Hello Summit Community,

We continue to reflect and build on your suggestions for school improvement. So far, we have addressed the need for more social emotional support with the addition of a Dean of Students beginning in 2023-24. We have also added to our music offerings, K-2 Suzuki Guitar and year-round middle school band, to help balance our high academics with offerings in the arts. The next improvement is math rigor.

Our Summit School math data is exceptional. Our students in all grades (PK-8) are well above the national average in mathematics. As a whole, we average nearly three years ahead and in some grade levels we are even higher. It is important that we raise our content rigor at each grade level to meet the needs of the majority of our students. We will also continue offering math support and math enrichment to students who score closer to grade level or significantly higher than their peers.

Below, you can see the typical percentages for students whose needs can be met through core (regular classroom) instruction, through some extra assistance (moderate/targeted) in the classroom, and through outside of the classroom (significant/intensive) support. Please keep in mind that this "support" can mean intervention or enrichment.

Beginning at the preK level, we will continue to teach foundational skills and kindergarten readiness. We will also be expanding on those preK lessons as students are ready.

In kindergarten through grade 5, we will advance the content being sure to fill in any gaps and support any struggling learners as part of our intervention program with Mrs. Danforth. As we do now, we will continue to meet students where they are at. If a student is struggling with the advanced rigor, they will receive support. If a student is more advanced than the content being offered, they will receive enrichment.

Below, is a diagram of the middle school planned math sequence. You can see that we have added the opportunity for sixth graders to test into pre-algebra. We have also added the opportunity for all 6-8 students to get advanced math instruction. Whether this instruction becomes the students primary math class or a supplemental math enrichment will be determined by the student's individual needs.

We look forward to serving your child's needs in all areas of academics, arts, extracurriculars, and social emotional growth and having you as a part of our Summit Community into the future.

Thank you for all you do.

Sincerely,

Dr. Stephanie Nardi

Head of School

To celebrate the diversity of the Summit School community we are launching ‘Summit Eats’ cookbook - a collection of family recipes and the stories that go with them.

We are seeking recipes that tell the story of your family’s origins, culture and history. This might be a recipe from the four corners of the globe, a Southwest favorite or quintessential soul food.

Your recipe alongside those of our community will become part of the 2023 ‘Summit Eats’ Cookbook, which we will be releasing this May! Proceeds from the sale of this book will go directly to Summit School D&I Fund (learn more about Summit’s D&I Committee below).

Keep an eye out for Pre-Sales at Global Awareness Day on April 14.

SUBMIT YOUR RECIPE NOW.

We invite you to submit a recipe that is of significance to your family here and include a short story along with it (optional). Your family will receive full credit for your recipe contribution.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

• We ask you to ensure you carefully check the information is correct as we will be unable to alter or modify once submitted.

• If credit for the recipe belongs to another copyrighted cookbook, it is not eligible for publication. By submitting your recipe for publication, you are declaring that you own the intellectual property rights to the recipe.

• We are unable to include pictures at this time, so please do not include photos with your recipe.

• You may submit up to 3 recipes for consideration. At least 1 recipe from every participating family will be included.

• Each recipe will be allocated one page in the book. Please keep the total word count including ingredients list, directions, and any family story you want to include, under 250 words.

• We intend to continue publishing Summit Eats in future years so if you have more recipes, there will be more opportunities to be included!

ABOUT THE SUMMIT D&I COMMITTEE

Summit School acknowledges and celebrates the unique differences within our community. In doing so we recognize the diversity of our community and larger world while preparing our students to become global citizens.

The Summit D&I Committee, led by the Head of School, is composed of parents and representatives from the Board of Trustees, the PTO, and the wider Summit parent community.

The funds raised through this initiative will support D&I led experiences. Past examples of this include the HOPI-R2 built by electrical engineer Joe Mastroianni and painted by Hopi-Tewa artist Duane Koyawena that visited Summit during Arts Night 2022, the presentation from Navajo artist Jonessa Reid and Loteria Night.

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.

Do you have any photos you could share for the school yearbook? We need as many pictures as we can get, and contributing photos is the best way to make sure your child is well-represented in the yearbook. Please email pictures to Mrs. Harris (jessica.harris@summitschoolaz.org).

1. NASA HUNCH grades 6-8
2. American Sign Language grades 4-5
3. Escape Room Logic Puzzles grades 6-8
4. Marble Runs grades 1-3
5. Critical Thinking Games grades 3-5
6. STEM Projects grades 1-3
7. Valley Youth Theater grades 3-5
8. Coding grades 5-8
9. Spanish Support/Review grades 6-8
10. Culinary grades 1-2
11. Music Enrichment grades 4-8
12. Math Contest Practice
13. Art Madness grades 1-3
14. Preschool Buddies grades 5-8
15. Yearbook grades 6-8
16. Lego Challenge grades 1-3
17. Poetry grades 5-8
18. Chess grades 1-8
19. Reading Support grades 6-8
20. Math grades 6-8
21. Dance grades 3-5