Summit Scoop

Summit Scoop is a monthly newsletter for families and staff members in the Summit Public School District. Summit Scoop features stories of student achievement, events in the District, and positive news around the school community! The newsletter will be sent out on the last Thursday of the month. You can find an archive of newsletters sent throughout the year on the District website.

Summit Scoop can be translated into many different languages. All you need to do is open the newsletter in a web browser, and then click on the "Translate" button. If you open it on your phone, you will need to find the accessibility icon which will bring you to the translation option. It is usually at the bottom. If you open it on a computer, the option is at the top of the page.

Summit Scoop se puede traducir a muchos idiomas diferentes. Solo abra el boletín en un navegador web y luego haga clic en el botón "Traducir". Si lo abre en su teléfono, necesitará encontrar el ícono de accesibilidad que lo llevará a la opción de traducción. Suele estar en la parte inferior. Si lo abre en una computadora, la opción está en la parte superior de la página.

Dear Summit Public Schools Community,

Now that we are nearly a month into the school year, I want to take a moment to share my gratitude and excitement. The first days of school brought the energy of new beginnings, and it has been wonderful to see classrooms buzzing with learning, students settling into routines, and our staff working with such dedication.The start of the year always brings excitement and optimism, and this year, that energy is paired with the momentum of our district’s newly completed strategic planning process.

Over the past year, hundreds of voices shaped this work. Parents, students, staff, administrators, Board members, and community members all came together to envision the future of our schools. Through focus groups, surveys, and collaborative sessions, we identified what matters most: our shared values, our mission, and the goals that will guide us in the years ahead.

At the heart of our mission is a clear purpose: to prepare all students to thrive in an evolving world. This mission comes to life when we live out our values of safety and wellness, teaching and learning, leadership and governance, community and culture, and finance and facilities.

From this foundation, we established five long-range goals that will shape our priorities:

• Safety & Wellness – Supporting the health, balance, and safety of students and staff in order to foster productive learning environments.

• Culture & Community – Ensuring a culture of belonging and respect for every member of our district.

• Governance & Leadership – Building transparent systems for collaboration, communication, and accountability.

• Teaching & Learning – Expanding inquiry and project-based opportunities that connect students’ education to the real world.

• Finance & Facilities – Developing responsible financial and facility plans that meet both current needs and future growth.

I presented this information at the September Board of Education meeting, which can be found by clicking the button below. The Board of Education will formally vote to approve the goals at the October Board of Education meeting. Following the formal approval, we will begin the important work of implementing Year 1 Action Plans to bring these goals to life in every school. You will see this vision reflected in classroom experiences, in how we support wellness, and in how we continue to strengthen communication and community connections.

I am grateful for the partnership of our parents, the dedication of our staff, and the support of our community. Together, we are ensuring that every student has the opportunities, resources, and relationships needed to thrive.

I look forward to an inspiring year ahead, filled with learning, growth, and collaboration. Thank you for entrusting us with the education and care of your children.

Be well,

Scott Hough

Superintendent of Summit Public Schools

At the September Board of Education meeting, the Board recognized staff members who reached the milestone of 25 years in the District, as well as staff who have received tenure this past year!

25 years of service recipients include: Celine Benet, Rob Gannon, Stephanie Gleason, Dennis McLaughlin, Anna Nascimento, Matthew Ramstedt, Kris Robbins. To view the list of newly tenured staff, please click on the button below.

Because the meeting was scheduled on the same evening as LCJSMS Back to School Night, some of the staff members will be publicly recognized at the October Board meeting.

Summit Public Schools hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony on August 21, at Summit High School to celebrate the completed projects from the Investing In Our Future initiative. While the ceremony occurred in the newly renovated High School Library Media Center, the celebration included all completed projects: the renovation of Chorus and Drama classrooms to include a Dance/Theater room, the conversion of the Summit High School lower field into a multi-use turf field, the fencing and facade along Morris Avenue, two instructional spaces at LCJSMS, the enhancement of the LCJSMS main lobby entrance, expansion and upgrade of the LCJSMS cafeteria, installation of HVAC at LCJSMS, and new windows at Brayton Elementary School. Remaining projects under construction include the Wellness Center at LCJSMS, Tatlock Field House, and the LCJSMS lower field.

Those who attended the ribbon cutting ceremony included former and current Board members, Nora Radest, former Mayor of Summit, Dr. Elizabeth Fagan, current Mayor of Summit, District administrators, staff members, High School students, and members of the engineering and contracting companies.

Wilson Primary Center and Jefferson Elementary are bringing more music into learning! Thanks to a generous grant from the Summit Educational Foundation, students will enjoy engaging music experiences that foster communication, creativity, and growth in a fun and inclusive environment.

Our STEAM teachers are excited to include a Robotics and Coding curriculum in the STEAM Labs this year! Across all grade levels, our Robotics and Coding curriculum empowers students to grow as problem-solvers and collaborators, building strong communication skills, practicing teamwork, and developing a growth mindset as they take on engaging, hands-on challenges.

• Grade 1: Students explore Indi Cars, learning the Engineering Design Process through playful robotics challenges that foster teamwork.

• Grade 2: Using Ozobots, students are introduced to coding concepts like sequences, loops, and debugging while practicing logical thinking and persistence.

• Grade 3: With Micro:bit, students design creative projects and apply computer science concepts such as inputs, outputs, algorithms, loops, and variables.

• Grade 4: Through SAM Labs, students explore how inputs and outputs work together to create functioning systems like smart lighting and traffic lights.

• Grade 5: Students deepen their collaboration skills and apply coding with Intelino smart trains, using feedback, reflection, and Scratch programming to solve complex challenges.

The STEAM Labs at each of our elementary schools were made possible by the Summit Educational Foundation!

The Summit High School Speech and Debate Team placed Third in Overall Sweepstakes out of 150 schools at the Yale University Tournament Sept 19-21. Students advanced in 17 events to elimination rounds, which is quite an amazing start of their competition season!

Dramatic Interpretation

4th: Lucy Adams

Semis: Laetitia Hubert

Quarters: Marina Marques Britto

Duo Interpretation

1st: Maddie Robb and Maia Seum

Humorous Interpretation

Semi Finalists: Reid Whitley, Maddie Robb

Informative Speaking

Quarter Finalists: Alex Gottstein, Izzy Rosen

Original Oratory

Semi finalists: Jenna Shulman, Julia Gumny

Quarter Finalists: Evan Markowitz, Owen Siegel

Oral Interpretation

1st: Amelia Jorek

4th: Zoe Gianni

Public Forum

Doubles: Ava Zahtila and Aanya Sood

Triples: Adi Arora and Max Huang

Hunter Patel and Sean Au-Yeung

OCTOBER 2

School Closed - Yom Kippur

OCTOBER 9

Board of Education meeting

6:00 p.m.

Summit High School Media Center

OCTOBER 13

Single Session -- all grades

Professional development for staff

• Family technology support
• School times
• Food services
• School counseling
• Athletics schedule
• Arts calendar