Book Fair continues until Friday
We are in full swing, and are enjoying helping the children with their wish lists and finding that perfect book!! Don’t forget that Thursday we will be open ALL DAY, and the children can dress as their favorite monster (no mask, no weapons please!!) or wear their favorite PJs to Family Night (Thursday, 5-8pm). The children will be entertained by Ms. Standish (Principal), Ms. O’Neal (Assistant Principal), and Ms. Unruh (SEL Counselor) as our guest readers for the evening!! You can also order books online until Nov. 27 http://onlinebookfairs.scholastic.com/default.aspx?f=3492053 and the books will be shipped to your child’s teacher.
All for Books Program
All for Books is a simple way to raise funds before and during your Book Fair to purchase much-needed books for your school. Collect loose change and dollar bills to buy books for kids needing assistance or help teachers build and refresh classroom libraries. The Scholastic Possible Fund then matches every donation, up to $1 million in books, received through the program and distributes them to children in need through organizations such as Kids in Distressed Situations, Inc. and Kids in Need Foundation.
Why it’s important:
Participating in the All for Books program increases your Book Fair revenue. It also brings more shoppers into your Fair. But the financial gains are just a side note to the real benefit of All for Books—giving more books to more children. The All for Books program:
• Provides books to children who otherwise could not afford them.
• Gives kids access to books they want to read through classroom libraries.
• Cultivates in children a love of reading and a love of helping others.
• Reinforces that literacy is a priority for schools, families, and communities.
How it works:
Just drop that loose change, or more, in the ALL FOR BOOKS container located at the Book Fair Cashiers Area… It is that easy!! All for Books means books for all.
Family Night on Monday
Finally got your house cleaned for Thanksgiving? Not interested in cooking dinner before the BIG dinner? Come support Summitt PTA and have dinner at WENDY’s on Monday, November 23, 2015 from 5-9 pm. A portion of the night sales goes to help our students, so don’t forget to tell the cashier you’re with us. Wendy’s is located at 12421 N Mopac Expy, Austin, TX 78758. Not sure what to eat? Visit www.wendys.com and let the food dreams begin!
Gifted and Talented After-school Club
Summitt Elementary’s first ever Gifted and Talented after-school club will have a meet and greet, Monday, November 30 at 3 pm in the library. This meeting is open to any kinder through 5th grade students in or interested in the GT program. Bring a snack and a game to share and let’s get ready to play some brain games!
PE News
We’ve been playing basketball and talking about the dangers of smoking in PE during the month of November. The last skill unit of 2015 will be jump rope and rhythms. Summitt students will also be learning about the skeletal system in December!
Students have started receiving their Marathon One awards! Congratulations on completing the first 26.2 miles!! We will pick a day in the New Year for all students to wear their Nike finisher shirts 🙂
A big congrats goes out to Kindergarten student, Alice Deaton! She competed in the AAPER Cross Country Run on November 7th and took 5th place in the 5-year-old 1K race! Way to go!!
Our 5th grade Fuel Up to Play 60 team will be formed by the end of November! This team will be involved with healthy and active plays throughout the remainder of the school year to promote health and wellness. Essays are due on November 20th and we will announce our 10 members on November 24th!
Due to a reschedule for the Murchison Choir, we have moved the Jingle Bell Jog for 4th and 5th grade students to Wednesday, December 16th. Students will run this race during their Special Area times…thanks!
Mother/Son Night update
Thanks to everyone who participated in our first ever Mom & Son night. We had about 80 people at Urban Air on Friday! If you want to host your own event, contact the owner directly and say you’re from Summitt: [email protected] or 214-601-6654.
Food and Coat Drive
The annual Legacy of Giving food and coat drive ends this week. Fifth graders will collect and record the cans donated by each classroom and the top two classrooms will receive a cookie party. Every student who brings in a new or gently used coat will have their name put into a drawing for a free book coupon from our Scholastic Book Fair; there will be 3 winners.
Most needed food items: peanut butter, tuna, canned vegetables (low sodium), canned or dry beans, rice. Please check expiration dates on all food donations. Also, we cannot accept food that requires refrigeration or comes in glass containers. Coats should be free of holes and have working zippers. Thank you for supporting our 5th graders as they learn about giving back to their community!
Lost and Found
Once again the lost and found is overflowing with coats and jackets. They will be donated to our Legacy of Giving on Thursday, November 19. The lost and found is located directly to the right of the front entrance in the music hallway.
