Com Center

We have been very busy over the summer updating many aspects of our technology.  One of the biggest updates has been the installation of fiber optic cabling between our buildings and the internet.   Working with the City of Anderson and Lightbound, we will provide our students some of the most up-to-date Internet connections available.  Another upgrade has been the installation of a new student demographic/grading software system.  The system will be easier to use and provide parents and students more options for tracking the progress of a student.  Watch for further information in the coming weeks on how you can get connected to our system.   Also, we have a new Emergency Response System that we are installing.  Once again, the system will notify parents of any school closings, emergencies, etc. at APA through the use of email, text messaging, and phone calls.  Finally, nearly 200 netbook computers have been purchased to allow students to have a computer at their fingertips throughout the school day to use as their personal computer in every class.

Dear APA Families and Staff,

  

APA Color Guard has been invited to participate in the opening flag ceremonies of a city-wide Armed Forces Day and Veterans of Madison County celebration on May 15^th.

The celebration is to say “THANKS” to all our past and present military men and women. The Color Guard will do the Flag Retreat presentation. The celebration is to start at 2pm. I am requesting all APA Color Guard members to promptly arrive at 1pm. The day of “THANKS” will include various entertainment and dinner. The VFW Post from Kokomo will be performing the Military Rites and the Boy Scouts of America will have a flag burning ceremony that evening.  

Color Guard Arrive 1pm

Practice 1pm-1:50pm 

Armed Forces Day Opening Ceremonies

Location: 3607 E. 10^th Anderson, IN 46012

  

 

Your support is greatly appreciated,

 

Civil Air Patrol

 Natalie  Carter 

Lt. Col Larry Lopshire/ Chair Aerospace Studies

2Lt Michel Edwards/ Director Military Culture

2Lt Natalie Carter/ Cadet Programs Instructor

 

Dear APA Color Guard Families & Staff,

APA Color Guard has been invited by the Veterans of Madison County to participate in the opening ceremonies, of the Armed Forces Day. The Color Guard will be participating in a city- wide military ceremony for National Armed Forces Day. The Color Guard's performance will start promptly, at 14:00 hours (2pm) on May 15th at the Veteran's of Madison County located at 3607 E. 10th Street. The planning of the day is to say, “THANKS” to all our past and present military men and women. The Day of “THANKS” will include various entertainment and dinner. The VFW Post from Kokomo will be performing the Military Rites and the "Boy Scouts of America" will have a flag burning ceremony that evening.  APA Color Guard needs to arrive at 13:00 (1pm) for practice and set up time.

This event is MANDATORY for All Color Guard Members.

APA Color Guard will Arrive at 1pm

Practice 1pm-1:50

Armed Forces Day Parade 2pm

3607 E.  10^th St Anderson, IN 46012  

Your support is greatly appreciated,

 

-Natalie Carter: Cadet Programs

 

Civil Air Patrol

Col Larry Lopshire Chair Aerospace Studies

 

We are just about finished setting up our Reverse Emergency System.  We expect to test the system sometime during the next two weeks.  If you signed up to be on the list, you will be receiving either a phone call, email, or text message about the test.  It is still not too late to sign up for the system is you desire.   Just contact our technology director, Lt. Thompson, for further information.

Entrepreneur and Innovator Pete Bitar, will be our Guest Convocation Speaker for Aerospace Day  http://www.xtremeads.com/ on Tuesday November, 3, 2009 at 1:00pm. 

We will also be honoring Mr. Bitar, with the Glenn Thomas Award. "The Father of Naval Aviation."

 

He and his team, as seen on History and Discovery channel ,will be giving demonstrations of the Non-Lethal Directed Energy Weapons he has invented for the US Military.  

Pete Bitar is the founder, President and CEO of Xtreme Alternative Defense Systems (XADS) as well as AirBuoyant, LLC, and is also the Team Leader for Team LunaTrex, a competitor for the Google Lunar X PRIZE, a $20 million Grand Prize competition to land and operate a rover on the Moon. 

Pete is the inventor of the StunStrike(tm) directed lightning system.  He has patented the technology for directed energy related products. Pete has founded and sold several entrepreneurial ventures during his business career. Mr. Bitar is a consultant in the Directed Energy sector for the Gerson-Lehrman Group.  He is also the developer of the VertiPod, a VTOL, flying platform aircraft as well as the inventor of two wind-turbine designs. Additionally, Pete has designed a family of all-electric, manned aircraft, which will fly later this year. Pete lives with his wife and two children in Anderson, Indiana. XTREME ALTERNATIVE DEFENSE SYSTEMS NAMES RETIRED MARINE CORPS LIEUTENANT GENERAL TO ADVISORY BOARD

ANDERSON, IN. (April, 2009) — Xtreme Alternative Defense Systems (XADS),  a pioneering producer of Non-Lethal and anti-materiel Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) based in Anderson, Indiana  has announced the appointment of Lieutenant General John F. Sattler, United States Marine Corps (Ret.), as Mentor to the company's Advisory Board.

A highly decorated officer, General Sattler retired in 2008 after more than 37 years of active duty service. His last post was as Director for Strategic Plans and Policy, J-5, The Joint Staff, based in Washington D.C. General Sattler previously served as Commanding General, I Marine Expeditionary Force and Commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Central Command, commanding forces in combat in Operation Iraqi Freedom.  A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy he has also served as the Congressional Liaison Officer to the U.S. House of Representatives, Commanding General, 2D Marine Division and deployed as the Commander, Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa.

