The FAST Flyer

Since I was asked to step in as Interim Principal I have been busy. I have been busy meeting with the leadership team to make sure that we are all on the same page about what needs to be done to move FAST forward. I have been busy learning about various responsibilities of the principal that were not previously in my purview. And most importantly, I have been busy working to ensure that the change in leadership does not have any adverse effect on the students. They are the reason we are all here.

With that said, I would like to tell you about my approach to education and why I chose FAST in the first place. I believe that the results of a good education are evident in ways that are not seen on standardized tests. I am a firm believer in inquiry based learning and I have trained around the world in both inquiry based learning and PBL.

When I first came to FAST, I sat down with the principal and helped to create the image hanging in the front office depicting the Building Blocks of FAST that has since become our cornerstone. I was so excited to know I would be at a school that believes in focusing on teaching the whole child. This past summer I completed a certification in School Leadership for Social-Emotional Learning and Character Development through the Academy for Social-Emotional Learning in Schools which is co-directed through Rutgers and Saint Elizabeth University. I am looking forward to sharing what I learned with the staff at FAST so we can all be better able to support your children.

That’s enough about me for now. I’m sure you really just want to know what’s happening at FAST, what to expect from me as Interim Principal, why we have lost teachers mid-semester, and what is being done about it.

The truth is, when it comes to why teachers have left, every situation is different. Unfortunately, due to HR and privacy laws we simply cannot share all of the details around every departure. At a high level I can tell you that the PE teacher, Mr. Greene, resigned due to medical issues. Spanish teacher Mr. Chang is on an extended leave, and Ms. Fischer resigned from ASP for personal reasons. We have already replaced Ms. Fischer with Tatiane Smith and expect a seamless transition. We have been interviewing teachers to replace Mr. Greene and hope to have someone in place soon. For now, Jayson Brown has been subbing for PE. Many students already knew him from his role in the afterschool program. I understand parents - particularly those with middle school students - are particularly concerned about Mr. Chang’s absence and the impact of their child receiving high school credit for Spanish. We are looking for a long term substitute for Spanish who has a teaching certificate so we can be sure that happens.

Now, I am going to appeal to you for your support. Not just for me (although I definitely would appreciate it) but for the entire FAST staff. It is no secret that the education system is in crisis due to staffing shortages, among other things. We have some really great teachers here and my goal is to keep them. Each of you can help make that happen. One really simple thing you can do is join the PTO! Membership dues fund things like teacher grants and appreciation events. Teacher grants allow teachers to buy things for new programs or deeper learning activities that benefit all of their students. In the past, the PTO has funded science equipment, hydroponic gardens, sound equipment, and so much more.

Or, you can volunteer to help with morning carpool! The PTO has a sign up for parents to take a shift. It is just 45 minutes or so of your time, but to the teacher whose shift is covered, that’s extra time in their classroom to greet their students, grade assignments, and plan for the day. It is a much bigger deal than you know.

You could volunteer to help with campus cleanup. Plan to spend 30 minutes or so on campus and walk the grounds collecting trash and lost items for lost and found. You might even find your own child’s missing fleece!

Another way you can help support FAST is to share your fund of knowledge. Whether you are a computer engineer and hear a teacher is looking for a speaker on STEM careers or you’re a caterer who can help with a teacher luncheon, you have something to offer. Watch for those opportunities to use your personal fund. I believe that every one of us has a unique skill or knowledge base that can be shared.

As more opportunities to support the staff arise, I will be reaching out to you to ask for your help. I appreciate your support as we move forward together.

Mary Miller

Interim Principal/Elementary AP

Fulton Academy of Science & Technology

Volleyball tryouts are scheduled for October 12th-13th. All interested 7th and 8th grade boys and girls are welcome to try out for the boys team or the girls team (volleyball is not a coed sport.) Paperwork should be completed as soon as possible but no later than October 19th. Any student who does not have a physical on file will not be permitted to try out. An abbreviated tryout will be held on October 20th to accommodate students who turn in paperwork between tryouts and the deadline.

The following forms are required to participate:

1. PreParticipation Physical

2. Emergency Contact

3. Insurance Verification

4. Sudden Cardiac Arrest

5. Application to Participate

6. Review Code of Conduct

All forms can be found on the FCS website at: https://www.fultonschools.org/Page/612

There will be a parent meeting held on October 17th @ 4 pm. This meeting will be held in person in the Innovation Hall, and via Zoom. Please contact Mr. Moore at jonathan.moore@fastk8.org for any additional information, questions or concerns.

The annual Scholastic Book Fair is coming! Mark your calendar for the week of October 31-November 4. Students will have an opportunity to shop during school and we are thrilled to bring back Family Night! Parents are invited to join their students from 5pm-7pm on Thursday Nov. 3 to shop the book fair in person.

