Summit School Newsletter
INNOVATIVE TEACHING. EXPERT EDUCATORS. THRIVING STUDENTS.
September 30, 2022
No school Oct. 3-7 for fall break!
From the Head of School...
Dear Summit School Community,
I want to thank all of the families that provided survey comments about what Summit is doing well and ways that we can improve. The comments where shared with our faculty and Board of Trustees. During our last faculty and Board meetings, we discussed the needs around SEL programming and communicating what SEL looks like at Summit, increasing math and overall academic rigor, and maintaining a balance between academics and the arts. All of these items are being addressed.
Another item that stood out was a need for clarity on our new Enrichment Wednesdays. While we had a lot of positive feedback on the opportunities, there is confusion about how the program works.
Enrichment Wednesdays
Enrichment Wednesdays occur on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month from 8:15 to 9am. All students in grades 1-8 are assigned to an activity during that time. Students are in multi-age groupings, and all activities are teacher selected. Students do not have the option to select their activities.
Offerings vary in the number of sessions from just one session to an entire quarter, and teachers have the opportunity to shift students at any time if the activity is not a good fit. It is a very fluid schedule. The purpose of Enrichment Wednesdays is to offer students opportunities to explore new activities, to offer activities that provide an art balance to a heavily academic program, to offer enrichment in some academic areas, to offer support in some academic areas, and to provide multi-age collaborations. Some of the Enrichment Wednesday activities that are coming in October and November include flash mob dance, sensory path creation, poetry, fall art madness, culinary, yoga, fairy house design and building, Lego challenge, theater with the Valley Youth Theater, and academic supports and enrichments.
If you are still in need of clarity on Enrichment Wednesdays, please reach out. Thank you for being a part of our Summit Community and thank you for all you do.
Sincerely,
Dr. Stephanie Nardi
Head of School
Wear Gold Friday!
Hello Summit Community,
Please join our Summit School community in our support of Elilai and her family. If you purchased a Team Elilai t-shirt, please wear it to school on Friday, Sept. 30. Also, I am excited to share that we raised $5,510.16 with out t-shirt fundraiser. That money will be sent to Elilai's family to help support their needs at this time. Thank you.
Adult Education Session: Zones of Regulation & Executive Functioning
Wednesday, Oct 26, 2022, 06:00 PM
Idea Lab at Summit School
Save the Date! Arts Night
Wednesday, Nov 16, 2022, 04:30 PM
Summit School, East Muirwood Drive, Phoenix, AZ, USA
Calling all Engineers and Fabricators!
Share a Story with Summit School
Save your spot!
Summit School Recognizes Hispanic Heritage Month
The students will be making luminarios. Luminarios (Spanish for “small bonfires”) were first recorded in the 16th century, when Spanish people lit bonfires along the roads to guide people to Midnight Mass on the final night of Las Posadas. We will also be studying Frida Kahlo, the famous Mexican artist. Frida Kahlo was a Mexican painter best known for her uncompromising and brilliantly colored self-portraits.
They will also be doing an art project for Dia de los Muertos. Day of the Dead combines the ancient Aztec custom of celebrating ancestors with All Souls' Day, a holiday that Spanish invaders brought to Mexico starting in the early 1500s. The holiday, which is celebrated mostly in Mexico on November 1 and 2, is like a family reunion!
In recognition of National Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept 15-Oct-15), fourth and fifth Graders learned about musician Tito Puente, El Rey del Mambo and composer of “Oye como va,” a song made famous by Carlos Santana. Next month, we will listen to the Queen of Salsa, Celia Cruz.
The Quarter 1 Wednesday Music Enrichment has been playing the Cuban cha-cha and the Mexican son jarocho with hand drums, violin, guitar, and piano.
In PE, during warm-up time, we'll be discussing Hispanic athletes & coaches who are relative to the various sports/games/units we're currently participating in. When we return from Fall break, we'll start our Volleyball unit and learn more about players like Samantha Bricio who is the youngest player ever to play for the Mexican National Volleyball team. She's won countless individual & club awards and recently helped led Mexico to a 4th place finish in the Pan-Am Cup (their best finish since 2002).
In PS and K music classes we have listened to, moved to, and played instruments along with the salsa great Celia Cruz's "La Vida es un Carnaval." In second grade, we sang and performed a dance with "El Juego Chirimbolo," a song from Ecuador. We also began to figure out how to play the melody on the keyboard or xylophone.
Apples to Applesauce in Kindergarten
This week, Kindergarten has been learning about apples and on Wednesday they made applesauce. They were mostly excited, with a couple feeling a little nervous about how it might taste. First they brought in apples, then they washed and cut them with teacher supervision and plastic knives. Next, they dumped their cut apples into the pot and together they added the other ingredients. Our rooms filled with a cinnamon aroma as we waited for it to be ready! By the end of the process, all were exclaiming how YUMMY it was and they even asked for more!
This was a great opportunity for them to learn and use new vocabulary while having a hands-on experience. In the afternoon, we followed up with them writing their own recipes using their experience. They got to practice sounding out and writing words. When learning is real, relevant, and meaningful it has a greater impact on their ability to apply the skills they are learning!
