The FAST Flyer

I wanted to take this opportunity to provide you with an update on innovation as well as introduce you to some more of the newest members of the FAST team.

First and foremost, all students in grades K-7 will begin having innovation classes twice a week and genius hour once a week as of Monday, November 7. Innovation classes will be taught by Ms. Wilson, Ms. Sawhney and our newest teacher Mr. LaPorte (more on him below) who have worked together to create the new innovation schedule. The innovation teachers will also be supporting our 8th grade teachers as they guide their students through their capstone projects. Additionally, Mr. Franklin will be stopping by FAST periodically to train our teachers on teaching innovation and support with capstones. We are so excited to be able to get back to the curriculum that makes FAST FAST.

Next up, the introductions.

Ms. Tacardra Lunnon, Kindergarten Teacher

I have been in education for about 20+ years. I have worked in different centers and schools as a Pre-K or Early Childhood education. Currently, I am enrolled at Mercer University to receive a Master's degree in Elementary Education. My family consists of my husband, my two children (ages 5 and 10), two dogs, two cats, and a fish. My classroom is a place where students play a very important part of the classroom community. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me at tacardra.lunnon@fastk8.org.

Ms. Ky Booker, 1st Grade Teacher

My name is Ky Booker, this will be my first year as a lead teacher, and I am so excited to be working at FAST. I studied educational studies at Southern University at New Orleans and I am currently working on my M.A.Ed at University of Phoenix. I love to spend time with my family in my free time. I love teaching math, and learning new ways to teach math to my students. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at anytime ky.booker@fastk8.org.

Ms. Marion Boyd, 1st Grade Paraprofessional

Hello FAST Families! This is my first year working as a parapro at FAST. I'm here because I love this school, the students, the staff, and the wonderful community we have built together. I have two children at FAST, Everett in 6th grade and Miles in 2nd grade. We joined the school in 2016, and over the years I have served the PTO as a room parent and Co-President, and I am currently the Vice President. I have degrees from UGA in Dietetics and Consumer Foods, and I am a Registered Dietitian and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. I'm having so much fun learning from the 1st grade team and our amazing students! Feel free to reach out to me any time at marion.boyd@fastk8.org

Ms. Warnisha Edmond, 2nd Grade Teacher

I have been in education for almost 10 years and am so excited to be working at FAST. I studied early childhood/ elementary education at the University of Phoenix. I recently moved my family to Georgia 3 months ago from Louisiana; and I love the new environment. I chose to teach because I love making a difference. Seeing the excitement for growth in our children is priceless. So far this year I have had the opportunity to meet so many wonderful families. Feel free to reach out to me any time at warnisha.edmond@fastk8.org

Ms. Candance Jackson, 2nd Grade Teacher

My name is Candance Jackson, and I am proud to be a FAST Astro!! I am a Georgia native. I received a Bachelor's Degree in English & Literature from Savannah State University and my Masters in Education will be complete in May 2023 ( Woohoo!!) .This will be my seventh year in Education. This is my first year at FAST, prior I've taught in Dekalb and Chatham County schools. I have a true passion for working with our youngest learners!! Helping each child progress in all areas of their development—academic, social, language, and motor—is a challenge that I am honored to accept daily. I strive to create a community of learners that nurtures this growth in a positive, fun environment. I look forward to working together with you as partners in your child’s growth and development! Please feel free to reach out with any questions at candance.jackson@fastk8.org.

Ms. Tiara London, 3rd Grade Teacher

My name is Tiara London. I am 26 years old. I graduated in 2020 from Mercer University with a bachelors in Early Childhood Education. I have over 8 years of experience working with children. However this will be my first year teaching in the school system. I enjoy family time and going to the movies.

Mr. Jayson Brown, 2nd Grade Paraprofessional

My name is Jayson Brown, but your child will know me as Mr.Jay. I am a 2nd grade assistant teacher, and I have been a part of FAST since January. I am 29, I have a bachelor's degree from Full Sail university and I have been in education since 2020. Many of them are already familiar with me through After School Programs and long term subbing for P.E. I believe in focusing on a child’s individual needs but also emotional intelligence being as important as learning. Children are bombarded by outside influences more than ever and I believe it’s my job as an educator to give them the tools to filter such things, which in turn will help them develop into emotionally intelligent adults in the future. It's a blessing to be a part of this staff and this school.

Ms. Liz Naarding, 3rd Grade Teacher

My name is Liesbeth Naarding, but you can call me Liz. I was born in the Netherlands and lived there until I moved together with my family to the United States. We moved seven years ago to The Woodlands, TX. and in 2018 we again moved to Johns Creek, GA. I am married, and we have two children. Our daughter is attending college in the Netherlands, and our son is a junior in High School.

