Get Your Teacher Talent Show Tickets NOW for the Friday show!
Are you coming to the talent show? Are you ready to see the best talents Summitt has to offer? Teacher Talent Show is on Friday, February 1, 2019 at 7:00 pm in the Summitt cafeteria. Tickets will be sold January 30, 31 and February 1 at 7:15 am and 2:55 pm in the Great Hall. The tickets will also be sold the night of the show.  The first five rows are $10 per seat. The rest of the tickets are $5 each. Concession items will be available for purchase at the show. Our Teacher Talent Show benefits the Koblenz Exchange Program. See you at the show!

Gifted & Talented (GT) Nominations for K-2 ENDS – THIS Fri. Feb. 1!
Don’t forget Friday, February 1 is the last day to nominate your Kinder thru 2nd grader for GT screening. You can find the form in the office or here. To Learn about the Nomination Process and other FAQs click here.

Teacher of the Year!
Congratulations to Mrs. Donna McClung! Summitt’s 2018-2019 Teacher of the Year! We are so lucky to have Mrs. McClung as a teacher at Summitt Elementary School! Pre-K has been graced with her knowledge, love and passion this year!  She dutifully agreed to make the switch from First Grade to Pre-K this year and has absolutely done an amazing job!! The way she interacts with her kids, her passion for helping our little students grow, and love for teaching is truly inspiring!!

Wear RED this Fri. Feb. 1!
We will have a spirit day to celebrate healthy hearts! Let’s all wear red to support heart health month!

Crossing Guard Appreciation Week
Please take a moment this week to THANK our Crossing Guards! They brave all weather and traffic conditions to make sure our students get to school safely! A BIG Thank you to Steve Reinhart, Shannon Sullivan, Carita Guyton (“CG”), & Kerstin Stewart! And a welcome and Thanks to Ray Gonzalez, our new crossing guard at Cassady & Brigadoon!
 
Gifted & Talented (GT) Nominations for K-2 ENDS – THIS Fri. Feb. 1!
Don’t forget Friday, February 1 is the last day to nominate your Kinder thru 2nd grader for GT screening. You can find the form in the office or here. To Learn about the Nomination Process and other FAQs click here.

Teacher of the Year!
Congratulations to Mrs. Donna McClung! Summitt’s 2018-2019 Teacher of the Year! We are so lucky to have Mrs. McClung as a teacher at Summitt Elementary School! Pre-K has been graced with her knowledge, love and passion this year!  She dutifully agreed to make the switch from First Grade to Pre-K this year and has absolutely done an amazing job!! The way she interacts with her kids, her passion for helping our little students grow, and love for teaching is truly inspiring!!

Wear RED this Fri. Feb. 1!
We will have a spirit day to celebrate healthy hearts! Let’s all wear red to support heart health month!

Crossing Guard Appreciation Week
Please take a moment this week to THANK our Crossing Guards! They brave all weather and traffic conditions to make sure our students get to school safely! A BIG Thank you to Steve Reinhart, Shannon Sullivan, Carita Guyton (“CG”), & Kerstin Stewart! And a welcome and Thanks to Ray Gonzalez, our new crossing guard at Cassady & Brigadoon!
 

Join the PTA to hear Speaker, Walt Smith speak about school finance and policy makers
Join the PTA on Mon. Feb. 4th at 6:30pm with a guest speaker, Walt Smith, of the Mallard Group. Mr. Smith specializes in interactions with policy makers at the local, state, and federal government levels.  He will speak to the audience on specific concerns related to school finance and how to approach policy makers with a goal to advocate for schools and students. Please plan to join us for an informative evening!

School Counselor Appreciation Week is next week!
National School Counseling Week is Feb. 4th – 8th, 2019. Please remember our counselors, Courtney Cardosa and Kimberlee Guerrero, and the important impact they have on our students’ lives! There will be “Thank You” cards in the front office available to fill out if you or your student would like to personally thank your counselor. Chocolate and coffee are also welcome!

Principal Fireside Chat
Please join us Mon., Feb. 11 at 6:00 pm in the Library for Principal Fireside Chat.

