IMPORTANT UPCOMING EVENTS & DATES 

Parents, please take a moment to mark your calendars. The following are important dates that you do not want to miss:

  • April 7th:  4th Grade Water Systems Field Trip (Combs)
  • April 10th-13th:  K-8th Grade Standardized Testing
  • April 11th:  Rising 7th Grade Parent Meeting (Parents of Current 6th Grade Students) 3:30PM (Black Box Theater)
  • April 14th:  Good Friday/No School
  • April 17th:  Easter Monday/No School
  • April 18th: Parent University-Digital Citizenship 8:15AM (Field House Lobby)
  • April 19th:  K4-4th Grade Alternative Lunch (Not including 5th and 6th)
  • April 24th:  Rising 5th Grade Parent Meeting (Parents of Current 4th Grade Students) 3:15PM (5th Grade Classroom)
  • April 25th:   3rd Grade Wax Museum 8:00-10:30AM (Gym)
  • April 26th:  K4-6th Grade Alternative Lunch
  • April 26th:  TK Field Trip to Lukas Buttterfly Nursery
  • April 27th:  Steel Drum Concert 6:30PM (Alumni Commons)
  • May 1st:  Rising 3rd Grade Parent Meeting (Parents of Current 2nd Grade Students) 3:15PM (3rd Grade Classroom)
  • May 2nd:  Parent Association Meeting 10:45AM-12:00PM (Faith Hall 301)
  • May 2nd:  Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon 12:00PM (Faith Hall 301)
  • May 2nd:  Rising 4th Grade Parent Meeting (Parents of Current 3rd Grade Students) 3:15PM (4th Grade Classroom)
  • May 4th:  National Day of Prayer
  • May 5th:  2nd Grade Eco Cafe (2nd Grade Classrooms)
  • May 5th:  LS Evening at the Arts-Peter Pan Jr. 7:00PM (Natalie Thomas Gymnasium)
  • May 6th:  LS Evening at the Arts-Peter Pan Jr. 7:00PM (Natalie Thomas Gymnasium)
  • May 10th:  1st Grade International Day
  • May 10th:  6th Grade Mother’s Day Event
  • May 10th:  KPrep Mother’s Day Celebration 8:15AM (KPrep Classrooms)
  • May 12th:  Kindergarten Muffins with Moms 8:15AM (K Classrooms)
  • May 12th:  6th Grade Missions Fest
  • May 13th:   Royal Academy of Arts and Enrichment Recital 4:00PM (Faith Hall)
  • May 15th:  Kindergarten Field Trip to Lego Land
  • May 17th:  Kindergarten Superkids Day
  • May 18th:  LS Awards Chapel 1:00PM (Faith Hall)
  • May 24th:  LS End of the Year Celebration/Last Day of School

CHAPEL VENUES, DATES, & TIMES

The following is a list of upcoming chapel dates and times:

  • April 13th:  No Chapel Due to Standardized Testing
  • April 20th:  K4-5th Grade Chapel:  Miss Huckleberry’s/Miss Rowley’s Class Presentations 8:30-9:15AM (Faith Hall)
  • April 20th:  6th/MS Grade Chapel:  9:30-10:15AM (Faith Hall)
  • April 27th:  No Chapel
  • May 4th:  No Chapel-National Day of Prayer
  • May 11th:  K4-5th Grade Chapel:  KPrep Class Presentation 8:30-9:15AM (Faith Hall)
  • May 11th:  6th/MS Grade Chapel:  9:30-10:15AM (Faith Hall)
  • May 18th:  LS Awards Chapel 1:00PM (Faith Hal)
  • May 24th:  LS End of the Year Chapel 8:15AM (Faith Hall)

A NOTE FROM MRS. JACKSON

Next week is when we take our standardized test in K-6th grade!   We look at this as a time for our students to shine and demonstrate their achievement.    We also realize this is a 4-day look within the whole school year.   Our goal is to keep the testing days stress-free for the students.
There are a few things you can do as parents to help the week go smoothly:
  • Ensure your child gets adequate rest each night
  • Prepare a healthy breakfast for him/her on testing mornings
  • Arrive at school on time
  • Affirm your child that he or she will be successful
  • Send your child in with a healthy snack

We ask that all parents drop their children at school and go about their day.   We cannot have parents in the building when we start testing.   Thank you for your cooperation!

