January 11, 2001
Volume 10, No. 10
Come hear an update about our charter renewal at a special Summit community forum on Monday, January 15. The meeting will begin at 7 PM in Summit's multipurpose room. Current, past and future Summit parents are all encouraged to attend. Meet with Summit Board members for discussion of key points of the renewal proposal and analysis of the BVSD's responses to-date. Get full information about Summit's proposal and rationale for the requests included in the proposal. We will also explore effective avenues for communicating with BVSD board members and administrators to assure that Summit's proposal is considered fully and fairly. Mark your calendars - we look forward to seeing you on Monday evening!
We sincerely appreciate the overwhelming response to our recent "call to action" in which we asked Summit families to contact BVSD board members and administrators about our charter renewal issues. Thank you to everyone who took the time to call, write letters, and send e-mails to express your strong support for Summit. Also, it was very gratifying to see such a strong turnout of Summit community members at the January 9 BVSD board meeting! Over the course of the evening more than 70 parents, students, and staff were there to demonstrate support of Summit. We are grateful to all the current, past and future parents who spoke so eloquently about Summit. Special thanks to current student Tanya Goldhaber and alumnus James Norton, both of whom addressed the BVSD board in person, and to alumnus Paolo Durocher, who prepared a written statement which his dad, Leo, read on Paolo's behalf.
The next Summit Board meeting will be on Monday, January 22, 2001 in the Summit library at 7 PM. Any and all from our Summit community are invited to attend. Other future meetings will be on and February 5 and February 19.
Summit students will take the CSAP tests during the week of 2/19. Students will be off for Presidents' Day on 2/19, and will take the CSAP tests during the rest of the week. Please note this as you schedule appointments, etc.
Parents, please remember to fill out an open enrollment application for your younger students who plan to attend Summit next year! As in the past, siblings will be given priority for enrollment at Summit. The open enrollment period is from now through the end of January, with applications due no later than January 31, 2001.
With the recent changes in open enrollment, all applicants must fill out both a Summit open enrollment form and a BVSD open enrollment form, indicating Summit as your #1 choice. You may also indicate other middle schools for which you wish your student to be considered on the BVSD form. The Summit form is available in the Summit office and on the Summit website. The BVSD form is available in the Summit office, at the BVSD Education Center and at all BVSD schools. Completed Summit forms are to be turned in only to the Summit office. Completed BVSD forms must be submitted to the BVSD Education Center.
For more open enrollment information, call Maggie in the Summit office at 303-499-9511, or Linda Parkhill, Summit enrollment coordinator, at 303-665-9355.
As we look ahead to a busy second semester, we ask parents to consider running for a seat on the Summit Board of Directors.
Our all-volunteer Board has broad responsibility for governing the school. The Board benefits from expertise in budget and finance, hiring, curriculum development, course scheduling, accountability, and communications as well as computer programming, law, grant writing, and negotiation. Each candidate should be dedicated to Summit's educational philosophy and be willing to devote the time necessary to serve on the Board.
If you have a strong interest in the continuing success of Summit and would like to be involved in the governance decisions necessary to run your child's school, please consider running for the Board of Directors. Serving on the Board is valuable and rewarding work. It also offers a tremendous opportunity to make a genuine difference for all Summit students and Summit's bright future.
Elections will be held in early April for two-year terms that begin on June 1, 2001, so the time to think about announcing your candidacy is NOW!
Please contact any current Board member for more information: Jim Cederberg, 494-5647; Marti Gorman, 494-4488; Barbry Hogue, 665-3798; Chris Howard, 673-0978; Hunter McDaniel, 530-1840; Betsy Phelan, 443-0832; and Scott Smith, 499-1816.
Please note these important dates for the Science Fair, especially this Saturday's Science Fair work day! Teachers will be available to offer extra assistance to students with their projects at that time.
Congratulations to Ms. Hanckel for being awarded an education mini-grant from Heritage Bank in Louisville for her proposal, "Culture in French West Africa."
It's time for 8th graders to begin deciding where they would like to attend high school next year. By now you should know the name of your attendance area (neighborhood) high school. If you do not, check with Ms. Bartley or call the BVSD transportation department at 303-447-5125 to determine this. If you would like to attend a district high school outside of your attendance area, you must obtain an open enrollment application and submit it to the BVSD Education Center during the open enrollment period (January 8-31, 2001). If you will be registering at your attendance area (neighborhood) high school, you will not need to submit an open enrollment application.
During the week after Winter Break, Summit hosted several presentations to provide information for 8th graders about area high schools. However, the best way to learn about high school programs is to attend the information nights offered at the schools. Students and their parents are strongly encouraged to attend the evening programs listed below for the schools in which they are interested.
Tuesday, January 16 - Boulder High will host an evening program from 7 to 8 PM to inform students about the new A.P. Focus Program, and to discuss the A. P. (Advanced Placement) courses to be offered at BHS next year.
