Dear Families,

We want your child to be as successful as possible at school. Success extends beyond skills in reading and math. It is also about knowing how to learn and how to get along with others.

Throughout ZCS, we are using the Second Step program in your child’s classroom to teach these critical social and emotional learning skills.

The Second Step program teaches skills in the following four areas:

1. Skills for Learning: Students gain skills to help themselves learn, including how to focus their attention, listen carefully, use self-talk to stay on task, and be assertive when asking for help with schoolwork.
2. Empathy: Students learn to identify and understand their own and others’ feelings. Students also learn how to take another’s perspective and how to show compassion.
3. Emotion Management: Students learn specific skills for calming down when experiencing strong feelings, such as anxiety or anger.
4. Problem Solving: Students learn a process for solving problems with others in a positive way. Your child will be learning a lot this year—and he or she will need your help!

Throughout the year, I will be sending home Home Links that go with several of the Second Step lessons. Home Links are simple, fun activities for you and your child to complete together if possible. They are a great way for you to understand what your child is learning and for your child to show you what he or she knows. These are included below.

This first month of school, our schoolwide mission and theme was to foster our school environment as a welcoming place where every student feels like he or she belongs. In varied ways we’ll be reminding students to welcome others and act and speak in safe, respectful, and responsible ways. In addition we continue to define and implement our Life Goals to "Treat People Right" and "Do the Right Thing".

If you have any questions about the Second Step program, please do not hesitate to contact your child's teacher, our school counselor, Mrs. Kersey, or me for more information.

Sincerely,

Tom Hundley, Principal

Home Links: a fantastic way for you to understand what your child is learning through Second Step and for your child to show you what he or she is learning.

Kindy lesson 1 & Kindy lesson 2

1st grade lesson 1 & 1st grade lesson 2

2nd grade lesson 1

3rd grade lesson 1

4th grade lesson 1 & 4th grade lesson 2

Sharing information about student progress is an important focus area for us, especially for our youngest learners. This focus has led to improved calibration of the annual parent-teacher-student conferences held in the fall of each school year. In the past, variances in scheduling of conferences led to safety issues and to very early dates for some conferences. This diminished the effectiveness of these important discussions about student progress.

• The conference days (elementary schools only) will occur on the afternoon of October 3rd (2:30-3:30PM) and on October 4th from 11:10AM to 7:00PM.
• If you have not scheduled with your child's teacher, please fee free to contact them to confirm a time.
• In exactly the same way we use e-days in the event of snow or other school cancellation make-up days, we will place one elementary e-day on Thursday, October 4th.
• Assignments posted (on our learning management system CANVAS) will be released on October 3rd and will have approximately one week to complete. This time delay in turning in the assignments accommodates those who have difficulty with home access to the online content (just as we do with e-days for snow or other school cancellation make-ups).

Jog-a-Thon kicked off last Friday! Students received a Jog-a-Thon bracelet at lunch and should have brought home information in their folders. Jog-a-Thon will take place on Wednesday, September 26th. The money raised helps PTO to purchase electronic devices, outdoor equipment, provide teacher grants for classroom projects and experiences, fund activities such as our talent show, carnival, and numerous other experiences.

Volunteer opportunities are available! Click below.

All students are currently working on their first long term art project. An art show will take place in conjunction with their music performance later this year. Throughout the year, I will be saving art projects to be displayed at the show so this is why you may not see artwork come home as often.

All students k-4th created ¼ of a circle to go along with the art quote of the year, “We are all unique and beautiful, but together we create a masterpiece”. No directions were given on what they were to put on their square so they truly show each child’s personality and creative vision.

First Grade students are working on portrait drawings inspired by the book, “Crazy Hair Day”. They drew a face with emotion to go along with the crazy hair. The hair was created by using all different types of lines.

Second grade students are working on an art project influenced by the artist Laurel Burch. She is an artist most famous for her colorful paintings of cats. Students learned how to draw cats and dogs using her style. They are using crayons and water color paint to add the finishing touches. Your child should now be an expert at drawing cats and dogs and I bet they can teach you how draw them too!

Third Grade Students are currently learning about Japanese koi fish and their symbolism in the Japanese culture. They have learned how to draw koi fish and will be using watercolor paint to add color.

