From the Principal's Desk
October 26, 2020
This Week: Red Ribbon Week
The Red Ribbon Campaign is the oldest and largest drug prevention program in the nation, reaching millions of young people during Red Ribbon Week. Our chapter of the National Honor Society will host theme days to raise awareness and the help unite the FWAFA family as we take a visible stand against drugs. All students are encouraged to participate. Here are this year's daily themes:
Wear a red mask or tie red ribbons on the ends of your mask!
Wear your favorite tie with your uniform!
Wear a fun lei or other Hawaiian themed accessories with your uniform!
Wear your favorite hat with your uniform!
Don’t Do Drugs! Read Instead Friday
Literary character/ famous artwork day. Follow the instructions provided by your English teachers!
In-person learners will be able to share these by wearing their accessories to school. At-home learners will be able to share these by wearing their accessories to their Zoom calls. Everyone can participate through social media by posting the #FwafaRedRibbonWeek2020 and tagging @FwafaNhs on Instagram!
Last Chance! PTSO T-Shirts On Sale Now to November 1st
The PTSO t-shirt for this year is available to order now through 11:59 p.m. on November 1st. This year they come in a beautiful Dusty Sage or Purple Frost and are super soft from the start.
Follow the link to order and pay for the t-shirt directly from the company, and they will deliver all completed orders the week November 9th. We will have them distributed to your students later that week. Thank you for your support of the PTSO and of our beloved FWAFA!
Register for AP Test by November 4
FWAFA is pleased to provide an option for students to take the Advanced Placement (AP) Exams. Use this link to register and pay for your exams.
https://www.artsacademics.org/ap-testing/
The cost for AP Exams this year, as set by the College Board is $95.00 for each exam. Financial assistance is available to those that qualify. If you have qualified for free or reduced lunch or receive government assistance, please contact Omar Mendez (omar.mendez@fwafa.org) for further information.
Students may also opt to take an AP exam for coursework studied individually, outside of FWAFA. Students may view exams available at https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/courses/exam-dates-and-fees
Payment must be received by Wednesday, November 4, 2020.
Each exam is scheduled to be given at a specific date and time. Consequently, your student must be in attendance that day to participate. There are no make-ups and no refunds available.
TCA+A & FWAFA COVID-19 Standard Response Protocol
The TCA+A COVID-19 Standard Response Protocol provides information to our community about the positivity rate within the campus. Right now, we are in Stage 1 - PREVENTION - No confirmed cases of COVID-19 among staff or students.
In Stage 1, PREVENTION, the following procedures are in place:
- Health prevention measures are in place
- Daily intensive cleaning and frequent cleaning of facilities
- No visitor access
- Monitoring of virus trends in the community via local health officials
This document outlining all of the stages and the procedures that accompany each stage will be emailed to you later this week.
Attached to the JupiterEd email with this newsletter link is the Student Process Map for COVID-19. The document is a step-by-step guide of the actions that the campus will take in response to various degrees of COVID-19 exposures. If you would like more information about the process map and how we will implement the steps, please take a look at the Coffee with the Principal video on FB Live from Friday, October 16.
S-P-E-L-L-I-N-G Bee! Coming Soon!
We are preparing to host the FWAFA Spelling Bee, and it has to look a good deal different than it ever has before. We want to do everything we can to keep your students safe as we encourage and celebrate their achievement.
The study materials have been posted to JupiterEd under the School Office tab. If you need help locating them, please feel free to contact our English department chair Mrs. Cook at leslie.cook@fwafa.org.
For students who have chosen in-person learning, English teachers will be conducting classroom bees on November 5th and/or 6th.
For students who have chosen at-home learning, we are asking that you complete the registration form attached and meet us at the school on Saturday, November 7th at 9:00 AM. We will conduct a written test in the cafeteria or in several classrooms to allow for social distancing.
If your student qualifies for the school spelling bee, they will compete first in an oral round in the auditorium against other qualifiers in their grade. This will allow us to social distance and make space for family members to attend and social distance.
Then there will be a second school bee round where the winners at each grade level will compete against one another. With only six students competing across grade levels, we will again be able to social distance and welcome families who would like to watch.Students not competing in the spelling bee will not be invited to watch this year.
We do not yet have the dates set for grade level and all-school oral rounds. We are coordinating schedules and it is our hope to have them all completed between November 9th and December 7th.
