SCI Shark Bytes Newsletter

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Dear SCI Families,

I want to take a moment to sincerely thank you for attending this year’s Parent-Teacher Conferences. Your presence and engagement are vital to the success of our students and the overall strength of our school community. By taking the time to meet with our teachers, you demonstrate your commitment to your child’s education and well-being, and that support makes a world of difference.

These conferences are not just an opportunity to discuss academic progress, but also to strengthen the essential partnership between home and school. Your insights and collaboration help us better understand and meet the unique needs of each student. Together, we can continue to ensure that all of our students have the best possible learning experience and reach their fullest potential.

We value your input and look forward to continuing our work together throughout the school year. If you have any further questions or feedback, please do not hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher or myself.

Warm regards,
Mrs. Michelle Bunnell

Principal

mbunnell@hse.k12.in.us

@MichelleBunnell

S- SAFE

Natalie Sheeman- Mrs. Tolle

• Safe with materials in STEM lab

Taya Beverly- Mrs. Meyer

• Cleaning up trash outside

Liam Scales

• Staying calm during the fire drill

C-Caring

Otis Hamstra- Mrs. Thompson

• Thanks for sharing supplies

Catalaya Brown- Mrs. Steiner

• Helping out another student

Libby Haywood

• Libby was a very caring and helpful friend to a fellow student needing some help.

I- Inspiring

Tristian Graham- Mrs. Bunnell

• Beautiful writing in Humanities

Vika Hanulya- Ms. Wellington

• Thank you for always being so inspiring!

Kaysen Leeman- Ms. Eikenberry

• Kaysen helped keep our hallways clean today when switching classes. Thank you!

Davis Gaidoo- Mrs. Brooks and Mrs. Boykin

• Great job during your student-led parent teacher conference!

Don't forget that Fall Break is the week of October 14- October 18. We will be back to school on Monday, October 21, 2024! We hope that you enjoy this time with people that you love and appreciate and we promise to do the same! Happy Fall Break to all and we can't wait to see you when we get back!

September 30th to October 11th:

• SCI Read-A-Thon

October 14th to October 18th:

• Fall Break- No School

October 22nd and 24th:

• 6th Grade Boys' Basketball Try Outs

October 31st and Novemer 1st:

• Body Safety Program

It’s not too late to register your student for the SCI Readathon which is going on now through October 11th. Scan the QR code to register. The PTO has several great prizes left to give away. All students have earned a Pajama Day on Wednesday October 9th. Cash donations can be accepted by sending cash or checks payable to Sand Creek Intermediate PTO in an envelope with student name, homeroom teacher, and Readathon. The Readathon is one of the PTO’s biggest fundraisers of the year and provides funds for special events, teacher grants, technology, staff appreciation, and so much more. Thank you for your support!

Over the past few years, there has been an increased awareness of the importance of child sexual abuse prevention in educational settings. In 2018, the state of Indiana passed a law requiring all public, charter, and accredited private schools to provide child abuse prevention education to students in kindergarten through 12th grades.

As part of our commitment to creating a safe and nurturing environment for our students, we have partnered with the Indiana Center for Prevention of Youth Abuse and Suicide to provide Child Lures Prevention training at our school.

This evidence-based program provides basic abuse prevention education to students. Students will learn anatomically correct names for private body parts, basic body safety rules, how to recognize common tactics – or lures – abusers use to manipulate their victims and be encouraged to talk to their trusted adults if they have a safety concern. It is essential that we empower our children with knowledge and tools to protect themselves from potential harm.

The child sexual abuse prevention training will be presented in an age-appropriate manner and delivered in a sensitive and supportive manner. Throughout this program, students are encouraged to view the information like a fire drill – “just in case” information.

Indiana Center for Prevention staff has been carefully trained to handle the subject matter with the utmost care and professionalism. Please visit www.indianaprevention.org to view a brief video for parents outlining the basics of the program.

As partners in your child's education, we highly value your involvement in this initiative. We believe that a strong partnership between school and home is crucial to reinforcing the lessons learned during the training. Therefore, we encourage you to discuss the subject with your child at home and reinforce the importance of speaking up about any uncomfortable or concerning situations.

Please be assured that the safety and well-being of your child are of the utmost priority to us. We are dedicated to creating a school environment where every student feels safe, respected, and supported.

Should you have any questions or concerns about the child sexual abuse prevention training, please do not hesitate to reach out to me or the Indiana Center for Prevention of Youth Abuse and Suicide. We are here to address any inquiries you may have and to collaborate with you in fostering a secure and positive learning environment for our students.

Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership in this important endeavor.

Contact information:

Indiana Center for Prevention of Youth Abuse and Suicide

www.indianaprevention.org

Director of Programs: Megan Banet

Email: megan@indianaprevention.org

Phone: 317-759-8008 ext. 101

SCI students will participate in this program on October 31st and November 1st. More information will be sent out closer to time.

Engagement in the classroom is of highest priority to ensure students have the maximum opportunity to learn. Having said that, communication from outside the school must occur between families and adults in the building, not with students.

Among the many reasons why it might be best to avoid texting your child during school hours, consider the following:

1. Distraction: Texts distract students from engaging with classroom instruction and activities, impacting their focus and academic performance.
2. Student Handbook: Cell phones, Smartwatches, and Airpods/headphones are not to be used by students in the classroom and silenced unless explicitly stated otherwise by the teacher, substitute teacher, or administrator. Students using their cell phones or headphones inappropriately and/or against classroom procedures may be subject to progressive discipline. [HSE intermediate handbook]
3. Independence: Allowing your child to manage their own time and responsibilities during school hours can help foster independence and self-discipline.
4. Privacy: Constant communication may undermine your child’s ability to manage personal interactions on their own.

5. Disruption: Notifications can be disruptive to the class, both for your child and their classmates, affecting the overall learning environment.

6. Illness: Your child must first communicate with the school nurse if not feeling well, not call or text you. This provides your child an opportunity to advocate for themselves and how they are feeling. The nurse will then contact the family, partnering with them on next steps.

7. Emergency Protocols: If there is an urgent issue, contacting the school directly will be more effective than texting your child, who might not be able to respond immediately. They will get the information to your child and the classroom teacher as appropriate.
8. Building Resilience: Allowing your child to handle school-related situations without constant parental input can help them build problem-solving skills and resilience.

Our office staff is ready and available to assist with any transportation changes or earlier dismissals that occur at the last minute. Please email your child's teacher, our front office staff, or call our office at 317-915-4230 so we may assist.

Your partnership to increase engagement during the school day is greatly appreciated!

Please see the document below for the list of tutors available for to you during the fall semester!

Do you know of an HSE staff member who deserves a shoutout? Someone who consistently goes above and beyond to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.

Give them a R.A.V.E. Review and share your appreciation! It’s simple to do - just complete a quick online form here: hseschools.org/rave

You can send as many reviews as you’d like throughout the school year.

R.A.V.E. stands for Recognizing All Valuable Employees, and it’s our way of celebrating the incredible staff who make Hamilton Southeastern Schools a fantastic place to learn and grow.

Have some words of wisdom to give? Motivation for students?

Click on the ink below to send a positive message to our students and staff! All messages are displayed on the screen in the hallways closest to our cafe.

Mark your calendars...

Saturday, November 9th will be the 21st Annual Carrie Colglazier Scholarship Workday. Students from FFA, National Honor Society, Girls Soccer and Girls Track will be available to work. For more information and to sign up to hire workers go to carriecolglazier.org/;

In the summer of 2003, Carrie Colglazier a 2002 Hamilton Southeastern graduate was tragically killed by a drunk driver. Carrie was a two sport All-State athlete in soccer and track and was very involved in the FFA program here at HSE. Carrie was extremely passionate about her family, friends, teammates and her teachers and coaches. She took a great deal of pride in being a Royal.

Workday is Saturday, November 9, 2024.

Dear HSE School Corporation Students and Families,

Football season is here, and we're excited to see our community come together to support our teams!

To ensure the safety and enjoyment of everyone at our sporting events, please note the following policies:

- Students in grades K-8 must be accompanied by an adult (aged 18+) to enter. This policy, which was introduced last year, has significantly reduced disciplinary issues.

- No alcohol is allowed on campus.

- Outside food and drinks are not permitted, except for clear water bottles.

- No pass-outs: once you enter the stadium, you will not be allowed to leave and re-enter.

- Tailgating must conclude before entering the stadium.

We appreciate your understanding and continued support. We recognize these policies may impact your plans, but our primary goal is to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all.

Best of luck to our student-athletes and coaches in their upcoming games!

Sincerely,

HSE Schools Administration

Winter Recreational Basketball Registration is Open

• Boys Basketball - Registration for the Mudsock Boys Basketball rec season (K - 8th) and (New) Mudsock Elite (formerly Rec+) is open at myathletics.com. Please note, Mudsock Elite will be separate from the rec league; players who register for Mudsock Elite will NOT be required to register for rec basketball. Learn more.
• Girls Basketball - Registration for the Mudsock Girls Basketball rec season (K-8) is open now at myathletics.com. Save-the-date for the November 2nd Recreational Opening Day Jamboree. Learn more.

