PAW PRINTS

Dear Families,

We just wanted to take a moment to say a big thank you for a wonderful week at school! Your support and involvement make such a difference in our school community. We appreciate your volunteer hours, your contributions to the classrooms, and your partnership and collaboration when communicating.

It’s been a joy to see the kids engaged and excited about their learning. We truly appreciate everything you do to help make our school a special place.

Looking forward to more great weeks ahead!

Mrs. Alonzo and Mrs. Hall

Monday (October 7th) is World Day of Bullying Prevention. In observance of this day, students, schools, and communities all over the world go BLUE together against bullying.

So, please wear BLUE next Monday!

During the 2022-2023 school year, our elementary schools joined our middle and high schools in reporting grades at the end of each semester. Previously, elementary report cards were finalized each nine weeks. We have shifted to reporting at the end of each semester so that students have a longer time to demonstrate what they know and can do. Our focus is on mastery learning and supporting a growth mindset in our learners.

The end of the first 9 weeks is Friday, October 11, 2024. While parents can always monitor their child's progress through our Buzz Learning Management System, this review period at the end of the 9 weeks is a great opportunity to assess how your child is doing. There will still be plenty of time to ask for help if needed, complete work, and bring grades up before the end of the semester when grades are finalized. If you have not yet verified your email address in Buzz, this is an important step to ensure that you are receiving all relevant alerts and information about your child’s progress. Instructions for accessing Buzz are linked here.

Please reach out to your child’s classroom teacher should you have any questions about their progress or to learn more about how you can partner with us to support your child’s academic development.

We look forward to welcoming you to Parent Teacher Conferences in late October. During Parent Teacher Conferences, we encourage a collaborative dialogue that highlights how your student is transitioning throughout the first semester. We look forward to addressing questions parents/caregivers have, sharing relevant information (engagement, strengths, NWEA, classwork, socialization, areas for growth), and establishing on-going means for communication.

CPCSC is hosting a presentation about school safety for parents and caregivers later this month. This 90-minute session will cover the district's steps to prevent and respond to safety issues, and how parents can help support our schools to be safe environments for students.

Students in grades 6+ are welcome to attend with their parents, but we ask that you consider whether the content and length of the presentation would be best for your elementary children.

• Tuesday, October 22nd from 6-7:30 pm at Taft Middle School OR
• Wednesday, October 30th from 6-7:30 pm at Col. Wheeler Middle Schoo

To help our team prepare for this event, please sign up to attend the presentation.

Attendance letters for students who have missed 6 or more days of school were mailed home today. These attendance letters are sent to all students, regardless of reason for the absence once students have accrued 6 and 10 absences within the semester.

Please ensure that you are calling the office with Transportation changes prior to 3 pm. This ensures that students are added to the digital car rider doc that is shared amongst the teachers. Please also have your name placard prominently displayed every day. If you need a new one, please stop in the office!

You may have noticed that we have reinstalled our green signage on the north side that indicates that the school parking lot is an idle-free zone. This means that cars anywhere in the parking lot should be turned off unless the line is actively moving. Our bus drivers observe the same guidance.

10/7-10/9- ELA ILEARN Checkpoints (grades 3-5)

10/14-10/18- Fall Break; No School

10/24- E-Learning Day (Elementary Only); Parent Teacher Conferences

10/28- Picture Retake Day

10/28-10/30- Red Ribbon Week

10/31- Halloween Parties

11/1-11/8- Fall Book Fair

11/4- Grandparent's Day/Special Person's Day

11/5- E-Learning Day (All Schools)

Student Lunch: $2.45 Student Breakfast: $1.60

Additional Options Available:

• Students in grades 2-5 can purchase chips ($0.75-$1.00) or a Rice Krispie treat ($0.75) every day.
• Students in grades 2-5 can purchase ice cream ($1.00) on the following days:
• Mon.- grade 2, Tues.- grade 3, Wed.- grade 4, Thurs.- grade 5

Birthday Ice Cream:

Students can purchase ice cream for their classmates to be served on their birthday during lunch. Tickets are $1.00 per student, and the order must be received one-week prior to the date to be served.

*Please note, to ensure safety with food allergies and to protect instructional time, we do not permit edible birthday treats from home to be brought in to the classroom.

Monthly tuition fees are loaded on the 15th of the previous month and due by the 1st of every month. Please check your child's PowerSchool account for balances due. Payment can be made online or at the school office. Failure to pay by the 10th of the current month will result in your child not being able to attend preschool until the balance is paid in full.

Supply Fee - $65 yearly fee for all students in preschool

Monthly Tuition - $180/3 days per week, $300/5 days per week

The Free & Reduced Application can be found here: https://www.cps.k12.in.us/district-departments/food-services. If you have any questions, please contact the preschool office at (219) 663-4330.

Bulldog Buddies Newsletters:

Other Preschool News:

Bulldog Buddies Handbook

The next PTO meeting will be held on October 9th at 4:15 pm in the Winfield Elementary media center. All families are encouraged to get involved and see how our PTO supports our students and staff. New faces are always welcome to help hear about upcoming initiatives and to share ideas. More hands make for lighter work!