September 1, 2004
Volume 18, No. 1
Summit's Back-to-School Night for parents will be held Thursday, September 9th from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Opening remarks in the multipurpose room will be followed by informational sessions with your child's teachers in the classrooms. The program is tightly scheduled, so please arrive early. Parking is always at a premium and most people will need to park in the surrounding neighborhood and walk into the school…so give yourself some extra time. Refreshments will be served courtesy of our Parent Volunteer Committee (PVC). See you there!
Please send a lunch with your child on September 20th as there will be no lunch service that day. Most of the district does not have school, but Summit is in session.
The bus-pass-by-mail program of last year has been discontinued. If you have questions about passes, please visit the BVSD web site at http://www.bvsd.org, then click on link called "Student Bus Pass Options from RTD." For questions about routes and schedules, visit the RTD website at www.rtd-denver.com.
September Teen Bus Passes are available at Summit ($17.00 each; please make checks out to BVSD). Subsequent month passes will be sold by parent volunteers after school beginning at 3:00 p.m. each month for a few days toward the end of the month. We'll let you know when we have a schedule.
If you haven't yet signed up to get the newsletter sent to you via e-mail (and you'd like that service), please contact Debby Hanssen in the office right away, either by e-mail (debby.hanssen@bvsd.org) or call the Summit office, 303-499-9511. Also, please let Ms. Hanssen know the name of your student when you call or e-mail, or if your student has graduated and you wish to be taken off the list. You can also read the newsletter on our Summit webpage: summitmiddleschool.org. If you don't have internet access, there are printed copies available in the Summit office.
(It saves a lot of money and time if families receive their newsletter electronically…so please sign up if you can. Thanks!)
Mathcounts on Mondays in Room 11 after school until 4:15 p.m. An organizational meeting will be held on Monday, September 13th.
Strategic Game and Chess Club in Room 11 after school on Wednesdays until 4:15 p.m. An organization meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 8th.
--Haydee Phelps
A school lunch costs $2.25 including milk or soy milk. The menu can be found at www.bvsd.org via the Lunch link. In addition to the school lunch, pizza and subway sandwich service will start on Tuesday, August 31st.
Here's the schedule: Tuesdays-Blackjack cheese pizza- $2.75; Wednesdays-Subway sandwiches-$2.50 to $3.00; Thursdays-Bruno's pizza slices, pepperoni or chess-$1.25 a slice.
Staff supervision for Summit students is provided on our campus from 7:45 a.m. to 3:20 p.m. on school days. Additional Summit Staff supervision will be available for special activities, including sports, as announced.
Monday, 6th Labor Day - NO SCHOOL
Wednesday, 8th After School - Room 11 - Organization Meeting for Strategic Game and Chess Club
Thursday, 9th Back to School Night- 6:30 p.m.
Friday, 10th Picture Day - 8:00 -11:30 a.m.
Wednesday, 29th Helping Your Child Succeed at Summit - 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, 5th Vision/Hearing Screening - 8:30 a.m.
Thursday, 14th Parent-Teacher Conferences - 4:00 -8:00 p.m.
Friday, 15th NO SCHOOL - Parent-Teacher Conferences - 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Monday, 18th NO SCHOOL - Summit Charter Day
Tuesday, 19th Picture Retakes - 8:00-10:00 a.m.
Friday, 22nd End of 1st Quarter
Monday, 8th NO SCHOOL - Veteran's Day
Monday, 22nd -
Friday, 26th NO SCHOOL - Thanksgiving Holiday
Monday, 29th School Resumes
Monday, 20th - Friday, 31st NO SCHOOL - Winter Holiday Break
Interested in traveling with Summit to Ecuador in June of 2005?! Join us before Parent's Night on September 9th in Room 6 at 6:00 p.m. for an informational meeting. Ms. Doyle will explain the itinerary, service projects and costs. Mr. And Mrs. Blakemore will be able to take questions about supervision and early planning. All students and parents are welcome to attend.
Importante! The deadline for deposits has been changed from August 30th to September 7th. To confirm your spot, turn in your signed Student Application and $250 deposit to Mrs. Blakemore or mail it to SOL Tours. Feel free to contact Polly Doyle at 303-545-2202 or polly@soltoursinfo.com with questions or concerns. See Mrs. Blakemore for information and forms. We will hold a meeting for the students who have signed up at the end of September. Vamos a Ecuador!
