SASA Gr . 8 and High School Band Receive ACCOLADES at Spring MSBOA Festival and Solo & Ensemble Festival

The SASA 8th grade concert band and SASA High School band under the direction of Matthew Corrigan each received superior ratings on Saturday, March 6, 2010.

This year the District V MSBOA festival was held at Midland Central Middle School and involved nearly 140 students from the SASA band program. The High School and 8th grade bands not only received superior ratings,(the highest rating possible) but they also received them unanimously from all of the judges. The festival judges grade performances based on instrumental technique, musical interpretation, rhythm, intonation, and overall musicality. Especially impressive was each band's ability to receive superior ratings in the musical sight-reading portion of the competition.

On February 20, 2010 several members of the SASA High School band competed in the 2010 District V Solo and Ensemble Festival. Fourteen students received the highest possible rating. The Mixed chamber group under the direction of Richard Jensen also received a superior rating. This year all fourteen students as well as the Chamber ensemble will go on to compete in the State Final Solo and Ensemble competition on Saturday, March 27, 2010 at Central Michigan University.

Mrs. Nash, Mr. Corrigan and Mr. Jensen are all extremely proud of the High School band accomplishments. Go SASA bands!

SASA and ARTHUR HILL HIGH SCHOOL PRESENT DISNEY'S HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL at the TEMPLE THEATRE MARCH 19-21

SASA and Arthur Hill High School will combine to create a powerhouse cast of over 50 young actors and vocalists to perform Disney's HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL at the beautiful Temple Theatre in downtown Saginaw, MI, March 19-21, 2010. Ms. Colleen Cartwright, SASA Theatre Director/Instructor, and Mr. Jeff Larson of AHHS, Drama Teacher and HSM Assistant Director, are combining their many talents and skills along with their students for the production. The collaborative effort kicked off with a "Wildcat Carnival" for local elementary students at AHHS's gym on March 6 from 1-4 p.m.

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL Temple Theatre performance tickets are available by calling the Temple Theatre at 989-754-SHOW or at the schools in the main offices. Ticket cost for the shows is $7 students/$10 adults purchased 24 or more hours in advance at the schools, or $10 students/$13 adults at the door.

At the Feb. 2010 Saginaw Board of Education meeting, Ms. Colleen Cartwright was presented with a check for $5,000 from the National Association of Musical Merchants (NAMM) Foundation, represented by Fred Herter of Herter Music, Saginaw.

Ms Cartwright received the NAMM Foundation grant along with $4,000 in script and score use rights from a 2008 proposal she wrote to NAMM & Disney Corporation to produce and stage Disney's "High School Musical" in mid-March. SASA is one of only 10 schools nationwide to receive the grant this year. We can't wait to see the final production on the stage at the Temple! Come one, come all, see what these WILDCATS can do!

SASA and ARTHUR HILL HIGH SCHOOL PRESENT DISNEY'S HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL at the TEMPLE THEATRE MARCH 19-21

SASA and Arthur Hill High School will combine to create a powerhouse cast of over 50 young actors and vocalists to perform Disney's HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL at the beautiful Temple Theatre in downtown Saginaw, MI, March 19-21, 2010. Ms. Colleen Cartwright, SASA Theatre Director/Instructor, and Mr. Jeff Larson of AHHS, Drama Teacher and HSM Assistant Director, are combining their many talents and skills along with their students for the production. The collaborative effort kicked off with a "Wildcat Carnival" for local elementary students at AHHS's gym on March 6 from 1-4 p.m.

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL Temple Theatre performance tickets are available by calling the Temple Theatre at 989-754-SHOW or at the schools in the main offices. Ticket cost for the shows is $7 students/$10 adults purchased 24 or more hours in advance at the schools, or $10 students/$13 adults at the door.

At the Feb. 2010 Saginaw Board of Education meeting, Ms. Colleen Cartwright was presented with a check for $5,000 from the National Association of Musical Merchants (NAMM) Foundation, represented by Fred Herter of Herter Music, Saginaw.