We strongly encourage you to set up an eWallet for your student to shop. Scholastic eWallets are easy to set up and allow students to shop the fair during the school day without having to carry cash. You can set up an eWallet any time until the book fair on the FAST Scholastic web page at: https://www.scholastic.com/bf/FAST

If you have some time to help, we will need lots of volunteers to help with the fair.

The Fulton County Technology Competition is coming in December. FAST has a history of great representation and impressive results in this annual competition and we can’t wait to see how our students represent us this year. Please read through the information below for registration and participation.

• All students interested in participating in the FCS Student Technology Competition need to complete the initial registration form and copyright form. They will need to submit these in person to the school technology competition liaison, Dr. ShaNeal Robertson in Innovation Hall as soon as possible.

• Students will be judged by a panel in their respective category to determine if they will move forward to the district competition.

• Only 1 project per category per grade level band is eligible to move forward.

• The list of categories for the competition is located here.

• Update for this school year: Students may compete in the programming challenge AND another category since they are no longer on the same date.

We are looking forward to holding the FAST Tech Fair on Thursday, December 1 when parents and students will be able to see all of the projects submitted.

Monday, October 31 we will hold our annual costume parade. Students are encouraged to dress in a STEM related costume or as their favorite book character to celebrate the kick off of the book fair. Let’s see how creative our kids can get. There might just be a prize for the best costumes!

Did you know that FAST students have launched a morning news broadcast? Each morning the daily announcements are broadcast live to our classrooms by a team of students under the guidance of Jayson Brown as part of the MicroSociety. News producer and 8th grade student, Lillan Ashe-McCarthy says, “FAST news where we bring you truths faster than the Flash.”

Check out a behind the scenes look at a typical broadcast on our YouTube channel at: https://youtu.be/LX-tuXUVjyw

Ms. Miller will be hosting her first Parent Cafe on Wednesday, October 19, 2022 at 8am. Questions can be pre-submitted HERE This meeting will take place in person in the Innovation Hall at FAST as well as be broadcast via Zoom.

Despite next Wednesday Oct. 12 being a teacher work day for FCS, FAST will have bus transportation as usual. The bus will run on a normal schedule so there is no need to make alternate transportation arrangements for students who ride the bus.

Results for Milestones tests taken in Spring 2022 are available on Infinite Campus. To find your student’s scores, log in to your Infinite Campus account and follow the instructions below:

• Click on “More” If you don’t see the option for “More”, click the three lines at the top left corner to display the menu

• Click SLDS Portal

• Click “Performance”

• Select “Georgia Milestones Individual Student Report (ISR)”

School wide performance results are available on the FAST website at: http://www.fastk8.org/fcs-2019-milestone-results/ Charts reflect year over year results (2021/2022) comparing FAST, FCS, and Georgia. Of particular note, 90% of FAST students are reading at or above grade level.

Students’ MAP scores were sent home this week. Please check your student’s backpack if you have not seen them. If you have any questions, please contact your student’s teacher. School wide performance results are posted on the FAST website at http://www.fastk8.org/map-results/. There you can see how students performed overall in each subject area by grade. There are also charts depicting student growth by grade from Fall 2021 to Fall 2022, as well as projected growth vs. actual growth. A very small percentage of our students are performing below the 20th percentile. In fact, some of our elementary grades have no students performing at that level in math.

The quarter is ending and teachers are actively entering grades in Infinite Campus. Grades will not be complete until after next week. Please do not be alarmed if you see a “C” posted for your student - that is not a grade. There have been some changes to the codes used by FCS in Infinite Campus for comments (now referred to as non-academic skills). Codes include:

C = ”Consistently demonstrates”

O = Often demonstrates

S = Sometimes demonstrates

R = Rarely demonstrates

Orders for YAY Lunch must be placed by noon on Sunday for the following week. Please be sure to add your student's correct grade and homeroom teacher when placing your order to ensure proper distribution.

Retakes for student pictures is scheduled for November 8, 2022. If your student did not get their individual picture taken, they will be able to have it done at that time.

We had so much fun last year and we can’t wait to see what our awesome families and staff create this year. Come and enjoy the candy chutes and creativity or break out your creative side and design an awe-inspiring candy chute!

RSVP here: Fall Family Event - Trunk or Treat & Candy Chute Contest

FAST has two scarecrows in the Alpharetta Scarecrow Harvest! Come check out our scarecrows behind the Alpharetta Community Center.

BIG THANKS to the parent volunteers who helped create our scarecrows this year!

Oct. 10: Holiday, School closed

Oct. 11: Teacher work day (no school for students)

Oct. 20: Trunk or Treat & Candy Chute Contest

Oct. 31: Costume parade

Oct.31- Nov.4: Scholastic Book Fair

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.