The FAST Flyer

As we close the chapter on another calendar year, I want to take a moment to reflect on the extraordinary partnership we share and express my heartfelt gratitude to each of you for choosing FAST as part of your family's journey.

It is a privilege to watch your wonderful, curious children grow, learn, and thrive within our school community. Their inquisitive minds, creative spirits, and boundless energy are constant reminders of why we do what we do. Each day, they inspire us with their enthusiasm for discovery and their capacity for kindness and connection.

This year, our stellar and innovative staff have gone above and beyond to ensure that every child feels supported, challenged, and celebrated. Their passion for teaching and commitment to fostering meaningful learning experiences make FAST a place of endless possibilities. I am profoundly grateful for their hard work, creativity, and dedication to excellence.

As we look forward to the year ahead, I am filled with hope and excitement for all that is yet to come. Together, we will continue to nurture a community where children can dream big, grow boldly, and achieve their very best.

Thank you for your trust, your support, and for being an integral part of the FAST family. Wishing you and your loved ones a joyful holiday season and a happy, healthy New Year.

Warmest wishes,

Ms. Mary H Miller, MA. Ed.

Principal

Fulton Academy of Science and Technology

This past weekend was an exciting one for FAST’s Robotics team, which had three groups competing: two FLL (First Lego League) teams and one FTC (First Tech Challenge) team.

Our FLL teams faced tough competition but showed incredible perseverance and sportsmanship throughout the meets. They actively sought feedback, made adjustments between rounds, and improved significantly from start to finish.

Our FTC team also had a fantastic weekend, finishing 10th out of 17 teams in their first-ever competition. The high school teams, judges, and referees were impressed with the robot and coding the team completed in just a few short weeks. We’re especially grateful to the veteran team that lent us support during the competition, embodying the collaborative spirit of the league.

Congratulations to our FTC team members—Russell Manley, John Millard, Kai Orenstein, and Aadi Jaiswal—for their resilience, adaptability, and teamwork. Their efforts, along with strategic pairing with veteran teams, earned them a spot in the next competition on January 11th.

The recent Math Olympiad brought together 454 students and 98 teams from various southeastern states, showcasing impressive talent and teamwork. We are proud to announce that Fulton Academy of Science and Technology received special recognition when Shagun Raj, one of our middle school students, was announced as the 2nd-place winner among 6th graders! Congratulations to Shagun for this outstanding achievement and for representing our school with excellence.

Genius Hour provides our students with the chance to pursue passion-driven projects, and Ms. Vlugt's sixth-grade homeroom has been working hard on initiatives to help animals. Their creativity and dedication have led to some amazing projects:

• One group launched a social media campaign to combat animal abuse.
• Another group developed a program to teach younger children how to properly care for animals.
• A third group organized a fundraiser to support Fur Kids, a local organization dedicated to rescuing animals.

The fundraiser group held a bake sale at Wills Park last Friday and raised an impressive $150! These funds will help rescue animals from kill shelters, provide vaccinations, medical attention, and more.

The parent chaperone at the event shared this glowing feedback about the students:
"They did a great job. They were all well-behaved, focused, and approached everyone at the park with politeness. Sai managed the table, handled accounting, and handed out the goodies, while the boys energetically spread the word, running from the playground to the tennis courts. For those who didn’t have cash, they called me over to accept Venmo or Zelle. They didn’t take no for an answer!”

We’re so proud of these students for using their Genius Hour to make such a meaningful impact. Great job, sixth graders!

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.

Check out these events from Little Yogis happening over break.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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! 🍩✨

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!

We need YOUR help to make two of our most exciting events of the year successful! The PTO Bingo Night and International Festival are just around the corner, and we’re looking for volunteers to join our planning committees.

• Bingo Night, January 17: Help organize games, prizes, and more for a fun-filled evening of friendly competition.
• International Festival, February 21: Share your culture, help coordinate activities, or assist with decorations and logistics for a celebration of our diverse school community.

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 to volunteer or learn more.

We're excited to announce a new Spirit Wear hat that is available for pre-sale! Students can wear their hats during recess and outdoor activities starting January 2025!

Dec. 23-Jan 3: Winter break

Jan. 1: Applications open for 2025-26 school year open

Jan. 6: Teacher Professional Development Day

Jan 7: Students return

Jan. 16: Governing Board Meeting

Jan. 17: Bingo 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.

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.