April 5, 2002
Volume 13, No. 6
All of us in the Summit community are deeply saddened by the events of the past few days involving Dr. Burkhart. Our staff, students, and families have responded generously with an outpouring of concern and offers of support for Dr. Burkhart and his family.
Very special thanks to our wonderful Summit staff -- especially Mr. Finell, Ms. Bartley, and Coach A -- for superb professionalism and caring support for our students, their families, and each other during this traumatic time at Summit. We are also grateful for the prompt response and support of the BVSD administration and crisis management team.
We want to update all of you on resources that have been made available to the Burkhart family in the last 72 hours, and to ask for your help in bringing more resources to bear in order to address specific needs. The resources fall into two categories: food and funds. Child care and counseling support are also being addressed, but do not lend themselves to broad sign-up participation.
As some of you know, the PTO at Eisenhower Elementary has graciously offered to provide meals for the Burkhart family while they attempt to adjust their lives in response to this tragic event involving their father and husband. Jesse Burkhart is a student at Eisenhower, and the counselor there stepped in with this offer of support very early, and at a time when many of us were unable to focus on the logistics of such a program. The Eisenhower PTO volunteers and perhaps a neighbor or two of Connie & Bill's will provide evening meals for that household for the next week or two.
Also, we are providing food to the other Burkhart household, Mom Deborah, and several of the kids. Linda Parkhill and Debbie Feyh have been asked to organize several volunteers to continue tomorrow and for several weeks, as needed. Many thanks to Linda and Debbie for their assistance in this and other aspects of our community response.
The Burkharts will need this kind of support for quite some time, we believe. Please coordinate support of this type only through Debbie at 303-543-8646 or Linda at 303-665-9355.
An account has been set up at 1st Bank for the Burkhart Family Recovery Fund. Donations payable to that fund can be left in a box at the Summit office starting Monday morning, and also can be deposited at any 1st Bank location (account in Connie Burkhart's name, No. 868-613-1573). Checks are preferred for donations left at school (cash should be in a sealed envelope, please). These are personal gifts to the Burkhart family, and are being collected at school as a convenience to Summit families and a gesture of Summit's support for Dr. Burkhart and his family, but do not involve school funds. As such, these donations are not tax deductible.
There was a regular Board meeting on Monday, April 1. Ms. Blakemore and Ms. Stough presented information about a new Spanish textbook series they recommend for adoption. The recommendation will be considered along with other textbook requests. Mr. Finell presented a request for the addition of a portable classroom building to provide additional instructional space. He will follow up with BVSD about this possibility. Summit will advertise for a new special education teacher for next year and cooperate with the BVSD in interviewing and hiring.
The Board reviewed Ms. Bartley's summary of course changes processed to date, and will pull out additional detail that will be helpful in scheduling. Suggested elective classes for next year were discussed and the Board approved the choices to be offered on the electives sign up sheet, with a number of new classes offered for variety. Actual offerings are determined by student interest and sign ups. Following recommendations from the math teachers and Ms. Bartley, the Board also approved name changes for three math classes: change Algebra to Algebra A, change Advanced Algebra to Algebra B/Intro to Geometry, and change Algebra II/Trigonometry to Introduction to Algebra II/Trigonometry. These changes should better reflect the curriculum and pacing of Summit's courses and the sequencing of courses for transition to math courses in high school.
Development of Summit's budget for 2002-03 continues, with updates based on new state funding figures and the cost of services Summit purchases from the BVSD. The preliminary budget submitted to the BVSD will be updated in the fall. Hiring committee members and the principal will interview a replacement German teacher candidate on April 2. Summit's current enrollment numbers for 2002-03 stand at 309 students. This number allows for some attrition to still be at full enrollment of 300 for the official student count in October.
Allocation of future charter schools capital construction funds should be clarified with current legislation tied to the School Finance Act. Summit is still following up on the denied application for funds for this year. The Board has scheduled executive work sessions for April 3 and April 10 to complete staff evaluations.
All regular Summit Board meetings are public meetings and we welcome guests from the community at any time. The next regular Board meetings will be on Monday, April 15 (happy tax day!), April 29, May 13, and May 28. Meetings are held in Summit's library and begin at 6:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted.
Summit will be offering a peer support group to discuss issues related to family change and divorce. This group will provide an opportunity for participants to develop self-awareness and problem-solving skills. In addition, students will focus on identifying personal strengths and ways to experience their life situations positively and constructively. Kendra Bartley, Summit counselor, will lead the group.
