The FAST Flyer

Every day at FAST is a little different for me. Sometimes I spend most of the day in my office working on a project and meeting with staff or parents, other days I spend all my time in and out of classrooms and interacting with students. No matter what is going on, my number one priority is always student safety.

We have fire, tornado, and intruder drills to make sure students know what to do in the event of an emergency. We train our staff on how to respond to all sorts of events. We create policies and procedures specifically to keep our students safe from the time they arrive on campus until the time they leave. It is also important for our parents to know and understand the safety rules that apply to them when they are on campus.

These rules are not in place to inconvenience you, they are in place to keep your children safe. I understand that sometimes you may be running late or a stop at school may take a few minutes longer than you expected, but it is important that everyone adhere to these policies in the interest of student safety. In addition to the list below, please respect our staff as they are required to adhere to school policies.

• Do not speed through the parking lot. Whether it is during morning drop off, afternoon pick up or during the middle of the day, there are always students around.
  

• Do not pass the bus when it is on campus unless you have been directed to do so - whether it is stopped for loading/unloading or driving through our lot.

• Please follow staff directions during carpool. FAST's carpool process has many moving parts. It is critical that our parents heed all staff directions.

• If your student is going home with another student, you must notify the school in writing. We cannot release students to anyone other than authorized adults.

• Early dismissal ends at 2:40pm Mon-Thurs; 11:45am Fri. By that time, we are preparing for our afternoon dismissal, and cars entering campus are queueing up for carpool. Attempting to park and leave is often not even be possible - you are blocked in by the queue of cars. If you must sign your student out, please arrange to pick them up prior to 2:40pm or use carpool for dismissal.

• The only time students should get in or out of cars is in the loading/unloading area under staff supervision or the FAST Pass/Holding Area where you must pull in to a space. Please do not drop off or attempt to pick up students from the parking lot without pulling in to a space.

• Students should be in their classroom by 7:40am every day. From the time carpool is over until 8am, students may go directly to Student Hall where they will receive a tardy slip. If you do not arrive until after 8am, all students must be signed in by a parent on the kiosk in the front office of Innovation Hall.

The FAST Astros suffered a tough loss on Wednesday against Taylor Road Middle School. Not to be deterred, they regrouped and showed up last night against River Trail. With a final score of 30-28, the boys' basketball team took home their first win of the season. Way to go Astros!

With the weather being as up and down as it has been, many jackets have been left around campus. Our lost and found is full of jackets, sweatshirts, water bottles and more. We have organized and relocated it to the first floor of Student Hall so students can easily see what's there. If your student is missing something, please encourage them to take a look. Items that are not claimed will be donated to the PTO for used uniform sale or to other charitable organizations.

On Monday, we had the honor of celebrating the FAST students who placed in the FCS Tech Competition by presenting their award certificates and medals. We are so proud of all their work. Good luck to all of the students going on to compete in the Georgia state competition!

We have observed that Valentine's Day can be a day that is less inclusive than what we strive for at FAST. We are planning to recognize Kindness Day and Friendship Day in February so students will have plenty of opportunities to share their big hearts with teachers and classmates. Students should not bring Valentine's to school.

Enrichment clubs start this week! If you haven't signed up yet, now is the time. There is a variety to choose from including dance, chess, yoga, marine biology and more! Check out all of the second semester offerings on the FAST website.

In an effort to streamline communications and ensure attendance records are being updated timely, we have created a new email for all attendance related correspondence. Going forward, please use attendance@fastk8.org for attendance related emails. If your student is going to be absent, you may email their homeroom teacher as well.

Yearbooks for the 2022-23 school year can be pre-ordered now! Go to www.balfour.com to order yours today. Yearbook ads are also available for purchase, see attached flyer for details.

Want to go Around The World in one night? Bring your family and explore The Culture & Arts Festival on April 21, 2023 from 5:30-8:00pm at FAST!

Our goal is to represent 20 countries and we need YOU to make this a success!

Whether you’re a recent arrival, your family has been in the US for generations, or you’ve lived abroad and would like to share your insight, please consider representing a country.

This display can include a tri-fold presentation board (provided by the PTO) or digital slideshow, music, art, clothing, food from that country and more! *A list of suggested items for your display will be provided.

Represent your Country or Culture!

Volunteer Interest Form: https://forms.gle/EiEWfUZgH4vwRu6p6

If you have questions, please email event co-chairs Amy Warren (amy.w.warren@gmail.com) or Lynda Sharp (sharpfamilyga@gmail.com).

Please remind your child to keep their library book in their backpack when they are not reading it. This helps them remember to bring the book back to school on their library check out day. This way they can check out a new book without delay. Their backpack is called the "magic library book carrier" at school. Thank you for your assistance.

If you have questions or are interested in helping with the Library please email the library volunteers at library@fastk8.org.

Feb. 9: Governing Board Meeting

Feb. 13: Friendship Day

Feb. 16: Kindness Day

Feb. 17: Teacher Work Day

Feb. 27: Scoliosis Screening (6th & 8th Grades only)

Feb. 20: Presidents' Day (School Closed)

March 9: Teacher Work Day

March 10-13: School Closed

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.