into strong citizens!

#SASAtoms #SASCS #snowangelchallenge #salvationarmy

On Friday, September 22nd, our high school was visited by a group of athletes who are part of a leadership council at Syracuse University. Mr. Mark Trumbo, Syracuse University's Student-Athlete Engagement Coordinator, was accompanied by Alana O’Neill and Maddie Pack from the women’s soccer team; Hannah Dossett, Alexa Romero, and Samantha Fernandez from the women’s softball team; and Marcus Cunningham, David Lipka, and Stephen Rehfuss from the men’s lacrosse team. Mr. Trumbo and the athletes spent a few hours engaging groups of students in an interactive dialogue regarding the topics of leadership, accountability, responsibility, and various aspects of college life. Their message to our student body was inspiring, and the experience was a great way for our students to begin the new school year!

#SASCS #SASAtoms

On Tuesday, June 21, 2016, Syracuse Academy of Science Middle School held our moving up ceremony for 7th grade students moving on to 8th grade. Mr. Yavuz spoke to the students, parents, and families, encouraging students to pursue their dreams and never give up. Following Mr. Yavuz's words, a video presentation featuring photos from throughout the school year was shown highlighting field trips as well as in class events that the students participated in during the year. As a 7th grade team, the teachers voted for superlative awards for each student, ranging from 'most likely to be found smiling' to 'most likely to one day fight aliens.' These awards were presented to each student along with their Certificate of Completion for finishing their 7th grade studies. Many laughs and cheers were heard as students were surprised with their awards. Each student waited in anticipation to see what their teachers had voted for them. Following the presentation of awards, the entire 7th grade sang 7 Years (originally by Lukas Graham) for their parents, family, and friends. Ms. Jones, ELA teacher for 7th grade, wrapped up the program with some loving words about learning from your past experiences and taking new knowledge forward to make yourself even more successful in the future. Refreshments provided by the HSO were served after as students received flowers, balloons, and gifts from proud family members. Congratulations to our new 8th grade students and best wishes for the future!

#SASAtoms #SASCS #Graduation #7thto8th

Eighth-grader Alexius Pierce made the go-ahead layup in the game's last minute, and junior Diamonne Harris hit four straight free throws in the final 10 seconds as the Syracuse Academy of Science held off Allegany-Limestone, 55-50, in a Class C girls basketball state semifinal at Hudson Valley Community College.

The Section III-champion Atoms (20-4) will play in the 8-year-old program's first state final at 4 p.m. Saturday against Section IX champion Millbrook.

"It feels unbelievable," said Harris, who led all scorers with 20 points. "We worked so hard - day after day - it was all worth it. It feels so good."

"We just willed our way (to the win), said senior leader Lyrik Jackson, who scored 14 points, grabbed eight rebounds and made five steals for the Atoms. "Coach said keep pushing. We didn't want to go home."

SAS, which trailed by six points at the half (32-26) sparked its second-half offense with a pressing defense that forced Allegany-Limestone into 22 turnovers and yielded a dozen steals.

The #SASAtoms also held Gators' star senior center Morgan Davis to 14 points, about five below her season's average. Morgan only had six in the second half.

"Amazing. Just amazing," said #SASCS head coach Reggie Pickard. "I'm still kind of dreaming - like are we here or not, you know? We're doing everything possible to win a championship. We've worked hard for eight years, and here we are."

The Atoms trailed by as many as eight points late in the second quarter but caught the Gators just two minutes into the third using a press that started paying off in turnovers.

"Our pressure has been the key for us all year," Pickard said. "We force turnovers, make the game kind of ugly.

I thought if we pressured a little more in the second half it would harder for them to get the ball to their bigs."

Allegany-Limestone, from Section VI near Olean, still led by two at the start of the fourth quarter, but SAS sophomore Xyel Bradford's 3-pointer put the Atoms ahead, 41-40, with just under 7 minutes left. Pierce hit another huge three with 2:30 left to play that gave SAS a 47-46 advantage.

But the Gators continued to make big baskets, too, and Allegany-Limestone had a 50-49 lead, and the ball, with just under a minute left to play.

On the in-bounds play, Harris dove for a steal and somehow got the ball to Pierce, who drove in for what would turn out to be the winning points, making it 51-50, Atoms.

The Gators began fouling, but Harris proved worthy against the pressure, hitting two sets for free throws in the final eight seconds.

"It was very nerve-wracking, but we do this all of the time in practice," she said. "I have to stay calm."

Allegany-Limestone coach Frank Martin said his team just couldn't quite hold it together in the final minutes against the SAS quickness.

"I'd love to have the last minute and a half back," he said. "We weren't as good as we needed to be to close this game out. We just weren't as good as we needed to be at the end."

The Atoms had a scare in the final seconds when Jackson took a shot to her head when she went down chasing a loose ball and an Allegany-Limestone player fell on top of her. She had to be helped off the court but was up and talking in the aftermath.

