Southeastern Scene

Welcome to the Oct. 6, 2023, edition of Southeastern Scene.

Dear Explorer Families:

As the end of First Quarter is approaching, we wanted to highlight the attendance part of our District Student Handbook. Remember, you can find the handbook on our SES website. Please take a minute to review the direct verbiage below that was pulled from the handbook. If you have any questions, please reach out to our Principal Mrs. Chastain, Dean of Students Mr. Roberts, Assistant Principal Mrs. Monkul, and registrar Mrs. Crosbie. As part of our district attendance policy, families will receive letters if their student reaches 5 days, 8 days, and 16 days of absences.

ATTENDANCE: It is important that your child is at school each day. Good attendance is one of the keys to achieving your child’s full potential in the learning process. The overall rate of attendance is one of four determining factors in our accreditation rating with the Indiana Department of Education. Depending upon the time of year, absence can also have an impact on school funding.

Attendance will be excused but not counted against a student's absence numbers for the following reasons:

➢ School-sponsored trips;

➢ Court appearance or witness in judicial proceedings;

➢ Service as a legislative page;

➢ Participation in an election;

➢ Active duty with the Indiana National Guard;

➢ Active duty with the Indiana wing of civil air patrol;

➢ Religious instruction;

➢ Attendance excused by the principal/designee;

➢ Exhibiting or participating in State Fair-- A student may be excused if the student or member of the student’s household participates or exhibits in the Indiana State fair for educational purposes. The student’s parent/guardian must provide a written note indicating the educational purpose and the school principal must approve the absence. A student may not miss more than (5) days in a school year due to attending the State Fair. The student must be in good academic standing with the school as determined by HSE.

Attendance will be excused but counted against a student’s absence numbers for the following reasons:

➢ The student’s illness or injury (documented);

➢ Accident involving the student’s transportation;

➢ Death or serious illness in the student’s immediate family; Elementary Handbook Page 3 Adopted by the HSE Board of Trustees July 2023; Amended July 2023

➢ Religious observations;

➢ College visits;

➢ Attendance excused by the principal/designee

Students of active-duty personnel shall have additional excused absences at the discretion of the District for visitations relative to leave or deployment.

Excused absences at the elementary school level means the student is counted as absent, but it falls under one of the legal reasons for an absence. All other absences are considered unexcused.

A maximum of eight (8) days per semester and a maximum of sixteen (16) days per school year will be excused. Further undocumented absences will be unexcused. Students must have a written explanation from their doctor for every absence above and beyond the maximum of 8 days per semester or 16 days per year. Parents/guardians are ultimately responsible for their child’s school attendance. Students with excessive absences and/or tardies will be referred to the HSE attendance officer.

At the elementary level, the half day absence mark is 10:55AM for student day. Any student arriving after 8:40AM and prior to 10:55AM will be marked half day absence.

EXTENDED ABSENCES: Students who are absent from school for an excess of 10 consecutive school days may be subject to the following actions as each may be deemed appropriate by the School, all subject to further procedure in accordance with this Student Handbook and Indiana law: (i) the School may exit the student as an out of state transfer. The parent/guardian shall be responsible for enrolling the student where they are located and re-enrolling the student upon their return; (ii) at the election of the parent/guardian, the student may be exited as a transfer to Homeschooling; (iii) upon approval of the School, the extended absence may be excused if the trip is for education purposes in accordance with Ind. Code 20-33-2-17.5; or (iv) the extended absences may be reported as unexcused absences, which may subject the student to truancy or expulsion procedures and require the School to notify DCS or other entities as required by Indiana law.

Parents/guardians should provide the school with advanced notice of any planned extended absences sufficient to satisfy one of the above-referenced options. Failure to provide advanced notice may lead to the extended absence being declared unexcused, which may subject the student to truancy or expulsion procedures and require the school to notify DCS or other entities as required by Indiana law.

