Fulton Science Academy

PRINCIPAL'S CORNER

Greetings to our FSA Families, Friends, and Followers...

Wow...what a weekend, and what an unbelievable Superbowl! Regardless of which team you supported, I think it's safe to say that the game reinforced the importance of perseverance, teamwork, and TOGETHERNESS. These are all tenets that we cherish deeply here at Fulton Science Academy Private School. These values are largely what make us who we are as an educational institution.

Every week, I have the privilege of watching togetherness in action at our school. Whether it's seeing a parent kiss his or her child goodbye during morning carpool, or spotting a student rushing to help another child who needs a helping hand; whether it's witnessing a group of parents who volunteered their valuable time to celebrate "Football Friday," or watching FSA students grip each other's hands as they anxiously await judging results during an academic competition, we stand together as FSA Mustangs. It's beautiful to see because #fsacares.

As we venture into a new school week, we hope you will please take a few moments from your busy schedules to read this week's newsletter. Once again, it's filled with details and information you won't want to miss!

On behalf of all that you do, THANK YOU! Alone, we can do so little, but together, we can do so much! Here's to a fantastic week ahead...working together, because together is a wonderful place to be!

Gratefully,

Kenan Sener

Principal

The re-enrollment deadline of February 6, 2017, for current FSAPS students has now passed. This means that any available slots in each grade will be now filled on a first-come, first served basis. This includes approved applications from children who are not currently studying at FSAPS. A wait list will be administered, if necessary, in grades where the number of applicants exceeds the number of available spaces.

If your child is currently studying at FSAPS and has not returned his/her re-enrollment form, we kindly ask that you please do so as soon as possible. Even if your student will not be returning to FSA, we still ask that you please return this form with your decision noted so that we can plan accordingly.

With your help, we look forward to an incredible school year in 2017-2018, the planning for which begins now. Questions can be directed to Pam Walsh, Admissions director, at admissions@fultonscienceacademy.org. Thank you!

Congratulations to FSA's "Control * Alt * Delete" Robotics team who placed THIRD this weekend at the GA State FLL Robotics Championships. More than 700 state teams were registered this year, with Georgia being one of the largest FLL regions in the country.

The young ladies' trophy falls on the heels of earning awards at several prior competitions. Awards of distinction include "Best Robot Design" and "Best Robot Performance."

Now that state finals are finished, upcoming competitions include locations in Texas, California, Arkansas, and England.

Right now, the girls are waiting to hear if they will receive an invitation to compete in one of these coveted competitions. Regardless of the outcome, we are proud of this group's run; they are an inspiration to so many young female students who wish to pursue STEM careers. Congratulations, ladies! We love you!

This weekend was incredibly successful for many FSA students who competed in the Kid Chess Competition at the Cobb Galleria.

Our wonderful chess team students won the following team awards and advanced to the State Championship:

• 1st Place as a Team in K-1st Grade Level of the Championship
  
• 7th Place as a Team in K-3rd Grade Level of the Championship
  
• 11th Place as a Team in K-5th Grade Level of the Championship
  

Special congratulations to the K-1st Grade Level Chess Team students who won 1st place among 41 other schools. These students are Kovid P, Christopher G, Aaron L, and Omer O.

We would like to thank our incredible Coach Carlos, Mr. Duman, and all of our amazing parent volunteers, who have mentored our hard working students. The children earned so many trophies that we may need to build a whole new shelf! :)

We couldn't be more excited for the hardworking boys and girls who embrace this timeless game and have put in many hours of practice to yield such amazing results.

Great job, students!

February 8

• Rachel's Challenge Presentation; PLEASE SEND STUDENTS IN THEIR YELLOW FSA SHIRTS
• Financial Aid Night- Planning for College - 6 p.m.

February 9

• Middle/High School Field trip to see "Hidden Figures" at AMC
  

February 10

• Good Conduct Dress Down Day
  

February 14

• School Dance - different grade levels - throughout the afternoon
  

February 15

• Spring Picture Day- watch for ordering envelopes coming home in backpacks this week
  

February 16

• STEAM Video Awards - Red Carpet Awards Show - 1:45 p.m. (Parents welcome!)
  

February 17- 20

• Presidents Day Weekend - No School for students
  

February 28-March 6

• Spring Book Fair Week
  

At Fulton Science Academy, KIDS CARE ABOUT KIDS! This month, the FSAPS Student Council is leading a charity drive to benefit Roswell-based Foster Care Support Foundation. We would like your help in providing for those in need.

