The FAST Flyer

FAST takes great pride in its dedicated team of professionals, which includes teachers, staff, and administrators, who are committed to educating and supporting your children every day. We understand that your children hold a special place in your hearts, and they mean the world to us as well. We take our responsibilities seriously.

It’s natural for individuals, including children, to sometimes misunderstand or misinterpret events due to their limited perspective or previous information they may have encountered. If you ever come across something your child shares with you that gives you pause, we kindly request that you seek more information before drawing any conclusions.

We encourage you to maintain positive interactions with our staff members. There may be moments when you have questions or concerns about school-related matters. In such instances, we request that you follow our communication and escalation policy. Your child’s teacher should be your first point of contact for addressing any concerns. If the issue remains unresolved, you have the option to contact the Assistant Principal, and you can find our school’s escalation policy on our website.

Lastly, we would like to stress the importance of respectful and civil communication with our staff and faculty. Please refrain from using disrespectful language, yelling, or profanity when addressing any concerns. If you find it challenging to maintain respectful dialogue, we may kindly ask you to leave and return when you are prepared to engage in a productive conversation. While it is our hope that it never comes to this, we want to emphasize that we cannot tolerate verbally abusive behavior, and continued misconduct may result in restrictions on campus access.

The events unfolding in the middle east are heartbreaking. There are many stories coming out of the area that could be frightening for children to hear. While our thoughts are with the families directly impacted by these tragic events, we must keep our eyes on the children in front of us. Linked below are some resources that may help should you want to talk to your child about what is happening in Israel. Keep in mind that the school counselors are also available if they need to talk.

• https://www.unicef.org/parenting/how-talk-your-children-about-conflict-and-war
• https://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/resources/fact-sheet/talking-to-children-about-war.pdf

School pictures taken earlier this month are ready for viewing. You should have received an email with a link for you to preview your child(ren)'s picture. You can also log in to Jostens at https://shop.jostenspix.com/login and reference your student's id number and the information below. Pictures will be shipped directly to your home. For students who were out on picture day, re-takes will be held on November 3.

Jostens reference information:

• FULTON ACADEMY OF SCIENCE & TECH
• Event Code: FE103523

This year's GaSTC Programming Challenge is scheduled to take place virtually on November 11. The competition has expanded this year to include 5th and 6th grade so it is now open for all students from 5th-12th grade.

Students may compete individually or in teams of 2 or 3. On competition day, student participants must be in the same room as their teacher/sponsor and they will not be permitted to use ChatGPT or any other AI. The competition room will open at 8am and the competition will begin at 9am.

In order to compete, one member of the team must register by no later than October 26 by completing this REGISTRATION FORM. In order to complete the registration form, each team member must have a log in for the competition platform: https://actecomp.org. The registration form will ask for username information for each team member so this must be completed before registering. If your student competed last year, they should already have an account.

The top Ten teams will move on to compete in the Spring competition against Alabama which is tentatively scheduled for February 10th, 2024.

Registration must be completed by October 26th - no exceptions will be made for late registrations. Students who are interested in competing should speak with Ms. Sawhney, Mr. Allen, or Ms. Ushakumari.

The annual FCS Technology Competition will be held on December 9. FAST will have our school competition on December 1 which will give the students a great opportunity to display and get feedback on their projects before the county competition.

The competition is open to students in grades 3-8. Registration will be open between October 16 and October 26. Students are required to register within this time frame in order to participate (no exceptions). Parents will be required to sign a form for their students to participate (again, no exceptions). These forms will be available when registration opens.

FAST is usually well represented at this contest with many medals earned. Last year, FAST had more students earn medals at the FCS competition than any other school in Fulton County! Many of our students who win the FCS contest have gone on to win or place at the state level as well. We can't wait to see what projects our students come up with this year. A full list of the categories for projects can be found at: https://www.gastc.org/category-information

If your student is interested in participating, they should speak with Ms. Sawhney.

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 .

Red Ribbon Week will be observed the week of October 23-27. This week is intended to bring attention to anti-bullying initiatives. Students are invited to dress in the daily themes for the week; however, if they choose not to participate they are expected in uniform.