Meetings will be once a week for 7 consecutive weeks. Sessions will be held on Fridays during a different period each week, to minimize lost class time. The group will begin as soon as enough students have signed up to allow for a meaningful group experience. We believe that students who become involved in these groups can learn valuable skills and benefit from the shared experience of working on issues along with their peers.
If you have any questions, or if you would like for your child to participate, please call Kendra Bartley at 499-9511.
The Summit Board regrets that Mr. Striffler has left Summit's staff effective March 31. The Board and the entire Summit community wish him the very best in his future endeavors. At the same time, we are happy to announce that we have hired an excellent German teacher to complete this school year with our German class students.
Ms. Sondra Barton holds Master's degrees in German and in Latin, has taught German in high school and at the college level, and has several years of experience teaching in the Kidlingua and Eurolingua programs in Boulder. In addition, she tutors private students and does German interpretation and translation for an international business relocation company based in Boulder.
We welcome Ms. Barton to our faculty and know that she will have the full support of our students, families and staff as she works closely with our students taking German.
It's springtime and time to get ready to represent Summit in the Bolder Boulder Middle School Challenge. The Bolder Boulder is a 10-kilometer (6.2 miles) race on Memorial Day. It's a wonderful way to enjoy the beautiful spring weather, get some exercise and fresh air, watch the elite racers representing many countries and partake in the Memorial Day remembrances and festivities held in the CU stadium.
The Middle School Challenge is a great way to participate in the Bolder Boulder while also representing Summit. Prizes are awarded to the school with the greatest participation and fastest time. WE CAN WIN one or both of these challenges! Everyone in your family counts towards Summits participation total. To join in the fun, please pick up an entry form from Mrs. Blakemore, Mr. Havens or at the main office. In order to represent Summit, you must use this form and turn it in to Mrs. Blakemore.
Advantages: You have the option of walking, running, and/or jogging. You may participate in the wave of your choice or with friends in the middle school waves. You and your family save $4.00 per entry. You receive a special student-designed middle school t-shirt, along with a goodie bag that includes a water bottle, a CD case, a Cliff Bar, discount coupons and other surprises. This is IN ADDITION to your regular Bolder Boulder packet. You and all family members count toward Summit's total for participation.
Disadvantages: ??????????
Train to race well! Summit is offering training sessions to get you ready to race! Whether you walk or run, training can help you set and reach realistic goals for the Bolder Boulder (and it is also a jump-start for those of you planning on doing track this spring!). The training takes place daily after school.
Students and parents are welcome to attend! We've assembled a stellar coaching staff, including former Olympic Marathon Champion and Summit parent Frank Shorter, to help you realize success. Please join in whenever you can. Sign up with Mrs. Blakemore or Mr. Havens. Training is free.
If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Blakemore at school or by e-mail: wblakemore2@attbi.com.
On behalf of the technology department, Ms. Elmoudden would like to thank Theresa Adams, Pavel Zelinsky and Rachel and Joey Baum for loaning us their robotic kits. Because of their generosity, all students received hands-on experience with designing and creating small robots. Thanks a million!
Many of you are undoubtedly wondering if we will be able to continue with the school play. Of course, it is hard to say at this point but we will continue to plan for the production and ask for your support. The performances are scheduled for May 17 and 18 at Boulder High. It's not too late to help out! We need someone to help with make-up, collecting props and collecting costumes. No experience is necessary -- we will train you. Please call Joan Jacus at 303-499-3013 with questions and to sign up today.
We also need: paint donated; large cardboard box (washing machine size), plants, laundry wrapped in paper, unskilled and skilled carpenters, "wannabe" set designers. Check with Ms. Dornbush on these items as she has volunteered to be our set designer this year. She has planned a fun day in May to pull this all together. Thanks for your help!!!
The journalism class is looking for volunteers to help with upcoming issues of the student newspaper. Anyone interested in helping students edit documents or work on design and layout may contact Ms. Kolanowski at school.
To provide additional support for student learning, Summit teachers provide after-school tutoring time for extra help, study sessions, make-up work, and questions about assignments. The tutoring time schedule follows:
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
Programming, lunch Monday and Wednesday, Room 4
Attention Summit community! We will be hosting our first 9 Health Fair on Thursday, April 18. Put together by a team of students, with the assistance of Ms. Donaton and Ms. Bartley, the health fair will be an opportunity for all students to learn about health issues that concern their future. These issues will be addressed through displays on healthy choices, drugs, depression, peer pressure, diseases, etc. On the day of the fair, students will go with their science classes to the multi-purpose room to participate in the fair.
