Amana Academy

Amana Academy is a Fulton County School System K-8 charter school in Alpharetta, Georgia. It has a collection of unique educational approaches, including gender segregated classes, Arabic language instruction, Expeditionary Learning, classroom looping, and an emphasis on environmental education.

Guiding principles

Individual Responsibility

* Seeking knowledge is a responsibility. The pursuit of self-excellence in our education and the proper development of personal abilities and skills enable us to realize our potential.
* Avoiding what harms and seeking what benefits the mind and body in a healthy environment (place/people) benefit our character, education and physical being.

Responsibility Toward Community

* As a school community, our first responsibility is the education of future citizens, by modeling teamwork, life-long learning and personal integrity.
* As stewards of knowledge, skills and abilities, we each have the responsibility of putting our capabilities to use by serving and positively influencing society.
* Our responsibility as an institution is to create a welcoming atmosphere of openness, efficiency and accountability with all of the stakeholders.
* We serve our community when personal interactions exemplify civil treatment, principled modest conduct, a respectful demeanor and humble attitude.
* By persevering to work together as a united community, we gain a continuous source of renewal and positive peer pressure that helps us attain our goals.

Responsibility Toward Humanity and Environment

* Our priority in addressing global human issues, sustainable development and environmental stewardship is to use reality-based scientific, social and cultural study and through hands-on community experience.
* By understanding our unique purpose in this world and how our simple daily choices affect it, we will be in a better position to make contributions to humanity and the environment.
* Excelling as global stewards requires understanding the causes and effects of detrimental forces such as materialism, excessive consumerism, pop culture, sexism, and prejudice and developing the means to counter them.

Education

Amana's name comes from the Arabic word for stewardship.Learning Expeditions at Amana are usually organized to include one of the Guiding Principles. Amana is also notable for being the only public school in the United States to require Arabic instruction for all students. As a Georgia charter school, the students are responsible for learning the state curiculumn, the Georgia Performance Standards. This includes science, social studies, language arts and math. Art and music are incorporated into the lessons. Arabic is taught according to the Georgia EFSL model, which requires the students to meet with their Arabic instructors every day for at least thirty minutes.

chool uniforms

Amana students are required to wear school uniforms [http://www.amanaacademy.org/uniform-store-qa.htm] .

Awards and Recognition

In 2005, Amana was awarded the coveted Walton Grant, awarded to start up charter schools on the strength of their charter and leadership team. On April 18th, 2006 Amana was named Environmental School of the Year for North Fulton County by the City of Roswell. Kindergarten teaching assistant Samantha Tunick was also awarded Environmental Educator of the Year by Roswell. This award recognizes her leadership by heading up Amana's Environmental Crew, organizing the school's entry to the national Recycling Challenge and teaching an elective, multi-age environmental education class each week. Amana also recently won a national recycling contest, organized by Sea World, Busch Gardens and Newell Rubbermaid. The students were awarded an animal show by Sea World and a two hundred dollar prize.

Amana also won recognition from the office of the Governor for high academic achievement in the 2005-2006 school year. This award was based on standardized test scores, student retention and attendance. Amana was one of 269 schools in Georgia recognized and the only charter school in Fulton County.

External links

* [http://www.amanaacademy.org/index.html Amana's website]
* [http://www.elob.org/ Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound (ELOB)]
* [http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/northfulton/0104/26arabic.html AJC article 1.26.04 ]
* [http://www.ajc.com/search/content/auto/epaper/editions/thursday/northside_243c11628100c0b400b7.html AJC article 6.30.05]

* [http://www.ajc.com/wednesday/content/epaper/editions/wednesday/atlanta_world_44236f9622fd709f00fc.html AJC Article 4.05.06]