Class Valentine’s Day Parties
Valentine’s Day holiday parties are fast approaching!  Please make sure you check with your child’s teacher regarding the festivities.  Also, look for the pre-check Raptor badge form in next week’s newsletter if you plan on attending a party and want to skip the lines in the office!
Summitt Eagle Fun Run – Feb. 19 thru March 1 Help us make this year’s Fun Run fundraiser the Best! The actual run will be on Fri. March 1st! Parents are invited to come cheer, volunteer and support our runners so mark your calendar now! Apex Fun Run is a 2 week interactive leadership program combined with a fun run fundraiser that helps schools all over the country raise funds, while promoting leadership, good character and fitness. The Apex Leadership theme this year is Apex STRONG!  

  • With parents help, students are challenged to get pledges for the laps they will run on Fun Run day to help our school.
  • Students will run for 30 minutes and will run an average of 26-36 laps around the Apex Raceway. The maximum amount of laps is 36 and each lap is 1/16th of a mile.
  • Through Apex’s online pledging system, sponsors can pledge per lap or any flat donation amount for students, and can pledge from anywhere in the world!

Save the Date: Spring Fling is May 4
Mark your calendars and join us for this year’s Spring Fling on Saturday, May 4. Spring Fling is an adult-only silent auction fundraiser made up of donations from local area businesses.  

All proceeds from the event go directly back to Summitt to enrich and enhance all students’ learning experiences at our wonderful school.  Parents, neighbors, businesses and community groups are invited to participate – whether it be by donating an item, volunteering your time or attending Spring Fling.   To learn more, check out the Spring Fling page or email [email protected].

Turn In Those Box Tops for Cash!
Please help Summitt continue to earn money by collecting your Box Tops! Please turn in Box Tops by February 25 for our next submission deadline. For every collection sheet turned in, your student will earn a small prize. Collection sheets will be going out in Monday folders. Extra collection sheets and a bin for populated sheets can be found on the Community Table in the Great Hall. Thank you for collecting and submitting Box Tops.

Tuition Pre-K at Summitt Registration ENDS Thurs, Jan. 31!
Tuition Pre-K for up to 17 others at Summitt is still available. Registration is open until Thurs, January 31st! Come by or call the office at 512-414-4246 if interested. The program times are 7:45am to 2:15pm. The child needs to turn 4 years old on or before Sept. 1. The Tuition Pre-K fee is an estimated $520-$560 per month. Free Pre-K’s deadline will be in April for those that qualify.

Enroll Your Child for 2019-2020 School Year TODAY
Enroll NOW (scroll to the bottom for returning)! It is quick and easy! AND helps Summitt prepare accurately for the upcoming school year to minimize having to shift kids and teachers at the last minute! Thanks!!






Pictures for Yearbook & 5th Grader Baby Pictures
We need your pictures from any and all student events and all of those baby pictures of our 5th Graders! Deadline is Feb. 28th! If you took pictures of students at any event at Summitt, the yearbook team would like to put them in the yearbook! Please send full size pictures with event name, student grade (and teacher if possible) to [email protected]. We prefer shots of students in groups (2-6 students) doing activities.

Coaches Needed for Girls on the Run!
The spring season of Girls on the Run starts the week of February 18!  Registration will begin in February and fills up fast. Right now, they are looking for more volunteer coaches.  If you have time Mondays or Wednesdays, between 3:00 and 4:30, consider volunteering as an assistant coach.  Practices are held at Summitt.  Girls on the Run provides you with the training you need and you do NOT have to be a runner.  For more information about becoming a coach, visit www.gotraustin.org/coach or text Coach Eve

Complete This NOW – AISD Family Survey
Don’t forget to take a moment to provide your valuable feedback to AISD on the Annual Family Survey (formerly Parent Survey)!  Your opinion is VERY important so please complete the survey below NOW and forward this on to others! Complete one per child.

Surveys must be completed by March 8, 2019.

Lost and Found
Please take a look in the lost and found for your student’s possessions.  It is full of coats, clothing, backpacks, lunch boxes and water bottles. The lost and found is located to the right of the front doors, in the music hallway, after you enter the building.  All items not claimed by Fri., Feb. 15 will be donated!


Goodwill:

 
Summer Reading Initiative back again this YEAR! Due to it’s success last year, we are bringing it back! At the end of the school year every Summitt student will choose three brand new books to take home for summer reading. We will also host events over the summer with storytimes and book swaps to further encourage summer reading. Summer learning loss, also known as Summer Slide, is a much documented and researched problem in the elementary grades. One of the most effective ways to combat this loss is to provide students with access to books during the summer. It is important to us, as a learning community, that this initiative include all students, it underscores the importance we place on literacy which is fundamental to our goal of preparing ALL students for life, college and career.