Harris said she hoped to go swimming in the hotel pool later in the day, but her coach wasn't hearing it.

No, no. We're not going to do any swimming," he said, laughing. "Too much muscle movement. They got mad at me last night because I took their phones from them. I'm doing that again tonight, too."

Article posted at highschoolsports.syracuse.com/news/article/-7252830500074...

On Thursday, December 9th, One night after posting 32 points on seven 3-pointers in a defeat to top-ranked Westhill, Syracuse Academy of Science star junior Lyrik Jackson continued her scoring binge in an easy win against LaFayette. Jackson scored a career-high 40 points on five 3-pointers Thursday to lead the Atoms over the Lancers, 76-33, and produced 20 rebounds and 11 steals for a triple-double as well.

With her outburst against LaFayette, Jackson has now set new career-bests in scoring in back-to-back contests, as her effort on Wednesday came in a 63-48 loss to the Warriors. Before this week, the Section III girls basketball leading scorer's only previous 30-point game was also against the Lancers, Jan. 15, 2015, during her freshman season.

She is averaging 25.6 points per game through five contests thus far this season, with the Atoms holding a 4-1 record. Jackson has posted a double-double in each game this year.

SAS coach Reggie Pickard pointed to Jackson's all-around game and aggressive defense as key factors to her scoring prowess. She picked up 30 points in the first half, 10 in limited action in the third, and did not take the floor in the final frame.

Pickard added that Diamonne Harris (16 points, five steals) was also a big contributor in the victory.

Jackson and company will look to keep it going, Monday at 7 p.m. against Tully.

#SASAtoms #SASCS #LadyAtoms

This past weekend, June 3-5, 22 SAS 7th graders traveled to Philadelphia. As a year-end exploration of topics covered in 7th grade American History, the students visited many historical places. The group, chaperoned by Ms. Patton (social studies), Ms. Chapman (Spanish), and Coach Bahamonde (physical education and health), left for their adventure after school on Friday.

Saturday was the main event for the students, starting with the National Constitution Center. There, students explored constitutional issues of history such as The Civil Rights Movement, The Women’s Rights Movement, Slavery, and equality. Students were able to get involved through interactive exhibits that allowed them to assume the role of a Supreme Court Justice, take the Presidential Oath of Office, and Ask A Senator. In the seasonal Road to the White House exhibit, students were able to follow the campaign trail and hang sticky notes listing what they would do first if they were elected President of the United States. A major hit at the center was Signers Hall, which features life-size bronze statues of the signers of the US Constitution. The students got to see Founding Fathers such as Benjamin Franklin and Alexander Hamilton “up close and personal.”

After the National Constitution Center, students walked across the street to see the burial place of Benjamin Franklin. After lunch and some souvenir shopping at the Bourse Building (a historic commodities exchange building from the 1890’s that has been restored to include shops and food stands), students visited the Liberty Bell.

Independence Hall awaited the students next as they took a tour of one of the most important buildings in American History – where both the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution were signed. This tour included visits to the room in which the Constitutional Convention met as well as the building located next door which housed the first US Congress.

From there, the group headed to Reading Terminal Market for dinner, including the chance to get a *real* Philly cheesesteak. After Reading Terminal, the group traveled down Filbert St. to find the Philadelphia Love Statue which is currently located in Dillworth Park. While in the park the students got to see some street entertainers as well – including a soccer ball trick handling demonstration and a small drum corps. From there, it was a trip to the Philadelphia Art Museum to see the Rocky Balboa statue and run up the stairs as he does in the movie. Even after a long day of walking, many of the students made the long trek up the large staircase – laughing the whole time!

Sunday, Valley Forge National Park was on the agenda. The group took the driving tour of the park, stopping at several important sites including the National Arch, George Washington’s Headquarters, and the company cabins. At the cabins, the students met with Camp Follower Jen. Camp Followers were the women and sometimes children that followed the Continental Army and helped with a number of tasks like sewing, cooking, nursing, and other things that were necessary to help the soldiers. She showed the students some Revolutionary Era games and explained how most all game from the time had educational value because most people believed that if you could “trick” children into learning through fun, they would retain the lessons longer. She showed the students a dice game that taught math and a dice game using dice with letters that was similar to Boggle in that you have to make as many words with the letters you have as you can. The students also visited George Washington’s home and headquarters where he stayed during the winter spent at Valley Forge. They also got to see replica cannons and statues or monuments representing the various state militias that were represented in the Continental Army. After hopping on and off the bus for about 90 minutes for the tour and tour stops, it was time for lunch, and then to head home.

Although it was a very long and busy weekend, the students all had a great time, as did the chaperones. They were excited to share their experiences and fun with their family and friends. Many of the students purchased presents for siblings or parents and were excited to share the treasures that they found as well. After a very successful first 7th Grade Philadelphia Field Trip, plans are in the works to make this experience an annual tradition for the 7th graders at the middle school.