FCSF serves a vital and growing need throughout Georgia by providing free clothing, infant equipment, and developmental toys to thousands of children in foster and relative care.

Students are asked to donate any of the following items and bring them into their homerooms.

SUGGESTED DONATION ITEMS:

Goods of new, like-new and gently used items such as:

1. Clothing sizes preemie to adult, especially boys pants and shoes
   
2. Toys in excellent condition, if not new. (click on below link for specific needs)
   
3. Safe and clean infant care equipment.

Additional items can be found here:

http://www.fostercares.org/help#collapseGoods

Thank you!

This Wednesday, February 8, students are asked to please wear their yellow #fsacares t-shirts that were provided earlier this year. The shirts will be worn in conjunction with the much-acclaimed "Rachel's Challenge" anti-bullying presentation that will be unveiled at Fulton Science Academy.

Any students who are new to FSA and did not receive a yellow shirt last fall, please email lkelly@fultonscienceacademy.org, or stop by Ms. Kelly's office. Thank you!

We are pleased to announce that dates for the 2017-2018 school calendar are now available posted at www.fultonscienceacademy.org. We would like to thank those families who responded to our parent survey and helped to create the final calendar. We value your feedback! To view upcoming dates/deadlines/holidays, please click HERE.

COURAGE - I will do the right thing, even if it is difficult. I will face my fears with confidence, and I will do the right thing, even if others are not.

Fulton Science Academy is very committed to introducing our children to strong character values. Each month, we emphasize a different value by discussing it in our homerooms and, when appropriate, providing activities and assemblies to build upon the monthly themes.

Thanks to a generous donation from the Novak Family Foundation, FSA students will have a unique opportunity to experience "Rachel's Challenge," a nationally-acclaimed anti-bullying assembly. All students are encouraged to wear their yellow #FSACARES t-shirt to show our school's unity and commitment towards learning about this critical subject.

For a preview of this presentation, please click here:

http://rachelschallenge.org/event-prep/preview-videos

In addition to the presentation, FSAPS will be hanging banners and be inviting students to place signatures on the banner, showing visually that they accept Rachel's Challenge to be change agents. Individual classrooms will also be creating kindness chains, noting and reaffirming random acts of kindness displayed between and among our students.

Bullying is a real and very relevant subject in schools all across America. Knowledge and awareness are keys towards curbing this national epidemic.

FSA would like to thank the Novak Family Foundation for providing a grant to sponsor the Rachel's Challenge presentation.

This Thursday, our middle and high school students will take a special field trip to the AMC Theaters at North Point Mall for a morning viewing of the widely acclaimed movie, "Hidden Figures."

The movie features the incredible untold story of Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson. These brilliant African-American women worked at NASA and served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history: the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit. This stunning achievement restored the nation's confidence, turned around the Space Race, and galvanized the world. The visionary trio crossed all gender and race lines to inspire generations to dream big.

We would like to thank the many incredible parent volunteers who donated their precious time on Friday to paint sport stripes on our students as they arrived at school. We recognize that our families are very busy, often juggling multiple careers, community volunteer functions, and extracurricular activities. It is for this reason, and so many others, that we wish to thank our families for donating their time to make what could be an "ordinary" day, truly extraordinary (and fun!) for our students.

We are thrilled to introduce our FSA mascot, "Matt the Mustang" who make his big reveal on Friday, February 3, in conjunction with "Falcons Football Friday."

Our mascot has been affectionately named after Matt Stevens, an incredibly involved and dedicated FSA dad who has volunteered countless hours to our school, and helped to coordinate the transfer of our beautiful bronze mustang statue from its original home in California to our campus here in Alpharetta.

Students LOVED having surprise visits on Friday; this very special addition to our school provided such warmth among our school and incredible school spirit.

Go Mustangs!

Kindergarten classes were busy on February 2 making "Groundhog Puppets" and predicting the outcome of Punxsutawney Phil's prediction as to whether there will be six more weeks of winter; sadly, apparently we're in for a few extra weeks of wintertime! :)

Our clinic remains busy recently with students displaying a variety of symptoms and illness. Isolated cases of the flu, strep throat, seasonal colds, and GI illness have been making their way through our classrooms.

As you can imagine, the health and safety of our students are our primary concern. If your child is complaining of stomach discomfort, has a fever, is experiencing diarrhea, muscle aches, etc., please contact your pediatrician and keep your child home until all symptoms of illness have passed for at least 24 hours.

