Congratulations to Mrs. Carrie Wypiszynski who won Teacher of the Year!
The Arizona Teacher of the Year program is the only statewide program that spotlights the contributions of Arizona’s teachers. The program annually recognizes five exceptionally skilled and dedicated pre-kindergarten through 12th Grade public school teachers. Nominees are those individuals who have gained the respect and admiration of students, parents, and co-workers. They play an active and useful role in their communities as well as their schools, often distinguishing themselves as leaders. They have a superior ability to help all students achieve.
View Mrs. Wyp’s Teacher of the Year Winner Video.
Carrie is among the many excellent teachers at PCA who work hard everyday to ensure our students are receiving an excellent education. Their drive and ability to motivate our students is one of the many reasons PCA was given a letter grade of A.
PCA students in 5th and 6th grade began their college search early when they visited Arizona State University over the weekend. Special thanks to STEP, a multicultural honors organization, who planned the events for the day. Students were welcomed to ASU with vivid posters and signs and then led to the Student Memorial Union where the festivities began. Students participated in teambuilding and icebreakers to get to know college students. STEP then gave students a tour of the ASU campus, the dorms, the student recreational complex, and many more areas around ASU. Students ate lunch then played kickball with the ASU Sports Club and learned a dance from various Multicultural Greek Organizations. At the end of the day students received a goody bag and reflected on, for many, their first experience on a university campus.
ASU students giving PCA students a tour of the campus.
Students talked about their future plans, which all included college. Kayla Palafox, 5th grade, felt the dorm bed was a good sell for why she should stop in and attend ASU on her way to become President. Angela De Orta, 5th grade, said, “this place is so cool” over four times. Rodrigo Barrera, 5th grade, told the ASU staff that this was his best day ever. When asked if it’s worth all the PCA hard work if they could get to college, all three of them gave a resounding yes!
Sports Club and Multicultural Greek Organization teaching PCA students how to stroll.
Each student at Phoenix Collegiate Academy received a hard-back copy of the book ‘The Unwanteds”, written by bestselling author Lisa McMann.
"The Unwanteds" Lisa McMann
Bestselling author Lisa McMann
Fascinated by the world in which the strong, intelligent Wanteds go to university, and the artistic Unwanteds are sent to their graves, students could not put the book down. While reading the book teachers would discuss comprehension elements with students and formulate questions for Lisa McMann regarding her book or career as a writer.
5th and 8th grade sit in active listening position as they listen to Lisa McMann explain how she created the plot of the book.
What made this book even more special and exciting was knowing that Lisa McMann would visit PCA. Lisa came to PCA to discuss her book “The Unwanteds” and see just how hard students at PCA worked to succeed academically.
5th and 6th grade show Lisa McMann the PCA applause.
Lisa discussed the point in her life when she realized she wanted to become an author and the steps she took to accomplish this goal. She then answered the many questions PCA students had for her.
5th, 6th, and 7th graders are all questions.
After speaking, Lisa kindly autographed all books. Students were thrilled to be a part of this experience and grateful that Lisa came to visit them specifically at PCA.
At the beginning of the year, students elected extra curricular activities, which appealed to their interests and talents. Once enrolled in their top choice Enrichment class students practiced diligently for 9 weeks with an end performance in mind. These Enrichment classes included activities such as learning Taekwondo, sports, dance, musicals, origami, yoga, drama, and debate. At the end of the quarter, students participated in a talent show, which showcased their work thus far. PCA held it’s first quarter student showcase on Thursday September 29th, 2011. Students performed afterschool for their parents, teachers, and community members. Parents were thrilled to learn all of the amazing things PCA students are doing in addition to their relentless coursework studying. PCA strives to insure students are well-rounded individuals and all parts of their day, including Enrichment, serves to do just that.
Much appreciation and thanks goes to The Arizona Cardinals Football Team who donated tickets to PCA for students to attend their game on Thursday September 1st, 2011. Top students from 5th – 7th grade were rewarded with this afterschool opportunity.
PCA 6th graders are all smiles!
