Fulton Science Academy
ACCREDITED AND STEM CERTIFIED COLLEGE PREP GIFTED SCHOOL
SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2020
Principal's Corner
Dear FSA Community,
I hope that you continue to enjoy your summer holiday.
I have some important new information for you regarding our school reopening. However, before that I am pleased to inform you that Mrs. Corinne Sanchez will serve as our Assistant Principal for Elementary this school year.
Mrs. Corinne Sanchez joined the Fulton Science Academy team in 2013. She has taught Kindergarten and 2nd grade at our school before transitioning into a leadership position. For the past two years she has served as our Elementary Curriculum Coordinator and will now be taking on the new position of Assistant Principal of Elementary. She earned her undergraduate degree in Early Childhood Education and her passion for teaching and leading compelled her to complete her Master's degree in Educational Leadership, concentrating on Coaching Teachers for Performance. Upon graduating, she was awarded the Most Outstanding Program Major award for the Educational Leadership department. Her philosophy as a school leader is to always serve others and put the students first. Her overall goal is to provide students, teachers, and the FSA community with the support they need to help our students achieve great success. She looks forward to taking on this new role in the upcoming school year and is excited to greet familiar faces and meet all of our new FSA Mustangs when the school year officially begins!
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT SCHOOL REOPENING PLANS
As you might have heard already, last week Cobb County and Fulton County School Systems announced online learning for this school year and today Gwinnett County School System joined them by announcing online learning as the only option for this school year. These school systems shared the increasing COVID-19 cases as their rationale.
In recent weeks, we have observed very visible increases in the number of COVID-19 cases, the percent of positive tests, the number of hospitilizations, and the numbers of ICU admissions. Though we have not yet seen a large increase death rate in Georgia, increases in death rate tend to lag several weeks behind increases in positive tests. However, what we know is that the deaths in the US have increased by 9% in the last week alone and the neighboring states are already starting to see increases and deaths. This is concerning!
We also noticed that more and more parents are choosing online as an option for the month of August at this time. The number of FSA parents who chose online learning has increased to 62% today.
Therefore, today, our administrative team members have met and revisited our school reopening decision. I would like to inform you that we have decided to continue with the following plan till the Labor Day:
Phasing In Plan...
- Week 1 (Aug. 10-14) - All grades virtual learning
- Week 2 (Aug. 17-21) - All grades virtual learning
- Week 3 (Aug. 24-28) - PreK and Kindergarten On Campus with Hybrid Model
- Week 4 (Aug. 31-Sep.4) - PreK thru 3rd grade On Campus with Hybrid Model
- Week 5 (after Labor Day) - To be determined! If conditions allow, our intention is to add remaining grades to Hybrid Model after Labor Holiday.
Since our lower elementary grades use only one classroom, we feel safer to begin hybrid learning with them compared to the higher grade levels where movement is needed between classes depending on their levels.
As part of this plan, all faculty/staff will report to campus and teachers will teach from their classrooms if they are teaching virtually.
The above plan is based on what we know right now. It can change with the changes in the situation. We will continue to monitor closely and update you regularly about our reopening plans for the new school year.
Our ultimate goal is to provide a quality education in the safest way possible for our FSA community. We appreciate your continued support.
PARENT SURVEY
We ask that families in PreK through 3rd grade continue to submit their selection between online learning and campus learning before Sunday, August 9. We will send another parent survey in mid August regarding your selections for the month of September.
ORIENTATION DAY
This year we will host our orientation day virtually on Friday, August 7th. We recognize that our FSA students are eager to meet their new teachers, and we would like to provide a safe way for them to be able to introduce themselves in preparation for the first day of school. Orientation Day schedule has two parts. The first part is a general session for all parents to receive general information and have their questions answered. The second part is the time to meet with teachers.
GENERAL SESSION SCHEDULES
Elementary School General Session - between 8:15am and 8:45am
Middle School General Session - between 12:30pm to 1:00pm
High School General Session - between 1:00pm to 1:30pm
SCHEDULES FOR MEETING WITH TEACHERS
PreK - Kindergarten: 9:00am-9:45am
1st - 2nd Grade: 9:45am-10:30am
3rd - 4th Grade: 10:30am-11:15am
5th Grade: 11:15am-12:30pm (longer to allow for time to meet all teachers briefly)
Middle and High: 1:45pm - 3:45pm (About 15 minutes meeting with each teacher of your child.