#SASAtoms #SASCS #Philadelphia #NationalConstitutionCenter #IndependenceHall #PhiladelphiaArtMuseum #RockyBalboa #ValleyForgeNationalPark #GeorgeWashington

On Tuesday, December 4, 2018, the Syracuse Academy of Science women's basketball teams took on Homer in the #SASCS Lab. Our JV girls played hard, but were overtaken by the Homer squad. The varsity team quickly demonstrated that although it's a new season, these women are still playing as tough as ever and took home the win. Here's to a great season, #SASAtoms.

Eighth-grader Alexius Pierce made the go-ahead layup in the game's last minute, and junior Diamonne Harris hit four straight free throws in the final 10 seconds as the Syracuse Academy of Science held off Allegany-Limestone, 55-50, in a Class C girls basketball state semifinal at Hudson Valley Community College.

The Section III-champion Atoms (20-4) will play in the 8-year-old program's first state final at 4 p.m. Saturday against Section IX champion Millbrook.

"It feels unbelievable," said Harris, who led all scorers with 20 points. "We worked so hard - day after day - it was all worth it. It feels so good."

"We just willed our way (to the win), said senior leader Lyrik Jackson, who scored 14 points, grabbed eight rebounds and made five steals for the Atoms. "Coach said keep pushing. We didn't want to go home."

SAS, which trailed by six points at the half (32-26) sparked its second-half offense with a pressing defense that forced Allegany-Limestone into 22 turnovers and yielded a dozen steals.

The #SASAtoms also held Gators' star senior center Morgan Davis to 14 points, about five below her season's average. Morgan only had six in the second half.

"Amazing. Just amazing," said #SASCS head coach Reggie Pickard. "I'm still kind of dreaming - like are we here or not, you know? We're doing everything possible to win a championship. We've worked hard for eight years, and here we are."

The Atoms trailed by as many as eight points late in the second quarter but caught the Gators just two minutes into the third using a press that started paying off in turnovers.

"Our pressure has been the key for us all year," Pickard said. "We force turnovers, make the game kind of ugly.

I thought if we pressured a little more in the second half it would harder for them to get the ball to their bigs."

Allegany-Limestone, from Section VI near Olean, still led by two at the start of the fourth quarter, but SAS sophomore Xyel Bradford's 3-pointer put the Atoms ahead, 41-40, with just under 7 minutes left. Pierce hit another huge three with 2:30 left to play that gave SAS a 47-46 advantage.

But the Gators continued to make big baskets, too, and Allegany-Limestone had a 50-49 lead, and the ball, with just under a minute left to play.

On the in-bounds play, Harris dove for a steal and somehow got the ball to Pierce, who drove in for what would turn out to be the winning points, making it 51-50, Atoms.

The Gators began fouling, but Harris proved worthy against the pressure, hitting two sets for free throws in the final eight seconds.

"It was very nerve-wracking, but we do this all of the time in practice," she said. "I have to stay calm."

Allegany-Limestone coach Frank Martin said his team just couldn't quite hold it together in the final minutes against the SAS quickness.

"I'd love to have the last minute and a half back," he said. "We weren't as good as we needed to be to close this game out. We just weren't as good as we needed to be at the end."

The Atoms had a scare in the final seconds when Jackson took a shot to her head when she went down chasing a loose ball and an Allegany-Limestone player fell on top of her. She had to be helped off the court but was up and talking in the aftermath.

Harris said she hoped to go swimming in the hotel pool later in the day, but her coach wasn't hearing it.

No, no. We're not going to do any swimming," he said, laughing. "Too much muscle movement. They got mad at me last night because I took their phones from them. I'm doing that again tonight, too."

Article posted at highschoolsports.syracuse.com/news/article/-7252830500074...

This past weekend, June 3-5, 22 SAS 7th graders traveled to Philadelphia. As a year-end exploration of topics covered in 7th grade American History, the students visited many historical places. The group, chaperoned by Ms. Patton (social studies), Ms. Chapman (Spanish), and Coach Bahamonde (physical education and health), left for their adventure after school on Friday.

Saturday was the main event for the students, starting with the National Constitution Center. There, students explored constitutional issues of history such as The Civil Rights Movement, The Women’s Rights Movement, Slavery, and equality. Students were able to get involved through interactive exhibits that allowed them to assume the role of a Supreme Court Justice, take the Presidential Oath of Office, and Ask A Senator. In the seasonal Road to the White House exhibit, students were able to follow the campaign trail and hang sticky notes listing what they would do first if they were elected President of the United States. A major hit at the center was Signers Hall, which features life-size bronze statues of the signers of the US Constitution. The students got to see Founding Fathers such as Benjamin Franklin and Alexander Hamilton “up close and personal.”

