Raven Report: April 13, 2022
Relax! Keep smiling! Stay cool! Home Stretch Holiday is almost here!

NO SCHOOL this Friday, April 15th, as we slide into the home stretch of 2021-2022! 24 more days!
To Do List
Questions? Contact the Front Desk.
Order Hot Lunch
The hot lunch fee is $5.50 per lunch. Lunch orders will be taken each morning with attendance. Parents may also order lunch in advance through the Family Portal.

To order lunch online:
  • Login to Family Portal
  • Under Student, select Lunch 
  • Select your student from the drop down menu at the top of the page
  • Select +Create Web Order
  • Select the day(s) to order lunch and enter quantity
  • Submit Order
Join The Summit Business Directory
The Summit would like to build the relationships within our community by offering families with businesses the opportunity to list their business in The Summit Business Directory. This will allow us to support one another through referrals and patronage and will be used as a resource for teachers to coordinate class speakers and field trip opportunities.

Please use the link below to view the directory or to submit your business information.
Upcoming Events
April 2022
14: $2 Uniform Buyout Day
15: NO SCHOOL - Home Stretch Holiday
20: Late Start at 9:30 am
22: Ravens Reach Out Day
28: SPO meeting, 9am
29: Native Gardens Service Day & EARLY RELEASE at 1pm

May 2022
3: Grandfriends' Day & EARLY RELEASE at 11:30am
3: Spring Concert at The Gillioz, 6:30-7:30pm
4: Late Start at 9:30am
12: Graduation at MSU Plaster Student Union, 6-7pm
12: SPO meeting, 9am
13: All School Culture Day & Family Fiesta, 11:45am-12:45pm
18: Color Dash/Last Day of School & EARLY RELEASE at 11:30 am
30: Memorial Day (Offices Closed)
Nominations Open for 22-23 SPO Coordinator
It's never too early to learn more about volunteer opportunities with SPO. For the 2022-2023 school year, SPO will be electing an SPO Coordinator to serve with SPO Class Reps and an Admin Liaison. If you would like to nominate someone (or yourself) for one of these roles, please fill out the Nomination Form.

Nominations must be submitted by Monday, April 25, 2022. Voting will be held at the SPO Meeting on April 28, 2022.

Please direct any questions to Amy Maas.
Save the Date and Submit Your Student Shirt Size for the Color Dash on May 18th (Last Day of School)
SPO is excited to host The Summit’s first Color Dash! We can’t wait for our community to get outside and have FUN as we celebrate the end of our school year. The event will be held in the backyard on May 18th from 9 -11:30 a.m. (the last day of school). We encourage all of our community, young and old, to attend!  

SPO is providing an event shirt (and sunglasses and one bottle of chalk to spray) for each Summit student and teacher! Please use this link to select your student(s)'s shirt size by Tuesday, April 19th, so we can order shirts on time.

During the event, students, faculty members, and parent dashers will race around the track as their cheering fans rain down color on them. Our DJ will make things interesting... He may require some laps be run as a barnyard animal, and others may showcase the dashers' best dance moves! Things could get silly!

Wear white so those chalk colors shine! Wear a tutu, if you want. Wear crazy socks. Maybe wear a wig! You could make signs to cheer on your dasher. Most importantly, BE THERE, and be ready to have fun and get messy!

Complete this form to:
  • Pre-order your chalk: All attendees may purchase bottles of colored chalk for $5 per 8oz bottle. We suggest a bottle of chalk per dash (there will be around 4 dashes altogether). Reminder: students will be given ONE bottle of chalk. LIMITED chalk will be sold the day of the event WHILE SUPPLIES LAST. We strongly encourage pre-ordering chalk.
  • Sponsor the Color Dash: Family sponsorships are available for $50.00. Sponsorship will include your name or your dasher’s name listed on the back of the event t-shirt. Business sponsorships are available as follows:
  • $100 Silver Sponsor - Business name listed on the back of the t-shirt
  • $150 Gold Sponsor - Business logo listed on the back of the t-shirt
  • $500 Platinum Sponsors - Business logo listed on the front of the t-shirt (only 2 available)
  • Volunteer: We could use your help! Please sign up to volunteer before, during, or after the event.
Camp Raven
Register for Camp Raven!
Spend your summer at The Summit with Camp Raven! These weekly camps provide a fun, safe, and stimulating way to continue learning over the summer break. Each camp, led by talented and enthusiastic instructors, focuses on a central theme from explorations in STEM and art to music and movement. Campers will have fun while learning and making new friends!

