Arts and Academic Awards (AAA) is celebrating its 35 th year at Central Elementary. AAA, an optional activity similar to 4H projects or entering items in the County Fair, encourages and recognizes student achievements in arts and academic subject areas.
Students choose a category in an area of interest and prepare and practice for that category at home from now until May when the projects will be judged. There are a wide variety of categories for students to choose from, including test-taking categories, performance categories, and project categories. (For more explanation of the categories see below.) Students in 1st-4th grade may enter one category, and students in 5th grade may enter two categories. More specific information
about the category your child signs up for will be sent home soon.
Students who choose to participate in AAA will have to practice and prepare out of school for their projects, as school time will not be set aside for this. Students alone are responsible for their work; however, parents and teachers may provide direction and guidance. All work must be from this school year.
Students who participate in AAA will have until May 4 to work on and prepare their
test/performance/project. Student entries will be judged during the school day on May 5 by teams of district staff and community representatives. Each grade level will be judged separately and ribbons will be awarded for three levels of quality. Students will not be competing with each other for awards, but will be judged on a specific set of criteria for each event.
On Tuesday, May 17, a special AAA performance will be held for the public. The students who earn blue ribbons for their entries will be invited to perform or display their work on that evening.
AAA CATEGORIES
TEST TAKING CATEGORIES
In these categories, students will take a test that has been written for their grade level. A list of sample problems/test words/reading selections will be sent home in advance to practice. Blue ribbon winners in these categories will have their names displayed on the wall during the AAA performance night.
● Math
● Spelling
● Reading
*Reading blue ribbon winners in Grades 3-5 will have the opportunity to be the emcees during the performance night. Blue ribbon winners in Grades 1-2 will be recognized during the performance and will have the opportunity to hand out the programs.
PERFORMANCE CATEGORIES (Individual or Group)
In these categories, students will learn an act to perform by themselves or with a group. The maximum length for each act is two minutes. Music should be age-appropriate and suitable for the school setting. Music selections and costumes will need to be pre-approved by March 30. Blue ribbon winners in these categories will have the opportunity to perform their act during the AAA performance night.
● Instrumental Music
● Vocal Music
● Dance Routine – dance that has been made up by another person (like a dance teacher)
● Creative Dance – dance that has been made up by the student(s)
● Gymnastic Routine – routine that requires floor mats
● Memorization
● Miscellaneous Performance – karate, juggling, magic tricks, skits, pantomime, etc.
PROJECT CATEGORIES (Individual)
In these categories, students will create a project outside of school. Blue ribbon winners in these categories will have their projects displayed in the lunch room during the AAA performance night.
● Creative Writing – an original story, theme or poem of any length
● Handwriting – copying a one-page poem on provided manuscript paper
● Photography – 1-4 photographs taken by the student displayed in one frame
● Power Point – presentation on a topic of student’s choice
● Scrapbooking – one scrapbook page with a theme and quality photo(s)
● Social Studies Project – report on a person, place or significant event
● Visual Art – an original piece of artwork (not an art project done in school)
*Cannot be created from a kit that involves following specific directions.