Welcome Back Middle School Families! This year there are exciting changes that are important for all middle school students and parents. These changes are centered around Academy courses and the selection process and access to schedules. 

As a goal of the administration team, we wanted to provide students with more Academy course opportunities. In the newsletter, please review ALL Academy courses and descriptions in the course catalog. Students, along with parents, will select three Academy course options. It is our goal for all students to receive their first choice, however, each course only can allow a certain number of students. Please select a course that is interesting and beneficial to your child. 

	Welcome to Middle School! I'm Ms. Stallings :) I graduated from Stevenson University with my BA and recently received my Masters in Reading Intervention at Concordia University. I am from Baltimore, Maryland and moved to Colorado 5 years ago. I'm excited to be apart of the MS Team for the 5th year at Aurora Academy. As a world traveler, I love being the social studies teacher. I've been to 41 National Parks in the United States - I only have 23 to go! I walked (a portion) of the Great Wall of China in 2016, spent a few hours roaming around Machu Picchu, Peru in 2017, and saw the beauty of Petra in 2018. Now, there's four more Wonders of the World to see!
	Hello! I am Rubbico, and this will be my 8th year at Aurora Academy! I am the 6th grade Language Arts Teacher, and I also coach Co-Ed Cross Country and Boys & Girls Soccer. I am looking forward to the opportunity of working with your students and learning their stories.
	Welcome! I am Mrs. Aldrich and so excited to be joining 6th grade this year teaching Math and Science. I have been teaching for 17 years now, and have had the pleasure of doing everything from 1st-12th grade. I received my BA from Sonoma State University and my Kinder-12th Teaching Credential from Cal State San Marcos. Let's have a great year Falcons!
	Hey there!  I'm Mrs. Fischbach (FISH-BACK), and I'm returning to AACS for year 5 of teaching Literature to our 7th & 8th graders!  I have been teaching middle school Language Arts for 15 years.  I received my BA in English Education from Colorado State University and my MA in Educational Neuropsychology from Ball State University.  I look forward to getting to know your kiddos this year!
	Hey ya'll! I am Mrs. David, and this will be my 3rd year at Aurora Academy! I am THE 7th & 8th grade Math Teacher, and I also coach Co-Ed Cross Country, Girls Basketball and Boys & Girls Soccer. I am looking forward to getting to know your student and teaching them how fun math can be!
	Hey everyone! I am Ms. McNamara, and this will be my 11th year at Aurora Academy! I am the 7th & 8th grade Social Studies Teacher. I grew up in Littleton, CO and decided to never leave this great state! I graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder (Go Buffs!) with a B.A. in History and certificate in Secondary Social Studies Education. In May of 2020, I received my master's degree in  culturally linguistically diverse education from the University of Colorado at Denver. Outside of work I love to escape to the mountains to either hike or ski. I am looking forward to another great year and getting to know your  wonderful students!
	Hey y'all, I am Mr. Rivera, the 7th and 8th grade writing teacher. I have been teaching for 11 years and this will be my 6th year at Aurora Academy. I am originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, where I earned my B.A. in Secondary Education from the University of Louisiana-Lafayette (Geaux Cajuns!) and my Masters in Education - School Leadership from the University of Holy Cross. I am a huge sports fan and spend my free time exploring everything Colorado has to offer. I am looking forward to a great year working with our students and families.
	Hi, I am Mrs. Horsford! I am the 7th and 8th grade science teacher. I have been teaching for 18 years and 17 of them have been at Aurora Academy.  I started at AAC in 2004 and worked here until 2012. For the 2012-2013 school year I went and taught in American Samoa, a small island, for a year. Then I came back to this fantastic school in 2013 and have been here since. I am really excited to teach your young adult this year. Please reach out with any questions or concerns.