Check out some of these exciting camp offerings, and register today!
Around the World!
June 21-24, 8:30-11:30am
Early Learners/PreK-Kindergarten
Camp Instructor: Señora Souza

Let's go on an adventure! We will visit a different region of the world each day and explore culture through books, arts and crafts, music, and play.

Please note: Summit offices are closed on June 20th in observance of Juneteenth. This is a 4 day session from Tuesday - Friday.
Food and Culture!
June 21-24, 8:30-11:30am
1st-5th Grades

Camp Instructor: Ms. Anya

Come spend the week celebrating different cultures and foods! We will learn about culinary traditions and unique foods from a different country each day of the week!

Please note: Summit offices are closed on June 20th in observance of Juneteenth. This is a 4 day session from Tuesday - Friday.
Under the Sea!
June 21-24, 12:30-3:30pm
1st-5th Grades
Camp Instructor: Ms. Ursino

Dive into learning all about what the ocean has to offer. We will become marine biologists and explore life under the ocean, from dolphins and shells to blob fish and giant squid! We will also enjoy the sights, sounds, smells, and textures of the ocean through sensory experiences.

This session includes a field trip to Wonders of Wildlife!

Please note: Summit offices are closed on June 20th in observance of Juneteenth. This is a 4 day session from Tuesday - Friday.
3D Printing
June 22-24, 12pm-3pm
6th Grade & Up
Camp Instructor: Mr. Powers

Explore the world of 3D design and printing first-hand! Join Mr. Powers to see the process from start to finish. Students will have the chance to experiment with design software and by the end of camp will have a design ready for printing!

3D creations will be available within two weeks.
Senior Spotlight
Senior Spotlight: Q&A with Verity Gerhold
What grade were you in when you joined The Summit?
I joined The Summit in 7th grade.

Where will you be attending college/university? 
I will be attending Drury University.

What major or course of study do you plan to pursue? 
I am undecided right now.

What are you looking forward to most after graduating?
Finding myself as a person and finding happiness wherever I end up.


How have you grown in the past four years? 
Tremendously. I feel like I’ve really started to find who I am and how to navigate, fairly decently, socially and academically.

What advice do you have for younger Summit students?
  1. Stay on top of your assignments so you don’t get overwhelmed.
  2. If you’re struggling with something and are scared to ask in person, I find that it is sometimes easier to send an email to that teacher and let them know you would like help with your assignment. Remember that if you have a question or you’re confused, it’s likely someone else also has that question or is equally confused.
  3. It’s okay if you don’t know the answer to something. One of the most important things to remember is that smart people know when to admit they don’t know while dumb people will think they know everything. The smarter you get the more you become aware of how much you don't actually know.
  4. Play to your strengths as much as you can. If you have an activity you love doing outside of school, write about it in English or connect events in history to events in your own life.

If you could host a dinner party with any four people in the world (real or fictional, past or present), who would they be and why? 
I would’ve liked to have met Sally Ride when she was alive. She is such an iconic figure in history, and I feel like she’s not talked about enough. I did a presentation on her back in 6th grade, and she was my idol for a while there. 

Kurt Cobain because he stood up for people of color, women, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. I would love to just interact with him and hear his opinions on modern music and culture.

Stan Lee is another good one I’d like to meet. I’d love to sit down and just have a long conversation about all of his comic characters and hear his opinions on everything.

One slot left, there’s so many options... Scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, artists, musicians, etc. I don’t know who I would pick as my fourth person. 

I think, rather than having a dinner party with all of these people at once, I would prefer sitting down individually so I can give my full, undivided attention and learn as much as I can from each one. 
Teacher Memories
Teacher Memories from Mr. Madar
I recently looked up “bold persistence” online, and to my delighted surprise, there was a picture of Verity Gerhold right there! The entry remarked about her kindness and poise, as well as her artistic flair, but it was more about how she stuck with a completely online Data Science/Python class through a pandemic -- showing up on-screen, asking questions, receiving guidance from multiple helpers, diligently trying to learn a coding language with no prior experience.

I will probably add a further entry about how she faced down her pride and fears and signed up for my ACT prep class, or how she kept emailing me at odd hours with screenshots of statistics problems, followed by comments with lots of exclamation marks and questions. I believe with the bold persistence Verity has cultivated, she will be able to learn anything, anywhere, anytime. And the internet will have lots of real articles marveling about her soon enough!
Teacher Memories from Mr. Alexander
Verity has always been a wonderful addition to class.

Last year, she appeared exclusively as a small face on a screen in multiple classes yet she was always engaged and acted as a leader, even from a distance. She was so very patient with me as I navigated a first year at The Summit and helped me to acclimate even though she wasn't physically present.

