The Class of 2013 was admitted to 71 different colleges and universities across the country, including Amherst, Barnard, Brown, Carleton, Carnegie-Mellon, Colorado College, Dartmouth, George Washington, Middlebury, Northeastern, New Mexico Tech, NYU, Oberlin, Occidental, Reed, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, UCLA, the University of Chicago, Vassar, Washington University in St. Louis, Wesleyan, and Williams.

Click here to see a complete listing of all the colleges to which the Class of 2013 was admitted.

This fall Lillian will enroll in the Honors Program at Northeastern University in Boston, where she is the recipient of a full-tuition Northeastern National Hispanic Recognition Program scholarship. She is a high honor roll student at Desert Academy, where she is a candidate for the International Baccalaureate Diploma. During the current academic year, she also served as co-captain of the volleyball team, treasurer of the student council, student organizer of the school’s “Creativity, Action and Service Program,” and was recognized as “Theater Student of the Year.”

1.5 million high-school juniors took the Preliminary SAT Test in October 2011, which qualified them for consideration in the 2013 National Merit Scholarship Program. 15,000 of those juniors became National Merit finalists, from whom the scholarship winners were selected, based on their academic record, leadership potential, community activities, standardized test scores, written essays, and school recommendations.

The IB Appendix is now posted here.

November Lunch Menu

The finishing touches are now being put on the new 14 classroom academic wing, as well as the remodeling of the existing main building and of a module to house classes in the visual and performing arts. Prospective students will have the opportunity to visit the school and meet faculty members at the upcoming admissions open houses, scheduled for Thursday, October 18 and Saturday, October 20. For open house information, contact Isabelle Thiebaut, Director of Admissions, at 992-8284, ext. 14.

We are almost ready to move into our new classroom wing! There are dozens of things to do- still, in order to meet county fire, electric, plumbing and other code regulations. But we are, step by step, completing all the requirements and barring any unforeseen difficulties, our plan is to move next weekend.

A reminder that we will not have school Wednesday, September 26th in observance of Yom Kippur, although some parents have volunteered to help us on the 26th.

The bulk of the move will take place Friday the 28th through Sunday the 30th.
We will be moving books, furniture and other materials from the tents and the main building. We will also do some light cleaning and finishing touches on “getting spaces ready.”

So, Friday though Sunday are the days we could use student/parent help, and if all goes well, we will begin classes in the new wing on Monday October 1st.

If you and/or your student would like to help, please let Pat Preib (ppreib@desertacademy.org) know which times might work for you. In addition to moving boxes, etc., Chris Zappe is looking for volunteers who could help with the tech aspect of the move (computers, wiring, etc.).

Here is our “shift” schedule:

Friday, September 28th, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Saturday, September 29th, 9 a.m. to Noon

Saturday, September 29th, Noon to 3 p.m.

Sunday, September 30th, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

We know this is a busy time with sports and events, including our hosting of the Santa Fe Concorso. If you are available, please consider helping out at school.

Thanks to everyone, especially the students, for patience and understanding during the construction, and for putting up with all the little inconveniences while we enthusiastically, (and doggedly and with determination and excitement…) prepare for the rest of this year and the years to come.

Sincerely,

Terry Passalacqua
Head of School

SCHOOL FORMS 2012-2013
Below is a list of required forms to be downloaded, signed & returned for the 2011-2012 school year.

Please click on each of the following links to download the corresponding form. Please complete the form & return to the front office by Monday, August 27th.

2012-13 CALENDAR OF MAJOR SCHOOL EVENTS/HOLIDAYS

(A full calendar of events can be accessed from the home page of our website under the calendars link).
__________________________________________________________

Please download & review the parent/student handbook below. Please sign & return the ‘Consent & Agreement’ form to acknowledge that you have read the handbook. Please return this signed form to Patty by Monday, August 22, 2011.

• PARENT / STUDENT HANDBOOK 2011-12

• CONSENT & AGREEMENT FORM 2011-12
  

__________________________________________________________

SCHOOL SUPPLIES:

• GENERAL SCHOOL SUPPLY LIST
  

• COURSE SPECIFIC SUPPLY LISTS
  

SPORTS ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Physicals will be given at Desert Academy on Sunday, August 28th, 2011 from 9:00-11:00 Cost $25

All athletes are required by the NMAA to complete a sports physical prior to the first official competition. This physical will be valid for the entire 2011-2012 school year.  The physical forms are available below (under the list of forms), or on the New Mexico Activities website at http://www.nmact.org/athletics_physical_information.

• SOCCER_PRACTICE SCHEDULE & INFORMATION
  
• CROSS COUNTRY PRACTICE SCHEDULES &  INFORMATION
• VOLLEYBALL PRACTICE SCHEDULES & INFORMATION
  

REQUIRED SCHOOL FORMS FOR 2012-13:
(Please download all of the following forms, sign & return to Patty by Monday, August 22nd.)

1. Photo Release/Contact Information Form
2. Automobile Registration Form
3. Emergency Information Form
4. Release From Liability Form (11th & 12th grade only)
5. Sports physical form
6. Computer Internet Use Form
7. Desert Academy Code of Conduct
8. General School Supply List
9. Marja’s Lunch Program Enrollment Form
10. Marjas Lunch Menu (first two weeks)
11. Picture Day Information

• MIT
• Cornell College
• New Mexico Tech
• Tulane University
• Regis University
• Loyola University New Orleans
• Hendrix College
• University of Victoria (Canada)
• University of New Mexico
• Lewis & Clark College
• National Cheng Kung University (Taiwan)
• Rhode Island School of Design
• University of British Columbia (Canada)
• Skidmore College
• University of Southern California
• Northeastern University
• University of New Mexico
• Trinity University
• Truman State University
• Wheaton College (MA)
• University of Southern California
• Cornell College