Fulton Science Academy
week of September 6th, 2015
Dear FSA Students, Faculty and Parents,
We had a wonderful opening ceremony last Thursday. It was a day to remember.
It was well attended by many state and federal officials and legislators. State Superintendent Richard Woods, Senator John Albers, Board of Education Member Lisa Kennemore, GISA President Jeff Jackson, Gifted Education Experts Dr. Gollmar and Dr. Eger, the world’s tallest living man Sultan Kosen, and NBA player Enes Kanter were among the many important guests who attended the ceremony.
Enes Kanter gave a jersey to our school and invited all the students to attend the next Atlanta Hawks game as his guests.
We received a recognition resolution from Senate and a letter from the office of Congressman Tom Price during the event.
Our students were wonderful during the event and they received compliments from the guests for being so good. We are very proud of them.
Please see some pictures and a short video of the program here:
FSA Opening Ceremony In the News
Washington Post
Forsyth Herald
http://forsythherald.com/stories/Fulton-Science-Academy-opens-as-private-school,79280Alpharetta Patch
http://patch.com/georgia/alpharetta/great-day-fulton-science-academy
BLESSINGS IN A BACKPACK PROGRAM WAS A HUGE SUCCESS
Blessings in a Backpack is a local non-profit organization that provides packages of food on Friday’s for students who may not have anything to eat over the weekend. This program services students at three elementary schools in Roswell.
We thank Davinci Donuts and Blessings in a Backpack Campaign in working together with our school on this wonderful project. The crowd was amazing!
Special thanks to FSA PVO and our parents Mrs. Stevens and Mrs. Utterback for organizing this event.
Please see some pictures from the event here:
FSA STUDENTS ENJOYED MEETING THE WORLD'S TALLEST MAN
IMPORTANT DATES
Monday, September 7 – Labor Day Holiday - NO SCHOOL
Thursday, September 10 - Student Picture Day
Sunday, September 13 - National Grandparents Day
Wednesday, September 2 – Elementary Curriculum Night - 6pm to 7:30pm
Thursday, September 3 – Middle School Curriculum Night - 6pm to 7:30pm
Parents/guardians will have an opportunity to go to each of their student’s classes and get an overview from their teachers about the curriculum, materials and books that will be used this year. We encourage all parents to come to their student’s curriculum night. Childcare will be provided to families during curriculum night. Don't be tardy. :)
Elementary Welcome Picnic
Early Dismissal Procedure change
Due to the increased size of the student body, there will no longer be early dismissal available between 3:00 and 3:30. If you need your children early, please plan of picking them up prior to 3:00 pm so that we can protect instructional time for our students. Thank you for your cooperation on this important matter.
3RD GRADERS ENJOYED SAVING FRED PAPER CLIP EXPERIMENT!
KINDERGARTEN FINGER PAINTING FUN
Health IT Leadership Summit
This competition is a great chance for students to create a mobile apps. and improve their computer and programming skills. It is time to show what really innovative mobile apps are.
Please check below flyer for details and contact Mr. Sanal at isanal@fultonscienceacademy.org if you have any questions.
GRANDPARENTS DAY
We are organizing a special school tour and luncheon for grandparents of our students during National Grandparents Weekend on Sunday, September 13, 2015.
The day will begin at FSA at 1:00PM with a brief tour and be followed by a delicious luncheon at 1:20PM.
This day has a threefold purpose:
* To honor grandparents
* To give grandparents an opportunity to get more information about their grandchildren’s school
* To help children become aware of the strength, information and guidance older people can offer
If you wish to attend, please send an e-mail to Mrs. Condon at rcondon@fultonscienceacademy.org by Thursday, September 10, 2015 and let us know how many will attend from your family.
PLAYGROUND UPDATE
We have just ordered a divider for the gym. The divider will allow our students to use the gym for recess during rainy days even if there is a Physical Education class in the gym.
FSA GREEN HOUSE
FSA STUDENT COUNCIL
Purpose
To provide a voice in promoting and enriching student activities and student life at school.
Membership
The student council will be comprised of elected homeroom representatives.
