December 2, 1999
Volume 8, No. 8
The Newsletter Binder is missing from Maggie’s cabinet in the office. If you borrowed it, please return it. Thanks.
Summit will only cancel school if there is a genuine weather emergency. In such a case the information will be on the TV and radio.
Students who are too often tardy in a class may be asked to serve an after school detention on either Monday or Thursday afternoon.
Summit will be in session on Monday, January 3, 2000, even though most other BVSD schools will be closed. Because the Southern Hills cafeteria will not be open that day for the usual hot lunch and cafeteria service, all Summit students will need to bring sack lunches and drinks on that day.
The Summit Board met on Monday, November 29, 1999 in the faculty workroom. The Board discussed the site for next year. Although Peak to Peak plans to open in the fall of 2000, it is unlikely that they will be able to open a facility that can accommodate Summit at that time. Summit will work with the school district on site options.
Ms. Grove reported that Summit's attendance so far this year is 96.79%, which meets our goal of 96%. Illness accounted for 65% of absences, and 35% were excused absences for non-illness reasons. The Board appreciates the cooperation of parents in minimizing non-illness absences of their students.
The Board approved Tools for Learning expenditures of up to $1750 for a scanner, materials for math and applied tech, a paper cutter, art tools, a light table and drying rack, and scientific calculators. We are considering a proposal for additional funding for new World Geography textbooks and classroom sets of books in several other subject areas.
The AAA Committee's goal for intervention with "at risk" students whose performance falls below Summit benchmarks was approved. The Board also requested that AAA develop a similar goal for students who may meet benchmarks but appear to be working below their potential, if the faculty believes there are such students.
Hunter will meet with Amanda Avallone regarding management of the CDE Charter School Dissemination Grant that Summit just received. Scott and Chris will meet with Amy Anderson regarding future grant-writing efforts. We approved satisfaction survey forms. Our goal is to increase the parent response rate.
We discussed articulation with Fairview and Boulder High and appropriate placement of advancing Summit students in high school classes. Jim will speak with the administration at Fairview concerning a mechanism for further familiarization of Summit faculty and staff with Fairview's offerings. We also authorized various social studies scheduling options and separate music offerings of drumming and jazz band for the spring.
The next Summit Board meeting will be held on Monday, December 6 at 7 PM in the faculty workroom. The main topic will be planning for the Open House for prospective students and their families. Please tell your friends who are interested in Summit about the Open House, which is set for December 8, at 7 PM, in the auditorium.
Thanks to the families who are faithfully using grocery coupons, Albertson’s cards and Target credit cards.
There continue to be cases of pertussis in Boulder County. Summit Middle School was recently notified that there has been a case of pertussis in a seventh grade student. There may be other students who have severe coughs attending school but not yet diagnosed with pertussis. Boulder County Health Department and Summit Middle School want you to be aware of this situation.
Generally, with older children, the disease will begin with cold-like symptoms (runny nose, dry hacking cough) and will progress over the next few days or week into spells of coughing. Often, this coughing will cause the person to gag or vomit. The cough is usually worse at night and wakes the person up. Between the spells of coughing, the person may look and feel fine.
In infants and young children, especially those who have not had 3 doses of vaccine, pertussis may be very severe, resulting in hospitalization, seizures, long-term neurologic problems, and even death. Prevention efforts are therefore intended to prevent the spread to infants and young children, who could acquire the disease by contact with contagious older siblings and adults. Pertussis can occur in fully immunized individuals. Pertussis strikes older children and adults largely because the immunity gained from childhood immunizations wanes as children get older. Currently, there is not a vaccine licensed for children over the age of seven.
If your son or daughter has had a persistent cough or is developing signs or symptoms of pertussis, please contact your health care provider immediately. Please contact the school and Boulder County Health Department if your health care provider suspects your son or daughter has pertussis. If you have any questions regarding this issue, please call Boulder County Health Department’s Pertussis Information Line at 303-441-1420.
Summit is making a new elective course available for second semester -- Advanced Reading Techniques. Experienced readers know that reading a novel for pleasure, a textbook for information, and a phone directory for a friend's number involve very different kinds of "reading." Sometimes, however, students do not get the most out of their reading time because they rely on only one or two approaches for all reading situations. Even strong students can become more efficient readers by (1) acquiring new strategies and (2) learning how and when to apply them. Advanced Reading Techniques will combine instruction in a variety of reading techniques with study hall time to apply those techniques to reading tasks in all subject areas.
Each year, Summit establishes goals, some of which are carried from year to year until completed or no longer deemed necessary. Two goals established during Summit's first year of operation are nearly completed. The first addresses curriculum development and reads:
Goal: Summit Middle School will establish standards for all content areas.
Content area standards are the basis of all core curriculum. Since Summit's beginnings, teachers have worked on content area standards. They researched Boulder Valley standards, Colorado standards and good models of standards from all over the country. From these they wrote Summit's content standards and curriculum. At this time, all standards are written except the math standards for Geometry, Geometry Honors, Algebra 2/Trigonometry, and World Geography and International Relations. These will be completed this year.
Goal: Summit's internally administered assessments will demonstrate that students master at least 80% of core area benchmarks.
