August 23, 1999
Volume 8, No. 1
The school year begins at Summit for new students on Wednesday, August 25, from 8 AM to 1 PM. New students meet in the auditorium at 8:00 AM on this day. All Summit students will return to school on Thursday, August 26, from 8:10 AM to 3:04 PM. Students will meet in the cafeteria at 8:05 AM. Students will bring home an information packet which will include: an activity calendar for the year, information and permission slips for “Fun Night at the Rec,” daily planners, and insurance and immunization information. We anticipate a great year.
Summit will provide lunch to new students on Wednesday, August 25. All students should bring sack lunches to school on Thursday, August 26. Normal cafeteria service begins on Friday, August 27.
Those parents who submitted registration materials in the spring indicating an interest in carpooling should have received a list of other interested parents from RideArrangers during the summer. If you did not receive a list or now realize you would like one, you can call Mia Bemelen at SchoolPool (303-480-6772) and she will mail you a list of the nearest Summit families in the carpool database.
Due to the high volume of schedule change requests made during the first few weeks of school, we ask that you do not call or visit the counseling office to request a schedule change. Instead, please make your request in writing, be sure it is signed by a parent, and submit it to the office staff. Forms for this purpose may be obtained in the office, or from Ms. Bartley, the counselor, during lunch time. If there is a problem with granting your request, Ms. Bartley will get back to you or your student. Otherwise, your student’s new printed schedule with the requested change will be delivered to your student at school. Note: Students may not change the classes they attend until they receive a new printed schedule from the counselor’s office. Core course change requests will be processed first, and elective course change requests last. Due to scheduling conflicts and the need to balance class sizes and teacher loads, schedule change requests cannot always be granted. Please be patient in waiting for your schedule change to be processed. Last year during first semester the counseling office received over 160 requests!
School begins at 8:10 AM. Class periods are 48 minutes each. Four minutes are allowed for passing. Lunch is 30 minutes; it does not overlap Southern Hills’ lunch periods. Summit has a mandatory 20-minute study period after 7th period.
Note that there is no passing time between 7th and Study periods. Students remain in their 7th-period classrooms, except for students meeting with teachers for scheduled conferences and help sessions.
Anyone with any extra time during the first two weeks of school could be put to good work during the day. Please call Margie Riksheim at 303-440-5457.
As we interview applicants for teaching positions, one of the most important things we ask a candidate to do is teach a 45-minute demonstration class. Of course, this means having students. The observations and feedback from our students is valuable information which the Hiring Committee takes into serious consideration in making hiring decisions. To all the students who helped us this summer --- we truly couldn't have done it without you.
We greatly appreciate the time these current and former Summit students volunteered for the teacher interviews we conducted over the summer: Errol Ball, Galen Bascom, Hildur Boylston, Lara Brown, Sara Bruggeman, Jason Burchett, Robert Caldwell, Max Carey, Luke Cederberg, Brita Christensen, Chrissy Christensen, Ethan Cowan, Andrew Crocker, Melissa Crocker, Corinne D'Ippolito, Laura D'Ippolito, Christopher Dole, Rebecca Dole, Erin Dotson, Jason Eckstein, Tyler Fox, Kelly Hinde, Elise Hogue, Jake Hogue, Ashley Howard, Aviva Johnson, Jesse Johnson, Nikki Kilbride, Gilbert Lemieux, Anna Lindemann, George London, Chloe Lucas, Nora McDaniel, Starin McKeen, Mara Meany-Ervin, James Norton, Evan O'Loughlin, Rachel Oxley, Elliot Paquette, Andrea Parkhill, Nathan Parkhill, Alice Perl, Carl Peterson, Colin Peterson, Adam Petherbridge, Alana Riksheim, Elsbeth Rozanski, Tovë Smith, Halley Theodore, Tory Webster, and Steve Wilson.
Sincere thanks from the Summit Hiring Committee: Christa Askins, Jim Cederberg, Jeff Copeland, Ron Goldfarb, Cinda Graubard, Barbry Hogue and Chris Howard.
Greetings! I already feel a part of the school community due to the warm welcome I have received and am positive about the upcoming year.
I recently moved to Boulder from Missoula, Montana where I was the program coordinator for the Soros grant to The University of Montana and where I taught Academic English at the University’s intensive English program for foreign students. Before living and working in Montana, I finished my M.A. in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages at the School for International Training in Vermont. From 1992 to 1996 I lived and taught in Bucharest, Romania, as a Peace Corps volunteer, 1992-95, and as the Social Studies teacher for grades 8-12 at the American School of Bucharest which served the diplomatic and foreign business community. Prior to my Peace Corps service, I lived in Phoenix, Arizona, where I was born and raised. I attended Arizona State University and received my B.A. in Secondary Education with an emphasis in History in 1991.
I am looking forward to meeting the rest of the community and am excited about the opportunity to work with my new colleagues and students.
