Academy of the Redwoods

Matthew Coyle, Academy of the Redwoods Senior, Achieves Rare GIAC Security Essentials Certification Eureka,CA 10/2023– Matthew Coyle, a 12th-grade student at the Academy of the Redwoods, part of the Fortuna Union High School District (FUHSD) and a partner with the College of the Redwoods (CR), has achieved the esteemed GIAC (Global Information Assurance Certification) Security Essentials Certification, a remarkable accomplishment for a high school student. The GIAC Security Essentials Certification (GSEC) is a globally recognized certification in the field of information security. It demonstrates proficiency in a wide range of security-related concepts and practices. Typically, this certification is pursued by IT professionals, with employers often covering the costs of training. Matthew's journey to attain this certification was an arduous one. As a National Cyber Scholar with Honors, he received an elite scholarship through a single attempt. He diligently invested over 100 hours, reading seven comprehensive books and watching over a thousand instructional videos from the SANS course. With meticulous note-taking, each hour of video turned into a rigorous 2-3 hour study session. The SANS Institute and GIAC work hand-in-hand, providing top-notch training and certification opportunities for aspiring cybersecurity professionals. Cyberstart America, founded by the CTO of SANS, played a pivotal role in Matthew's journey. Matthew's path to this achievement began in 9th grade with his participation in Cyberstart America. Over the years, he completed numerous challenges, rising to become a finalist in the National Cyber Scholarship Competition. Through unwavering dedication, Matthew not only attained the GFACT certificate at the age of 15 but also secured a place in the top 1% of Cyber Scholars with Honors in the USA. The AR community is proud of Matthew's exceptional achievement, and wants to acknowledge all that he has accomplished.

AR student, Ekam Sohal, interviews Art Alexakis, founding member of the indie band Everclear. This is the first episode of Ekam's episode of "Humboldt Tunes" a collaboration between AR and Access Humboldt! A big shout out to Matt Knight for making dreams come true! https://youtu.be/9JPj5KrvTX8?si=plcoFbtfgGMq5glI #humboldttunes #academyoftheredwoods #everclear #artalexakis #indierock #interview #youthinmedia

You are invited to join Mr. King for "Coffee with the Principal" in our Academy of the Redwoods office. Please stop by with any questions or to get to know our Principal.

Alejandra Ramirez Peralta, 11th Grade Student at the Academy of the Redwoods, Advances as Semifinalist for 2024-25 State Board of Education Student Member Position Eureka, CA 10/2023 – Alejandra Ramirez Peralta, a dedicated and accomplished 11th grade student at the Academy of the Redwoods, has been selected by the State Board of Education (SBE) Ad-Hoc Screening Committee as one of 12 semifinalists to move forward in the highly competitive selection process for the esteemed 2024-25 California State Board of Education Student Member position. Alejandra's outstanding academic record, leadership qualities, and commitment to educational excellence have garnered her this distinguished honor. Her passion for education and dedication to advocate for her peers make her an exceptional candidate for this role. The next phase of the selection process will take place at the annual Student Advisory Board on Education (SABE) conference, scheduled from November 5 through November 8, 2023, in Sacramento. This event is sponsored by the California Association of School Councils (CASC) and serves as a platform for the brightest student leaders across the state to convene and discuss pressing educational matters. During the conference, Alejandra will have the opportunity to present her vision and aspirations for the role of Student Board member to the student delegates in attendance. This presentation will be a crucial aspect of her candidacy, as the delegates will vote to select six finalists from the pool of talented candidates. Following this, the six candidates will undergo interviews with the State Board of Education Screening Committee on Tuesday, November 7. From this group, three finalists will emerge and be recommended to the full State Board of Education for approval at its meeting on Wednesday, November 8. Once approved, the names of the three finalists will be forwarded to the Governor's office for consideration. The Governor will carefully evaluate the candidates and ultimately select one student to serve on the State Board of Education for the 2024-25 academic school year. The Academy of the Redwoods community congratulates Alejandra on this well-deserved recognition and wishes her the best of luck in the upcoming stages of the selection process. For further information about the SABE Conference, please visit: https://www.casc.net/sabe

It was an honor to see AR's Great Shakeout efforts recognized by Lori Dengler in Sunday's "Not My Fault" feature in the Times Standard! Great job AR students and staff! https://www.times-standard.com/2023/10/21/lori-dengler-shakeout-2023-a-roast-and-many-toasts/

Mr. Freeman's History classes are analyzing primary source government publications from the New Deal era! Lots of interesting titles here, what was the "Decasualization of Longshore Workers in San Francisco?" Ask your student when they get home! Props to Mr. Freeman for caretaking these rich pieces of history and to teacher assistant Lachlan Lewis for helping to set up the gallery this morning! #academyoftheredwoods #fortunauhsd #primarysource #governmentdocsproject

