School Events - Tucson International Academy

TIA Goes on The Great Pumpkin Hunt

When the kids from Tucson International Academy charter school arrive at Buckelew Farm, the great Pumpkin hunt begins. The first thing they notice is the pumpkins, the bigger the better--especially to the younger kids! It seems that the goal is to choose a pumpkin just slightly bigger and heavier than oneself. Some of the children are so successful they actually need help from teachers to haul in their prizes!

The Great Pumpkin Hunt at Buckelew Farm

The kids from all four TIA campuses will make their way to Buckelew Farm this month. They will board buses to head out to the farm for a day of fun and learning outside the classroom. Buckelew Farm is just 30 minutes from downtown Tucson on Ajo Way. The cost of $15 per person which includes transportation to the farm, tractor-drawn wagon rides to and from the pumpkin patch, and one pumpkin each. The kids will have a terrific time and be happy that they found the perfect pumpkin!

Thursday October 27th, 2016 at Buckelew Farm

K-6, $15, Jeans ok, School uniform shirt, School lunch sack will be provided, bring water, cap, sun lotion, walking tennis shoes

Looking for some yummy Pumpkin recipes? Here are a few sites:

12 Healthy Pumpkin Recipes

17 Delicious Pumpkin Recipes

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TIA Annual Debate Competition

Tucson International Academy's annual debate competition will be our last academic competition event of the 2016 school year. It positions some of the brightest and most articulate students of Tucson International Academy's four campuses against each other. Two out of the last three championship competitions were decided by only one vote. The championship three years ago went into a sudden death competition round. Obviously, these competitions have been quite exciting over the years! Debate Topics The topics that will be debated will include the following: 1) To lower the legal drinking age 2) The belief that criminal justice should focus on rehabilitation 3) The belief that animals have rights 4) To ban religious symbols in public buildings 5) To support random drug testing in schools This year's competition will be held at TIA's East Campus on April 20th from 10:00 a.m. until approximately 1:30 p.m. There will be a break for lunch between debate competitions. Each team is allowed up to five students, but all competitors must speak or take an argument during the competition. Hope to see you there!

TIA Annual Debate Competition

April 20, 2016 Held at East Campus 10:00 - 1:30

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TIA 2016 Language Fair

March 19, 2016 was a beautiful Saturday for the TIA language fair. Our Chinese and Spanish teachers and their wonderful students looked forward to this annual program. Judges and Audience Deeply Touched by Amazing Performances Dr. J. hosted the event on the stage, while Mrs. Enriquez organized the performers backstage. The teachers prepared the students for the performances. The superstars were our students. They sang songs in both Chinese and Spanish and they performed a play in Chinese and Spanish. Each grade was represented in a performance. Students recited various poems in both languages. The judges and the audience were deeply touched by the amazing performances. The 2016 Language Fair is finished, but the spirit of the language fair goes on. Teachers and students are continuing to work hard on learning more about Chinese and Spanish languages and different cultures. TIA Students Preparing to be Modern Global Citizens Learning about a variety of cultures at TIA is not limited to China or Latin America. The school is offering the students a trip to Africa and Spain this 2016 summer (see below for more info). TIA students are looking at the entire world, preparing to be modern global citizens. The TIA language program gives the students a good start on reaching this goal. Written by Ms. Xiuqing Sun, Chinese teacher at TIA Broadway, West, and Midvale campuses

TIA is going to Spain and Africa

June 16-24, 2016

For details ask Mrs. Canez at the Corporate office located at the West Campus (520) 792-3255

Secure your spot! Cost: $3167.00 per person $400 deposit due now Bring your passport

Enroll Today at TIA!

Tiny participant in the TIA 2016 Language Fair

Winterfest 2015

In the Air There's a Feeling of Christmas!

It’s almost here! Tucson International Academy is hosting their highly anticipated 2015 Winterfest event Thursday evening, December 10th from 5 pm to 8:30 pm. Because of the popularity of this event, we have extended the time frame and moved to a bigger facility this year! The festivities will begin at 5:00 pm at the Event Center located behind the Grand Luxe Hotel and Resort at 1365 W Grant Rd, Tucson, AZ 85745. All TIA students from all of the campuses will be performing during this year’s Winterfest. It is a memorable evening so be sure to bring your video camera! Along with the performances, there will be plenty of food offered which is a TIA tradition! TIA families know how to cook and sharing a meal together is an activity we cherish! There will also be games, music and other holiday surprises! We might even be able to get Santa himself to drop in for a visit for pictures with our kids and families. At the end of the evening there will be a raffle. Several spectacular baskets, each with a different theme, will be raffled off. No one wants to miss this magical night with their TIA family. It is always the perfect kick off to an amazing holiday season! So don your best Christmas sweater and join us!

