November 23, 2000
Volume 10, No. 7
The Board discussed final details of the Tools For Learning letter to be sent out to our families. There was a general discussion about the number of substitutes some students have had this past month, as well as behavior and discipline issues for a handful of classes. We will post a job announcement at CU for a qualified student to fill a tech support position, up to 10 hours per week.
Tricia Olson, scheduling coordinator, presented preliminary elective class signups for spring semester. A new elective class, Introduction to Japan, will be offered and will be taught by Mr. Havens. There was further discussion of Summit's response to proposed changes in the BVSD open enrollment procedures for 2001-2002. The affirmative e-mail vote to hire Ms. Deb Sanders, the new English teacher, was ratified. The German teaching position opening will be advertised at the CU German department. Bonnie Mettler, a former Summit parent, is volunteering her graphics design expertise to prepare an updated version of "Reach For The Summit." This informational flyer is distributed to parents and students interested in applying to Summit for enrollment next year.
Board members signed up to attend District Parent Council meetings for this school year. The AAA Committee will be asked to make recommendations about satisfaction surveys at the next Board meeting. Surveys will be distributed to parents, students, staff and alumni in January.
The next regular Summit Board meeting will be on Monday, December 4, at 7 p.m. in the Summit Library. All are welcome! Future meetings will be on December 18, and January 8 and 22.
Are you a techie? Can you troubleshoot software? Set up networks? Summit needs you for about 10 (flexible) hours each week, and the pay is $10/hour. Call Ms. Grove in the school office at 303-499-9511 to set up an interview. High school and college students are encouraged to apply.
A huge thank you goes out to Dr. Burkhart for the wonderful music program which he "orchestrated" last week at Boulder High. And congratulations to all the students who performed so well. That was a great show and there were a lot of proud parents in the audience. How does he do it all, anyway?
The Summit Board is pleased to welcome Deb Sanders to the Summit faculty. Ms. Sanders now teaches the classes previously taught by Ms. Wendy McMillan, including 4 sections of English 1 and one section of English 2. Ms. Sanders brings to Summit six years of experience teaching at the high school level. In addition to teaching English and composition classes, Ms. Sanders has also taught journalism, film, creative writing, American and British literature, and photography.
Join Ms. Stough and Ms. Donaton in Costa Rica! With the help of Educational Destinations, a group of Summit students will once again visit Costa Rica. From June 18-29, 2001, students will experience the beauty of the Monteverde cloud forest, work on an ecological restoration project, live with Costa Rican families for 4 days, hike the Arenal volcano, hike in on horseback to a waterfall and bathe in the crystal water, visit the Indian village of Sarchi, and spend 3 days on the coast where they will go dolphin watching. There will be an informational meeting for students during lunch on Wednesday, December 6, in Ms. Stough's room. See Ms. Stough or Ms. Donaton soon for an informational packet! There will be a meeting scheduled for parents soon after the Winter Break which will be announced later.
Speak German with native speakers, eat great food, do crafts such as making your own carnival mask and designing and making your own family crest, dance, learn songs, etc., etc. - the three German classes will do all that and more on their field trip to CU's "Deutschfest" on February 14th. The event is sponsored by the CU-Outreach Council, The Department of Germanic and Slavic Languages, and the Boulder Valley Schools. The fee is $5 per student. Please make sure your child brings in either $5 in cash or a check (made out to Monarch High School) to the Summit Office by Nov 29th!
Parents interested in chaperoning, please indicate this on the permission slip at the bottom of the "Deutschfest" handout your child received in German class. If you have any questions, please contact me anytime. THANK YOU! I will be there organizing one of the activities and am looking forward to seeing you all there!
Parents, please remember that, according to Colorado High School Activities Association and Summit policy, when your student is out of school due to illness for more than half a day, he/she may not take part in a school activity that evening. Not only is this a rule, but it also makes good sense. Tired students do not recover quickly from an illness and missed school time is difficult to make up.
Absences of several days or more can have a significant negative impact on grades and educational progress. Although homework and some assignments can be made up, lost instructional time cannot be regained. Science labs, class discussion, practice applying ideas, and the opportunity to ask questions and receive feedback are classroom activities that are vital to your student's academic success. Parents are urged to make every effort to schedule travel plans during times when school is not in session.
If you find that you must remove your child from school, we ask you to write a note to the Summit staff describing your plans and the dates you will be gone. This note should be handed in to the office, where it will be copied and distributed to all of your child's teachers. Also have your student pick up an "Assignments to Complete" form from the office to take around to all of his/her teachers before leaving. Parents should initial the form to show they are aware of what their child will need to accomplish while absent. When your child returns, please make sure that all the assignments listed have been completed, along with any additional make-up work that needs to be done.
Our trivia questions are still stumping the students. However, this week we have a winner for her effort. Beckie Olstad took two guesses and though she wasn't correct, she tried! For her effort, Beckie will receive a free treat at the school store! Just stop in at the office to receive your coupon.