RECOGNITION

March Madness-Week 5 Winners

The 6th and FINAL week of March Madness began this week.    This week’s winners will win a free spirit wear day for Thursday, April 13th. During week five, the competing teams combined to earn a total of 1.665.4 AR points!!

To reward their hard work and to encourage a strong finish, we decided to offer an additional challenge to all 1st through 8th grade students: If the total number of AR points at the end of the day on Friday, April 7th is 15,000 points or more, ALL 1st through 8th grade classes will be rewarded with a DOUGHNUT CELEBRATION!!! We have every confidence our kids can do this!!! Please encourage your kiddos to read and take tests, even if you’re in a bye week, because for this challenge we will be counting the numbers for ALL 1st through 8th grade classes this week! As of the end of the day Friday, the classes had combined to earn 11,918.7 points over the past 5 weeks. Only 3,081.3 points to go! We can get there!!!!

East Region (1st and 2nd Grades):

  • Makar’s St. Mary’s Gaels: 23.2
  • Williams’ Miami Hurricanes: 41.7
  • Smith’s Cincinnati Bearcats: 69.5
  • Dowling’s Louisville Cardinals: 41.8
  • Wall’s Baylor Bears: 24.7
  • Fox’s Gonzaga Bulldogs: 84.9
  • Bye week: Agan’s Kansas Jayhawks

West Region (3rd and 4th Grades):

  • Walton’s Maryland Terrapins: 197.8
  • Lamp’s Wichita State Shockers: 44.1
  • Rowley’s UCLA Bruins: 116.9
  • Combs’ Xavier Musketeers: 134.7
  • Bye Week: Schuessler’s SMU Mustangs

Midwest Region (5th and 6th Grades):

  • Camblin’s UNC Tarheels: 120.3
  • Bell’s FSU Seminoles: 237.5
  • Fitzgerald’s Arizona Wildcats: 83.9
  • Parmer’s Notre Dame Fighting Irish: 83.0
  • Dvorak’s Oregon Ducks: 38.6
  • Pastis’ Duke Blue Devils: 47.7
  • Brown’s Virginia Cavaliers: 58.4
  • Diehl’s Villanova Wildcats: 61.0

Ms. Wall’s Class

Ms. Wall’s 2nd Grade class closed out our look at compassion with a terrific chapel presentation.    We are really proud of them and their hard work!

Ms. Wall's class after chapel

STEAM Machine Family Expo

On Monday, we had our first STEAM Machine Family Expo after school.  Families were encouraged to build a machine that accomplished a common task.    We only had a few participants but we had a lot of fun.     We popped a balloon, flew an airplane and saved a school from the fire.

4th grade girls at expo K student at expo After Care visits the expo Machine popping the balloon Machine putting out the fire Machine flying a plane Giving it another try

 

Math League Competition

We had a group of 4th, 5th and 6th grade students compete in a district level math competition this past weekend.  Congratulations to Faith DeBoom, Evan Ryan, Jacob Morse, and Sarah Jackson for placing 3rd overall out of all the teams.     Hope DeBoom also qualified to attend the state math competition based on her performance!  Way to go Mathletes!

6th Grade Math Team

Mother/Son Bootcamp

We had so much fun last Friday night at the Mother-Son Bootcamp.  We played tug-of-war, pizza box frisbee, and even braved an inflatable obstacle course.  There was lots of laughter and even some happy tears.   It was a fun time for TFA moms and their sons.

musical chairs Pizza box frisbee

NEW THIS WEEK

Peter Pan Jr.-Save the Date

Our 4th-6th graders will be presenting Peter Pan Jr. on Friday, May 5th and Saturday, May 6th in the evening in the Natalie Thomas Gymnasium.  Please mark your calendars for this fun event.  Tickets will go on sale very soon.

