Wine & Dine ONLINE AUCTION is OPEN!

CLICK TO VISIT THE ONLINE AUCTION!

  • There are over 80 amazing items available for bidding including teacher experiences, trips,date nights, kids classes and more!
  • The new website is easy to use.  Please SHARE the link with your friends and family! We want to get the word out!
  • People who register prior to Friday, April 18th at midnight will be entered in a drawing.
  • http://auction.otafoundation.org

OTA 2014 Wine & Dine: April 26!

  • Sample the best wines from 17 World-Class Wineries • Try the best food from 16 fabulous Local Restaurants • Sip the brew of 2 San Diego Craft Breweries

Click to Purchase Tickets . . .

7th Grade Elective Electronics • Circuit Boards, Soldering, Inductance, Semiconductors • Metal Detectors!

Some 7th graders have been working on an electronics extension to their science class. The students are learning about circuit constuction on printed circuit boards using passive and active components. As well as acquiring precision soldering skills and learning how to read component identification markings, the project includes leaning about inductance, inductive coupling, semiconductor operation and the math that is used in conjunction with some of these devices.

When completed the students will have working metal detectors and an understanding of how the associated electronics functions.

7th Grade Q1 Orchestra Experience (video)

7th Grade Q1 Orchestra

Mr Misha Borisovsky has created an amazing Orchestra Immersion Experience for OTA 5th-8th graders. Half the seventh grade attends Orchestra twice a week, while the other half attends Seminar and Choir. Now that second quarter has begun, the groups have switched; so your child is either just starting Orchestra or just starting Choir/Seminar.

Here is a (very short) video clip from the first quarter. Enjoy!

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7th Grade Outdoor Ed/Science • Joshua Tree Trip

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More photos from the 7th Grade Science-Outdoor Ed Trip…. and a report from Mr. Major:

Saw a fox last night and had a star presentation from a local astronomer. Saw the Andromeda galaxy a galaxy cluster in Orion’s belt and the coolest thing with the naked eye was a massively brilliant meteor that lit up the night sky…was bright white then burned red and then fractured into a few pieces!

OTA 7th Grade Science – Heat Engine Deconstruction

Mr Major’s 7th Grade Science class studied theory and applications of Electromagnetic Energy for 3 quarters this year (building electric circuits, electric switches, electric telegraphs, electric buzzers, electric motors; learning to read circuit symbols and diagrams; learning to measure electricity; and much much more….).

7th Engine Project 1In 4th quarter they turn their attention to the theory and applications of Thermal Energy (taking apart one-cylinder internal combustion engines, studying two-cylinder engines, getting a lesson in motorcycle engine mechanics from master restorer Paul Kamanski, and much much more…!)

To see Slideshow and Internal Combustion Engine Project Exam Checklist …

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2013 Spring Gala – 7th Grade Art Project – Stained Glass & Lead Window

Piet Mondrian Inspired – Stained Glass & Lead Window

2013 Spring Gala - 7th Grade Art Project - Stained Glass

Working with stained glass, OTA’s 7th Grade class adapted Piet Mondrian’s non-representational style (white ground, with a grid of vertical and horizontal black lines and the three primary colors) to create this stunning window. Each student designed and constructed their own Mondrian inspired pane. Their efforts were combined into this light and mind-bending, collaborative piece entitled Composition No.7 (35” x 29”)

Special Thanks to:  Spectrum Glass Company • Glass Accessories Int’l • Hakko USA • Hoevel Manufacturing • Inland Craft Co. • Streuter Technologies  • Cathy Coverly • Alexandra Carter • Carol Weiler • Won Chae Mathews • Kevin Olenick • Steve and Ilana Shupper • Sonja Donahue • Children Paint the Masters After-School Art Club • Ms. Curry and the OTA Seventh Grade Students, Class of 2014

Photo by OTA Parent-Volunteer and Professional Photographer, Paul M Bowers — Thank You Paul!

E3 Civic Charter High School Presentation Today at 9:30 AM. Parents Welcome!

Helen Griffith, Director of the new E3 Civic Charter High School (opening next year at the site of the new downtown library) will be presenting to 8th and 7th grade students today at 9:30 in the 7th grade room. Dr. Griffith welcomes parents at the presentation. You can learn more about the new high school here.

Welcome to e³ Civic High! We are planning for a world-class educational program that we believe will prepare our students to excel in a 21st Century Global environment. It is our goal to create innovators, problem-solvers, and effective communicators who will become engaged in the buisiness of making our city, our state, our nation, and our world a better place. We join with the educators who are passionate about making our students “future-ready” for success in the field for which they choose to pursue. We invite you to join us in our revolution of the phenemonal as we open the first class of e³ Civic High.

Recess & Sports Club Yellow Card/Red Card

Yellow Card System Red Card System

Dear Seventh Grade Students:

Exercise (scientists tell us) makes you smarter [Get a Brain Boost From Exercise], happier [Exercise May Help Protect Children From Stress], and better looking; and we want to make sure every OTA student gets plenty of it every day (in whichever sport or activity they choose to play — Basketball, Volleyball, Four Square, Soccer, Football, Wall Ball, Jump Rope, Catch, Tag, Obstacle Courses, Conditioning, etc.).

To help ensure that everyone has fun, plays safely, and gains skills every day (and to help us all remember our few Recess Rules) we’ll borrow the Yellow card/Red card system used by soccer referees.

Thank you for Playing!

Yellow Card as first warning for… 

  • Playing recklessly/ unsafely (slide tackle, playing too fast, high kick, etc.)Yellow Card System
  • Breaking the game rules*/ Cheating/ Ignoring Out-of-Bounds (*Help choose the rules • Sign the Pledge!)
  • Over the Fence: Kicking/ Throwing the ball/frisbee/etc over…
  • Length of the Field: Kicking/ Throwing the ball/frisbee/etc. the whole … (Pass it to, not through!)
  • Into Another Player: Kicking/ Throwing the ball/frisbee/etc full force into another player.
  • Walking through another group’s game.
  • Kicking away another group’s ball/ frisbee, etc. when it comes into your field.
  • Arguing with the Referee (Teacher or Student): nothing to talk about, we all know the Recess Rules by now!

Red Card (sit out for rest of day) after a second yellow card or for:

  • Obscene Language: Automatic Red CardRed Card System
  • Dangerous or Violent play: Automatic Red Card

*Two red cards in a week means you miss 3 days of recess

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Coming to OTA 4th Quarter? Independent Learning Projects • DIY “Skills Badges”

Dear 7th & 8th Grade Students: The Goal of Old Town Academy is to prepare our students to be lifelong autodidacts (“Self-teachers”) by the time they leave for high school. We are looking at the DIY site as a source of Design-It-Yourself Projects that each 7th and 8th grader could work on for the 4th Quarter of every school year. Please visit the links below and tell us what you think. We need your feedback before we decide whether to use DIY.

Visit the DIY.org site

DIY Maker Badges - Dectective-Geologist

Sample Challenge Projects: Filmmaker Badge

Filmmaker Badge DIY

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