After the National Constitution Center, students walked across the street to see the burial place of Benjamin Franklin. After lunch and some souvenir shopping at the Bourse Building (a historic commodities exchange building from the 1890’s that has been restored to include shops and food stands), students visited the Liberty Bell.

Independence Hall awaited the students next as they took a tour of one of the most important buildings in American History – where both the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution were signed. This tour included visits to the room in which the Constitutional Convention met as well as the building located next door which housed the first US Congress.

From there, the group headed to Reading Terminal Market for dinner, including the chance to get a *real* Philly cheesesteak. After Reading Terminal, the group traveled down Filbert St. to find the Philadelphia Love Statue which is currently located in Dillworth Park. While in the park the students got to see some street entertainers as well – including a soccer ball trick handling demonstration and a small drum corps. From there, it was a trip to the Philadelphia Art Museum to see the Rocky Balboa statue and run up the stairs as he does in the movie. Even after a long day of walking, many of the students made the long trek up the large staircase – laughing the whole time!

Sunday, Valley Forge National Park was on the agenda. The group took the driving tour of the park, stopping at several important sites including the National Arch, George Washington’s Headquarters, and the company cabins. At the cabins, the students met with Camp Follower Jen. Camp Followers were the women and sometimes children that followed the Continental Army and helped with a number of tasks like sewing, cooking, nursing, and other things that were necessary to help the soldiers. She showed the students some Revolutionary Era games and explained how most all game from the time had educational value because most people believed that if you could “trick” children into learning through fun, they would retain the lessons longer. She showed the students a dice game that taught math and a dice game using dice with letters that was similar to Boggle in that you have to make as many words with the letters you have as you can. The students also visited George Washington’s home and headquarters where he stayed during the winter spent at Valley Forge. They also got to see replica cannons and statues or monuments representing the various state militias that were represented in the Continental Army. After hopping on and off the bus for about 90 minutes for the tour and tour stops, it was time for lunch, and then to head home.

Although it was a very long and busy weekend, the students all had a great time, as did the chaperones. They were excited to share their experiences and fun with their family and friends. Many of the students purchased presents for siblings or parents and were excited to share the treasures that they found as well. After a very successful first 7th Grade Philadelphia Field Trip, plans are in the works to make this experience an annual tradition for the 7th graders at the middle school.

#SASAtoms #SASCS #Philadelphia #NationalConstitutionCenter #IndependenceHall #PhiladelphiaArtMuseum #RockyBalboa #ValleyForgeNationalPark #GeorgeWashington

On Saturday, November 11th, 2017, the student of the SAS Middle School attending the MOST's Build Em Bust Em competition. Each student group created a balsa wood bridge designed to hold as much weight as possible. Even though they did not come out on top, the students enjoyed the competition and were rewarded with certicates and t-shirts commemerating the event! We will get them next year! Go ATOMS!

#SASCS #SASAtoms #MOST

On September 19, SASCS high school seniors participated in an information-gathering session with an admissions representative from the four-year liberal arts college located near Rochester, New York. The presentation included information on how to apply to the college, popular areas of study, financial aid, athletics, student activities and requirements for admission to the college. The visit was initiated by the SASCS high school guidance office to help seniors confidently make the transition from high school to college.

#SASCS #SASAtoms

Eighth-grader Alexius Pierce made the go-ahead layup in the game's last minute, and junior Diamonne Harris hit four straight free throws in the final 10 seconds as the Syracuse Academy of Science held off Allegany-Limestone, 55-50, in a Class C girls basketball state semifinal at Hudson Valley Community College.

The Section III-champion Atoms (20-4) will play in the 8-year-old program's first state final at 4 p.m. Saturday against Section IX champion Millbrook.

"It feels unbelievable," said Harris, who led all scorers with 20 points. "We worked so hard - day after day - it was all worth it. It feels so good."

"We just willed our way (to the win), said senior leader Lyrik Jackson, who scored 14 points, grabbed eight rebounds and made five steals for the Atoms. "Coach said keep pushing. We didn't want to go home."

SAS, which trailed by six points at the half (32-26) sparked its second-half offense with a pressing defense that forced Allegany-Limestone into 22 turnovers and yielded a dozen steals.

The #SASAtoms also held Gators' star senior center Morgan Davis to 14 points, about five below her season's average. Morgan only had six in the second half.

"Amazing. Just amazing," said #SASCS head coach Reggie Pickard. "I'm still kind of dreaming - like are we here or not, you know? We're doing everything possible to win a championship. We've worked hard for eight years, and here we are."

The Atoms trailed by as many as eight points late in the second quarter but caught the Gators just two minutes into the third using a press that started paying off in turnovers.

"Our pressure has been the key for us all year," Pickard said. "We force turnovers, make the game kind of ugly.

I thought if we pressured a little more in the second half it would harder for them to get the ball to their bigs."

