Summit News

October 22, 2002

Volume 14, No. 5

Summit Calendar Highlights

Fall Back

Don't forget to turn clocks back one hour this Sunday, October 27, at 2 a.m. For those of you who'd rather wait until the morning, enjoy the extra hour of sleep!

November RTD Passes

RTD Teen bus passes for November will be on sale for $9 each on October 29-31 after school in the entrance hall. Payment will be accepted in cash or check made out to "BVSD."

Directories Are Out

Check backpacks as students should have brought home a copy of the 2002-2003 Summit directory last week. Extra copies are available for $2 each in the Summit office. Again, thanks to Loretta Melhado for collating, coordinating, and distributing this important Summit resource!

Yearbook News

Fall team photos will be taken Friday, November 1, for flag football, 7th grade boys and girls basketball, and 8th grade girls soccer only. These will be the official yearbook photos. Team members, please meet in the multi-purpose room at 3:15 p.m.

Tutoring Hours On Web

Thanks to a good suggestion from Summit parent Cathy Regan, the schedule of times Summit teachers are available for student tutoring has been posted to the school web site at www.summitmiddleschool.org.

Summit Board Report

BVSD Override Tax Election (3A & 3B)

During the past six weeks, the Summit Board has been exploring the potential impact of the BVSD tax issues on Summit's budget. Measure 3A would raise taxes by $15 million per year and direct the proceeds towards BVSD's General Fund. Measure 3B would raise taxes by $22 million over a three-year period for technology. While it sounds like more money would improve the Summit, our review of the District's proposal revealed some significant problems.

BVSD Board Member Stan Garnett joined us at the October 3 meeting to discuss our concerns. As it is written, Summit would not fully share in the proceeds from 3A, and in fact, has no guarantee of any funding from 3A. On the expense side, Summit's contract requires Summit to pay a pro-rata share of District administrative overheads and central services.

The proposed expenditures from 3A funds would significantly increase the costs passed along to Summit with no promise that Summit's revenues would increase enough to even cover the increased costs, much less provide additional funds to improve the education Summit offers. We shared data showing that BVSD's central administrative expenses and special education costs are already much higher than the average spent in a range of comparable suburban districts, and raised a concern that administrative costs alone had risen at more than three times the rate of inflation in the past four years. He asked for some suggestions of how BVSD could make the tax increase more capable of gaining support from Summit, and Summit Treasurer Debbie Feyh suggested two alternatives: a clear pro-rata share of the proceeds, or a cap on the charges passed through to Summit. He agreed to share this information with the BVSD Board and administration, but as of today we have no further information from BVSD.

Office of Civil Rights Investigation

Principal David Finell reported on the visit by a staff member from the US Department of Justice's Office of Civil Rights. They are investigating a complaint filed against BVSD alleging that BVSD's practice of only offering ESL services at selected schools prevents families from choosing popular charter and choice options unless they waive the right to the ESL services their child is legally eligible to receive. The OCR staff member confirmed that the complaint was strictly against the district, not Summit, reviewed a number of student files and interviewed the principal and assistant principal. DOJ results will be shared with BVSD, which may share the results with us.

Parent Teacher Conferences

The Board expressed many thanks for the well-run parent-teacher conferences. Turnout was excellent and we heard many positive comments from parents about how well the teachers had prepared for conferences.

New Portable Coming Soon

The new portable classrooms should be delivered to our site in early November, but setup and installation will take a few weeks.

Conference Meals Appreciated

The Hospitality Committee (Diann Glander, Lauren Hager, and Angie Dorsey) thank all parents and volunteers who helped prepare the "Italian Dinner" and "Soup & Sandwich Lunch" during parent/teacher conferences. The teachers and staff really enjoyed and appreciated the meals. Thanks go out to Gloria August, Carol Baum, Christine Blake, Dianne Cardinal, Elizabeth Evans, Karen Forman, Linda Gerstle, Marianna Gnedin, Debby Hanssen, Susan Karpatkin, Ann Kitayama, Linda Levy, Jenny Lucas, Jan Markham, Rahdika Menon, Kim Nguyen, Lydia Pottoff, Irene Reese, Cathy Reisfield, Norma Sierra, Laura Spalding, Alison Vigers, Beth Wilcox, and Kris Zbranek (and any other parents that we might have missed on this list!). Thanks for your generosity, time, and the delicious food you prepared for our Summit staff.

Desperately Seeking Disks!

Mr. Teasdale's Physical Science class is in need of CD discs to assemble the mousetrap car kits. Beth White-O'Connor is collecting the CDs -- she needs 300 CD's right away! Please call her or deliver them to Mr. Teasdale this week if possible. Also, the kits need to be assembled for upcoming classes. A drill press is needed to pre-drill 600 holes in plywood pieces to make these kits. If you have a drill press and/or would like to do this, please contact Beth ASAP at 303-499-3368 or via email, bethwhiteoc[at]msn.com.

