Director's Letter November 14, 2025

Shelly Smith
Nov 14
3 min read

Hello ACA Community,

ACA’s Giving Tree is Here!

In an effort to support ACA community members who could use a little boost this year, please consider contributing to our Giving Tree. Every contribution - big or small - will make a difference to families right here in our school. Here is the LINK to donate directly, or you can choose a stocking off the tree, fulfill a wish, and return it to the office.

In addition, the donation boxes for non-perishable food items are starting to fill up. Thank you to those who have already contributed. Please see the flyer below for more information!

If your family could use a boost, please let your ES know.

Volunteer Spotlight

Are your students involved in any of ACA’s lunchtime or after school clubs? We have amazing parents who have committed to volunteering their time to make great clubs happen every week. Our thanks to parents Denisa Nitu, Kari Lange, Jana Holland, Leif Croonquist, Ian Manning, Jenn Whitten, Katie Tjernlund, and Lexi Crawford for their generous gift of their time!

Lost and Found

Our Lost and Found area is piling up! Please check out the many coats and sweatshirts in the cafeteria and claim your items before they are donated over the Holiday break.

Gentle Rule Reminder(s)

I’m circling back to safety in the morning drop-off line. Please keep the single file line flowing and do not leave cars parked in the fire lane (yellow painted curb).

ACA Outings

--Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2026 – Portland Trail Blazers Game About 37 seats left! Choose from $11, $42, or $62 tiers — no Ticketmaster fees. See the attached flyer or visit the ACA Blazers Group Page to pick your seats.

Individual HS -- CAREER DAY SHADOW experiences are available during NOVEMBER & DECEMBER for HS families to sign up for through PWA- Portland Workforce Alliance. A Parent & Student must each fill out the request and then wait to see if you're approved.

From the World’s Greatest PTO

PTO Meeting - 11/20 @ 12:30pm

BottleDrop Gives Event - Now Through 12/5: BottleDrop will generously give us an extra 20% on all blue bags turned in with our sticker attached. You can find our blue bags in the front entryway and PTO desk. There is also an option to transfer funds directly from your account - which will also be given an extra 20%! We have bags available in bulk for anyone who can bring them to an office or business.

Santa Gram Sales - 11/17-12/4 - Send some holiday cheer to your student, friend, teacher, or parent! Place your orders at the PTO desk. Santa Grams will be delivered the week of 12/8-12/11.

Bazaar Volunteers Needed - 12/5 & 12/6 - We have several volunteer opportunities available, as well as days leading up to the bazaar for anyone unable to attend that weekend. More info about the Bazaar can be found here. Please share our Bazaar Facebook event and invite your friends and family! Look for our PTO table! We will be selling frozen pies and having a bake sale.

Willamette Valley Pie Fundraiser Info: Thanksgiving Pies: Pie Pickup Friday 11/21 @ 2:30pm Holiday Pies: Orders due by Saturday 12/6 @ 4pm; Pie Pickup Friday 12/19 @ 2:30pm. *We will have a small amount of pies for sale at the Bazaar - look for our table!

Easy way to support your PTO Link your Fred Meyer Rewards to ACA PTO, and we earn money every time you shop - at no cost to you. Help us reach our goal of 100 sign ups this year - At the moment we are at 22! See the attached flyer for more info and click this link and choose ACA PTO for your organization. Thank you for helping us reach this goal!

Remember to check the calendar on our website often, AllianceCharterAcademy.org, and don’t forget to log your volunteer hours here Volunteer Time Log.

Thank you for being part of the ACA family, and have a wonderful weekend!

Go Eagles,

Shelly Smith

ShellySmith@aca.k12.or.us

Executive Director

“The mission of Alliance Charter Academy is to nurture the innate curiosity of our students, ignite their passion for learning, and prepare them for lifelong success through personalized learning and the collaboration of school, family, and community.”