Wednesday, December 20th, 2023: The talented 3rd-5th grade Citizenship & Science Academy of Syracuse Atoms have worked extremely hard in the Atomic Singers club over the past ten meetings! They've been practicing "We Are the World," "My Shot" from Hamilton, and "Don't Worry Be Happy." In addition to practicing these songs, scholars also focused on learning how to work on a team. 

The Atomic Singers put on a showcase where these young stars performed the songs they had been practicing. Join us in celebrating our scholars' talents and creativity!

Dear Citizenship & Science Academy of Syracuse Charter School families, teachers, staff, atoms, and community,

Believe it or not, it’s finally that time of the year, a season of joy, giving, and well-deserved relaxation. You’ve all been extraordinary examples of leaders and strong community members. Let’s take a moment to commend ourselves on the impeccable progress we’ve made during the first semester, regardless of the obstacles we’ve encountered. 

• Onondaga Community College President, Dr. Hilton, held an assembly at CSAS Middle School.
• CSAS Elementary School teacher MS. Fagan was awarded the Distinguished Atomic Educator for the 22-23 school year.
• CSAS Elementary celebrated Heritage Month in October, ending with a cultural day celebration. 
• CSAS Elementary held Positivity Project (P2) ceremonies celebrating Atom’s accomplishments in September, October, November, and December. 
• CSAS Elementary hosted the annual Back to School Night for new and returning families. 
• CSAS Elementary Atoms participated in the CNY Steamboat Challenge held at the Museum of Science & Technology in Syracuse. 
• CSAS Elementary music teachers formed the Atomic Singers and the Ukulele and Guitar Clubs. 
• CSAS Elementary music teachers brought five guest speakers from the community to class.
• CSAS Elementary participated in a collection drive to benefit the CNY Care Package Project.
• CSAS Elementary hosted P2 Night, celebrating students who have won Positivity Project awards throughout the semester. 
• CSAS Middle School students participated in the CNY Bridges Challenge at the MOST. 
• CSAS Middle School held the Quarter 1 academic awards celebrating scholars for achieving Merit Roll, Honor Roll, and High Honor Roll.
• CSAS faced SAS in a historic boys-modified basketball game coached by two SANY alumni.
• CSAS Elementary hosted the annual Winter Wonderland drive-thru holiday event for families. 
• The CSAS Elementary Atomic Singers Club performed their first-ever showcase. 

Now it’s time to deck the halls and share precious memories with loved ones. Remember, we are not just a district but a family. I look forward to building success one Atom at a time in the New Year. 

Happy holidays!

Sincerely,

Dr. Tolga Hayali
SANY Superintendent

Thursday, November 30th, 2023: Citizenship & Science Academy of Syracuse Elementary School girls had the chance to do an activity with Tiffany Weiskotten from Girl Scouts. She asked the girls what they thought it meant to be a Girl Scout. Of course, they all said selling cookies, which gave Tiffany a chance to talk about entrepreneurship and the skills that can be learned by being part of the largest female-run business in the world.

Atoms loved hearing about the Girl Scout camps and some of the famous women who were also Girl Scouts.

Thursday, November 16th, 2023: The music room enjoyed interviewing David P., a remarkable individual with a rich musical history. David spent 20 years in Nigeria, cultivating his passion for music, becoming a DJ, music producer, and a Doctoral Candidate for the Department of Pharmacology at SUNY Upstate Medical University.

Atoms had the opportunity to explore David's unique musical background, delving into his Afrobeat creations and drumming expertise.

Through this cultural exchange, students shared songs, learned from David's experiences, and emphasized the transformative power of music.

A huge thank you to David P. for contributing to positive change through the universal language of music!

Thursday, November 16th, 2023: Citizenship & Science Academy of Syracuse Elementary Atoms collected 595 items to be donated to the United Way of CNY Care Package Project! Katie Hanlon, the Community Engagement Manager for The United Way of Central New York, came to collect our donations and she brought two guest speakers.