Here are the answers to last week's questions:
Which high profile staff member once had Thanksgiving with Billy Joel, Christy Brinkley and Kathleen Turner when he/she was in high school? And the answer is, the dramatic - Ms. Hanckel!
Guess who has a grand dog whose name is Opus? That's right, a grand dog. Who else but Maggie Mesinger, the school secretary and dog lover!
This week's questions are:
Which renowned member of the Summit staff once had 110 rabbits, showed quarter horses and also loves flowers?
And which staff member was thoroughly embarrassed when his/her yearbook school picture was displayed in the Southpark movie "Bigger, Longer, and Uncut!"
Don't delay! If you think you know the answer to the questions, email your guess to tomwhiteoc@earthlink.net.
Here it is the schedule for our 8th grade basketball teams. Get out and watch these hot teams now, before they turn pro and you have to pay to see the game!
All games are away, and begin at 3:15 p.m.
All games are away, and begin at 3:15 p.m.
There will a Summit Middle Charter School Inc. Bylaws Meeting on Monday, December 4, 2000 immediately following the Summit Board Meeting in the Summit Library.
If you know of families interested in finding out more about Summit, have them call the office at 499-9511 to receive a brochure, a calendar of events, and an Open Enrollment application form.
Student/Parent Information Nights are an excellent opportunity to meet Summit staff and board members and to learn more about the Summit program. The mission, philosophy and curriculum of the Summit program are discussed, textbooks and work samples are displayed, and teachers of core subjects as well as electives offer presentations. All prospective students and their families are encouraged to attend one of these evening programs: Wednesday, December 13, Thursday, January 18. Both events will be held at Summit from 7 - 8:30 p.m.
Prospective students and families interested in the Summit program are also invited to tour the school with a Summit administrator. Tours are offered once a month (except in February), and last approximately 45 minutes. At the end of each tour, there is an opportunity for questions and answers. All tours begin at 8:10 a.m.: December 12, January 16, March 13, April 10, May 8.
Every winter for the past 16 years, Maggie Mesinger has traveled to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota bearing holiday gifts for Lakota families. If you have very gently used clothing (coats, sweaters, pants, shirts, etc.), and would like to make a donation, Maggie will see that it is given to an needy family. All sizes are welcome - from children to elders. If you wish to contribute money, it will be converted to food vouchers and/or gift certificates for home heating. Children's books, tape recorders, Walkmans and similar gifts are welcome, too. If you have questions, please call Maggie at 303-499-9511.
If anyone has fabric lying around that they don't feel they will use, they can donate it to a good cause. A group of children and parents are in the process of making 175 bears to be donated to an orphanage in Mexico. We need cotton only and no solids. Minimum size is 16" x 18". Please give all fabric to Carolyn Brookins (7th grade) or leave it at the office with her name on it and we will check every few days for the next two weeks. Thanks!
The 24th annual CU WIZARDS program is an informal introduction to astronomy, chemistry and physics, intended primarily for students in grades 5 through 9. Each program lasts about an hour and includes several lively experiments.
All programs are held at the CU. There is free parking ONLY in LOTS 065, 169, 308, 378, 396, and 436. There is also parking available for a nominal fee in the Euclid parking structure. Certain parking spaces are reserved for permit holders at all times. Do not park in these spaces or you will be ticketed or towed. All shows begin at 9:30 a.m.
November 25: CHEMISTRY IN KITCHEN, Professor Janet Degrazia, Chemistry 140
December 30: LIQUID CRYSTALS, Professors Noel Clark, Dave Walba, & Joe Maclennan, Duane Physics G1B30
For additional information go to: http://physics.colorado.edu/wizards/cuwizards.html
Come, be inspired and entertained by the excellent student musicians of Boulder High. All concerts begin at 7:30 pm in the Boulder High School Auditorium.
Come and see 60 incredible, fun and innovative engineering design projects built by CU students. See a toilet lid that lifts itself and designs for an Environmental Bus. If you love to design creative projects, you will love this display. Saturday December 9 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at the Integrated Teaching and Learning Laboratory, College of Engineering and Applied Science at CU. For more information call 303-492-8303.
From Ozone Depletion to Robert Falcon Scott: The third Walter Orr Roberts Distinguished Lecture, will be given by Susan Solomon, Senior Scientist, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Monday, December 4 at 5:30 p.m. at the Boulder Public Library Auditorium. Free! For details call 303-497-2102
This year, Susan Solomon was awarded a National Medal of Science, our nation's highest scientific honor, for her groundbreaking research into the causes of the ozone hole over the Antarctic. Solomon, who has journeyed four times to Antarctica for her research, will reflect on her career and share some of her recent work on the role of weather in the deaths of Robert Falcon Scott and his companions during their 1912 trek to the South Pole.
