Raven Report: October 07, 2026

NPR Guest Lecturer

Summit Upper School students had the opportunity to take part in a lecture from a prominent NPR and Podcast host Marielle Segarra, who is the host of NPR’s Life Kit, an award-winning podcast and radio show. The theme of her talk was "The We Factor: Building Connections that Matter," where she gave some helpful tips to our students about community engagement and building important connections with people around us.

Wendy's Wednesday Fundraiser

Today is Wendy's Wednesday! Stop by the 3558 S. Campbell Wendy's location anytime during opening hours (6:30 a.m.–11 p.m.), and 30% of qualifying sales will be donated to The Summit Prep School. Present the flyer below at time of purchase to qualify.

Thank You to Our 
2026–2027 Raven Partners!

Your support makes our independent education model possible.

• Diamond Level •

The Schneider Foundation

• Silver Level •

Arkifex, The Palmer Family, The Workman Family

• Bronze Level •

The Walker Family

• Founders Club •

OMB Bank, Marketplace Printing & Design, The Hansen Family

• Supporters Club •

The Jaoudeh Family, Mitchell Johnson

Build Your Gala Wishlist!

The Summit's annual gala is just around the corner! In preparation, Summit faculty and staff have put together unforgettable silent auction experiences to help raise money for the school. From one-on-one adventures with your student's favorite teacher, to class-wide parties and rewards, there's something for everyone!

Download the lists below to review with your student before the gala on October 16!

It's not too late to secure your ticket to the gala! This year, we’re “Betting on Bright Futures” with a Vegas-themed evening of casino games, live & silent auctions, food, drinks, live music, and more. Don't miss out! Buy tickets, add-ons, and sponsorships at the link below:

Wheelers Garden Mums Sale

Tomorrow is your last day to purchase mums vouchers! This fundraiser supports High School activities and events! Simply purchase a voucher for either a 6-inch or 2-gallon pot via the form below, pick up your voucher from the front desk, and then redeem your voucher at either Wheeler Gardens locations. Vouchers available for purchase now through October 8.

Vouchers must be redeemed at Wheeler Gardens (at either their Springfield or Ozark location) before Sunday October 11, 2026. Vouchers will be available at the front desk within one to two school days of order placement. For questions, please email frontdesk@thesummitprep.org.

Land's End Uniform Sale

Get 40% off your Lands End Uniform order now through October 13! Use the code OURTREAT40 to save.

The Summit's school number is 900103573.

Marla's Lunch & Domino's Pizza Orders

Don't start the year on an empty stomach! The Summit offers hot lunch service through Marla's Lunch. Meal orders must be placed by Thursday of the week prior through the Marla's Lunch website. New families, follow the registration instructions below.

This year, we are excited to offer the following lunch schedule:

• Mondays: alternating between Pasta Express and Panda Express
• Tuesdays: Red Robin
• Wednesdays: alternating between Jimmy Johns and Panera
• Thursdays: Chick-fil-a

🍕 Remember, Fridays are Pizza Fridays from Domino's Pizza! You can place pizza orders for the semester, the year, or just for that day.

Important Dates

October

8–9: NO SCHOOL - Fall Break *Intersession Available

12: NO SCHOOL - Teacher Work Day and Upper School Parent/Teacher Conferences *Intersession Available

14: Volunteer Training, 3–3:30 pm

16: Gala at Ozarks Event Center, 6 pm

20: SPO Meeting, 5:30–6:30 pm

20: Admissions Open House, 12-1 pm

21: Board of Trustees Meeting, 5–6:30 pm

22: Evening in the Ozarks, 5 pm - 7 pm

22: Admissions Open House, 5-6 pm

23: Admissions Open House, 9-10 am

26: ISACS Parent webinar viewing session, 9:00 am

November

6: LS End of Trimester 1

6-13: Scholastic Book Fair

7: Saturdays at The Summit 

9: SPO Bake Sale am and pm

9: Volunteer Training, 8:45 am

10: SPO Bake Sale pm

12: Early Release at 1 p.m.*Intersession Available

13: NO SCHOOL - Teacher Work Day and Lower School Parent/Teacher Conferences *Intersession Available

17: SPO Meeting, 9–10 am

17: Fall Concert at the Gillioz, 6:30 p.m.

18: Late Start, 9:30 am

18: $2 Uniform Buy-Out Day

18: Board of Trustees Meeting, 5–6:30 pm

23–27: NO SCHOOL - Thanksgiving Break *NO INTERSESSION OFFERED

26-27: Offices Closed

Volunteer Training

If you are interested in volunteering at The Summit this year — whether on campus, as a field trip chaperone, or at Summit events — be sure to complete a 30-minute volunteer training (required every 2 years) at one of these upcoming training sessions!

• Wednesday, October 14, 3:00 p.m.
• Monday, November 9, 8:45 a.m.
• Wednesday, December 2, 3:00 p.m.

Please note: Returning families with expired or expiring training certifications will be notified by email of their status.

Evening in the Ozarks

Mark your calendar for Evening in the Ozarks! This signature Summit event celebrates the great outdoors in our Big Backyard! Join us on Thursday, October 22 from 5 to 7 p.m. for this come-and-go event. Families can check out various stations and activities that explore our surroundings, celebrate the natural world, and unearth exciting discoveries. A reusable water bottle or cup is encouraged!