Ms Cartwright received the NAMM Foundation grant along with $4,000 in script and score use rights from a 2008 proposal she wrote to NAMM & Disney Corporation to produce and stage Disney's "High School Musical" in mid-March. SASA is one of only 10 schools nationwide to receive the grant this year. We can't wait to see the final production on the stage at the Temple! Come one, come all, see what these WILDCATS can do!

SASA WELCOMES PARENT REVIEWS POSTED at GreatSchools.com

PARENTS AND PROSPECTIVE PARENTS: You are invited to read and post a review about SASA at GreatSchools.com

Compare SASA to other area or top Michigan schools at this website, or at Standard and Poor's SchoolMatters.com website.

We are proud of our students' many achievements, our school's academic progress and our families that matter to us! We invite you to share your impressions and insights with our public. GreatSchools.com accepts ongoing comments and input from the public, staff, and students.

SASA OPEN HOUSE is February 17 for Prospective New Students -Grades 6-12 in Fall 2010

On Wednesday, February 17, 2010 from 6:30-8:00 p.m. SASA will host its annual OPEN HOUSE for families of students interested in enrolling in the SASA programs for grades 6-8 or 9-12 when classes begin in the fall of 2010.

Students and staff will conduct tours, provide an opportunity for students to consider programs in the various Concentrations, and learn about application, admissions and performance requirements at SASA. For further information, call the school at (989) 399-5500. Application materials are available on this website at left by clicking the link under "How to Apply".

SASA Wordsmiths Sweep Local Essay Contests

Five students at SASA have been recognized in February 2010 for their completed essay entries in two regional annual contests.

Senior Nicole Smith was selected as the high school level D.A.R. Good Citizen for 2010 for her essay addressing the issues of equality and racial prejudice. Her essay was entered in the 2010 Daughters of the American Revolution annual contest for the chapters covering Saginaw and Bay counties. Nicole completed her essay while in school as required over two hours; students are given the prompt when they are seated at the table to write. The 2010 essay topic was "Our American Heritage and Our Responsibility for Preserving It-- Our Greatest Challenges Today". Her essay will now advance to the state level, where further recognition and scholarships are provided.

In the younger student forum, SASA 7th Grader Kellie Rankey received the first place 7th grade honors in the D.A.R. American History Essay Contest, the third time she has placed as a grade level winner in this event.

D.A.R. Awards were presented at an annual D.A.R. luncheon on February 12, 2010 in Saginaw, which was attended by the students, their parents and SASA Counselor Mrs. Tina Gutierrez as the school's representative.

Three students from SASA were named local winners in the 41st annual "America and Me" Essay Contest, sponsored by Farm Bureau Insurance Company. Sweeping the first through thirds places respectively were Sabrina Vernier, Parker Bradford and Kate Hurtig. As the school's first place winner, Sabrina's name will also be engraved on a plaque for permanent display in the school. Several thousand 8th graders from throughout MI competed in the essay contest. The 2009-10 topic was "My Personal Michigan Hero."

Sabrina's essay will advance to the state level competition, from which the top 10 essays in Michigan will be selected. Each of the 10 state winners will receive a plaque, a medallion, and a cash award of $1,000, and will be honored at a banquet in Lansing. At the banquet they will meet with the state's top governmental leaders and be featured guests at a Lansing Lugnuts minor league game dedicated to their honor.

SASA Accepts Generous Grant, Collaborates with Arthur Hill High School to Present HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL at the Temple Theatre, March 19-21 for Three Magnificent Shows

At the Feb. 2010 Saginaw Board of Education meeting, Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy's Theatre Instructor, Ms. Colleen Cartwright was presented with a check for $5,000 from the NAMM Foundation by Fred Herter of Herter Music, Saginaw.

Ms Cartwright received the NAMM Foundation grant along with $4,000 in script and score use rights from a 2008 proposal she wrote to NAMM & Disney Corporation to produce and stage Disney's "High School Musical" in mid-March. To heighten the audience's enjoyment, the production will be held at the beautiful Temple Theatre in downtown Saginaw on Washington Avenue.

