September 30, 1999
Volume 8, No. 4
Mid-quarter progress reports are one of several ways that Summit teachers communicate with parents about students in their classes. Generally, the reports are sent only for students whose grades in a specific class are low, or when teachers feel there has been a significant downturn in a student's performance. Occasionally, however, teachers will send a progress report for other reasons. For example, a teacher may notify parents that a student has made a notable improvement in his or her progress in the class.
For this quarter, progress reports were mailed on September 29. Parents who have concerns or questions about how their student is doing in a specific class should call and leave a message for their student's teacher. Parents with general concerns about how their student is doing in the Summit program may call Ms. Bartley, the counselor, at 303-499-9511.
Tuesday, October 5, is the last day to sign up for the History Day competition. There will be a meeting for interested students on October 5, during lunch, in Room 6. Call Margie Riksheim, 303-440-5457, with any questions.
Mrs. Kapsak would appreciate the opportunity to borrow anything relating to Egypt during the month of October. Please label items that you bring in clearly.
On September 17, Summit filed a Notice of Appeal with the Colorado State Board of Education concerning the BVSD's refusal to allow Summit to increase its enrollment to 325 students when we move to the non-district facility. After the Notice of Appeal was filed, the BVSD Board put the request on its agenda for October 14. The Summit Board voted not to withdraw the Notice of Appeal. The State Board has set a hearing for November 11, 1999, at 10:30 AM. Mark your calendars.
The Summit Board of Directors met September 27. The Board heard from Amanda Avallone and Sharon Sikora concerning their work advising the Peak to Peak curriculum committee. The Board expressed satisfaction with Peak to Peak's progress toward successful articulation with Summit's curriculum. The Board also stated its appreciation for Summit staff's efforts in disseminating Summit's experience to Peak to Peak. The Board reiterated its intent to make sure that Summit maintains its identity when sharing a site with Peak to Peak.
The Board received an update on the status of the Peak to Peak site from Tore Christensen, Peak to Peak chair, and discussed the matter at length. A definitive answer on whether a site will be ready for next school year is not yet known.
Board members Hunter and Jim were tasked with contacting the district concerning district administration's insistence that it will not work with Summit and Summit students on such things as the TAG program without charging us a fee. Several Board members and Ron Goldfarb were designated to attend the Colorado League of Charter Schools Annual Conference in late October.
The Board approved a motion to amend the Summit subscribers list to include Peak to Peak subscribers, subject to approval from the district or a State waiver, if necessary. The Board also received a report concerning compilation of all Summit policies and procedures accumulated over the past four years. The Board approved a Summit AAA committee report.
The next Summit Board meeting will be held on Monday, October 11, at 7 PM in the faculty workroom. Parents and students are always welcome.
Parents: please review Summit’s telephone policy with your students. Personal phone calls and messages have been disrupting our children’s classroom time and our office efficiency.
Unless there is an emergency, the office will not deliver messages or reminders to students or call them out of class to take a message. If an emergency occurs in your family, the office will assist in any way possible. Students have access to a pay telephone for making personal calls, such as requesting parents to bring homework, projects, clothes or for arranging rides and should carry the necessary change. Personal calls should be made during lunch and before or after school only.
The history department could use good quality maps and magazines. Magazines such as: National Geographic, Dig, Time, Newsweek, US News and World Report, Discover, and Discover for Kids, would be very helpful to students. Newspapers from other states or countries would also be welcomed. The recent Time magazine with Harry Potter on the cover would be especially useful.
German students celebrated Oktoberfest this year during classes on September 24. We played music, learned Oktoberfest traditions and a new song, and ate delicious food: bratwurst with sauerkraut, pretzels, and apfelstrudel. We also tried some new drinks: Spezi, a mix of coke and orange soda and Apfelscharle, a mix of apple juice and mineral water. Vielen Dank to Debbie Feyh for organizing the fest and to Joan Reed for helping out!
Congratulations to Summit student James Norton, who became a semifinalist in the 1999 Discovery Young Scientist Challenge. James was among several students nominated last year at the Colorado Science and Engineering Fair. His project, Sound Propagation: Decay and Resonance, was selected out of almost 1200 entries received from 327 schools in 46 States and the District of Columbia. The competition was created by Discovery Communications, Inc. in partnership with Science Service, Inc. and is designed to award middle school students for their knowledge of science and their ability to communicate about science.
http://bcn.boulder.co.us/univ_school/summit/
When students are having difficulty getting homework done and handed in on time, there are a number of ways parents can help. First of all, it is important to set up your family routine so that there is a regular daily time and place for your child to study. Make sure that your child’s routine also includes an early bedtime and plenty of time to sleep, as the need for sleep increases significantly during adolescence, and tired children have trouble concentrating.