We need parent volunteers during the day of the fair from 8:15 am to 3:15 pm to supervise the fair and help with specific displays. We will also need health care professionals to answer students' medical questions during the fair and assist with blood pressure screenings. And if you happen to be a great chef, we could use your help in providing lunch for all our hungry volunteers!
If you are interested, please contact Ms. Bartley through the Summit office. We hope you will to sign up and help make the 2002 9 Health Fair a blast!!
Here's a chance to nominate your favorite Summit teacher or teachers for special recognition!
Wal-Mart Stores and Phi Delta Kappa International are sponsoring Wal-Mart's annual teacher recognition program. Each store location will honor one teacher in the community. The local Teacher of the Year will receive a $500 grant, to be used for an educational program of the teacher's choosing. Local winners are then eligible to apply for the state-level award of a $5,000 grant. The National Teacher of the Year receives a $10,000 grant.
Nominations will be accepted through April 14 and can be turned in at any Wal-Mart store (the closest are in Lafayette and Longmont). Nomination forms are available at the stores and also on the Phi Delta Kappa web site: www.pdkintl.org.
How would YOU like to be involved in selecting your child's teachers? At Summit, you can do just that by volunteering to work on the Hiring Committee! This very important committee is made up of parents and representative staff members. The committee recruits candidates, reviews resumes and applications, observes classroom teaching demonstrations, conducts candidate interviews, and makes hiring recommendations to the Summit Board. Our teachers are the heart and soul of Summit, and we carefully consider the selection of each and every one.
Though we don't know yet exactly what our hiring needs for next year will be, we want to be positioned to start our hiring activities promptly. The Hiring Committee will have its first planning meeting soon, so now is the time to volunteer. If you are interested in this important committee opportunity, please call Barbry at 303-665-3798 or Risa at 303-661-0282.
Students are required to have a signed permission slip in order to participate in the FUN NIGHT and there is a second one to be signed if using the climbing wall. Bring your signed and completed permission slip(s) with you the night of the event. It's $10.00 for general admission and $5.00 to use the climbing wall. If paying by check (recommended method), make it out to Summit Middle School. Students should bring these the night of the event only. For safety reasons, once signed in, students may only leave with the adult designated on the permission slip. Students are to remain inside the center until the designated adult comes for them. You don't want to miss this Summit fun event!
Space is limited at the climbing wall, so don't arrive late if you want to climb. Don't forget your bathing suit/towel and clothes for volleyball and/or basketball. You will qualify for a discount if you bring an item(s) for the "SHOWERS TO GO" program! And lastly, don't forget to check out before leaving the Rec Center at the end of the evening so that we can account for everyone.
If anyone is interested in taking photographs of the event, we would greatly appreciate it! There are numerous fun and interesting tasks needing attention before or during the event which you don't want to miss out on. Please call Merry Mungo at 303-494-5143 for more information and to volunteer to help. We hope to see you April 20 at the East Boulder Community Center from 8:00 to 11:45 pm for a night made for memories!
This year's Summit wear sale was a huge success. Thanks to all who ordered clothing and/or water bottles. The Summit shirts & sweatshirts look great on our kids.
Water bottles and a limited number of denim shirts are still available. Water bottles are $3 each and denim shirts are $25 each. Call Beth at 303-938-9338 with orders and questions.
Water bottles will also be available for sale on Fridays during the lunch hour. BRING YOUR $$$$$$$$$$$$$.
Several parents of 6th and 7th graders are needed to help at this year's graduation ceremony so the 8th grade parents can enjoy the special day with their graduating students and families.
Parents are needed to supervise students before and during the event, and to help with refreshments that will be served after the ceremony. To volunteer for either job, please call Margaret Sparks at 303-604-2441.
Late order forms are available on the table outside the school office. Pick one up today. Call Joan Jacus at 303- 499-3013 if you have any questions about this year's yearbook.
Thank you to the families who have responded so far to our first Tools For Learning solicitation. We're well on the way but haven't yet reached our dollar goal and participation goals, so watch soon for TFL reminders if you haven't yet donated! Please contact Tom Mahowald, TFL chair, at 303-543-8903 or by e-mail at t.mahowald@summitmiddleschool.org, or Barbry Hogue at 303-665-3798 with any questions or comments about Tools For Learning.
