The ACES - The Austin Centers for Exceptional Students

🎉 Kicking Off Extended School Year (ESY) 2025! ☀️

We’re excited to welcome our students back for an incredible summer of learning, growth, and fun! Just a friendly reminder to our amazing parents and guardians — ESY begins June 4 and runs through July 31. Please note: There is no school on Fridays!

Stay tuned all summer long as our campuses head out on some sweet field trips and make lasting memories. Let’s make it a great ESY! 🚌📚🍦

Have questions? Please don’t hesitate to contact us — we’re here to help!

🎓✨ The Austin Centers Class of 2025 – You Did It! ✨🎓

What an unforgettable day across all of our Arizona campuses as we celebrated the incredible achievements of the Class of 2025! From Tempe to Peoria, Mesa to Gilbert, and everywhere in between—our campuses were filled with pride, joy, and the spirit of celebration.

Each graduate has worked tirelessly to reach this moment. Their determination, resilience, and growth have been nothing short of inspiring. Today, they stood tall and proud as they walked across the stage, knowing how far they’ve come.

🌟 Student speeches touched every heart in the room, as graduates reflected on their journeys and honored the people who supported them along the way. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house as they shared powerful stories of perseverance and hope.

🎓 And then came the moment we all waited for—the tassel turn. Right to left. A small gesture, but a massive milestone. With that movement, they officially became graduates of The Austin Centers.

We couldn’t be prouder of this amazing group of young adults. This is more than a ceremony—it's the beginning of a new chapter filled with opportunity, growth, and endless possibility.

To our graduates: You have already accomplished so much, and we cannot wait to see where your future takes you. No matter where life leads you next, you’ll always have a home with us at The Austin Centers.

💙 Congratulations, Class of 2025! 💙

🎉 That’s a wrap, Westminster! 🎉

Today marks the end of our very first school year in Westminster, Colorado—and what a year it’s been! We are beyond grateful to all the incredible parents and guardians who entrusted us with their children’s growth. Your support helped pave the way for exceptional progress in just one short year. 🙌

To our phenomenal staff—thank you for building one of the strongest teams we've ever seen. As Mr. Brad, our Principal, so perfectly put it:
"I feel like Nick Fury assembling the Avengers. I am grateful to observe each of you grow personally and professionally as a team, ready to meet any opportunity and challenge that comes your way. I can't say thank you enough!"

And most importantly, thank you to our amazing students—for trusting us to guide and coach you through an incredible year of growth. Your resilience, effort, and spirit inspired us every single day. 💪💙

Lastly, please join me in celebrating our Employees of the Year: Ms. Churchy and Mr. Xavier! 🎉 Their contributions to our campus are truly unparalleled. They exemplify the ACES way through their constant dedication to students and staff, and we are so proud to have them on our team. 👏🌟

💙💡 Peer Power in Action! 💡💙
Our high school students stepped up in a big way this week—serving as peer mentors to help our younger students create an engaging and educational food-themed lesson plan! 🍎🥦📚

From brainstorming healthy snacks to designing interactive activities, it’s been incredible watching our school community come together. The high schoolers showed tremendous heart, leadership, and patience—proving that learning is even more powerful when it’s shared across age groups. 💬🤝

🎪🎉 CARNIVAL CRAZINESS at Peoria Campus! 🎉🎪

We went BIG for Student Appreciation Day—and it was EPIC! Our campus turned into a full-blown student carnival and the energy was off the charts!

🎯 Duck guessing? Nailed it.
🏃‍♂️ Wacky races? Crushed it.
🥧 PIE in the FACE for our Principal, Mr. Andrae? LEGENDARY.

Our students laughed, played, and celebrated the incredible year they've had—and we couldn’t be more PROUD! You showed up, you shined, and you deserved every bit of this wild celebration! 💥

Here’s to YOU, Peoria students—you make school AWESOME! 💙

🎉✨ CELEBRATION TIME IN WESTMINSTER, COLORADO! ✨🎉

We are beyond excited to share a HUGE milestone with our community — our incredible students in Westminster just wrapped up the school year with an unforgettable End-of-Year Student Awards Celebration... and guess what?!

