October 11, 2001
Volume 12, No. 5
The recap for the October 8th meeting will be printed in our next newsletter. The next regular Board meeting will be on Monday, October 22, beginning at 6:30 pm (note new start time).
All regular Summit Board meetings are public meetings and we invite members of our community to attend at any time. During the first semester, remaining Board Meetings will be held on October 22, November 5 and 19, December 3 and 17, and January 7 and 22. Meetings begin at 6:30 pm and are held in Summit's library unless otherwise noted.
In case you receive this newsletter in time, we wanted to remind you that parent/teacher conferences are being held Thursday, October 11, from 8 am to 4 pm. This is an excellent opportunity to meet with your student's wonderful teachers and ask questions to find out more about your student's progress. Conferences will be "arena style" in the multipurpose room so no appointments are necessary. We look forward to seeing you there.
Come learn tips for helping your student succeed at Summit, presented by Summit administrators, teachers and Board members. This is especially designed for parents of students new to Summit, though all are welcome.
This informative event will be on Thursday, October 25, from 7 to 8:30 pm in the multipurpose room. You will hear about these topics and more!
Refreshments will be served.
Full lunch service is scheduled to begin at Summit on Monday, October 15. This includes cafeteria and vendor food, drinks, chips, and other snack items. Many thanks to Summit parents Leslie Hirshberg, Cathy Reisfield, Mary Ann Dangelo, Anne Reid, Patty Gregory, many of our 8th grade students, and the other parent volunteers who have worked so hard to provide interim pizza and sub sandwich lunches over the past few weeks.
The Colorado Department of Education recently released the rating scores that were used to determine the ranking of schools in the state. Summit Middle School placed fifth among middle schools in the entire state. Summit scored a 2.00 rating. The highest rating was scored by Cheyenne Mountain Charter School with a 2.28 rating. They were followed by Challenge School in Cherry Creek with a 2.18, Stargate Charter in Northglenn-Thornton with 2.18, and Horizons K-8 Alternative Charter at 2.11. For more information about this, refer to <www.denverpost.com>, and link to the Department of Education page. Keep up the great work, Summit!
Your scrappy old dress shirts make terrific paint shirts. Protect your investment in students' "real" clothes and donate a few paint shirts! Also, if your office has paper on rolls, we can use those cardboard tubes at the center of the rolls! Thank you for your donations to support our art classes.
This past weekend, thanks to Summit's commitment to continuing professional development, I attended the annual Colorado Art Educators Association Conference in Breckenridge. I am back with renewed excitement and ideas to bring to Summit students! Thank you for supporting me in continuing my education!
Extra note: students, parents and board members involved in my interview can pick up their fired clay suns!
Many thanks to Peter Shapiro for loaning Summit a pottery wheel for this school year. Thanks also to the volunteers who have offered to assist in the classroom: Jaime Simpson, Lydia Pottoff, Peter Shapiro, Julie Oatman, Andrea Baer, and Julie Moritz. Your generosity with both time and supplies is appreciated! We are still in need of volunteers to help during pottery classes. If anyone else is interested in helping with art classes and projects, please contact Miriam Sproul at 303/543-9298.
1. Don't miss the first concert of the school year at Boulder High School on Thursday, November 8! If you are new to Summit, you may not be aware that we have an incredible music teacher, Dr. Burkhart, and incredible musical performance groups. Put this date down on your calendar.
2. Attention parents of music students! We need your child's polo shirt order NOW! Students must wear a Summit-issued polo shirt for all musical performances. Order forms are available in the music room and scholarship support is available as needed. We need to know your child's shirt size. If you have any questions, please call Joan Jacus at 303/499-3013.