Detailed schedules and the zoom links will be sent close to the Orientation Day.
ELEMENTARY RESOURCE PICK UP
Students who will be joining classes on campus will receive their curriculum resources and materials when they report to their classes on campus. We will be arranging time slots for our virtual students to come to campus and pick up the resources/materials needed for online learning from home during the weekend following the first week of school (August 15-16). Once we have identified which students will be joining virtually, you will receive communication about your allotted time slot to come to campus and pick up these items. In that email, you will receive detailed information about when/where to report, and how this will be done in a safe manner for our families and faculty members.
MIDDLE AND HIGH RESOURCE PICK UP
Laptop and textbook distribution for middle and high school will be at the following dates:
August 3rd Monday - 6th Grade
August 4th Tuesday - 7th Grade
August 5th Wednesday - 8th Grade
August 6th Thursday - 9th and 10th Grades
August 7th Friday - 11th and 12th Grades
You may come to school on the above dates based on your last name. See details below:
9:00 am - 10:00 am - Student Last Name starting with A through E
10:15 am - 11:15 am - Student Last Name starting with F through K
11:30 am - 12:30 pm - Student Last Name starting with L through P
12:45 pm - 1:45 pm - Student Last Name starting with Q through U
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm - Student Last Name starting with V through Z
CARPOOL CARDS
At FSA, we utilize a scanning system for afternoon dismissal. For the first day of school on campus (August 17th), you will receive an emailed copy of your child’s carpool card. We kindly request that our families print out this paper copy and have it accessible for the afternoon carpool on Monday, August 17th. Having this card ready will help our dismissal process run smoothly. More specific details about arrival/dismissal procedures will be provided prior to the start of the school year. Our virtual students will receive these during resource pick up day, in the event that they choose to report to in-person learning in the future.
PreK and Kindergarten arrival and dismissal procedures differ from our regular dismissal procedure. You will receive information from your child’s homeroom teacher about the PK / K dismissal process during orientation.
NEW SCHOOL YEAR OPERATIONAL GUIDELINE REMINDER
I would like to remind you that we have installed and tested Zoom Room Concept with large TVs in each classroom as part of our hybrid model approach, and it is working great. The advantage of this new technological setup is that it allows smooth and effective interaction among faculty members, students who choose to come to school, and students who chose to stay at home.
At this time, our plan includes the following sections:
- Facility Cleaning, Disinfecting, and Enhancements
- Operational Adjustments
- Clinic Procedures for COVID 19
- Hybrid Model Instruction
- Attendance
- Arrival & Dismissal Procedures
- Clubs & Academic Teams
- Athletics
- COVID-19 Warning for Students and Parents
For further details about these sections, please visit our newly created COVID-19 Response page on our school website.
Here is the link: http://fultonscienceacademy.org/covid-19/
During the first week of August, we will send you our usual "First Day of School Instructions" email for you to find all the needed information in one email.
Please enjoy reading the rest of our summer newsletter as you prepare for the next school year at FSA.
Stay safe. Stay healthy. Stay happy.
Sincerely,
Kenan Sener
Principal
OUR GYM IS READY FOR NEW SCHOOL YEAR!
2020 - 2021 ACADEMIC YEAR CALENDAR
Summer Course Work | 2020 - 2021
Please note that 6th - 12th grade work is required and will be discussed during the first week of classes of the 2020 - 2021 Academic School Year.
Please print the appropriate rising assignment and be sure to complete it over your summer vacation.
FSA MISSION & VISION
Mission
To deliver an educational framework designed to achieve the highest academic results and instill enduring strength of character by leveraging innovation and STEAM curriculums for college preparedness and lifelong student success.