2015 Career Fair: A Day of Hope and Possibilities

Barriers. Challenges. Hurdles. What do you call those seemingly impossible roadblocks that you encounter in life? What are your current obstacles? Lack of money? Lack of support? Past failures? Meet Jessica Cox … her challenge is having been born without arms. Arizona’s own Jessica Cox was the much-anticipated keynote speaker at TIA’s annual Career Fair held April 2nd, 2015. She spoke, not so much about her challenges, but more about her accomplishments. Where just learning to brush her teeth or dress herself could have been the accomplishments she shared, Jessica amazed and inspired us all with stories of how she became the world's first licensed armless airplane pilot. She also shared how she has been named the first armless black-belt in the American Taekwondo Association. There’s nothing like a little perspective to motivate and inspire! Suddenly our own challenges didn’t seem like roadblocks at all, but more like pebbles on our path to just be swept aside! Students’ dreams of going to college to become a doctor, a police officer, a teacher, or a scientist did not seem so unattainable. In fact, with the many other professional partners and businesses that are represented at the career fair, doors of opportunity seem to be flying open at every turn! Some dreams were solidified, other dreams were born. It was a day full to the brim with possibilities, fresh ideas and options! But these concepts of hope are not new to TIA students. They are already overcomers in their own right. Every single senior has been accepted to college and all are the first generation in their families to do so. TIA students already have the ability to see boulders in the road as merely stepping stones to higher ground! So again this year, TIA’s annual Career Fair was a roaring success. We are so grateful to all those in our community who partner with our school to make this day of hope and possibilities a reality.

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Muffins for Mom & Doughnuts for Dad – A Celebration of Good Parenting

I once heard a mom describe parenting as having her heart walk around outside her body. The bond of love between parents and their children is a mystery. For many people, it is the truest form of love they will ever know. If the bond is damaged, it often can leave a scar carried for the rest of a person’s life. That’s why, when parents step up to the plate and not only love their children, but love them unselfishly with their time and effort, children have a much better chance of thriving and growing into the best people they can be. Becoming a parent is easy. Good parenting takes everything you’ve got.

Acknowledging the Challenges of Single Parents

About 5 years ago, Midvale Principal Valerie Enriquez, realized she was seeing a lot of good parenting happening in the families of her students. She noted how active many of the parents were in their child’s education at TIA. The extra time spent in the classroom, attending school events, and chaperoning field trips was extraordinary. It then occurred to Ms Enriquez how often it was single parents, sometimes juggling two jobs along with all the duties at home, that were volunteering at school. It dawned on her how great it would be to give special accolades to these single parents for doing all of this by themselves. So Mrs. Enriquez invited these parents to the first Muffins for Mom/ Doughnuts for Dad program as a way to acknowledge, applaud and give support to all the single parents of her students.

An Emotional Event

Besides serving tasty pastries to these parents, the students prepared poems or something affirming to say to their parents. Then each parent is presented a flower. The TIA staff were somewhat skeptical how many parents would actually attend the short morning program, but were amazed when they had a huge turnout of 70-75 parents! It ended up being a very emotional affair. Many happy tears were shed by parents listening to their children affirm them publically. Even teenagers, who maybe had argued with their folks the night before, stood up and expressed their love and appreciation for their parents.

Successful Program Spreads

The event was so successful, it now is an annual celebration of good parenting on all four TIA campuses and has extended to include all TIA parents. It is scheduled for May each year to coordinate with Mother’s and Father’s Day and to send parents and students into their summer with reaffirmed love and support.

Parents and Students love TIA! Enroll Online!

Chinese New Year 2015

Gabriella ran into the house after school and breathlessly announced, “Mom! There was a dancing dragon on the playground today!” Gabriella’s mom might have suspected her tiny daughter with the huge imagination was telling a tall tale if she attended school anywhere other than Tucson International Academy. At TIA, dancing dragons on the playground are very possible! In fact, with Chinese New Year occurring this week, dancing-dragon-crossing signs could be placed all around the school!

What is Chinese New Year?