Duties and Responsibilities:
1. Act as the voice of the students to address any concerns or ideas they may have about FSAPS to the Administration.
2. Act as a liaison between the homeroom students they represent and the Student Council.
3. Organize and provide leadership for approved student activities.
4. Submit proposals to school administration for approval
5. Attend all Student Council meetings and represent their homeroom fairly and to the best of their ability.
6. Provide a weekly update to their homeroom about student council activity.
Eligibility:
1. Candidate must have an 90 or above in all classes.
2. Candidate must not have any in-school or out-of-school suspension during the school year.
3. Candidate must be able to attend most 7:30am meetings
4. Any student who does not fairly represent their homeroom class may be removed and replaced at the discretion of the FSAPS faculty and administration.
5. Any student who, during the term of office, fails to meet the eligibility requirements due to academic or behavioral consequences may be removed and/or replaced.
2015-2016 Student Council Election Schedule:
September 14 – September 17
Candidates will complete their student council application forms and hand them in their homeroom teachers by September 17th. No late forms will be accepted. The homeroom teachers will notify students of their eligibility on September 18.
September 21 – September 25
Campaign week for student council candidates, this can include posters, discussions, and handouts in homeroom. (no candy)
September 23
Written campaign speeches must be turned in to homeroom teachers for their approval.
September 28 (Monday)
Students will give their speeches in homeroom. Homeroom students will vote by secret ballot. Ballots will be collected and counted by homeroom teachers. Counted ballots and results should be handed in to administration clearly labeled. The validation of voting procedures and the announcement of the final Student Council representatives will be the same day.
Representative Election Procedures:
1. Two students per homeroom (3rd grade thru 8th grade) will be elected to represent that homeroom in the student council.
2. Each candidate will prepare a written speech to be approved by his or her homeroom teacher. The speech should give their qualifications and interests as well as why they would be a great representative for that homeroom.
3. Each homeroom representative should create posters for their campaign. These should promote the candidate in positive way. They should accurately and fairly represent candidate. Campaign posters that are negative or that do not meet the approval of the FSAPS faculty and administration will be removed at their discretion.
4. Students will vote by secret ballot in homeroom on September 28. One student will get one vote. Homeroom teachers will then collect and tally the ballots. Homeroom teachers will NOT announce the winners until the ballots are validated.
5. Two students receiving the highest number of votes will be the homeroom representative.
6. All results must be approved by the FSAPS administration before they will be considered final.
For more information and application form, please visit: http://www.fultonscienceacademy.org/images//studentcouncil1516.pdf
REDBIRD ADVANCED LEARNING BY STANFORD UNIVERSITY
Anime Weekend Atlanta Middle School Trip
On Saturday, September 26th, interested Middle School students are invited to join in the celebration of Japanese animation, manga (comics), cosplay (costumes), and culture by attending Anime Weekend Atlanta. AWA is a four-day Japanese Animation and comics convention held annually in Atlanta, Georgia. Parent carpooling and chaperones are being coordinated by Ms. Ashley Fichter. If you have a student that is interested in attending this trip, please e-mail afichter@fultonscienceacademy.org by this Friday, August 28th with your child’s name, grade, and age. The AWA Director of Registration that has worked with our Anime Club group for the last three years must have a rough estimate of our student participation and age ranges to be able to come up with a “membership” estimate. Please go to www.awa-con.com to learn more about this convention.
HOMEVISITS
Experience and research from all over the United States shows that the interaction with the student’s family at their home is a very effective way to help student’s academic and behavioral progress.
Here are some feedbacks from our parents:
“Early in the school year, a group of teachers took the time to come to our home to meet us and discuss the school program with us. That event brought us back to the time in which schooling was a true partnership between parent and teacher and reaffirmed in our minds that FSA truly cares about the development of our children”
“We even had two teachers visit us at our home. They were a pleasure to meet and we could clearly see how much they enjoy teaching students.”
“Thank you very much for your visit and the chocolates yesterday. We enjoyed having you over very much. I also want to thank you for turning math from the most complicated and somewhat scary subject into one of our most favorites.”
