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:
- November 17th: K4/TK/K Thanksgiving Program and Dessert Fellowship 12:30PM (Henry Chapel and Classrooms)
- November 20th-24th: Thanksgiving Break
- November 29th: 1st Grade Christmas Centers
- November 29th: Deck the Halls
- November 30th: 3rd Grade Magic Kingdom Field Trip
- December 1st: 4th Grade St. Augustine Field Trip
- December 12th: Lower School Christmas Program Rehearsal
- December 13th: Lower School Christmas Program 10:00AM (Worship Center)
- December 13th: Alternative Lunch for Lower School
- December 19th: 2nd Quarter AR Deadline
- December 19th: Kindergarten Polar Express Day
- December 20th: Lower School Divisional Meeting 3:00PM (Lower School 235)
- December 21st: End of the 2nd Quarter: 12:15pm Dismissal
CHAPEL VENUES, DATES, & TIMES
The following is a list of upcoming chapel dates and times:
- November 30th: K4-5th Grade Chapel- 8:30AM (Faith Hall)
- November 30th: 6th-12th Grade Chapel 9:25AM (Worship Center)
- December 7th: K4-5th Grade Chapel-Mrs. Makar’s Class-8:30AM (Faith Hall)
- December 7th: 6th-12th Grade Chapel 9:25AM (Worship Center)
- December 14th: 6th-12th Grade Chapel 9:25AM (Worship Center)
- December 21st: K4-6th Grade Christmas Chapel 8:30AM (Faith Hall)
A NOTE FROM MRS. JACKSON
We are quickly approaching Thanksgiving Day and our week-long break. It is very easy for us to be thankful when we have a holiday to remind us but God really calls us to have a spirit of thanksgiving all year long.
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:18
It is very easy for me to focus on the challenging circumstances around me and lose sight of my thankful heart. Many of our Lower School families have walked through a painful situation in 2017 and we have prayed for one another. Through all of this, we have focused on generosity as we came together to support those impacted by the hurricanes throughout the U.S. We just finished our Haiti Shoebox Drive where our families reached deep into their pockets and through our partnership with New Missions, we will bless over 1,000 children this Christmas with a shoebox filled with both necessities and fun things to enjoy.
Know that I am thankful for each and every one of our Lower School faculty, staff, students, and parents. You all help make The First Academy different from the schools around us. I hope that everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving Break.
RECOGNITION
Shoeboxes for Haiti Drive
Each year, we set a goal for our shoebox drive and that goal has continued to go up each year. As I was working with our Parent Association representatives to plan for this year’s drive, I was concerned that we needed to set a realistic number because so many of our Lower School families had been impacted financially by Hurricane Irma. After much prayer and discussion, we landed on the goal of 800 shoeboxes. I will be honest . . . I was doubtful. God knew my doubts but He was faithful by moving in the hearts of our families. I am so proud to announce that we collected over 1,000 shoeboxes this year. What does that mean? That means over 1,000 Haitian children will be smiling this Christmas as they are given their shoebox.
Many, many thanks to Hellen Crescenti (mom to Gracyn-3rd, Camryn Reese-1st, and Lyla-KPrep) who organized our event this year. We worked very hard to keep the momentum going with the drive. We also want to thank all of the parents who helped pack up the shoeboxes last Thursday. That is definitely a labor of love but they worked hard to get it all done.
US Comfort Club
Each of the US students joins a club as part of the mentor time in the afternoons. Mr. Harvey is the sponsor of The Comfort Club and he reached out to Lower School because the students wanted to find a way to serve the teachers and students in a very tangible way. This past week, the US students volunteered in Mrs. Coffman’s TK class. They did an activity with the students and worked alongside them. This is something the students will be doing regularly in Lower School this year.
NEW THIS WEEK
New Date for Lower School Christmas Program
As we quickly approach the Christmas season, we want to notify all of our Lower School families of a change in date for the Lower School Christmas Program. This special event was originally scheduled for Friday, December 15th in Faith Hall. Through the gracious help of First Orlando, we are able to move this special event back to the Worship Center. In order to accommodate this adjustment, the date of the Lower School Christmas Program has been moved to Wednesday, December 13th. We wanted to notify our families as soon as possible for planning purposes.
Mark your calendars for this special event as we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ!
Lower School Christmas Program
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
10:00am
First Orlando Worship Center
2nd Quarter Reading Incentive
The TFA Library is excited to announce the Read Moooo-re Books Incentive Program for our K Prep through Second Grade Students! Each week, students can fill out a “Read MOOO-re Books” reading record form. Students can read any 10 books themselves, or the books may be read to them. Completed reading records (records with at least 10 books) should be turned in during the student’s regular library time each week in order to receive a special prize! The Read Mooo-re Books Incentive Program will last from October 16th-December 19th.
The second quarter’s reading incentive program for grades 3-8 is based on the Sunshine State Young Reader’s Award (SSYRA) reading lists. These books are chosen by the Florida Association of Media in Education and have not yet been pre-approved by the TFA Library staff. Parents, as always, please use your best judgment in helping your child choose books to read. After reading and passing the AR test (with a score of 70% or higher) for a SSYRA book, students will receive a small prize from the “Sunshine Store” during their class library time. This promotion will end January 12th. We hope your student finds a new favorite while they explore new authors and genres during this promotion. Students who read and pass the AR test for 5 or more books will be invited to a celebration lunch with SSYRA author Taryn Souders on Thursday, February 1st.
If you have any questions, please see Mrs. DeBoom or Ms. Whitaker in the library.
Read Mooore Books Reading Record
Service Opportunity for TFA Families
Loews Hotels and Feeding Children Everywhere are partnering together to package 375,000 healthy meals for those affected by the hurricanes in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico. All meals will be distributed to people in need in those 3 areas. There will be great music, good fun and a volunteer experience like no other!
Please note, this project is for children ages 7 and up. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Last Thanksgiving, we had many of our TFA families support this event. It is a great way for 6th graders to earn service hours. If you would like to sign up for this service opportunity, click HERE.
Say Goodbye to the Accelerated Reader App
The Accelerated Reader app is being retired and will no longer function on devices with the latest iOS updates. Please read below to find the updated Accelerated Reader Testing Directions for information on how to take AR tests without the app.
2017-2018 AR Testing Directions
Lower School Social Events Calendar
Check out our Social Events calendar hosted by our Parent Association in Lower School.
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
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.
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 in the classroom or chaperoning on a field trip.