Ms. Donaton and Ms. Stough are planning an exciting student trip to Costa Rica, June 18-27, 2002. If you would like to visit the cloud forest, participate in a reforestation project, visit with Costa Rican families and swim in the Pacific Ocean, see Ms. Stough or Ms. Donaton for information. Sorry parents, like Trix, it's just for kids. :-(
On September 28, we had a fun cultural activity in Beginning Spanish classes that permeated all of Summit Middle School. The delicious odors of tomatoes, garlic, onion, lime, cilantro and chiles (used in three kinds of salsa created by our students) sifted through the hallways and caused hunger pangs and curiosity. I'd like to thank all of our wonderful parent volunteers. Without your help, we would have been lost! Muchas gracias to Jan McCarthy, Barbara Metzger, Barbara Silk, Michael Dorsey, Caroline Baum, Shelly Hendrick, Mandy Yick, Cheryl Runyon, Jean Luce, Grace Galler, Anjali Bhide, Wendy Lipton, Augusta Warden, Ann McCormick and Leslie Hirshberg.
Also, many thanks from the Spanish Department to the Eason Family for donating the Spanish version of the Muzzy videos, audio tapes, workbook and storybook. We have borrowed it from them for a number of years and the Easons very generously decided to make it a part of Summit's Spanish library! Gracias!
Now that the year is well underway and everyone is comfortable in their roles here, I wanted you to know that some of you might be getting a friendly call from me -- either because we don't have emergency contact information for your student or because records are not up to date regarding your student's immunizations. The records might not be up to date if your child came to Summit from a private school or a school outside of the Boulder Valley School District, if your child began Hepatitis B vaccinations but has not yet completed them, or if your child completed a series like Hepatitis B but did not copy the completed shot record at that time. In any case, please bear with me as I attempt to bring records up to date.
As a general rule, any time your child receives a vaccination or has a well check or sports physical, please copy the record right there at the doctor's office and send it to me at Summit. Then the record will be complete. As a reminder, if your child is participating in any after school sports activity, he or she is required to have had a sports physical within a year. Thanks for your help.
To provide additional support for student learning, Summit teachers provide tutoring time for extra help, study sessions, make-up work, and questions about assignments. Unless otherwise noted, students may drop in without an appointment. Other tutoring times, such as before school or during lunch, may be available by appointment. The tutoring schedule appears below.
Summit Faculty Tutoring Schedule
Social Studies, 3:10-4:10, Monday, Rooms 2 & 9
Science, 3:10-4:10, Monday, Rooms 14 & 15
English, 3:10-4:10, Wednesday, Rooms 3 & 5
Math
Foreign Languages
The Rocky Mountain Talent Search enables capable and motivated middle-school students to take a challenging SAT or ACT college entrance test not usually administered until high school. Students who have participated in the past have reported increased comfort and potential future score gains by receiving early experience with these types of tests.
To participate, a student must have maintained a 3.5 GPA, received a standardized test score in a major subject area of 90% or higher, or received a letter of recommendation from a counselor or teacher indicating that the student has demonstrated an outstanding performance in a major subject area.
The program offers information, forms, and assistance to help you select and register for the tests. Students are sent interpretive information to help them understand their scores. High test scores entitle students to participate in various academically-oriented summer programs. Students also receive a booklet describing these educational opportunities.
Ms. Bartley, Summit's counselor, will be visiting 7th and 8th grade science classes to discuss the Talent Search and pass out application forms. In order to take the tests in January and February, applications must be received by Rocky Mountain Talent Search by November 12. Additional forms are available by calling Ms. Bartley at Summit. For further information, you may also call Rocky Mountain Talent Search at 303-871-2983.
There were many projects during the summer that received outstanding support from our parents and students, and for that we are very appreciative. A follow up work day is scheduled for Saturday, October 27, and we encourage you to come by with tools in hand and a willingness to pitch in. Please call Tom Mahowald at 303-543-8903 or reach him by e-mail at <t.mahowald@summitmiddleschool.org> to sign on.
We've had a great start this year with the return of so many parent surveys! If you didn't get yours in, it's not too late to help this year. In your new school directory, you will find a list of all of the PVC committee chairs. Feel free to call anyone on the list to offer your help. They will be glad to hear from you.
PVC has already provided hospitality for two school events. Thank you to Connie Harmon and Shelly Hendrick for handling the hospitality table at Back To School Night. Thanks also go to the parents who brought cookies that night. We would also like to thank Marlene Long, Loretta Melhado, DebbieFeyh, and Wendy Clough for providing refreshments for last week's High School Information night.
