Skills USA State Conference Results - Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

Our students competed and represented ACHS in amazing fashion. A total of 23 students went on the trip and they competed in 12 different contests. There were around 2700 registered attendees at the Skills USA State Conference. Students competed in 112 contests over the three day conference in Greensboro. 

Listed below are the students that placed in the top five in their contest in the state. Congratulations to our Skills USA team. 

Drafting 1: 

Drake Dessecker 5th 

Additive Manufacturing: 

Wesley Dunford/ Jon Eckerd  5th

Carpentry: 

Grant Mitchell 3rd (pictured above)

Zach Pennell 4th

Jay Stine 5th 

Carpentry Skills Showcase: 

Caleb Moose 2nd

Electrical Wiring: 

Beau Mckee 3rd (pictured above)

Basic Health Care Skills: (pictured above)

Elizabeth Rector 1st 

Gannon Millsaps 2nd

First Aid/ CPR: 

Garrison Dejarnette 3rd

Elizabeth Rector will represent ACHS in the National Competition this summer in Louisville, KY. 

Future Interior Design Specialists

On Friday, March 23 students from Mrs. Huffman's and Mrs. Millsaps's classes went on a field trip. Interior Design 1 and Interior Design 2 students visited Paul Schumacher homes in Charlotte, NC. 

Students were able to see and work in the design studio, where they learned about layout and different house plans. This experience directly correlated with classroom learning related to floor plans, design and color scheme. 

Students also had the opportunity to learn about innovative ideas being included in new homes today. Students toured a variety of model homes and critiqued the different examples. 

The interior design courses are part of the Family and Consumer Sciences cluster of the ACHS Career and Technical Education program.  

Full Throttle Leadership - NCASC Convention Held at ACHS

Over the weekend of March 16-18, ACHS is hosting the NCASC State Convention. The North Carolina Association of Student Councils was founded in 1926 as an organization to promote student leadership and give students opportunities to interact with the democratic process and engage with other student leaders across the state of North Carolina. 

ACHS student council members, with guidance from adviser Kim Brown, organized activities for the convention. Students from across the state arrived at ACHS on Friday, March 16 and participated in skills sessions, aimed at improving leadership skills and promoting school programs, and council meetings. 

Full Throttle Leadership was the theme for this year's convention. Attendees were even welcomed by NASCAR drivers Harry Gant and Rex White. It was exciting! Alexander Central now holds the record for hosting the most NCASC State Conventions, all under the guidance and leadership of adviser Kim Brown.  

What Makes a Question Essential?

Teachers at AC are using essential questions to guide student learning. An essential question is a question that lies at the heart of a unit. They are being used in all subjects to stimulate thought and focus student attention. 

Most essential questions are not intended for an easy answer and most cannot be answered following one day of instruction. Instead, these questions encourage students to analyze content from a variety of activities and synthesize the information in order to answer the question. 

Often, essential questions encourage students to think of additional questions or connections to prior knowledge. Notice that these questions are different from questions asked during instruction because they capitalize on an overarching theme for several days of instructional activities. 

Essential questions are helpful for students because they are a visual reminder of the learning goals. When students see a question, they know what to do. They are working to answer the question. Based on curriculum standards, the essential questions represent the big idea that students will learn when a unit is complete. 

Elective Fair Highlights Opportunities at AC

A recent parent information night showcased various opportunities at ACHS. Students can choose from a multitude of course offerings and may choose to be involved in extracurricular clubs or organizations as well. 

Two Elective Fair Nights were held for students in 9th, 10th, and 11th grades. Students could visit the tables and learn about the different course offerings and activities associated with the elective opportunities at ACHS.  

Student representatives from the clubs and organizations were also on hand to answer questions about the programs. More information about the elective choices and our CTE programs can be found on the ACHS registration website. If you have further questions about the elective choices, please contact the Counseling Center. 

Practice ACT is a HUGE Success!

Students work diligently on the practice ACT. 

On Thursday, February 15, 11th grade students participated in a full-scale practice ACT. Students gathered in the cafeteria and completed each multiple choice section according to the standard time limit. Learning appropriate pacing for each section is imperative for ACT success. Students even had the opportunity to plan and organize an essay to practice the writing portion of the ACT. Testing wrapped up just in time for lunch. 

Students listen intently as ACT tips are shared. 

Students returned to the auditorium for pre-coding. Each student completed an interest inventory and student profile on his/her actual ACT answer sheet. Important tips and reminders were shared with students in preparation of the Tuesday, February 27 administration. Students learned how to find their practice test raw scores in SchoolNet and used the table pictured below to convert their raw scores to ACT scale scores. 

ACT Raw Score to Scale Score Conversion Table

ACTivate is in Full Swing

Students attend an optional writing tutorial during SMART lunch

ACTivate is in full swing at ACHS. In addition to SMART lunch tutorials offered daily, all students are participating in warm-up questions during each block. Students in 9th and 10th grades learn the importance of being invested in preparing for the ACT. For seniors, it's not too late to gain important knowledge and skills that are tested on the ACT. Students visit our ACTivate website and complete questions in various subjects. Specialized screencast videos created by our very own teachers model how to work out the questions. Students can visit the website again to view the videos and watch the tutorials as often as they'd like. 

The SMART tutorials have been a huge success. Students attend optional sessions during lunch to work through sample test questions with our teachers. Important test taking strategies and tips are shared and students have the opportunity to ask questions.  

Students, don't forget about the practice ACT that will be given on February 15 for all 11th grade students. Students will report to the cafeteria and work through the Math, Science, Reading and Writing portions of the test. The English portion was completed and reviewed in English 3 classrooms for fall and spring semester. The ACTivate calendar is pictured below.