The FAST Flyer

The first end of year exam is on Monday. Exams will continue over the following few weeks. Please refer to the email from Ms. James that was sent on Friday, April 12 which contains important information regarding these required tests. Please ensure that you are getting your students to school on time during exams and avoid scheduling appointments during testing windows. The full schedule can be found HERE

Please keep in mind that we cannot have visitors on campus during testing.

Parents with students in FCS schools may have seen a notice from FCS that May 21 will be a remote learning day due to the election. FAST will have a normal school day. Both our kindergarten graduation and 5th grade bridging ceremonies are scheduled for that day.

Yesterday, we were lucky enough to enjoy the talents of many elementary students in the inaugural Elementary FAST's Got Talent Show. Performances ranged from singing and dancing to comedy and weightlifting. We were so impressed with the level of talent and bravery from some of our youngest students. The student audience that was not only attentive but remarkably well behaved. The students demonstrated respect for their peers, applauding enthusiastically after each act and maintaining silence when appropriate during performances. It was heartening to witness such a supportive and nurturing environment.

8th grade parents please refer to the email sent on 4/16 and complete the survey regarding graduation. We will need some information from you to plan the ceremony. We also ask that you send some pictures of your child for the graduation slide show. Details can be found in the aforementioned email. .

Kindergarten parents, please refer to the email from your student's teacher in March with information about caps and gowns and pictures for your students' ceremony.

The FAST annual Innovation Showcase is less than a week away and the innovation team has promised that this will be an extravaganza not to be missed.

We hope you will be able to make it!

Prospective parents often ask us where our students go to high school and beyond after they leave FAST. Since Innovation Academy opened, most of our students have gone there for high school, and of course, many also attend their home zoned school or other private schools. But what about after high school? We decided to check in on the FAST graduates to see what they’re up to, keeping in mind that our first class of graduates are now college freshmen.

Our graduates have been accepted to colleges all over the country including Purdue University, Georgia Tech, University of New Hampshire, University of Mississippi, Seton Hall, Vanderbilt University, and Harvard University to name a few. It came as no surprise that many of these students are studying engineering - mechanical, aerospace, electrical, etc. Other courses of study include Computer Science, Film & Media, Diplomacy & International Relations, Biochemistry, and Neuroscience.

We asked their parents if there was anything else they would like to share. Several parents told us their students are really happy and enjoying college which we are so glad to hear. They also told us that despite going to different schools after leaving FAST, our graduates remained close with the friends they made here and still keep in touch. Others parents had these things to say about their FAST grad:

• “Used his capstone project of building a gaming computer & making a how-to video to start Techsnap, his own business. He builds custom computers for customers, refurbishes & sells old gaming systems & recently expanded to building/repairing drones & renting them to customers.”

• “Played baseball and swam for his HS team. Joined the fly fishing club at college. Entered college with 27 AP credits from HS classes. FAST prepared him well for HS, as he was able to take a lot of 10th grade classes as a freshman. Still stays in contact with 10 of his buddies that he met BECAUSE of FAST!”

• “She is a 4.0 student and was recently inducted into the Honors College”

• “Fast really trained him well. Since he was the student council president at fast at that time he got a sense of respect for everyone even after high school”

As we celebrate the achievements of these students, we are reminded of the lasting impact of a FAST education. It is not merely about the lessons learned within the confines of a classroom but also about fostering a spirit of curiosity, resilience, and community that propels our students toward success in all facets of life.

April 22: EOC exams begin

April 26: Innovation Showcase

May 10: Field Day

May 10: Middle school dance

May 20: Class parties

May 21: Kindergarten graduation

May 21: 5th grade bridging

May 22: 8th grade graduation

May 23: Last day of school (half day)

School begins at 7:40am every day. Students who arrive late are not only missing instructional time, but may disrupt the rest of the class when they come in after class has begun. We have historically allowed students who arrived by 8am to go directly to class without being signed in. Effective immediately, all students who arrive after 7:50am will need to be signed in at the front office by a parent. Please be sure that you arrive on campus early enough to navigate carpool so that your student can be in class on time.