I graduated with a bachelor of Human Resources from De Haagse Hogeschool in The Hague, and have worked for more than 20 years in various roles in HR. My last position was a HR manager for a company in the semiconductor industry. Three years ago I decided to follow my passion and made a career switch to become a teacher. I did my internship here at FAST and graduated in 2021 at the Inholland Hogeschool in The Hague, the Netherlands. In 2022 I received my Georgia Teaching certification.

During my free time, I like to spend time with my family and friends. We love to spend time outdoors and I personally like to hike in particular during the fall season. We also like to make road trips to explore the beauty of the United States. My favorite sport is field hockey, but it is difficult to play here. So my husband and I run together and try to practice golf.

Please feel free to reach out with any questions at liz.naarding@fastk8.org.

Ms. Rebekah Hensley, 4th Grade Teacher

Ms. Hensley is an Atlanta native. She graduated from Salem College in Winston-Salem, North Carolina in 2016 with a BA in Creative Writing and a minor in Sociology. Ms. Hensley also received a Masters in Elementary Education from Mercer University in 2020. This is her third year teaching fourth grade and her first experience working at a STEM school. She has a dog named Samantha who is a rescue (and from Korea!) and enjoys spending her free time traveling, swimming, and writing. She has a younger brother, Ben, who lives with his fiancée, Ripley, in Hartford, Connecticut. Feel free to reach out any time at rebekah.hensley@fastk8.org.

Ms. Maree Valdez, 5th Grade Teacher

Hi, my name is Ms. Valdez and I am so excited to be a Fifth Grade Teacher at FAST!

In 2021, I graduated from Quinnipiac University in Hamden, CT with a M.S in Educational Leadership. I am a passionate educator that is dedicated to cultivating a positive classroom environment, along with catering my teaching styles to meet their social and academic needs. My overall goal is to ensure students fall in love with being a lifelong learner.

Fun facts about me; I am a proud New Yorker that loves all animals, iced coffee, and teaching Fifth Grade. Please feel free to contact any time at maree.valdez@fastk8.org

Ms. Lori Casal, 5th Grade Teacher

I have been in education over 20 years with a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education & Psychology and a Master's Degree in Literacy as a Reading Specialist. I have taught Pre-K, K, 1st (for 8 years) 2nd, 3rd, 4th, High School and now 5th grade.

I grew up in NY and I moved to Johns Creek 16 years ago with my family. I love all things Harry Potter, Supernatural and animals! My first love in life is FLOWERS! I have worked (and still do) as a florist both part time and full time for over 38 years. My favorite things to do are read, garden, cook, travel, hike, exercise and go to the beach. Fall is my favorite season! I am excited to teach Social Studies this year. The curriculum is all about US History and I have a strong, personal connection with WWII. Feel free to contact me with any questions lori.casal@fastk8.org.

Ms. Ke'Tee Randolph

Hi I am Ke'Tee Randolph and I am the 5th Grade Paraprofessional. I am a Georgia Native. This is my first year as a para but I have worked with kids for over 10 years from infants to high students. I was a substitute teacher for the past 2 years and I am currently completing my degree in Elementary Education with only one class left to complete and I am GACE certified. I love crafting and creating things with my hands. Math and science are my favorite subjects. I am a parent of three with my youngest attending FAST in the 3rd grade.

Mr. Thomas LaPorte, Innovation Teacher

Greetings! I’m delighted to join the FAST Team as an Innovation teacher. I've been teaching for over twenty years in Fulton County Schools and at a nearby Technical College. In Fulton, I taught students with disabilities, and served as a teacher in the gifted program.

My wife, Shannan, is also an educator. We happily share our home with two cats, Fibonacci and Athalia. We love traveling. We’ve been fortunate to visit six continents to see ancient and mysterious sites, exhibits, and roadside oddities. During the winter break, we’re going to Antarctica! I look forward to flying high with the FAST Astros.

Please feel free to reach out with any questions to thomas.laporte@fastk8.org.

Mr. Clark Allen, Coding Teacher

Mr. Allen is an Army veteran with degrees in economics and computer science. He has worked in Government as both an economist and a software engineer, but has been a software engineer exclusively since1997. Mr. Allen has worked in the private sector for many fortune 500 firms.

Ms. Tatiane Smith, ASPire Director

Hello, my name is Mrs. Smith, and I am very excited to be your new director ASPire this year. This school year will contain lots of fun activities, meeting new friends and lots of learning the FAST way. I'm currently obtaining my Masters degree in educational studies. I grew up in Moultrie, GA and then later moved to Roswell, GA. I love traveling and working in my shop. I have been passionately teaching for more than 10 years in grades K-12 and I have 6 years experience as a director. I am very proud to say that this will be my very first year working at FAST. Students here will always be focused, appreciative, self-disciplined and thoughtful.

Thanks to your generous donations, FAST Student Council has already processed 30 crates of food. Help us make our goal of 40 crates by bringing in your donations on Monday.

