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:
- October 27th: 4th Grade In-School Field Trip “The Heavens Declare”
- October 31st: Picture Retakes
- November 1st: 2nd Grade DinoWorld Field Trip (Group 1)
- November 1st: KPrep Farm Day
- November 2nd: 2nd Grade DinoWorld Field Trip (Group 2)
- November 2nd: 5th Grade Epcot Field Trip
- 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 2nd: K4-5th Grade Chapel-Mrs. Agan’s 1st Grade Class Presentation 8:30AM (Faith Hall)
- November 2nd: 6th-12th Grade Chapel 9:25AM (Faith Hall)
- 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
We had a wonderful Homecoming celebration last week beginning with our dress up days all the way through the 30th Anniversary Carnival and football game. It was so fun to see all of our Lower School families come together for activities like the parade and the carnival and just enjoy spending time with one another as a school community.
RECOGNITION
Kindergarten Chapel Presentation-Mrs. Martin’s Class
Mrs. Martin’s class did a fabulous chapel presentation based on the book, That’s Not What the Bible Says. They gave us many non-examples of different Bible stories and directed us back to what really happened.
5th Grade Special Visitor
Bala Usman, a friend of Mrs. Camblin’s from Africa, visited with the 5th graders on Tuesday. The students were so attentive and very stirred by his words and the pictures he shared. Seth and Mrs. Camblin prayed for Bala and then Bala prayed for them. It was a sweet time. Bala has a goal of starting 600 schools in Nigeria for children to have a Christian Education. It is a God size dream for sure. He loves children and has a heart for them to know Jesus. He is a simple man of faith and not much means. He is hoping to raise funds in America to support his efforts. He asked the students and teachers to pray for the children of Nigeria to love Jesus, for good teachers to join him, for Bala to build good schools and for the government to fear God and allow him to continue. He also prayed for God’s blessings to be on all of them. It was humbling to be reminded how so much of the world lives.
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
Lower School Social/Fun Spot Spirit Day (November 3rd)
Looking for something to do on your child(ren)’s day off? The Lower School Parent Association is hosting their next social on Friday, November 3rd at Fun Spot-Orlando. This is an all-day event as November 3rd is a Student Holiday/Teacher Professional Development Day. Please purchase your tickets for the LS all-day social HERE.
Lower School Day at Fun Spot-November 3rd
Lower School is having a Spirit Day on Friday, November 3rd to celebrate not having school that day. This Spirit Day will be at Fun Spot. The cost for an all-day pass for students is $25. Parents will be admitted for free but will not be allowed on rides unless they purchase a ticket for themselves. Purchase your student tickets HERE
5700 Fun Spot Way, Orlando, FL 32819
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.