(New) esports - Registration for our brand-new esports league is just around the corner, and it’s open to gamers in the 10U-14U divisions. Team play kicks off this winter. Information will be updated here soon.

Volunteer of the Month Nominations – Fall sport families, has a coach or a board member gone out of their way to make your experience great this season? We would love to hear about it! Thank you for emailing info@myathletics.com to nominate them.

Dear HSE Families,

On behalf of the Food Service team, we look forward to offering your student well-balanced, nutritious meals (breakfast and lunch) throughout the 2024-2025 school year! Meal pricing did not change from last year’s rates and was recently approved by the Board of School Trustees.

2024-2025 School Meal Prices

• Breakfast Meal $1.50
• Student Lunch K-6 Meal $2.80
• Student Lunch 7-12 Meal $3.00

As a reminder, Hamilton Southeastern participates in both the School Breakfast Program (SBP) and the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) to provide free or reduced-price meals to qualifying students. To utilize this benefit, families must apply each year (even if you qualified previously). Applications and participation is confidential.

Free and Reduced Applications

• Log into your Skyward Family Access account. Be sure to use your parent login and not your student’s login. The application is only available with a parent Skyward login.
• Select a student.
• Click on ‘Food Services’ on the left-hand side of the screen.
• Click on the ‘Applications’ link located towards the top of the screen, then click ‘Add an Application.’
• The system will take you through a series of steps, including a Parent Letter, Instructions, Federal Income Chart, Privacy Act, and Non-Discrimination Statements.
• For complete instructions, click here.

You can also download an application from the Indiana Department of Education by clicking here.
If you have any questions or need additional assistance, please contact Food Service Director Karen Ogden at kodgen@hse.k12.in.us.
Thank you and we look forward to serving your child this school year!

Sincerely,
HSE Schools

At Hamilton Southeastern Schools, our primary goal is to ensure every student receives a high-quality education, but we can't do it alone. Frequent absences hinder academic progress, adding stress for students, families, and teachers. That’s why we’re asking families to partner with us in ensuring regular attendance, so together, we can support every student’s academic success. Click the link to learn more: https://www.hseschools.org/posts/~board/district-news/post/present-for-success-attendance-matters

After you create your account, we recommend downloading the ParentSquare app from the Apple or Google Play store. With the app, you can enable push notifications on your phone for alerts as well.

ParentSquare has more features than Skylert that can help with streamlining communication to our students and families!

Congratulations and thank you to the parent volunteers who were recently elected to serve as PTO officers:

• President: Amber Lance,
• Vice President: Amber Wender, Misty Baker
• Treasurer: Cindy Sendejas
• Staff Appreciate: Cheri Reenbaum, Jessica Read
  
• Concessions: Emily Weible
• After School Events: Stacey Johnson
• Shark Party Chair: Angela Stoecker & Jezla McVay
• Member At Large: Sarah Konopka

All HSE Schools student handbooks (K-12) are now online for easier access. The 5/6 handbook is available via this link:

https://www.hseschools.org/about/student-handbooks

We encourage you to review it at your earliest convenience. Should you have any questions, please contact the SCI main office at 317-915-4230. Our staff is available to assist you.

All students in HSE Schools deserve to come to school free of fear and to feel safe to be their authentic selves. Discrimination of any type is strictly prohibited and will not be tolerated at HSEHS Schools – this includes sexual harassment (Title IX) and discrimination based on disabilities or race (Titles II and VI).

If students ever experience any type of harassment, we ask that they report this immediately to an administrator, school counselor or trusted adult. Beyond reporting directly to building officials, HSE Schools has an entire support system in place for filing concerns and complaints, which can be located on our District website. https://www.hseschools.org/about/legal-notes

Hamilton Southeastern Schools has created the Community Insider to provide HSE families and community members with information about local happenings. This webpage is intended to spotlight school and community activities of interest to students, staff, parents and those residing within the boundaries of HSE Schools. To visit the Community Insider page, click the link below

Community Insider

Assistant Principal: Mr. Brice Willey (bwilley@hse.k12.in.us)

Follow us on Twitter at: @SandCreekInt / @MichelleBunnell

School address:

11550 E. 131st Street

Fishers, IN 46038

School hours: 9:15 am - 4:00 pm

Building hours: 8:45 am -4:30 pm

School website: https://sci.hseschools.org/

Main Phone: 317-915-4230

Main Fax: 317-915-4239