There was an excellent turnout of 8th grade parents for this informative evening on October 4, organized by the AAA Committee. The presentation provided an introduction to making decisions about high school. Additional information about high school options and specific course selection will be available for 8th graders in the coming weeks, and you can expect more information from Mrs. Bartley, Summit's counselor.
Our sincere thanks to the Summit graduates, all from the class of 2000, who volunteered for the student panel: Brianne Ford (Centaurus HS), Paul Franz (Kent-Denver HS), Bryan Kelly (Broomfield HS), Nivan Khosravi (Fairview HS), and Anna Lindemann (Boulder HS). We appreciate their participation and continued support of Summit.
Summit's library has an ongoing wish list of books we would like to purchase in order to expand and improve our library collection. Parents are encouraged to buy books for the school library as a way of acknowledging a special person or event. Parents may purchase a book from the wish list in honor of their child's birthday, to pay tribute to a teacher, in appreciation of a parent, or in memory of a friend or family member, for example.
A book may be purchased in one of two ways. You can purchase the book directly and give it to the library, or you can write a check to Summit for the amount of the book and let Summit purchase the book on your behalf. Summit will send notification to the person in whose honor you have purchased the book. You will also receive a letter of acknowledgement. Finally, we will place a bookplate on the book's inside cover to indicate who purchased the book and in whose honor it was donated.
The wish list is available in the school library. Please speak to Mrs. Woods, Summit's librarian, if you are interested in purchasing a book from the list. You can find her in our library on Mondays, 8:10-3:10; Wednesdays, 9:10-3:10; and Fridays, 8:10-3:10.
Your support of Summit's library is greatly appreciated.
Watch your mailbox soon for an introductory letter about Tools for Learning (TFL). The 2001-2002 campaign official kick off is in October. As in past years, one goal of our fund-raising campaign is participation by 100% of our Summit families. Please contact Tom Mahowald, TFL chair, at 303/543-8903 or by e-mail at <t.mahowald@summitmiddleschool.org> for details. Tom is also seeking volunteer help with this important Summit project. Thank you!
Monthly Scheduled Tours -- Parents and students interested in Summit's program are invited to tour the school with a Summit administrator. Each tour begins at 8:30 am and at the end of each tour there will be time for questions and answers. Tours are by appointment only. Please call the Summit office at 303/499-9511 to schedule a tour. The first school tour of the year will be held on October 17.
Student/Parent Information Nights -- These evenings are an excellent opportunity to meet Summit staff and board members to learn more about Summit. The mission, philosophy, and curriculum will be discussed, textbooks and samples of student work will be displayed, and core subject and elective class teachers will make presentations. Prospective students and their parents are encouraged to attend. Student/Parent Information Nights will be held on Wednesday, November 8, and on Wednesday, December 5, from 7 pm to 8:30 pm.
Thanks to all the 8th graders that got their votes for superlatives in on time. You had some hard choices to make. Names of winners will be posted Monday, October 15. Congratulations!
Any amateur (or professional) photographers out there? We need your help. If you like taking pictures, this will be fun for you, and a way to help Summit's yearbook staff.
Also, if anyone out there has photos of Summit students, we sure could use them. Just deposit them in the photo box on the table outside the school office. Please be sure to identify who is in the picture, their grade, and a brief description of the photo's content. Sorry, but once submitted they cannot be returned. Questions? Call Joan Jacus, yearbook advisor, at 303/499-3013.
There is a $60 PARTICIPATION FEE per sport or a maximum of $150 per student / $200 per family each year for interscholastic sports.
Participation fee for intramurals is $20 per sport.
Summit is in the process of setting up a new, web-based system that will allow students and parents to check and track homework assignments, much like the previous Homework Hotline. (The phone-based system we used previously was maintained by the Daily Camera but has been discontinued due to cost considerations.) The new system will provide a link for each Summit teacher and allow him/her to post homework assignments and other reminders for each class. For a preview, log on and point your web browser to <http://schoolnotes.com> and then search by Summit's zip code, 80305.