--Polly Doyle
The Hiring Committee had a very busy and successful spring and summer. As you all know by now, Summit has new teachers in art, math, instrumental music and French. Many thanks to all of the members of the committee and especially to the following Summit students who gave up some of their precious vacation to attend demonstration classes this summer: Ben and Will Kuelthau, Thomas, Scott and Eric Davids, Colleen Atcheson, Haley Thurston, Devon Belcher, Brandon Evans, Chris Metzler, Peter Repucci, Allie Johnson, Lindsey Schaller, Zoe Ingerson, Tom Fogelberg, Andrew Lee, Tyler Ollanik, Kelsey Ketellapper, Maddie Filderman, Drue Hyde, Mara O'Loughlin and Alexa Pesenti.
Thanks also to Mr. Kilgore's 5th period French I class for giving up three classes last spring to help us observe French teacher candidates. We take your opinions very seriously.
As their children leave Summit, parents on the Hiring Committee move with them. Please consider volunteering for this important committee and have a direct impact on your child's learning experience at Summit. I would be happy to talk to anyone who is interested in learning about our hiring process.
--Ashley O'Connor, Hiring Committee Chair (outgoing), 303-499-2410
Faculty members presented recognition awards to 6th, 7th and 8th grade students at the end of the last school year. Congratulations to the students for a job very well done!
Monica Haenselman (Library Para-Professional): I was raised here in Boulder and attended the University of Colorado where I received a BA in Spanish and Latin American Studies in 1985. After seeing a bit of the United States by living in California and Pennsylvania, I moved to Washington, D.C. to attend Georgetown University Law Center, where I received my JD in 1991. I then moved to Chicago and practiced employment law until I moved to London with my husband and 3-month old son. We returned to Boulder in 1995 and we have stayed put ever since. I have three children, ages 5, 9 and 11, all of whom attend Community Montessori. I enjoy reading, watching old movies and participating in outdoor activities such as skiing, hiking and biking, as well as watching other people play soccer.
Anney Perrine (French): Ms. Perrine grew up in Chicago, playing soccer in the mud and eating superb pizza. During college, Ms. Perrine volunteered in schools for two years before becoming a Peer Advisor in the Sociology Department, a position that won her advising and mentoring awards. She also directed CU's Earth Education Program for a year, bringing environmentalism to the classroom. Ms. Perrine also completed a Semester in the Rockies with NOLS, and fell in love with the canyons of Utah. Seeking more adventures and her first international travel experience, she studied in Thailand for two months, focusing on the effects of development. From there she went straight to France, studying language and cooking in Provence for six months. Upon graduating, Ms. Perrine became a baker and a pastry chef while volunteer teaching French and taking French courses at CU, with the aim of teaching one day. After two years of smelling like food, Ms. Perrine turned to what she knew was her true professional passion, and completed the Master's Plus program in CU's Education Department. When she is not in the classroom, Ms. Perrine can be found cooking (well, maybe more eating than cooking), traveling in the U.S. and the Mediterranean, reading and wandering around in the mountains. She is also currently working toward a second BA in French. What the Little Prince might say is essential about Ms. Perrine is that she prefers her food either very hot or very cold, listens to her intuition, is as interested in kids as she is in grown-ups, and can't smell very well.
Joan Stone (Mathematics): Mrs. Stone was born and raised in Virginia. (You will hear her southern accent every now and then!) Mrs. Stone attended the College of William and Mary where she earned a BA in Mathematics. After teaching secondary math of several years in public schools in Virginia, she moved up the coast to Washington D.C. and worked as a computer systems analyst for the Bureau of Labor Statistics. While there, Mrs. Stone earned her MS in MIS from American University. Then, 25 years ago, she again moved up the coast - this time to Delaware - raising two children while working as a computer systems professional for various large corporations, teaching undergrad MIS courses at the University of Delaware, running her own computer consulting business, and teaching math and computer classes to middle school students at a small, independent school. Mrs. Stone moved to Colorado in August, 2004 with her husband Bob to enjoy life and be closer to their grown children, David and Jennifer, who live and work in the Denver area. In addition to teaching part-time math at Summit, Mrs. Stone has been accepted to teach undergrad courses in Secondary Education as an affiliate faculty member in the School of Professional Studies at Regis University. She may do that in her "spare" time in the spring, if/when she gets her new house fixed up!