Mrs. Chastain, Ms. Monkul and Mr. Roberts

SEL

KDG

Over the last couple of weeks our kindergartners have been learning about the three parts of their brains that help them think and respond to stress.

Last week's lesson -MindUp Curriculum

Lesson 1: How Your Brain Works

Try This at Home:

Ask your child the three parts of the brain that respond to stress (amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex)

This week's lesson -MindUp Curriculum

Lesson 2: Mindful Awareness

Try This at Home:

Ask your child what it means to use mindful (purposeful) vs what it means to use unmindful behavior (unaware).

​1st

Over the last couple of weeks our first graders have been learning about the three parts of their brains that help them think and respond to stress.

Last week's lesson -MindUp Curriculum

Lesson 1: How Your Brain Works

Try This at Home:

Ask your child the three parts of the brain that respond to stress (amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex)

This week's lesson -MindUp Curriculum

Lesson 2: Mindful Awareness

Try This at Home:

Ask your child what it means to use mindful (purposeful) vs what it means to use unmindful behavior (unaware).

2nd

Over the last couple of weeks our second graders have been learning about the three parts of their brains that help them think and respond to stress.

Last week's lesson -MindUp Curriculum

Lesson 1: How Your Brain Works

Try This at Home:

Ask your child the three parts of the brain that respond to stress (amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex)

This week's lesson -MindUp Curriculum

Lesson 2: Mindful Awareness

Try This at Home:

Ask your child what it means to use mindful (purposeful) vs what it means to use unmindful behavior (unaware).

3rd

Over the last couple of weeks our third graders have been learning about the three parts of their brains that help them think and respond to stress.

Last week's lesson -MindUp Curriculum

Lesson 1: How Your Brain Works

Try This at Home:

Ask your child the three parts of the brain that respond to stress (amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex)

This week's lesson -MindUp Curriculum

Lesson 2: Mindful Awareness

Try This at Home:

Ask your child what it means to use mindful (purposeful) vs what it means to use unmindful behavior (unaware).

4th

Our fourth graders continued to work on our Empathy and Skills for Learning lessons.

Last week's lesson -Second Step Curriculum

Lesson 7: Conversations and Compliments- Home Link

This week's lesson - Second Step Curriculum

Lesson 8: Joining In - Home Link

CONFLICT VS BULLYING

In addition to our weekly lessons from our social emotional scope and sequence, all grade levels received a presentation of our conflict resolution/bullying curriculum.

We learned about how conflict is normal, it happens to everyone and we can resolve our own conflicts with I-messages. I have attached a visual of the I message template so you can practice at home.

When someone doesn’t respond appropriately to an I-message, students should report to an adult for help.

The adult will help the student resolve the continuing conflict with a number of supports.

• To help the student use a strong and assertive voice to set a boundary.
• To support the student with needed conversations to address the undesired behavior.
• To empathize with the student and to ask them to continue reporting to them if the undesired behavior continues,
• To keep a watchful eye on the situation

Students were taught that if the conflict continues, or meets the following criteria, to ask a trusted adult for help.

• Happens over and over again
• Mean on purpose—physically or verbally
• Imbalance of power (One sided)
• 
  

The adult will intervene and discern whether the conflict is a bullying-type behavior and will handle the situation.

Home Links for the lesson on how to recognize bullying are below.

KDG Recognizing Bullying

1st Grade Recognizing Bullying

2nd Grade Recognizing Bullying

3rd Grade Recognizing Bullying

4th Grade Recognize, Report, Refuse

Holiday Assistance

The holiday season is upon us once again! Is your family in need of holiday assistance this year? Hamilton Southeastern High School's National Honor Society would like to help.

If you would like to request assistance, please complete the information on the attached form. I ask that you complete it as it appears. SES can submit no more than 4 families, so assistance will be provided on a first come first served basis. I will contact you if your family is selected.

