The FAST Flyer

Dear FAST Families,

We are committed to ensuring that all students receive a high-quality education in a safe and supportive environment. As part of this commitment, we want to inform you about two important federal laws that protect the rights of students and families in public schools:

1. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

2. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

These laws ensure that students receive appropriate educational services and that their personal information is kept confidential.

IDEA is a federal law that guarantees students with disabilities the right to a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). Public schools must provide special education services tailored to meet the unique needs of eligible students.

Key Provisions of IDEA:

• Individualized Education Program (IEP): A legally binding plan developed for students with disabilities to ensure they receive appropriate support.

• Parental Rights: Parents have the right to participate in all aspects of their child’s education, including evaluations, IEP meetings, and decisions about services.

• Procedural Safeguards: Families have rights to dispute resolutions, including mediation and due process hearings.

• Access to Services: Schools must provide accommodations, modifications, and specialized instruction as needed.

For more information on IDEA, visit the U.S. Department of Education’s IDEA website: https://sites.ed.gov/idea/

FERPA is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. It grants parents and eligible students (18 years or older) certain rights regarding access to and control over educational records.

Key Provisions of FERPA:

• Access to Records: Parents have the right to review their child’s education records and request corrections if necessary.

• Consent for Disclosure: Schools cannot share a student’s personal information without written consent, except in specific cases allowed by law.

• Protection of Privacy: Schools must have procedures in place to keep student records secure and confidential.

For more information on FERPA, visit the U.S. Department of Education’s FERPA website: https://studentprivacy.ed.gov/

As public schools, we are legally required to follow both IDEA and FERPA to ensure that all students receive the education and privacy protections they deserve. We take this responsibility seriously and are committed to working with families to uphold these rights.

In an effort to ensure that everyone in our community is aware of these important federal laws, we will continue to provide resources, training, and open communication with families. We encourage parents, guardians, and staff to familiarize themselves with these protections so we can work together to create an inclusive and supportive learning environment for all students.

Thank you for your partnership in ensuring a safe and supportive learning environment for all students.

Attention soccer enthusiasts! Soccer tryouts for grades 5-8 will be held on Monday, January 27th, from 4:00 to 5:30 PM. Tryouts will last an hour and a half. To participate, students must have a parent waiver and a physical on file. If your child participated in the Fall season, there should already be one on file.

The Soccer Team will consist of 11 to 14 players, and please note that this is a cut sport. The registration fee is $200, which covers your child’s participation in the East Cherokee Soccer League. This fee includes insurance coverage while we’re on their fields.

We’ll be an independent team, with games running from mid-March to the second week of May, including tournaments and a season finale on May 10th. Tryouts are free, and the registration fee only applies if your child makes the team.

We are excited to announce that we have launched Online School Payments (OSP) for field trips, dances, etc. This will allow parents to pay for events without having to come into the school. You may already be familiar with OSP if you have a students at another FCS school. It is a very user friendly platform, but it will require you to know your child's student id number which can be found in the parent portal of Infinite Campus. The link is on our website. We will be adding events for payment as they come up.

We are excited to announce that this year’s yearbook is now available for pre-order! Our yearbook will be filled with special memories, class photos, and highlights from the 2024-2025 school year.

To reserve your student's yearbook or purchase an ad, please visit: https://shop.memorybook.com/ and reference School Code: 246825M. All users will have to Register the first time they access the site.

We have been made aware that a film crew will be working at the corner of Strickland and Crabapple on Thursday, January 30, with an alternate date of Friday, January 31. While there will be trucks and equipment in the area, we have been assured that traffic should not be impacted.

If you haven’t already, please take a moment to complete our Intent to Return Survey. Your response helps us plan for next year by giving us an accurate count of returning students, which in turn allows us to determine how many seats we have available for the lottery. We ask all families to respond to this by the end of the week with your current plans -- we understand that things can change, you can always update us later on.

If you have a child who will be new to FAST next year, you’ll have the chance to indicate that while reserving your currently enrolled child’s spot. The website will guide you to the lottery application for any new siblings.

Important Reminder:

• All siblings who are not currently enrolled at FAST must apply for the lottery.
• Sibling spots are not guaranteed and depend on seat availability.

Please ensure you complete the lottery application process for any siblings who wish to join FAST. Currently enrolled students do not need to enter the lottery.

https://www.abcenroll.com/fastk8-intent-to-return.html

Centennial High School will be holding an information session for rising 9th graders and their parents on January 29, 2025. Further information can be found at:

https://www.mycentennialcounseling.com/academics-2/rising-ninth-graders/

Alpharetta High School will be holding a transition night on 2/4/25 at 6:30pm. They will also be holding a 9th grade transition Q&A on 2/11/25 at 6:30pm. If you are interested in Alpharetta High School for your rising 9th grader, please reach out to them for more information regarding these events.

Join Us for FAST's 2025 International Arts & Culture Festival!