The President of The United Way of Central New York, Nancy Kern Eaton, spoke with Atoms about ways everyone can help the community and inducted students into the philanthropist family. Atoms love their new title: Philanthropist!

Elizabeth Osei-Kwame, a Volunteer Administrator for The United Way of Central New York, spoke to the scholars about all of the services The United Way offers to neighbors in Syracuse.

Thank you to everyone that brought in donations! We are looking forward to working with them again on another volunteer project soon!

You’re the gift that keeps on thanks-giving. While you prepare your Thanksgiving dinners, before the hustle and bustle of the holiday season sets in, we want to express our sincere gratitude to each of you. It's easy to get lost in the things we don't have. The fancy car, the clothes, the latest phone. Instead, try focusing on everything you do have. Ultimately, you will find it's a much greater list with a more significant impact.

This season, focus on the things you're thankful for, and the gratitude will follow. May your blessings be many, your troubles be few, and your Thanksgiving be wonderful.

Superintendent Dr. Hayali has prepared a special Thanksgiving message. Take a look.

Monday, November 6th, 2023: Citizenship & Science Academy of Syracuse 5th grade Atoms got to meet Sindu Mulukuri and Matt Bellinger, engineers in Air Traffic Management Safety and Efficiency from SAAB. They demonstrated the Aeroban Global Flight Manager software used at airports in the US and around the world.

The students learned the difference between a software engineer and a systems engineer and they really enjoyed asking questions about the speakers' jobs, education and how much money engineers earn.

Watch out! We may have a few future SAAB interns in our 5th grade class!

Friday, November 3rd, 2023: In Social Studies, Citizenship & Science Academy of Syracuse 5th Graders have been learning about the Aztec, Inca and Mayan Civilizations. They learned how the civilizations were alike and different. Atoms learned about the different social classes within each civilization and their leaders. They learned how the sundial was used to indicate the time of day by the position of the shadow cast upon it. Students also learned that totems are a natural object or animal that is believed by a particular society to have spiritual significance and that is adopted by it as an emblem. A totem can be a spirit being, sacred object, or symbol that serves as an emblem of a group of people, such as a family, clan, lineage, or tribe.

Scholars chose six animals that represented them and created a totem of their own.

Thursday, November 2, 2023: Our 5th-grade students were lucky to have a visit from Dr. Leanne Powers, assistant professor of chemistry at SUNY ESF. Her specialty is Oceanography, and she studies the chemistry that takes place in the ocean waters.

Dr. Powers showed Atoms pictures from expeditions she calls "science parties at sea.” She explained some of the work she's done in laboratories on vessels of various sizes, explained the types of equipment that are used to collect samples from the ocean, and discussed how the ocean is different at 4,000 meters than we might expect.

We learned that styrofoam cups have all of the carbon crushed out of them at that depth, resulting in a new miniature version of the original cup! 

We ended the visit with the promise of our very own decorated cups going on the next ocean expedition with Dr. Powers. She agreed to return them for us to keep in our STEAM room!

Friday, October 27th, 2023: Citizenship & Science Academy of Syracuse Elementary celebrated Heritage Day! Throughout the month, we researched countries that represented the cultures at Citizenship Academy. We created crafts representing us as individuals and how we come together as a school family. On Heritage Day, we dressed in attire that celebrated, honored, and highlighted the rich cultures within our classrooms. Students wore clothing that represented their backgrounds. Students could display their clothing and attire with classmates and teachers.

Thank you to students, staff, and parents for coming together to make this day great!

From a student: "Hello I‘m from Sudan. My name is Munasa. I love Sudan, and Allah let us all reach Jannah together. Thank you so much for reading this. I wear my hijab because it shows modesty and how strong my beliefs are."

"Hi, I'm Nyaliep. I’m from South Sudan. I love my culture and the people in my culture. We have a house gown for boys and girls. Anybody can wear it. I wore it today because of Heritage Month and I'm proud of it. I want to learn it, but I'm struggling to. I hope one day I can be fluent in speaking Arabic. My full name is Nyaliep Patrice Dak. My whole name means “girl in waiting.” I love love love African food. That's all about me and my cultural home."