Fourth Grade Students are learning about the artist Gustav Klimt and his painting, “The Tree of Life”. They are painting their own version of the “Tree of Life” with metallic paint and markers.

A couple years ago, Boone Meadow was the recipient of an Adopt-a-Shade Program Grant by the American Academy of Dermatology. (Thank you, Deb Roach for leading this initiative.) Through the combination of the $8,000 grant by AAD and the generosity of some additional funds from our PTO, the shade structure was installed this past summer.

On October 10th, we will celebrate this partnership with a dedication of the structure during our monthly PTO meeting at 6:00 PM. We gladly welcome a large group of visitors at this dedication and PTO meeting. We hope you are able to attend.

More info to come.

September 17 - Mrs. Meyer's Class to Public Greens

September 18 - 1st & 3rd Grade Vision Screening

September 26 - Jog-A-Thon

October 3rd (afternoon) & 4th (afternoon/evening) - Student Conferences/E-Day

October 9th - Fire Safety Talk/Truck - 1st Grade, Picture Re-Take Day

October 10th - Fire Safety Talk/Truck PK and Kdg; PTO Meeting 6:00pm w/ Dedication of Shade Structure with American Association of Dermatology

October 11th - Fire Safety Talk/Truck - 2nd Grade

October 15th-19th - Fall Break

October 24th - Blood Drive 3:00-7:00pm Cafe

Our Student directory is now complete! Many thanks to the PTO for organizing this helpful resource! To access the directory follow these steps:

- Go to www.directoryspot.net or download the “Directory Spot” app on a smart phone.

- Enter your email address as your Username, and click on “Reset Password”. An email will be sent to you with a link to set your password.

- Click on the link in the email to set your password and to log in.

If you have trouble logging in, please contact PTO volunteer Eileen Adam at eileenadam@hotmail.com.

From time to time Boone Meadow uses SchoolMessenger to send a text to all of the families. If you haven't been receiving texts from us, you may need to opt-in by sending YES to the SchoolMessenger short code of 68453. Contact Beth Kiel in the front office if you have any questions!

bkiel@zcs.k12.in.us

CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR VOLUNTEERS

We value partnerships with our families and welcome parents and guardians to serve as volunteers in our schools. Each ZCS building offers a wide variety of volunteer opportunities.

Examples include:

• Field Trip Chaperones
• Out of Town/Overnight Chaperones
• Tutors
• Volunteer Coaches
• Classroom Helpers (PTO parties/room parents)
• Library Helpers
• After Prom Workers
• Field Day/Jog-A-Thon Volunteers
• Book Fair Sales/Athletic Ticket Sales

During the school day, all volunteers are expected to sign in at the front office. Prior to the volunteer opportunity, all volunteers must sign a Non-disclosure Acknowledgement Form and have successfully completed a Full Criminal History Background Check. Necessary background check paperwork is available on the ZCS website at the Volunteers/BRAVO link and should be submitted at least 10 days prior to the intended volunteer date. Volunteers must also view the state mandated confidentiality/bullying video, provided on the Volunteer/BRAVO website. The volunteer will pay the fee* for the full background check which will expire after 5 years. The link to apply for the full background check can be accessed on the Volunteers/BRAVO link on the ZCS main webpage. For more information, contact the Volunteer/BRAVO Coordinator.

CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR VISITORS

During the school day, all visitors must enter via the front door and sign-in at the front office. Visitors need to be prepared to present a government issued photo ID which will be scanned against the National Sex Offender Registry. All visitors will be issued a visitor badge/tag to be worn inside the building at all times.

Examples Include:

• Lunch Guests
• Classroom Guest Speakers
• Classroom Special Events (Grandparent Day/Famous Hoosiers/etc.)
• Parent/Teacher Conferences

We ask that all visitors schedule an appointment to meet with teachers, counselors, administrators and all other staff members so that we may best serve everyone. Visitors other than parents/guardians must be prearranged and organized through the main office.

*ZCS thanks all volunteers for generous support of our youth and schools. Thank you, too, for supporting assurance of student and staff safety by completing and paying for a volunteer background check.

Email: thundley@zcs.k12.in.us
Website: http://www.zcs.k12.in.us/bme/
Location: 5555 S Main St, Whitestown, IN, United States
Phone: 3178732226
Twitter: @ZCSBoone_Meadow