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, June 12, 2018, select elementary #SASAtoms presented their original poems to all elementary students, teachers, and families at the 2018 Poetry Slam. Students focused on different types of figurative language and poetry including; simile, alliteration, and haikus. Our Atoms works contained unique and thoughtful imagery. Go Atoms! #SASAtoms #SASCS

On Wednesday, May 30, and Thursday, May 31, 2018, our #SASCS classes had their Student of the Month ceremonies. #SASAtoms were awarded certificates for their hard work. These students have displayed accomplishment and success even though the year is almost over. Go atoms! We are so happy to commend all of your efforts! #SASCS #SASAtoms

On Wednesday, June 30, 2018 our #SASAtoms participated in a visit to Syracuse University. This trip is part of our early awareness activity available to all eight-grade #SASCS scholars. Students are exposed to different types of educational institutions, and can ask questions of college students and faculty. By taking advantage of this opportunity, students learn the benefit of successfully preparing for post-secondary education. Go Atoms! #SASCS #SASAtoms

On Thursday, March 29th, 2018 the SAS Middle School held its 4th Annual Staff vs. Student Basketball Game. Students from the 5th, 6th, and 7th grade pitted their youth and speed against the size and experience of the staff members. Although the staff members proved victorious, the game was fun for all participants and spectators. This annual event is a crowd favorite and is a great way for staff and students to bond. Go Atoms! #SASAtoms #SASCS

On Wednesday, May 30, 2018, #SASAtoms and their families enjoyed a Luau themed Reading Night. Activities included: writing sight words in sand, Palm Tree letter sounds, reading by the pool, a board game, crafts, and a fun photo booth. Students enjoyed completing a scavenger hunt. Parents were able to learn about the importance of reading over the summer as well. Did you know your child can lose 22% (approx. 2 levels) of their reading level if they don't read over the summer?! So don't forget to visit your public library this summer! Go Atoms! #SASAtoms #SASCS

On Monday, September 24, 2018, guest speaker, Azra Gradincic, spoke to the fifth-grade #SASAtoms about growing up during the Bosnian war. Gradincic helped the students make connections with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the articles that the students had been working on. #SASAtoms listened attentively to the stories from her youth. Gradincic had to hide in her home to be safe, ran out of certain foods because the shops weren't open, and had to leave her possessions behind to find a safer place to live. The students connected these stories to the human rights they are studying. Guest speakers are just one of the ways we are building success one ATOM at a time.

On Thursday, October 18, 2018, It was our third grader's turn to Tim's Pumpkin Patch. Despite the chilly weather, our #SASAtoms enjoyed this fun-filled fall activity and even got to take a pumpkin home with them. Their favorite part was the warm cinnamon doughnuts and apple cider with their classmates and teachers. These team building activities are just one of the ways we are building success one ATOM at a time.

On Thursday, October 11, 2018, our #SASAtoms enjoyed a fun-filled Literacy Night. Families were invited to explore popularly themed classrooms like Pete the Cat, Wonder, and Dr. Seuss. #SASAtoms and their families competed in a scavenger hunt for prizes while they participated in reader's theater, games, a photo booth, and arts & crafts. A few #SASAtoms dressed as their favorite book character for the night. Our literacy nights encourage reading as a family, and are one of the many ways we are building success one ATOM at a time.

On Friday, October 28th, fourth grade students participated in a field trip to Chittenango’s interactive zoo, The Wild. Students were presented with the unique opportunity to connect our classroom learning about animal adaptations with animals in the real world. We observed the feeding behavior of lions and tigers. Students were able to touch and feed a camel and discuss the adaptations we had previously learned about in class. Feeding the giraffe carrots was one of the highlights of our trip! Everyone loved the baby snow leopards. Students asked a variety of insightful questions and learned about the leopards' behavioral and physical adaptations.

#SASCS #SASAtoms

On Tuesday, March 27, 2018, SAS Middle School 7th graders visited the Rochester Institute of Technology RIT). On campus, students took an exploratory tour of several buildings, including, but not limited to, science, business, design, technology and engineering. Students ate lunch and participated in a hands-on group activity in which they built a tower out of paper, index cards and tape. The towers were to be designed with three things in mind: beauty, height and strength. First-place winners received RIT t-shirts and bragging rights. This visit is one among many that are part of our continual commitment to prepare our students for college education. Go ATOMS! #SASAtoms #SASCS

Monday, March 19, 2018 was a special day at Syracuse Academy of Science for Lady Atoms Basketball Team. Whole school came together in the morning to celebrate these special student-athletes. The team accomplish a lot this year by winning the girls basketball program`s first Section III, Regional, and State Finalist Titles.

Athletic Department and the Lady Atoms thank a lot for the support we received from administration, staff, and students. Special thanks go to Coach Reginald Pickard and Donniesha Terry for their hard work and dedication.

