Dates to Pick up Middle School Schedules/Planners/Lockers/PE Uniforms

Attention Middle School Parents:

The following dates and times have been reserved for you to pick up your child's schedule, planner,locker, and PE uniforms. Please mark your calendar, if applicable.

July 28   3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. 

July 29   3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

August 1  3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

***Parent volunteers are needed to work at each station. This is another opportunity to earn some of the required 18 volunteer hours.

Planner $5.00 (Grades 3, 5-8)

Hallway and Gym Locker $10.00

Extra PE Uniforms (Grades 6-8) will be available: T-shirt $8.00; Shorts $10.00

Thanks,

Tammy

Next Campus Beautification Day

Our next Campus Beautification Day is July 30 from 6:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Please bring your garden/yard tools, i.e gas/electric clippers, blowers, weed edgers, gloves, rakes. Our curb appeal needs some serious tender loving care:-).

I am working on implementing a web-based volunteer hours software program prior to this date. You will be able to sign up for volunteer opportunities from home. Stay tuned!

Back to School Orientation

Our Back to School Orientation will be August 4, 2011 at 6:00 p.m. We will have a general assembly in the gymnasium before dismissing to visit the classrooms. Please mark your calendar!

Thanks,
Tammy Summerville

K-5 2011-2012 Class Rosters

The K-5 class rosters will be posted on the front window on July 22 after 3:00 p.m. If you are not able to visit the school to view the list, please send me an e-mail requesting your child's assignment. I will send a response to you via e-mail.

2011-2012 Supply Lists

The 2011-2012 school supply lists are available at the following link: http://www.hsv.k12.al.us/schools/magnet/asfl/supplylist/2011-2012/K-8SL.pdf.

Middle School Dance

SGA is sponsoring a Spring Dance for middle school students on Friday, March 18 from 3:30 - 5:30.

Spring Standardized Testing!

Next week we begin our standardized testing in grades 3-8. The test will last approximately three hours each day. Please do not schedule any appointments for your child during this time. Attendance is critical in that it is one factor that determines if we make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).

Thanks for your support!

March 23 - 24    Alabama Reading and Math Test (ARMT)
March 25           Make-up Test

March 28 - 31 Stanford Achievement Test, 10th Edition
April 1             Make-up Test

Spring Fundraiser

Today kicks off our Spring Fundraiser to support our school. We will be selling the wonderful Kathryn Beich candy along with magazines and other items. The fundraiser dates are March 14 - 28, 2011. All order forms and monies should be returned by March 28 in order to ensure a return date before Easter.  Make checks payable to ASFL.

We appreciate your continued support!

Google Accounts for Middle School Students

Google accounts have been established for students in grades 6-7, if they returned a parental consent form. Please ask the students to log into the account and demonstrate for you all the features of Google. You will be amazed! Students will be able to complete projects collaboratively, in real time with their team members or partner. I will also be sending consent forms home with our current 5th graders who are upcoming 6th graders. 

Students no longer have to worry about work being lost or deleted, if they save everything in their Google account. Also, the word processing feature in Google is excellent, especially if you do not have the Microsoft Office Suite. Students may work on their projects from any computer with internet access. Check it out and give me your feedback!

If your child did not bring home a parental consent form, please let me know!

I want our students to be equipped with 21st century skills!

Report Cards

This grading period ends on March 11. Report cards will be sent home on March 21.

The last grading period begins on March 14. Please encourage your child to do his/her very best at all times. For some reason this grading period, many students have chosen not to submit classwork or homework. As a result, the report card will reflect lower grades.

We have some very intelligent students at ASFL and want them to work to their greatest potential. I thank you for supporting our school!

Spring Pictures

Spring pictures are scheduled for March 11. Students may wear their casual clothes without a charge. Please send a note to the teachers, if you would like siblings or friends to take a picture together.

Spring Testing

We have been preparing for our standardized tests in grades 3-8 since August. All students in grades 3-8 will be involved in testing from March 23 - April 1. Please refrain from scheduling any appointments during the morning hours on these days. In the next few days, I will forward you a letter with some suggestions on how you may assist your child during the this time.

Welcome Back!

Good afternoon ASFL Parents,

Welcome back! I hope you had a restful and relaxing winter break! I must admit that this was a much needed break for me. Can you believe that I actually took a break from school? Believe it or not, I really didn't think about school-related topics during this time. I took time to enjoy my family, read several books that I downloaded to my iPad, and sleep! It was fun not having to adhere to a daily schedule! 

Today kicks off our Annual Coupon Book sale. Each child received one book to bring home today. The cost of the book is $20.00 with the school retaining $10.00 per book sold. The students will have three weeks to sell the books and return the money by January 21. The homeroom that sells the most will receive a free pizza party. There are some terrific deals in this book! Thanks for supporting our school!

Also, today the students received a student profile sheet with pertinent data, i.e. full name, date of birth, home address, contact numbers. Please review this sheet tonight and make any needed corrections. The students have been given instructions to return the signed sheet tomorrow to receive a casual day coupon. This information is needed to ensure that we have accurate information before student labels are printed for the standardized testing in March - April. Thanks for your attention to this matter!