Chinese New Year celebrations, also known as the Spring Festival, start on the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month of the Chinese calendar. In China, the holiday is the most important social and economic event of the year, traditionally linked to honoring the household, heavenly gods and ancestors. Today, China celebrates Jan. 1 as New Year’s Day, but the country continues to mark the Spring Festival as a time to spend with family and relax from work. The festival lasts from 15-23 days. The event is celebrated on a different day each year since the Chinese calendar is “luni-solar” which takes into account both the earth’s and moon’s movements. The Chinese New Year for 2015 begins on February 19 and marks the start of the year of the Goat. Each year corresponds to a different zodiac sign and animal. The Chinese zodiac consists of 12 animals that denote a person’s birth known as shengxiao: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. Each of the animals is named after one favored by the Buddha and is said to influence an individual’s personality. People born in a year of the Goat are generally believed to be gentle mild-mannered, shy, stable, sympathetic, amicable, and brimming with a strong sense of kindheartedness and justice. They have very delicate thoughts, strong creativity, and perseverance, and acquire professional skills well. Although they look gentle on the surface, they are tough on the inside, always insisting on their own opinions in their minds. They have strong inner resilience and excellent defensive instincts. Though they prefer to be in groups, they do not want to be the center of attention. They are reserved and quiet, most likely because they like spending much time in their thoughts. Goats like to spend money on fashionable things that give them a first class appearance. Although goats enjoy spending money on the finer things in life, they are not snobbish.

How do People in China Celebrate Chinese New Year?

Many people clean their homes to welcome the Spring Festival. Families tend to clean their homes in the days leading up to the celebration but all dusters and brooms are hidden during the holiday so that “good luck cannot be swept away.” The holiday itself is usually spent with family, shopping, watching fireworks, and in some cases, involves a religious ceremony honoring heaven, earth, and other deities. They put up red posters with poetic verses on their doors, Chinese New Year pictures on their walls, and decorate their homes with red lanterns. In the evening of the Spring Festival Eve, many people set off fireworks and firecrackers, hoping to cast away any bad luck and bring forth good luck. Children often receive “luck” money. Many people wear new clothes and send Chinese New Year greetings to each other. Various activities such as beating drums and striking gongs, as well as dragon and lion dances, are all part of the Spring Festival festivities.

History of Chinese New Year

According to historical documents, on the day when Shun, who was one of ancient China’s mythological emperors, came to the throne more than 4000 years ago, he led his ministers to worship heaven and earth. From then on, that day was regarded as the first day of the first lunar month in the Chinese calendar. This is the basic origin of Chinese New Year. China adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1911, so Chinese New Year was renamed the Spring Festival. The red poster with poetic verses was initially a type of amulet, but now it simply means good fortune and joy. Various Chinese New Year symbols express different meanings. For example, an image of a fish symbolizes “having more than one needs every year.” A firecracker symbolizes “good luck in the coming year.” The festival lanterns symbolize “pursuing the bright and the beautiful.” Let us bring the world to your child and your child to the world. Maybe they’ll see a dancing dragon! Click here to enroll! Author: Betty Kruszka ~ TheJ3Effect

High School Students Raise Money for London Trip

TIA is taking a trip to London on March 12-21, 2015. Among the students, parents and teachers going on this trip, seven are college bound seniors. The school and students have committed to raising $3300 for each of these seven students. Below are some of the ideas that the students have come up with to help raise the money they need for this trip.

High School Students Raise Money for London Trip

Each school is selling $10 tickets for a Playstation 4 (or $400 in cash) to be raffled off at the Cinco de Mayo events held at each campus. Each school campus needs to sell a minimum of 400 tickets in order for the raffle to go through for their school. Every 400 tickets sold will raise enough money to send one student to London. All the money raised will be equally distributed among the students going.

Drill Team and Soccer Camps

Drill Team Camp: The Drill Team from West campus will host a Drill Team Camp for any girls interested in learning a dance routine to “What Does the Fox Say” and practice with pom poms doing a school spirit routine. It will be 5 days for 1 hour at lunch time. The cost is $50 for each student attending. The Drill Team Camp girls will perform a dance routine at the Chinese New Year Celebration at West campus. They will also get a T-shirt that can be worn as a school uniform. January 26-30, 2015 at TIA West Soccer Camp: The older students who are in the soccer league will host a Soccer Camp to train anyone interested in learning how to play soccer. This will be for all ages and abilities, 5 days for 1 ½ hours each day. It will cost each student $50 which includes a T-shirt that can be worn as a school uniform. The final day of camp, the participants will put on a mini tournament for the parents. Broadway and East Campus: February 2-6, 2015 and Midvale it will be Feb 9-13. Held during school hours. West campus has already had their soccer camp and it was a great success!

Yearbook Ads

The Yearbook committee is selling ad space in the yearbook that will be donated to students going on the London trip. The ads can be purchased by parents wanting to leave a message to their student to congratulate them, as a memory space or by a business wanting to advertise. The page sizes available are Full page, 1/2 page, 1/4 page, and business card. Contact Ms Canez for more info (520) 792-3255. There will also be car washes, food sales and other fundraisers that are still in the process of being created by the students. Any and all financial donations are welcome. Written by Kim Murphey~TheJ3Effect

high school students raise money for London trip

TIA “Own Your Success” Event Preparing Students for College

TIA invited Master Elite Results Coach Brodie Whitney to share his “Own Your Success” message which is preparing students for college. Four TIA West campus students share their take on this event.