For more information about our policies on illness, please refer to the FSAPS Handbook (Page 22-24). Please feel free to contact school nurse, Vickie Decuir (vdecuir@fultonscienceacademy.org), with questions or comments. Thank you!

Reading Buddies has been a big hit this semester! Students in grades 3-5 are coming to the club eager and excited to get partnered up with a younger buddy. Each week, the students rotate to a new buddy.

Reading Buddies starts off with a "wiggle it out" session via "Go Noodle." Then the kindergarten children pick out two books they can read to their buddies! After successfully reading through their two books, students get to listen to their other kindergarten friends, or their friends in grades 3-5 as a story is read to them.

This club offers wonderful leadership training as our students in grades 3-5 are learning how to be a "teacher" to their buddies. While reading, they model expression and fluency and excitement.

Mrs. Crosby and Ms. Ramsey have loved watching their interaction!s :) Each Tuesday is a reading adventure and teachers would absolutely love to have more 3-5 grade students! Please come and enjoy the fun!

Adventures in Reading Club

In Mrs. Whitlock's first grade, "Adventures in Reading" club, students love reading with each other! This week, students explored various types of informational (non-fiction) books together. They love reading together and sharing new things that they have learned with one another!

This week in Pre-K Hands-On Math Club, students used the skills they had learned in class to continue practicing pattern sequencing. Students were given a pattern sequence card and used these to recreate the pattern using colored beads to make a bracelet. The students decided that they want to make a coordinating necklace in next week’s club. We love seeing these precious faces!

FSA'S ENVIRONMENTAL CLUB WANTS YOUR SUPPORT!!!

Are you interested in conserving our environment? Would you like to learn more about land preservation, nature, and preserving our ecosystems? If so, the Environmental/Conservation Club is for you!

Thanks to a generous gift from the Novak Family Foundation, a new club has been added on Tuesday afternoons for 5-10th graders. Projected activities for this semester include:

• Certifying our school as a National Wildlife Federation Schoolyard Habitat
  
• Having students trained and certified in Chemical Water Quality Testing through Adopt-A-Stream
  
• Planting trees on our school campus
  
• Creating Pollinator garden/Butterfly Waystation
  
• Environmental speakers
  
• Environmental Discussions, Activities, and Experiments
  
• Conducting a Bioblitz on our school campus
  

The only thing we are missing is YOU! Please come join us!

"Attention all FSA Families!

Please consider buying a YEARBOOK to help your student remember a great school year at FSA! This year, the yearbook team is covering ALL GRADES (PK - 10TH) ACTIVITIES, CLUBS, EVENTS, AND ACADEMICS! The book is 30 PAGES longer than previous years and we are featuring as many students as possible! The book also allows for personal customization to make it your own!

PURCHASE AND PERSONALIZE YOUR Fulton Science Academy Private School YEARBOOK BY CLICKING HERE:

http://www.treering.com/purchase?Passcode=1013541294622699

A few important facts:

* Your personalized yearbook only costs $30.00.

* You’ll need to purchase your copy and complete your free personal pages by April 3.

* Your 2 free custom pages are optional if you don’t customize you’ll receive a standard yearbook.

To begin, please click on this link:

http://www.treering.com/purchase?Passcode=1013541294622699

Any other questions can be sent to FSAPS' Yearbook Advisor, Rita Modrzynski, rmodrzynski@fultonscienceacademy.org. Thank you!"

Simply email junal@fultonscienceacademy.org with some suggested dates/times, as well as your students' name(s) and homeroom assignments. Ms. Unal will be in touch to confirm final details.

Home visits are a casual way for your child to spend time with his/her teacher in the comfort of their home. Teachers enjoy having a chance to see children in this comfortable environment, doing whatever makes them most happy and spend time with children and their parents outside of a regular school day.

If your child is in Kindergarten through 6th grade, they are invited to participate in the "Six Flags' Read to Succeed Program!" This is a fun incentive to get kids to read.

Students need to record and log their reading over the next two months. If they submit a log with 6 hours of reading on it by Friday, February 24, 2016, they will receive one free ticket to Six Flags Over Georgia! Logs for Read to Succeed went home with students on Friday, January 13.

