HAPPY BIRTHDAY DR. HIGGINS
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER DATES
Please take a moment to mark your calendars. The following are important dates that you don’t want to miss for September.
Sept 22 MS Chapel- 9:30am- Faith Hall-Speaker Ruth Anne Davis
Sept 28 MS/US “See You At The Pole”- 7:15am- US Loop
Oct 4 1st Quarter AR Deadline
Oct 4 PA Meeting – 8:15am- Faith Hall Room 301
Oct 5 Royal Dads’ Event-7:55am-Faith Hall Room 301
Oct 6 MS/US Assembly – Faith Hall- 9:30am Cinderella Special Performance
Oct 7 End of 1st Quarter- Early Dismissal 12:15pm
Oct 10 No School Student Holiday/ Teacher Workday
Oct 11 2nd Quarter Begins
Oct 11 MS Portrait Retakes
Oct 13 MS Chapel- Faith Hall 9:30am
Oct 19 8th Grade PSAT Testing
Oct 19 MS 8th Grade PAL DC Parent Meeting – TFA Library 3pm-4pm
THINKS & THOUGHTS
Oh, the thinks you can think
If you’re willing to try…Think invisible ink!
Or a gink with a stink!
Or a stair to the sky…
If you open your mind,
Oh, the thinks you will find
Lining up to get loose…
Oh, the thinks you can think
When you think about… Celebrating Learning and wearing PINK!
RECOGNITION
Middle School 2016-2017 ECHO Representatives
7th
Rossmeissl- Chase Horton
Render- Kalli Kuck
Taurisano- Hannah Brady
Menz- Katie Newsom
Gordon- Paris Wilson
8th
Englund- Blake Murphy
Rymer- Bruna Endler
Requejo- Georgia Cash
Hurlebaus- Rainier St. Fort
Grosshans- Emily Rhodes
Congratulations to all our students who participated in our SGA elections this year!
Dr. Luci Higgins-
Happy little Pottery peeps. Just to make you grin.
Middle School Pottery
NEW ITEMS
Middle School- Homecoming October 3-7
The week of Homecoming starts with the completion of grade level banners for the parade. Student Government representatives are given the responsibility of designing their grade’s banner. All students are then given an opportunity to sign up for a date and time to help with this project. All Middle School banners are created on school property at various assigned locations and days from 3:15pm until 4:15pm. Students are responsible for informing parents if they are assisting with this project. Any parent interested in supervising should contact the appropriate grade level coordinator – your help would be greatly appreciated.
Middle School Dress Up Days
Monday, October 3 – College Team Jersey: Favorite College Team – T-shirts, Jerseys. Wear with jeans or uniform bottoms.
Tuesday, October 4 – School Year Theme-In God We Trust–Patriotic Themed Clothing ( Red, White, Blue t-shirts, jerseys) Wear with jeans or uniform bottoms.
Wednesday, October 5 – Florida Sunshine State Day: Flip Flops, Sunglasses, T-shirts or Tropical Hawaiian Shirts. Wear with jeans or uniform bottoms.
Thursday, October 6 – Wacky Wig and Hat Day: Wear a hat or wig and a TFA t-shirt with jeans or uniform bottom.
HC Pep Rally 6:00pm–7:30pm at PSAC
Friday, October 7 – Homecoming Shirt Dress Up Day. Students may 2016 Homecoming T-shirt or TFA T-shirt. Wear with jeans or uniform bottoms.
The following items are not acceptable:
- Tank tops
- Spaghetti straps, strapless, midriff tops
- Torn clothing
- No outfits above 3” from the knee
- Low cut shirts/blouses
- Tight fitting outfits
- Pajama pants
- Any non-uniform clothing not going with the theme of the day
Friday Schedule
Special Homecoming Alternative MS Schedule
Parade at 11:00am, Half-day/ End of Quarter
Of course, you have to experience the Homecoming football game against P.K. Yonge (7:00pm kick-off) and the halftime crowning of our new King and Queen. If you plan on attending, admission to the game is free for students with I.D.’s and $7 for adults.
