As you enjoy this break, I hope you will be able to spend time with friends and family. In class, I was able to read, Balloons Over Broadway, a nonfiction book about Tony Sarg, the puppeteer of Macy's Parade. (click on the book title or the link below for a video of the book) My original intent on reading it was to share my love for the artwork, connect to our leaning about nonfiction, and share my experience of when I visited New York over fall break. I wanted to bring back my New York memories and share how I watch the parade every Thanksgiving morning on TV. When reading the book, it ended up having a much deeper impact for us all.

This book explains how the parade was created for the immigrant workers of Macy's. They missed their families and their own traditions. This resonated with me because as our Boone Meadow Community is growing, we are gaining so many viewpoints and new traditions from across the world. We are so lucky to have that within our building and to share experiences from around the world.

Although you might not celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope that you are able to be celebrate your own traditions and gratitude for health and happiness.

Mark your calendars. This year’s Family STEM Night, “Inquiring Minds Want to Know”, will take place on the Wednesday following Thanksgiving Break, November 29th from 6:00—7:30. Family STEM Night is an annual Boone Meadow event for the whole school community. At this year’s event we will celebrate inquiry and the art of asking questions. We will have a variety of stations set up throughout the building to engage and inspire your family to ask questions and seek the answers to those questions together. We will release more specifics as the date draws near. You won’t want to miss it!

November 22nd-24th - Thanksgiving break

November 29th - STEM Night 6:00-7:30

December 14th - Boone Meadow Voices concert in the BME cafe at 7:00 PM

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

Zionsville Community Schools are partnering again this year with Chaucie’s Place, a child advocacy organization in Hamilton County, to bring Smart Steps: A Body Safety Program for Children™ to our Kindergarten, 2, and 4th grade students. Smart Steps is a child sexual abuse prevention and education program that empowers your child to say “NO!” to any unwanted touches that make them uncomfortable from anyone.

Representatives from Chaucie's Place will be meeting with kindergarten, second and fourth grade classrooms on Monday, December 11th. Notices with opt-out information went home and should be returned to your child’s teacher by Friday, December 8th. If you have specific questions, please contact School Counselor, Kristi Sloan at ksloan@zcs.k12.in.us or visit: www.chauciesplace.org.

The art room is collected yarn for an upcoming 4th grade weaving project. Thank you for sharing your leftover yarn from knitting and crochet projects. The 4th graders will happily use it!

Thank you,

Allison Albright

BME Art Teacher

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