PreK Patio Fun
Please Welcome our Junior Cheer Coach!
Hi! My name is Stephanie Fuehrmeyer. I have one little kiddo at Summit currently in Pre-k. I’m super excited to be a part of the Summit Cheer team! A little bit about me. I started cheerleading and dance from the age of 3 all the way until I was 25. When I was in kindergarten I was cheer mascot for the Kansas City royals baseball team, danced and cheered all throughout grade school, high school and college. Then went on to cheer for the Kansas City Chiefs! I have helped with many kids cheer and dance clinics in the past and can’t wait to get this season started at Summit!
Talent Show Time!
The Stars of Summit Talent Show is back! We are looking for talents of all kinds – singers, dancers, musicians, jugglers, magicians, gymnasts, comedians, scientists, actors, you name it. We’d love to see the variety of talent that Summit students have, so please be creative!
This year’s talent show is open to all who would like to participate. There will be no auditions, but you are required to perform your act at one of the final rehearsals. Please be prepared! If your act is not ready by the final rehearsal, you will not be allowed to perform in the show. The Talent Show will be held on Wednesday, November 2 at 5:30 pm. The final rehearsals will take place on Tuesday, October 25 and Wednesday, October 26 at 3:30 pm in the MPR.
Forms were sent home with every student. If your student is interested in performing, please fill out the form and return it to Ms. Vosseller by October 14. If you have any questions, please email her at erin.vosseller@summitschoolaz.org. We know that Summit students and staff are some of the most talented people around!
Spread the Word---Open House
Referral Credits and IBE
Yes, we are still offering a $1,000.00 referral tuition credit for each new student (non-sibling of current student) who is referred to Summit for the 2022-23 school year. The credit will be applied to your FACTS account after 2 months. We greatly appreciate your referrals!
Also, if you or someone you know owns or is a decision-maker in an LLC or S-Corp, there are some new, beneficial tax changes (See message below from IBE).
Corporate Donation season is here and there have been some HUGE things happening at IBE. As you may have heard, our very generous S-Corporations could potentially receive a deduction on their Federal tax forms in addition to the State dollar-for-dollar tax credit.
Please check out the following link for more information.
Now Hiring 5-8 Advanced Math Teacher
Start Date: Immediate Opening – Ongoing
Work Hours: 8am-1pm M, T, R, F and 9am-2pm W
Rate of Pay: Based on the Summit School Pay Scale
- Maintain positive, professional relationships with students, parents, colleagues, and administrators.
- Maintain campus attendance from no later than 7:45am to at least 3:45pm on scheduled school days (100%FTE).
- Possess exceptional communication skills.
- Differentiate instruction to ensure that a range of student needs are met.
- Collaborate with colleagues on multidisciplinary projects.
- Meet deadlines as assigned by administrators.
- Implement and model Summit’s character education and social-emotional learning curricula.
- Participate in student recruitment and retention events.
- Participate in community engagement events.
- Attend required staff, faculty, and team meetings unless given prior approval by administration.
- Attend professional development days unless given prior approval by administration with the exception of emergency or illness.
- Maintain a commitment to continuous professional learning and growth.
- Maintain expertise in subject area(s) taught.
- Model excellent teaching practices to all stakeholders.
- Perform other duties as assigned by administration.
Other Minimum Requirements
- Holds a bachelor’s degree in education or related field
- Holds an Arizona teaching certification in the area of assignment, or working on a documented pathway to certification (PreK-8)
- Current IVP Fingerprint Clearance Card
- Current First Aid/CPR certification
Preferred
- Teaching experience that includes high school mathematics
For employment inquiries, please contact:
Dr. Stephanie Nardi
Head of School
stephanie.nardi@summitschoolaz.org
4515 E. Muirwood Drive
Phoenix, AZ 85048
Direct: 480-403-9501
Main: 480-403-9500
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 Apparel Store- New Items Added!
Gear up with back to school apparel! Check out the Summit apparel store for customizable shirts, pants, and accessories with your favorite Summit logos!
Link: https://apparelnow.com/summit-school-of-ahwatukee-apparel
You can also support our Cybrecat Robotics by purchasing gear at https://apparelnow.com/cybercat-robotics-apparel
School Cents is Back! This year funds will support our IDEA Lab.
Summit School is a part of the School Cents Program!
We are grateful to be one of the twenty schools selected to participate in the School Cents program at the Chandler Fashion Center again this school year. You can help our school win a prize up to $3,000. It’s Easy! Between July 1st and January 15th, shop, dine or watch a movie at Chandler Mall, then upload your receipts to Shopandlog.com/chandler or take your receipts to Chandler Fashion Center School Cent drop boxes outside Barnes and Noble. Summit School also has a blue School Cents Receipt drop-box in the staff lounge. Each month, we will send home a new School Cents Flyer with more details about School Cents, including new bonus point offers available each month.
This year, funds from your shopping will directly benefit the current needs of the IDEA Lab!
Please tell your friends and family – anyone can support Summit School in the School Cents Program at Chandler Fashion Center! Thank you for your support!
Each participating school earns $400 to $3,000!
Learn More
School Cents website
Chandler Fashion Center website
School Cents flyer
1-800-539-3273
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