The Tiger Times

Email: sstrube@decaturproud.org
Website: decaturproud.org/westnewtonelementary
Location: West Newton Elementary School, 7529 South Mooresville Road, West Newton, IN, USA
Phone: 317-856-5237
Twitter: @wntigers

The MSD of Decatur Township is Student Invested, Community Connected. We prioritize Student learning, Safety and Customer Service, fostering a support system for our families.

Preparing our students to be tomorrow ready!

Dear West Newton Families,

Even though we’ve had a chilly, snowy start to 2025 the West Newton staff is thrilled to have our students back at school! I know that I missed our students over winter break so it’s wonderful to be teaching and learning together again.

Extended Day begins on Tues., Jan. 14 and will continue each Tuesday and Thursday through March. Clubs begin on Wed., Jan. 15 and will continue on upcoming Wednesdays.

Our marvelous PTO has several opportunities to support our students in the coming months:

• Jan. 17-Feb.7 = Chocolate Bar Fundraiser; fabulous prizes for top sellers, but everyone wins with all profits going to purchasing materials for our school.

• Feb. 7 from 5:30-7:00pm = Dance With Someone You Love; flyers will be sent home for this PTO fundraiser that always proves to be a lovely family event.

Our West Newton staff takes great pride in honoring our Veterans. If you know of a Veteran who is in need of Military Family Resources, please share our West Newton website at WN Military Family Resources so that our veterans can access resources at the following links: Indiana Dept. of Foreign Affairs, Helping Heroes, Marion County Veteran Affairs. Mrs. Amanda Burch is our Military Family Resources contact at West Newton and she can be reached at 317-856-5237, ext. 21206.

The West Newton staff continues to prepare our students to be “Tomorrow Ready”. Thank you so much for partnering with us in our students’ success and for sharing your children with us. #DecaturProud

With Tiger Pride,

Susan D. Strube

Principal

Dear Families of 1st and 2nd grade students,

On Thursday, March 13th, the 1st and 2nd grade students of West Newton will be performing a musical called, “The Very Best Pet Show Ever!” The performance will begin at 5:00pm in the West Newton gym. The setting is a pet show and the plot is that a group of children introduce their pets and tell why their pets are the best. “Awards” are given at the end of the pet show. The musical includes songs about cats, dogs, bunnies, snakes, the SPCA, and responsible pet ownership.

Students will be learning the songs during music class, but materials can also be accessed through the 1st and 2nd grade Canvas Music course via the Canvas app on student iPads. The music is taken from our MusicPlay curriculum.

I am inviting all students to bring (as a prop) their favorite stuffed animal (small size, please, as they will be holding their animal during the performance).

The performance will last approximately 30 minutes. I hope you will put this important event on your family calendar! We have only just begun the rehearsal process and there are many possibilities for parental help in the scope of costuming and makeup, in case you are creative and would like to contribute to our show! Address questions to me at dstebbe@decaturproud.org and I thank you in advance!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Stebbe, West Newton Music teacher

https://www.decaturproud.org/families/attendance

Attendance

Daily attendance is essential for academic growth and development. Regular daily attendance is the responsibility of the parent and student. Students are expected to comply with Indiana’s Compulsory Attendance statute (IC 30-33-2) which requires students to attend school. Communication regarding attendance between home and school is essential to student success.

Reporting

Parents/Guardians are to report the absence of their child to the school on the day of the absence. In the event of a single absence, a written, verbal, or electronic statement of the cause will be accepted.

Excused Absences

Students are expected to be in school except for the following reasons with documentation:

A. Illness verified by a note from the parent (by phone, written, or electronic communication) *The school reserves the right to verify such statements and to investigate the cause of each in the event of prolonged, repeated, or unexplained absences before excusal.

B. Illness verified by a note from the doctor.

C. Service as a page or honoree of the general assembly

D. Service on a precinct election board or helper to a political candidate on the date of an election

E. Subpoena to appear in court as a witness in a judicial proceeding

F. Exhibiting or participating in the Indiana Fair for educational purposes by a student or member of the student’s household.