2017-18 #SASCS Girls Varsity Basketball Team Roster

# 1 Lyrik Jackson

#4 Anyiaha Powell

#5 Xyel Bradford

#11 Diamonne Harris

#15 Erykah Pasha

#20 Josette Rowser-Groh

#23 Freey Pleasants

#24 Alexius Pierce

#40 Zion Patterson

2017-18 SAS Girls Varsity Basketball Record

Overall Record 20-5

League Record 12-0

OHSL Patriot National Champions

Class C Sectional Champions

Regional Champions

2017-2018 Class C New York State Champions Finalists

Ranked #2 in New York State

Let`s Goooo #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, October 1, 2018, our third-grade #SASAtoms were visited by Margaret Lane, Executive Education Programs Director at the Maxwell School, and her associate, Magda. Margaret is part of the Maxwell School at Syracuse University and travels the world learning, promoting, and gathering knowledge to help support education. She spoke with #SASAtoms about personal and career goals, as well as about some of the work that she does for the education programs at Maxwell. These opportunities teach our #SASCS community about leadership and encourage our #SASAtoms to visualize their futures. We are building success one ATOM at a time.

On Sunday, March 25, 2018, several students from SAS Middle School attended the CNY Science and Engineering Fair at the SRC Arena. Students in 5th, 6th and 7th grade worked very hard to compete at this level. Our school had winners in both 5th and 6th grade. Natalie Shelley and Landon Barfknecht took home Honors level awards for 5th grade, and Morgan Purcell took home an Honors award for 6th grade. We are proud of all our students who went to the fair. They are sterling examples of what we strive to create at SAS: scientists of tomorrow! Go ATOMS! #SASAtoms #SASCS

On Tuesday, April 17th, 2018, the SAS Middle School held its 3rd quarter award ceremony. This included a variety of awards from Student of the Month (based on the character trait dependability), Best Academic, Best Citizen, and more! Many parents were on hand to celebrate the amazing achievements of their students. Celebrating success if one of the biggest goals of our school and this stage exemplifies the amazing commitment demonstrated by our students. Continue to shine ATOMS! #SASAtoms #SASCS

On Thursday, September 27, 2018, the #SASCS Elementary school held its Olweus kick-off. Students have been learning about our Olweus program which is a school-wide anti-bullying initiative. Students participated in grade-level team building activities, had their faces painted, and even shared their silly side with the props at the photo booth. #SASAtoms signed the Olweus Pledge which will be hanging in our hallway for students to have a daily reminder to be respectful, prepared, safe, ready and responsible.

On Wednesday, March 28, 2018, #SASCS Elementary School had its student of the month ceremony. Our March Student of the Month Character trait was Respect. Students who won this month's award showed respect in the classroom, during activities, to their teachers, and to their peers on a daily basis. We also celebrated students who had best academics, best citizenship, and most progress. Ms. Wilcox presented our Merit winners and Mrs. Lattuca, Mr. Kiggins, and Ms. Kennedy awarded one student each for their effort and progress in art, physical education, and music. Great job #SASAtoms!

On Thursday, May 31, 2018 #SASCS students who maintained a 3.5 GPA or higher over the course of the marking period were honored at the end of year Dean's List Dinner. The #SASCS Dean, Jeanine Brand, handed out the honors and #SASAtoms and their families celebrated with dinner. We are proud of their accomplishments and look forward to celebrating even more students next year. Go Atoms! #SASAtoms #SASCS

On Friday, March 16, 2018 the SAS Middle School welcomed an Irish Dance School to our building. The students were treated to a performance from the Rince Na Sonas School of Irish Dance. This is the third year that the school has visited us with their amazing dancers, many of which are headed to national and world competitions. Students and Staff were in awe of the talents demonstrated. Thank you Mrs. Hickey and Mrs. Greenwood and the parents who brought your students! This was a all-around amazing day! #SASAtoms #SASCS

On Friday, May 11, 2018, the #SASCS High School held its 2nd Annual Language and Culture Festival. Students developed culturally relevant projects, ranging from researching traditional clothing to cooking an authentic dish. When students learn about cultures from around the world, it widens their worldview and provides an opportunity to explore their differences and similarities. Students and families enjoyed learning about other countries while eating delicious food and watching dancing performances from Samba Laranja, The Syracuse University Brazilian Ensemble, and the Wachewa African Drumming and Dancing team. Go Atoms! #SASCS #SASAtoms

On Thursday, May 31, 2018, seniors at #SASCS took part in our rich tradition of the "Senior Walk." Our graduating seniors don their cap and gown and walk the halls with our elementary students. Seniors have the opportunity to reflect on their time at #SASCS, while also inspiring the little ones who still have a ways to go before they are ready to graduate.

