MSD OF DECATUR TOWNSHIP

Dear Decatur Township Families,

As we have moved into the month of March, we are hopefully seeing the end of winter soon. As is typical Indiana weather, we have seen some warmer temps in the last couple of weeks, which allowed our elementary students to get outdoors for recess for a few days. Unfortunately, we typically see colder temps and some winter precipitation in March so we will enjoy the warmer temps whenever we experience them.

March brings many other important dates and events, including registration for the 2025-26 school year and spring break, which begins after the end of the school day on Thursday, March 20th. We will return from spring break on Monday, March 31st. Additionally, Daylight Savings Time begins at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 9th, so be sure to move your clocks forward by one hour.

Registration opens on March 3rd for the 2025-2026 school year! Registering your child right away helps the district to plan for student and hiring needs. Please go to https://www.decaturproud.org and click on "Returning Student Registration."

You will need your Skyward Family Access login information. If you need assistance with this information, please contact your child's school office.

Registering a new Kindergarten student? Please click on "Kindergarten Enrollment (2025-2026).” Kindergarten Round-Up Events at each elementary school will take place on April 24th, 5:00-7:00 p.m.

The state-mandated IREAD Testing window for 2025 is March 3rd to 14th. In the MSD of Decatur Township, we will begin testing on Tuesday, March 4th. The IREAD measures foundational reading skills based on Indiana Academic Standards. The goal is to identify students who may need additional support and to intervene early. We will be administering this test to all 2nd and 3rd graders in the school district, except for those current 3rd grade students who passed this assessment as 2nd graders last year. All students who do not pass will continue to test through the grade 6 summer administration until the student passes IREAD or enters grade 7.

IREAD-3 consists of three sections that take about 90 minutes in total and are spread over 2-3 days. The skills assessed include:

• Foundations and Vocabulary (Word Recognition, Fluency, and Vocabulary Development)

• Nonfiction (Comprehension and Analysis of Nonfiction and Informational Text)

• Literature (Comprehension and Analysis of Literary Text)

Mark your calendars for March 17th from 5:00-8:00 p.m. Culver’s will be hosting a fundraiser for our Backpack/School Supply Drive. With the tremendous support of our community and local businesses and organizations, we are able to distribute backpacks and school supplies each year prior to the start of the school year. The annual Backpack/School Supply giveaway is scheduled for Monday, July 14th from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Decatur Central High School. More information will be shared this summer.

Dr. Scott Collins

Superintendent

MSD of Decatur Township