We need YOUR help to make one of our most exciting events of the year successful! The International Arts & Culture Festival is just around the corner, and we’re looking for volunteers!

• International Arts & Culture Festival is February 21, 2025!

This annual event celebrates our diverse community, and we need your help with our goal to represent 20 countries or regions and make this event a success. Whether you're new to the U.S., have deep family roots here, or have lived abroad, we invite you to share your culture through a booth or performance.

How Can You Get Involved?

1. Plan the Event: Join our planning committee to coordinate activities, decorations, and logistics.
2. Perform: Showcase your talent and share your culture through a performance!
3. Host a Culture Booth: Represent your country with a booth featuring music, art, crafts, or food. Each booth comes with a $50 stipend to help with materials. Participation is not limited to countries—families can also represent specific regions or individual states in the U.S.

Volunteers also enjoy special parking and VIP lounge access, complete with dinner.

Whether you have a little or a lot of time to give, your support will make these events unforgettable! Please reach out to ptoevents@fastk8.org with any questions or learn more.

We’re partnering with Krispy Kreme to raise funds for our school, and you can help while treating yourself and loved ones this holiday season!

Here’s How It Works:

1️⃣ Purchase: Use the link to buy as many digital dozen vouchers as you'd like — they make great gifts for friends and family!

2️⃣ Receive: After purchase, you’ll receive a digital voucher via email for one dozen Original Glazed donuts. (Please allow a few days for processing.)

3️⃣ Redeem: Take your voucher to any Krispy Kreme location and enjoy fresh, delicious donuts at your convenience.

4️⃣ Share: Spread the word with family and friends! Your support helps our staff and students thrive.

Thank you for supporting our school and making this holiday season a little sweeter! 🍩✨

We’ve got something special in store for you—introducing a brand-new Spirit Wear now available for sale!

Order by February 4th to be among the first to proudly wear your new gear. We have short sleeve, long sleeve, sweatshirts and hoodies available for sale. Plus, you can choose from Dri-fit material options in select tees! Items ordered by January 31 will be available in mid-February.

Bonus: Spirit wear can be worn as an everyday uniform option, and exclusive black shirts and hoodies are available only for middle school students. New hats can be worn for outdoor activities at school.

Book your mini photo session with our fantastic business partner and fellow FAST parent!

Looking for a fun way to get involved at school? Join us Friday morning to help out with carpool duties! Connect with other FAST fathers and positively impact our kids' school experience!

Curious to learn more or ready to jump in? Send us an email at ptoacademicenrich@fastk8.org or click below to volunteer. We’d love to have you on board!

Feb. 6: Scoliosis screening (6th & 8th grades)

Feb. 7: Application deadline for lottery

Feb. 14: Lottery for 2025-26 admissions

Feb. 14-21: Random Acts of Kindness Week

Feb. 17: Presidents' Day (SCHOOL CLOSED)

Feb. 18: PD Day (STUDENTS OFF)

Feb. 21: International Night

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.

All students are expected to be in full uniform every day. The full uniform code can be found on our website at: https://www.fastk8.org/fast-apparel-and-supplies/

Students who are not in full uniform will have their parents contacted.

As a reminder students are not permitted to use their cell phones or Bluetooth devices throughout the day. Students who have a cell phone out after school begins at 7:40am through 3pm will have their phone confiscated for the day. Please remind your students of this policy so that you will not have to come to the office to retrieve their phone.

ABSENCES: Please report student absences to both attendance@fastk8.org and your student's homeroom teacher. You may send doctors' notes for absences directly to attendance@fastk8.org

CURRICULUM/CLASSROOM CONCERNS: If you have questions or concerns regarding your child's class, your first point of contact should be your child’s classroom teacher. If further clarification or assistance is needed, you can contact the respective assistant principal (anesha.james@fastk8.org or elementary or demetria.walker@fastk8.org for middle school.)

TRANSPORTATION CHANGES: If your student will have a change to their afternoon transportation (whether it is for a day or long-term), please be sure that you are communicating any changes to your student's afternoon dismissal to both their homeroom teacher and Ms. Cadogan (gail.cadogan@fastk8.org).

If your child is not feeling well, we encourage you to keep them home to avoid spreading illness at school. Please keep in mind that if a student is running a fever they are expected to remain out of school until they have been fever free without the use of medication for a full 24 hours.

Students must be in homeroom by 7:40am each day. Please be sure that you are allowing time to navigate carpool and your student to get to class on time. If you arrive after 8am, you will need to come into Innovation Hall to sign in your student.

Early dismissals are not permitted after 2:40pm (M-Th, 1:40pm Fridays). If you need to pick up your child for any reason, please plan accordingly.

Please remember that FAST is a nut free school. Students should not bring any foods for lunch or snack that contain any nut products including, but not limited to, peanut butter or almond butter.

This is a serious risk to those students with severe allergies. Your cooperation in this matter is appreciated.

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.