SASA and Arthur Hill High School will combine to create a powerhouse cast of over 50 young actors and vocalists to perform the musical. Mr. Jeff Larson of AHHS is serving as the Assistant Director for the production. The collaborative effort will kick off with a "Wildcat Carnival" for local elementary students at AHHS's gym on March 6 from 1-4 p.m. Admission to the carnival is free, with only nominal costs for a variety of carnival-type games. Enjoy the costume contest and prizes for youngsters wearing their favorite HSM character garb! During the carnival, HSM cast from the SASA/AHHS production will provide a "sneak peek' of key musical numbers to be performed March 19-21.

HSM Temple performance tickets are available by calling the Temple Theatre at 989-754-SHOW. Ticket cost for the musical production is $7 students/$10 adults purchased 24 or more hours in advance, or $10 students/$13 adults at the door.

WILDCAT CARNIVAL for Elementary Kids at AHHS Gym, March 6, 1-4 p.m. to promote HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL, Admission free, Small cost for Games

see above NEWS item for further information on the WILDCAT CARNIVAL and the upcoming SASA/AHHS "High School Musical" production at the Temple Theatre, March 19-21.

SASA Achieves Accolades at District V MSVMA Vocal Solo & Ensemble Festival

SASA high school Voice/Keyboard class attended MSVMA District V Solo & Ensemble Festival on Saturday, February 6th. Nineteen Students performed solos and three others combined to create a treble trio. The results were exceptionally strong this year and we are very proud of our students. The scoring ranges from Division I to Division IV with I being the highest honor. SASA received 15 Division I ratings and 5 Division II.

Ten Students received perfect scores in Division I: April Weber, Joshua Trochet, Jacob Dresser, Alejandro Cervantes, Theresa Mahan, Jamieson Greenough, David Brown, Kebbi Kelly, Alyssa Ledesma, Anthony (Rusty) Howard. Additional Div. I placements: Briana Elmore, Walter Woods, Breanne Badger, Mariama Sharper, Kora Nixon.

Div. II finishes: Nicole Lynch, Shamiah Bell, Emerald Joiner, Hope Currie, Brooke Kemerer (Trio), Courtney Barnes (Trio), Allison Larson (Trio).

Congratulations to the VK staff for an outstanding perfomance record for your musical proteges! We commend Voice-Keyboard Concentration Instructor Michael Brush, Assistant Mia Krapf, Accompaniest Noel Howland. Hoo-rah!

SASA Artists Receive Numerous Scholastic Gold Key Awards for Visual Arts

Congratulations to SASA artists for earning the 2009 "Gold Key Award" in this esteemed multi-state, Region-At-Large adjudicated art program.

Nearly 800 students submitted 1,866 entries for judging. The Gold Key Award is the highest honor assigned to pieces in this competition. Gold Key Award winners are invited to attend the award ceremony and to exhibit their pieces at the Belin-Blank Center in Iowa City, Iowa. The show will run from March 7 - March 31, 2010. Gold Key award winners move on to be judged at the national level in New York City later in the spring.

Gold Key Award recipient artists from 2D Visual Arts (Teacher Becky Prine Sullivan), include: Marianne Elizalde, Grade 12, "Monster #1", Ink Drawing, as well as "Coke Bottle", Ink Drawing. Marianne also received a Gold Key Award for her overall 2D art portfolio as one entry with multiple pieces, entitled: "Reaching Happiness", Crayon Batik; "Urban Angst", Ink Drawing; "Nonsensical", Mixed Media Watercolor; "Serenity", Mixed Media Watercolor; "Downtown", Digital Photography with PhotoShop manipulations; "Mother Earth", Ink Drawing; "Monster #1", Ink Drawing; "Coke Bottle", Ink Drawing.
Additional Gold Key Award recognition was received by Danny Millar, Grade 12 for: "Prismatic Reflections; Personal Deceptions", Oil Paint. Danny also received an additional Gold Key Award for his artistic portfolio with pieces entitled: "Bell Sent a Letter...He Wants His Phone Back", Mixed Media; "His Last Word was "Moo", Oil Paint; "Nelophobia", Oil Paint; "Manifestation of Imagination", Watercolor; "Environmental Efficacy", Drawing Mixed Media; "Auspiciously Autumn", Ink Drawing, "This Drawing took a "Wheely" Long Time", Ink Drawing; "Prismatic Reflection; Personal Deceptions", Oil Paint.
A Gold Key was alo awarded to Nick Sarmiento, Grade 12, for his piece, "The Smoker", Oil Paint.