Allegany-Limestone, from Section VI near Olean, still led by two at the start of the fourth quarter, but SAS sophomore Xyel Bradford's 3-pointer put the Atoms ahead, 41-40, with just under 7 minutes left. Pierce hit another huge three with 2:30 left to play that gave SAS a 47-46 advantage.

But the Gators continued to make big baskets, too, and Allegany-Limestone had a 50-49 lead, and the ball, with just under a minute left to play.

On the in-bounds play, Harris dove for a steal and somehow got the ball to Pierce, who drove in for what would turn out to be the winning points, making it 51-50, Atoms.

The Gators began fouling, but Harris proved worthy against the pressure, hitting two sets for free throws in the final eight seconds.

"It was very nerve-wracking, but we do this all of the time in practice," she said. "I have to stay calm."

Allegany-Limestone coach Frank Martin said his team just couldn't quite hold it together in the final minutes against the SAS quickness.

"I'd love to have the last minute and a half back," he said. "We weren't as good as we needed to be to close this game out. We just weren't as good as we needed to be at the end."

The Atoms had a scare in the final seconds when Jackson took a shot to her head when she went down chasing a loose ball and an Allegany-Limestone player fell on top of her. She had to be helped off the court but was up and talking in the aftermath.

Harris said she hoped to go swimming in the hotel pool later in the day, but her coach wasn't hearing it.

No, no. We're not going to do any swimming," he said, laughing. "Too much muscle movement. They got mad at me last night because I took their phones from them. I'm doing that again tonight, too."

Article posted at highschoolsports.syracuse.com/news/article/-7252830500074...

On Friday, November 18th, 2016, eight #SASCS Middle school girls with Ms. Knapp, who is 6th & 7th grade science teacher, attended "Girls in the STEM Workplace" conference at SRC, Inc. which opened its doors to student and teachers so they can meet STEM professionals and witness STEM in action. These events included a tour of SRC's state-of-the-art facilities, games and activities to introduce new concepts, one-on-one time with engineers and scientists, lunch, and more. Students also learned what work feels like in a professional environment.

This was a special opportunity to learn about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) careers in CNY through those practicing those disciplines.

#SASAtoms #SRCInc #STEM

On Wednesday, January 10th, 2018, staff from Chartwells, our cafeteria food-service provider, visited the elementary school to distribute gloves to all of our students. Each student was given a pair of gloves to keep his or her hands warm while playing outside in the snow. Thank you, Chartwells, for this generous gift. We are very grateful for all you do for the community.

#SASCS #SASAtoms

SAS Robotics Team attended the CNY Build 'Em and Bust 'Em bridge building competition at the MOST museum on Saturday, November 11. We went to the competition with 7 teams which consist of 14 students.

Lalita Dahal, Umesh Dahal, Karl Russo, Jade Regner, Brenden Reilly, Joseph Capra, Wah Hee Dar, Moo Ra Say, Huda Ali, Zakaria Ali, Riley Phuc, Azamat Karimov, Natalia Amado and Benjamin Cameron.

Lalita and Umesh received first place.Benjamin and Natalia received second place.And also Ben and Natalia received the Best Bridge Team Name award, "Bridge to Ethiopia".Robotics Team members received the First Place and Second Place in category 3 CNY Build 'Em and Bust 'Em bridge building competition.

#SASAtoms #SASCS

On Thursday, January 19th, 2017, SAS Lady Atoms Modified Team played against Southside Academy today on January 19th, 2017. This is the first game of the season and Atoms started strong. Final score is 43-15. Congratulations #SASAtoms. Keep up the good work.

#SASCS

This past weekend, June 3-5, 22 SAS 7th graders traveled to Philadelphia. As a year-end exploration of topics covered in 7th grade American History, the students visited many historical places. The group, chaperoned by Ms. Patton (social studies), Ms. Chapman (Spanish), and Coach Bahamonde (physical education and health), left for their adventure after school on Friday.

Saturday was the main event for the students, starting with the National Constitution Center. There, students explored constitutional issues of history such as The Civil Rights Movement, The Women’s Rights Movement, Slavery, and equality. Students were able to get involved through interactive exhibits that allowed them to assume the role of a Supreme Court Justice, take the Presidential Oath of Office, and Ask A Senator. In the seasonal Road to the White House exhibit, students were able to follow the campaign trail and hang sticky notes listing what they would do first if they were elected President of the United States. A major hit at the center was Signers Hall, which features life-size bronze statues of the signers of the US Constitution. The students got to see Founding Fathers such as Benjamin Franklin and Alexander Hamilton “up close and personal.”

After the National Constitution Center, students walked across the street to see the burial place of Benjamin Franklin. After lunch and some souvenir shopping at the Bourse Building (a historic commodities exchange building from the 1890’s that has been restored to include shops and food stands), students visited the Liberty Bell.

Independence Hall awaited the students next as they took a tour of one of the most important buildings in American History – where both the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution were signed. This tour included visits to the room in which the Constitutional Convention met as well as the building located next door which housed the first US Congress.