This program, which used to be known as Odyssey of the Mind, requires parent coaches. Are you interested in working with bright, young minds? Check out both the national and the local DI Web sites: www.destinationimagination.org (national) www.extremecreativity.org (Colorado)
A coach training session will be held on Saturday, December 9 from 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. at DU. If you would like to form a team or help with an existing team, call Julie Dotson at 303 499 8749.
By the time you read this we should have all made it through Thanksgiving Day!! Looking back over the last few weeks, the Parent Volunteer Connection (PVC) at Summit has much to be thankful for. There seems to be a constant flurry of activity at school and we have the most resourceful and industrious group of parents to support our activities.
With History Day approaching, we have had to call on numerous parents to help check on the status of student projects. They have stepped forward to help keep the students on track and calm the teachers' nerves. Many thanks to Marjorie Riksheim, who is spending many hours to make History Day run smoothly. Thanks also to Kathleen Inman and her crew, which put on a fabulous Colonial Day on Tuesday, November 21.
Elsie Rivera and the Hearing and Vision group did a fantastic job on November 17 working with all of the students who were required to be screened. The school tours have begun and Mrs. Bartley keeps Risa Heywood, Barbry Hogue and Cindy Smith busy coordinating these.
The music volunteers keep busy with the weekly filing and organizing of music. Thanks to Joan Jacus and the other wonderful volunteers who donated their time, energy and food to make the Fall Festival at Boulder High a success.
Thanks to Paul Atcheson and Bob Dotson for assembling the new science tables. Joan and John Jacus have worked numerous hours to get the locker rooms in good working order. Once again, Janet McDaniel's sewing skills came in handy to create "privacy curtains" for the locker rooms.
And the list goes on: to those who volunteer in the classroom, chaperone on field trips and to those who are always there to help out with last minute crises - our most heartfelt thanks. Summit would not be where it is today without the generosity in time, energy, material and funds of our wonderful families !!
Congratulations to Halley Theodore, who received an Honorable Mention at the Broomfield Voice Festival on Saturday, November 4. Great job Halley!
Congratulations also to Multiple Piano Festival participants Sarah Evans, Jacob Barba, Alex Barba and Erin Dotson. What a great performance at Boulder High on Sunday, November 19 !!
Have you weighed your child's backpack lately? I can hardly lift my child's. We received this interesting safety message recently. "Overloaded backpacks can cause shoulder or lower-back pain and poor posture. It's best if backpacks weigh no more that 20 percent of a preteen's total body weight. Straps should be well padded, and kids should use both straps."
A Coat Rack - If anyone has an old coat rack with which they could part, the teachers would gratefully use it in their workroom. Thank you so much!
A Vacuum Cleaner - Summit could really use a good and easily portable vacuum cleaner for times when we need to clean classrooms after projects.
A Microwave - It would be helpful to have another microwave oven for our students to use at lunchtime. If you can donate one, we would really appreciate it.
Every time you spend money on groceries you raise money for a cause you believe in - your school! Just stop by the school office and speak with Shelly Hendrick to stock up on grocery certificates. If you have any questions, please call Joan Jacus at 303-499-3013.
The AAA Committee will meet on Friday, December 1 and Friday, December 8 at 9:30 a.m. at Summit. Contact Kathy Reims, AAA Chair, at 720-890-9874 or Mary Ann Dangelo at 303-440-7033 for details.
If are not receiving your newsletter via e-mail and wish to, simply send a message to marthagorman@att.net. Electronic distribution is fast, easy and saves postage and trees. What a deal!
Upcoming deadlines for submissions to Summit News are December 4 and December 18. Articles may be sent to tomwhiteoc@earthlink.net, or left in the file box in the school office.
http://bcn.boulder.co.us/univ_school/summit/
"Whatever we are waiting for -- peace of mind, contentment, grace, the inner awareness of simple abundance -- it will surely come to us, but only when we are ready to receive it with an open and grateful heart." -- Sarah Ban Breathnach
English Department: Wednesdays, 3:10 - 4:00, Rms. 107 & 108.
Foreign Language Department: Ms. Blakemore Before school, by appt.; Ms. Gorschboth Thursdays, 3:10 - 3:40; Ms. Hanckel Before school,during lunch, by appt.; Ms. Stough Mondays, 3:10 - 4:00, and by appt.
Math Department: Dr. Fotino Wed. 3:10 - 4:00, and by appt.; Mr. Alcantara Tues. and Thurs. 3:10 - 4:00; Ms. Frohbieter Tues. and Wed. during lunch.
Music Department: Dr. Burkhart Mon. and Wed. 3:10 - 4:00.
Science Department: Mondays, 3:10 - 4:00.
Social Studies Department: Ms. Kapsak Mondays, 3:10 - 4:30; Ms. Londos Mondays, 3:10 - 4:30; Mr. Havens By appt.