Good afternoon!

To recap last week... On Tuesday and Wednesday the third and fourth graders completed the Language Arts (Reading) portion of the FSA.  It seemed to go well - it worked logistically and the students seemed comfortable with the test itself,  but we won't have results for quite a few weeks.  This week they will take the math portion on Tuesday and Wednesday.  Since few students participated in the PTO-provided breakfast of oatmeal and fruit, the PTO will switch to fruit, juice and a granola bar for each child both days.  Students who usually get breakfast through the school-lunch program will be able to do so before the tests begin.  This is available for all students.

The Multicultural Fair was well-attended Friday afternoon despite the bad weather.  Mrs. North and Mrs. Tirotta simply moved it all inside!  Thank you to all of the parents, students, and teachers who participated and attended the event. There were dance demonstrations led by Mrs Tirotta and performed by the elementary Spanish classes.  The elementary students through the social studies and art classes showed what they have learned about different countries throughout the world.  The kindergartners even made a life-sized totem pole. The middle schoolers shared information about artists and holidays representative of many countries.    There was food representing most of the countries and everyone seemed to enjoy it.  There certainly wasn't anything left over!  The sixth grade science class showed a different perspective through their presentation of the history of the space program ending with the cooperation of many countries in the International Space Station, truly a multicultural endeavor! The parent support for the students is very much appreciated.  The students love to show off what they can do!  It was a great event!

This Thursday the hearing screenings will be given for kindergarten, first and sixth graders.  The Governing Board will also meet Thursday for the regular monthly business meeting at 8:00 AM in the office.  Then, Friday is a professional day for teachers so there will be no school for the students.

Have a wonderful week!

Good afternoon!  I hope you're out doing something fun with your families since it is such a beautiful day!  There are lots of things going on this week, so please be sure you check the calendar and read the weekly information packet coming home tomorrow.  

First of all, a heartfelt thank you goes out to the parents and family members who worked in the garden area yesterday.  There is still work to be done, but you can see the improvements already!  It's a BiG job!  Also, thanks to those who helped out in the costume house and with the animal shelter visit.  Our parents (and the teachers who spearheaded these activities) are invaluable to SAA.  The student government and student gardening clubs have been very active.

The third and fourth graders will have the language arts (reading) portion of the FSA this Tuesday and Wednesday.  The test is given in two 80-minute sessions, one each day.  If your child typically does not eat breakfast before leaving for school, the PTO will have a protein-rich breakfast beginning at 7:30 AM both days for these two grades.  They can also get breakfast from the "cafeteria" until 8:00.   Testing will run from 8:00 to 10:30 with designated breaks and extended time if required by an IEP or ELL Plan.  Please be sure your child gets a good night's sleep, eats a healthy breakfast, and is at school on time. (I am sending a separate letter home to parents of third graders with tomorrow's packet.)

Mrs. Julie is sending home another form for parents regarding the spring play sponsorships and/or ads for the playbill.  They must be turned in no later than Tuesday.  

Mr. Matt will be sending a letter to parents of 7th and 8th graders in the packet regarding a planned trip to Tallahassee for the "Rally in Tally" on April 7.  All charter schools in the state are being asked to participate to show support for the charter schools and choice programs as an alternative to traditional public schooling.  Matt and Mrs. Larson (middle school social studies teacher) will be taking a few students up to Tallahassee to participate in the rally and attend a session of the Florida Legislature.  This is a wonderful opportunity for students to participate in our state government, but it is limited to certain students.  Civics is a required course now for 7th graders and this trip gives the current and past civics students a chance to see in action what they have studied.  Please read the letter carefully and send in your response if you are interested.  We hope to make this an annual event.  This is also a chance for parents, students, and teachers to participate by writing letters to the legislators thanking them for their support, share a charter school success story, and urge them to continue their support for the more than 650 charter schools in Florida.  If you want to send the letter to school, we will mail them as a group by April 1st to ensure they arrive before the rally.  

The foreign language teachers (Mrs. North and Mrs. Tirotta) with the assistance and input of many of the teachers and their students will be hosting a multi-cultural fair with food, project displays, and music from 4PM to 6PM this Friday in the reading garden. Last year's fair was a huge success and we hope to make it even better this year.  We have a diverse population and want to celebrate the heritage of all of our students.  Please come out and support the students as they share what they have learned about different nations.  You can sign up on the SAA website or send a note in with your child.  You received a flyer last week, but another one will be included in the tomorrow's packet.

This Saturday, March 28, the middle school students will be hosting a pancake breakfast at Applebee's to help fund their spring trips.  All families are welcome and tickets can be obtained from the middle school students or in the JRA office after school until Thursday.  

