Saturday, January 6th, 2023: Citizenship & Science Academy of Syracuse Elementary scholars performed dances for the Karen New Year Celebration. Students practiced these dances for hours and gave some beautiful performances. Scholars invited several staff members to this special holiday celebration of their culture.

Wednesday, December 20th, 2023: Citizenship & Science Academy of Syracuse 3rd through 5th graders gathered in the gymnasium for a Positivity Project celebration! Atoms and staff displaying the character strengths Kindness and OPM: Supporting Through Struggle, and Self Control were awarded. Congratulations to December’s P2 winners!

Tuesday, January 2nd, 2023: ‘Tis the season of giving! Citizenship & Science Academy of Syracuse Atoms, staff, and families collected various non-perishable items to help support the Food Bank of Central New York. They donated 365 pounds of food! Thank you to all our Atoms and their families for such generosity!

Wednesday, December 20th, 2023: Ms. Farah's Citizenship & Science Academy of Syracuse ENL class visited the MOST. Atoms had a blast exploring the different areas of the museum and learning about energy, fossils, machines, human anatomy, and much more!

Tuesday, December 19th, 2023: Fourth-grade Citizenship & Science Academy of Syracuse scholars had the incredible opportunity to connect with the multi-talented Natasia White. Natasia, a passionate musician, actor, playwright, and educator in Syracuse, shared their musical journey with Ms. Camire's class. We learned a lot about Natasia's background, enjoyed some of their original tunes, and had insightful conversations about the power of music within our community. Natasia has not only written two fantastic plays, Credence (in-person) and High Tides (virtual), but also showcased their musical prowess by playing violin, viola, and ukulele in a few Syracuse bands.

Wednesday, December 13th, 2023: Ms. Pittsley returned to Citizenship & Science Academy of Syracuse Elementary School to continue the Nutrition Education sessions. This time, Ms. Pittsley made baked apples with 1st-grade Atoms. She showed them how adding spices to fresh foods changes how the food tastes once cooked. The baked apples looked and smelled delicious, and students had fun learning how to bake fresh apples as a healthy and yummy treat!

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!

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!