G. Participating in an educationally related non-classroom activity which is consistent with and promotes educational philosophy and goals of the School Corporation, facilitates the attainment of specific educational objectives, is part of the goals and objectives of an approved course or curriculum, represents a unique educational opportunity, cannot reasonably occur without interrupting the school day, and is approved in advance by the school principal.

H. Doctor, dentist, counseling appointments (Documented with a note from the doctor, dentist or counselor for an excused absence)

I. Death in the immediate family

J. Recovery from an accident

K. Required court attendance

L. Major religious holidays and religious instruction provided by a church up to 120 minutes/week per the guidelines in IC 20-33-2-19

M. Required appointments for the citizenship process

N. Military connected family absences related to deployment and return

*The above list of excusals applies to all MSD of Decatur Township Schools. Secondary (middle and high schools) have additional excusals due to the age of students. Full attendance policies for each school can be found in the student handbooks on the school webpages.

Attendance Notifications & Truancy Prevention

Unexcused Absences

An unexcused absence is any absence not covered under the definition of excused absence or an exception to compulsory attendance. An out-of-school suspension shall not be considered an unexcused absence.

Three (3) unexcused absences - teacher will call the parent/guardian and document with office administration; Notification sent via Skyward Family Access

Five (5) unexcused absences within a ten (10) week period - Skyward letter sent; required attendance conference scheduled including a representative of the school, a teacher of the student, and the parent/guardian; Student Attendance Success Plan created at conference (see checklist for guidance and success plan document)

Eight (8) unexcused absences - Skyward letter sent and school administrator will call the parent/guardian

Ten (10) unexcused absences - letter sent from the Superintendent’s office, delivered by Decatur Township School Police; a report will be made to DCS (Send to Lisa Perry)

Fifteen (15) unexcused absences - home visit made by school personnel

Twenty (20) unexcused absences - a report will be made to DCS; Letter sent from the Superintendent’s Office scheduling a meeting with the District Attendance Officer. Send documentation of all steps completed to Kathy Flores (form coming soon) The meeting will be scheduled AT THE SCHOOL w/ Emily LeMay and Principal present (Kathy will send calendar invite)

**Continued absences may result in a referral to the Marion County Prosecuting Attorney, Juvenile Division

**The district reserves the right to refuse intra-district transfers due to excessive absenteeism

**District administration reserves the right to refuse out of district requests due to excessive absenteeism

Policy updated in accordance with SEA 282.

Dry and fresh food items will be available for drive thru pick up for any families with children enrolled in MSD of Decatur Township Schools!

When: Select Thursdays 11:00AM – 11:50AM (dates listed on intake form)
Where: DCHS, Door 10
How to apply: Complete the intake form below and submit! (required for each distribution date). The form must be completed by the Tuesday before the pick date.

Contact Mattie Hurt anytime at mhurt@decaturproud.org or call DCHS main office at 317-856-5288 during school hours.

DCHS Gleaners' Food Pantry Intake Form

Dates for Pantry Pick-Up:
January 23, 2025
February 6, 2025
March 6, 2025
March 20, 2025
April 3, 2025
April 17, 2025
May 1, 2025
May 15, 2025

westnewtonelempto@gmail.com

JANUARY

1/14 - PTO Meeting @ 5:00 pm

FEBRUARY

2/4 - PTO Meeting @ 5:00 pm

2/7 - Dance with Someone You Love

MARCH

2/28-3/7 - Winter Scholastic Book Fair

3/11 - PTO Meeting @ 5:00 pm

West Newton has a book store with school supplies (ie: pens, pencils, notebooks, folders, etc) in addition to trinket style school supplies (ie: pencil sharpeners, small notebooks, pencil pouches, etc). Students may bring cash to shop at the supply store. The supply store is open every week on Monday and Wednesday only.

Popcorn is $.50 per bag. Popcorn money will be collected all week and the popcorn will be distributed during the students' lunch time. All proceeds benefit the Student Activity fund and the Staff Fund.