MATHCOUNTS -- Mrs. Frohbieter

MATHCOUNTS is a nationwide middle school program run by the MATHCOUNTS Foundation, an organization of professional engineers who volunteer their time to enrich math education. At the school level, students meet once or more per week to work on a wide variety of unusual math problems in a fun, lively atmosphere. They practice competing individually and in teams and share cookies and juice. School-based competitions are held in February. The top eight competitors from each school go on to compete at the district level and can then advance to the state competition as a team or as individuals. A national competition is held in May.

Mrs. Frohbieter, a.k.a. Coach Froh, is coaching Summit's "mathletes" this year. Practices are Mondays and occasional Tuesdays from 3:15-4:30 p.m. in Room D. A lively group is already enjoying the challenging variety of activities, but new members are always welcome. See Coach for a MATHCOUNTS calendar or just show up on Monday to see how much fun math can be!

Mr. Walpole, Max Tackle Long's and Policy

Mr. Walpole, Summit social studies teacher, and Max, his shorthaired pointer, became the first service dog team to summit Long's Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park in July. The climb was designed to raise awareness for service dog access issues and focused on the national park system, which had been exempt from the Americans with Disabilities Act. Despite his having special permission, on the ascent many park rangers asked Mr. Walpole to leave the park and threatened arrest if he continued. Many national park employees, Mr. Walpole found, were unaware of the role service dogs play in helping people with different types of disabilities.

He persisted, though. After traversing tenuous ledges, scaling steep cliffs, and balancing on narrow foot and handholds, they reached the summit in late morning. They then began the descent, including lowering Max down one cliff with a rope and pulley. Following the climb, Mr. Walpole contacted Park Service and Department of the Interior officials. He sought to have ADA provisions for service dogs apply to the National Parks.

As a result of his efforts, on Sept. 5, National Park Service Director Fran P. Mainella issued a memorandum noting a major policy change. All U.S. National Parks are now required to allow all types of service animals into the parks. "I was hoping for something positive to come from the climb, at the very least a greater awareness of the roles service animals of all types play in the lives of disabled persons," said Mr. Walpole. For his students, Mr. Walpole hopes it demonstrates the role every person can play in making changes in our school and the larger community. He also hopes his experience will inspire his students to think about all the resources at their disposal and to be creative.

Buy Books - Benefit Summit!

Mark your calendar for Saturday, November 30, to begin your holiday book shopping in earnest. Thanks to arrangements coordinated by PVC co-chair Penny Hannegan, Summit will benefit from Borders Books' special community support program, Borders Benefit Days. This is Borders' program of fundraising and library enrichment for local schools and other organizations.

Here's how it works:

This is a very easy way to directly benefit Summit! Be sure to remember to have a voucher with you when you shop, as vouchers CANNOT be handed out on November 30. Only the purchases made using the Borders 15% Benefit Day for Summit vouchers will qualify (make sure friends and family have vouchers, too!). Coupon vouchers are available in the office also.

Stand Up! Program Launched

On October 1, Summit introduced the Stand Up! program to parents at our second annual "Help Your Child Succeed At Summit" evening. The Stand Up! program emphasizes non-tolerance for bullying, harassment, and put-downs. Summit parents learned how to monitor and respond to these types of problem behaviors, and were invited to join with staff and students in promoting a safe and caring school community at Summit.

Parents also learned how the Stand Up! curriculum will be presented to students. It was introduced to all 7th graders during the week of October 14. Coach Adams hosted a "Kid Chat" for 7th graders on October 16, to talk about the program. He was joined by Summit counselor Kendra Bartley and the Summit teachers who assisted the 7th grade social studies teachers in presenting the program lessons. The lessons for 7th graders will be conducted on Fridays for the next six weeks, ending on November 22. Lessons for the 6th grade will begin after Thanksgiving. If you have any questions about Stand Up!, call Ms. Bartley at 303-499-9511. Also, if you missed the presentation October 1, feel free to stop by the counseling office and pick up an information packet.

Bolder Boulder Challenge Winners

The new Bolder Boulder Middle School Challenge coordinator, Scott Fliegelman, dropped by Summit recently to present the school with a framed poster honoring our win in the participation category. Last year, Summit had 149 official participants in the challenge, with another 30 or so registered independently. In total, about 120 students entered the 10k run/walk, with the remainder including staff and family.

Summit has earned a second and third before, but this was the first time the school captured the category. The poster will on display in the main office, along with the runner-up posters earned previously. "I look forward to working together this year to make the 2003 MSC a success for Summit Middle School," said Mr. Fliegelman.

One final note: Watch for information from Ms. Blakemore and Ms. Dornbush in art classes on the t-shirt art design contest for next year's Middle School Challenge. Any student can enter a design. Great job, '02 runners and walkers!