Considerations include:

• Only students in grades K through 6 are eligible to participate;
• Review the reading log provided by your child's language arts teacher. Your child should use this sheet to record what and how long he/she reads;
• Your child must complete 6 hours (360 minutes) of recreational reading;
• Please initial each entry and then sign the reading log to verify that the 6 hours of reading has been completed;
• Your child can read books, magazines, newspapers, or comic books (digital or hard copy). Reading for homework or a class assignment does NOT count!
• Students can read silently, aloud, or with an adult - you can read to your child, or your child can read to you;
• Remind your child to return the reading log to his/her language arts teacher by Friday, February 24, 2016. Your child's teacher will submit your child's information and minutes read;
• Late entries will NOT be accepted.

Happy reading!

In response to multiple parent requests for in-school dining, FSA is currently looking into a new lunch program that would benefit all FSA students starting in August 2017.

Sage Dining is a company that prepares top-quality food on site. If we work with this company, Sage will create a menu based on our students' needs, including dietary requirements. The food is fresh and nutritious... Sage uses as much local produce as possible.

To learn more about Sage, please take a moment to visit their website and view the video, which includes a link below.

Sage Dining Website

Sage Dining Video

We are excited about the possibility of offering this kind of lunch program to our students next year! To learn more, or if you have questions or comments, please email Vice Principal, Michelle Campbell, at mcampbell@fultonscienceacademy.org. Thank you!

FSA's Private Music Program is now accepting new students! We offer private music lessons in many instruments and areas of study: Piano, Voice, Guitar, Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass Violin, Clarinet, Flute, Ukulele, Saxophone, Accordion, Percussion, Trumpet, Trombone, Banjo, Mandolin, Theory, Conducting, Composition, and more.

There is a $20 registration fee and the tuition is $480 for the second semester. You may obtain more information by visiting our page on the website at:

http://fultonscienceacademy.org/private-music-lessons-2/

please contact Melinda Hubbell at mhubbell@fultonscienceacademy.org or (770) 402-2907.

Dear Parents,

We are happy to inform you that now you can check fsaconnect by mobile app.

Here is how you can access the app:

ITunes App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/radix-mobile/id1159005166?mt=8

Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.radix.radixmobile

The links can also be found at the bottom of your connect page by the other social media links.

A pop-up banner will appear on top of the screen when users access the school connect on their mobile devices.

Site link: https://fsaconnect.fultonscienceacademy.org

Username: fsaconnect username

Password: fsaconnect password

JOIN FSAPS REMIND HERE: https://www.remind.com/join/fsaps

We have created a remind account to keep our community informed and up-to-date with what is happening at our school.

By joining "FSAPS remind," you will receive messages via push notifications, SMS, or e-mail. We recommend SMS option for our families and students.

We will use this tool as an addition to other communication portals we use at our school to keep our families apprised of what's happening at Fulton Science Academy. Thank you.

When your student will be absent from school for the entire day, please contact FSAPS each day in any of the following ways:

1. E-mail your child’s teacher

2. Send an email to attendance@fultonscienceacademy.org

OR

1. Send in a note to the front office when your child returns to school OR

2. Call the front office on the day your child is absent at (678) 366-2555 ext. 0

Please connect with us online and grow our social media following!

FSA is proud to be building a strong social media presence and we encourage you to follow us using one or more of the following links:

https://www.youtube.com/user/FultonScienceAcademy

If you subscribe to our YouTube channel, you will receive notifications whenever we upload a new video.

https://www.facebook.com/FultonScienceAcademyPrivateSchool/

Many of you already follow our Facebook page. If you are not yet connected, please “Like" our Facebook page.

https://www.instagram.com/fultonscienceacademy/

We post lots of pictures on our Instagram account. You will enjoy seeing new pictures every day.

https://www.linkedin.com/company/fulton-science-academy-private-school

So many of you have LinkedIn accounts. To get news about our school on LinkedIn, simply follow our schools’s LinkedIn page.

https://twitter.com/fsaprivate

Twitter is a great way to get updated about school. Simply follow our school on Twitter to get recent tweets from our school.

http://fultonscienceacademyprivateschool.blogspot.com

If you click on Follow button on the right hand side, you will receive notifications when we post a new article.

INNOVATION, EXCELLENCE, CHARACTER

Serving Advanced and Gifted Students

Pre-K through High School

Email: ksener@fultonscienceacademy.org
Website: www.fultonscienceacademy.org
Location: 3035 Fanfare Way, GA, United States
Phone: (678) 366-2555
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FultonScienceAcademyPrivateSchool
Twitter: @fsaprivate