Also, on Thursday, January 18, Dr. Chris King, principal of Boulder High, will provide a special informational session for Summit parents and students only, to discuss course placement and opportunities for Summit students. This program will begin at 7 PM in Room 224 at Boulder High School.
Tuesday, January 16 - Fairview High will present "Is IB for Me?" This will be an informative presentation for students and parents interested in learning about the Honors Pre-International Baccalaureate (PIB) and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs. A panel of Pre-IB and IB students, teachers and parents will discuss experiences and opportunities in the program, and time will be provided for Q & A. The program begins at 7 PM in the Fairview auditorium. Questions? Call the IB office at Fairview 303-4475343 or visit the IB website at http://flatirons.org/courses/ib.index.shtml
Wednesday, January 17 - Fairview will host an "All-School Information Night" to discuss opportunities for students who are considering attending Fairview. The program begins at 7 PM in the Fairview auditorium.
New Vista will host evening programs on the following nights at 7 PM: Tuesday, January 16, Wednesday, January 24, and Monday, January 29.
Peak to Peak Charter School is pleased to announce that it will accept open enrollment applications for grades 9 and 10 for the Fall of 2001. As students who are completing a challenging middle school program, you may be interested in the small, college preparatory, liberal arts program Peak to Peak will offer. Peak to Peak will have a maximum enrollment of 600 students at the high school level. Grades 11 and 12 will be added in future years to complete the K-12 program. In addition to the music, drama, P.E. and art courses that will be offered as part of the curriculum, the Peak to Peak high school program will offer extracurricular programs in music, fine arts, performing arts and sports.
More information is available from the counseling office. Peak to Peak is hosting a number of informational meetings throughout the Boulder area. Please call the school, 720.850.2858 or visit their website at www.peaktopeak.org for a schedule and additional details
In our ongoing effort to provide up-to-date technology for our teachers and staff, we ask you to consider donating excess computers to the school. These donations must fulfill the following criteria:
Also, parents, please remember to update us on all address and/or phone changes. We count on information from you to keep our records current!
Well, we had a lot of correct answers to our last trivia question. Way to go! The prizes (free tickets to the school store) go to the first two students who submitted correct answers. They are: Aban Siraj and Kent Gonzales. They guessed that the renowned Ms. Stough was the staff member who interviewed Ralph Nader at the Green Party Convention and Rev. Jesse Jackson at the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles this past summer. Congratulations! Ms. Mesinger, in the office, will grant your awards.
And now for this week's question, which I did not make up: Which Summit teacher danced in a performing hula troupe for two years? That's right, a performing hula troupe. And this unique individual is teaching your child at Summit Middle School! Tell me we don't have a diverse teaching body, so to speak. Don't delay! If you think you know the answer to the question, email your guess to tomwhiteoc@earthlink.net. For extra, extra credit, bring your hula hoop to school and hula in front of the correct teacher.
If you know of families that are 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.
All prospective students and their families are encouraged to attend this evening program on Thursday, January 18 at Summit, from 7 to 8:30 PM. This is 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 discussed, textbooks and work samples are displayed, and teachers of core subjects as well as electives offer presentations.
Prospective students and families interested in Summit are also invited to tour the school at 8:10 AM on January 16, March 13, April 10, or May 8. Tours last approximately 45 minutes. At the end of each tour, there is time for questions and answers.
Restore harmony to your household with this workshop designed for parents of teens. You will learn to parent with logical consequences and empathy; your teenager will learn to accept responsibility for his/her own actions.
Cost: $80 per individual or couple! Bring a friend! Dates: Tuesdays Jan 30-Mar 6. Time: 6:30-9:00 pm. Location: Centaurus HS. For more information or to register please call the instructor, Stephanie Bryan, LCSW and CAC III, at 303-397-0646.
Sessions begin on February 12 at Fairview and on February 15 at Centaurus. More information will appear in our next issue. You can also contact Gloria Frender at 303-530-3195 to find out more about this class.
You are invited to the Amelia Earhart Dinner on Wednesday, January 17, 2001. The guest speaker will be Michele Brekke, NASA Shuttle Manager. Ms. Brekke is responsible for leading and directing mission integration for space shuttle flights. She is an enthusiastic and energizing speaker. The Amelia Earhart Dinner is a fundraiser for the annual Women in Aerospace scholarship sponsored by Zonta International, a professional women's service organization for the advancement of the status of women. Everyone interested in space careers would be interested in this special evening. The cost is $30 per person for dinner, a silent auction, and the talk by Ms. Brekke. The evening begins at 5:30 PM at the Doubletree Hotel, 8773 Yates Drive, Westminster. Carpooling may be available. Although reservations were due by January 10, call Barbara Miner at 303-499-5134 re: availability.