Having recently completed graduate studies in English Literature at the University of Colorado - Boulder (M.A.-1998), I spent an interesting year exploring the fast-paced business of entrepreneurial Internet technology and electronic commerce before further indulging my love of the written word, learning, teaching, and youth of all ages. When I don't have my nose buried in a book, you'll likely find me running, swimming, biking, hiking, skiing or otherwise enjoying the Colorado mountains and sunshine native to me. I also enjoy jazz and classical music, baking and cooking, road racing, volunteering in the community, laughing and talking with friends, learning to play chess and exploring new horizons (and summits!) of all sorts. I am eager to embark upon the journey of teaching and learning with Summit students, staff, and parents, and cannot imagine a better venue from which to celebrate the birth of a new millennium.
Hello to my new Summit Family! I so look forward to meeting all of you. I was born in New York and raised along with my two brothers by two wonderful parents. They all now reside in the mountains of North Carolina.
I most recently moved from Savannah, Georgia, where I was an Environmental Consultant dealing with wetlands, mitigation, and permitting on the Georgia coast. Prior to this, I earned my master’s degree in Biological Sciences from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. I studied urban wildlife and ecology while teaching college level biology and gaining my license in kickboxing (watch out!!). My undergraduate degree is from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor where I also studied Biology and attended many football games. Go Blue!
Summit is not using BridgeCom this year because the School District has made voice mail available for every teacher as a part of last year’s bond money. Thus, we will wait and use the District's voice mail system. Until then, please leave messages for teachers at the office (303-499-9511) if it is necessary to speak with them.
Summit News has opportunities for volunteers who are interested in writing, editing, copying, or labelling and stamping the newsletter. The newsletter is published every two weeks. If you would like to help with the newsletter, please contact Linda Parkhill at 303-665-9355.
The Summit Board of Directors will have a regular meeting on August 30 at 7 PM in the teachers' work room. Parents and staff are invited to attend, as always.
That’s right! It’s time for Summit’s annual “fun night” at the East Boulder Recreation Center. Come see all your old pals and meet some of the new students who will be attending Summit this year. The fun starts on Saturday, August 28, at 8 PM and lasts until 12 PM. It is important to bring your signed permission slip, which will come home in your first day packet, as well as $8 for pizza, drinks, and admission to the East Boulder Recreation Center. Once a student is signed in, he/she may leave only with a parent or previously designated adult. Pizza and drinks will be provided around 8:30 that evening.
There will also be a separate permission slip in your packet to participate in the climbing wall activity. This year we have extended the fun night for one hour in order to provide more opportunity for those who wish to do the climbing wall. However, keep in mind that we cannot accommodate everyone and it will be offered on a first come, first served basis. Make sure to bring the climbing wall permission slip and $5 if you wish to participate in this activity.
Summit has exclusive use of the facility for the entire evening, so bring your swimsuit, towel, permission slip(s), and money for admission and be prepared to have a great time. Parents dropping off their students are invited to stay at the Community Center and take the opportunity to chat with other Summit parents. Hope to see you there!
Rummage through your house for books to donate to the K-12 library which will be located at our new site beginning in August 2000. Look for books at garage sales. Some libraries have perpetual sales. Donate any book or educational magazine that you feel would fit in a K-12 library. Book donations are tax deductible. Drop them off in north Boulder at Angie Dorsey’s house, 4769 6th Street, 303-449-4342, or in southeastern Boulder at Cathy Woods’ house, 5236 Gallatin Place, 303-444-1791. A drop-off location for east county is still needed. If you would like to join the new library committee, call Sheryl Tippit, 303-499-1810.
A swimsuit was left after the 6th grade boys’ swimming party. If it belongs to you, call Barbara Miner, 303-499-5134.
Need football shoes for the fall season? We have nearly-new (worn once) Adidas football shoes, size 9-1/2, for sale. Please call Barbry Hogue at 303-665-3798 if you're interested.
Thank you to all of the families who have returned their volunteer information forms. If your family has not returned this form, please, please, please, return it as soon as possible. If you did not receive this form, along with a stamped envelope addressed to Margie Riksheim, please stop in the office and pick one up, or call Margie at 303-440-5457.
This is an important message to all Summit parents. Our system for buying grocery certificates has just gotten easier. Starting this fall, you may purchase King Soopers, Leevers, and Wild Oats certificates in the Summit office. Our friendly office staff has graciously offered to sell certificates at your convenience. You simply tell them how much and make your check payable to Summit Middle School. Hopefully, this will encourage more people to use the certificates. With only 25-30 families participating last year, we were able to raise over $5000 simply by eating! Think what we could do if we had 100% participation. Hope to see you in the office with your checkbooks soon!
Summit Middle School is now a Community Partner with Albertson’s. This means that when you shop at Albertson’s, a percentage of your purchase will go to Summit at the end of each quarter. It’s easy to participate in this program. You simply pick up a Community Partners Card in the office at Summit. When you shop at Albertson’s, give the cashier your card so that they can scan it. (This is important; they will not make adjustments after a transaction has already taken place.) We will receive a check for 2-5%, based on the sales of all Summit families during that quarter. If you shop at Albertson’s, this is a painless way to contribute money to Summit, so pick up your card as soon as possible.
Incoming 1999-2000 6th graders will need a full series of DPT and polio immunizations and one MMR immunization. Incoming 7th and 8th graders will need DPT, polio, two MMR's, and a full series of Hepatitis B. Exemption forms are available in the office for those who require them. All students planning to participate in sports will need a new athletic-participation statement.