“We all enjoyed your visit last night to our home. It was such a pleasure to informally get to know both of you. My son thought it was really cool that two teachers came to his house. He talked about it the whole way to school this morning in carpool. Personally, I admire the dedication you both have for your jobs. It makes a big difference in a student's attitude toward school. Your visit left no doubt in my mind that FSA was the right decision for my son.”
How can you schedule a home visit?
Very simple. Please send an e-mail to our home visit coordinator, Mrs. Unal at junal@fultonscienceacademy.org and give us three available dates for your child's home visit program. We will get back to you and confirm a date. Depending on our teacher’s availability, at least two teachers will be together to visit our students and parents at their homes.
For any questions you have about this program, send an e-mail to junal@fultonscienceacademy.org. The best times to schedule a home visit are weekdays after 5:00 pm, and anytime during the weekends except Sunday mornings.
A HINT TO SUCCESS – ARRIVE SCHOOL ON TIME!
FSA BAND & ORCHESTRA PROGRAM
Please check this website for detailed information and registration to FSA Band and Orchestra Program:
Since we have after school clubs till 4:20pm, the band and orchestra will start at 4:30pm to avoid possible conflicts with academic teams and club studies. Please check actual days and times on the website - http://www.dolceensemble.com
FSA PRIVATE MUSIC CLASSES
As an advocate of STEAM education, FSAPS offers private music lessons for students of the school. This individualized instruction includes studies in:
- technique including scales, chords and arpeggios
- practice methods
- music theory and ear training
- wide variety of repertoire including the masterworks
Lessons are offered in Piano, Voice, Guitar, Violin, Electric Bass, Ukulele, Saxophone, Accordion, Percussion, Brass, Banjo, Mandolin, Cello, Clarinet, Flute and more. Please inquire if you do not see an instrument here that you are interested in learning how to play. Other instruments will be added upon demand. They are scheduled during recess and after school.
For more information, please visit: http://www.fultonscienceacademy.org/school-life/private-music-lessons
MAP TESTING BEGINS ON SEPTEMBER 1
MAP assessments provide detailed, actionable data about where each child is on their unique learning path. Because student engagement is essential to any testing experience, MAP helps educators to create test items that interest children and help to capture detail about what they know and what they’re ready to learn.
MAP dynamically adapts to a student’s responses – as they take the test.
* Answer a question correctly and the test presents a more challenging item
* Miss a question, and MAP offers a simpler item
In this way, the test narrows in on a student’s learning level, engaging them with content that allows them to succeed.
Please click below link to watch an informative video about MAP testing.
DUKE UNIVERSITY TALENT IDENTIFICATION PROGRAM
Duke TIP's 7th Grade Talent Search is the largest program of its kind in the nation. Since its inception in 1980, over 2 million students have participated. The 7th Grade Talent Search identifies academically talented seventh graders based on standardized test scores achieved while attending elementary or middle school. Candidates are invited to take the ACT or the SAT college entrance exam as seventh graders, which allows them greater insight into their academic abilities. Participants gain valuable benefits and have access to unique resources for gifted students. Please visit following link to get more information about Duke TIP program.
http://www.tip.duke.edu/node/44
We will be sending the Duke TIP invitation letters to eligible 7th grade students right after MAP testing is over. We ask that our students register for December SAT or ACT test options as the tests on January conflicts with many academic team competitions.
SIGN UP FOR REMIND!
We have created a Remind account to keep our community informed and up-to-date with what is happening at our school.
By joining FSAPS remind, you will be receiving messages via push notifications, SMS, or e-mail. We recommend SMS option for our families and students.
We will use this tool as an addition to other communication tools we use at our school.
If interested, please click here to follow the instructions.
Fulton Science Academy Private School
Email: ksener@fultonscienceacademy.org
Website: www.fultonscienceacademy.org
Location: 1675 Hembree Road, Alpharetta, GA, United States
Phone: (678) 366-2555
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FultonScienceAcademyPrivateSchool
Twitter: @fsaprivate