Gold Key Award artists recognized from the 3D Visual Arts Concentration, Teacher Sally Allan, include: Ce' Erica Roland-Ferguson, Grade 9, "Summer", Clay; and Donovan Webb, Grade 11, "Orb of Confusion", Ceramic Tea Pot.

Congratulations to these accomplished young artists -- we look forward to following your works and development as artists for many years to come! To the teachers -- you know how proud we are of these students, and we are also proud of YOU.

Saginaw Countuy Science Fair Names Two Students to Attend International Science & Engineering Fair in San Jose, CA

SASA Senior Nicole Smith and SASA/Saginaw High Sophomore Andrea Pugh were selected as 1st and 2nd place finalists by a team of judges at the 32nd Annual Saginaw County Science and Engineering Fair held in the school facility on February 5-7, 2010. The students will be exhibiting finalists for the all-expense paid trip to San Jose, CA, May 9-14, 2010 with their SASA teacher-sponsors John Barnes (Pugh) and Matthew Miller (Smith). Junior Alexandriya Emonds (SASA teacher-sponsor, Stephen Tack) was named alternate in case one of the top two cannot attend or if one should later be named the MI State Science Fair Finalist to the ISEF. The Michigan State Science Fair is held at Kettering University in Flint on April 10.

Eight other SASA high school students were designated to represent the SCSEF at the MI SEF in April. They include: John Bihn, Elizabeth Curtiss, Kwaku Ofori-Darko, John Shinners, Samuel Wilkins, Magda Hlavacek, and D'Montae Jones.

Results for the Junior (Gr 6-8) and Elementary Divisions (gr 5) will be posted in full as soon as written results are available from the Science Fair Committee organizers.
Names of general and special award winners at all levels can be found at this link: http://pub.spsd.net/communityeducation/SCSEF10AwardList.htm

Congratulations to all of these and the other hard working, deep thinking young men and women and their teachers!

ELEMENTARY Students to be Treated to High School Musical WILDCAT CARNIVAL at AHHS March 6

Calling all elementary students and their families!!! Join the Saginaw Arts & Sciences Academy and Arthur Hill High School cast of "Disney High School Musical" for their WILDCAT CARNIVAL on Saturday March 6th from 1-4pm in the Arthur Hill High School Gymnasium. Cheap tickets and great prizes. Try out your luck on one of the old fashioned carnival games, the cake walk, or even the "High School Musical" karaoke contest! Dress like your favorite "HSM" character, and you could win a prize! AHHS athletic boosters will be selling concessions! The SASA and AHHS cast of "Disney High School Musical" will end the carnival with a special performance from the show!

Zehnder’s Snowfest- SASA 3D ART Snowcarver Teams Have a Successful Showing in State-wide Festival Competition

Of the eighteen teams from around the state competing at the High School level, the SASA ‘A’ Team at the 2010 Zehnder’s Frankenmuth SNOWFEST High School Carving Competition earned a second place award, and the SASA ‘B’ Team earned third place at the competition this season.

Student teams were allowed to use creatively customized tools (no power tools allowed) to carve their 6’ x 6’ x 8’ blocks. The tools we used ranged from a handmade 8’ aluminum saw to a horse’s curry comb. Teams were allowed 12 hours on Thursday and 10 hours on Friday to finish their creations. Coach and 3D Instructor Sally Allan was joined by parent/chaperones Mr. Joe Wieland, Mr & Mrs. Roger and Linda Berkan, Mr. Ron Metiva and Mrs. Allan’s husband and assistant-extraordinaire Mr. Sandy Walke.