In-School and At-Home Attendance Information
In-School Learners
Students who are In-School learners are counted physically present at our official attendance time (10:30 a.m.) for elementary and at the beginning of each class for middle and high school.
At-Home Learners
Students who are At-Home learners are counted present by responding to the Attendance Check Question(s) by 11:59 p.m. each day.
What does this mean?
Learners are not allowed to "float" from one learning environment to another on a day-by-day basis. If an In-School learner is not present at attendance taking time regardless if they have answered the Attendance Check question or not, they are marked absent.
Although In-School learners will more easily be able to keep up with their classwork and assignments through Google Classroom, they will be counted absent if they are not present at school.
Tardy Procedures, Early Dismissal, and Late Pick-Ups
Morning Arrival
Being on-time and ready to learn is a critical component to a student's success. If your student arrives to school past 8:20 a.m., please walk your student into the building and sign them in at the front office.Early Dismissal
In order to ensure a smooth and orderly dismissal, we are unable to call students from class during the last 30 minutes of instruction for a pick-up and early release.
If your student needs to leave school early for a doctor's appointment, please schedule the appointment earlier in the day (prior to 3:15 p.m.) or later in the day (after dismissal).
Late Pick-Ups
Keeping everyone safe and accounted for at all times is our #1 priority. We dismiss 3rd and 4th graders at 3:30 p.m. from the south side of the building. 5th-8th graders are dismissed from the back side of the building and 9th-12th graders are dismissed from the front of the building. Students who are not picked up by the end of dismissal, will be supervised in the cafeteria and parents will need to enter from the side of the building to sign them out.
If you need after-school care, you can find information about our amazing after-school conservatories in this newsletter and on our website, and we also have after-school services through Clayton Youth. Information for this program can be found at www.claytonyouth.org.
October 30 - Literary Character and Famous Artwork Day
If you happen to see The Wicked Witch of the West or Munch's "The Scream" wandering the halls on the last day of the month, you might be alarmed, but don't be surprised... It's really just a student participating in a grand old FWAFA tradition - Literary Character/Famous Artwork day.
Students must have an English, Reading, or Visual Arts teacher sign off on their costume prior to Friday, October 30th. (See attached form on email).
Costumes must cover everything your uniform does. Please leave the toy weapon accessories at home. Miss Wiggins can't wait to add some new living characters and works of art to the yearbook!
October 30 - Junior Class Fundraiser
Date: October 30th, 2020
Time: 6:30pm showing of Monster House (PG rating) and 8:30pm showing of Corpse Bride (PG rating)
Where: FWAFA Parking Lot
Price: $20 per car for front row parking or $10 per car for all additional parking.
Snacks will also be available for purchase.
You can purchase tickets to one or both showings.
More information to come soon about pre-purchasing parking spots, snacks, and more!
Monster House Synopsis: No adults believe three youths' (Mitchel Musso, Spencer Locke, Sam Lerner) assertion that a neighboring residence is a living creature that means them harm. With Halloween approaching, the trio must find a way to destroy the structure before innocent trick-or-treaters meet ghastly ends.
Corpse Bride Synopsis: Victor (Johnny Depp) and Victoria's (Emily Watson) families have arranged their marriage. Though they like each other, Victor is nervous about the ceremony. While he's in a forest practicing his lines for the wedding, a tree branch becomes a hand that drags him to the land of the dead. It belongs to Emily, who was murdered after eloping with her love and wants to marry Victor. Victor must get back aboveground before Victoria marries the villainous Barkis Bittern (Richard E. Grant).
After-School Fine Art Conservatories
We would like to invite you to explore our after-school fine arts classes offered through the TCA+A Conservatory programs. Now Available In-Person AND Online!
Starting the week of October 19th, all group classes will allow parents to specify if their child will participate live, online or in-person. With over 30 different classes, for ages 3 - 19, leveled from beginner to advanced, we are confident we have course offerings for every growing artist!
Please reach out to sheyna.ferraro@artsacademics.org with questions or learn more HERE.
Mark Your Calendar!
10/26 to 10/30 - Red Ribbon Week
10/29 to 10/31 - Online Monster Art Show at 7:00 p.m. - Details coming soon!
10/30 - Junior Class Sponsored Drive-In
10/30 - Literary Book Character and Work of Art Day - Permission form available from your English or Art teacher
10/30 - Coffee with the Principal at 8:15 a.m. on Facebook Live
11/4 - Deadline to register for AP tests
11/6 - Last Day of 2nd Grading Period/Early Release at 12:15 p.m.