“John Sattler is a superb military leader, with significant planning, operations, training and counter terrorism experience”, said Pete Bitar, Xtreme Alternative Defense Systems founder and CEO.   “I am confident that General Sattler will serve with distinction, in helping to guide XADS strategy and policy. We are fortunate to have available within our organization the wealth of knowledge and experience that he has accrued from four decades of service to his country.  John Sattler will help ensure that XADS is focused on assisting our country’s service people in performing their mission in as effective and safe a manner as possible.” Anderson, IN -- QUARTER 4, 2008 -- XADS was awarded a contract worth $1,100,000 to deliver 20 of its smaller StunStrike Counter-IED systems to NSWC Crane. The funding was made possible by a Congressional Earmark through our Congressman, Mike Pence for FY2008 in October, 2007, and we are pleased that the funding and contract has finally come through to XADS.
More on our Press Releases page


ANDERSON, IN. -- Quarter 4, 2008 -- Xtreme Alternative Defense Systems (XADS), a pioneering producer of Non-Lethal and anti-materiel Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) based in Anderson, Indiana, has announced the appointment of Lieutenant General Claude V.(Chris) Christianson, United States Army (Ret.), to the company's Advisory Board.
More on our Press Releases page Quarter 4, 2008: XADS received the Indiana Entrepreneurial Leadership Award for Innovation on October 28, 2008. XADS was among a group of 14 other companies to receive the award at the Indiana Roof Ballroom at the Indiana University and Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC)-sponsored gala event. The award was presented to Pete Bitar, CEO and Rick Busby, CTO by Mr. Nate Feltman, Indiana’s Secretary of Commerce.
More on our Press Releases page Anderson, IN -- Quarter 3, 2008 –  XADS has been selected among the State of Indiana’s inaugural class of the top 50 Companies to Watch, a statewide competition involving over 420 nominated companies, evaluated by the State’s leading financial and business leaders. The Companies to Watch program focuses on high-growth, high-technology companies in early stage development, with annual revenues ranging from $750,000 to $100 million. The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC), a State agency focused on economic development, awarded the prize. The award ceremony took place August 27. 

Thanks to two of our administrators, Anderson Preparatory Academy has received word that a grant for $100,000 has been awarded by the Indiana Department of Education to the school.  The grant was competitive and includes funding from the federal stimulus funds.  Administrator John Hayden and Director of Technology Richard Thompson both worked on the grant in a short 2-week period of time and submitted it for approval.  Eighty-two (82) schools applied for the money and fifty (50) received awards.

APA will use the grant to purchase on line reading skills applications that will be used across the curriculum to increase fluency, comprehension, and critical thinking skills.  To increase access to the reading program, the school will purchase Kindle computer book readers and a large electronic library of quality books.  Also, to allow students to express understanding and reading skills, the school will purchase eighty netbook computers complete with MS Office applications.  Finally, a large part of the grant will support extensive professional development to train teachers to deliver the innovative reading program across all subjects throughout the school day.

Many thanks to our two administrators for their hard work!

APA has hired a new staff member who will take charge of all technology.  Mr. Richard E. Thompson becomes one of the latest new administrative members added to the APA family.   Mr. Thompson talks about his new position . . . .

I am very excited to become a part of the Anderson Preparatory Academy.  My duties include taking care of all technology at APA and teaching the required 9th-grade computer science class.  I would like to acquaint you with myself and my expectations

I graduated from Anderson College and Ball State University with degrees in German, Mathematics, and Education.  I have also done additional work in computer science at IVY-Tech and with a position at Electronic Data Systems.   My career includes teaching at Pendleton Heights High School and Eastern Hancock High School.   For the last 13 years I was the Information Technology Coordinator at the Indiana Soldiers' and Sailors' Children's Home in Knightstown.   Unfortunately that 142-year-old institution was recently closed.

In my free time I enjoy swimming and playing basketball.   I am also a professional classical organist.  In addition to sports and music, I am an avid photographer.

I look forward to working with the students and faculty and staff at APA.  My goals and classroom expectations are listed below.

Class Outline
*State of Indiana standards for Computer Applications Course #4530
*BAsic computer parts and functions
*Windows Vista exploration
*Word 2007 exploration
*Excell 2007 exploration
*PowerPoint 2007 exploration
*2007 Access exploration
*Individual projects
*Class projects 
*Portfolio creation

Class expectations
*Come prepared for class (writing utensil, paper, handbook, etc.)

*Respect:  for teacher and for each other
*APA code of conduct
*Conscientious:  about class work, about homework, about learning
*Enter classroom and stand quietly at attention at you assigned location
*Follow commands when first requested
*Do not talk when another individual is speaking

*Ask questions if you have them
*Ask for help if you need it

*If it is in the handbook, it will be expected of you.

Grading
*Grades are based on tests, quizzes, homework, projects, and other things as assigned - all are weighted evenly

A   (95-100%)
A-  (90-94%)
B   (85-89%)
B-  (80-84%)
C   (75-79%)
C-  (70-74%)
D   (65-69%)
D-  (60-64%)
F    (0-59%)