The school day begins at 7:40am Monday-Friday. All students are expected to be in their classroom ready to start the day by 7:40am. Please allow for enough time to navigate carpool for your student to get to class on time. All students arriving after 7:40 are considered tardy.

All students are expected to be in proper uniform every day. Repeat violations of uniform code will result in a call from the front office with a request to bring the appropriate clothing for the student. FAST uniform includes FAST logo polo or spirit wear, khaki or navy bottoms (or black for middle school). Shirts without the FAST logo are not considered proper uniform.

All questions or concerns you have regarding your student should first be directed to their teacher. Please allow up to 48 hours for a response. If the teacher is unable to provide resolution, you should contact the Assistant Principal for your child's grade. On the off chance that you still have not been able to reach a resolution after contacting the teacher and the AP, you can contact Principal Mary Miller at mary.miller@fastk8.org. Our communication and escalation policy can be found on our website.

While under the auspices of Fulton County Schools, we are governed by our own governing board. Sending your issues directly to Fulton County rather than following the FAST communication chain will cause a delayed response as they will only defer to FAST and forward the issue back to us to address.

FAST is a smoke-free environment. Whether you are in the building, in your car, or anywhere else on campus please refrain from smoking or vaping at all times.

We cannot release students for early dismissal after 2:40pm Monday-Thursday and 1:40pm on Friday as this is too disruptive to our afternoon dismissal process and end of day activities. If you are picking up your child after those times, you must go through the carpool lane which begins at 3:15pm. As a matter of student safety, all students leaving before the end of the school day must be signed out in the front office by an authorized person. Please do not call or text your students for early dismissal. Students are not permitted to have their cell phones during school hours.

Please keep these times in mind when scheduling afternoon appointments and plan accordingly.

Please remember to send your child to school with lunch every day or order through Ordo at ordo.com. Ordo orders must be placed by midnight on Friday for the following week. Lunches must be nut free and ready-to-eat (we cannot microwave lunches).

As a reminder, all visitors - including parents - must check in at the front desk in Innovation Hall upon arrival. No one is permitted to enter Student Hall without having first checked in at the front desk. Parents are not permitted to walk their student to their classroom. We have staff available during morning drop-off to ensure students are attended to.

While we manage morning and afternoon carpool every day, now and then we like to remind our families of some of the rules. It is important that you adhere to the carpool process and follow staff directions as they are there (in all kinds of weather!) to keep our students safe and get you through carpool as quickly as possible.

• Students should only enter and exit vehicles on the passenger side in the carpool area. They should never be walking between cars. This is a safety issue.
• Students should not be retrieving their backpacks from car trunks during drop off or pick up. Please be sure they have access to all of their belongings without having to step between cars. This is a safety issue.
• Please do not navigate around the cones in the carpool area. They are placed there for a reason. This is a safety issue.
• No one should be dropping off or picking up students in front of Innovation Hall unless they have been issued a FAST pass. All other vehicles should go through the carpool queue.
• There are no left turns when leaving campus during carpool - whether or not there is an officer directing traffic.
• If your student is a bus rider that will be picked up at carpool, please be sure to inform your student's teacher as well as the front office.

We appreciate your cooperation in adhering to these rules for the safety of both the students and staff.

FAST leverages various means of communications to keep our families up to date with what is happening at school. Since most people are on social media, we post to different platforms to keep you up to date. If you aren't already following us, check us out on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

A printable version of the 2023-24 school calendar can be found HERE

To keep up to date with the most recent information available from our district offices, please click on the image below.

Email: info@fastk8.org
Website: www.fastk8.org
Location: 11365 Crabapple Road, Roswell, GA, USA
Phone: 678-321-1100
Facebook: facebook.com/FASTK8.School/
Twitter: @fastk8charter

The FAST Flyer is the electronic newsletter at FAST. Feedback is always welcome. If you have any questions, please call the school (678-321-1100) or email the FAST Communications Director at marie.emerson@fastk8.org.