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(acoustic guitar music)
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And thank you for continuing to join us
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as we have our magnet programs conversation
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for Magnet Awareness Month.
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So now I am joined by one of the administrators
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from the Academy for Academics and Arts
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Ms. Kitrise Torain, and we are very excited
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that she is still on our team.
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You've actually been a part of magnet as a student.
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So if you would introduce yourself
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because now you're actually one of our lead people
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in magnet and tell us what your role is now.
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Okay, I am Kitrise Torain.
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I went to Lee High School's magnet program.
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I was in the vocal and theater magnet there,
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and I moved on to be an educator
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and so when I started my student teaching
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it worked out that I got to do it at AAA.
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And so then I was hired on as a second grade teacher,
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fourth grade, and went to be a reading coach
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stayed at AAA and left, went to Hampton Cove,
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but then ended up at Lee High School
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as an assistant principal and now
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the middle school principal at AAA.
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So I love magnet, my life surrounds around it.
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So we are excited that you are with us.
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So just talk about, even though AAA is our longest running
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magnet program for Huntsville City Schools,
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let's give the audience just a snapshot
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of a typical day at AAA, the programs you offer
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and then we'll just talk also about the benefits
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of attending AAA middle school.
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Okay, so a typical day at the AAA, we have the elementary
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and middle, I'm, the middle school principal
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Jennifer Dardin's the elementary principal.
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So our elementary programs, they have all of the things
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that the middle school has.
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They have the art, music, they have that once or twice,
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each day, each week, and so they have the dance, art, music
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and then they also, in the upper grades,
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they get to participate in the theater department.
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And so yes, about the benefits of being a part of it,
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it makes you a well-rounded person.
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I'll say for me, I was a very shy individual.
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At the time I got to high school, I would talk a little bit,
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but it brought me out and it made me comfortable singing
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in front of people, but it also made me comfortable
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in my profession that I'm in now.
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Made me okay with speaking and standing up
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in front of a crowd and being able to talk
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even in the position I am in now.
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So I feel like it makes us around well-rounded individuals
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and it gives you a love of the arts.
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You know, the arts is a big motivation.
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It motivates our kids to really push forward
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'cause we're academics in arts.
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So it keeps them motivated to continue
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what they need to do in their academics
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and then also, if they're doing what they're supposed to do
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in academics, it helps them continue to stay
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on with their, motivated to do the arts as well.
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So we offer nine programs within AAA
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along with of course, those academics, and we'll talk
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about that in a moment, but I know theater, dance.
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Yes, photography, visual arts, creative writing,
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media arts, and orchestra
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Okay and so,
I don't know if I said music
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Yes you said music.
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So within that, as you mentioned,
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one of the things that we use having students in the arts
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of their interests is that it also inspires them
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to do well in their academics.
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How do you use those arts as a motivational piece
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as students are trying to get through
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those core classes each day?
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So, we are trying to integrate the arts
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into our academics and that's one motivation
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and that's what helps our students,
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but we integrate that art.
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So if you're doing an activity, even includes math
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and or even social studies, we include movement
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and all those things into your core activities,
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but then also we meet with students.
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We have conferences and helps keep them motivated.
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We have grade limits on when it's time
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to go to an outside performance.
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You have to complete your assignments
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and keep up with your grades.
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And so that's a big motivation, 'cause they know
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oh, I want to go on Stars and Clowns Tour.
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I got to have my grades where they need to be.
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So that helps give our middle schoolers
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a bigger push to to do what they need to do.
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And I know one thing I've appreciated while working
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with AAA throughout the years is when you go
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to those academic data meetings, as we call them
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in the education world, I also see an art teacher
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just as invested in that conversation
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as that academic teacher and the way it's simply laid out
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in the building, they work hand in hand
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with one another, you all have many committees
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and fuse arts teachers and academic.
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So no one's working in isolation.
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So one thing I should mention is Ms. Torain is here
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representing both the elementary and middle
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and that's because throughout all these magnet events
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that we have, we try to split up everyone's time.
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So Ms. Dardin will be available
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and she will participate in a lot of the activities,
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but I did want to mention that you're representing both.
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So let's talk about, I think one of the things,
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and we've had this conversation
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with the other magnet programs is
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we are strongly trying to encourage our students
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to stay within the magnet family
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and so you are a direct pathway
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to our Lee High School Performing Arts Magnet Program.
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So when you described all of the arts that we have
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at AAA, how does that match or mirror,
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or even prepare the students to even want to apply
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to go to Lee High School?