Teaching Assistant appreciation week
Please remember our teaching assistants: Thanh Doan, Marion Horowitz, Sarwat Rahman, Jarrad Smith, Nicholas Sohadaseni, Sarah Spence and Brenda Wood, and all of the hard work they do for us by saying thank you to them in commemoration of Teaching Assistant Appreciation Week, November 16 – 20!
Chuy’s Parade
Come out and cheer for Summitt’s Lion and Dragon Dance Team at Chuy’s Children Giving to Children Parade on Saturday, Nov. 28 at 11 a.m. The parade starts near the Capitol, goes South on Congress Ave., and ends at Cesar Chavez. Bring a toy to donate to Operation Blue Santa.
Holiday Shopping Market
Summitt is hosting its fifth annual “Holiday Market” craft and vendor event in the Summitt Great Hall on Friday, December 4, from 6-9 pm. We will also have a Silent Auction! All proceeds benefit the Summitt-Koblenz Exchange program. We will advertise the event on the marquee, in the school email newsletter, in the local newspaper, and with the neighborhood association.
Do you need someone to watch your child while you are shopping? Let Girl Scout Troop #1384 do the babysitting for you. Rates are: $4.00 per hour, each additional child is $2.00 an hour. They will also offer crafts starting at $1.00. The Girl Scouts are middle school students, ages 11-13, with adult supervision. For more information please contact: Heather Brannies @ 512-841-1324, [email protected]
Operation Blue Santa Toy Drive
Summitt Elementary has teamed up with Austin Police Department’s Operation Blue Santa to be a toy collection site. We are collecting NEW toys for both boys and girls, particularly between the ages of 0-2 and 11-14. You can also drop off donations at any Austin Fire Department stations.
Please drop off toys in the Blue Santa boxes located near the office any time now until Dec. 15. You can also drop off at the Chuy’s Parade on Nov. 28. Our Summitt Lion and Dragon Team will be dancing in the parade, so come out and cheer for the Team as well.
For those families who need assistance this coming holiday, Summitt Elementary School is in collaboration with APD to help accept and process applications for assistance through Blue Santa. Please come to Summitt Elementary Library on Thursday, Nov. 19 from 4-6 p.m.
AISD AND COMMUNITY NEWS
AISD Critical Incident information
AISD released its Critical Incident Actions and Best Practices flyer. This provides information on what actions AISD takes during certain situations such as Shelter in Place or Reverse Evacuation. The information is on Page 2 of the flyer. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2U9EyoinyBNZ1lNV2tGNXAtNkpleG94RzBjcFNnZWxHdU5R/view?usp=sharing
Community Garden Thanksgiving potluck
As Thanksgiving approaches Adelphi Acre Community Garden is reminded of how thankful we are for you! This community has shown us such tremendous support and we would like to take this opportunity to give back.
Join us Saturday, November 21st at 10 AM for our Pre-Thanksgiving Potluck and food drive benefiting our local Food Pantry. There are plenty of fresh herbs and veggies to inspire your dish so come celebrate and share in our harvest. Bring your favorite holiday side to share with your neighbors. and bring some donations for the food bank. Please sign up and let us know what you’re bringing! http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0c4da5ac22abfa7-first
Our garden currently supports the Food Pantry housed around the corner at Covenant United Methodist Church with fresh veggies from the garden but they are also in need of the following shelf stable items:
Soup
Dried/Canned Beans
Cereal
Reusable Grocery Bags
Thanksgiving meals
Here is a list of where you can get a free Thanksgiving meal in the Austin area. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2U9EyoinyBNb2dkN1pYWTVCSmxqVG1CU3Y1Y1o5SHBmREJz/view?usp=sharing
Girls Scouts event
Join us at a Gingerbread House Workshop sponsored by the Girl Scouts of the Bluebonnet Valley Service Unit on Sat. Dec 5th from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. at St. Matthews Church at 8134 Mesa Dr. $25 includes a pre-assembled Gingerbread House, all the candy goodies to decorate it, hot cocoa, and apple cider to drink. The fundraiser is open to all and supports Friends of Girl Scouting. Go here to learn more: http://goo.gl/forms/88c00FiPYi
Adopt a Family Gift Drive
The Texas Advocacy Project is sponsoring its annual Adopt-a-Family program in which donors choose a gift(s) to give to a client or family. These are families transitioning from a place of violence to a home with safety and security. The clients and their children have wish lists on the site. To participate, select the gift(s) you would like to donate and submit the form with your information. A representative will contact you with information about where to drop off your items. http://texasadvocacyproject.org/events.php