From the Principal's Desk

Hello FWAFA Family,

Hope everyone had a great first week of classes and is easing back into the "back-to-school" saddle. It seems like towards the end of the week we were able to get our Zoom footing and schedules in sync. If you are still experiencing trouble getting into a Google Classroom or need a class zoom link, please email your teacher directly through JupiterEd. Our traditional Howdy Week is this week so be sure to show us your FWAFA spirit and send your pics to photos@fwafa.org and use the hashtag #howdyathome. Have a fabulous FWAFA week!

Creatively yours,

Dr. Jennifer K. Jackson

Howdy Week is a longstanding tradition at FWAFA and is a fun way to celebrate being back at school with style and flair. This year, Seniors 2021 have planned for a virtual Howdy Week from August 24-28 and then will host a Homecoming Week sometime after we transition back to In-School Learning. This year's Virtual Howdy Week themes are the following:

Monday, August 24 - Manic Monday! Show us your craziest bed head/messy hair!

Tuesday, August 25 - Tis the Season Tuesday! Sport your favorite holiday attire!

Wednesday, August 26 - Work From Home Wednesday! Show us how you style business on the top (a uniform shirt) and comfy on the bottom (sweatpants, pj bottoms, a onesie).

Thursday, August 27 - Throwback Thursday! Everybody posts/shows a pic of a prior/favorite costume you’ve worn for Howdy Week or Halloween if this is your very first Howdy Week!

Friday, August 28 - Flapjack Friday! Make your FAVORITE breakfast and "share" with us!

I just want to take a moment to thank Darla Jones, Nancy Kirby, Leslie Cook, and Kim Jennings for all of their help answering the help@fwafa.org emails. From dawn to dusk, during the opening week of school, this team answered all kinds of email questions to help students get logged in and acclimated to the virtual learning environment. Thank you for your teamwork and leadership!

Students in Grades 7-12 may request a schedule change if an error in scheduling was made or if they have decided to take a different elective. All schedule change requests must be submitted by Friday, August 28th. Submit schedule changes here.

Students will demonstrate attendance by responding to the Attendance Check question in Google Classroom each day.

The Attendance Check question will open in Google Classroom at 8:00 a.m. and will close at 11:59 p.m. each day.

Elementary students (3-6) will demonstrate being present to their first academic rotation teacher.

Secondary students (7-12) will demonstrate being present to the classes that they have that day on the modified block schedule.

• On Mondays, students will answer Attendance Check questions for all 8 classes.
• On Tuesday/Thursdays, students will answer Attendance Check questions for their odd classes.
• On Wednesday/Fridays, students will answer Attendance Check questions for their even classes.

Next week we will add "guardian" contacts to our Google Classrooms so that parents/families can view their student's missing work, upcoming work, and class activity. We will use the contacts that are in JupiterEd. Stay tuned for more details and watch for the Google Classroom invitation coming your way soon.

FWAFA's annual Student Choreography Concert is coming up! All students are eligible to submit and audition for this online concert, and the UPDATED Audition Submission Deadline is Wednesday, September 2, at 5PM. We know things look a little different this year, but we are so excited to be able to create and be a part of something that can be shared with everyone! Please see the audition details and guidelines document for more information about how to audition, and enjoy the commercial telling you more about this online concert.

Student Choreography Concert Audition Details

Student Choreography Conert Commercial

We are pleased to share with you the winning design for the FWAFA 2020/2021 Spirit Wear Shirts designed by 2021 Senior, Sydney Collings!!

The spirit shirt designs and the order form are attached to the JupiterEd email.

We are also super excited to let you know that we have added the ability to place and pay for orders online (www.artsacademics.org/fwafa-spirit-wear/). If you would rather order with cash or check (made out to TCAA), you can complete the attached order form and mail it or drop it off at school. All orders must be placed by Friday, September 4th.

Be sure you order this year's shirts so that your student can wear jeans and this year's shirt EVERY Friday once we return to campus AND be a part of this year’s big “21” group photo. All students and staff that purchase a spirit shirt will be invited to participate in our traditional yearbook photo celebrating this year’s Seniors. This picture may look slightly different this year to allow us to follow health a safety guidelines. More details coming soon!

Don't forget to order outerwear too for those chilly classrooms!!

All profits from Spirit Wear sales go to support your 2021 Seniors. Thank you so much for being a part of making their last year at FWAFA a year to remember!!

Next week, we will begin to send detailed information about what In-School Learning will look like when we transition back to the school building; however, I want to let everyone know that regardless if you choose to continue At-Home Learning or choose In-School Learning, we will have opportunities for all students to participate in auditioned performances. Fine Arts Directors have been working all summer to reconceptualize our Fine Arts Performance Series so that they are inclusive for all students and not bound to ideas around what we always do or have always done. Stay tuned for more details about our 2020-2021 Performance Series coming soon!

A huge thank you to our amazing PTSO who showered us with goodies and cute FWAFA t-shirts during our Professional Development week.

The deadline to order a membership package that includes a PTSO membership shirt or to order a shirt separately is Friday, August 28. Also, Individual shirts can be purchased directly from this website.

Click here for the online PTSO Membership Form.

PTSO T-Shirt Order

Family ambassadors are needed for each grade level 3rd -12th to be a resource for new FWAFA families. If you have a student who has been at FWAFA one year or more, PTSO will help you as you help new families navigate our school. Email Natoya.Alee@wnc-re.com for more information.

When we begin to transition back to In-School learning, Clayton Afterschool will be our after-school provider. Please visit their website at www.claytonyouth.org to find more information about their program and secure your child’s spot.