Once the walk was over, our #SASCS seniors celebrated the end of their time at #SASCS at Green Lakes State Park to wrap up the year in style. Go Atoms, and we will see you at graduation! #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 Thursday, May 24, 2018, the #SASCS Middle School held its April Student of the Month ceremony. Students were awarded certificates for their hard work in their core classes as well as special presentations for specials. We recognized and awarded students who have the best coping skills in the face of adversity. This ceremony is a great time for students and faculty alike as we get the opportunity to recognize the amazing efforts of our Atoms. #SASAtoms #SASCS

On Wednesday, May 23, 2018, seventh-grade #SASAtoms traveled to the Corning Museum of Glass. While there, students viewed 3,500 years glass history; from the glass portrait of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh to contemporary sculptures crafted from the liquid sand. Students also learned the difference between glass casting and glass blowing. Lastly and most excitingly, students watched a live glass blowing demonstration. #SASCS strives to expose students to the amazing world of the arts and trips like this help with that goal. Go Atoms! #SASAtoms #SASCS

On Wednesday, May 23, 2018, the SAS Middle School held its Dean's List Dinner. To qualify, each student had to achieve the high honor roll each of the first three quarters of the school year. We were proud to have over forty students hit this achievement, nearly double of the previous year. With friends and families present, we celebrated their amazing work over dinner. We are proud of their accomplishments and look forward to next year's group being even larger. Go ATOMS! #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

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

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, 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

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, March 26, 2018, third-grade #SASAtoms from #SASCS Elementary School enjoyed a field trip to Cazenovia Sports Bowl. While bowling together, students worked on team-building skills and sportsmanship--two important aspects of their physical education. The experience provided hands-on learning that was loads of fun for everyone.

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, May 11th, 2018, #SASCS middle school held their 3rd Annual International Fair. For three months #SASAtoms developed culturally relevant projects, ranging from researching traditional clothing to cooking an authentic dish. When students learn about cultures from around the world, it widens their worldview and provides an opportunity to explore their differences and similarities. Students and families enjoyed learning about other countries while eating delicious food. Diversity is one of the biggest strengths of the Syracuse Academy of Science. Go Atoms! #SASAtoms #SASCS

On May 10th and 11th of 2018, the #SASCS Middle and Elementary schools were proud to host their Annual Muffins for Mom events. These wonderful moments were organized to celebrate the many great female influences that are in our students' lives. In attendance at the middle school were visitors from nearly eighty families. Mothers, sisters, aunts, cousins, and grandmothers all were able to sit and enjoy some delicious muffins and some great conversations. Our elementary students worked hard on decorating their classrooms and making gifts to show their mom how loved and appreciated they are this Mother's day. Moms joined their children in their classroom for a special presentation. It was a fun and loving afternoon for everyone involved. Thank you for all that you do for our students. Go Atoms! #SASCS #SASAtoms

On Tuesday, September 18, 2018, fourth-grade #SASAtoms got the privilege to meet and speak with CenterState CEO and President, Robert Simpson. He spoke to our students about the company, what it means to be a CEO, his personal goals, the company goals and mission, and what they have done so far to help grow our community. Our #SASAtoms had a great time asking questions, and making personal connections with some of the work CenterState CEO has already done in the Syracuse area. We believe in the value of introducing our #SASAtoms to a company that is working hard to create economic stability and growth in our community. We are building success one ATOM at a time!

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, September 14, 2018, #SASAtoms invited their grandparents to share snack-time with them. Grandparents spent the last part of the day with their students and enjoyed activities and quality time with their #SASAtom. These moments help build our school community and remind us that together we are building success one ATOM at a time.

On Monday, March 26, 2018, the middle school kicked off College Week with guest speaker Wes Whiteside from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. Wes discussed college requirements and the admissions process with all 7th graders, drawing from his work at Syracuse University as an academic adviser and previous experience in college admissions. He offered hands-on activities in which students could state positive things about themselves and provide examples of college admission requirements. Wes explained crucial information about SAT and ACT tests, college admissions essays, self-discipline, time management, organization and plagiarism. At SAS we remain fully committed to our college preparatory mission to create tomorrow’s leaders! Go ATOMS! #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 Friday, September 28, 2018, world-renowned Saxophonist Elan Trotman hosted a Master Class for members of the #SASCS band. Trotman listened to students perform the pieces they are currently working on, provided feedback, and answered questions about the music industry in general.

Trotman, a former music instructor in the Boston City Schools, focused on the importance of practice when pursuing a musical instrument, and reminded students that it's never too early or too late to consider yourself a musician.

Thank you, Elan, for sharing your talents with our students. We are building success one Atom at a time! #SASCS #SASAtoms

On Thursday, March 22, 2018, annual breakfast with our superintendent Dr. Hayali was held at the district office, but this time #SASCS Lady Atoms had special gifts for Mr. Hayali. We had chance to play the Section III Class C final for the 3 years back to back and get the first program`s title this year along with Regional Title and State Finalist Title.