From there, the group headed to Reading Terminal Market for dinner, including the chance to get a *real* Philly cheesesteak. After Reading Terminal, the group traveled down Filbert St. to find the Philadelphia Love Statue which is currently located in Dillworth Park. While in the park the students got to see some street entertainers as well – including a soccer ball trick handling demonstration and a small drum corps. From there, it was a trip to the Philadelphia Art Museum to see the Rocky Balboa statue and run up the stairs as he does in the movie. Even after a long day of walking, many of the students made the long trek up the large staircase – laughing the whole time!

Sunday, Valley Forge National Park was on the agenda. The group took the driving tour of the park, stopping at several important sites including the National Arch, George Washington’s Headquarters, and the company cabins. At the cabins, the students met with Camp Follower Jen. Camp Followers were the women and sometimes children that followed the Continental Army and helped with a number of tasks like sewing, cooking, nursing, and other things that were necessary to help the soldiers. She showed the students some Revolutionary Era games and explained how most all game from the time had educational value because most people believed that if you could “trick” children into learning through fun, they would retain the lessons longer. She showed the students a dice game that taught math and a dice game using dice with letters that was similar to Boggle in that you have to make as many words with the letters you have as you can. The students also visited George Washington’s home and headquarters where he stayed during the winter spent at Valley Forge. They also got to see replica cannons and statues or monuments representing the various state militias that were represented in the Continental Army. After hopping on and off the bus for about 90 minutes for the tour and tour stops, it was time for lunch, and then to head home.

Although it was a very long and busy weekend, the students all had a great time, as did the chaperones. They were excited to share their experiences and fun with their family and friends. Many of the students purchased presents for siblings or parents and were excited to share the treasures that they found as well. After a very successful first 7th Grade Philadelphia Field Trip, plans are in the works to make this experience an annual tradition for the 7th graders at the middle school.

#SASAtoms #SASCS #Philadelphia #NationalConstitutionCenter #IndependenceHall #PhiladelphiaArtMuseum #RockyBalboa #ValleyForgeNationalPark #GeorgeWashington

On Monday, August 28th, 2017, throughout the halls and classrooms of Syracuse Academy of Science Charter Schools, students and staff kickoff the new school year by getting to know one another and establishing standards and expectations for success. From kindergarten through 12th grade, returning students are reunited and welcome the opportunity to meet and greet incoming first-time students. Energy abounds as new lockers, cubbies and class schedules are assigned, and the promise of achieving greatness academically, socially and athletically awaits everyone.

#SASCS #SASAtoms

This past weekend, June 3-5, 22 SAS 7th graders traveled to Philadelphia. As a year-end exploration of topics covered in 7th grade American History, the students visited many historical places. The group, chaperoned by Ms. Patton (social studies), Ms. Chapman (Spanish), and Coach Bahamonde (physical education and health), left for their adventure after school on Friday.

Saturday was the main event for the students, starting with the National Constitution Center. There, students explored constitutional issues of history such as The Civil Rights Movement, The Women’s Rights Movement, Slavery, and equality. Students were able to get involved through interactive exhibits that allowed them to assume the role of a Supreme Court Justice, take the Presidential Oath of Office, and Ask A Senator. In the seasonal Road to the White House exhibit, students were able to follow the campaign trail and hang sticky notes listing what they would do first if they were elected President of the United States. A major hit at the center was Signers Hall, which features life-size bronze statues of the signers of the US Constitution. The students got to see Founding Fathers such as Benjamin Franklin and Alexander Hamilton “up close and personal.”

After the National Constitution Center, students walked across the street to see the burial place of Benjamin Franklin. After lunch and some souvenir shopping at the Bourse Building (a historic commodities exchange building from the 1890’s that has been restored to include shops and food stands), students visited the Liberty Bell.

Independence Hall awaited the students next as they took a tour of one of the most important buildings in American History – where both the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution were signed. This tour included visits to the room in which the Constitutional Convention met as well as the building located next door which housed the first US Congress.

From there, the group headed to Reading Terminal Market for dinner, including the chance to get a *real* Philly cheesesteak. After Reading Terminal, the group traveled down Filbert St. to find the Philadelphia Love Statue which is currently located in Dillworth Park. While in the park the students got to see some street entertainers as well – including a soccer ball trick handling demonstration and a small drum corps. From there, it was a trip to the Philadelphia Art Museum to see the Rocky Balboa statue and run up the stairs as he does in the movie. Even after a long day of walking, many of the students made the long trek up the large staircase – laughing the whole time!

