Eagle Fest on Saturday
EAGLE FEST 2015, Saturday, October 17, 3-6pm
Eagle Fest cannot happen without day-of-event volunteers. We need every family to volunteer 30 minutes of their time to staff their child’s classroom booth (Grandparents, teenagers count too!). We DO NOT have extra college student volunteers this year, so it’s important that Summitt families sign up to help. Online signups are listed first by grade/ then alphabetical by teacher’s last name at http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4EABA82FA7F85-eagle. You can also sign up in the Great Hall on the giant spreadsheet near the entry doors. If your class is full, please sign up for any available shift, regardless of booth.
Thank you for volunteering. Eagle Fest cannot be a success without all of you and your support of Summitt! For more information please visit https://summitteagles.org/events/fall-fest/
PE News
Please mark your calendars for a very special Marathon Kids Kick-off at The University of Texas Mike Myers Soccer and Track Stadium on Saturday, October 17th. The fun starts at 9:30 am.
Library News
October promises to be an exciting month in the library! In addition to the spine-tingling, hair-raising, bone chilling stories of the season, we have a number of delightfully, frightfully fun activities going on as well. Some of the highlights include:
- Texas Book Festival, October 17 -18
- 3rd Annual Pumpkin Decorating Contest. Show off your pumpkin decorating skills! Submissions due Monday, Oct. 26 at 3:30 p.m. Voting on Oct. 27-29; winners will be announced on Friday, Oct. 30 at morning assembly.
- BookPeople sponsored author visit, Gitty Daneshavri, October 22 at 12:45 p.m. for 4th grade
- BookPeople sponsored author visit, Soman Chainani, October 28th at 10 am for 5th grade
- PTA-funded storyteller, Bernadette Nason telling spooky seasonal stories with 1st -3rd grades. Oct. 30 from 8:30 -10:30 a.m.
- Storybook Character Dress-Up Day also on Oct. 30th!!!
Remember to visit our http://summittlibrary.blogspot.com/ for more detailed news on the exciting stories and times of and in our library.
Birthday Book Club
This is the final week to get your student signed up for the birthday book club. Even if your student’s birthday isn’t until May, sign them up now, and a surprise will await them later in the year. Your S10 donation goes directly to our library for new books and dynamic programming.
Click here for a form.
GT News
Summitt Elementary will be looking at 20 students for the Gifted and Talented program this fall season. Thank you parents for nominating your children!
These students are completing particular assignments in their classrooms to be added to their portfolios. Additionally, teachers are observing their skills and abilities closely as well as conferring with previous teachers. The students, themselves, will be taking the CogAT beginning next, Monday, October 19th and concluding on the following, Monday, October 26. The plan is to complete a 30-45 minute session each of those mornings and a 30-45 minute session each of those afternoons.There are 3 parts to the CogAT—verbal, quantitative, and non-verbal, as well as a student survey that each nominee will complete. After testing is complete, and portfolios are submitted, the GT committee will deliberate over the results. Announcements and test scores will be sent home via sealed envelope addressed to parents in your child’s folder no later than Nov. 24.
Please take a few minutes to talk with your student about this testing, and perhaps why you have chosen to have them tested. I’ve been asked to stay away from the big bad word, “test.” More than likely I will use language a little more vague such as screening, series of questions and puzzles, and,of course, I let them know that this is not for a grade.
I also ask that parents be reminded this test is in the 4 main academic areas of language arts, math, science, and social studies. It is limited in its utility for recognizing artistic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and/or kinestic gifts and talents. Additionally, it is in no way a limitation to a student’s future pursuit of honors or AP courses at the high school level.
Thank you for all your support. As always, I welcome any and all feedback, questions, and concerns. I can be reached by phone at (512) 414-4249 or by email at [email protected]
Counselors’ Chronicle
In an effort to keep parents informed about what is going on in the counseling realm, we have decided to start a reoccurring post to the newsletter. We hope to update it at least every few weeks with information that we hope you will find valuable.
Middle School Information – We have started to receive communication from Murchison and the magnet schools about preparations for next year’s 6th graders.
UPDATED: November 2- Murchison, Fulmore, Kealing, and Ann Richards will be presenting information from 8:40-10:20 a.m. to 5th grade students. Parents are invited to come as well and hear each school make a brief 20 minute presentation about their campus.
November 23- Murchison Middle School Showcase-all 5th grade students will travel by bus to MMS and will visit from 9:30-10:45 a.m..
College Shirt Day Every Monday – To promote college and career readiness, we are inviting students to join Summitt staff in wearing college t-shirts on Mondays. It is really fun to see all the colleges that staff and students wear and to start conversations about them.
PALS – Summitt is participating in the PALS program with Anderson High School. Every Tuesday we have 30 AHS students who will be coming to mentor some of our Summitt students. These students were selected by teachers and staff. We are feeling very fortunate to be participating in this great experience.
Attendance Incentives – We will be starting the attendance incentive program again very soon. Please make sure your student is at school and on time so that their class can be eligible to win the incentives!!
SEL – Social and Emotional Learning Curriculum has begun here at Summitt. The Anderson vertical team was brought on board this school year for this wonderful district wide initiative. Every week, each and every class should be receiving a 30 minute lesson from their homeroom teacher that focuses on social and emotional skills. The topics covered so far this year are: being respectful, attentive listening, self-talk, being assertive, and empathy. Ask your child about these skills and what they are learning.
Guidance Curriculum – Now that Sandy Cumming is back on the counseling team, we will begin classroom guidance. Mrs. Cumming will be doing the primary grades PK-2 and Mrs. Cardosa will be doing (3-5). We will update more information about lessons as we progress.