Interscholastic Sports
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.
A charter school in Denver has arranged for charter schools from throughout Colorado to be honored at the Colorado Rockies game on Wednesday, May 1, to celebrate National Charter Schools Week. We plan to have Summit students participate in the color guard at the beginning of the baseball game. We also have submitted an audition tape for Silver Rain to sing the national anthem, and we hope that Summit might be vocally represented as well.
Tickets for the game are $12 each. Please identify your ticket order as coming from a Summit family. Make checks payable to and order tickets directly from: Academy of Charter Schools, 601 East 64th Avenue, Denver, CO 80229, Attn: Bob Hughes.
Come show your support for Summit and other Colorado charter schools while enjoying the baseball game!
Out of respect to Dr. Burkhart and his family, it didn't seem appropriate to be thinking about jokes this issue. We're all sending "Light" thoughts and prayers to him instead.
The University of Northern Colorado will hold a summer enrichment program for gifted and talented students entering grades 5 - 10 in 2002-2003. The program has been designed to meet the diverse needs of gifted and talented students who are selected from all areas of the United States and other countries. Educational programs address general intellectual ability, specific academic aptitude, creative or productive thinking, leadership and visual or performing arts. The deadline for applications is May 15 and space is limited. For more information call 970-351-2683, email sep@unco.edu or visit the website at www.unco.edu/sep.
Consider joining one of Boulder County's premier summer swim teams, the Gators. The summer swim season is May 15 through July 27 at the Flatirons Golf Course pool at 55th and Arapahoe. Excellent coaches and a small coach-to-swimmer ratio provide the individual attention that supports learning. Swimmers enjoy mastering stroke technique, improving endurance and participating in five local meets on summer Saturdays. If you are interested in joining the team or would like more information, please call 303-527-0441.
All programs begin at 9:30 a.m. See below for a specific building and room. There is FREE PARKING only in lots 169, 308, 378, 396, and 436. There is also parking available for a nominal fee in the Euclid parking structure.
April 27: HEAT, TEMPERATURE, AND ABSOLUTE ZERO, presented by Professor Paul Beale in Duane Physics G1B30.
May 25: LASERS AND LIGHT, presented by Professors Henry Kapteyn and Margaret Murnane in Duane Physics G1B20.
June 15: BLACK HOLES (one show only), presented by Professor Andrew Hamilton at Fiske Planetarium.
Joan Jacus at 303-499-3013 and Diane Chicoine at 303-581-0754 have plenty of King Soopers grocery certificates available for those of you that are still eating. And for your shopping pleasure we now have Wild Oats certificates available. Do you shop at Albertson's? Pick up your Albertson's membership card at the Summit office. What an easy way to help support our kids.
The main branch of the Boulder Public Library at 1000 Canyon offers an after school homework center. Students from CU will work as tutors in English, math, and science. There is no charge for this service. The hours of the center will be from 4 to 6 p.m. each day. If you are interested in attending, please call the library at 303-441-3099.
We are seeking a new editor for the newsletter! It's a fun job for someone who likes to write and edit. The majority of the work is editing articles that are submitted from staff and parents. You'll get assistance from our trusty crew -- how about it? Contact Tom White-O'Connor at tomwhiteoc@msn.com.
Interested parties are asked to contact Tom Mahowald at 720-422-6764.
The next newsletter deadline is April 15. If you have an article to be included, please e-mail it to Tom White-O'Connor at the above e-mail address.
To save on both paper and the cost of postage, we e-mail as many copies of the Summit News as possible. If you prefer to receive future issues of Summit News by e-mail, please send a message to Tom Mahowald at t.mahowald@summitmiddleschool.org.
To see back issues of Summit News, information about Summit, links to other charter schools and education information, refer to Summit's website via the handy, new, improved, easier website address: http://www.summitmiddleschool.org
Today (April 4) was a sad day for all of us.
Many tears were cried, and many hearts broken.
I would like to thank you, Dr.Burkhart; there isn't one kid in Summit whose
life you haven't touched.
Thank you for teaching many of us to love music as much as you do.
And I'm sure that we all want you to know that even though you can't hear
us, we are all crying for you, and we love you.
-- Heather Rubi, grade 7