Happy New Year!

Wishing you happiness in the New Year, from your chemistry family at AACT.

2018 has come and gone, and now we look forward to a new year ahead. We reflect on what was and aspire to what will be. I feel honored to be a part of your chemistry story this school year. I know many of us do not get thanked for our work, but remember that every day that you spend with your students, you are making a difference. You are touching their lives. For me, my students, my family and my AACT family all have impacted my life this year. I have met so many wonderful, new chemistry friends, and connected many of my old chemistry friends. I hope the New Year brings joy and happiness to all and I look forward to the final months of the school year as AACT President.

2019 will be even more special as we honor the backbone of chemistry; the periodic table. Celebrating 150 years since its discovery, 2019 has been declared, The International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements (IYPT). Join in celebrating the periodic table by sharing about it in your classroom, school, and community. Our grade level ambassadors Barbara Suszynski, Laura Celik and Scott Hawkins, created exciting periodic table activities for you to use with your students! Elementary school teachers can use the activity, Elemental Scrabble to help young students become more familiar with element symbols. Middle school teachers can use the Periodic Table Connect the Dots activity to help students navigate the periodic table by solving clues to reveal a secret message. High school teachers can use the activity, Which Element Am I?, to challenge students to correctly identify elements based on a short description. If you plan to celebrate IYPT in a special way, please share your experiences with others in the AACT community!

From the bottom of my heart, as I reflect on everything that made this past year special, I think of my AACT family. Thank you for helping to make AACT the best it can be, both now and in the future.

Happy New Year!

Sherri Rukes
President, AACT Governing Board
2018–2019