Study time should begin with a planner check, to determine what homework needs to be done during the study session. You and your child may check the calendars provided by English, social studies, and science teachers, or call the Homework Hotline to verify that all assignments are written down. Consider large and long-term assignments and their due dates, and assist your child in breaking these assignments down into parts that can be accomplished each day. Then, have your child prioritize the assignments and estimate how long it will take to complete each one. Your child should then be able to make a plan for getting the work done.
Once your child has started to work on assignments, it is usually best to "back off" and provide assistance only when asked. Then, at the end of the study session, you might ask to see what your child has accomplished. At this time, you may also want to ask your child about his or her current grades, which can be determined by reviewing the grade recording sheets provided by many Summit teachers, or by checking returned homework and tests. If your child has difficulty remembering to turn in homework, it may help to provide a pocket divider in the front of their binder for keeping all assignments that need to be turned in the next day.
If your child is new to Summit, concentrate on setting up a good study routine, and be patient and supportive! It may take a while to adjust to the demands of middle school, and managing the homework load. As time goes on, however, your child should be taking more and more responsibility for knowing what homework needs to be done, and for getting it completed. The goal is for your role to continue to diminish, so that your child will soon be successfully managing all homework on his or her own!
Regis University is offering various levels of speed reading, comprehension and study skills courses for students and adults. Boulder classes begin in early November. For more information call 800-979-8980.
Parents and students interested in the Summit Middle School program are invited to tour the school with a Summit administrator. Tours are offered once a month (except in February), and will last approximately 45 minutes. At the end of the tour, there will be an opportunity for questions and answers. All tours begin at 8:10 AM.
School tours will be held on the following dates: October 14, November 18, December 16, January 11, March 9, April 13, and May 11.
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 will be discussed, textbooks and work samples will be displayed, and presentations will be made by core subject and elective teachers. All prospective students and their families are encouraged to attend one of these evening programs, which are offered twice during the year.
Student/Parent Information Nights will be held on Wednesday, December 8, and Wednesday, January 12, from 7 to 8:30 PM.
Students who have been notified of acceptance at Summit are eligible to attend a Student Visitation Day. This program is designed for students who feel they need to visit the school in order to make a final decision about enrolling at Summit. On the day they visit, students will meet with “Student Ambassadors” (current 6th graders) who will answer their questions and provide brief classroom visits. Dates for Student Visitation Days and sign-up procedures will be sent with letters of acceptance, which are mailed out during the month of February.
Summit is a participating school in the GLOBE program, a worldwide network of students, teachers, and scientists working together to study and understand the global environment. In the GLOBE program, students learn how to observe the environment by making scientific measurements. Dr. Bill Manley, research scientist at the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR) will be leading a GLOBE Science Club this semester at Summit. The club will meet every other Tuesday afternoon from 3:15 until about 5:00. We will make measurements and observations in study areas such as Atmosphere/Climate, Hydrology, Land Cover/Biology, and Soils. In addition to making environmental measurements, Dr. Manley will take students on several field trips, including his laboratory, NCAR, and the CU museum. The next Science Club meeting will be on Tuesday, October 5. For more information, contact Mery Molenaar.
Cadette Girl Scout Troop 1462 has a great year planned. They recently went camping at Flying G for their September event and completed many of the Outdoor Camping badge requirements. Other events planned for this semester include the annual Halloween camp-out at the US Air Force Academy in October, attending an emergency/safety program at United Airlines in November, and enjoying a Holiday Gift Making party in December. The second semester will include earning the American Red Cross First Aid and CPR certification, working on the Silver Award, attending the "Expanding Your Horizons" event at CU, and, of course, going on more camp-outs. They invite other 6th - 8th grade girls to join their troop. Call Mrs. Ramona Corvin-Brown at 303-442-0382 for more information or to request a registration form.
The Foundation for Boulder Valley Schools is an independent nonprofit organization seeking to enhance and enrich the educational experiences of students in BVSD. They are seeking donations to be used for Foundation for Boulder Valley Schools programs. Checks should be made out to the Foundation for Boulder Valley Schools and mailed to P.O. Box 9011, Boulder, CO 80301. For more information, please contact the Foundation at 303-447-5132.
Upcoming deadlines for Summit News are: October 11, October 25, November 8, November 22, and December 6. Articles may be sent to LDParkhill@aol, or left in the box next to the door in the staff workroom.