Red Ribbon Week
Our school will be celebrating Red Ribbon Week October 26-30. We will be helping our students to make a commitment NOT to use drugs or alcohol. Each student will receive a red ribbon to wear for the week that symbolizes their commitment to say no to drugs and alcohol. To help make this week fun, we will be celebrating our commitments with the following dress-up days.
Monday 10/26 – Out-Smart Drugs: Students wear their favorite college /university shirt
Tuesday 10/27 – Sock It to Drugs: Students wear crazy socks
Wednesday 10/28 – Red Ribbon Wear Red Day: Students wear anything red
Thursday 10/29 – Put a Lid on Drugs: Students wear a hat
Friday 10/30 – My Story Will Not Involve Drugs Day: Students dress up as their favorite book character (super hero shirts are good if you don’t want to dress in a costume). NO Masks, props or accessories please for student safety reasons.
Summitt Family Night at Catfish Parlour
Join other Summitt Families at Catfish Parlour (11910 Research Blvd) on Wednesday, Oct. 28 from 5-9 p.m. Catfish Parlour has been a generous supporter of Summitt for many years. A portion of the sales that night will benefit Summitt PTA. http://catfishparlour.com/north-austin.html
Skate Night
Skate Night will be at Playland Skate Center (8822 McCann) on Nov. 5 from 6-8:30 p.m. It’s $6 per skater.
Fall Picture retakes
Fall picture retakes, which is the picture that goes in the yearbook, will be taken on Thursday, November 5. If your child was absent or you were not satisfied with the way the first picture looked your child should plan on having their picture taken. Order forms will be sent home with those students that were absent or can be picked up on the community information table in the great hall. To order online please visit: inter-state.com/order and use the order code 01999EB
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:
- 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.
Mother/Son outing at Urban Air
A green flyer went home in Monday folders with ticket info for Summitt’s first-ever Mom and Son night at Urban Air on Friday, November 13. Urban Air gave Summitt students a discount on admission and a special $3 dinner deal. All dinner orders are due by Friday, November 6th. We will have more flyers in the main office.
Event details: Friday, November 13th from 7-9pm at Urban Air – 15407 Long Vista, Austin, TX 78728.
http://www.urbanairtrampolinepark.com/trampoline-park-locations/austin-trampoline-park/
Cost is $17 kids jump, $10 moms jump, $3 for 2 slices of pizza and a bottle of water. Moms FREE if not jumping. This event is not just limited to moms and sons; any special person in your child’s life is welcome. Questions? Contact Jennie Leon at [email protected]
Book Fair
The Monster Book Fair is quickly approaching, and your assistance is needed on Nov. 16-20! Many hands make light work, so the more volunteers we have, the more we can accomplish. Please visit this link – Book Fair Volunteer – to pick a slot.
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. This is a great time for parents to look around while their children listen to some great stories. Our online book fair will begin Sunday, 11/8 – follow this link – Summitt Online Book Fair – to do some early shopping! We are so excited and look forward to seeing you at the Book Fair!!
Thanks from Eagle Fest
From Principal Standish:
Dear Parents/Guardians –
Thank you for a WONDERFUL Eagle Fest!!! It was wonderful to see all of the smiles of Summitt students – present and past. A huge THANK YOU to the Eagle Fest Committee! If there were any challenges, you covered with grace and poise. You are awesome!! You are appreciated!!
-Dedra Standish
From Eagle Fest Coordinators:
Thank you all for making Eagle Fest 2015 a huge success.
Thank you to our committee volunteers, our booth volunteers, all the families and friends who showed up to play games and show their support for our great school. Thank you to our 5th Graders for the super scary Haunted Hospital! And a huge thank you to our Business and Family Sponsors for underwriting the event, allowing all money made to go directly to our students at Summitt Elementary!
Thank you Business Sponsors
Bulls Eye Recruiting
The Austin Kids Directory
Vivian Studio
Cen-Tex Senior Massage, LLC
Milwood Neighborhood Association
Brian Freidell, DDS Complete Family Dentistry
Builder Security Group
Boise Fry Co.