I wanted to give you an update of the upcoming activities for the month of January. Please plan accordingly and mark your calendar.

January, 2011

6 - New Century Presentation to all 8th graders at 8:30 in media center; Please have the students move to the media center immediately following the morning broadcast; 8th grade parents are welcome to attend.; HCS Board Meeting @ 5:30 p.m.

7 - Elementary RTI @ 9:00 a.m; PBS Celebration in gymnasium at 2:00 p.m. I can't wait to see which classes received the most STARerific BUCKS!The band will provide entertainment.

10 - Send report cards home; Middle School RTI meeting at 8:30 (6th - IB Room) and 9:15 a.m. (7-8) in Robertson's room

12 - Monthly F.E.E.D. meeting hosted by K-1 teachers; I can't wait to see what this group has in store for us! Learning is so much fun! Attention K-1 parents: Lisa Berry will be contacting you to provide snacks for the teachers for this meeting. Thanks for your support!

13 -  Carol Nixon, IBMYP Coordinator at Columbia High School, will speak to 8th graders at 2:00 in media center; 8th grade parents are welcome to attend this meeting.  

14 - ASFL's Got Talent @ 6:00 p.m.

17 - MLK Holiday (No School)

18 - 5th Grade Field Trip to Alabama A & M from 12:00 - 1:15

19 - Next progress report for 3rd grading period;

20 - HCS Board Meeting @ 5:30 p.m.

21 - Elementary RTI meeting @ 9:00 a.m.

24 - Middle School RTI meeting @ 8:30 (6th IB Room) and 9:15 (7-8 Ryan's Room)

25 - CIP Review #4 Walkthrough from 8:30 - 10:00; Five parent volunteers are needed from 8:30 - 10:00 to cover classes while the School Leadership Team meets with teachers.

27 - Data Meeting for K-5; Two parent volunteers needed from 8:30 - 3:00 p.m.

As always, feel free to contact me if you have any questions, comments, or concerns.

Have a great week!

Tammy

Happy Holidays!

Dear ASFL Parents,

As we bring closure to the first semester, I’d like to start by mentioning the word ‘Thanks” which is something we normally do more in November, around the Thanksgiving holiday. However, I would be remiss if I did not once again thank you for your support of ASFL. I am certainly thankful to you for entrusting your children to us.  The staff and I will continue to work diligently to make ASFL a school that improves each day.

December certainly brings much excitement. The obvious holiday cheer is in the air, and the mood of most schools is usually very good in December. ASFL is no exception. Our students and staff have had an extraordinary month as well as an awesome first semester!

During this holiday break, please help your child remain academically focused. With all the excitement of the season, academic focus can wane somewhat. Take thirty minutes each day and read to or with your child. Let’s work together to keep the students focused! Of course, I want you to take time to relax! The students deserve it!

As you plan your second semester calendar, please consider giving our school a little of your time by volunteering and being visible at school. You would be amazed how powerful your presence in the school affects your child’s academic performance. Parental involvement is crucial!

Now we get time to take a break!  Enjoy your holiday, rest, relax, eat until you are merry, spend precious time with loved ones, laugh, chat about positive things, and count your blessings.  Time is a precious commodity and once it is gone, we can’t get it back – so spend time doing what you love to do and inspire those around you to do likewise!

I wish you the very happiest of holidays and look forward to another New Year with you, my

awesome parents!

Thanks for being a part of Team ASFL!

Sincerely yours,

Tammy Summerville, Ed.D.

Below is a brief list of activities and information for the month of January. As always, please refer to our school’s website or parent blog (www.asflparent.blogspot.com) for additional information.

January 2011


4          Students return; Coupon Book Fundraiser Begins $20.00/book; School earns $10.00 per book.

6          New Century High School presentation to 8^th graders;
            HCS Board of Education Work Session @ 5:30 p.m.

7          PBS Celebration @ 2:00 p.m.

10        Reports cards come home

14        ASFL’s Got Talent from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

17        No School

19        Progress Reports for 3^rd Grading Period

27        HCS Board of Education Meeting @ 5:30 p.m.

Casual for a Cause on Monday and Tuesday

The Outdoor Classroom Project committee has requested that Monday and Tuesday be designated as Casual for a Cause days to support our project. The request has been granted! Students may pay $1.00 per day to wear their casual clothes on Monday and Tuesday. All proceeds will benefit our outdoor classroom project!

Veteran's Day - November 11 (No School)

Please remember to thank our veterans for their service and sacrifices that they made for our country. Not only have these veterans made sacrifices, but also their families have shared in the sacrifices. To honor our veterans and their families, school will be closed on Thursday, November 11th.

Daylight Savings Time!

Please remember that time "falls" back one hour today. The students will gain one hour of sleep!:-)

News for November!

