October 3, 2005 Boulder Valley’s First Charter School Volume 20, Number 3 The School Calendar October November th • Tuesday, 4 Vision/Hearing Screening - 8:30 a.m. • Friday, 11th NO SCHOOL - Veteran's Day th st th • Monday, 10 No lunch service – send sack lunch Monday, 21 - Friday, 25 NO SCHOOL - th • • Tuesday 18 Parent Teacher Conferences 1:30- Thanksgiving Holiday th 6:30 p.m. * Monday 28 School Resumes th • • Wednesday, 19 Picture Retakes 8:00-10:00 a.m. th • Wednesday, 19 Parent-Teacher Conferences 1:30-6:30 p.m. * st • Friday, 21 NO SCHOOL - Summit Charter Day nd • Saturday 22 – Parent Work Party 9:00am- 3:00pm • Wednesday, 26th End of 1st Quarter December January th • Wednesday, 21st - Tuesday 3rd Jan. NO SCHOOL • Wednesday, 4 School Resumes th - Winter Holiday Break • Friday 13 NO SCHOOL Professional Development Day th • Monday 16 NO SCHOOL Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday th • Thursday 19 End of First Semester rd • Monday 23 – No lunch service – send sack lunch * Conference Note: Summit students will be in class 8:10-12:20 p.m. on these days (no lunch service.) Principal’s Column David. Finell Summit Parents: I again encourage parents to use Tantra as the primary pick-up and drop-off area for the school. We expect this In order to improve the safety of our small parking lot, work to be done in October. As always, please follow all BVSD will be making some changes in the configuration safety rules so no one is injured during drop-off and pick- of parking, pick-up and drop-off areas. Once the work is up times. completed, students will only be allowed to be dropped off and picked up along the expanded student drop off A diagram is available at the front office. and pick up line along the sidewalk. Page 2 – Summit News – October 3, 2005 From the Dean’s Office --Renee Reaven Athletics, Student Council and Academic Progress By the way, we still don’t have a flag football coach. If Reports you are interested, let me know. The IM Girls Basketball team had a good deal of fun at On October 7th and 8th twenty newly elected Student their culminating tournament at Eldorado K-8. Under the Council representatives will have their annual retreat in enthusiastic and skillful coaching of volunteer Coach Kris Estes Park. They will have two days filled with team Moe, Signe and Shannon Burke’s Mom, the team building, leadership training, Constitution writing, the earned an 8-3-1 record (wins, losses, ties). Hearty formation of committees and elections for the executive congratulations go to Shannon Burke, Natalie Fearnley, council. Chaperones for the trip are Renee and her Karen Richardson, Luisa Jaeger, Ariel Eckstein, Erin husband Noah Reaven, Allie and Alex Paul’s parents Kirton, Alexia Ingerson, Betty Yi, Mary Edman, Allie Paul and faculty member Neal Zettas. Last year’s Student and Lara Van Meter, who played at the tournament. At Council set the bar high for community service projects the end of the tournament the girls presented Coach and school wide events such as dances and an all- Moe and Dean Reaven with flowers and expressed their school movie fest. This year’s Student Council also heartfelt thanks! Way to go, Summiteers! appears to be an energetic group with many ideas! Again, keep posted! IM Boys Basketball is up and running with a whopping 23 6th and 7th grade boys participating. Practices are Progress reports just came out. Summit has a rigorous every day except Tuesdays from 3:15-4:15. Stop by and and challenging curriculum and we set the bar high for watch Coach Zettas’ practices; you will see that the boys our students. If your child is struggling at Summit he/she could not have a more passionate and proficient coach! will have a meeting with Dean Reaven to work out an Their culminating tournament is from 4:00 - 6:00 on academic improvement plan. You will see the plan, as October 7th at a place to-be-announced. They will take a your child will bring it home to be signed, and of course BVSD bus to and from the tournament. Keep posted! your support and encouragement is critical to its success. Our school counselor, Kendra Bartley, the IM Coed Flag Football starts October 12 and ends principal, Mr. Finell and I work closely with you and your October 28th. Practices are every day except Tuesdays child’s teachers to insure that every student at Summit from 3:15-4:15. If your child is interested in playing, takes advantage of the program and support services we please have him/her sign up on the sign up sheet on the offer. It takes a village….! bulletin board outside of Dean Reaven’s office. The fall season and flag football, it doesn’t get better than that! Events for Prospective Students (2005-2006) Monthly Scheduled Tours shadow a “Student Ambassador” (current 6th grader) for a half-day. Dates and sign-up procedures for Student Parents and students interested in the Summit Middle Visitation Days will be sent with letters of acceptance, School program are invited to tour the school with a which are mailed in late January or early February. Summit administrator. At the end of the tour, there will be an opportunity for questions and answers. All tours begin Student/Parent Information Nights at 8:30 a.m. Tours are by appointment only. Please call the Summit office to schedule a time (303-499-9511). Student/Parent Information Nights are an excellent opportunity to meet Summit staff and board members and School tours will be held on the following dates: to learn more about the Summit program. The mission, October 25, November 3 and 17, December 1, 7 and 14, philosophy, and curriculum of the Summit program will be January 11 and 18. discussed, textbooks and work samples will be displayed, and presentations will be made by core subject and Student Visitation Days elective teachers. All prospective students and their families are encouraged to attend one of these evening Students who have been notified of acceptance at Summit programs, which are offered twice during the year. are eligible to attend a Student Visitation Day. This Student/Parent Information Nights will be held on program is designed for students who feel they need to Thursday, December 8 and on Thursday, January 12 visit the school in order to make a final decision about from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. enrolling at Summit. On the day they visit, students will Page 3 – Summit News – October 3, 2005 FYI Pupil Count Days staff. We recognize there are a lot of demands and The official October Pupil Count period is going on needs for funds and you may consider donating to statewide now through Oct. 7, 2005. Please ensure your various organizations. We ask that you please plan for child is in attendance at school unless s/he is ill, or has our single fundraising activity for Summit. These funds an extenuating circumstance approved by the office. directly support our children's education and the Attendance determines membership in the school, which continued academic excellence of Summit. dictates our funding, received for the year from the state. There are two goals for this year's campaign. The first is Parent/Teacher Conferences 100% participation (a donation from each and every one Parent/Teacher Conferences are from 1:30 – 6:30 P.M. of Summit's families). Foundations and others consider on the following days: levels of support when awarding grants. Every donation, Tuesday, Oct. 18 last name A - L regardless of amount, counts toward this participation Wednesday, Oct. 19 last name M - Z goal. Our second goal is to raise $100,000 in Students will have a shortened school day on these contributions (an average of $350 per Summit family). days, from 8:10-12:20. On Tuesday the class schedule We understand that students come to Summit from a will be periods 1, 3, 5, and a shortened 7th, and on wide variety of economic situations; some families Wednesday periods 2, 4, 6, and a shortened 7th will cannot make a donation of this size. We think it is best to meet. Lunch will NOT be offered for students, so send a ask families to give what they can, realizing that some substantial snack with your child for Nutrition Break will give above this average and some will give below. If those days. we all do the best we can, Tools for Learning will reach its goals. Don’t forget corporate matching programs if Rocky Mountain Talent Search your employer will match your donation! The Rocky Mountain Talent Search enables capable and motivated middle school students to take a challenging If you have any questions about this year's campaign, SAT or ACT college entrance test not usually please contact Michelle Meyer, Tools for Learning administered until high school. Students who have Chairperson - 303-588-3474. participated have reported increased comfort and potential future score gains by receiving early experience with these types of tests. To qualify to Summit Board Supports Referendum 3A participate, a student must have received a standardized BVSD put referendum 3A on the November election test score in a major subject area of 90% or higher, or ballot. 3A will provide the school district with additional received a score of "Advanced" on one or more of the funds to offset non-reimbursed transportation costs. This CSAP tests during the last two years. will free up $4.2M in the general budget, which BVSD plans to use for computer replacement and other needs.