August 13, 2003
Volume 16, No. 1
Dear Summit Families,
Summer is almost over and it is my pleasure to welcome you to a new year at Summit. Before school begins, I want to make you aware of several important items.
Please remember that the first day of school for new students is on August 18. Students will meet in the multipurpose room. On that day, school will begin at 8:10 a.m. and end at 12:30 p.m. Students should bring a snack, but lunch will be provided. New students will receive their schedules, planners, lockers, tour the school, discuss behavioral and homework expectations, and have a chance to meet their teachers.
The first full day of school for all Summit students (new and continuing) is on August 19. The daily schedule is 8:10 a.m. to 3:07 p.m. Students meet in the multipurpose room at the start of the day. All students should bring a sack lunch.
For returning students, schedules for 2003-2004were mailed out with report cards at the end of the last school year. For new Summit students, schedules will be available on the first day of school. Extra copies of all students' schedules will be available in the office on the first day of school for those who need them.
Due to the high volume of schedule change requests made during the first few weeks of school, we ask that you do not call or visit the counseling office to request a schedule change. Instead, please make your request in writing, be sure it is signed by a parent, and submit it to the office staff. If there is a problem with granting your request, Ms. Bartley, Summit's counselor, will get back to you. Otherwise, your student's new printed schedule with the requested change will be delivered to your student at school. NOTE: Students must attend their original schedule until they have received a new printed schedule from the counseling office.
The deadline for submitting elective course change requests to the counseling office is August 29. The ability to change elective classes will be limited, since many elective classes are currently full. The following elective classes are full and closed: Introduction to Japan, Astronomy, Film as Literature, Applied Technology, Introduction to Programming, and Study Halls during periods 1, 3, 5, and 6. Change requests for core courses are accepted throughout the school year, as needed.
One of Summit's greatest strengths is the support and involvement of its parent body. Volunteering is a great way to meet people and to help strengthen our school. Please use the Parent Volunteer Form to indicate those events and activities for which you might be interested in volunteering. We are still looking for someone to coordinate our Parent Volunteer Connection.
We are fortunate to have a great deal of continuity in our faculty and administrative staff from last year to this year. However, we do have a few changes and additions:
I know you will join with me in welcoming all of our new faculty and staff. Hiring Committee Co-Chairs Ashley O'Connor and Risa Heywood, and all members of this committee, deserve our appreciation and thanks for their excellent work in bringing wonderful new teachers to Summit's staff. I look forward to a great year! The school office is now open so please feel free to call or stop by if you have any questions.
Students entering 7th grade must have a second MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) immunization and a series of three hepatitis immunizations before entering school this year. Please remember to send in a copy of your child's latest immunization record from the doctor for our records. If you have already sent one in this year and there has been no change to your child's immunization record, you do not need to send us another copy. Thanks!
While we've enjoyed the tail end of the summer break, the Summit office has been up and running since August 4. The office support staff for 2003-2004 includes:
The office will be staffed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, before the start of the school year on August 18. Between now and the time the office opens again, you may always direct questions to any Summit Board member (contact information at end of this newsletter).
The Summit Spanish Club will be selling school supplies beginning on August 18 during lunch. Beginning on August 19, we will be selling before school in Mrs. Blakemore's Room 6 and at lunch in the cafeteria. All profits are donated to Hispanic organizations in Boulder Valley. Through last year's fundraising the Spanish Club donated $1400 to various causes.
Supplies available (most items are priced from $.50 - $1.50) include:
We will sell until we run out! We will also try to restock as necessary.
In addition, we encourage all students to join Spanish Club. We have many club activities and service projects throughout the year. Please see any current member or Mrs. Blakemore for more information.
Summit Middle School congratulates 7th grader Paul Lemieux who rode solo all 155 miles of the Children's Hospital Courage Classic Bicycle Ride over mountain passes in the Copper Mountain and Vail area for three days in July!! Like Lance Armstrong, he powered over those passes without hesitation. He rode as a member of "TEAM COURAGE" with other young people who have benefited from care at Children's Hospital in Denver. Way to go Paul!
The Summit community was there to support him, too. In addition to the Summit Student Council donating money to the benefit ride, Summit had additional cyclists to keep Paul company including Paul's parents Tom and Christine, Summit dads Stuart Ollanik, Dan Kapsak, and Jim Sullivan, with his 7th grade son Jamie, who rode on the back of their tandem. Summit alumna Hannah Sawitsky and her mom, Judy, also rode. Congratulations to all these riders, but especially to Paul, for the courage and hard work it took to complete this amazing and challenging ride.
If your school or office shopping takes you to any Office Depot, please tell the cashier that you want Office Depot to give Summit credit for your qualifying purchases. Under this program, Office Depot will give Summit a 5% credit (towards free supplies) on qualifying back-to-school merchandise purchases made between now and December 31.
This program is good at any Office Depot in the United States and Canada; when shopping on-line at www.OfficeDepot.com; or when shopping by phone at: 1-800-GO-DEPOT. Simply tell the cashier that you'd like to credit 5% of the purchase to Summit Middle School.