About 65 students boarded the school bus and took the journey to the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. For some students this was the first time they had stepped foot inside of the stadium and seen football players up close. For all students this was an experience that will never be forgotten. Students watched the Cardinals play while enjoying their concession bought snacks and cheered all night as the Cardinals ended the game with a win.
Students talking about the game as they await the bus.
With four grade levels this year and enrollment numbers on the rise, students were in need of a larger area to take a break and exert some energy. PCA gives thanks to a generous donor who helped remodel the courtyard of our school.
Thanks to a generous donor, students now have a place to practice their skills on the courts.
The past two years students displayed hard work and academic achievement proving that this addition was greatly deserved. This donor valued our work at PCA and wanted to support us in changing the world through the lives of our students. Students are excited to have new basketball hoops and volleyball net to practice their skills on the court.
On August 1, 2011, Phoenix Collegiate Academy started its first day of school for the third year. PCA’s enrollment number has been growing dramatically throughout the years. In 2009, PCA opened its doors to 57 sixth grade students on the first day, eventually growing to over 70. In year two, 141 sixth and seventh grade students came the first day and the school grew to as many as 152. Now in year three, PCA has an enrollment of 257 fifth through eighth grade students.
The first week of school was filled with excitement as our students were greeted by their homeroom teachers and were given white t-shirts to wear over their uniform. This white t-shirt symbolized the orientation process at PCA. Throughout orientation students learned expectations and procedures and were motivated for their future. Students know that at PCA they work hard to get smart with the goal of college in mind. At the end of each day a new grade level was ready to be welcomed into the community, at which point students removed their white t-shirts unveiling their PCA uniforms.
Today, as the final students enter the community, a ribbon cutting ceremony will be held from 1:00p-1:30p. This ceremony will represent the community’s commitment to making PCA’s building special and making PCA successful. Together with community leaders, we’ll mark the beginning of a new year of growth in our newly renovated facility.
Even after only its first year, with just 60 students, Phoenix Collegiate Academy was a Performing Plus school. Going into its third year, teachers and staff members will welcome over 200 dedicated students and families. PCA families attended orientation on one of three Saturdays. They gathered at school, anxious to learn more about expectations and procedures for the school year. Students were immediately greeted and taken to the examination room where they completed a Stanford Achievement Test to diagnose their skills. Meanwhile, parents and guardians participated in workshops tailored to the logistics of PCA, the curriculum, and the culture, to help create a partnership to ensure a successful school year. Parents were also given free uniforms for each child attending PCA, including two polo shirts with the PCA logo, two pairs of pants, a belt, and a voucher for a pair of shoes. This year is one of many that the school experiences rapid expansion.
- Rachel Bennett Yanof (center) is executive director of Phoenix Collegiate Academy, a charter school. She believes her students are more than capable of handling a tough curriculum. “To say otherwise is to say, ‘I don’t believe in that child.’”
Phoenix Collegiate Academy’s success thus far – excellent test scores, amazing individual student achievement, and tremendous growth – has not gone unnoticed. An article about PCA was published on the front page of The Arizona Republic this past Sunday, July 24, 2011. Reporters stated that PCA is already becoming a model school, which others eagerly hope to follow. With its passionate teachers, rigorous curriculum, and highly disciplined environment, students become invested in their learning and achieve superior results.
Learn more about Phoenix Collegiate Academy in the article and on our website.
Thanks to a generous donation from Ernst and Young Phoenix employees and help from the Arizona Tree Council, PCA looks greener than ever. The work of volunteers from the different organizations, along with some digging help from a few students who came to school early, the project culminated in 5 new trees around the school grounds. The community of staff and students welcomed our new trees in a drumming-inspired ceremony for accepting new plants.
As part of the ceremony, we learned about leadership, tolerance, and drum-beating. It was an exciting way to connect everyone on campus and draw us closer together. The new trees and our ceremony has been the talk of campus and we’re especially thankful to Matt Collins at Ernst and Young, Heilee O’Quinn at Arizona Tree Council, and Julio Santillan at DLC Resources for their assistance in making this a reality.
