Lower School Blog, Week of April 20th

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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 24th: Rising 5th Grade Parent Meeting (Parents of Current 4th Grade Students) 3:15PM (Mrs. Camblin’s Room-LS 236)
April 25th: Rising 2nd Grade Parent Meeting (Parents of Current 1st Grade Students) 3:15PM (Mrs. Smith’s Room-LS 133)
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: Rising 6th Grade Parent Meeting (Parents of Current 5th Grade Students) 3:15PM (Mrs. Parmer’s Room-LS 234)
April 27th: Steel Drum Concert 6:30PM (Alumni Commons)
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 (Mrs. Combs’ Room-LS 210)
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 8th: Rising 1st Grade Parent Meeting (Parents of Current K Students) 3:15PM (Mrs. Williams’ Room-LS 138)
May 9th: Rising 3rd Grade Parent Meeting (Parents of Current 2nd Grade Students) 3:15PM (Mrs. Schuessler’s Room-LS 208)
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 27th: No Chapel
May 4th: No Chapel-National Day of Prayer
May 11th: K4-5th Grade Chapel: KPrep Class Presentation 8:30-9:15AM (Henry Chapel)
May 11th: 6th/MS Grade Chapel: 9:30-10:15AM (Henry Chapel)
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

It’s the time of year when all of us are already starting to think about next year!

The TFA Faculty and staff are committed to providing the best educational experience for each child. The Principal and Assistant Principal work with teacher(s) to prayerfully consider the needs of the student when making final decisions for student placement. Class placement decisions are based on many factors which include, but are not limited to, the student’s individual learning styles as well as emotional, social, and academic needs. Classroom structure and current teacher recommendations are also closely considered. Please understand that we do not take classroom teacher requests for student placement. It would be impossible for us to honor all of the different requests we receive. Thank you for your understanding.

Faculty and staff are not prepared—at this time—to share information regarding their assignment for the next year since we are currently in the process of finalizing teacher grade level assignments. However, God continues to bless us with a strong Lower School team. Please continue to keep our faculty and staff in your prayers throughout the summer as they prepare for a new school year.

RECOGNITION

6th Grade Bible Projects

Last week our six graders hosted the second annual Bible shadow fair. Third and fourth-grade classes eagerly listened to each of the stories that poured forth from the six graders’ hearts. One hundred shadow boxes were displayed with personalized life stories of the wise Bible characters from father Abraham to Paul’s experience with Jesus. It was a thrill to see their passion for the word of God!

NEW THIS WEEK

Alternative Lunch-Wednesday, April 26th

All students will have Alternative Lunch on Wednesday, April 26th. All students in K4-4th grade must bring a lunch from home. The Junior Class is offering an alternative lunch for students in grades 5-12 and faculty to purchase those days.

Lunch will be a Chick-fil-A Sandwich with chips & a water for $6.50. Extra Sandwich for $4.50.

To order, please visit https://thefirstacademy.org/about/lunch/ to order this lunch if interested. When you submit your order, you should receive a confirmation page. You may need to scroll back to the top if your screen goes blank. You should also receive a confirmation email within 15 minutes from Larissa Galloway confirming receipt of payment. You do have the option of ordering for multiple students. Food distribution will be in the gym lobby.

Please remember that if you do not like this option then you are welcome to bring something from home.

Rising Grade Level Parent Meetings

Parents of students in grades 1-5 are invited to attend an informative session on grade level expectations for the next year. Teachers will focus on benchmark learning skills critical for success for the new school year. Every parent should plan to attend. We have scheduled one session for each grade level. These are rising grade level meetings, so look for the grade your child will be in next year. Meetings will be held in the team leader’s classroom. Students of parents attending a session will be able to sit outside the classroom and will be under the supervision of other TFA faculty and staff for the duration of the meeting. All meetings will begin at 3:15pm.

Monday, April 24th

Rising Fifth Grade (Current 4^th Grade)

Mrs. Camblin’s Classroom-LS Room 236

Tuesday, April 25th

Rising Second Grade (Current 1st Grade)

Mrs. Smith’s Classroom-LS Room 133

Thursday, April 27th

Rising Sixth Grade (Current 5^th Grade)

Mrs. Parmer’s Classroom-LS Room 234

Tuesday, May 2nd

Rising Fourth Grade (Current 3^rd Grade)

Mrs. Combs’ Class-LS Room 210

Monday, May 8th

Rising First Grade (Current Kindergarten)

Mrs. Williams’ Class-LS Room 138

Tuesday, May 9th

Rising Third Grade (Current 2^nd Grade)

Mrs. Schuessler’s Classroom-LS Room 208

Royal Sapphires Auditions

Attention 5th-11th grade girls! Royal Sapphires Auditions will be held:

Monday, May 1st Time: 3:304:30PM

Faith Hall 3rd Floor Room CF

The Royal Sapphires Dance Team represents TFA at Football games, Pep Rallies, Parades, & Chapels. The Sapphires also use dance as a tool to witness the gospel in the community. Wear dance attire and come prepared to move! Some Dance experience is recommended.

For more info: Contact: Mrs. Collins US116 cynthiacollins@thefirstacademy.org or Mrs. Scott LeslieScott517@gmail.com

NEHS Tennis Shoe Drive

Our NEHS students are hosting a tennis shoe drive in conjunction with New Missions. We have drop off boxes in Lower Schoo to collect the shoes. We are encouraging our students to earn money to help buy shoes.

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.

Vacation Bible School 2017

First Baptist Orlando will be hosting a FREE Vacation Bible School (VBS) for students entering Kindergarten-5th grade. This year’s VBS will occur June 26th-30th from 9:30AM-12:30PM. It will be an interactive, creative experience for rising K-5th grade students. Register your child(ren) HERE for this fun and exciting opportunity.

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.