These rockstars are officially the FIRST students in the entire state of Colorado to receive these awards! 🙌🏽💫 That’s right — history was made today, and we couldn’t be prouder! 💥

To our students: THANK YOU for inspiring us every single day. You’ve worked so hard, grown so much, and today, you reminded us all that anything is possible with the right mindset and support. 💪🏼

Let’s hear it one more time for the bright, bold, and brilliant future leaders of Colorado! 🏆🎓🎉

🎉 A HISTORIC MILESTONE! 🎉

Please join us in celebrating something that has never been done before at The Austin Centers!

This week, we proudly honor Ms. Nancy from our Peoria Campus, who is celebrating an astonishing 30 YEARS of teaching at The Austin Centers! 🏆

💥 Fun fact: Ms. Nancy was THE FIRST TEACHER ever hired at The Austin Centers. She helped lay the foundation of who we are today—and her legacy continues to shape generations of students, families, and educators across all our campuses.

For three decades, Ms. Nancy has been a pillar of strength, resilience, and compassion. Her classroom has been a safe haven, a place of growth, and a source of hope for countless students—many of whom faced tremendous challenges and found success through her guidance.

From day one, Ms. Nancy has led with her heart. Her ability to connect, inspire, and uplift is unmatched. She has mentored new teachers, supported families, and brought unwavering consistency and love to every child she’s served.

✨ Her work is more than just teaching—it’s a lifelong impact that cannot be measured.

Ms. Nancy, thank you for 30 years of excellence, passion, and commitment. You are not only a teacher—you are a trailblazer, a hero, and a true legend in the Austin Centers family.

Here's to your incredible legacy and the thousands of lives you’ve forever changed.

🎉 BREAKING NEWS: Peoria Students are CRUSHING IT! 🚨📣

The first student awards of the week have officially been handed out — and let’s just say, we might need to start carrying confetti cannons at all times. 🎊💥

These kids have been working their tails off, showing kindness, focus, and all-around superstar behavior. 🌟✨ Watching them get cheered on by a crowd of proud parents and guardians? Total tearjerker material. 🥹❤️

Shoutout to the Peoria campus for kicking off the week with straight-up excellence. 💪 Keep up the amazing work, future legends!

Now we want to hear from YOU —

Tell us about a teacher who made a difference in your life or helped your student through a tough time.

👇Drop their name, a memory, or a simple thank-you in the comments!

As we wrap up Teacher Appreciation Week, we want to extend a heartfelt THANK YOU to our incredible educators at The Austin Centers! 💙🍎

Each of you plays a vital role in shaping the future — not just through academics, but by showing our students what it means to be supported, seen, and believed in. Your passion, dedication, and willingness to go the extra mile truly make a difference every single day.

Whether it's celebrating small wins, guiding students through challenges, or simply being a steady, encouraging presence — you are the reason our students continue to grow and thrive.

Thank you for being the heart of our schools and champions for our students' success. 💫

Stay tuned next week for our Annual Austin Centers Student Awards — we can't wait to celebrate our amazing students next! 🎉

🎪🍿 Another round of fun during Teacher Appreciation Week!
Today we rolled in with a circus snack cart, threw down in some trivia games, and yes—we kept the snacks flowing all day long! 🎉🍭🍿

At our school, we don't just appreciate teachers—we celebrate them in style ALL WEEK LONG. Stay tuned… there's more fun (and food!) on the way! ❤️

🎉 Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! 🎉
This week, we’re celebrating the heart of our school—our amazing teachers and related service providers! From creating safe and supportive learning environments to helping students achieve personal and academic growth, their contributions are the foundation of our success. 💙📚

We truly believe we have the BEST team out there. Their dedication, creativity, and unwavering commitment to our students make a lasting difference every single day.

Stay tuned for all the fun and appreciation coming their way this week—we’re pulling out all the stops to celebrate them like they deserve!

THANK YOU for being the reason our students thrive. 🌟