This year, she continues to shine even brighter being present at school. I will always admire her determination and willing attitude as well as her desire to improve herself and be the best she can be.
Dear Verity...
To Verity, From Your Parents
Verity,
We are so proud of you!
Over the years you have learned so much and grown through countless life experiences. You’ve explored and danced and painted your way through your childhood days like the true adventurer you are.
Your name means truth and you have proven yourself time and again to be true, strong, and dedicated to your convictions. When times are tough, you are willing to do the hard work required to achieve your goals.
You never fail to show us the beauty in the world through your unique perspective and your strong sense of justice. Every day we are inspired by your creativity and strength of character.
We wish you all the happiness, love, and success in life, now and always.
We’re excited for the next step in your journey as a Drury Panther. We are with you, side by side, looking forward to a bright future ahead!
With all our love,
Mom and Dad
Around Campus
Kindergarten Visits Urban Roots Farm
Kindergarten students visited Urban Roots Farm last week as part of their third trimester studies. Upon entering the farm, Ms. Rachel greeted the students and shared that the entire farm lives within a single acre! She led the class on an interactive tour through the farm. Students explored the farm stand, where veggies are gathered, washed, and stored. They peeked into the large freezer where many veggies are stored and observed a map on the wall to keep track of all of the things growing.

Then students walked through greenhouses and noticed the temperature difference inside and outside of the greenhouse. Then it was on to the different rows of crops planted outdoors. Ms. Rachel showed them how to walk carefully in between the rows so as not to disturb the growing plants. The farm had so many interesting things to see! There was a rain garden, compost, tractors, and other farm equipment.

Next, they learned how to harvest carrots and got to try it out for themselves. After washing them at the farm stand, students enjoyed an afternoon carrot snack! Students were thrilled to eat their harvest. They even got to see a bunch of carrots get washed in the root vegetable tumbler. Finally, each student planted and watered a flower to take home. It was an amazing experience!
Fourth Grade Leaps into the Pages of History
Fourth graders are learning about historical fiction as they head into the final weeks of the school year. Historical fiction is a literary genre where the story takes place in the past and blends the true events of recorded history with fictionalized characters and plot. This genre captures the details of the time period as accurately as possible, and real historical facts are woven in with how the characters talk and act to give us an idea of life during the era.

To help gain a better understanding of this genre, students took all of the novels from their class library and sorted them into general fiction (realistic fiction, science fiction, fantasy, etc.) and historical fiction. Using clues from the cover of the book, the synopsis on the back of the book, the chapter titles, and the first few pages of the book, students successfully categorized five baskets of novels as historical fiction. They will take these books to create a timeline of events and eras that have occurred in the past.
Parent Education
Parent Education with Dr. Brandi Klepper
Thank you to everyone who turned out last night for part two of Dr. Brandi Klepper's presentation on adolescent brain development.

The event was well received, and attendees expressed interest in continuing the parent education series on campus.

We look forward to sharing details on the next parent education opportunity this fall. These educational events are open to non-Summit parents as well, so please invite your friends!
Register for the ISACS Parent Education Series
The Summit's accrediting body, The Independent School Association of the Central States (ISACS), is offering a five-part parent education webinar series in Spring 2022.

We hope you consider joining other independent school parents for any of the five evening sessions led by a variety of experts to help you support your children socially, emotionally, educationally, and developmentally as we all continue to learn and grow. Please use the link below to register for the live webinars, which will be held from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Central time.

To accommodate busy schedules, recordings of the webinars will be available until June 30, 2022. Be sure to check the Raven Report each week for instructions on accessing the webinar recordings after the live presentation date!
Support The Summit
The spring gift guide is here! Order your limited time only $5 and $10 gift cards while supplies last.

Check out this week's bonuses, and download the Raise Right App today!

Our enrollment code is 146AAC2814925.

As always, feel free to reach out to Phil Isley, Summit Parent and Scrip Coordinator, with any questions.
When you shop on smile.amazon.com, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% fo the purchase price of eligible products to the charitable organization of your choice, The Summit!

Watch the YouTube link below to learn how to sign up for AmazonSmile!

Looking for durable custom sticky name labels? Mabel's Labels multipurpose adhesive name tags are dishwasher and microwave safe, waterproof, and simple to apply – just peel and stick!

Whether you need to label water bottles, shoes, backpacks, school supplies, sports gear, or even electronics, Mabel's Labels has a name label for your needs! Order your labels through Mabel's Labels website, and The Summit earns 20% of each purchase. No minimum purchase required!