‘A’ High School Team members for 2010 are: Captain: Audrey Berkan, Shayla Gonsalves, Hannah Riebschleger, Hannah Vitu, Alternate: Michaela Metiva. This team sculpted a broken Goldfish Bowl complete with an escaping goldfish

‘B’ High School Team members for 2010 are: Captain: Vicky Wieland, Marianne Elizalde, Austin Kemp, Nick Sarmiento, Alternate: Sarah Wallace. The “B” Team carved four 7-foot tall books, positioned both open and closed, and an accompanying pencil.

In the State of Michigan Competition, seniors Michelle Perry and Peter Bonk and 2009 SASA graduate Amanda Wright successfully carved a third place finish with their ‘Carousel with Horses’ from an 8’ x 8’ x 10’ block of snow. There were eighteen teams total competing in the Bavarian Inn parking lot. This is Michele and Amanda’s second trip to the State competition. They competed in the State Contest (normally restricted to those 18 and over) last year, a result of winning a first place in the 2008 High School Competition.

Another team in the State Competition, familiar to our students, included SASA graduates Graham Allingham and Clark Cederberg along with Adam Miller.

The Snow Carvers appreciate donations of any amount to our 3D Art school fund for tool refurbishing and cold weather gear.

SASA Dance Program Selected for State Honor: Two Dance Performances Chosen for MI Youth Arts Festival in May at WMU

This year the high school SASA Dance Concentration will bring two creative pieces to the stage at Michigan Youth Arts Festival at Western Michigan University, May 13-15.

The two pieces are titled "Realign", choreographed by Ryan Schmidt of New York (who came to SASA as a fall guest teacher) and "Frantic, Fear, Foreseen", choreographed by Miss Alyssa Sauvie (sophomore, SASA/Swan Valley HS).

Both pieces will be performed at the Saturday Morning Dance Showcase Concert. Alyssa's piece, "Frantic, Fear, Foreseen", has also been chosen as one of two dances to be performed at the Thursday night "Opening Gala Celebration". Alyssa is the first student choreographer -- ever! --- to have her choreography work chosen for showcase in the Opening Night Gala Celebration.

The nine dancers participating in the festival are: Kamahria Crittle (9), Domonique Freeman (11), KeeLee Holihan( 11), Starletta King (9), Jaden Moten (11), Alyssa Sauvie (10), Shatarea Simms (10), Maureen Sullivan (11), and Lakesha Thompkins (12). The SASA Dance instructor, whose piece was showcased in the Gala Opening Celebration in 2009, is Mrs. Megan Bublitz, herself a graduate of the SASA dance program before attending WMU for her Dance degree.

For further information, contact Mrs. Meagan Bublitz at the Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy at (989) 399-5500.

NICOLE SMITH Named National Merit Finalist and Candidate for Presidential Scholar

Announcement received January 25, 2010 and February 5, 2010: SASA Senior Nicole Elizabeth Smith, who has also earned accolades for her recent perfect ACT score of 36, is now a National Merit Scholarship Finalist and a national PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLAR candidate. Nicole is the daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Gregory and Dawn Smith of Midland. Nicole and her family -- and we --are thrilled! This is the second year for a member of the senior class at SASA to be considered for these prestigious distinctions. Last year's candidate was Nicholas Triantafillou who is now attending the University of Michigan.
Congratulations, Nicole!

SASA Pieces Selected From MAEA Art Exhibit to go to State Exhibition Judging

The Michigan Art Educator's Association (MAEA) recently conducted its annual adjudication for the Region 11 art exhibit. Each art teacher may submit a total of five pieces of art for each age group that is taught (elementary, middle school and/or high school). Winners from the Region 11 exhibit will move on to be judged for the state level shows, including Michigan Youth Arts Festival. SASA Region 11 award winners include:

From 2D High School Art - Teacher - Becky Prine Sullivan
Marianne Elizalde - Grade 12, Prismacolor Marker Drawing titled "Monster #1"
Danny Millar - Grade 12, Oil Painting titled "Prismatic Reflections, Personal Deceptions"
Jessica Walker - Grade 11, Crayon Batik titled "Aves con Flores" From 3D High School Art - Teacher - Sally Allan
Audrey Berkan - Ceramic Giraffe Rattle titled "Finnigan"

From 2D Middle School Art - Teacher - Becky Prine Sullivan
Kristina Roland - Grade 8, Pencil Drawing titled "Conversing with the Past"
Childress Cannon - Grade 6, Prismacolor Marker titled "Trickery"
Anthony Robinson - Grade 6, Mixed Media titled "That's Me"

From 3D Middle School Art - Teacher - Sally Allan
Morgan Wolfgang - Grade 7, Mixed Media titled "Lunar Landscape".