Mother/Son outing
Our first ever Summitt Eagles Mom and Son Night is happening Friday, November 13 from 7-9 pm at Urban Air Trampoline Park! Ticket order forms will go home next week in Monday folders and we’ll have extra forms in the main office. Full park access for kids is $17 (regular price $25) and Moms can join the fun for $10. Our special Summitt Eagle dinner deal is 2 slices of pizza and a bottle of water for $3. All dinner orders are due Friday, November 6th.
This event is not just limited to Moms and Sons, any special person in your student’s life is welcome! Dad and Daughter night is February 19th!
For more information visit: http://www.urbanairtrampolinepark.com/
Summitt contact is Jennie Leon, [email protected]
Book Fair
Another exciting series book to look for especially written for grades 2-4 at Monster Book Fair – Race the Wild #1: Rain Forest Relay by Kristin Earhart – Frogs with skin so clear, you can see their hearts beating. Lizards that walk on water. It’s not a fantasy world; it’s the Amazon rain forest, and Russell and his team are determined to capture every unbelievable detail in photographs. After all, that’s the only way to win this game show challenge and move on to the next level of The Wild Life, bringing them one step closer to a prize of one million dollars. But surrounded by poisonous frogs and fish with razor-sharp teeth, it’s clear the danger is real and the stakes are high.
This is a great opportunity to share your favorite books! Don’t forget to volunteer – your time is valuable and greatly appreciated. And we always need help distributing book fair flyers and decorating – please [email protected].
We will have special readings by our Principal Dedra Standish, our Assistant Principal Victoria O’Neal and our SEL Specialist Lynne Unruh – Thursday night, 11/19. We are so excited, and look forward to seeing you at the Book Fair!!
Need homeroom parents
Please consider signing up to be a homeroom parent for one of these classes. You do not have to do all the work. You will be the liaison between the class parents and the teacher. A homeroom parent coordinator will provide you with materials. If you are interested, please email [email protected] with your name, contact information, and the teacher for whom you would like to be homeroom parent.
Life Skills: Guerrero
Pre-K: Sawtelle
3rd: Metzger, Tang (Mr. T)
Send us your pictures
Take pictures of Eagle Fest! Please send them to [email protected]!
Taking care of the Fish Tank
We are asking for a volunteer or class volunteer to be responsible for the campus fish tank in the main hall. It needs a lot of TLC and daily up keep such as feeding the fish, cleaning the tank, adding water, purchasing food and supplies (paid for by the school). If a volunteer and/or class does not step up, the fish tank will be going away. Please consider this opportunity to support Summitt’s fish tank. Contact the front office for details.
AISD and Community Events
Parent’s Night Out on Friday
YES! Austin on 13530 N. Hwy 183 is hosting a Parent’s Night Out on Friday, Oct. 16 from 6:30-10 p.m. Activities include kickball, movies and more. It’s $15/child for members, $25/child for non-members. Cash only. Call 512.872.4242 for more information.
AISD Athletics Magazine
Austin ISD’s has a new Athletics Magazine and this issue highlights Anderson High.
http://www.joomag.com/magazine/aisd-athletics-october-2015/0334748001439322467?short
Anderson High Project Graduation
The Project Graduation committee would love to see you take a break from the kitchen!
Come to Galaxy Cafe, 8127 Mesa Drive, on Wednesday, October 21, from 5 – 10 pm! Galaxy Café will give back 15% of their sales. Please let your cashier know that you are dining for the Anderson Project Graduation event. Thank you for supporting PG16!
Free parent workshop
Austin Child Guidance Center is hosting a FREE Parent Workshop on Thursday, October 22, 2015 from 6 to 7:30PM. The workshop is titled, “Gaining Cooperation: Helping Your Child Listen and Follow Directions.” This is a workshop for parents, and free childcare is provided at the center for children over 2.
Parenting with an attitude of confidence and respect models to our children that they are safe, loveable, capable people who are willing to do the responsible thing when they see a problem. Sometimes caregivers instinctively rely on commands, warnings, punishments or rewards to gain cooperation with children – which can work depending on the child, but it’s not effective with all children and these methods can corrode the relationship over time, resulting in power struggles and resentment in the relationship. This workshop will give parents strategies to gain cooperation with a wide range of personalities and builds on the unique strengths of each caregiver to connect with the child in a way that’s mutually beneficial. These strategies are suitable for working with children of all ages.
Please go here to register or call the center at 512-451-2242 for more information, ask for Katie Mitten ([email protected]).
Special Education Parent Forum
The AISD Special Education Department, in conjunction with the Special Education Advisory Council (SEAC), will host a Parent Forum on Saturday, October 24th from 9-11 a.m. at Kealing Middle School, 1607 Pennsylvania Ave. Parents and families of students receiving special education services will have the opportunity to learn about the district’s special education goals and priorities for the upcoming year, learn about mission and purpose of the SEAC and be informed about the Campus Parent Representative program. Parents will share their opinions and ideas about special education through conversation circles and talk with AID Special Education staff.
Night of the Robots Parent’s Night Out
Night of the Robots with the Anderson High School Robotics Team – Friday, October 30th, 5:30-9 pm. Enjoy a Parents Night Out while your kids (K-5th grade) enjoy an evening of Robots: Fun VEX & humanoid robot activities, arts & crafts, games, LEGOs, pizza and the movie Monsters, Inc. Cost is $30/child. Register at http://nightoftherobots.splashthat.com/ or get more info at [email protected].