Julia Hansford received her Young Hero's Award from the noted author T. A. Barron at the Denver Public Library on October 2 for her community service project "Showers to Go." It was a beautiful ceremony at which Julia spoke with poise, humility, and wisdom about her desire to help lift the homeless out of poverty toward a better life regardless of circumstances. Julia was awarded $2000, a beautiful plaque, and a signed copy of T. A. Barron's new (not yet available) book, The Tree Girl.
Summit graduate Adam Bruggeman was also a prize-winner for his magic shows to benefit breast cancer research.
Our young people inspire us to be better people!
In math class the other day, Mrs. Koch was teaching a lesson on different kinds of angles. She asked if anyone knew what made two angles complementary. One of the students ventured: "Two angles that say nice things to each other?"
If you heard something funny or heart warming at Summit this week, send it to: <tomwhiteoc@msn.com>.
Well, the students who responded to the trivia question this week all thought that Ms. Stough or Ms. Donaton … went swimming in Lake Titicaca ... because it is in Latin America (and they are always traveling there). If you really want to know exactly, and I mean exactly, where this lake is, then ask Rebecca Heywood. She won the treat at the school store for describing the location of Lake Titicaca with an accuracy and scope that should be included on a National Geographic program. Congratulations, Rebecca.
Actually, it was Mr. Alcantara who swam in the lake. He doesn't know where it is, but he did swim there.
Now, for this week's question …
Which member of the Summit staff once scored a basket for the opposing team in a junior high school basketball game?
Coach Adams can't wait to find out the answer to this one. Send your guess to tomwhiteoc@msn.com today! Good Luck!
Today, there was a great loss in the entertainment world. The man who wrote the song "Hokey Pokey" died. What was really horrible was that they had trouble keeping his body in the casket. They'd put his left leg in and ... well, you know the rest.
Each student should now have received a copy of the new 2001-2002 Summit directory. If your family needs an additional copy, there are extras available for purchase at $2 each in the Summit office.
Thanks and appreciation to Angela Marlino for coordinating the preparation and production of this year's directory. This booklet is always a valuable Summit community resource.
Don't forget how much fun it is to buy grocery certificates. Grocery certificates are available in $25 increments and can be used at Safeway and King Soopers as well as at other local grocery stores. If you shop at Albertsons, it's even easier to support the school. Stop by the school office and pick up your Albertsons' card. Present this card each time you shop there and Summit will receive a percentage of your sales. Grocery certificates are available for purchase by stopping by the office or by calling Joan Jacus at 303-499-3013 or, for North Boulder, Diane Chicoine at 303-581-0754. Thank you!
Families and students are reminded that there is a convenient RTD bus stop on Table Mesa Drive, just a block north of Summit. Special reduced rate twelve-month RTD passes for students are available at a cost of $62.50 for the year by contacting RTD at 303/299-6464. A new pass is mailed directly to the student each month, and the program extends through the summer months as well.
Upcoming deadlines for Summit News are October 22, November 5, November 19, and December 3 (all Mondays). We welcome articles contributed by our Summit staff and parents! Articles may be sent to <tomwhiteoc@msn.com>, or place them in the Summit News folder in the Summit office.
To save on both paper and the cost of postage, we would like to deliver electronically as many copies of the Summit News as possible. Please send an e-mail message to Tom Mahowald at <t.mahowald@idc.com> if you prefer to receive future issues of Summit News by e-mail.
To take a look at back issues of Summit News as well as a wide variety of information about Summit and links to other charter school and education information, refer to Summit's website via the handy, new, improved, easier website address: <http://www.summitmiddleschool.org>
On October 27 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm there will be a Super Science Saturday held at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, 1850 Table Mesa Drive, Boulder. It will feature science workshops, fractiles and widgets, free play, super science demos, and other activities and special exhibits. Admission is free! For further information, please call 303/497-1185 or log onto the web at: <www.ucar.edu/outreach/sss/schedule.html>.
Summit is again organizing two Math Olympiad teams for students interested in competing against math teams from all 50 states and several foreign countries. Math Olympiad is for students who would like to be on a math team, attend weekly practice sessions (October to March), work on fun and challenging math problems, and participate in five monthly competitions. Starting in October the 6th grade team will meet on Tuesdays from 3:10 - 4:15 pm. Starting on October 3, the combined 7th/8th grade team will meet on Wednesdays from 3:10 - 4:15 pm. Interested students are invited to sign up on the poster hanging in the math classrooms.