Susan Baruch (Art): Growing up on Long Island and in close proximity to Manhattan gave me many opportunities to be immersed in the arts. As my love of seeing and making art progressed, so did my love of nature which brought me to the Rocky Mountains and the University of Colorado at Boulder. I graduated with a BA Degree in Studio Arts with a concentration in painting and photography. While at CU I found another passion: traveling. I studied abroad in Jerusalem, Israel for six months and traveled extensively around the Middle East and Europe. After graduating from CU, I moved to Winter Park where I worked as a photographer and substitute teacher. Besides being a substitute teacher, my teaching experiences range from a swim instructor, to a Field Teacher at a residential outdoor environmental education center, to teaching English in Peru. Most recently, I went back to school at Bennington College in Vermont where I received my Masters in Teaching. While at Bennington College, I continued to make art and explore new mediums, such as ceramics and printmaking. When I am not teaching or making my own art, you can usually find me outside biking, hiking, running or skiing. I am very excited to be back in Boulder where I can bring my experiences, enthusiasm and passions into my teaching.
Thomas Blomster (Strings and Band): has been a professional musician since he was 14 years old. He now assumes many roles in the music industry. As a performer, he is Percussionist with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic and the Denver Municipal Band, a freelance musician throughout Colorado, and plays drum set for "The Clay Kirkland Blues Band" and "Goat Magnet" (a jazz group). Her is a former member of the Louisville (KY) Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfonica de Mineria (Mexico City), the Colorado Ballet Orchestra, the Denver Chamber Orchestra, and was Percussionist and Artist in Residence at St. John's Episcopal Cathedral. Additional performances include the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, the Boulder Philharmonic, the Evansville (IN) Philharmonic, the Bedford Springs Music Festival (PA), and the Colorado Music Festival. He spent four formative years performing at the Aspen Music Festival. Mr. Blomster is also the Music Director of The Mercury Ensemble which has recorded for Sonora Productions. He has led the following ensembles on the podium: the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, the Denver Chamber Orchestra, The Mostly Strauss Orchestra, and the Boulder Brass. He was Assistant Conductor for the Junior Symphony Guild's educational programs "Inside the Orchestra" and "Tiny Tots" for 10 years. As an educator, he currently teaches at Red Rocks Community College and previously at Metropolitan State College of Denver and Monmouth College (IL). He earned a Bachelor of Music Performance degree from Metropolitan State College of Denver and a Master of Arts in Conducting from the University of Denver. In yet another role, he writes and arranges for The Mercury Ensemble, Pangaea, Goat Magnet, and various other projects. His composition, "A Brighton Serenade" is the title cut for The Mercury Ensemble's CD. Mr. Blomster resides in Denver and enjoys cycling and gardening when he gets a break from his many demanding musical roles.
Dr. Marc Wind, (Harrison's father) is sponsoring his annual Backpack Safety Week, September 27th to October 1st. Your child will receive appropriate backpack fitting and a computerized postural and muscle evaluation. If interested, please call to schedule your child's appointment: 303-444-4498. This service is provided at no cost.
According to Dr. Wind, more than 50 percent of children regularly carry more than the recommended 15 percent of their body weight in their back packs, and more than 3,300 children are treated annually in emergency rooms for injuries related to backpacks.
BVSD Middle School Sports Calendar - 2004-2005
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 toward supplies on qualifying back-to-school merchandise purchases made before 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.
Thanks to the many families who have expressed an interest in purchasing grocery certificates on a regular basis.
This year there are two ways to purchase certificates and debit cards.
1. We will be selling certificates/debit cards in the (front) parking lot two times each month. Usually this will be on the 2nd and 4th Friday of the month during morning drop off (7:40 a.m. to 8:15 a.m.). Look for our red and white reminder banner and our table near the handicapped parking spaces. It is not necessary to pre-order, just bring cash or your check made payable to Summit Middle School. Our next parking lot sale will be held Friday, September 10.
2. You can pre-order certificates (with delivery as described below) by dropping your check in the school office by noon. on the 2nd or 4th Wednesday of the month. Please note on your check the type of certificates/debit cards you wish to purchase. For example, include a KS for King Soopers, SW for Safeway, or if buying a combination, "$100 KS, $200 SW." Make checks payable to Summit Middle School. Your certificates can be delivered to you in any one of the following ways:
1. You can pick them up from our Grocery Certificate sale table in the parking lot on the Friday morning of the same week;
2. You can pick them up from the office when it is convenient for you (starting on Friday morning); or
3. They can be mailed to you. For this option, we will need your written permission to mail the certificates because of the possibility of loss and to ensure we have the correct address.
Please call Dolly Dean at 303-473-9600 or e-mail her at dohdean[at]travelandsports.com if you have any questions about the grocery program.