Vision
Fulton Science Academy Private School endeavors to be a nationally ranked and recognized school for pre-K through 12th grade, serving advanced and gifted student populations committed to academic success, civic responsibility, global citizenship, and high ethical values within a safe environment that celebrates diversity and is nurtured by the collaborative efforts of its stakeholders and the broader community.
VIRTUAL SUMMER CAMPS
Click the button below to see the full list of camps with descriptions, dates, prices, requirements, registration links, and more.
Immunization Requirements
Please note that rising K and 7th grade students need additional immunizations to attend Kindergarten and 7th Grade. For more detailed information you can visit the Georgia Department of Public Health's School Vaccines & Updates list by clicking here.
Class Placements | 2020 - 2021
Once you receive them, please go over them carefully and let your respective school level administrator know if you have any questions or concerns. Please note: These class placements will not include teacher names at this time. Homeroom classes and teacher assignments will be announced during orientation days.
Elementary class placements were emailed to families on Thursday, July 2nd. These included course levels for the upcoming school year. If you did not receive your child’s placement information, or if you have any questions about the information you received, please reach out to Mrs. Sanchez (csanchez@fultonscienceacademy.org) for assistance.
Middle School: Mr. Turan - nturan@fultonscienceacademy.org
High School: Mr. Parlak - yparlak@fultonscienceacademy.org
Uniforms | 2020 - 2021
BELOW ARE THE REQUIRED UNIFORM PIECES THAT PRE-K THROUGH 8TH GRADE STUDENTS MUST HAVE:
1) Red Polo shirt with school logo
2) *Shoes that follow the uniform guidelines (see below).
3) Black or brown belt (to be worn with all shorts and pants that have belt loops)
4) P.E. athletic shirt & shorts/pants mandatory for grades 6-12, optional for grades 4-5
*Shoes that meet the uniform guidelines have been added to the FSAPS Land’s End uniform options. These particular shoes are not required, but shoes worn to school DO need to meet the uniform guidelines.
High school uniforms are slightly different from the younger grades
1) oxford button down shirts are required
2) there is an option for red sweaters and jackets for high school students only.
3) P.E. athletic shirt and shorts/pants are mandatory
ALL SHIRTS MUST HAVE THE SCHOOL LOGO
Music Instrument Selection for 2020 - 2021
Participation in Band or Orchestra is mandatory at FSA for 5th-8th grade students as a part of our STEAM curriculum.
Students can choose from a variety of instruments including...
- Violin
- Viola
- Cello
- Flute
- Clarinet
- Alto Saxophone
- Trumpet
- Trombone
- Percussion
(Percussionists will learn all the instruments you can hit, shake, or scrape!)
Our Instrument Selection Day event will be at FSA in August 2020.
EXACT DATE TBD
Instrument specialists will be there to help with rentals, sizing, and more! Students should wait until Instrument Selection Day to select an instrument. If they want to choose something during the summer, they should reach out to Ms. Otim first.
Independent study in music theory/history is available for students who do not wish to play an instrument.
We are so excited to have you as a part of our music program!
Need more info? Contact Kayla Otim at kotim@fultonscienceacademy.org
School Supplies | 2020 - 2021
Please follow the link to see all school supply lists by grade on our website
Easy Supply List
FSA PARTNER | EASY SUPPLY LIST
Need a top up on your child’s school supplies but don’t have the time to run to the store? Here’s an option from one of FSA’s newest partners and it’s as easy as 123… just …
SEARCH: Go to www.easysupplylist.com and search for the school supply bundle you need.
BUY: Click on the item to checkout.
RECEIVE: Receive your package at school. NO Delays. NO needed follow-ups.
That’s how easy it is to get your school supplies. While it is a great service to use at the start of the school year, it is not limited to that time frame. Not only are you getting a tailor made service but you are also doing a good deed and giving back to FSA and another worthy cause with your purchase. As a percentage of sales will be donated back to FSA annually and The Joshua Bembo Project. A cause that supports research to fund inoperable brain tumors, www.joshuabembo.com / www.gcregistry.com
Mustang News is accepting various applications for 2020-2021
Calling all rising 9th and 10th graders.., interested in joining the award winning Mustang News Team? Then complete the application via the link https://forms.gle/Jzgicn54HJTtdpR46 by August 1. Please read carefully as you also have to submit a short video with your application.
