December 7, 2000
Volume 10, No. 8
The December 4 Board meeting and a special meeting to consider new bylaws were held in the Summit library.
The Board approved expenditure for a Scantron bubble reader and supporting software, for frequent benchmarks assessments, tracking attendance, preparing grade reports and satisfaction survey analysis, among other uses. Ms. Hanckel and Dr. Burkhart will share teaching of Musical Theater during spring semester. Ms. Grove is interviewing candidates for the Special Ed teacher position, and is also still looking for someone to provide tech support for the entire staff.
Board members will make a presentation of Summit's charter renewal proposal at the BVSD board meeting on December 12. The AAA Committee has reviewed last year's satisfaction surveys and made recommendations for minor modifications to this year's versions. Observations and evaluations of teachers by Board members and the principal continue.
Plans for the December 13 prospective student/parent information night were discussed. Funds were appropriated to cover printing costs for this year's "Reach For The Summit" informational flyers. The flyers will be mailed to parents of BVSD 5th graders in early January. Board members will schedule a meeting with BVSD staff to discuss proposed open enrollment policy changes, for clarification prior to the student/parent information nights.
At the special meeting convened immediately following the Board meeting, new bylaws for Summit Middle Charter School, Inc., were discussed and approved.
The next regular Summit Board meeting will be on Monday, December 18, at 7 PM in the Summit Library. All from our Summit community are welcome! Future meetings will be on 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 per 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.
Applicants for a school receptionist position are also sought. Must be energetic, computer literate, and able to multitask in our busy school office environment. Please send resumes to <groveb@bvsd.k12.co.us> and/or call Ms. Grove at 303-447-5528 to schedule an interview.
Parents, we apologize for the delay you experienced in receiving both progress reports and report cards for first quarter. We experienced more technical difficulties than usual in tracking and preparing grade reports. We did not receive the new software that is needed to interface with our grade books and the District's reporting system until after we had convinced the old software to do the job. We regret that this prevented us from getting this important information to you in a timely manner.
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 at 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.
We have a winner to one of last week's trivia questions! Willy Kilkenny-Patrick guessed correctly it was Ms. Stough who was thoroughly embarrassed when her yearbook school picture was displayed in the South Park movie "Bigger, Longer, and Uncut!" Congratulations, Willy. Head over to the office to pick up your gift certificate for the school store.
No one has guessed the correct answer to the second question and so we will run that one again along with a new one.
This week's questions are: Which renowned member of the Summit staff once had 110 rabbits, showed quarter horses and also loves flowers? What popular Summit teacher was once assaulted by a horse while she was hiking?
Don't delay! If you think you know the answer to the questions, email your guess to tomwhiteoc@earthlink.net.
Summit will celebrate National History Day on December 7 and 8 at the U.S. Army Reserve Center at 4640 Table Mesa Drive.
All students and families are invited to view the exhibits from 3 PM to 5:30 PM on Thursday, December 7, and again from 3 PM to 4 PM on Friday, December 8. All 7th graders and three 8th graders are participating. Stop by to see the wonderful projects our students have prepared to address this year's theme, "Frontiers in History: People, Places, Ideas."
Needed: Outgrown or unused children's bikes and helmets to donate to Share-A-Gift's Bike Donation Roundup. Please bring bikes on Friday, December 8. Thank you!
Here is the game 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 them play! All games begin at 3:15 PM.
8th grade boys: December 7 at Burbank, 13 at Broomfield, 15 at Centennial
8th grade girls: December 7 at Louisville, 12 at Baseline, 18 at Monarch
If you know of families interested in finding out more about Summit, have them call the office at 303-499-9511 to receive a brochure, a calendar of events, and an open enrollment application form.
These events 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 explained, textbooks and samples of student work are on display, and teachers of core subjects and 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 to 8:30 PM.
Prospective students and families interested in Summit are also invited to tour the school. Tours are offered once a month (except in February), and last approximately 45 minutes. At the end of each tour, there is time for questions and answers. School tours begin at 8:10 AM on December 12, January 16, March 13, April 10, and May 8.
Come and see 60 incredible, fun, innovative engineering design projects built by CU students. See a toilet lid that lifts itself (wow - great for sleepwalkers!) and designs for an environmental bus. If you like to design creative projects, you will love this display on Saturday, December 9, from 1 PM to 3 PM at the Integrated Teaching and Learning Laboratory, College of Engineering and Applied Science at CU. For more information, call 303-492-8303.
Thanks to all of you who have donated food and/or clothing for families on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Some of you have asked if there are other needs that can be filled. Some additional items might include scented lotions and/or candles, soap, shampoo, cleaning supplies, blankets/comforters, and holiday candies or cookies.
If you would rather contribute money, the best way to do that is to purchase a money order payable to the order of Sam Moves Camp, Wanbli, South Dakota. Maggie will get the money orders to him and he will see to it that propane and other heating bills are paid for some of the elders on the reservation.
The deadline for contributions is December 20. Your kind contributions are much appreciated. If you have questions, please call Maggie at 303-499-9511. Thank you!
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 in the office with her name on it and we will check every few days for the next two weeks. Thanks!
This weekend conference presented by the Vision and Learning Forum is entitled "Bright Child: Struggling Student - Unlocking the Puzzle of Bright Children Having Difficulty Learning." Three experts will explore this topic and help explain how certain types of special students slip through the cracks and get mislabeled and misunderstood. They will explain conditions that may lead to learning problems, how to identify them and explain what can be done to help these children succeed in the classroom and in life. The program runs January 19-21 at Metro State College. Call 303-986-9554 for more information.
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 begins at 9:30 AM, lasts about an hour, and includes several lively experiments. All programs are held at 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 your car will be ticketed or towed.
December 30: LIQUID CRYSTALS; Professors Noel Clark, Dave Walba, and 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 School. All concerts begin at 7:30 PM in the Boulder High School auditorium. Thursday, December 7 Jazz Bands; Tuesday, December 12 Concert Bands; Thursday, December 14 Choirs; Tuesday, December 19 Orchestra.
This program, previously known as Odyssey of the Mind, requires parent coaches. Are you interested in working with students 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 AM to 3 PM at DU. If you would like to form a team or help with an existing team, please call Julie Dotson at 303-499-8749.
As you prepare for the holidays, please look for a special correspondence from our school. The 2000-2001 Tools for Learning invitation to enrich your student's educational experience at Summit is scheduled to arrive soon. Please be generous in your support!
Boulder Valley School District's International Baccalaureate program at Fairview High School presents "Is IB For Me?" on Tuesday, January 16, at 7 PM in the Fairview auditorium. All interested middle school students and their parents are invited to attend.
Topics include the IB program nationally and internationally, the curriculum, the "typical" IB student, what parents and counselors have to say, a day in the life of an IB student, and open enrollment procedures. Questions? Call the IB office at Fairview 303-447-5343 or visit the IB website at http://bvsd.k12.co.us.schools/ib.
The Adopt a School Program, in partnership with the Nomad Theatre in North Boulder, is sponsoring a benefit performance of the Christmas classic Miracle on 34th Street on Thursday, December 7, at 7 PM at the Nomad Theatre. All proceeds from this show will go to the Adopt a School Program. Tickets are $18 for adults and $16 for students and seniors. For more information call the Nomad Theatre at 720-406-6991 or visit the Adopt a School Website at <www.adoptaschoolprogram.com>.
Have you weighed your child's backpack lately? 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 to donate, the teachers would gratefully use it in their workroom. Thank you so much!
... a vacuum cleaner. Summit teachers could really use a good quality, easily portable vacuum cleaner for times when we need to clean classrooms after projects.
Thank you for the microwave donations! We have enough now.
Every time you spend money on groceries you can 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's next meeting will be in January. Meetings are held on Fridays at 9:30 AM. Contact Kathy Reims, AAA Chair, at 720-890-9874 or Mary Ann Dangelo at 303-440-7033 for details.
If you 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 18 and January 15. Articles may be sent to Tom White-O'Connor at tomwhiteoc@earthlink.net, or left in the Summit News file in the Summit office.
http://bcn.boulder.co.us/univ_school/summit/
May peace be more than a season, may it be a way of life!
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.