The Summit is also hosting an Open House that evening, so stick around, help greet attendees, or bring friends and prospective families to learn more about The Summit!

For questions about Evening in the Ozarks, please contact Outdoor Education Faculty Elise Bowsher, ebowsher@thesummitprep.org. For more information about the open house sessions, please contact Admissions Officer Kendra Pickett at admissions@thesummitprep.org.

High School PSAT Testing

Students in grades 9-11 will be taking the PSAT on Wednesday, October 21. This is an opportunity for students to practice testing for college entrance exams, and for 11th grade students, test scores may qualify a student for Merit Scholarships.

Students will use their personal device or a school ipad/desktop if needed for testing. Students may download the BlueBook App and take a practice test if they wish. If you do not have the app installed on your device, please do so by Oct. 14, 2026.  

Please refer to the informational email for more details. For questions, please contact Guidance Counselor Becky Breckner at bbreckner@thesummitprep.org.

Community Helpers

As the Kindergarten classes work through their unit on community helpers, some of our very own Summit community helpers are paying a visit to the classroom! Elle Ball, a local veterinary technician, brought Bella the Border Collie as her guest to demonstrate vet checkups. Dr. Nathan Tonlaar, a radiation oncologist, gave students a special look into his work helping people stay healthy. Dodi Petersen, a local music teacher, played her ukulele, filling the commons area with music, smiles, and excitement.

The students also had a visit from Rebekah Meadows who taught students all about how she helps our community by helping people vote and defend democracy! And Dr. Zach Dailey taught students about how easily germs spread and the importance of proper handwashing techniques.

Thank you to all of our community helpers for sharing their talents with students and for keeping our communities healthy and safe!

Watershed Visitor

In Outdoor Ed, First Grade welcomed guest speaker Brooke Widmar with James River Basin Partnership to talk about watersheds. Students engaged in exploring where our local water travels as well as what possible pollutants could contaminate our water and how individuals and communities can help!

Third Grade Authors

The Third Grade is starting a writing unit focused on opinion writing. To increase writing stamina, students write a short opinion piece about a given topic every day after learning about a new component of this style! To celebrate their writing, the class is holding an author circle each day for students to share their work!

High School Basketweaving

In their Outdoor Education elective Traditional Craftsmanship, High School students explored basketweaving. Throughout the unit students practiced different types of weaving using a variety of materials.Their final project was a flat reed basket!

Meet Mrs. Gilley

We are excited to announce that Mrs. Stephanie Gilley will be joining our faculty as Mrs. Tranmer’s long-term substitute. Mrs. Gilley is already a valued member of The Summit community as a Summit parent, and we are thrilled to welcome her into the classroom in this new capacity.

Mrs. Gilley brings six years of elementary teaching experience, including four years teaching fourth grade. She holds a Master of Education in Learning, Teaching, and Curriculum with an emphasis in Reading Education from the University of Missouri-Columbia, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from College of the Ozarks. Her experience, knowledge of fourth grade, and familiarity with The Summit community will provide a strong foundation for a smooth transition for students.

A Fond Farewell

We would like to extend a huge THANK YOU to Faith Byrum and Madison Love for their years of service as Fun Zone Instructors! Ms. Faith and Ms. Madison are leaving to continue their college pursuits, but they'll still be connected to our Summit community as substitutes. Trinity Gonzalez will continue with Fun Zone, bringing her experience and continuity to the program.

We are excited to welcome Marie Ginocchio, Ana Ventimiglia, and Ella Christie as our new Fun Zone instructors! Please be sure to introduce yourselves!

Ravens Cross Country

The Racing Ravens track season is in full swing! All of our runners continue to improve their times, proving that hard work pays off! The boys team took third place at the Logan-Rogersville meet and fourth place at the Fair Grove meet.

The Ravens' last meet will be next Tuesday in Everton. Let's cheer them on for a great end to the season!

Raven Clubs & Athletics Session #2 Sign Ups

Sign-ups are now open for Session 2 Clubs & Athletics! These sessions will run for 6 weeks beginning the week of October 19. Please go through and pick the activities your child would like to participate in. Make sure the days do not overlap and that they are for your child's specific age or grade. All Clubs run from 3:30 until 4:30 unless noted.

This year, receive a $10.00 discount if you sign up by October 15.

Our school community is growing, and we need your help!

We currently have enrollment openings across all grade levels, with the greatest availability in our Early Learners program. If you know a family who would be a great fit for our school, we'd love for you to invite them to learn more.

As a thank you for helping us grow our community, families can earn account credits through our Referral Program:

• $25 account credit when your referred family completes a tour

• $50 account credit when your referred family submits an application

• $250 account credit when your referred family completes enrollment

Even better, these credits apply for each student who completes each step. If a family enrolls multiple children, your referral rewards can add up quickly! As an added bonus for families enrolling multiple students, we offer a 6% tuition discount for each additional student, with the discount applied to the older siblings. Word of mouth is one of the biggest reasons families choose our school. Your personal recommendation helps prospective families learn about the caring environment, strong relationships, and educational experiences that make our community special.

If you know someone who may be interested, please encourage them to reach out and mention your name when scheduling their tour.

Thank you for helping us welcome new families to our school community!