Congratulations to Rowan Dick, October's Soroptimist Girl of the Month! Rowan attended this week's Soroptimist of Humboldt Bay meeting and spoke about her goal of protecting and restoring coral reef systems! We're proud that this future global champion has made AR a part of her story! #soroptimistofhumboldtbay #academyoftheredwoods #soroptimistgirlofthemonth #fortunauhsd

Dear AR Community, Please read the October Newsletter from Principal King regarding Thursday’s Great Shakeout Earthquake Drill. Linked below. Have a great day! https://5il.co/27akk

On Friday the First Years went on an incredible Field Bio & History Trip to Sue Meg State Park! They learned about Yurok history and cultural practices and experienced the wonder of this pristine Northern Humboldt marine terrace ecosystem from the perspective of a biologist! Ms. Holtski and Mr. Freeman organized an unforgettable day for the class of 2027! #academyoftheredwoods #suemegstatepark #yurokland #fortunauhsd #weddingrock #powerofplace

As recognized through Presidential Proclamation, today, October 9th, is Indigenous Peoples Day in the United States. At AR we honor the contributions and perseverance of Indigenous peoples around the world and reiterate our commitment to being part of the solution toward Tribal self-determination, cultural renewal, and bright futures. Traditional Ecological Knowledge is real. #indigenouspeoplesday #fortunauhsd #academyoftheredwoods #wiyotland #collegeoftheredwoods

HIP Club is posted up at Corcoran Icon Properties on 3rd Street for Arts! Alive running a baked goodies donation fundraiser supporting CARE.org's efforts to help disaster victims in Morocco in the wake of the September 8th earthquake. Stop by if you are out in Old Town tonight! #academyoftheredwoods #HIPclub #moroccoearthquake #CARE #fortunauhsd

4th year Bryanna Lopez-Tejeda is the star of AR's Pastels On The Plaza 2023! Such a cool creation! #academyoftheredwoods #northcoastchildrensservices #pastelsontheplaza

Dare we say... we have the best teachers in the WORLD? Cheers to all of the teachers around the globe for today's World Teacher Day, and especially AR's incredible team! #unescoworldteacherday #academyoftheredwoods #fortunauhsd

Malik and Tommy spin the wheel for prizes at the MEC booth hosted by AR alum Maritza for Love Your Body Day! #academyoftheredwoods #loveyourbody #spinthewheel #powerofplace #collegeoftheredwoods

Are you coming to the AR College Registration Guide Forum Tuesday evening at 5 PM? Here is a map to the location of the forum in CAC 207, in the new Creative Arts Complex! There will be pastries and coffee! See you there! #academyoftheredwoods

Odin and Rezo built bridges in the district last night when they helped out at the FHS Snack Shack during Lip Sync & Powder Puff for Homecoming Week! #fortunauhsd #oneteam #academyoftheredwoods

A big thanks to Jeff Hogue (CR professor emeritus) for leading the Environmental Club on an interpretive hike of campus grounds at lunch today! #academyoftheredwoods #fortunauhsd #powerofplace #collegeoftheredwoods

Parents & Guardians! Come join us at 2 PM tomorrow (Friday, September 29th) in the Advising Center for the AR Parent Advisory Committee! Coffee & Snacks will be provided! #arpac #academyoftheredwoods #fortunauhsd

Dear AR Students, Tomorrow (Thursday, Sept. 28) we will hold a lockdown drill. A lockdown confines all staff and students to a classroom due to perceived or real threats in order to minimize exposure to danger. During TTH5, each teacher will receive a lockdown drill notification sent out by radio & the NavigatePrepared alert app. Once the lockdown is initiated FOLLOW YOUR TEACHER'S INSTRUCTIONS. This isn't an earthquake drill, each class will respond depending on its context. Students outside of the classroom will be brought in. Once you are in the position instructed by your teacher, remain there silently. The drill will last up to 8 minutes. The teacher will receive an all clear signal and you will follow instructions before returning to your seat. There will be a Google Form shared to provide feedback. For this drill, only AR is participating, we are working with CR to coordinate drills in the future. Lockdowns can occur for many reasons. This isn't an active shooter drill. A lockdown can occur if there is a police standoff nearby, a chemical spill in Fields Landing, or a number of other emergencies in our vicinity. The drill is intended to enhance campus safety & student security. If you experience any emotional or physical difficulty during or after the drill, please inform your teacher so that we can provide support. If you have questions, please contact Principal King.

The AR Cross Country team has been putting in miles and taking care of their running environment, even on the weekend, to prepare for the Clam Beach Invitational in mid-October! Table Bluff provided excellent training conditions this morning!