The FAST Flyer

At FAST, we believe that open communication between our families and the school is critical to supporting our students. In order to provide the most timely and productive responses, it is necessary that contact is made with the correct person at the outset. We have a documented communication and escalation policy that should be followed for any and all concerns you have. The policy can be found on our website under Parents > Escalation Policy & Communications.

All questions or concerns you have regarding your student should first be directed to their teacher. Teachers do their best to respond as quickly as possible, but please allow up to 48 hours for a response as they are in class with students all day so they may not see your email immediately. If the teacher is unable to provide resolution, you should contact the Assistant Principal for your child's grade. For middle school that is Ms. Walker who can be reached at demetria.walker@fastk8.org; for elementary grades that is Ms. James who can be reached at anesha.james@fastk8.org. On the off chance that you still have not been able to reach a resolution after contacting the teacher and the AP, you can contact Principal Mary Miller at mary.miller@fastk8.org.

As a charter school, we are under the auspices of Fulton County Schools and are required to follow specific policies within FCS; however, we are governed by our own governing board. Sending your issues directly to Fulton County rather than following the FAST communication chain will cause a delayed response as they will only defer to FAST and forward the issue back to us to address.

We cannot release students for early dismissal after 2:40pm Monday-Thursday and 1:40pm on Friday as this is too disruptive to our afternoon dismissal process and end of day activities. If you are picking up your child after those times, you must go through the carpool lane which begins at 3:15pm. As a matter of student safety, all students leaving before the end of the school day must be signed out in the front office by an authorized person. Please do not call or text your students for early dismissal. Students are not permitted to have their cell phones during school hours.

Please keep these times in mind when scheduling afternoon appointments and plan accordingly.

As a uniform school, we allow our students the opportunity to "dress down" on the last Friday of each month. This is a great way for students to get a glimpse into one another's style outside of school and as well as express themselves. On these out of uniform days, students must still be dressed appropriately for school. This includes, no exposed midriffs, no spaghetti straps, and shorts/skirts that are at least fingertip length. Please work with your student to ensure that they are dressed appropriately every day whether that is in a full uniform on a regular day or in their own choice of clothes on dress down days.

As a reminder, FAST uniform includes FAST spirit wear or FAST logo polo and khaki/navy bottoms. All tops should have the FAST logo on it either as Lands' End merchandise or spirit wear.

It's Attendance Awareness Month which means the focus is on ensuring students are at school every day for continued success. Regular school attendance in elementary school increases the chances that your student will read on grade level while chronic absenteeism could cause them to fall behind. Students who are frequently tardy are also more likely to struggle as they start their day trying to catch up. By 6th grade, absenteeism can be an indicator that a student may not complete high school.

At FAST, students are expected to be in their homeroom by 7:40am each day. Please be sure to plan for enough time to navigate through carpool to have your student in class on time. Students who enter the building after 7:40am will be marked tardy. Students who arrive after 8am must be signed in by a guardian at the front office. Every three tardies counts as an absence.

If your student misses school, please send the absence excuse to attendance@fastk8.org Please allow up to seven days for the update to be reflected in Infinite Campus.

Picture day is scheduled for October 3. We have partnered with Josten's this year for school pictures. You will be able to preview their photo before ordering, order only what you want (i.e. no large packages required), and pictures will be delivered to your home.

All students are expected in their cobalt blue FAST branded Lands' End polo shirt for school pictures. If your child is one of the kids that loves spirit wear, now is the time to pull out the polo shirt.

On Tuesday, Ms. Miller joined leaders from 21 other schools in Fulton County as they were recognized by GaDOE Superintendent, Richard Woods as Literacy Leaders. Reading is foundational for students' education which is what is driving the focus on literacy for the state Department of Education. While this achievement was specifically designated for the 2022-23 Milestones for third graders, it should be noted that the literacy scores for all tested elementary grades were impressive. We look forward to adding additional ribbons to celebrate future years' achievements and growth.

Shout out to the Bus Riders of the Month for September! Reyansh Yadav and Viraj Jain were recipients of the award from FAST bus driver Mr. Sherley for their exemplary behavior on the bus.