The information forms are due by Wednesday, November 8th. Absolutely no late forms will be accepted.

Please contact our school counselor, Jennifer Smith, with any questions or to submit a form.

Jen Smith, SES School Counselor

Vision screening is required by the Indiana State Board of Health for all 1st and 3rd graders. All 3rd graders will be screened on Friday, October 13th. Mrs. Stahl's 1st grade class will also be screened. Near and far vision will be checked, and the results are pass or fail. You will only be notified if your student fails the screening test. If your child wears glasses or contacts, please make sure they have them at school for accurate testing results.

If you have any questions, please contact our school nurse Carissa Firmand (cfirmand@hse.k12.in.us).

If you do not want your child’s vision to be screened, please send an email to let the nurse know.

Carissa Firmand, SES Nurse

Menu

We will be on WEEK 1 and we will be celebrating National School Lunch Week. We will be "Kicking it Up" with flavors next week (please see above).

We are beginning to offer snacks for 1st-4th grade daily.

Please contact cafeteria manager, Beth Verhoestra, if you not want your student to purchase snacks.

Beginning after Fall Break we will be offering ice cream weekly to all grades.

During October we will be decorating with mini pumpkins and offering a variety of apples.

Beth Verhoestra, SES Cafeteria Manager

• Monday, Oct. 9th, Drama Club, 2:15 to 3:13 pm.
• Monday, Oct. 9th, Run Club, 2:15 to 3:15.
• Monday, Oct. 9th, PTO meeting, 6:30 pm
• Wednesday, Oct. 11th, parent/teacher conferences.
• Wednesday, Oct. 11th, Litter Club, 2:15 to 3:00.
  
• Wednesday, Oct. 11th, Spell Bowl, 2:15 to 3:00.
• Friday, October 13th, third grade vision screening.
• Monday, Oct. 16th through Friday, Oct.20th, Fall break, no school.
• Monday, October 23rd, Drama Club, 2:15 to 3:15.
• Monday, October 23rd, Run Club, 2:15 to 3:15.
• Wednesday, Oct. 25th, Litter Club, 2:15 to 3:00.
• Wednesday, Oct. 25th, Spell Bowl, 2:15 to 3:00.
• Monday, October 30th, Drama Club, 2:15 to 3:15.
• Monday, October 30th, Run Club, 2:15 to 3:15.
• Wednesday, Nov. 1st, Litter Club, 2:15 to 3:00.
• Wednesday, Nov. 1st, Spell Bowl, 2:15 to 3:00.
• Wednesday, Nov. 1st, Student Council, 2:15 to 3:15.
• Friday, Nov. 3rd, Glow Party, 6:00 to 8:30 pm
• Monday, Nov. 6th through Friday, Nov. 10th, Fall Book Fair.
• Monday, Nov. 6th, Drama Club, 2:15 to 3:15.
• Monday, Nov. 6th, Run Club, 2:15 to 3:15.
• Wednesday, Nov. 8th, Book Fair Family Night, 4:00 to 7:00
• Wednesday, Nov. 8th, Cripe school picture retakes.
• Friday, Nov. 10th, third grade Veterans Day Program.
• Monday, Nov.13th, Drama Club, 2:15 to 3:15.
• Monday, Nov. 13th, Run Club, 2:15 to 3:15.
• Wednesday, Nov. 15th, Litter Club, 2:15 to 3:00
• Wednesday, Nov. 15th, Spell Bowl, 2:15 to 3:00
• Wednesday, Nov. 15th, Student Council, 2:15 to 3:15
• Monday, Nov. 20th, Drama Club, 2:15 to 3:15.
• Tuesday, Nov. 21st, Talent Show auditions.
• Tuesday, Nov. 21st, Litter Club, 2:15 to 3:00.
  
• Wednesday, Nov. 22 through Friday, Nov. 24th, Thanksgiving break, no school.
  

