Stonegate Elementary Newsletter

We had a fun filled week here at SGE! The week start off with the students running laps to raise funds for our school! Mother Nature provided us with a great day for Jog-a-thon! Thank you to the many parent volunteers who were flexible and made this event possible! We are still accepting donations through next week; it isn't too late!

Members of the football, cheer, and dance teams welcomed our SGE students into school on Wednesday. The students loved seeing the "big kids" and it created excitement for Senior Night.

4th grade completed their annual trip to Camp Tecumseh! This overnight experience builds comradery among the students and a memory that lasts a lifetime!

This week is our last week of school before fall break. We are celebrating College and Career Week with fun sprit days; see details in the Counselor Corner. With October 14th-18th being fall break, we will not have a newsletter next weekend. We will send the next installment the weekend before our return on October 21st. We wish everyone a safe and relaxing break if we do not see you at school this upcoming week!

Looking ahead:.

• Jog-a-thon- It is not too late for donations!
• Spirit Week- This week is College and Career Week at SGE. (Monday-Pajama day; Tuesday-ZCS Spirit Wear; Wed-Dress as your Career; Thurs-Neon; Fri-College Gear)
• Book Character Day- Dress as your favorite book character on Friday, October 25th.
• Trunk or Treat- Mark your calendar for Tuesday, October 29th for the 2nd Trunk or Treat event at SGE!
• Conferences- The student will have an E-Learning Day on November 7th so teachers and parents can conference.
• Veterans Day- Stonegate will celebrate Veteran's Day on Monday, November 11th at 9:30a. Information is included below on how to register to attend. More details will come soon!

Enjoy your weekend!

Mrs. Connie Largent, Principal

Mrs. Kathy Drake, Asst. Principal

October

7-11 - College and Career Spirit Week

9 - PTO hosts "Celebrity Scoopers" at Fundaes

11 - End of Quarter One

14-18 - Fall Break! No school!

17 - Dine for Dollars: Papa Johns Pizza

24 - 2nd grade to Conner Prairie

25 - PTO Spirit Day: Favorite Book Character

25 - Kindergarten to Conner Prairie

29 - PTO Trunk or Treat (6:00-7:30pm); Dine for Dollars: Azul

30 - Picture Re-take Day

November

1 - 1st grade to the Indianapolis Zoo

6 - PTO Meeting at 2:45pm

7 - Eday for students; parent-teacher conferences

11 - Veterans Day Program (9:30am)

13-15 PTO Book Fair

15 - PTO VIP & ME event 6:00-8:00pm

18-22 - PTO Food Drive

21 - Dine for Dollars: Hotbox Pizza

22 - PTO Spirit Day: Flannel Wear

27-29 Thanksgiving Break

We are excited to celebrate Book Character Day at our school on Friday, October 25th ! This is a fun opportunity for students to dress up as their favorite book characters. As you help your child prepare their costume, please keep the following guidelines in mind:

Appropriate Attire:

• Costumes should be based on characters from books, not movies or TV shows.
• Costumes should be school-appropriate and not contain any inappropriate language, images, or themes.
• Costumes should allow students to participate in all regular school activities safely.

Accessories:

• No real or toy weapons of any kind are permitted, including swords, guns, knives, etc.
• Accessories like wands, tiaras, or hats are allowed, but they should not pose a safety hazard.
• Face masks or coverings that completely cover a student's face are not permitted.

We encourage all students to use their creativity to bring their favorite book characters to life! If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to your child's teacher.

Our annual Veterans Day Program will be held on November 11th at 9:30am in our SGE gymnasium. This is one of our favorite programs where we recognize members of the armed services. We invite you and your active or retired veteran to attend.

We are asking all guests to pre-register for this event this year. Please use the following guide to pre-register yourself or a family member for attending Stonegate Elementary’s Veterans Day Program. The direct link to register using the SafeVisitor site is linked below. (A full background check is not required to attend.)

SafeVisitor Solutions system: https://secure.safevisitorsolutions.com/Safe/Visitor/zionsvilleschools

You will need to enter the following information after selecting “Next Step”:

• GUEST’S First Name
• GUEST’S Last Name
• GUEST’S Birth Date
• Building – Please select "Stonegate Elementary” from the drop down menu.
• Select “Next Step”

On the next screen, you will need to enter the following:

• Person Visiting – Please note “SGE”.
• Reason for Visit – Please note “Veterans Day”.
• Date of Visit – You must enter “11/11/2024”. (If you enter today’s date, the registration will NOT show up on the correct date.)
• Select “Next Step”.
• Select “Complete Request”

Also, as a friendly reminder, although we hope this process captures all pre-registrations, sometimes there are glitches, and we would like to remind everyone to please bring their driver’s license (just in case). If you encounter any problems, please email us at stonegateoffice@zcs.k12.in.us

Click below to view the building entry process on Veterans Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhmzUpi5OCw

Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.