The process takes place in various steps.
- Submit your completed application with a short video
- Your teacher recommendations will need to be verified
- Current team members will review applications
- If you made the cut you will be invited to do an interview with current team members.
- Following the interview you will be notified if you made the team.
Not sure what MNT is about ?
It’s a production run by high school students working before and after school. They generally work a day in advance to get the show ready. Being a team member means you will be held accountable, must be able to honor deadlines, great at talking/communicating with others as well as “step up” when needed.
At the moment MNT is looking for reporters and video editors. You will also get the chance to learn other roles in the production as you go along.
Rising 10th graders and current MNT members - it’s audition time for News Anchors.
If you are interested please complete the following application and send in an audition video of no more than 30 secs of you presenting a news story. https://forms.gle/xU5B7auSKAWB72E16 Normally, auditions would be held in studio, but the team would like to get ahead of schedule and have plenty of planning time.
Feel free to use content from the school newsletter for your story. You will be evaluated overall on camera presence, articulation, and clarity of your delivery. Current MNT members interested in anchoring should also send in an audition video and completed application. Please note that anchors tend to take on other roles as well on the team when needed, such as camera, editing, reporting and producing. Audition application due by August 1.
Rising 8th to 11th graders : MNT is looking for “Vloggers”
Interested in being an FSA Vlogger? Wondering what that is ? Well it is simply producing a one to one and a half minute video that will air on the school’s youtube channel. Topics will vary and you will be encouraged to come up with your own ideas. Don’t worry support for the video will be provided as you need it. Interested? Complete the application and attach a 45 sec video on a topic of your choice. https://forms.gle/KJFmpKiRsXppK6xL8 Submit by August 1.
Athletics Tryout Calendar | 2020 - 2021
SMART TUITION
FSAPS Tuition Information: http://fultonscienceacademy.org/tuition-information/
Smart Tuition is the tuition management system used by FSA. In addition to tuition, all incidental billing such as aftercare fees, sports and academic team fees, trips, etc., is also done through Smart Tuition. There is a $50 yearly fee for Smart Tuition.
If you have not set up your account or are having trouble setting up your account, please contact our Business Administrator Abdurrahim Kurt by phone or email.
Phone: (678) 366 - 2555 ext. 105
PLEASE SIGN UP FOR REMIND, OUR SCHOOL NOTIFICATION APPlication
JOIN FSA REMIND HERE: https://www.remind.com/join/fsaps
By joining "FSAPS remind," you will receive 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 portals we use at our school to keep our families apprised of what's happening at Fulton Science Academy. Thank you.
FSA SOCIAL MEDIA
Please connect with us online and grow our social media following!
FSA is proud to be building a strong social media presence and we encourage you to follow us using one or more of the following links:
1- FSA YOUTUBE CHANNEL
https://www.youtube.com/user/FultonScienceAcademy
If you subscribe to our YouTube channel, you will receive notifications whenever we upload a new video.
2- FSA FACEBOOK PAGE
https://www.facebook.com/FultonScienceAcademyPrivateSchool/
Many of you already follow our Facebook page. If you are not yet connected, please “Like" our Facebook page.
3- FSA INSTAGRAM
https://www.instagram.com/fultonscienceacademy/
We post lots of pictures on our Instagram account. You will enjoy seeing new pictures every day.
4- FSA LINKEDIN
https://www.linkedin.com/company/fulton-science-academy-private-school
So many of you have LinkedIn accounts. To get news about our school on LinkedIn, simply follow our schools’s LinkedIn page.
5 –FSA TWITTER
https://twitter.com/fsaprivate
Twitter is a great way to get updated about school. Simply follow our school on Twitter to get recent tweets from our school.
Fulton Science Academy Private School
Serving Advanced and Gifted Students
Pre-K through High School
Email: ksener@fultonscienceacademy.org
Website: www.fultonscienceacademy.org
Location: 3035 Fanfare Way, GA, United States
Phone: (678) 366-2555
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FultonScienceAcademyPrivateSchool
Twitter: @fsaprivate