Walmart (Anderson Lane)
H-E-B (North Hills Town Center)
Austin Jumpers
Half Price Books
Terra Toys
Texan Market
Walgreens (Parmer & Amherst)
It’s A Grind
Silver Grill
Dr. Pepper
Kona Ice
Stony’s Pizza
The Convenient Store
Mickelthwait Craft Meats
Sprouts (Great Hills Trail)
Maria Medrano, Summitt Cafeteria Manager
Randalls (183 and Braker)
Ace Mart
Target (183 and Ohlen)
Apple’s Greatest Beginnings Daycare
The Bethke Family
Darren Hampton
Thank you Family Sponsors:
The DeJuana Family
The Bereuter Family
The Pedersen Family
The Roitberg Family
The Tang Family
The Fowler Family
The Ford Family
Sammy & Milka Meurer
Mrs. Neill
Jackson Hall
Team Sansoucy
Suhitha Patil and Family
Betty Lovin’s Family
Willa and Wyatt Fischer
Ms. Reed (the awesome sub)
Jake and Sasha Leon
The Carlson Family
The Whitford Family
Maheshwaran’s Family
The Pedemonte Family
Zanna Allen’s Mimi
Jane Zimmerman
The Maxfield Family
The Parkman Family
Theresa and Ravil Tabi
The Rigby Family
The Wright Family
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.
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.
Send us your pictures
Did you take pictures at Eagle Fest? Please send them to [email protected]!
AISD and Community Events
Teal Pumpkin Project at Adelphi Acre Community Garden
Join us for a community pumpkin painting & carving party at Adelphi Acre on Saturday, October 24th at 10 am. Teal pumpkins identify houses that have candy AND non-food treats available for trick or treaters with food allergies.
BYOP (bring your own pumpkin) and supplies for painting or carving. We’ll have some paint and extra brushes but bring some fun extra additions. If carving pumpkins is more up your alley, we’ll be happy to compost your pumpkin remains and we’ll even keep your seeds to help grow a fantastic pumpkin patch for the kids next year!
Wheelchair Challenge at Anderson
Anderson is holding a Wheelchair Challenge through Oct 23 to raise awareness to disABILITIES and to raise money for power door operators. Anderson has been challenged to raise $60,000 for 10 power door operators ($6,000 per door):
There are two ways to participate:
- Students and faculty members can challenge themselves or a friend to spend a day in a wheelchair. We will have 20 wheelchairs available each day. The cost to challenge someone is $20. If the person challenged wishes to opt out of the Challenge they can “buy out” for $20. Each wheelchair challenger will receive a Trojan Challenge t-shirt.
- You can also make a direct donation to the power door operators: Make a donation online at https://co.clickandpledge.com/sp/d1/default.aspx?wid=112718, drop a check by the Attendance Office with Ms. Quinonez or send a check to Michelle Wallis, AISD Office of Innovation and Development 1111 W. 6th Street Suite C150, Austin, TX 78703.
This effort was started by Archer Hadley at Austin High School who has cerebral palsy and uses a six-wheeled power wheelchair. For three years he was unable to get in and out of the school independently because there were no automatic door operators. His senior year, he raised in excess of $87,000 dollars to have automatic door openers installed. Funds have also been raised at Crockett High School for power door operators.
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
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]).
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].
Jason Segel at BookPeople
Join us at BookPeople (603 N. Lamar Blvd.) on Saturday, Oct. 31 at 3 p.m. for a Halloween costume party with actor and children’s author Jason Segel to celebrate his new children’s book, Nightmares! The Sleepwalker Tonic. The speaking portion of this event is free and open to the public. Tickets are required for the signing and only available with the purchase of a copy of Nightmares! The Sleepwalker Tonic from BookPeople. Books & tickets for the signing are now available to order!
AISD Special Education meetings
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.
Free legal services clinic – Texas has a new SUPPORTED DECISION MAKING (SDM) law that offers families and caregivers a way to have input into decisions made by those persons we love who happen to have disabilities. Learn more about the law on Monday, October 26 from 6-8 p.m. There will be pizza provided. There will be a brief class on guardianship alternatives and an opportunity for 1:1 counseling for you and your child. It will be at Clifton Career Development School Cafeteria (1519 Coronado Hills Dr. Austin, TX 78752). RSVP TO ATTEND Renee Borders, Transition Specialist [email protected], 512-414-6379 or Kathy Palomo, AISD SpEd Family & School Support Team [email protected], 512-414-5833. More info here.
Grandparents and Guardians support group – There are meetings throughout the school year for grandparents and guardians of students with special needs. The next meeting is on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Meetings are at Covington Middle School (3700 Convict Hill Rd. Austin, TX 78749). Group Time: 9-10:30 a.m. Covington Contact: Gloria Franco, Parent Support Specialist, 512-414-1621, [email protected]. More info is here.