Whereas standards indicate broad goals for student learning at Summit, benchmarks indicate specific content and skills students will master in each class. Teachers have been assessing student achievement of benchmarks and are working on ways to communicate these benchmarks and each student's mastery level to students and parents in a clear, understandable fashion. By next fall we expect to have a format developed to do this for each core area.
If you had stopped by to observe our American History classes on November 23, you would have found yourself and the students traveling back in time about 200 years! Spinning wool, butter churning, writing with quill pens, cracking nuts, playing marbles, paper quilling, braiding, whirling buttons on string, punching designs in copper - all these activities gave the students a sampling of typical daily life in early Colonial America.
Thank you to in-class "crafty helpers" Cathy Burchett, Mary Boulet, Shelly Hendrick, Barbry Hogue, Diana Falloon and Gabrielle Kapsak, as well as Ms. Annstein, the volunteer spinner from the Boulder Weavers' Guild. Also, thank you to the parents who provided delicious cider and foods for students to enjoy: Lucy Buckley, Cathy Burchett, Susan Damon, Diana Falloon, Karen Herlihy, Barbry Hogue, Anne Horlbeck, Lynn & Ron Loftus, Jill McIntyre, Barbara Metzger, and Margie Riksheim.
Thank you to Dr. Steve Thomas (Matthew’s dad) who spoke to all World History classes about Ancient China. The artifacts were fascinating.
World History would like to borrow your ancient Greek resources for the month of December. Please loan books, and other items to Ms. Kapsak. We appreciate all that you share.
Thanks to the following parents for providing meals for our teachers during conferences: Mary Kay Wilson, Nina Khosravi, Joyce Brookins, Cathy Woods, Sheryl Tippit, Emily Weigel, Eileen Reynolds, Merry Mungo, Pat Daley, Susan Beall, Leslie Grady, Jan Heiderer, Laurie Eason, Bev Fest, Janet Christensen, Kathryn Hamerly, Patty Eckstein, Lynn Eisler, Sally Benjamin, Ramona Corvin-Brown. The results of your efforts were delicious and were greatly appreciated.
Many students are arriving at classes without materials to work with. Please consider replenishing supplies of pencils, pens, erasers, hi-lighters, pouches to store pens, pencil sharpeners, etc., when you are holiday shopping.
Information Nights are an excellent opportunity for students and parents to learn more about Summit Middle School and to meet Summit staff and board members. Presentations will be made by teachers. The mission, philosophy, and curriculum of Summit charter school will be discussed and textbooks and work samples will be displayed. All prospective students and their families are encouraged to attend one of these evening programs.
Information Nights will be held on Wednesday, December 8 and January 12, 7:00-8:30 PM.
An on-going writing class is offered every Saturday morning from 11:00 to 12:30 at the Boulder Public Library. This class is offered through the Colorado Writer’s Guild. All kinds of writing are covered. For additional information contact Gregg Eisenberg at 303-447-0971 or Patty McLaughlin at 303-545-0014.
The AAA is looking for a Summit parent with survey design experience. Please contact Kathy Reims, at 720-890-9874, if you can help.
A commuter cup for cyclists, a remote keyless bike lock, and a rock climbing system for hoisting heavy equipment are among the innovative new products, designed by CU Boulder Engineering students, that will be demonstrated at the Integrated Teaching and Learning Program’s Fall Design Expo. More than 60 student projects will be showcased at the event on December 4. The Expo is free and open to the public. It will be held from 1 to 3 PM in the College of Engineering and Applied Science’s Integrated Teaching and Learning (ITL) Laboratory, located on Regent Drive about one block south of Colorado Avenue. Free parking is available in the Regent Drive Autopark, Lot 436, across the street from the ITL Laboratory.
On any given day, an average of 250 Boulder County children need a home away from home. They have come from situations of abuse and/or neglect. Social Services is looking for people who can provide structure, stability and a lot of love and attention for these children. The children represent all age groups. Some need short-term foster care, others long-term foster care, and still others need Fost-Adopt or permanent adoptive homes. They are especially in need of bilingual families for the Latino children who become involved in the system. Benefits include monthly reimbursements, training, ongoing support and great personal rewards. Health care coverage for foster children is provided by Medicaid. Foster and adoptive parents can be single or married. Carlene Hatch-Linares at Boulder County Social Services 303-441-1089.
Dr. Linda Silverman, director of the Gifted Development Center in Denver, will present a talk for parents on Twice Exceptional Children from 6:30 to 8:00 PM on Tuesday, January 11, 2000. The term “twice exceptional” refers to a child who is gifted and also has learning disabilities. The talk will be held at the BVSD Education Center, 6500 E. Arapahoe Road. For information, or to RSVP, call the BVSD Talented and Gifted Office at 303-447-5067.
Upcoming deadline for Summit News is December 6. Articles may be sent to LDParkhill@aol, or left in the box in the staff workroom.
Elementary Science Fair, K-5, February 26, Crossroads Mall
Secondary Science Fair, 6-12, March 10-11, Centaurus High School
Destination Imagination, K-12, March 18, Fairview High School
History Day, 6-12, April 5, Base Line Middle School, papers due March 15
Spelling Bee, below grade 8, April 8, not a BVSD event, Kuviana Ax, Daily Camera, 303-473-1216
Literary Magazine, K-12, April 2 submissions due to TAG Office
http://bcn.boulder.co.us/univ_school/summit/