I believe we all readily agree that Maribeth Cunningham is one of the finest people you will meet in your lifetime. She has served the Boone Meadow community extremely well over the past couple of years which results in feeling conflicted with her departure. We are thrilled for the next chapter to unfold for her and her family, but I am also quite selfish, and saying good-bye to such special people is hard. Undoubtedly, she will be a phenomenal mother as she and her husband, John, welcome Baby Cunningham into the world in early January. We are going to greatly miss her smile and steady calm.

However, life brings us new opportunities and new people in our lives. I am thrilled to announce our newest team member, Beth Kiel. Beth comes to us with 19 years of experience as a school secretary/registrar/treasurer in Hamilton Southeastern Schools. Prior to that, she also served as administrative assistant in three different hospitals in the central Indiana area. Her vast experiences, skillset, and kindness will truly be a wonderful addition to our team. Beth plans to shadow Maribeth for a day or two next week in order to assist with a smooth transition and start on January 8th.

Be sure to extend your usual kind greetings and welcoming spirit when you meet Beth in the coming weeks!

Boone Meadow Voices concert on Thursday, December 14th

As Old Man Winter prepares to roll in, please be sure to send your student to school appropriately dressed for the weather as it grows colder and snow is on the ground. As stated in the handbook:

As the weather turns colder, each child needs a winter coat, hat, and gloves. Snow pants and boots are required when there is snow on the ground.

Students without snow pants and boots (when there is snow on the ground) will only be permitted to play on the cleared blacktop.

All children play outside except on rainy, icy, or very cold days (wind chill below the 10-20 degree range)." Inside recess will be held on those exceptional days.

For more information regarding our procedures for school delays and closings please visit our website.

December 15th - Nickname Day; Boone Meadow Voices perform at Hoosier Village

December 21st-22nd - Class celebrations refer to your child's teacher for details

December 22nd - Mrs. Cunningham's last day at Boone Meadow (let her know how much you've appreciated her); Last day of school before winter break.

December 25th-January 5th - School closed for winter break

January 8th - Staff and students return to school

January 8th-26th - NWEA Testing window

January 15th - Martin Luther King, Jr Day (no school)

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 Maribeth Cunningham in the front office if you have any questions!

mcunningham@zcs.k12.in.us

(317) 735-5445

Parenting is never easy. But today's parents have to grapple with a wired world in a way that no other generation has ever had to before. This ever-evolving digital landscape can be daunting to navigate.

Join ZCS in a 5-part series on Parenting in the Digital Age. This series will take place over the winter months and focus on keeping our students safe and healthy in the digital world while weighing the potential benefits and possible negative effects of social media. All presentations will be from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Board Room at the Educational Service Center.

For dates and information on the sessions, click here!

ZCS is in need of expanding the substitue teacher pool. In addition, ZCS Food Service positions are now available at several of the ZCS cafeterias. Click here to apply directly and call 317-733-4804 with any questions!

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: mcunningham@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