Pieces will be on display at the Saginaw Art Museum on Federal St. through February 21, 2010 during regular museum hours.

SASA Named Silver Medalist School in U.S.News and World Report "America's Best High Schools" Rankings

In December 2009, the Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy was again named among the top 2.2% high schools in the nation, and this year was the sole recognized high school in Saginaw County in the 2009 “U.S. News and World Report Top U.S. High Schools” ranking report.

In all, twenty high schools in Michigan were recognized with silver or gold medal standings.

The ranking, which began in 2007, is released annually to recognize the achievements of American High Schools that achieve highly in preparing significant number of seniors well for college readiness, as evidenced by quality performance on Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate exams. The index also measures school performance in achievement for minority and economically disadvantaged students at a rate comparable to white and higher income students. SASA was elevated from a bronze medal winner in 2008 to silver medal and remains as a silver medalist winner this year due to continuing progress in the areas mentioned above.

Congratualtions to SASA's students, faculty and parents for making SASA a standout program in all of Mid-Michigan!

SASA Science Teacher Carla Piazza Receives Grant from Target Stores for Science Curriculum Field Trip

This fall, Mrs. Carla Piazza wrote for and has recently received notice she will receive an $800 grant from Target Stores, Inc. for an enviroinmental science study by SASA students. Mrs. Piazza teaches both 6th grade general and Concentration Science, and 8th grade Pre-AP Environmental general science at SASA.

For her grant, 6th grade and 8th grade science students will participate in a "hands-on/minds-on" ecological learning activity. They will work with the naturalists at Bay City State Park to study and explore our ecosystem. They will learn how they can be good stewards of their environment. Specific activities include a macroinvertebrate study in the park's watershed to determine the pollution levels that exist presently in the Great Lakes Bay Region by identifying indicator species. Students will take water and soil samples to test for a number of pollutants and ecosystem health indicators. Students will participate in wildlife and plant scavenger hunts to identify aspects of biodiversity within the park. They will finish with a park cleanup, spending time picking up trash along the beach and trails.

Upon return to the classroom, teams of students will develop "environmental fair" presentations, demonstrating what they have learned about good stewardship of their Great Lakes Bay Watershed.

Prospective Students are Invited to Visit for a Day at SASA

Are you the parent of a student who is interested in attending SASA in the fall of 20n, but you may know only a little about the school? Do you want to learn more and see if your child is a good match for the programs at SASA?

If so, you are welcome to request that your child currently in grades 5-11 be allowed to visit SASA for a day to see what the program has to offer.

Please call the school at (989) 399-5500 or email jnash@spsd.net and ask for a "Visitor Request Form" at least 10 days before the desired date for your child to shadow a student for a day at SASA.

Our Counselor and Administrators will assign visiting guests to current SASA students with similar Concentration and elective program interests. Parent tours are also conducted on request, often on the same day as your child's visit.

Interested students are approved for visitation who have a strong record of academic achievement in all core subjects, and current grades that show this, including those who have exceptional theatrical, vocal, dance or visual artistic talent, and those who exhibit a desire to succeed through hard work and meaningful exploration.

Voice Keyboard Program Reaches Out to Support Community Performances

SASA's Voice Keyboard Middle School Program will be performing on Monday Jan. 11 at 11:00 at the Dow Event Center, Unity Hall. They will perform two vocal selections for the Martin Luther King Community Unity forum under the direction of Mr. Mike Brush: "Walking as Children" and "Many Cultures, One Future." After the performance, all 28 V/K students will remain for lunch and the roundtable Martin Luther King Day discussion.