Help wanted! We are still looking for a person interested in math who would like to coach the 6th grade team. Please call Connie Harmon at 303/499-2061 or Silva Chang at 303/494-1097 if you are able to help or if you have any questions about this program.
The CU Student Academic Services Center manages a website of tutor advertisements that anyone in the community can access. If you're looking for a tutor, check out http://masala.colorado.edu/tutors. When you get to the first page of the website, be sure to read the information and use the proper CU four-letter subject abbreviation before you click on the SEARCH button (i.e., SPAN, MATH, ENGL, etc.).
Please note that none of these tutors have been qualified and most of them are experienced with college students, not middle schoolers. When you get a list of potential tutors, click on a name to read more information about a tutor's abilities and experience. Some specifically say they've taught high school or have tutored middle or high school students before. If they don't indicate, be sure you interview carefully to be sure of a good fit for your student.
The 25th annual University of Colorado at Boulder Wizards Program is an informal introduction to astronomy, chemistry and physics intended primarily for students in grades 5 through 9. Each show lasts about an hour and includes several lively demonstration experiments.
Free parking is available in lots 169, 308, 378, 396, and 436. Parking is also available for a nominal fee in the Euclid parking structure. Shows are usually the last Saturday of each month, September through June. All shows begin at 9:30 am. If you have a special access need or disability, please notify the CU Physics Office, 303/492-6952, a few days in advance of the show. The best wheelchair access to Duane Physics is through the east doors.
The next program is on October 27, entitled Biology of Muscles in Motion, Profs. Todd Gleeson and Mark Osadjan, Chemistry 140.
Boulder Valley School District's Lifelong Learning Program presents "How Computers Affect Your Child's Brain," a lecture by Jane Healy, on Thursday, November 15, 6:30-8:30 pm, Boulder High Auditorium. Admission is $15.
This lecture will explore the effects of digital tools at different ages and stages of development. Positive and negative applications will be considered and practical steps will be suggested for deploying technology effectively at home and school.
Jane Healy is an internationally recognized author, lecturer, consultant, and teacher who has worked with all ages from preschool to graduate school. A graduate of Smith College, she holds a M.A. in Reading from John Carroll University, a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from Case Western Reserve University, and post-doctoral work in Developmental Neuropsychology.
Jane's award winning books include: Your Child's Growing Mind: A Guide to Learning and Brain Development from Birth to Adolescence, and Endangered Minds: Why Children Don't Think and What We Can Do About It. Books will be available at the lecture and 10% of sales will be donated to the BVSD PTA Equity Fund.
Summit's Art teacher, Ms. Dornbush, has provided this listing of local art gallery events for the benefit of her students and the Summit community.
Boulder Public Library
University of Colorado Gallery
University of Colorado Artist Lecture Series (7:30 in room N141 in Fine Arts Building)
28th Rocky Mountain National Watermedia Exhitbition
Arvada Center, 303-431-3931
Denver Museum of Nature and Science
21st Century Gallery, Denver, 303-320-0926
Museum of Outdoor Arts, Englewood
Museum of Contemporary Art, Denver 303-298-7554
Singer Gallery at Mizel Center, Jewish Community Center, Denver 303-316-6360
Foothills Art Center, Golden, 303-279-3922
Smith-Klein Gallery, Boulder, Pearl Street, 303/444-7200
This is an exciting and practical class designed to help students in grades 6-12 gain success in school by learning life-long study skills. Materials provide immediate help with learning styles, time management and organizational skills, note taking, test taking, and memory skills. Make a real difference in your learning! Parents are highly encouraged to attend (free) with students. All classes are at Fairview High from 7:00-8:30 pm. Cost is $130 per student for a 5-week session. Call Gloria Fender 303-530-3195 to register.
Session 3 - 10/25. 11/1, 11/8, 11/15, 11/29
No one rises to
Low expectations!
-- Les Brown