Baum Wins State Soccer Title

Summit's 7th grader Rachel Baum won the 10- to 11-year-old Pepsi MLS Dribble, Pass, and Shoot Colorado State Championship on September 1 at Invesco Field. Rachel is a member of the Niwot-based Dynamo Strykers, a U13 intermediate soccer team. She was entered into the competition as part of a soccer camp she attended last summer. Way to go, Rachel!

Fall Sports Schedule

Interscholastic

Fairview Marching Knights Band Presentation

The Fairview Knights' Marching Band invites middle school parents and band students to watch the last presentation of this year, "West Side Story by Buddy Rich," on Tuesday, October 22 at Fairview High School. This free presentation lasts about 20 minutes and will be followed by a brief question and answer session about band at Fairview High School. The show begins at 9:30 a.m. on the Fairview football field and will be held in the gym in the event of bad weather. Questions may be directed to Pris Walker, 303-527-3832 (Bands Parent Co-President), Barb Nelson, 303-443-9975 (Co-President), or Laurie Albright, 303-499-1854 (Vice President).

Watchers Of The Ancient Skies

A BVSD Lifelong Learning presentation of Lakota stellar traditions, with live performances from the Lakota Nation, will be held at the Fiske Planetarium on CU-Boulder's campus on November 9 and 10. Called Watchers of the Ancient Skies, the show will beautifully and dramatically present Lakota star traditions with live narration by Lakota storytellers. The live music of Lakota flute and vocal artist Calvin Standing Bear will accompany the program.

As Lakota star constellations are shown in the planetarium sky, photographic images of Lakota homeland scenes will be presented. The show will close with drumming, representing the heartbeat of Grandmother Earth, and traditional Lakota song, performed by the group Black Horse. General admission is $25 for adults, $10 for students. The Saturday, November 9, performance will be held from 7:30 to 9 p.m. The Sunday, November 10, performance will be held from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Call 303-499-1125 x222 for more information or to purchase tickets. Scholarships are available.

9Teachers Who Care

9Teachers Who Care is a monthly award honoring teachers who exemplify excellence in teaching, encourage and inspire others, and raise awareness of the importance of the teaching profession. Recipients are awarded $900 from CollegeInvest and are featured on 9NEWS. Pick up the 9Teachers Who Care form in the Summit office to learn more about the nomination process for this wonderful recognition program.

Student Holiday Card Design Contest

In honor of its 25th anniversary, the Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory is holding a holiday card design contest for students in grades 4 through 12. The winning entry will be sent to NREL clients worldwide. The first place winner will receive a $250 savings bond ($500 at maturation) at an awards ceremony at NREL in Golden. The design must convey a renewable energy or energy efficiency theme in a creative and well-crafted manner. Entries are due November 8. For full details on art specifications, themes, and more, contact Linda Lung at NREL, 303-275-3044.

Bridges To The Future

The program "Bridges to the Future: American History and Values in Light of Sept. 11th," continues with presentations by:

A collaboration between CSU and DU, all events in this series are free and open to the public. For more information, visit http://www.bridgestothefuture.us/ or call 303-871-2357.

CU Wizards Program

The 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, 396, and 436. Parking is also available for a nominal fee in the Euclid parking structure on the CU campus. For more information, call 303-492-6952. Upcoming programs include:

Super Science Event Saturday

The National Center for Atmospheric Research invites students, teachers and families to visit Super Science Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free to all, the event combines science with Halloween fun at NCAR's Mesa Lab, located at 1850 Table Mesa Drive. For more information, call 303-487-1185.

Rocky Mountain Talent Search -- Ms. Bartley

The Rocky Mountain Talent Search enables 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 qualify to participate, a student must have received a standardized test score in a major subject area of 90% or higher, or received a score of "Advanced" on one of the CSAP tests during the last two years. In some cases, a letter of recommendation from a counselor or teacher indicating that the student has demonstrated an outstanding area of performance in a major subject area will suffice.

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, and students receive a booklet describing these educational opportunities. Ms. Bartley, Summit counselor, visited science classes between October 16 and October 22 to discuss the Talent Search, and to pass out application forms to all students. Additional forms are available by calling Ms. Bartley at Summit, 303-499-9511. Applications to take the tests in January and February must be received by the Rocky Mountain Talent Search by November 12. For further information, call the Rocky Mountain Talent Search at 303-871-2983.

Halloween 101

Q. What's a vampire's favorite sport?
A. Batminton!

Q. Why didn't the skeleton go to the party?
A. He had no body to go with!

Q. What happened at the cannibal's wedding party?
A. They toasted the bride and groom!

Enjoy a safe holiday.

Summit News Also On The Web

To see the current or back issues of Summit News, information about Summit, links to other charter schools, and related education information, refer to Summit's web site via: http://www.summitmiddleschool.org.

Next Issue

Our next issue of Summit News will be distributed the week of November 4. If you have news, notes, or announcements, please forward them via email to pat.hyde[at]attbi by Thursday, October 31.

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