Severe Weather Inside Dismissal
-Students are dismissed from 7th period to ECHO classrooms
-Students without signed parent permission slips are dismissed when a parent visits the lobby to pick them up. MS Office will contact ECHO classroom teacher.
–Students with signed parent permission slips are dismissed
–Student shows text from parent stating location of parent on TFA campus
–Parent emails ECHO teacher stating their arrival and location on TFA campus
REMINDERS
- College Admissions Process
- Standardized Testing Information
- Upper School Grading Scale and GPA
- Upper School Curriculum Levels
- Upper School Course Scheduling Process for rising 9th graders
You can Click Here to Sign Up for any one of the dates below: Room 151 in the Upper School
Thursday, September 29 at 7:50 am- 8:40 am
Thursday, October 6 at 7:50 am- 8:40 am
Thank you to all those who made it to the first meeting!
Middle School Attendance
All attendance notifications and questions should be communicated directly to Ms. Lyn Maxime, the new attendance clerk for both the Upper and Middle School divisions. All Middle School students who are tardy to campus must check in with Ms. Maxime when they arrive at school. You may contact Ms. Maxime concerning your student being tardy or absent at (407)206-8630 or email her at msattendance@thefirstacademy.org.
E.C.H.O.…..E.C.H.O.!
E.C.H.O. stands for Every Child Has an Opportunity! It’s your student’s opportunity to grow and provides a home base for communicating here in the Magnificent Middle School! E.C.H.O. is your key (Did you hear that E.C.H.O.?) to communicating with your Magnificent Middle School Scholar. Let me E.C.H.O. that! It is your key (E.C.H.O) to communicating with your Middle School Scholar!
Here are the ABC’s of how E.C.H.O. can serve you and your student:
- Ask your student WHO their E.C.H.O. teacher is. That is vital information; let me encourage you to let that name E.C.H.O. in your mind. It will serve you well all year!
- Make-up work or testing can easily be arranged and completed during your student’s E.C.H.O. class.
- Inclement weather dismissal is always done through E.C.H.O. class.
7th Grade E.C.H.O. teachers:
- Dana Menz Room 156
- Jeff Rossemiessl Room 160
- Bette Gordon Room 153
- Becky Render Room 158
- Katie Taurisano Room 162
8th Grade E.C.H.O. teachers:
- Lindsey Hurlebaus Room 246
- James Grosshans Room 248
- Christy Requejo Room 259
- Yvonne England Room 250
- Shannon Rymer Room 252
Start & Dismissal Times
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday: 7:50am-3:15pm
Wednesday: 7:50am-2:40pm
Gluten Free Options Available in the Cafeteria
Students with gluten sensitivities have a few options in our cafeteria. Please ask for Chef Jaime, Greg, or Emily for assistance. Options include gluten free pasta available daily as well as grab and go salads, grilled chicken and hamburger patties. There are also a few items on the menu that can be tailored to be gluten free.
Dress Code
- Only Dennis or Sunshine uniform tops and bottoms are acceptable.
- Female skirts, skorts, and shorts must rest below mid-thigh while seated.
- Male shorts must be an appropriate length
- Skirts, skorts, and shorts may not be hemmed to an inappropriate length.
- Students must wear flat, closed-toed, closed-heeled shoes (heels, platform shoes, boots, sandals, etc., are not permitted).
Our goal with the uniform policy is for students to maintain a professional look while at school. We appreciate your understanding and partnership.
New Uniform Item Available
Want to stand out from the crowd? Dress blazers are now available for all 6th-12th-grade students (male & female). Step up your wardrobe game and come to school dressed to impress! Blazers can be purchased in person at the Dennis Uniform Store (1101 N. Keller Road, Suite G-3 , Orlando, FL 32810) or online here: http://www.dennisuniform.com/ONLStore/d-store-home.asp?pageitem=12&pagenumber=1&gn=2&sc=ETF&dis=20851816