School day start/end times, 7:40 am to 2:10 pm

Our Explorers had a wonderful day today celebrating Explore-A-Thon. We have raised just under $36,000. We are so close to our goal of $40,000 that we have decided to extend our fundraising deadline to this Sunday evening at 11:59 pm. There is still time. Please click this link to register.

If we reach our goal of $40,000, Kona Ice will come to the school and Dean of Students Tyler Roberts will shave his head.

Library Volunteers 2023-24

Support our readers and library by shelving books, checking in books, assisting students during checkout, reading with children, or general library organization. You must have a Safe visitor background check on file with the district prior to volunteering in the building. Please visit our School Safety page under the Visiting and Volunteering section for Background Check information and processes. Thank you for supporting SES through volunteering your time.

Parents, please mark your calendars for our fall book fair scheduled for Monday, Nov. 6th, through Friday, Nov. 10th. Families can come into the building and shop together on family night scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 8th.

If you would like to volunteer for the fall book fair, please click this link. You must have a Safevisitor background check on file with the district prior to volunteering in the building (please access link below).

Our SES PTO Philanthropic committee welcomes you to join us in helping our friends in need. Throughout the school year, we partner with the Fall Creek Township Food Pantry by collecting kid friendly pantry-type donations and serve their current needs.

In the spirit of serving we will continue to support the Fall Creek Township Food Pantry. For the months of September and October, we are asking 4th grade families to donate ketchup and mustard. Please know that anyone is welcome to donate at any time and any non-expired pantry item is appreciated. There is a big blue bin located in the LGI Space ready for your donations. Thank you for your ongoing support!

We are thrilled to announce that our SES playground expansion has begun! The students are enjoying observing the progress. The entire project should be completed sometime after fall break.

Anyone wanting to spend time in the school, visit for lunch or chaperone a field trip must have a SafeVisitor background check on file with the district prior visiting. If you have not yet completed the background check, please click below to get started.

Our PTO sends out a weekly newsletter with information about upcoming programs and activities you can get involved with at SES. Please access the latest PTO Newsletter at this link.

Stay connected with Southeastern PTO

Email: SoutheasternElemPTO@gmail.com

Instagram: @Southeastern PTO
Twitter: @Southeastern PTO

SES Lunch Visitor Procedures:

• Lunch visits will begin after Labor Day.

• Adults will be able to call in the day of by 8:30 a.m. and sign up to have lunch with their child; 8:30 a.m. is a FIRM deadline.

• Time slots will be filled on a first come, first serve basis. Only one family per block will be allowed each day with a maximum of 2 visitors.

Time blocks:

• 10:15-10:45

• 10:45-11:15

• 11:15-11:45

• 11:45-12:15

• 12:15-12:45

• 12:45-1:15

Visitor Guidelines:

• All visitors will need to have their ID with them to sign in and sign out of the building. All visitors must have an approved valid Safe Visitor background check on file with the district before coming into the building. Visitors are required to wear their visitor badge and lanyard while in the building.

• All visitors must eat lunch with their child at the table designated for visitors.

• NO restaurant food or drink may be brought in, Ex: McDonalds, Chic Fil A, Jimmie Johns etc.

• Phones must be put away at all times.

• Students will not be pulled out of lunch to eat with siblings.

• Siblings not attending SES will be discouraged from attending lunch due to space constraints.

• You may only have your child eat lunch with you during this time. Friends and students who are extended family are not permitted

• We ask that when your child lines up with their class at the end of lunch, you check out in the office to turn your badge and lanyard in.

The Southeastern Elementary handbook has answers to many of your questions regarding policies and procedures for our upcoming school year. The handbook can be found on our website at ses.hseschools.org, or by clicking here.

Email: dchastain@hse.k12.in.us
Website: https://ses.hseschools.org/
Location: 12500 Cyntheanne Road, Fortville, IN, USA
Phone: 317-594-4340
Twitter: @SoutheasternEl1