Winter Break dates
Reminder: there is school on Friday, Dec. 18. Winter break is Dec. 21 to Jan. 4. Students return to school on Tuesday, Jan. 5. *** Remember to check the lost and found for your student’s missing jacket and/or lunch box and water bottle.

Message from Principal Standish
Thank you for your continual support of all Summitt students and staff. I appreciate all that you do for our success. Have happy holidays and a very restful break. Will be seeing you in the New Year!

Sincerely,
Dedra Standish, Principal

Legacy of Giving update
Capital Area Food Bank of Texas is grateful for Summitt’s gift of 1,011 pounds of food received on 11/14/2015 for Legacy of Giving in 2015, which creates 843 meals and ensures our most vulnerable neighbors have enough food this holiday seasons.

PE News
We hope your kiddos have enjoyed PE so far this year! We are just finishing up our rhythms and skeletal system unit which included a lot of dancing and jump rope practice! When we return from Winter break, we will jump right into into our gymnastics and muscular system units.

Today is our annual Jingle Bell Jog for 4th and 5th graders! This race is just over a mile long around our school grounds! The weather looks like it is going to cooperate this year. 5th grade will run at 1:10 pm and 4th grade will run at 1:55 pm… Feel free to come out and cheer on your Summitt Eagle!

We will also have a Fuel Up to Play 60 Meeting for our 5th grade wellness team at 2:45 pm on Wednesday, December 16th. We will meet in the gym from 2:45-3:30 pm.

Fifth Grade Field Trip update
The date for the fifth grade field trip to the Houston Science Museum has changed. We will now be going on Friday, January 29, 2016. More information and a permission slip will be sent home when we return in the new year.

Girls on the Run update
Girls on the Run Fall Season 2015 is over! Our girls successfully completed a 5k run this past Saturday after training all fall and we are super proud of them. GOTR Spring season info will be out in January.

Skate Night
Skate Night at Playland Skate Center will be on Wednesday, January 20, 2016 from 6-8:30 p.m.

Pencil Orphanage in Summitt Library
Second Grader Willa Fischer has created a “Pencil Orphanage” for lost pencils that might otherwise be thrown away. If you find a lone pencil on the ground, even ones that are broken or missing erasers, please bring it to the Summitt Library and deposit it into the pink and blue Pencil Orphanage box. Pencils will be cleaned up and sharpened and sent to areas of the world where children are in need of writing utensils. Thank you to Mrs. Richey for finding a spot for the Pencil Orphanage in the Summitt Library.

Save the Date: Spring Fling
Believe it or not we are already working on and planning this year’s Spring Fling to be held on April 30th at Abel’s North. Last year’s event was amazing and this year’s is going to be even better!! There are a few ways that you can begin to help make this event a success.

1).  Are you or someone you know looking for somewhere to make a last minute tax deductible donation before year end??? Make it to the Summitt Elementary PTA and be a sponsor for the event!! Check out our donation request letter to find out more about how Spring Fling supports our school and students. (Please include Spring Fling sponsorship on the memo line of the check.)

2). Start making a list of the all businesses you frequent while out shopping this holiday season or business owners you are connected to and share them with us at [email protected] so that we can hit the ground running with our donation requests in January.

3). Sign up to help with the planning of Spring Fling.  Starting in January, we need lots of help making donation requests so that we can have our best silent auction yet.  Email [email protected] if you are interested in being on the Spring Fling team in any capacity.

Thank you for supporting our students!!
Lacey Lake, Spring Fling Chair

Tuition-based PreK registration
Do you have a child who is turning four on or before September 1, 2016? If the answer is yes and you are interested in Summitt’s tuition-based PreK program, then please stop by the school office beginning January 4, 2016 to fill out a student application. Please don’t wait–there is a waiting list for tuition PreK every year at Summitt, so spots will fill up fast!