Questions Asked of Each Student

Three questions are asked of the students: What was your overall experience from the Coach Brodie event? What was the most valuable thing you learned from the event? What are your plans after high school? You will hear the answers from Rubina (11th), Victor (10th), Brittney (11th), Pauola (11th) as they share what they learned at the "Own Your Success" event.

Quote From Student

Pauola shares, “Success has different definitions to each individual. It doesn’t always have to be about money. It can be about what makes you happy. What do you want to achieve in life? Take big or small steps to get there. Always be uplifting. Never focus on the past. Move forward.” This is part three of a three part series. Link to video http://youtu.be/mKNn61J0V7A Video by Braelyn Smith~TheJ3Effect Writer: Kim Murphey~TheJ3Effect

preparing students for college video interview

School with a Heart – TIA’s Annual Food Drive

Santa sat in his oversized red velvet chair with tears running down his chubby cheeks. His chair was at the mall and he was really Mr. Jamison, the local mailman. Yet on December weekends, he was Santa. He loved the little ones with eyes bright that would timidly request one treasured gift. And he also delighted in the bigger more “Santa-experienced” kids as they excitedly rattled off their long, detailed lists of requests. But it was the wish of the last little boy that sat on his lap today that brought him to tears. “Please Santa” the little one whispered, “please help my daddy find a job so we aren’t hungry anymore and I can sleep in a bed instead of the car.”

A Family in Need

The story above is fictional, but its elements are very real. Many children in our community would pass up a fancy toy this Christmas if they could have a full tummy and a real bed. In fact, a few years ago, a TIA parent came in right before Christmas break and asked her child’s teacher if her family could be given any left over food from the Christmas parties. The mother explained they were going through some hard times since her husband lost his job. The teacher went beyond the mother’s request and quickly put together a flyer asking the TIA family to help. And TIA families responded--donating boxes of food to the family in need.

The First Annual Food Drive

It was that event that prompted TIA staff to organize an annual food drive for needy families at TIA and eventually for the community at large. On TV we are often made aware of the needs of hungry children all over the world, yet there are many hungry children right here in our community. It is the responsibility and privilege of our school to help those in our TIA family that are in need. In fact there is legislation that insures local school districts are aware of, and protect the rights of, children in their district in need. It is called the McKinney-Vento Act.

How the McKinney-Vento Act Protects Homeless Children

Local school districts must appoint Local Education Liaisons to ensure that school staff are aware of the rights of homeless children. The liaisons also provide information to homeless families about various forms of assistance, and facilitate access to school and transportation services. Miss Cannon is the liaison for the McKinney-Vento Act at TIA. The McKinney-Vento Act defines homeless children as “individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.” The Act then goes on to give examples of children who would fall under this definition:

Children sharing housing due to economic hardship or loss of housing;
Children living in “motels, hotels, trailer parks, or campgrounds due to lack of alternative accommodations”
Children living in “emergency or transitional shelters”
Children “awaiting foster care placement”
Children whose primary nighttime residence is not ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation (e.g. park benches, etc.)
Children living in “cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations…”

Watching Out for One Another

Every year we learn that 2 to 5 TIA district families are legally homeless. Teachers watch for signs that students are hungry or in need. Mr. Montemeyer remembers one student who daily asked for any left-over apples or bananas. If any extra food was available the boy immediately put it in his backpack to take home. When Mr. Montemeyer asked the student about it, the child explained that often the only food he received was lunch at school so the extra food was for his little sister who was not in school yet and may not have anything to eat otherwise. The boy also told Mr. Montemeyer that he and his sister lived with 12 other people in a 2 bedroom apartment.

TIA School With a Heart

TIA assists their families in need as much as they can. They help the families by offering free school uniforms, bus passes, gift cards for shoes and clothes, and, of course, the annual food drive. Thousands of items have already been donated. Last year TIA families were so generous, the school was able to donate the surplus to the community food bank. It didn’t take legislation to get TIA families to watch out for their own; it’s what being part of a family is all about. In poverty and other misfortunes of life, true friends are a sure refuge. The young they keep out of mischief; to the old they are a comfort and aid in their weakness, and those in the prime of life they incite to noble deeds. ~Aristotle Interested in becoming part of our school family? Enroll online! Story by Betty Kruszka~TheJ3Effect