Monday 10/23: Rally in Orange

Dress in orange to send a message and make positive choices

Tuesday 10/24: College Spirit wear

Dress in a future career or college spirit wear

Wednesday 10/25: Super Hero Day

Dress like your favorite super hero to show your bravery against bullying

Thursday 10/26: Crazy Hat/Hair Day

Students can wear the craziest hat or hairstyle they have because bullying is crazy.

Friday 10/27: FAST T-shirts and Jeans

Start planning now for the annual student costume parade! On Tuesday, October 31 students are invited to wear their favorite STEAM costume. In the past we have seen costumes range from famous scientists and artists to the solar system and rockets with just about everything in between. This tradition is always a hit among students especially those who love to show off their creativity or dress up.

Parents are invited to watch the costume parade which we will also live-stream for those who can't make it in person.

Vision screening is scheduled for Tuesday, October 17 for 1st, 3rd, and 5th grades only. The screening will be conducted by Fulton County cluster nurses. Parents of students in the affected grades should have received additional information by email last week.

This year's book fair is scheduled for the week of October 30-November 3. During that week, students will have the opportunity to stop by the fair to shop. We encourage parents to set up an e-wallet for their student so they can shop without having to bring cash to school.

Family night is scheduled for Monday, October 30 when parents will have an opportunity to shop with their students. You (or friends and family near and far) can also shop our book fair online between October 27-November 9 and FAST will get credit for the sales.

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

Whether it is singing, dancing, playing an instrument, or telling jokes, we know that our students have all sorts of talents. FAST middle school students are invited to show off their talents at the FAST talent show. Auditions will be held on Monday, October 16 at 12:45pm in the the music room. The talent show is scheduled for November 11. We can't wait to see what our kids can do!

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.

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!

October 16th; 4-6pm
October 21st; 11-1

You asked, we will provide! Round four spirit wear is in full action! Order in the link, it will be open until October 21 to have before Thanksgiving break! https://fastk8pto.membershiptoolkit.com/form/m/235904

When: Friday, October 27th, 2023 (rain date November 3rd)

Time: 5:30pm - 7:00pm

*FREE event for all FAST families

*Activities and games for the whole family to enjoy!

*Kona Ice will be there for purchase

*Vote for the Most Innovative Candy Delivery System, Best STEM Theme, Best Overall, and a bonus category

*Costumes are encourged! (non-scary costumes, please)

*Easy parking at Northbrook church (same side of the street as FAST-no street to cross)

HOST a trunk and candy chute: Families and FAST Teachers and Staff are all welcome to host a trunk! We are hoping to make this year bigger than ever! Trunk decor can be as simple or elaborate as you like!
Trunk Or Treat

Candy Donations NEEDED: Please put donations in the gray PTO Collection bin at Innovation Hall entrance between now and October 25th, 2023.

Questions or more information, reach out to Trunk or Treat Event Chair, Courtney Lee courtneyhlee@gmail.com

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.

Our yearly Scholastic Book Fair is coming up! The Fair will be at school from Oct 30th to Nov 3rd. The kids love to shop at the fair with their friends. You can also choose to shop with your kids during Family Night on Oct 30th from 4.30pm to 7pm!! As like every event, we need your help to make this happen. Please sign up in the link below to volunteer:

Book Fair Volunteers

The school day begins at 7:40am Monday-Friday. All students are expected to be in their classroom ready to start the day by 7:40am. Please allow for enough time to navigate carpool for your student to get to class on time. All students arriving after 7:40 are considered tardy. If you arrive any time after 8am, you are required to sign your child in at the front office.

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.

All questions or concerns you have regarding your student should first be directed to their teacher. Please allow up to 48 hours for a response. If the teacher is unable to provide resolution, you should contact the Assistant Principal for your child's grade. 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. Our communication and escalation policy can be found on our website.

While under the auspices of Fulton County Schools, 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.

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.

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.

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. 17: Vision Screenings (1st, 3rd, 5th grades)

Oct. 18: Kindergarten field trip

Oct. 23-27: Red Ribbon Week

Oct. 24: 8th Grade Parent Meeting

Oct. 24: 2nd grade field trip

Oct. 27: Trunk or Treat

Oct. 30-Nov. 4: Scholastic Book Fair

Oct. 31: Costume Parade

Nov. 3: Picture Day Make-ups

Nov. 6-10: Student Council Canned Food Drive

Nov. 17-24: Thanksgiving Break

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.