Sunday, Valley Forge National Park was on the agenda. The group took the driving tour of the park, stopping at several important sites including the National Arch, George Washington’s Headquarters, and the company cabins. At the cabins, the students met with Camp Follower Jen. Camp Followers were the women and sometimes children that followed the Continental Army and helped with a number of tasks like sewing, cooking, nursing, and other things that were necessary to help the soldiers. She showed the students some Revolutionary Era games and explained how most all game from the time had educational value because most people believed that if you could “trick” children into learning through fun, they would retain the lessons longer. She showed the students a dice game that taught math and a dice game using dice with letters that was similar to Boggle in that you have to make as many words with the letters you have as you can. The students also visited George Washington’s home and headquarters where he stayed during the winter spent at Valley Forge. They also got to see replica cannons and statues or monuments representing the various state militias that were represented in the Continental Army. After hopping on and off the bus for about 90 minutes for the tour and tour stops, it was time for lunch, and then to head home.

Although it was a very long and busy weekend, the students all had a great time, as did the chaperones. They were excited to share their experiences and fun with their family and friends. Many of the students purchased presents for siblings or parents and were excited to share the treasures that they found as well. After a very successful first 7th Grade Philadelphia Field Trip, plans are in the works to make this experience an annual tradition for the 7th graders at the middle school.

#SASAtoms #SASCS #Philadelphia #NationalConstitutionCenter #IndependenceHall #PhiladelphiaArtMuseum #RockyBalboa #ValleyForgeNationalPark #GeorgeWashington

On Monday, December 19, 2016 a group of our high school students joined the Salvation Army's Christmas Bureau's distribution day. 2,778 families registered to receive gifts and over a thousand volunteered

for this event. Many organizations got together and Syracuse Academy students did not miss this opportunity to help serve the Syracuse city. Our students worked to prepare toys

and firetrucks to be distributed to the children to make them happy for Christmas.

#SASAtoms #SASCS #Salvationarmy

#SASAtoms # SASCS

On Tuesday, January 17th, 2017 the 7th grade students of the SAS Middle School went on a field trip to 5 Wits in Destiny USA. Students participated in three of the team building adventures the store had to offer. The Drago's Castle was navigated with some magical help from a fairy princess. The evil Cabal was defeated in the Espionage Adventure. The 7th graders confronted the evil Pharaoh in the Tomb Adventure. Students even explored the perils of Deep Space! The trip was capped with some lunch in the food court with friends and teachers!

#SASAtoms #SASCS #5Wits

On Wednesday, February 1st, 2017 the SAS middle school students held their monthly anti-bully classroom meeting with their 6th period teachers. The topic of the meeting was respect. They discussed ways that they could show respect both in person and online, how important it is to treat others with respect and talks about how respect and preventing bullying are connected. The idea was for them to have a better understanding how they can show respect in all facets of their lives. These meetings are a part of our continual effort to bring bullying out of the shadows in order to promote a safe, comfortable environment for all of our students.

#SASAtoms #SASCS

Eighth-grader Alexius Pierce made the go-ahead layup in the game's last minute, and junior Diamonne Harris hit four straight free throws in the final 10 seconds as the Syracuse Academy of Science held off Allegany-Limestone, 55-50, in a Class C girls basketball state semifinal at Hudson Valley Community College.

The Section III-champion Atoms (20-4) will play in the 8-year-old program's first state final at 4 p.m. Saturday against Section IX champion Millbrook.

"It feels unbelievable," said Harris, who led all scorers with 20 points. "We worked so hard - day after day - it was all worth it. It feels so good."

"We just willed our way (to the win), said senior leader Lyrik Jackson, who scored 14 points, grabbed eight rebounds and made five steals for the Atoms. "Coach said keep pushing. We didn't want to go home."

SAS, which trailed by six points at the half (32-26) sparked its second-half offense with a pressing defense that forced Allegany-Limestone into 22 turnovers and yielded a dozen steals.

The #SASAtoms also held Gators' star senior center Morgan Davis to 14 points, about five below her season's average. Morgan only had six in the second half.

"Amazing. Just amazing," said #SASCS head coach Reggie Pickard. "I'm still kind of dreaming - like are we here or not, you know? We're doing everything possible to win a championship. We've worked hard for eight years, and here we are."

The Atoms trailed by as many as eight points late in the second quarter but caught the Gators just two minutes into the third using a press that started paying off in turnovers.

"Our pressure has been the key for us all year," Pickard said. "We force turnovers, make the game kind of ugly.

I thought if we pressured a little more in the second half it would harder for them to get the ball to their bigs."

Allegany-Limestone, from Section VI near Olean, still led by two at the start of the fourth quarter, but SAS sophomore Xyel Bradford's 3-pointer put the Atoms ahead, 41-40, with just under 7 minutes left. Pierce hit another huge three with 2:30 left to play that gave SAS a 47-46 advantage.

But the Gators continued to make big baskets, too, and Allegany-Limestone had a 50-49 lead, and the ball, with just under a minute left to play.

On the in-bounds play, Harris dove for a steal and somehow got the ball to Pierce, who drove in for what would turn out to be the winning points, making it 51-50, Atoms.

The Gators began fouling, but Harris proved worthy against the pressure, hitting two sets for free throws in the final eight seconds.

