IMPORTANT EVENTS & DATES FOR DECEMBER & JANUARY
Parents, please take a moment to mark your calendars. The following are important dates that you do not want to miss.
- December 14: MS/US Chapel – Worship Center, 9:25am
- December 21: Mentor Group Christmas Celebrations & MS Ugly Sweater Christmas Party – Student Center, 10:00am
- December 21: 12:15pm Dismissal
- December 22-January 8: No School – Christmas Break
- January 9: Students return to school
- January 11: MS/US Chapel – Worship Center, 9:25am
RECOGNITION
MS Art Awards
A note from Ms. Duresky:
The Middle School Semester One Student Art Show will be wrapping up tomorrow Thursday December 14th. I want to acknowledge the superior work that was done and displayed in our Black Box Theater, art students have much to be proud of and parents (grandparents and aunties and uncles) can look forward to the lovely Christmas gifts!
Work will be selected for the Winter Park Art Show for March of 2018, those students will get an email congratulating them next week. Along with the student choice awards, we also have come alongside high school and asked our Principal Mr. Sullivan and our Fine arts Director Gordon Snyder to vote on what they thought was “Best in Show.”
The Principal’s Award goes to:
2/D – Reina M. for “Eye of the Tiger” Acrylic Painting
3/D – Matthew M. for his ceramic “Angel” sculpture
The Director’s Award goes to:
2/D – Elle R. for a geometric abstract drawing called “Transformations”
3/D – Mia B. for her ceramic “Mishima Flower Plaque”
NEW THIS WEEK
MS Christmas Dress Up Days
Get into the Christmas spirit by dressing up during our last week before Christmas break!
Monday, December 18 – Christmas Socks
Tuesday, December 19 – Christmas Shirts
Wednesday, December 20 – Christmas Hats
Thursday, December 21 – Ugly Christmas Sweaters
MS/US Chapel Recap 12/7
By Lydia B. – Class of 2019
This week we had the privilege of having pastor Jeff Wallace the executive director of The Lift Tour, and Student Leadership University, who taught us out of the passages of Matthew 5, 6, and 7. He started with the Beatitudes, expressing how these truths are what our character is built on to be a leader. Pastor Wallace talked about being salt and light, by being godly leaders to those around us. Just as it says in Matthew 5:14-16, You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
A wonderful demonstration that pastor Wallace had each one of us participate in, was pointing upwards towards the sky, inwards towards our hearts, than outwards towards those around us. While doing this, he told us that first we need to grow in our maturity in understanding who God is, and through that our relationships will grow with the Lord in our hearts, and than lastly pore out to those all around us by the way he love for others. Pastor Wallace’s message impacted the student body in a great way, as we all learned about the characteristics of a godly leader.
Coffee and College for 8th Grade Parents
Dates: January 11th, 18th, and 25th
Time: 7:50am-8:35am
Location: US Room 221
It’s never too early to think about the college process and the transition into high school! The First Academy’s Upper School Guidance team will be hosting a coffee for the parents of 8th grade students. In our meeting, we will cover:
- College Admissions Process
- Standardized Testing Information
- Upper School Grading Scale and GPA
- Upper School Curriculum Levels
- Upper School Course Scheduling Process for rising 9th graders
REMINDERS
Library Reading Incentive Program
The second quarter’s reading incentive program for grades 3-8 is based on the Sunshine State Young Reader’s Award (SSYRA) reading lists: SSYRA parent letter 2017. 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 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.
Attendance
All attendance notifications and questions should be communicated directly to Mrs. Erika Faustino, Middle School Receptionist. All Middle School students who are tardy to campus must check in with Mrs. Faustino in the Middle School office when they arrive at school. You may contact Mrs. Faustino concerning your student being tardy or absent at 407-206-8620 or email her at msattendance@thefirstacademy.org.
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.