Most of you are familiar with grocery certificate programs from other schools your children have attended or through your church, scout group, etc. As you probably know, Summit is able to buy certificates from local stores at a discount. We sell the certificates to you at face value and you present them like cash at check out. There is no additional cost to you to purchase or use the certificates.
This year, we are going to sell King Soopers certificates (accepted at all King Soopers and Kroger-related stores and at most Safeway and Albertson's stores). You can either pre-order certificates,which you can pick up from the office when it is convenient for you, or you can purchase certificates in front of the school during morning drop-off two Fridays per month. Our first "parking lot sale" will be on the first Friday of school, August 22. Look for our table and brightly colored "Grocery Certificates" sign during drop off,7:40 a.m. to 8:10 a.m.. King Soopers certificates are available in $25 denominations; we will accept cash or checks made payable to "Summit Middle School".
If you would prefer to pre-order and pick up from the office, please return the form contained in your registration packet. If there is sufficient interest, we will look at expanding the program to offer Safeway and Wild Oats debit cards.
We all need to buy groceries for our families. Please participate in this easy fundraiser as the proceeds benefit all our children. If you have questions, call Dolly Dean at 303-473-9600.
Please disregard previously published lists for Accelerated Algebra and obtain the following for this school year:
Student awards were presented at an awards breakfast on June 5, for 6th and 7th grade recipients, and at graduation for 8th grade recipients. We offer warmest congratulations to every student recognized with an award this year.
Each year, the Summit staff chooses one boy and one girl from the 8th grade class who embody what Summit strives to be. These students contribute positively to the school through academics and extracurricular activities, whether music, sports, community service, and academic or non-academic clubs. The 2002-2003 student exemplars are Julia Hansford and Jesse Thurston. Thanks to both of them for their inspiring comments during the graduation ceremony.
A citizen contributes positively to the welfare of the school community, enhances the learning environment, is a behavior role model for others, and has a love of learning. The 2002-2003 recipients of the Summit Outstanding Citizen award are John Boylston, Nicholas Gerstle, Sebastian George, Andrew Hyde, Hannah Kapsak, Sabine Kunz, Katie Kopel, Annie Lewis, Matthew Markham, Tamara Sparks, Devon Thrumston, and Emily Woods.
The Summit Board honored Wendy Blakemore, Spanish teacher, at graduation with the 2002-2003 Outstanding Teacher Award. This award carries with it a stipend of $750, and Sra. Blakemore's name will be engraved on the permanent award plaque kept at Summit.
The Board is also very pleased to recognize Dorinda Dercar with the 2002-2003 Outstanding Volunteer Award for her contributions to Summit this past school year. Ms. Dercar was in class every day to teach and work with our Silver Rain students and she also put in countless hours to make the spring musical, Li'l Abner, such a success.
At the June 12 meeting, new Summit Board members Ashley O'Connor and David Schermerhorn were officially installed for two-year terms that run through May 2005. We are grateful to Tom Mahowald and Besty Phelan for serving second terms on the Board, also through May 2005.
Board officers for 2003-2004 are: Tom Mahowald, Chair; Betsy Phelan, Vice Chair; Ashley O'Connor, Secretary; Debbie Feyh, Treasurer.
Other continuing board members are Paul Atcheson, Barb Kostanick, and David Finell (ex officio). Paul will serve as AAA Committee chair; Tom will serve as Board liaison to the Grant Writing Committee and to the Hiring Committee; and Barb will serve as Board liaison to the new Enrollment Committee.
CONGRATULATIONS to new members and the newly elected officers! Our sincere thanks to all the Board members for their exceptional service to our Summit community.
At the end of the last academic year, the Fairview Odyssey of the Mind team recently placed first in the Colorado State Tournament in the Classics problem. The team was also honored with the Ranatra Fusca Award for outstanding creativity. The team represented Colorado in the World Finals competition at Iowa State University in May. Team members include Summit graduates Tyler Fox and Kent Gonzales as well as current Summit 8th grader Stephen Harmon. The team is coached by former Summit parent Karen Fox and current Summit parent Connie Harmon.
All regular Summit Board meetings are public meetings and we welcome guests from our community at any time. Our next two meetings will be held August 14 and August 28. Meetings are held in Summit's library and begin at 6:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted.
The Denver Zoo will host a Middle School Career Day at the zoo on November 15, from 8:45 a.m. to 12:00 noon. This program is for students in grades 6 through 8 who are interested in learning about zoo careers. Students will have the opportunity to meet and talk with zoo experts about what it is like to work at a zoo. Activities include tours, learning about animal training and enrichment, and a Q&A session with a panel of zoo experts. The cost is $15 per student and $10 per accompanying adult (maximum one adult per student, please). For registration information, call 303-376-4852 or schoolspecialist[at]denverzoo.org.
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.
If you are changing your email address or would like to add an email address to the Summit News distribution list, please send an email to tmahowald[at]qwest.net. Thank you.
Summit News is distributed approximately every other week during the academic year. Please e-mail news or announcements to pat.hyde[at]comcast.net for inclusion.
The Summit Board has approved the following Summit's school year calendar for 2003-2004.