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Okay, so we have a collaboration
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with Lee High School and we're gonna continue
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and even strengthen that this year.
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So our teachers have planning meetings
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with each other, our Lee High teachers and AAA teachers,
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and so they kind of mirror their programs the same,
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but just ours fits for elementary, it just stairsteps,
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and so they have the collaborative planning
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and I think it helps our kids get motivated.
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And then in middle school, my goal is to have them
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start choosing and narrowing down which programs
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they really enjoy and then start shadowing
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at Lee High School so that they can see which program
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they would like to be a part of.
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So we all work together.
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I know for creative writing, they have been doing
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a reader's theater, and so this year we're hoping
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that we'll be able to collaborate with Lee
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and get on and have some of those activities together.
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Same thing with theater, when they need an extra role
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or anything, they call AAA and we collaborate with them.
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So call AAA and we collaborate with Lee.
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So that's really we make it a collaboration.
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So you get to know our teachers
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even now, we're trying to get it where during this time,
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our teachers are able to tune in the Zoom
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and help teach with our teachers.
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So AAA's kids can get to know our Lee students too.
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Perfect, and so once again, as I've said,
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in all of the conversations, they will see
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some of that collaboration in our virtual magnet fair
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at the end of the month in October
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and so we think that's a great thing.
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So lastly, let's just talk about, yes,
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you've been involved with AAA, Lee.
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You've been on the academic side
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of things, but as a new actual principal
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in this you're now in this new role, what is the vision,
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or the goals that you have in terms of moving AAA forward?
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I've talked about, we're in this year of transition
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and what a better year as we are all experiencing
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something new, so AAA being our oldest program, the history
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and how it's infused in our community,
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what are some of the ways that you think
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we can continue moving AAA forward
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so the program is relevant for our students?
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So one thing that we're gonna continue to do
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and we've just talked about collaboration.
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We're gonna continue to strengthen that collaboration
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with Lee, we're also gonna continue the vertical planning.
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And that's not just for the academic side,
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that is also for our magnet side.
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So we're gonna do that, and then my goal, my vision
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is that our programs are able
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to collaborate with each other.
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So that means when we do a show, you have some
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of our orchestra students in the orchestra pit.
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You have our dance students that have done some choreography
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for the show, and it's just altogether.
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It makes a well-rounded student.
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So in all areas, we want well-rounded students.
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We want our photography team taking the pictures,
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the headshots for it.
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I mean, just so that it's all together.
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You know, it's not like an isolated program.
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I feel like that the goal is to develop well-rounded
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students and well-rounded thinkers,
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critical thinkers that can problem solve.
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Whether you leave middle school, high school
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or wherever to go into the next career.
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Whether you become artists, or you becoming
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whatever profession you go into, that what you learned
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at AAA will help you develop your skills for life.
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Definitely, so not only are they experiencing the arts,
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but they are gonna be able to apply the arts
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and I think that's an awesome thing.
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We know it's all about application,
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is that higher tier of that higher learning.
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So lastly, just to kind of wrap up the conversation
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can you talk about just some of the future events
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and why I think most importantly,
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rather than future events, is why would I leave
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my home school area to come all the way
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to Sparkman Drive, to attend, because all of our schools
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offer some form of arts, but what makes AAA stand out?
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Okay, so the extra time that you have for the arts.
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If you love the arts, this is the perfect school
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and the fact of the family feel of the school.
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I can tell you, wherever you go
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you feel it's something about a bond
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and you know, to see kids, a lot of our students
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have been there since kindergarten through eighth grade
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but even the students that come in
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are welcomed in, and you just like the family.
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You like the collaboration with your peers.
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It's important, if you love the arts,
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you get the extra time, you get the specialized time.
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You know, when you're working on dance and you are
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in there with your teacher and your teacher
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is able to give you instruction,
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that's individualized instruction.
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Yes, you might have a group, but they're able
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to focus on those areas.
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Every school does not have all the arts programs
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that we have, and it's just a benefit.
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It's a blessing that we are able to have that,
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Huntsville City Schools is able to have an arts program
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that's able to motivate our students.
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So for me, if I could do it all over again,
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I would do the same thing and be in the arts
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and travel all the way to AAA.
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Well thank you for joining us today.
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I look forward to working with you and your team
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for this school year and as I mentioned,
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our audience will learn way more about AAA
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from October through December of this year.
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We plan to have a heavy footprint within the community.
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So thank you for joining us.
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Thank you for having me.
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All right.