IMPORTANT EVENTS & DATES FOR AUGUST

Parents, please take a moment to mark your calendars. The following are important dates that you do not want to miss:

  • August 7: Meet the Teacher
    • New Families – MS Building, 4:30pm
    • Returning Families (A-M) – MS Building, 5:15pm
    • Returning Families (N-Z) – MS Building, 7:00pm
  • August 7: New Family Dinner – Faith Hall, 5:15pm
  • August 7: All Family Worship – Worship Center, 6:00pm
  • August 8: TFA Day of Prayer
  • August 9: First Day of School
  • August 10: MS Assembly – Henry Chapel, 9:25am
  • August 10: MS Alternative Lunch – Bring a lunch from home
  • August 11: MS Alternative Lunch – Bring a lunch from home
  • August 17: MS/US Curriculum Night – MS/US Building, 6:00pm

NEW THIS WEEK

Alternative Lunch

August 10 & 11 are alternative lunch days for Lower and Middle School students. There will be no option to buy lunch; students need to bring a lunch from home on these days.

Middle School Updates

Dear Middle School Families,

I couldn’t be more excited to serve your students and lead this wonderful group of Middle School faculty for the 2017-2018 school year. With only a couple weeks left before everyone returns, I want to provide a few updates specific to Middle School.

Middle School Mentor Groups

We have implemented grade specific mentor groups in middle school this year. These classes are designed to monitor the progress of students throughout the school year in all aspects of student life at The First Academy. The goal is to guide and mentor students spiritually, academically and socially so that they will be able to navigate the ever increasing demands and rigors of society both on and off campus. Students will report to their mentors every Monday, Tuesday, and Friday. Mentor Group time on Mondays will be dedicated to spiritual formation, service, and academic advising. Tuesday and Friday mentor work period time will be dedicated to academics allowing for additional academic time, extra help, and specific focus on English and Math.

Middle School Academic Schedules

Academic schedules are now available to be viewed on RenWeb. All students have been scheduled according to their recommended placements and elective choices made last year. If there is a problem with the schedule or you need to request a change, please email Mr. Garrett Wood in the Guidance office at garrettwood@thefirstacademy.org. There will be additional time for schedule changes during the first two weeks of school but please understand that not all requests can be accommodated.

Middle School Contact Information

Middle School Assistant Principal – Mr. Chris Mayberry will handle everything middle school related including but not limited to student life, discipline, etc.

Mentor group leaders will provide an additional point of contact for parents to discuss academic or social concerns. Your student’s mentor will be listed on their schedule prior to the start of school so please check RenWeb just before you return.

Grade level leaders may be contacted for grade specific questions. Their contact info is listed below:

Garrett Wood will be the Middle School contact for guidance related questions. His primary focus is Upper School College Guidance but Mr. Wood will also serve as the Middle School Guidance contact if you have questions about the College Guidance process as your child gets ready for high school. He can be reached at garrettwood@thefirstacademy.org.

Mary Gooseman is the MS/US Administrative Assistant. Her email is marygooseman@thefirstacademy.org and she will be your primary contact to arrange a meeting with the Principal during the year if the above resources do not answer your questions.

Also, as you are aware the 2017-2018 school year theme is “First Things First” and that will form the foundation for a number of initiatives throughout the year. In addition to the main school year theme, the sub-theme for middle and upper school this year is “Respect,” and we will be focusing on this topic in our mentor groups and throughout the school year as well. We look forward to this school year and we thank you for partnering with us. Please let me know if I can help in any way.

Sincerely,

Garry Sullivan signature

Mr. Garry Sullivan

Middle and Upper School Principal

WT Cafe – New Lunch Program

We are so excited to be partnering with WT Care for our school lunch program. Many of you were able to sample some of the offerings during New Family Orientation. The process for Lower School Instructions for registering your account and adding funds:

  • Visit www.wtcafe.com
  • A box should pop-up in your browser window with “Welcome to WT Cafe” at the top. In this window select your location, which is Orlando
  • Once “Orlando” has been selected, click “Order Now” (located in a big red box on the right side of the page, at the top)
  • Once on the next page, you will need to sign-up. Find the area labeled “Not A Customer? Sign Up” and click there
  • Continue on, completing the required fields
  • Once all of the fields have been successfully filled out, your registration will be complete and you will receive an email from WT Cafe with your login information
  • You will need to follow the instructions provided in the email to login to your newly registered account, add funds, and view the menu. You can even sign up for Auto-Reload so you don’t have to worry about manually re-filling your account. As long as your account is funded, your student will come through the line and enjoy a fresh, delicious, made from scratch lunch!

Frequently Asked Questions:

  1. What if I had a balance on my “GetFunds” account from last year? Once your account is created in WT Cafe, First Baptist will transfer your funds balance to your new WT account. First Baptist will NOT cut checks and mail them.
  2. What if the site won’t let me register because my email is already in their system? We have run into several instances already where parents cannot register at WTCafe.com because their email is already in the system from when they were a past customer. If this happens, please contact WT Café via their online Chat Helpdesk or via email at orlando@wtcafe.com.
  3. My child is in K4 or TK, are they able to purchase lunch as well? K4 and TK students will have the ability to purchase lunch and it will be delivered to the classrooms as has been done in years past. Please follow the same registration and account funding instructions above.
  4. What if the form asks for a “Teacher Name” when I am trying to register? I don’t know who my child’s teacher is yet. WT Cafe has added an option called “TBD” under TEACHER NAME. Lower School parents should choose this option for now, and then update it later once their teacher assignments are known.
  5. What if my child has food allergies? If your child has food allergies, you will be able to pre-select their allergy-friendly meal by ordering online at WTCafe.com. Children with pre-orders will not be permitted to add A La Carte items to their meals, and their side items will always consist of one fresh fruit and one fresh veggie (no dips, dressings, or sauces will be provided).
  6. Who do I contact if I am having problems setting up my account or adding funds? You can contact WT Cafe on WT Cafe’s online Chat Helpdesk or by email at orlando@wtcafe.com. You can also call the Orlando office at 407-618-5555.

Sapphires Dance Teams

JV Sapphires Dance Team

Varsity Sapphires dance team

Congratulations to our LS, MS and US students on the Royal Sapphires Dance Teams!

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.