Summit School Newsletter

INNOVATIVE TEACHING. EXPERT EDUCATORS. THRIVING STUDENTS.

September 8, 2023

From the Head of School...

Dear Summit School Families,

I hope this newsletter finds you all well. Today, during our Morning Meeting, we had the pleasure of celebrating something truly special - our incredible Summit School teachers. As the Head of School, I wanted to take a moment to share our heartfelt appreciation for the dedication, passion, and hard work that our teachers bring to our school community every day.

Our teachers are the heart and soul of Summit School, and they play a vital role in shaping the educational experiences of our students. Their unwavering commitment to nurturing a love for learning, fostering creativity, and providing a safe and supportive environment for our children is truly remarkable.

As we continue our journey this school year, let's remember the power of collaboration and appreciation for our amazing teachers. Together, we can create a nurturing and inspiring environment that enables our students to thrive and reach their fullest potential.

Once again, thank you for being a part of the Summit School community, and thank you for recognizing and celebrating our exceptional teachers. Your continued support means the world to us.

Warm regards,

Kindergarten students took it upon themselves to clean up the sticks that were all over the playground this morning. They wanted to help clean up after the storm. These kinder students did a great job of demonstrating our CARE Lifelong Guidelines of being safe, responsible, respectful, and doing their personal best! Thank you!

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Summit Middle School 6th grade has been studying the phenomenon of one-way mirrors. The super scientists are able to describe how one-way mirrors are designed at a microscale level and how they work based on their interaction with light. Recently, they learned the anatomy of the human eye and how each structure interacts with light They also learned the importance of light input strength in explaining the one-way mirror phenomenon. 6th grade has been challenged to take their models home and use them to teach someone else how light interacts with the eye!

Beginning of the Year Assessment Data

What is the Fountas & Pinnell Reading Assessment? Why is there no fall data for kindergarten? Fountas & Pinnell is a teacher administered assessment of reading decoding and comprehension that is not new to Summit School. It helps teachers to determine a student's instructional reading level and reading comprehension goals. This assessment is given at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year. There is no kindergarten fall data as this assessment is not typically administered until January in kindergarten.

What is STAR? STAR is a nationally normed standardized assessment for students in grades K-8. At Summit School, we will be giving this assessment to our students at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year. Students in kindergarten will take the early literacy assessment and math assessment, and will not take their first assessment until January. Students in grades 1-8 will take both reading and math assessments. The results of these assessments will be used to help teachers make decisions about instruction, intervention, and enrichment for our students.

What does the shaded row on the data report refer to? The shaded row of information on the data report refers to the expected or average range for a student at the grade level tested. For Fountas & Pinnell this is referred to as “meets expectations.” For the STAR assessment, these students would be in the middle or roughly 50th percentile of national scores. The range on STAR is recorded at 40-60% to account for standard deviations. As you can see from our data, the majority of our students exceed or are in the top percentages in the nation.

What will Summit School do with this information? Regular data collection is necessary to help Summit make informed decisions about instruction, intervention, enrichment, and overall programming. The data collected will be reported out to parents and the Summit Community on a regular basis.

The Dean's Corner

Congratulations to Luca, Mercedes, and Brenden for being sent to Mrs. France with POSITIVE office referrals!

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Morning Meetings- Please Join Us

Wednesday, September 20

Special Person/Mentor Morning & Wagon Parade (see information below)

Wednesday, October 18

Presented by Grade 6

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Save the Date and Invite Your Special Person

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Wagons Needed

As we gear up for the Welcome Fall Wagon Parade, we are reaching out to you, our valued families, with a special request. We kindly ask for your assistance in making the parade a success by contributing wagons of all kinds. Your generosity in lending your wagons will enable us to create a joyful and memorable experience for our students.

Wagon Drop-off Details:

Wagons can be dropped off conveniently next to the Idea Lab. To ensure the smooth return of your wagon, we kindly request that you label the bottom of the wagon with your family's name.

Wagon Return:

After the parade, please rest assured that we will take great care in returning your wagons to you promptly. The labeled identification will help us ensure that every wagon finds its way back to its rightful owner.

Your participation and support are at the heart of what makes our school community so special. Without your generosity and willingness to help, events like the Welcome Fall Wagon Parade wouldn't be possible. We deeply appreciate your dedication to making our school environment vibrant and engaging for our students.

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General Safety Guidelines for Drop-off and Pick-up

Guardians are responsible for transporting their children to and from school.
Guardians and visitors must park in designated lined parking spaces only.
Do not park in such a way to hinder the flow of traffic or jeopardize the safety of children.
Parking is not allowed along the red curbs.
Do not park in the designated spaces purchased by guardians at the annual Summit School Auction.
State law prohibits neglect and endangerment of children. Never leave children unattended in a vehicle at any time, and always use car seats and seat belts.
Students cannot be dropped off in the parking lots.
Pedestrians are not permitted to cut through the carline.
Please do not try to meet with teachers while they are supervising carline.
There is no use of wireless phones (or other digital devices) while in the carline.
At dismissal, please do not arrive earlier than 15 minutes before your child’s dismissal, time as this blocks our fire lane and inhibits emergency vehicles from entering our facility.
Summit School is not responsible for damage to vehicles or theft. Please secure all valuables and use caution while moving through the parking lot and carline areas.
Key fobs will allow access to campus on scheduled school days at the following times/locations:

Front Office doors during office hours (7:45 AM – 3:45 PM)
Front blue gate during drop off (8:00 AM – 8:15 AM), pick up (3:15 PM – 3:30 PM) and afternoon extended day (3:30 PM – 6:00 PM)

Front Office doors will be unlocked for drop off until 8:30 AM. After 8:30 AM, K-8 students must be walked into the office by an adult that will need to sign the student in to school using the School Check In system located in the front office.
When leaving campus, you must exit through the Front Office during the school day (8:15 AM – 3:15 PM) and not through the outdoor gates.