The Summit Climbing Club has been meeting on a weekly basis at the Boulder Rock Club since mid-October. All of the participants qualified for belay certification and have passed the Rock Club written exam. Every week we work on a different skill set and help each other attain personal goals in climbing and bouldering.
The members of the club are Kate Beall, Andrea Parkhill, Geoff Parkhill, Erin Dotson, and Elise Smith. Linden Majack is a member and assistant instructor. Linda Parkhill deserves very special thanks for all of her help in driving and organizing. Thanks also go to Matt O'Connor of the Boulder Rock Club, the staff of EMS, and especially to Ed Crothers of the Colorado Mountain School for helpful advice and discounts on equipment. On Friday, December 15, members of the club participated in their first competition at the Boulder Rock Club, competing against others in their class from all over the area. Go Summit!
The climbing club is open to any student at Summit Middle School. If you are interested, please contact Kate Sweet at 303.938.8772 for more details.
An unusual opportunity will be available to teens in the Boulder area starting in January. The Boulder YMCA is sponsoring a full Wilderness First Responder certification class aimed at kids between the ages of 12 and 18. The class will start in early January and run through mid-March on Sundays and Thursday nights with an overnight at Camp Ora Penn in late February. The certification is
extremely useful to a teen who plans to work as a camp counselor or who has an interest in outdoor activities like climbing, backpacking, rafting, or other adventure sports.
For more information, please contact Mike Eubanks at the Boulder YMCA (303.442.2778) or Kurt Haneger at Wilderness Emergency Resources (303.926.8547). The website is WER@WEmergencyResources.com.
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 are 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 from 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 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! All shows begin at 9:30 AM. For additional information go to: http://physics.colorado.edu/wizards/cuwizards.html
We hope you all had a great holiday! You must admit it went way too fast. Much appreciation to all who made the community outreach day on December 22 such a success - whether it was caroling with the students, assisting with card-making or contributing goodies. We are still trying to get glitter out of the carpet! Many thanks also to Joan Jacus who worked with Mr. Burkhart to schedule Silver Rain and Select Strings for presentations at the Omni Hotel and Fiske Planetarium.
We appreciate the terrific "fold, seal and label" crew who prepared more than 2,000 copies of the Reach for the Summit! brochure to mail to parents of current 5th graders. This informational flyer is an important part of our outreach to potential new Summit families. Special thanks to the parent and student volunteers who helped with the mailing, on short notice, during winter break: Susan Brandt, Erin Dotson, Julie Dotson, Debbie Feyh, Risa Heywood, Barbry Hogue, Anne Horlbeck, Nancy London, Linda Parkhill, Meghan Robertie, Cody Schmitt, and Cathy Woods. Our sincere thanks to Issy Kilbride, who, with her knowledge of data bases, saved us many hours of work on preparation for the mailing.
The first semester is coming to a close. With the advent of a new semester we have not only changes in student class schedules but in their extracurricular activities as well. With the adjustment in the "parent taxicab schedule" you may have found your hours for volunteering also need to be adjusted. We are always in need of lunchtime help and library help. If your availability has changed and you wish to adjust your volunteer hours or participate in another area, please contact a PVC committee chair, or Julie Dotson at 303 499 8749.
The annual parent satisfaction survey will be in the mail to our families next week. Please watch for your copy, and take the time to complete and return the survey. The AAA Committee will coordinate compilation and analysis of the results, which are used to guide improvements and refinements in Summit's curriculum and overall program.
You should have received some special correspondence from Summit recently regarding the 2000-2001 Tools for Learning invitation. As you know, this is the way that our school community has chosen to handle fundraising for our school. Your gift provides resources to our teachers to improve the quality of our children's education. Please be generous with your contributions! If you have any questions please call Janet Christensen at 303-499-5786. Thank you!
Junior Great Books is offering a training course on Tuesday, January 16 and Wednesday, January 17 from 3:30 to 9:30 PM for all adult volunteers who are planning to become leaders of student discussion groups. Sessions will be held at Broomfield Heights Middle School. Please call Diane Cousins, BHMS parent volunteer, for further information, or call The Great Books Foundation at 1-800-222-5879 to register.
If you are not receiving your newsletter via e-mail and wish to, or if you would like the newsletter sent to a different or an additional electronic address, 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 January 22 and February 5. Articles may be sent to tomwhiteoc@earthlink.net, or left in the Summit News file in the Summit office.
http://bcn.boulder.co.us/univ_school/summit/
It is only those who never do anything who never make mistakes. --A. Favre
You miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take. -- Wayne Gretzky
English Department: Wednesdays, 3:10 - 4:00, Rms. 107 & 108.
Foreign Language Department: Ms. Blakemore Before school, by appt.; 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 appointment.
Call 303-938-9090. Faculty Extensions: