January 12, 1998
Volume 5, No. 1
Welcome back to a new semester and a new year. The staff, faculty, and I are looking forward to an excellent semester. By now I have gotten to know many of our students. They are both interesting and interested, and have an unusually good work ethic (as well as fun ethic). In this new year I would like to ask that you take note of the really good things your children do, and express sincere and specific compliments when they are deserved.
There is a sense of greatness at Summit, a feeling that we are involved in a historic adventure. Our students are the protagonists in that adventure. We intend to be deserving of the trust you have placed in us.
On Wednesday, January 21, 7-8 PM, we will have an Open House for 1997-98 prospective students and parents in the auditorium and cafeteria. Encourage your friends to come and find out about Summit.
Prospective students who wish to shadow a Summit student will have to wait until after they are offered a place; all available shadowing days in January are filled. Parents who wish to observe Summit classes may call the school to schedule a visit on either the morning of January 27 or the afternoon of January 29.
As part of the 1998 National Geographic Geography Bee, Summit held qualifying rounds beginning January 7, with all students participating. The eight finalists were Curt Shonkwiler (first place), Eric Gonzales (second place), Lynne Costain (third place), and Nicole Barberis, Max Carey, J. J. Garcia, Thomas Knoedler, and Gillian Singletary. Curt will take a written test to try to qualify for the April 3 state competition.
Semifinalists included, in addition, Jessica Chang, Cole Carlblom, Nick Demarest, Mike Engle, Paul Franz, Cara Harmon, Aaron Johnson, Chris Kregoski, Jimmy Lynch, Amy Motomura, Evan O'Loughlin, Jake Rapp, David Ritter, Emily Strauss, and Erin Yanus.
The organizers of the Geography Bee were Kathy Reims, Boyd Dressler, Ms. Cox, and Mr. Koch. Parent volunteers were Sandy Allen, Sally Benjamin, Janet Christensen, Anita Gonzales, Barbry Hogue, Anne Pfeffer, and Julie Rood. The office staff provided valuable support. Thanks to all.
Schedules for second semester will be sent home with students this week. Report cards will go out the last week in January. Parents, please be on the look-out for them. Copies will be available in the office if necessary.
After-school tutoring is available on Mondays and Wednesdays, 3:15-4:15 PM, with tutoring provided by four National Honor Society students from Fairview High School. Teachers or parents may request that a student attend. Students should fill out a form, available in the office.
Our office paraeducator had an accident over the winter break and will be unable to work for a while. If you or someone you know is interested in a temporary, part-time job, please call Lisa Singletary, 447-5592.
Silver Rain students won the Penny War to raise money for the Emergency Family Assistance Shelter. The $1,065.50 collected was used to buy presents for homeless children. Silver Rain students will get a pizza party. The Penny War was a project of the Student Council for student participation; parents were not solicited.
The Summit Odyssey of the Mind (OM) team has been meeting since November preparing for the Boulder Regional Tournament in March. We need your help! The team will not be allowed to compete unless we provide two trained individuals who are willing to be judges for the regional tournament. The commitment requires attending one training session and your participation in the regional tournament at Fairview High School on Saturday, March 14. Training sessions are Saturdays, January 31 or February 14, at the University of Denver both from 8:00 AM until 12:30 PM, or Tuesday, February 10, at Merrill Middle School (near DU), 6-9:30 PM.
Please call Connie Harmon, 499-2061, if you can help by judging the regional tournament or if you would like more information. We need to submit judges' names to the district by January 16.
Thanks to Kay Meyer, Alyson Gould's mom, for the donation of 145 rulers for our math and science classrooms.
Our lost-and-found box is overflowing. Please come to the office and check for lost clothes and other odds and ends.
The Tools for Learning fund drive has received $27,767 in gifts and an additional $5,596 in pledges from 131 Summit families so far. Gifts range from $20 to $2,000; the average gift is $220. "This outpouring of generosity is most appreciated by all of us," said Board Chair Jim Cederberg. "Not only is it a vote of confidence in the faculty and administration, but these dollars will enhance the educational experience of every single student at Summit. We are fortunate to have so many families who are willing to step up to the plate for our teachers and students."
Principal Bernie Grove seconded Cederberg's remarks and added, "The teachers and I are so grateful for the support we receive from this community in volunteer time as well as dollars. Thanks to Tools for Learning we can purchase the books, equipment, and other things that make it possible to deliver a first-rate education to Summit kids."
Fundraising Chairman Jeff Bradley notes that if your family never got around to taking part in Tools for Learning, there is still time. "The Fundraising Committee hopes to see as many names as possible in its annual report," he said. "The size of the gift is not important, but the willingness to do your part for Summit is. Although it looks like we will reach our monetary goal, we are still short of our participation goal. Summit is still a relatively new school and has a host of needs." A high level of participation demonstrates parental support and will help us when we apply for grants.
Thank-you notes and receipts for 1997 gifts will go out in the next two weeks. If anyone needs a receipt for tax purposes sooner than that, please call Jeff, 499-4275.