Have a wonderful week!

I hope everyone had a wonderful spring break.  This week will be a busy one so please read all the information in the weekly packet and check out the calendar.

Spring pictures for individuals and classes will be Tuesday, March 17.  Please call the office Monday if you need another order form. Play pictures will be Wednesday for the middle schoolers, Thursday for 1st/2nd graders and 5th graders, and Friday for kindergarten and 3rd/4th graders. The advanced chorus has a concert Wednesday evening.  FAIR (reading) assessments will be Tuesday through Friday for 3rd through 8th graders.

The third and fourth graders will be doing a final review this week for the FSA tests in language arts and math that will begin March 24.  The language arts, or reading, assessment is the "gateway" test for third graders.  We do not know what the score must be for students to "pass" since this is a new test this year.  In the past students had to score a 2 or better on the FCAT2.0 Reading to pass from 3rd to 4th grade.  Mrs. Graddy, our reading specialist, has been assisting daily in the third grade classroom and will continue to do so until the test date.  Ms. Diaz has been sending home review material in math and reading and has been doing daily reviews for math in class.  Please continue to review with your children and encourage them to work on raz kids. Ms. Confer and Mrs. Howard have done the same with the fourth graders.  Continue with IXL for the math review.  Hopefully, you have visited the fsassessments.org site to preview the tests.  These tests are important but please discuss them in an encouraging way so students will not be overly stressed.  Remind them to just do their best.  You will receive a mailed letter regarding the testing later this week.

We had work done over the break on the sewer connection to the office but it was not finished.  Please be careful when pulling through the carline and when parking in front of the office.  The project should be completed very soon.  Then we will be asking for help fixing up the reading garden. This will be an opportunity to get your volunteer hours in if you still need to do so.  

Have a wonderful week!

Good afternoon!

First of all, I want to thank all of the students, parents and teachers who have participated in the campaigns to raise money for the American Heart Association through Jump Rope for Hearts and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through the Pasta for Pennies Campaign.  Thanks also go out to the parents, teachers, and especially the students who worked and patronized the pancake breakfast at Applebee's Saturday.  The students who worked were wonderful at seating patrons and serving.  The teachers and parents bussed tables, cleaned dishes and worked in the kitchen.  I know the students are appreciative of your support.  All of the students who sold tickets will received $6.00 credit per ticket towards their field-trip fees.  Any extra money earned will go towards the general cost of transportation.  There will be another Applebee's breakfast fundraiser on Saturday morning, March 28th. This one will assist the 8th graders for their 8th grade trip. 6th and 7th graders will also have an opportunity to sell tickets again. They would greatly appreciate the support of any SAA family and will make tickets available for them. 


Tomorrow we have the first of the Florida Assessments for this school year.  The eighth graders will complete the writing assessment on the computer.   The tests will begin at 8:00 and last two hours.  The fourth through seventh graders will test on Tuesday on a paper-based writing assignment.  They also will begin at 8:00 and work for two hours.  Please be on time. Students who arrive late either day will have to wait in the office and test later in the week.  All students 4th trough 8th grade must complete this test this week.  

The kindergarten through second grade will complete the iReady monitoring tests Wednesday through Friday during their computer class times.  

Everyone in grades 4 through 8 should have brought home a progress report for third quarter.  Please return the signed slip so we know you are aware of your child's grades.  You can indicate on the form if you want a conference and a teacher will contact you.

The March Governing Board Meeting will be Thursday, March 5 at 8:00 in the administration building.

Mrs. Julie has asked that I remind you of the following:

1. T-shirt orders for all spring musicals are due this Wednesday.  There is a T-shirt for middle school students for Once Upon A Mattress and a T-shirt with all four logos for kindergarten through 5th grade-Winnie the Pooh, Jungle Book, School House Rock, and Annie. Artwork for the shirts can be viewed in the SAA office. 
2. Information on ads for both playbills and sponsorships went home last week. They can be turned in any time but must be turned in right after spring break. Call Julie for additional information. 
   
3. Costume information will go home this Wednesday. Please watch for it. 
   
4. Tickets for Once Upon A Mattress  are currently available online at the Players Theatre on their website at theplayers.org or by calling their Box Office.  All seats are reserved. This is a middle school production but ALL SAA families are invited to attend. Tickets are also available to the general public. There are 488 seats in the Players Theatre and we want all of them filled so don't forget to get your tickets soon for the best seats!!

Don't forget that Spring Break is next week, March 9 through 13.  Have a great week!  Encourage your fourth through eighth graders to be rested for the writing assessments, think about what they have been taught, and do their best to write a cohesive and meaningful manuscript.