Do you love FAST? Tell your friends! Applications for the 2024-25 school year will open on January 1, 2024 and tours for prospective families are already scheduled. During these informational tours, parents will learn about our curriculum, find out what sets FAST apart from traditional schools, and tour our campus. Tour spots can be reserved at: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4BADAA2CA1F8C70-fast

FAST leverages various means of communications to keep our families up to date with what is happening at school. Since most people are on social media, we post to different platforms to keep you up to date. If you aren't already following us, check us out on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

When: Tuesday, October 3, 4pm-7pm

Where: 10700 Davis Dr, Alpharetta

Let’s Strike Up Some Fun! Come join us at the Alpharetta Main Event on October 3rd for bowling and other games! The school earns 20% of any purchase you make at the Main Event that evening!

Be sure to submit your receipts at the FAST PTO table at the Spirit Night. We need the receipts to earn our funds!

Oh what a feeling...we're painting tiles for the ceiling!

Join the PTO at the SILVER Level or higher and your student(s) can paint a ceiling tile to be placed in the hallways of FAST for everyone to enjoy for years to come!

A PAINTING PARTY will be held outdoors at FAST, weather permitting. Tiles, paint and brushes will be provided, but special brushes or stencils are welcome.

Pick the PAINTING PARTY day that fits your schedule!

September 30th; 10am-12pm
October 5th and 16th; 4-6pm
October 21st; 11-1

Book Fair Volunteers!

We are looking for someone to lead Book Fair Family Night. Please email pto@fastk8.org.

Library Volunteers Needed!

Library Volunteers are also needed. Please email library@fastk8.org if you would like to be added to the library volunteer email list.

Trunk or Treat Volunteers Needed!

Trunk or Treat: October 27 *rain date November 3

Trunk or Treat we are in need of volunteers to help run it. Please email pto@fastk8.org

All students are expected to be in proper uniform every day. Repeat violations of uniform code will result in a call from the front office with a request to bring the appropriate clothing for the student. FAST uniform includes FAST logo polo or spirit wear, khaki or navy bottoms (or black for middle school). Shirts without the FAST logo are not considered proper uniform.

FAST is a smoke-free environment. Whether you are in the building, in your car, or anywhere else on campus please refrain from smoking or vaping at all times.

Please remember to send your child to school with lunch every day or order through Ordo at ordo.com. Ordo orders must be placed by midnight on Friday for the following week. Lunches must be nut free and ready-to-eat (we cannot microwave lunches).

As a reminder, all visitors - including parents - must check in at the front desk in Innovation Hall upon arrival. No one is permitted to enter Student Hall without having first checked in at the front desk. Parents are not permitted to walk their student to their classroom. We have staff available during morning drop-off to ensure students are attended to.

Oct. 3: Picture day (cobalt blue polo with FAST logo required)

Oct. 6: School Closed

Oct. 9: Columbus Day/Indigenous People Day (School Closed)

Oct. 10: Parent-Teacher Conferences (Students Off)

Oct. 11: Professional Development Day (Students Asynchronous)

Oct. 23-27: Red Ribbon Week

Oct. 24: 8th Grade Parent Meeting

Oct. 27: Trunk or Treat

A printable version of the 2023-24 school calendar can be found HERE

To keep up to date with the most recent information available from our district offices, please click on the image below.

Email: info@fastk8.org
Website: www.fastk8.org
Location: 11365 Crabapple Road, Roswell, GA, USA
Phone: 678-321-1100
Facebook: facebook.com/FASTK8.School/
Twitter: @fastk8charter

The FAST Flyer is the electronic newsletter at FAST. Feedback is always welcome. If you have any questions, please call the school (678-321-1100) or email the FAST Communications Director at marie.emerson@fastk8.org.

8th grade parents are invited to join FAST Middle School Assistant Principal, Demetria Walker for an information session on October 24. The meeting will be held in person at FAST at 9am. The purpose of this meeting is to help keep parents informed about what to expect for their students through their last year of middle school. We encourage you to attend to ensure that your student's last year at FAST sets the stage for a smooth transition to high school .