Counselors’ Chronicle
Middle School Information
– January 11-14, 2016- Student shadow dates for current 5th graders. Contact the MMS counseling office to participate

– January 23, 2016- Instrument Test Drive at Murchison from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the school foyer and cafeteria. It’s also on Thursday, January 28, 2016 from 4:30–7:30 pm.

– January 29, 2016- Last day to submit 2016-17 school transfer requests

– February 2, 2016- Murchison Choice Sheet Night from 5:30-7 pm

– February 5, 2016- Murchison Choice Sheets are DUE.

College Shirt Day Every Monday– this will be on going for the whole year

SEL-The SEL skills we have been working on include: making conversation, joining in, avoiding assumptions, showing compassion, and identifying anger.

Goodwill Fill a Truck
Starting to dejunk before the Holidays? Our school will be holding our annual Fill-the-truck event on Saturday, January 23, 2016 from 8:30-10:30 a.m. If we achieve our goal and fill the entire Semi we earn $1,000!  Questions?Please contact Nicole at [email protected]

AISD AND COMMUNITY NEWS

AISD Transfer policy
Intradistrict Transfers and Classroom Assignments were approved by the AISD Board of Trustees on April 27, 2015. The changes impact the admission of priority transfers into frozen schools (i.e., schools with no available space). There are three types of priority transfers:  majority-to-minority, sibling, and tracking.

Beginning with the 2016-2017 school year, in an effort to relieve overcrowding, majority to minority transfers will only be accepted at campuses where space is available. Space is not available at frozen campuses. Superintendent Paul Cruz will announce the list of frozen campuses for the 2016-2017 school year on December 14, 2015. Summitt Elementary is not on the frozen campus list.

Beginning with the 2017-2018 school year, in a continuing effort to relieve overcrowding, in addition to the majority to minority priority transfers, sibling and tracking transfers will also only be accepted at campuses with space available.

Andri Lyons, Ph.D.
Interim Director of Student Services/Records and Discipline
Austin ISD

AISD Planning Committee members needed
Please consider being part of the decision making process: As a result of the Trustees’ discussion at the November 9, 2015 Board Work Session, the administration will convene a planning committee to develop proposals for a magnet in south Austin to provide students greater access to advanced academic programming. Since a potential magnet may impact students district-wide, the committee will include parent representation from each vertical teams and current magnet programs.

The membership application is here: http://www.austinisd.org/newsouthmagnet/application. Applicants will be notified by January 7, 2016 of their membership status. Committee work will occur from January – May 2016. At least eight committee meetings and at least four community information sessions will occur. Committee members who are selected are expected to attend both meetings in January. Members are allowed up to two absences. Selected committee members are expected to attend both January meetings and attend and assist with at least one community information session. If you have any questions, please contact Asha Dane’el at 512-414-1522 or [email protected].

AISD Athletics Magazine
Online AISD Athletics Magazine Highlights Programs and Student Achievements – This year, AISD Athletics launched an online magazine to highlight the district’s outstanding programs and student athletes. The magazine includes stories, interviews and videos. The November issue features an interview with Mulbah Car, AISD’s all-time leading rusher at Reagan Early College High School. To read the new magazine, visit http://joom.ag/q7Np.

Food Drive at Aspire Dental
Aspire Dental (3951 W Parmer Ln Ste 200) has a food drive to benefit Covenant United Methodist Church’s food pantry. Drop off non-perishable foods at the dental office until Dec. 31. More info here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2U9EyoinyBNSE54VUg2cTVZS3JuVk5sb0FwWUxKZDJaS2Zv/view?usp=sharing

Minecraft class for 1st-5th graders
Minecraft Interactive Realm Class – The interactive realm class hosts a private realm for students to play and collaborate in a safe environment. Students will learn basic coding skills that will help them to advance to Java coding. Class starts at 2:45 p.m. on  January 19th and runs every Tuesday through May 10th. Register at http://www.resetedu.com/store-2/?model_number=serviceABC127