May 17, 2004
Volume 17, No. 9
On April 28th, Tammy Quist, principal at Fairview High School, sent out a letter to parents and guardians regarding abuse of over-the-counter medications by young people in our community. She indicated in the letter how ingestion of these chemicals when used in large doses or mixed with other drugs can often be fatal.
Most recently a Fairview student was admitted to the hospital and (as of the date of Mrs. Quist's letter) remained in a coma. Some of the substances kids are abusing include Dextromethorphan, known as DXM, Dex or DM, and AMT, also known as DMT. DXM is a drug sought by recreational users for its euphoric potential. Structurally related to codeine, it is widely used as a cough suppressant in cough and cold preparations sol over-the counter. Slang names for these substances include: Robo, Tussin, C-C-C, Triple C, Red Devils, and Skittles.
Mrs. Quist ends her letter as follows: "Parents, please talk to your children about the danger of these drugs. Monitor their internet use. Watch their credit card statements. Know where they are and who they are with. Notice changes of behavior and take action immediately. These are not someone else's kids - they are OUR kids. Let's kept them safe …"
I encourage Summit parents to also follow Mrs. Quist's advice and keep an eye on the potential abuse of over-the-counter medication by your children.
-- Mr. Finell
Lunch will not be provided in the Summit cafeteria on either June 3rd or June 4th. Please send a sack lunch to school with your child. (If your 6th or 7th grade child is involved with music for graduation on the 4th, he or she will be served lunch at Boulder High with the 8th graders.)
To avoid a surplus of stocked food and drinks over the summer, the district cuts back on ordering both drinks and snack foods during May. Parents will likely need to send more snacks and drinks -- including water -- for their children to have during the warmer school days. Note: The cafeteria will be fully stocked with "main course" items such as pizza, subs, etc, through June 2nd.
As the Summit faculty and I look forward to celebrating graduation with you on June 4th, we have heard that some eighth grade students may be considering cutting school some day before the end of the school year. The eighth grade teachers, Mrs. Avallone, and I, met with all of the eighth graders to address this issue. We tried to convey to the eighth graders our hope that their natural exuberance and end-of-the-year spring fever would be tempered with a sense of responsibility towards their studies and respect towards their teachers and parents. Students were also told that Summit is not supportive of students cutting school at any time and that, as per Summit policy, students will receive a zero for any work missed due to an unexcused absence. Students were also told that those who are being considered for academic, citizenship or other awards need to realize that cutting school may adversely impact their ability to receive such awards. Finally we discussed the ethics of students asking parents to excuse an absence when the student has chosen to cut school.
While I can certainly understand some students feeling the need to take a day off at this time of the year, I ask that you to speak to your child and communicate your expectation regarding regular attendance. There are only 15 more days of school this year. Let's make each one count! Thank you.
-- Mr. Finell, Principal
The Board Report, April 29, 2004
-- Ashley O'Connor, Board Member
Sixth graders must have a second MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) immunization and a series of three hepatitis immunizations before entering 7th grade. 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 no immunizations have been updated, you do not need to send us one. Thanks!
The RTD student bus pass-by-mail is ending this May, but RTD monthly student bus passes will still be available through school offices. The September pass will be at Summit (and other schools) in approximately mid-August. The pass will be $17 per month for unlimited use on all city buses.
Informational letters for National Junior Honor Society were given to all academically eligible second semester 7th graders on May 13th to bring home from history class. If those students are interested, parents and students need to complete and return the informational form to Mrs. Kapsak on or before May 24th at 3:10 p.m. Late forms or faxed forms can not be considered or accepted. Induction is scheduled for the evening of June 3rd. We hope many students will pursue this wonderful opportunity.
May 21st is catapult day in support of our study of the Middle Ages. Parents are welcome to stop by and see the action on the grass surrounding the school. Parents are reminded to check for and repair backfiring before the catapult comes to school. Thank you.
Thank You, Library Volunteers! Eight dedicated volunteers have worked hard to help provide library service this year. Their efforts made it possible to keep the library open during most of the hours that school was in session. Please thank the following people for their assistance in providing library service to all our students: Michelle Eckstein, Heidi Gerstle, Cally Hanna, Laurie Kuelthau, Joan Nagel, Sharon Rowley, Jeff Webb, and Lisa Webb.
Volunteers will be needed in the library again next year. If you like to work with students and enjoy working with books and computers, this might be the volunteer job for you! Training is provided! Please e-mail Cathy Woods at cathy.woods[at]bvsd.k12.co.us if you are interested.
Notice: All library Materials Due May 21st. Students receive overdue notices weekly, and should be aware of the materials that they have checked out. Each student must pay all fines and pay to replace lost materials before receiving his/her final report card.
Library Dontations: A donation to the Summit Library is a wonderful way to honor a student, teacher, or volunteer! Here are some recent additions to our collection:
ParaProfessional Needed: The Summit Middle School Library has an opening for a paraprofessional beginning August 19th, 2004. The responsibilities include supervision of students, staffing the circulation desk, and library clerical activities as assigned. The candidate must enjoy working with students and have good general computer skills. Hours for this position are Monday and Thursday, 7:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., and Wednesday, 12:15 to 3:15 p.m. For further information, please contact Cathy Woods, 303-444-1791 or cathy.woods[at]]bvsd.k12.co.us.
THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone -- parents, teachers, staff, alumni and friends -- who has participated in the Tools for Learning campaign. Your support has made this the most successful campaign in Summit's history! Through May 14th, donations totaled $99,134, from 202 currently enrolled and 19 alumni families.
If you've been meaning to get your contribution in, please hurry! We still need you to increase our participation rate from the current 74 percent. The percentage of participation really matters to foundations and other organizations that award grants.
Donations are gratefully accepted through June 7th (the Monday following the last day of school). We will process the last group of credit card charges and bank deposits during the week of June 7th. If we receive your pledge after June 7th, it will be credited to next year's campaign.
Your support has given us resources to continue to enrich the environment and programs at Summit. Thank you!
Thanks to the following participants who recently made donations to the Tools for Learning campaign: Grace and Bruce Galler, Cheryle and Daniel Kapsak, Nancy London and George Robertie, World Reach, Inc., Weiping Zhao and Congming Li.
We are still searching for the person who made a March donation via credit card - -we were unable to read the donor's name. PLEASE CALL Dolly Dean at 303-473-9600 so that we may acknowledge your donation. Unfortunately, we can't send an IRS-required thank you without it.
-- Dolly Dean, Chair
History Club will be cooking breakfast for our faculty, staff and administration for our final in- school service project of the year on May 21st. Annie Smartt, Matthew Markham and Dominic Fuller-Rowell are co-chairs.
Our History Club Relay for Life team of 13 is gearing up for our all night adventure June 4th at CU Potts field. If anyone would like to make a tax-deductible donation to the American Cancer Society or purchase a luminary in honor of, or in memory of, a loved one, to help our team, please let Mrs. Kapsak or Mr. Havens know.
-- Mrs. Kapsak
Next fall, there will be a full-time position in the school district for a Licensed Practical Nurse. This position requires current clinical experience, preferably in pediatrics, and a desire to work closely with elementary students who have medical needs. Call the Health Services Office (303-447-5544) for more information or check the BVSD website for the job posting.
Thanks again to all the parents who offered their time, energy, talents, patience and humor to help make Summit's musical, Guys and Dolls, a success. Kudos to Mr. Ben Hirshfield for his amazing directing; to Mr. Doug Ackerson for his assistance with the music; and, to the cast, missionary band and crew for their wonderful performances. Appreciations to teachers and the Summit staff for their support. And thanks to everyone who took the time to come and see the show. It took a village and it was worth it!
-- Barbara Weidlein
There are a few remaining spots in the two summer art camps. The dates of these camps are June 21st through July 2nd, and July 5th through July 16th. There is a remarkable crew signed up for both sessions!
Join today by contacting Ms. Dornbush via talya_dornbush[at]yahoo.com.
Interested in the Summit school trip to Ecuador for June 2005? Get information from Ms. Doyle or Mrs. Blakemore. To confirm your spot, turn in your signed Student Application and $250 deposit to Mrs. Blakemore or mail to SOL Tours ASAP. In order for us to finalize group members and discuss lodging options and payment schedule, we'll need to know soon the names and number of students who are planning on going. The application and deposit deadline is August 30, 2004. For more information, contact Polly Doyle at 303-545-2202 or home[at]soltoursinfo.com.
Spanish Club would like to thank everyone who participated in the Carnival on May 7th. It was a huge success and raised about $600 toward fulfilling the Make-a-Wish of Pedro to have his grandparents come visit from Mexico.
All students and staff, along with our kind volunteers from Fairview Spanish Club and former Summit Spanish Clubbers Paul and Maureen Reynolds, had a blast playing games, eating and particularly duck taping staff members to the wall. We came very close to suspending Mr. Ackerson at the end. By next year we'll have them plastered! Our belated pie throwing took place the following Friday along with Mr. Delaney's "haircut." It was quite an exciting time!
Many thanks to our hard-working club members and our many volunteers: Mrs. Hendrick, Ms. Avallone, Ms. Doyle, Mr. Havens, Mr. Liebowitz, Coach DeBerry, Mr. Finell, Dr. Fotino, Mr. Ackerson, Mr. Koch, Mr. Delaney Mrs. Baum and Mr. Sims.
-- Mrs. Blakemore
This year's visit to the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, aimed at illustrating applications of the subjects we study in class, was packed with thought-provoking presentations and exhilarating experiments: the sight of a twirling Earth as filmed from a rotating rocket whose real payload we could then see in the building, live images from Mars transmitted by the rovers, the Mercury probe sporting a "visor" to shield the view of the planet from the rays of the sun, the impressive operations room where CU students control three artificial satellites, the clean room with the "bunny suits" worn by the scientists who enter it, the vacuum room where extreme temperatures (minus 94 degree F to 140 degree F) simulate space conditions, and much, much more.
Nothing, however, could top the crowning glory of the visit, i.e. ,the outdoor mini-rocket launch and the firing of potatoes from a pressure gun fashioned by Summit alumnus Alex Woods. With the help of Algebra 2 students, the gun was tilted at different angles and the corresponding ranges attained by the spuds were compared. The conclusion was that, despite the less-than-optimal atmospheric conditions (it rained!), the angle that produced the longest range was, as expected, 45 degrees.
Dr. Tom Woods, Dr. Frank Eparvier, and CU students Phil Chamberlin and Karen Turk, spared no effort to make this a most memorable and joyous visit. We wish to express to them our warmest thanks.
-- Ingrid Fotino