"It was very nerve-wracking, but we do this all of the time in practice," she said. "I have to stay calm."

Allegany-Limestone coach Frank Martin said his team just couldn't quite hold it together in the final minutes against the SAS quickness.

"I'd love to have the last minute and a half back," he said. "We weren't as good as we needed to be to close this game out. We just weren't as good as we needed to be at the end."

The Atoms had a scare in the final seconds when Jackson took a shot to her head when she went down chasing a loose ball and an Allegany-Limestone player fell on top of her. She had to be helped off the court but was up and talking in the aftermath.

Harris said she hoped to go swimming in the hotel pool later in the day, but her coach wasn't hearing it.

No, no. We're not going to do any swimming," he said, laughing. "Too much muscle movement. They got mad at me last night because I took their phones from them. I'm doing that again tonight, too."

Article posted at highschoolsports.syracuse.com/news/article/-7252830500074...

Eighth-grader Alexius Pierce made the go-ahead layup in the game's last minute, and junior Diamonne Harris hit four straight free throws in the final 10 seconds as the Syracuse Academy of Science held off Allegany-Limestone, 55-50, in a Class C girls basketball state semifinal at Hudson Valley Community College.

The Section III-champion Atoms (20-4) will play in the 8-year-old program's first state final at 4 p.m. Saturday against Section IX champion Millbrook.

"It feels unbelievable," said Harris, who led all scorers with 20 points. "We worked so hard - day after day - it was all worth it. It feels so good."

"We just willed our way (to the win), said senior leader Lyrik Jackson, who scored 14 points, grabbed eight rebounds and made five steals for the Atoms. "Coach said keep pushing. We didn't want to go home."

SAS, which trailed by six points at the half (32-26) sparked its second-half offense with a pressing defense that forced Allegany-Limestone into 22 turnovers and yielded a dozen steals.

The #SASAtoms also held Gators' star senior center Morgan Davis to 14 points, about five below her season's average. Morgan only had six in the second half.

"Amazing. Just amazing," said #SASCS head coach Reggie Pickard. "I'm still kind of dreaming - like are we here or not, you know? We're doing everything possible to win a championship. We've worked hard for eight years, and here we are."

The Atoms trailed by as many as eight points late in the second quarter but caught the Gators just two minutes into the third using a press that started paying off in turnovers.

"Our pressure has been the key for us all year," Pickard said. "We force turnovers, make the game kind of ugly.

I thought if we pressured a little more in the second half it would harder for them to get the ball to their bigs."

Allegany-Limestone, from Section VI near Olean, still led by two at the start of the fourth quarter, but SAS sophomore Xyel Bradford's 3-pointer put the Atoms ahead, 41-40, with just under 7 minutes left. Pierce hit another huge three with 2:30 left to play that gave SAS a 47-46 advantage.

But the Gators continued to make big baskets, too, and Allegany-Limestone had a 50-49 lead, and the ball, with just under a minute left to play.

On the in-bounds play, Harris dove for a steal and somehow got the ball to Pierce, who drove in for what would turn out to be the winning points, making it 51-50, Atoms.

The Gators began fouling, but Harris proved worthy against the pressure, hitting two sets for free throws in the final eight seconds.

"It was very nerve-wracking, but we do this all of the time in practice," she said. "I have to stay calm."

Allegany-Limestone coach Frank Martin said his team just couldn't quite hold it together in the final minutes against the SAS quickness.

"I'd love to have the last minute and a half back," he said. "We weren't as good as we needed to be to close this game out. We just weren't as good as we needed to be at the end."

The Atoms had a scare in the final seconds when Jackson took a shot to her head when she went down chasing a loose ball and an Allegany-Limestone player fell on top of her. She had to be helped off the court but was up and talking in the aftermath.

Harris said she hoped to go swimming in the hotel pool later in the day, but her coach wasn't hearing it.

No, no. We're not going to do any swimming," he said, laughing. "Too much muscle movement. They got mad at me last night because I took their phones from them. I'm doing that again tonight, too."

Article posted at highschoolsports.syracuse.com/news/article/-7252830500074...

On Friday, June 10th, 2016 the SAS Middle School celebrated its very first International Day. Twelve teams of students created presentations of various countries and cultures such as Cuba, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and many Native American tribes. Many of our wonderful parent supported the event by bringing in food such as wontons, plantains, rice and beans, and Irish potato pancakes. The event was capped by the wonderful performances of the Talent Club who used their amazing skills to bring French ballet, Spanish music, and African dancing to the event. One of the many aspects that make SAS an amazing school is the many different cultures that we have in our study body. Our differences are what make us strong! Go ATOMS!

#SASAtoms #SASCS #InternationalDay

On Tuesday, October 31st, 2017,the elementary school had a fall festival.The students enjoyed dressing up and participating in a parade around the school. Many parents attended.

#SASCS #SASAtoms