Summit School Newsletter
INNOVATIVE TEACHING. EXPERT EDUCATORS. THRIVING STUDENTS.
May 5, 2023
From the Head of School...
May the Fourth Be With You and Happy Cinco De Mayo! Enjoy this gorgeous sunny weekend and get lots of rest for the coming final weeks of the school year.
We have so much to celebrate! PTO's Staff Appreciation Week starts Monday. Please take a moment to let your teachers know how special they are. We are so lucky to have such a great staff.
Our Robotics teams have excelled at VEX Worlds and our golfers and varsity basketball players are doing great. Consider coming out to support the boys' basketball team at state (information below).
We continue to enroll new families for 2023-24 and want to thank you for all of your referrals and positive reviews. Let's work together to reach our goal of 280 students to start the school year.
Thank you for all you do.
Sincerely,
Dr. Stephanie Nardi
Head of School
CAA State Basketball
MS Cybercats Win 9th in the World!
Summit School Cybercat Robotics had an amazing run at VEX Worlds. They wrapped the season up by competing in front of 10,000+ people with video streamed around the world. The middle school team of Vincent and Ryan were Division Champions, and won the right to compete "in the dome." They had the highest Division Champions' score at 281 and were the top seed going into finals.
In the finals, the highest score was 269, by 2 teams from Canada. Our team was unable to earn their high score again, and finished 9th. That's 9th in the World!
They competed with teams from Canada, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, as well as US States. They met teams from Belgium, Egypt, Japan, Morocco, and many more.
These two boys, along with many others have meant so much to the Cybercat Robotics program. We are so so proud of them. #summitschoolaz #sabrecatpride
Final Camp Summit Opportunity
Hello Summit Community,
I hope you had an amazing, sunny weekend. Camp Summit 2023 has had a great response! Registration officially closed on April 28, but I have received a couple of late registration requests. We have decided to reopen registration for most PS-8 programs, but space is limited. Week two is full, and registration will not re-open for that session. However, we have a handful of spots available for weeks 1, 3, 4, and 5. Register here if you are interested. Your spot is not confirmed until you hear back from Carrie Slade in the Summit Business Office as registrations will be filled based on available space.
If you are still interested in week 4 Camp Invention for grades 1-8, that registration link is here. That window will remain open until we reach 100 students.
Once again, please don't hesitate. Register as soon as you can. The link will close on May 5, 2023.
Saying Good-Bye to Mr. Wimbish
At the end of this school year I will be taking on a new adventure to advance my coaching career. I just wanted to take a second to thank each and every one of you for this past year. You all have been so wonderful and I have truly enjoyed my time here at Summit! I wish you all the best and you will be missed.
Thanks.
2023-24 Class Lists
Dear Summit Community,
As we build classes for the next school year, a great deal of time and energy will be dedicated to making decisions that create well-balanced classes and optimal learning environments. Among the factors used in making placements are:
- Balance by Academic Ability: Our students are grouped into sections with a heterogeneous distribution of academic ability.
- Balance of Behavior and Maturity Levels: Our students are grouped into sections with a distribution of children at a variety of self-directed behavior and maturity levels.
- Balance of Gender: We strive for close to and/or proportional numbers of girls and boys in each class.
- Social Relationships: In some cases it is beneficial to the functioning of the classroom and students themselves for certain children to be either placed with or separated from friends and classmates.
Summit believes that children are well equipped to succeed in any classroom. In addition, children need to have the opportunity to work and learn with a variety of teachers, which will better prepare them to successfully interact with the various teaching styles and personalities they will encounter throughout their lives.
We know that some parents wish to communicate information about their child to be considered in the placement decision. This may include the names of one or two students that you would like to see in the same class, and/or the name of any students that you feel your child may need to be separated from.
Our process relies upon the professional judgement of our teachers and considers many variables; therefore it is not possible to accommodate all requests. We will, however, take this information into account as we make final class placement decisions. We will continue to do our utmost to ensure that each school year is positive and productive for all students.
If you have information that you would like considered in the placement decision please complete this form, no later than Monday, May 8 at 3:00 pm. This only needs to be completed if you have special considerations to share. Please complete a separate form for each child. Please do not send an additional email or send your considerations to teachers.
Please note that we are unable to accommodate requests for specific teachers as part of this process.
Class lists for the 2023-2024 school year will be communicated to parents in July.
Math Curriculum Update
Summit School Math Curriculum by Grade Level
The Summit School Math Curriculum is taken from the Arizona Department of Education Mathematics Standards. The standards emailed to you on Thursday are the content emphasis standards. Note that there are lesser supporting standards covered at each grade level.
Using data-driven practices, Summit School teaches mathematics content standards that are a year or more above the state recommendation. For example, in our pre-kindergarten classrooms, students will learn pre-kindergarten and kindergarten mathematics standards. Then, when moving forward to kindergarten, they will review critical kindergarten standards and then learn grade 1 math standards. This continues into middle school. In grade 5, students will take a math placement test to determine a best fit from the math options listed.
We support student success at all levels and abilities. Therefore, students have the opportunity for supporting interventions and advancement through enrichment led by our math coach and interventionist and based on student assessment data and classroom performance.
The Math Curriculum will also be added to our school website over summer break.
New IBE 2023-24 Application to complete and submit to IBE!
Summit parents who utilize the Arizona Private School Tax Credits for tuition need to complete their preferred School Tuition Organization (STO) new application each spring. Please find the Institute For Better Education, IBE 2023-24 application here. Upon completion, please submit it and any required documents directly to IBE at Services@ibescholarships.org before June 1, 2023. IBE will only release tax credits towards tuition in July if they have a completed 2023-24 IBE application by that date. For questions regarding the application please visit www.ibescholarships.org or call 520-512-5438. If you use a different STO, please visit their website to find their 2023-24 application form.
Summit School Community Partnerships
Dear Community Member, Summit School is pleased to announce that we are starting a community partner program with businesses in our local community. We know that connections in the community are invaluable to the success of our school and our local businesses. We would like to invite you to become a Summit Community Partner. This partnership requires no donations or financial support. Instead, we ask for mutual participation. Here is how it works. You agree to be a Summit Community Partner by posting our Summit School Community Partner flyer, poster, or our Summit School brochures in your business. We add your logo to our Summit Community Partners website page and our weekly school digital newsletter. We will reach out to you when we have campus events that you may be interested in for the purpose of sponsorship, table displays, or other connections. We offer you the opportunity to add items or information to our new family welcome bags. To get started, please complete this form or reach out to Kyle Allen, Director of Admissions and Marketing at kyle.allen@summitschoolaz.org. In addition, please send your business logo as a .png or .jpg file to the email address above. Want to know more about Summit School? We would be happy to give you a tour of our campus. If you would like a tour or have any questions, please email Kyle Allen or call 480-403-9506. Thank you for your consideration. In Partnership, Dr. Stephanie Nardi Head of School
Support Our Summit School Community Partners
Summit School
Email: Summit.School@SummitSchoolAZ.org
Website: https://summitschoolaz.org/
Location: 4515 E Muirwood Dr, Phoenix, Arizona 85048, USA
Phone: 480.403.9500
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SummitSchoolAZ
Twitter: @SummitSchoolAhw