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 3rd: Student Holiday/Teacher Professional Development Day
- November 8th: Lower School Alternative Lunch Day
- November 8th: Haiti Shoebox Deadline
- November 12th: Admissions Open House #1 2:00PM
- November 16th: 2nd Grade Thanksgiving Writing Showcase 8:30AM (2nd Grade Classrooms)
- November 16th: 4th Grade Thanksgiving Feast 12:00PM (4th Grade Classrooms)
- November 16th: 1st Grade Thanksgiving Program 1:00PM (1st Grade Classrooms)
- November 17th: K4/TK/K Thanksgiving Program and Dessert Fellowship 12:00PM (Henry Chapel and Classrooms)
- November 20th-24th: Thanksgiving Break
- November 29th: 1st Grade Christmas Centers
- November 30th: 3rd Grade Magic Kingdom Field Trip
- December 1st: 4th Grade St. Augustine Field Trip
CHAPEL VENUES, DATES, & TIMES
The following is a list of upcoming chapel dates and times:
- November 8th: Lower School Veterans Day Chapel 1:00PM (Faith Hall)
- November 30th: K4-5th Grade Chapel- 8:30AM (Faith Hall)
- November 30th: 6th-12th Grade Chapel 9:25AM (Worship Center)
A NOTE FROM MRS. JACKSON
Do you recommend your favorite restaurant to your friends? What about your go-to vacation spot? We are eager to share the things that we love with the people who are important to us. What about our church? This Sunday is “Bring a Friend to Church” day for our TFA families. We are asking you to prayerfully consider inviting someone who is not plugged into a church to your home church this Sunday. Why not share one of the best things you do each week with someone? Many people shy away from trying out a church because of fear of not knowing anyone or having to sit by themselves. We can solve that issue right away. Most people who end up joining a church do so because someone invited them first.
In Lower School, we will be giving a week-long Spirit Wear pass to any student who sends in a picture with an invited friend from church this weekend. Please email all pictures to me at jenniferjackson@thefirstacademy.org by Wednesday, November 8th.
At First Baptist Orlando, the following special events will be taking place:
- Pancake and Waffle Breakfast for 6th – 12th grade served from 9:00am – 11:15am in Student Center lobby
- Go-Pro Hero Session Camera giveaway at the 10:00am service
- Other miscellaneous giveaways at 8:30am and 11:30am services
RECOGNITION
5th Grade Chapel Presentation-Mrs. Camblin’s Class
To sum up our study of Honesty, Mrs. Camblin’s class did an excellent presentation about the truth of Jesus.
Fire Truck Visit
To enhance our community helpers unit, Fire Company #7 came to TFA to share all about being a firefighter! The KPrep, TK, and K students learned how to stay safe and what to do in a fire!
NEW THIS WEEK
Invite a Friend Sunday
5th and 6th Grade Alternative Lunch Option for November 8th
Students in 5th and 6th Grade have the opportunity to order a Chick Fil A alternative lunch option for November 8th. Please see the link for alternative lunch taking place on November 8th: https://thefirstacademy.org/about/lunch/#. The final day to submit all orders will be Wednesday, November 1st.
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.