Dear Parents,

I would like to give a big thank you to everyone who sent it prizes and treats for the Positive Behavior Celebration. We had so much fun recognizing students for their wonderful behavior this past nine week grading period. Please encourage your child to continue to strive to receive STARerfic BUCKS! Congratulations to Ms. Weaver and Mr. Clark's homeroom/advisory classes for earning the most STARerfic BUCKS. These students received a coupon for a free Juice Alive drink as well as a pizza party. There were also individual students who were recognized for earning the most BUCKS: Shana Hines, Miya Richardson, Emily Perry, Chase Guida, and Antonio Raymundo. 

Special thanks to Lisa Berry, Rod Harris, and Columbia High School's IB students for coordinating our annual Fall Festival. This festival had the most attendees since I've been at ASFL. Of course, this event couldn't have been a success without your support. Thanks for sending in drinks, candy, prizes, and other items to make this event a success!

The Outdoor Classroom Project is making progress. Thanks to Jame Bailey, our appointed Public Relations Coordinator, for inviting some very special dignitaries to our Groundbreaking Ceremony on October 29. The following dignitaries attended: Ms. Laurie McCaulley, HCS School Board Member; Mr. Vallely, Representative from Mayor Battle's Office; and Mr. Will Culver, City Councilman. A special appreciation is also extended to Mr. George Kost, a landscape architect. We had lots of food sent in from parents for our reception. Wow! I thought we were having just punch and cookies; however, the SGA students and parents really stepped up to the plate! Thank you!

I will send you an update this week on the total amount of funds raised for the Outdoor Classroom Project as a result of the above activities. If you have any contacts that may be willing to provide financial resources for this project, please let us know. Mr. Blalock, Mrs. Traylor, Mr. Kost, and parents have drafted an extensive proposal and outline about the project that may be shared with individuals who may be willing to assist us with this project. 

Please remember to sign up to follow our Parent Blog at www.asflparent.blogspot.com, or on Twitter @asflk8. Also ASFL has a Facebook page @ASFLPTA. We also have a school calendar on our school website as well as at the bottom of the parent blog.  I use these resources to communicate to you the happenings at our school. I love technology!

Below are the upcoming activities at ASFL. Please mark your calendar. 

November 

5   Winter Holiday Pictures ( We had to schedule the pictures on this day to ensure that we receive them before the winter holiday break. I know that many parents include these pictures in the holiday cards.) Students may bring their school uniform to wear after having their pictures taken. Students who are not participating in the winter holiday pictures must wear their school uniform all day.

8  French Convention for 7th-8th Grade Students in Tuscaloosa, Alabama

9  PTA Meeting @ 6:00 p.m.

10  Progress Reports will come home for the 2nd Nine Week Grading Period

11 Veteran's Day (No School)

12  4th Grade Field Trip

15 5th Grade Field Trip

16  Hearing and Vision Screening for Kindergarten and 1st Grade Students

17  Data Meeting for Grades K-5; I need two parent volunteers to cover classes all day

18   IB MYP Authorization Team Visit; I will need 6 parents to cover middle school  classes while the teachers meet with the visiting team. 

19   IB MYP Authorization Team Visit; I will need 6 parents to cover middle school classes while the teachers meet with the visiting team.

24 - 26  Thanksgiving Holidays; No School

30  Energy Program for Students in grades 6-8 sponsored by TVA

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me via e-mail or at 256-428-7000.

Your 21st Century leader,

Tammy Summerville, Ed.D.

Huntsville City Schools Closing at 12:30 Today

Due to the expected severe weather, the Huntsville City Schools will be closing at 12:30 p.m. today. Extended day and all after-school activities have been cancelled. Please make arrangements for your child to be picked up.

Thanks,

Tammy Summerville

Please Mark Your Calendar!

Parents, please mark your calendar for the upcoming events that are listed below:

October 
18 Kindergarten Field Trip to Tate's Farm

18 - 19 Huntsville All-City Choral Festival; We have 19 choral students participating in this activity.

19 - 2nd Grade Field Trip

20-21 EXPLORE Assessment for 8th Graders; Career Interest Inventory; Academic Subjects

22 - Positive Behavior Support Celebration @ 2:15 p.m.; Fall Festival @ 6:00 p.m.; All proceeds will benefit the outdoor classroom project

25 - Parenting Day; Information will be coming home this week about the planned activities for the day. Student-led conferences will be conducted by the students. Students will meet with parents to review their goals for the year, current academic performance, and other work samples.; Report Cards Go Home


25- 29 Red Ribbon Week/Spirit Week - students may pay $5.00 to wear casual dress for entire week to celebrate Red Ribbon Week; all proceeds will benefit school outdoor classroom project; Details for each day will be forwarded to you later on this week.


26 - 29 American Project Life Field Trip - 6th Graders

27 - 8th Graders Visit to Lee High School Magnet Program

29 - 7th-8th Grade Field Trip to Huntsville Recycling; MEGA Party for students who participated in cookie dough fundraiser @ 2:00 p.m.

30 -International Festival @ UAH; 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.; Shelby Center; Admission is free; $5.00 charge to sample food