8th Grade Hub

Dear 8th grade Amana parents,

This moment is truly bittersweet for many of us- we all hoped our 8th graders would have the chance to conclude their time at Amana traditionally- with hugs, ceremonies, and goodbyes to teachers and friends as they continue the next step of their journey to achieve beyond what they thought possible, and continue to build a better world. After surveying parents and keeping in mind health concerns, we’re working to create a virtual experience for all our 8th Grade end-of-year events to ensure our Amana family’s safety is not compromised.

We're so proud of the strides our 8th graders have made, and though we are operating virtually, we want to make these next handful of weeks memorable for our students- many of which have spent a large portion of their childhood as a part of the Amana family.

We’ve outlined some information below regarding how the next couple weeks will look like for our 8th grade families. Please read carefully:

1. 8th Grade Passages:

8th Grade Passages will be held on Tuesday, May 12th. Passages are a memorable moment for 8th grade students at Amana. During these presentations, students articulate what they learned throughout their time at Amana, and speak to their own strengths, struggles, goals, processes of learning, and preparation for High School, College, and career success.

• Passages Time Slots: Please look at this document (Presentation Groups & Times) to access the Zoom link to attend your child’s presentation.

• What will Passages look like this year? This year, Passages will be held virtually via Zoom Video. Students will present with their groups (each group has 6-7 students) in front of a panel of judges, who will assess students based on a rubric your child will receive.

• What time will Passages be held? Each student group will be assigned a 30-minute time slot on May 12^th, from 11am-1pm. Click here to view your student’s groups and time-slots.

• Do parents usually attend Passages? Absolutely! Passages are a momentous occasion for students at Amana, and we highly recommend parents/family members tuning into the Zoom presentation to take part in this memorable event. All Passage presentations will be recorded and sent to parents as a keepsake.

• Should we use separate devices to view Passages? Yes- we would recommend you and your child to use separate devices while your child presents to simulate a non-virtual presentation (i.e. parents use their phone/laptop/tablet to tune in as an audience, and child uses another phone/laptop/tablet to present).
  

2. 8th Grade Promotion (Graduation):

8th Grade Promotion will be held on Wednesday, May 13th at 5pm:

Our 8th Grade Promotion is a ceremony that celebrates students graduating from middle school to high school. During the ceremony, we will have key-note speeches, your students’ name will be called, and a heartfelt opportunity to pay tribute to how far your child has come.

• E-Vite Sent: All 8th grade parents should have received an e-vite link in their email for Promotion. If you did not receive the e-vite, please send an email to somar@amanaacademy.org.

• Registration Needed: You MUST register via this Zoom Registration Link in order to actually attend the Promotion. If you do not register, you will not receive the video link to join.

  1. 1. 1. You are more than welcome to share the invitation with family or friends who may be tuning in from different locations, but please note: each family is limited to 6 guests (meaning, 6 device registrations). Each guest/member attending will need to register using the Registration link above.

        2. Once you register, you will receive your Zoom link in an email on Tuesday, May 12th.

• Log-In to Promotion Earlier: We encourage you to log-into the Zoom call 10 minutes earlier, to ensure we begin the ceremony promptly.

• Student Dress Code: Though students typically don't wear caps and gowns, we attire we recommend is for your student to rock their 8th Grade Class of 2020 t-shirt they’ll be getting in the mail (more info below).
  

3. Commemorative Package:

We will be mailing a commemorative package with your child’s 8th Grade certificate and Class of 2020 t-shirt to your homes by May 13th. Please keep an eye out for a package. If your home address has changed since the beginning of the year, please email Ms. Hira Qadri (hqadri@amanaacademy.org) with the updated address ASAP. Thanks!

Thank you so much again for your continued support, positivity, and patience; we know we can’t make this a memorable time for our students without your help. Please tune in to these 8th grade events, bring your confetti and pompoms, and let’s make this an unforgettable memory for this incredible Class of 2020.