If you would like to offset the cost of books for your student, or sponsor books for several students, please follow this link to our EdBacker campaign: http://give.livingtree.com/c/summitt-summer-reading-initiative.

We would love it if you wanted to share this link on your social media accounts or via email to friends and relatives. If you would like to read more about the importance of early access to books or the research on summer learning loss, please follow this link: Research

We are also seeking a few parents who might be interested in working with our teacher committee to collect, process and distribute books. Thank you for supporting our young readers! ~ Kelly Friede, Summitt Elementary Principal &
Tanya DaMommio, 5th grade teacher & chair, Summer Reading Initiative

Do You Use Amazon.com?
PLEASE switch to Smile.Amazon.com with PTA Texas Congress 856 Summitt Elementary as the benefactor!  It is free and easy!


AISD and Community Events:

 
Murchison’s PTA’s Hot Topics 4 Parents
The next topic for this series will be Barb Steinberg’s Girl Friendships.  It will happen Wednesday, Feb. 13th in the Murchison MS Cafeteria.  Doors open at 5:30 pm and parents can visit with Murchison Principal Brad Clark and school counselors.  Presentation will last from 6-7pm and light snacks will be served.

Barb Steinberg is an expert on adolescent girls and relationships.  She will be coaching parents on what to say to girls when specific situations arise and what to expect.  This is an event for parents. It is free and no need to rsvp. Just come and bring your friends.

Is Your 5th Grader Interested in Theatre?
Do they love acting in plays?  Or doing behind the scenes tech? 
Murchison Middle School Advanced Theatre Production class is now accepting applications for the 2019-2020 school year.  This class is a year-long elective with class time devoted to preparing and presenting one-act plays.  See your school counselor or email Theatre teacher Mrs.Owens @ [email protected] for an application.  Students can apply to be an actor or a behind the scenes technician.  Applicants will be contacted to audition/interview.  All individually motivated risk takers with a love for the theatrical process should apply!  More Info: murchisonmatadors.org/owens

Fulmore Middle School Open House
Magnet admissions testing is Jan. 19, 26, and Feb. 2. Families can refer to this link for more information. The deadline to apply for the Fulmore Magnet program is Fri., Feb. 1st.

Kealing Magnet Program Testing and Essay
Admissions tests have begun and Application Deadline is Feb 1st! Additional Information can be found here.

Balcones Youth Sports registration for baseball and softball is open!
Register online at balconesyouthsports.org now through February 9.  Join us for an Open House on February 2 at 10am, 3106 Adelphi Lane – register in person, ask question, meet the Board, sign up to volunteer and learn about what to expect for the upcoming season. Balcones Youth Sports offers Little League Baseball for boys and girls ages 4-12 and Pony Softball for girls ages 4-14.  

Paperpalooza Organization workshop
Get a handle on your stacks of paper especially those tax ones at PAPERPALOOZA!! Feb 16 & 17! Tickets are limited so check out this link or contact Ryan Lanier of Love Your Space Organizing at 512-799-7994 or [email protected]

Join your friends at these Milwood Library events
Check out these upcoming Kid Events to help foster reading and learning!City of Austin’s Art Poster Contest for 1st to 8th Graders
Encourage your students to participate in the 14th Annual Flood Safety Poster Contest which helps educate students about the risk of flooding and raise awareness about the importance of making safe decisions when floods occur. “Turn Around – Don’t Drown!”
Guidelines for the poster contest are here. For more info: www.austintexas.gov/floodposters

Texas Assoc. of the Gifted & Talented Scholarships
TAGT offers 4 student scholarships: Summer Enrichment Scholarship: Grades K-12; Education in Action’s Lone Star Leadership Academy Scholarship: Grades 4-8; Laura Allard Future Vision Scholarship: Graduating high school senior; & Adelle McClendon Young Leader Scholarship: Graduating high school senior.
For applications and more information check here. If you are interested in applying for any of these scholarships, please let Denise Richey ([email protected]) or Greg Rohde ([email protected]) know so they can help you get a TAGT member sponsor. If the application has a TAGT member sponsor, it gets “extra credit”!

MasterChef Junior Now Casting
Details to follow or go to www.MasterChefJuniorCasting.com if you know a specially talented chef between the ages of 8-13. Casting will be in Houston, TX on Feb. 23, 2019.