On Jan. 8 (in spite of the snow day) the 29 high School Voice/Keyboard students will perform at the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Bay City with folk musician and vocalist Greg Greenway. Mr. Greenway is a renowned folk artist coming to the Tri-Cities from Massachusetts. Mr. Greenway performed at SASA for the high school Living Arts program on January 7, with local area vocalist and musician Jen Cass.

2009 ICONS Earns a Gold Medalist Award in Adjudication by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association

The 2009 issue of ICONS earned a Gold Medalist Award in adjudication by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association at Columbia University in New York. This is the highest honor bestowed to high school and college art and literary magazines in the first round of judging. The magazine earned 972/1000 possible points. In addition ICONS was recognized with three of three possible All Columbian Awards for excellence in organization, content and design. The All Columbian Awards indicate that the magazine has scored at or above the 95th percentile in relation to other publications from across the nation and the world. As the result of earning a Gold Medalist Award, ICONS qualifies to move onto the final round of judging for Crown Awards which rewards the top 1% of publications.

The judges' comments relating to the written pieces included: "wonderful alliteration", "the visual imagery and word choice is outstanding; the vocabulary evokes the senses". With regard to the visual art selections, the judges' statements included: "The quality of the art throughout the magazine is excellent", "the detail captured in each piece is amazing", "the multi-layered effect in so many images is outstanding". Overall the critique indicated that ICONS was a "top-notch magazine, a reader's visual and verbal treat!"

ICONS is 100% student produced under the guidance of advisers Becky Prine Sullivan and Jared Morningstar. In addition, Sandra Darland of the District's Information Services Department is involved with instruction of computer technology and instruction related to the printing of the publication.

ICONS Student staff:
Brianna Fulmer - Editor-in-Chief; Marianne Elizalde - Artistic Director; Jessica Walker - Assistant Editor;
Layout Staff: Austin Kemp, Sydney Veverka,
Photography: Chris Reuther, Hannah Vitu, Vicki Wieland,
Prose and Poetry Editors: Portia Brown, Nickolette De Clerk, Katie Francis, Jacob Gorski, Katie Pope, Chris Reuther.

Dow Corning Foundation sponsors local high school students at fifth annual Virginia Hispanic Youth Symposium

Seven Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy Hispanic high school students took part in the fifth annual Virginia Hispanic Youth Symposium, a four-day, three-night college access program hosted by the Hispanic College Fund at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. The Dow Corning Foundation sponsored all seven students, providing airfare, lodging and registration for the symposium. The Foundation was also a major corporate funder for the Hispanic College Fund event.

“The Dow Corning Foundation is proud to have sponsored these nine outstanding students from the Saginaw area,” said Kimberly Houston-Philpot, President, Dow Corning Foundation. “It is our hope that these students take the lessons learned at the symposium and realize that they too can achieve a college education, pursue a professional career, and invest in our community as volunteers and leaders.”

Over 200 Hispanic students from across the country gathered for the event. Student attendees, who were selected from a competitive admissions pool of nearly 400 applicants, focused on learning strategies for success related to college, career, and community service through a number of workshops and mentorship opportunities.

In addition to the workshops, student attendees had the opportunity to hear success stories first hand from business leaders and public figures including: Fern Barrueta, CEO of the Hispanic College Fund; Douglas Garcia, Assistant Secretary of Education, Office of the Governor, Virginia; and Monica Villalta, Director of Diversity Programs, Kaiser Permanente.

SASA Debuts on WNEM TV-5 COOL SCHOOLS Segment

WNEM TV-5's Jay Brandow came to SASA to film its "Cool Schools" segment with over 200 students present at 4:00 in the morning! Thanks kids -- and thanks also to so many parents and staff! See the segment for yourself at: http://www.wnem.com/video/19407567/index.html

© 2010 Saginaw Arts & Sciences Academy
1903 N. Niagara St. • Saginaw, MI 48602 • Tel: (989) 399-5500 • Fax: (989) 399-5515 • Email Us