Peter Pan Jr. Save the Date

 

Catch a Dragon by the Tale Reading Incentive

The TFA library is excited to announce the beginning our 3rd quarter reading incentive program for K Prep, TK, and Kindergarten students. The Catch a Dragon by the Tale Reading Incentive Program will last from February 21st-April 7th.  Each week, students can fill out a Catch a Dragon by the Tale reading record form.  Extras are available on the library webpage at www.thefirstacademy.org/academics/library.  After you read a story with your child, or your child reads a book independently, fill out the reading record.  After ten books are read, please return the reading record to your child’s teacher. Students will then be able to choose a prize during their class library time. We’re excited to see how many books our youngest readers can read over the next several weeks!

Catch a Dragon by the Tale Reading Record

Library Closure

The library will be closed for CTP4 testing on Monday, April 10th – Thursday, April 13th from 7:30AM-11:00AM.  Lower School students should report to the Natalie Thomas Gymnasium for morning care on those days.

 4th Quarter AR Deadline

The 4th quarter AR deadline is Friday, May 19th.  Please note,  the last AR test day for students who hope to achieve the AR 200% Club award for the 2016-2017 school year is Monday, May 15th.

Any tests taken between May 16th and May 19th will still count toward the 4th quarter goal.  However, students hoping to achieve the AR 200% Club award for the 2016-2017 school year must take the AR test by Monday, May 15th.

 

TFA Summer Preschool Opportunity

TFA’s Preschool is so very excited to welcome children, 8 weeks- 3 years old, back to campus for summer fun! Please see the attached flyer for more information. We love welcoming familiar Preschool families and new families too! Please feel free to pass along to family and friends.  Click HERE for more information or to register.

Extended Library Hours

In an effort to better serve our TFA families, the Boyd-Moline Library will extend their afternoon hours beginning next week.  The library will be open until 4:30pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays for the remainder of the school year.  Students must still be accompanied by parents or guardians in the library after school.  Accelerated Reader testing will be available until 4:15pm and book checkout until 4:20pm.

REMINDERS

Morning Dropoff-7:30AM

This is just a friendly reminder that students may be dropped off beginning at 7:30AM.  If you arrive to school prior to that time, we request that students remain with their parents until 7:30AM.  The library and the gym are open at that time.  Student supervision does not begin until that time.

AR HomeConnect

Over the summer, we had an update to our Renaissance Learning program that we use for Accelerated Reader, Accelerated Math, and STAR Testing.  Many parents like to receive email updates when their children take Accelerated Reader and Accelerated Math tests.  You can set your preferences using Renaissance Learning HomeConnect.  If you had this set up previously, you will need to complete the process again.

Library Hours

The Boyd Moline Library will be open until 4:30pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays for the remainder of the school year.  Students must still be accompanied by parents or guardians in the library after school.  Accelerated Reader testing will be available until 4:15pm and book checkout until 4:20pm.  It will close at 3:30pm on Friday and at 2:40pm on Wednesdays.

Calendar Link

The TFA Calendar is a wonderful way to find the dates of upcoming events. Access our web-based calendar anytime. We recommend that you subscribe to all relevant calendars so you can keep up with all of the events going on around the school.

Parent Volunteer Background Check

If you are a new parent and would like to volunteer in your child(ren)’s classroom(s) or chaperone on field trips please complete our free background check.  Please note that the background check site only works on Internet Explorer or Firefox on a desktop computer. Safari and Chrome are not supported by the site. Approvals take a few weeks so plan ahead! All parents must have a completed background check before volunteering of chaperoning on a field trip.