Summit will hold its science fair in February. Participation is voluntary, but strongly encouraged; extra credit will be given in science classes. Science fair packets with complete information will be distributed soon to students. If they have not already done so, students may contact their science or math teacher, or any friendly scientist or engineer, for project ideas. Parents should be involved in a supportive role, but the work needs to be done by the students themselves.
Award-winning science and engineering projects often involve measurements made when changing a variable while keeping other parameters constant. Students should avoid projects that seek to nonobjectively compare the efficacy of consumer products. Projects that ask people's opinions are usually not very effective. A good math project might prove and investigate a theorem. Computer software or hardware projects are often successful. Some projects might consist of a standard science demonstration or library research on a subject of interest; these are suitable for participation in the school fair, but seldom make it to the district science fair. More detailed information will be distributed to the students in science class.
The dates of the fair will be February 19-23. Students will set up projects for display in the gymnasium during study period (2:45-3:04 PM) and after school on February 19. Judging will take place all day on February 20. An awards ceremony will be held the evening of February 20 during which projects will be available for viewing by parents and students. The awards ceremony will feature scientific "magic" entertainment. Projects will be on public display the morning of February 23. Students will take projects home on February 23. The district science fair will be March 13-14 at Broomfield High School, and winners of the Summit fair will participate.
Science fair work sessions will be held in the Summit science classrooms on Saturdays, January 24 and 31, 10 AM - 5 PM. At those times, students may do experiments for the fair, drop in to ask questions, or borrow equipment.
Parents with a technical bent or background who wish to be on the judging team should contact the Summit science fair judging coordinator, Ron Goldfarb, trex@indra.com, 494-8373, stating your areas of expertise and whether you prefer to be in the morning or afternoon judging session on February 20.
Fairview High School Registration at Summit: Students will have an opportunity to register for Fairview High School (including the pre-IB program) on February 2 during the school day at Summit. Counselors from Fairview will meet with students during second period (9:05 - 9:50 AM) and will provide registration materials for students to take home. On February 23, the Fairview counselors will return again to Summit to collect registration forms and to complete the registration process.
Open Enrollment: Students planning to attend a high school outside of their attendance area must submit open enrollment applications to the school they would like to attend by February 6. Open enrollment forms are available in the Summit office. Notifications of approval or denial of open enrollment at the school to which the student has applied will be mailed on February 19, 1998, and parents must submit a confirmation form to complete the enrollment process by February 26. Students who open enroll must also register at the high school they plan to attend (see above, for example).
High School Presentations at Summit: There will be a presentation at Summit for 8th graders interested in the International Baccalaureate and pre-IB programs at Fairview on Wednesday, January 28, from 2:30 to 3:05 PM in the Summit auditorium. Also, there will be a presentation on New Vista High School for interested 8th graders on January 26 at 2:30 PM at Summit.
Even though we're all just back from winter break, our volunteer activities continue on several fronts. As we roll on into January, special thanks to: Sheila Rincon, for the beautiful calligraphy design on staff gift certificates and envelopes; Kathy Reims, for coordinating, with Ms. Cox and Mr. Koch, the exciting and challenging National Geographic Geography Bee for our students; the "fold, staple and label" crew of Susan Bruggeman, Janet Christensen, Linda Cowan, Connie Harmon, Judy Hart, Barbry Hogue, Lisa Singletary, Natalia Sizova, and Mary Kay Wilson, who helped prepare our Reach for the Summit informational flyer for mailing to parents of 5th graders; the many parents who helped compile the 5th-grade mailing list; and last, but not least, Ron Goldfarb, our Summit News editor.
Please check below for several specific current volunteer needs and let us know when and how you might help. We look forward to hearing from you!
January is a particularly busy month for the Summit staff, with a number of events connected with enrollment for new Summit students and for our 8th graders planning for high school next year. Here is when and how you can help:
To volunteer, or if you have questions about any of these opportunities, please call either Barbry Hogue (665-3798) or Judy Hart (440-4253). Thanks for your time and efforts!
Ms. Blakemore will be unavailable for parent-teacher conferences on February 13 and 14. If you would like to schedule a conference for another time or by phone, please contact her at 530-7173.
Mesa Ski Club welcomes elementary and middle-school students for skiing and snowboarding at Keystone. Ski dates are January 31 and February 7, 21 and 28. For more information and to register, attend a meeting on Tuesday, January 6, at 7:15 PM, Mesa Elementary School, 1575 Lehigh, Boulder.
Parenting educator Jean Russell is conducting an eight-session discussion class, February 5 - March 28, on effective parenting of teenagers. Topics addressed include peer pressures, slipping grades, drinking, drug use, dating, communication, challenges faced by teens, effective listening, discipline, and natural consequences. Classes will be held on Thursdays, 6:30 - 8:30 PM, at Unity of Boulder, 28th and Folsom. The cost is $75, or $100 for a couple. For information and a brochure call Ms. Russell, 442-1411 or 449-4205.