Popcorn Friday will take place on selected Fridays - 1/17/25, 1/31/25, 2/7/25, 2/28/25, 3/14/25, 4/11/25 and 5/9/25.

You are welcome to send a donated book, puzzle or game to celebrate your child’s birthday. Due to food allergies and diet restrictions, all birthday celebrations will be FOOD FREE. This is to assure that all students can participate in the birthday celebrations. Students will be recognized on the announcements and in their classroom for their special day. At times, parents have asked us to help them by passing out birthday party invitations to children in the class. We are not able to do this unless every child in the class is invited.

Decatur Township School Police Department, (DTSPD), in collaboration with the Drug Free Coalition, is excited to offer a new diversion program for students found to be in possession of tobacco products,

e-cigarettes, and or vaping devices. DTSPD has also partnered with our local courts in an effort to minimize the use of these products and devices on our campuses. Our students, if found with the aforementioned items, would be in violation of Indiana Code 35-46-1-10.5, Minor in Possession of a Tobacco Product or an Electronic Cigarette or 7.1-5-12-8 Smoking in a Prohibited Area. Each of these would be met with an Indiana citation, also known as a “Uniform Traffic Ticket,” (UTT). When submitted to the courts, the cost of the ticket for this violation is $170.50. This is an actual ticket and will affect your license or the ability to obtain one if left unpaid. Our objective however, is not to create financial hardship, but to have an opportunity to educate students and families on the dangers of vaping and tobacco products. Twice per month, DTSPD officers will present a 1-hour class for students who have opted to accept the terms of the diversion program. The cost of the class for a student attending alone is $75.00. If a student attends the class with a parent or guardian, the class is discounted at a cost of $25.00. Upon the completion of the class, the UTT, or citation, will not be referred to the courts, and there will be no record of the violation. A student may only participate in the program once per school year, and only twice throughout their entire school career.

All volunteers are required to submit a volunteer application and clear a background check prior to volunteering at any Decatur Township school. It is important to submit your application at least 2 weeks prior to the field trip, field day, and/or any other special event to ensure we get the background check results to clear you to volunteer. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. To begin the volunteer process, click the application link below.

Volunteer Application

Hello Decatur Township community members.

Please share your input on programs you would like to see offered at the Indianapolis Public Library Decatur Branch and what times work best for you and your family. Follow the link to fill out a brief survey. Thank you for your time. https://forms.gle/SMY6iUxCGHUaSbMF9

Distribution of information by a community group in accordance with MSD Decatur policy does not imply, directly or indirectly, that the group's program(s), event(s) and/or service(s) is sanctioned, sponsored or endorsed by the district, the Board of Education or the superintendent."

24 Hour Suicide Hotline

• Dial 988 or text IN to 741741

LGBTQ+ National Hotline

• 888-843-4564
• email: help@LGBThotline.org

Mental Health Support & Referrals

• Mental Health America
• 800-969-6642
• http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/

Physical Abuse

• National Domestic Violence Hotline
• 800-799-7233
• http://www.thehotline.org/
  
• Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline
• 800-422-4453
• http://www.childhelp.org/ \

Substance Abuse Support

• National Drug & Alcohol Treatment Hotline
• 800-662-4357
• http://www.addictioncareoptions.com/
  

Eating Disorders

• National Eating Disorders Assoc. Helpline
• 800-931-2237
• http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/
  

Teen Health Questions

• 888-711-TEEN (confidential)

Boys Town National Hotline: struggling youth & families

800-448-300

http://www.boystown.org/hotline

Connect to Skyward here or download the Skyward App:

Parent Instructions

ParentSquare is the official communication platform of the MSD of Decatur Township.

Visit https://www.parentsquare.com or download the ParentSquare app to get started:

K-12 Curriculum - No Fees

Per state legislation, Indiana families will not be charged textbook fees. Parents and students will continue to be responsible for any lost or damaged educational material, including but not limited to, lost textbooks, lost or damaged iPad and related components, library books, cafeteria fees, extracurricular activities, fundraising, and NSF check fees.