We always appreciate the support that we receive from District Office especially from Dr. Hayali, Dr. Kocak and Mrs. Brand. They work tirelessly for the students of Syracuse Academy of Science. Dr. Hayali talked about what is next for the girls and how they need to study to continue their education, become productive citizens and give back to community any way possible.

Athletic Department thanks for the support for these special #SASAtoms student-athletes.

On Saturday, March 10, 2018, Syracuse Academy of Science advances to Class C state semifinals with 62-57 win over Bainbridge-Guilford.

It wasn’t easy. But it did feel inevitable.

It took 32 minutes of steely effort, but Syracuse Academy of Science used timely shooting and 20 points from Lyrik Jackson to defeat Bainbridge-Guilford 62-57 on Saturday at the SRC Arena in the Class C regional finals. The win advanced the #SASAtoms into the state semifinals, where they will take on Allegany-Limestone.

“We dug in. We just dug in,” SAS head coach Reginald Pickard said. “We knew that we had it in us we just had to let it come out.”

The Atoms needed all the grit they could muster in the fourth quarter. Trailing 45-44 to start the final frame, SAS put together an 11-2 run to start the fourth, creating a 55-47 advantage. Alexius Pierce, Freey Pleasants and Xyel Bradford all contributed to a run that Jackson capped with a three from the left side.

“That’s what coach teaches us,” Jackson said. “At times like that you can’t feel the pressure, we had to stay calm and be focused. So that’s what we did.”

Bainbridge-Guilford responded with a 8-0 run to even the score at 55, but Jackson, Pierce and Pleasants again combined for a 7-2 run that clinched the five-point win for #SASCS. All in all, the Atoms finished with five players scoring more than five points and three players in double figures.

“We have a great team, and it makes us hard to defend,” Pickard said. “It gives us a balanced attack, and we can spread it out.”

The late run was a product of that depth and a level of resilience after the Atoms had led by as much as nine in the first quarter, only to eventually trail by as much as six in the second.

“It’s a team effort,” Jackson said. “We were flat for a little, and we knew they were a good team. Coach just told us to run, and it was scrappy but it worked out.”

Jackson led the Atoms with 20 points, just missing a double-double with eight rebounds. Pleasants and Pierce added 12 apiece, and Bradford pitched in eight. Abigail Selfridge led all scorers with 23 for Bainbridge-Guilford.

Having unlocked enough of their potential to break into the state semifinals, Pickard said his girls are just getting started.

“Our motto is ‘let me be great.’ It’s about potential,” Pickard said. “It came from one of our coaches who lost her son, he always said, ‘let me be great.’ That’s what we did tonight and what we want to keep doing.”

The Atoms’ next opportunity comes on Friday when they meet Allegany-Limestone. That game is scheduled for an 11:45 a.m. tip at Hudson Valley Community College.

Article posted at highschoolsports.syracuse.com/news/article/-7252828500090...

On Wednesday, September 12th, 2018 our #SASAtom parents and students joined us for a welcome back to school night. Families visited their student's classroom, spoke with the teachers, visited with one another, and shopped at our book fair. Thank you to our wonderful vendors from SUNY ESF, Empower, and the Literacy Coalition. Thanks to them we had fun activities such as a science experiment on how to make pennies float, a scavenger hunt, and learning how to use a telescope. It was the perfect start to a great school year ahead. Go Atoms! #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...

Throughout the week of February 26, 2018, SASCS Elementary School celebrated Read Across America and Dr. Seuss' birthday. Students were very creative with their silly socks, wacky-hair day and funny-hat day. Older students performed a reader's theater for first-grade classes. Many classrooms celebrated reading Dr. Seuss books, and students competed in a reading challenge by logging all the pages they read over Winter Break. What a great way to promote reading and creativity at school!

#SASAtoms #SASCS #ReadAcrossAmerica #DrSeuss

On Friday, November 17, 2017, the SAS Middle School held its First Annual Boys’ Empowerment Night. Guest speakers included SU basketball players Eric Devendorf, Dejuan Coleman and Geno Thorpe, plus SU women’s basketball coach Cedric Solice. Our boys were assigned sports teams and followed a full schedule that included activities in a video game room, a board-game room, a photo booth and a basketball game. Coach B. led the boys in a team-building exercise, and later they had a talent show hosted by Mr. Alessi, which included six acts. A highlight of the night was a big basketball game in which all the students played. The empowering night was wrapped up by a speaker who happens to be a member of the SAS staff himself: Mr. Joshua, Assistant Dean of Students at the high school. He gave the boys a great testimony on how to change one’s life for the better. At SAS, the entire student is addressed—both scholar and citizen. Events like this one help our ATOMS grow as positive contributors to society. Thank you to all who helped put this on for our young men!

#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