Thank you to all of the volunteers who worked all week and to the families who came out to shop for the first Book Fair family night we’ve had in years! With students shopping all week and parents here on Thursday, the book fair was a great success.If you didn’t get a chance to shop, it’s not too late to support FAST. You can continue to shop our fair online through November 13 at https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/FAST

Do you know someone interested in enrolling their students at FAST? School tours for the 2023-24 admission season have been scheduled for most Wednesdays beginning November 9. Anyone interested in finding out more about our school and touring the campus, can sign up for a tour on our website. We will also be looking for parent volunteers to help lead tours. If you are available on Wednesday mornings, please consider volunteering to help lead a tour.

Come out and support the arts at a fall concert. FAST music teacher Mr. Hendry will be performing with Tara Winds on Nov. 13th at 3:00pm at Johns Creek High School. All are welcome to attend this free performance. (See attached flyer for more information)

Our judges had their work cut out for them judging the students in our costume parade. There were so many creative ideas and well done costumes to choose from. Here are the winners for each category.

Best Overall: Raymond Houston (tornado)

Best Book: Simra Dossani (Viola Swamp); Ira Joshi (Tree)

Best STEM: Akshath Karthik (satellite); Tanishka Medarapu (rocket)

Most Creative: Mikayla Ugbaja (calculator); Zoey Zasio (chef)

Best Homemade: Nirvan Chary Deeguntla (difficult words); Angel Thomas (rubik's cube)

Funnies: Charlies Burnett (Dogman)

Best Middle School: Casey Lee (3D printed dream picture)

As a reminder, students are not permitted to use cell phones at all during the day. If a student has a cell phone with them at school, it should be in their backpack or locker. Additionally, they should not have bluetooth headphones in during the school day. Students who are seen with a phone will have the phone confiscated and returned at the end of the day. Multiple offenses will require a parent to retrieve their phone. We appreciate your support with this policy.

Cold and flu season is upon us already and we are seeing a lot of sick students and staff. If your child is not feeling well, please keep them home to avoid spreading germs to others. Do not medicate your child for fever before sending them to school. If they are running a fever, they should stay home until they have been fever free without medication for 24 hours. Below is a guide to help you know when you should keep your child at home.

All students in grades 3-8 who wish to compete in the FCS tech fair must submit their application to Ms. Sawhney by November 9, 2022. Please be sure you have submitted complete paperwork including applications and any applicable copyrights by then.

Please be sure that your students are bringing their devices to school fully charged every day. We do not have extras for students to use nor do we have outlets near enough to desks for students to plug in during class. It is important students have the necessary device to participate in class activities and keep up with their work.

Makeup picture day is scheduled for November 8. If your child did not get their picture taken on picture day, they can have their picture taken then.

• If you pre-paid for individual pictures and your student did not get their picture taken, please contact Lifetouch directly to have your money refunded/reapplied to makeup day.

• If you pre-paid for individual pictures that you received and are not happy with them, please send them back with your student on make up day (November 8). They will need to give the package to the photographer when they have their new portrait done.

• If you did not order pictures and would like to, please use the access code on the proofs you received to order through Lifetouch.com.

• If you did not order a group class picture and would like to, you will need to mail the order form that was sent home with check or money order to the following address: Lifetouch, 2300 W Fourth St, Ontario, OH 44906.

Did you find this email in your spam folder? Do you think you’re missing information from school? It is important that we be able to contact you. Please be sure we have current/accurate contact information on file. Your contact information must be updated in Infinite Campus. All parents should have access to Infinite Campus as this is the only place you will be able to see student report cards and Milestones results. If our emails are going to your spam folder, please follow the steps below.

If you are a Gmail user, you may want to whitelist FAST to prevent emails from going to your spam folder. Go to gmail in the desktop browser and select "Settings".

Go to the "Filters and Blocked Addresses" tab.

Click "Create a new filter".

In the "From" field, put "@fastk8.org", without the quotes.

Click "Create filter".

Check "Never send it to Spam".

Click "Create filter".

Our FBI crew is taking over morning carpool on Monday, November 14th and December 12th. Help us give our teachers a little extra time in the classroom to prepare for the day!

It was too dark for carpool photos, but the FBI dads were hard at work Monday, October 17th! Thank you to all the dads that helped out with carpool and putting together these PE items for our FAST students to enjoy!

Let us know if you can help so we can give the teacher's advance notice of their extra planning time! Sign up here: Nov FBI Carpool TakeOver! and Dec FBI Carpool TakeOver!

Did you know that FAST has a volunteer led library? The library will be open a few days a week after next week. Are you interested in shelving books before the library opening? Are you interested in shelving books once a week? Are you interested in leading a book drive in the future? Please email library@fastk8.org for more information.

Nov. 8: Picture Retake Day

Nov. 10: Governing Board Meeting

Nov. 18-27: Thanksgiving Break

Dec. 1: Tech Fair at FAST

A printable version of the 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.