The 2024 theme for Hispanic Heritage Month is Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together, encapsulating the “spirit of innovation, resilience, and unity that define the Hispanic experience.”

Here are a few local events if you wish to check them out:

This month - Celebrating Latino and Hispanic Heritage (10 am - 5 pm)

Indiana Historical Society
Special exhibits
More Info: HERE

Monument Circle

Shining A Light’s annual Hispanic Heritage Month presentation debuted on Monument Circle Sept. 15 and will be displayed each night at 8:30 p.m., 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. until Sept. 24. The special presentation, which is a collaboration between Downtown Indy, Inc., AES Indiana and the Indiana Latino Institute, aims to highlight “the Latino community’s contributions to the workforce, social framework and cultural melting pot of America.”

We are excited to announce that we are looking for passionate individuals to join our team! If you are ready to make a difference and want to be a part of our school community, we want to hear from you! Please reach out to Kathy Drake at kdrake@zcs.k12.in.us or Connie Largent at clargent@zcs.k12.in.us.

Position(s):

• Instructional Assistant
• Permanent Guest Teacher

It's never too early to start preparing our students for the bright futures that lie ahead. That's why I am excited to dedicate the month of October to College and Career awareness! As a way to kick off the month, we will be doing a spirit week (see above) October 7th-11th. Throughout the month students will learn about the multitude of careers out in the world, employability skills, types of post-secondary education options, and what they can do now to prepare for their future career. To learn more about how you can support your child’s college and career journey, you can go to https://learnmoreindiana.org/students-families

When basic needs are met, students are better able to focus on education and learning. Therefore, there is assistance available for our students and their families to help with various needs that may arise throughout the school year. If you are currently in need of assistance, please fill out this Family Assistance form. This information will be kept in strictest confidence.

Warmly,

Jessica Wetzel

School Counselor

The annual bully prevention lessons have begun! This important topic is discussed with all students every year so they know how to be an ally, how to identify situations that are mean moments, conflicts, or bullying and what to do. “Bullying” as defined by State law means overt, unwanted, repeated acts or gestures, including verbal or written communications or images transmitted, physical acts committed, aggression or any other behaviors committed by a student or group of students against another student with the intent to harass, ridicule, humiliate, intimidate or harm another student and create for that student an objectively hostile school environment. (IC 20-33-8-.2) If a situation does not meet the criteria for bullying, we still take the situation seriously and discuss and follow up with students involved. We encourage you to discuss with your child about bullying prevention, how to be assertive and how navigate through natural peer conflict. Our number one job is to keep students safe, physically and emotionally. We appreciate your partnership throughout your child’s year. For more detailed information about bullying, please refer to page 37 of Zionsville Community Schools Student and Family Handbook.

Child Find is the process for locating, identifying, and evaluating individuals with suspected disabilities who may need special education services, regardless of the severity of their disabilities. This is the responsibility of ZCS regardless of whether a parent affirmatively requests an evaluation. ZCS provides a Free Appropriate Public Education to any child who qualifies as having a disability, in accordance with federal and state laws. ZCS is responsible for locating all children ages 3 through 22 years of age with a suspected disability who reside within the boundaries of its district. With early identification and intervention, frustration and academic failure can be prevented, which in turn creates a positive learning experience for students. Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), which encompasses academics and/or social and emotional learning, is an essential component of the child find process. Utilizing screening assessments, the ZCS team members identify students in need of intervention, implement action plans, and monitor the response to the targeted interventions. In addition, the evaluation referral procedures in ZCS provide the framework to refer students with suspected disabilities for evaluation.

Speech and Language Assistance Program:

The Speech and Language Assistance Program is designed to provide students with speech and language support within the general education setting. Following the MTSS approach, this program allows for early identification and treatment of speech and language delays, so students receive assistance without having to be identified under special education. The Speech and Language Assistance Program is a three-tiered system in which progress is monitored to determine if additional supports are needed to access education. If adequate progress is not demonstrated, a referral for evaluation will be prompted to determine eligibility under special education.

If you have questions regarding the Child Find process in ZCS, please contact your child’s school counselor or building administrator.

Thank you all for helping making Jog-a-thon a huge success on Monday! I’m so thankful for the volunteers that adjusted to the date change and were able to help make the event run smoothly. We had great weather! A big thank you to Mrs. Torrance for leading all the grade levels in their various sessions, and to Nick and Minal Kotterman for DJing and making this day fun!

Thanks to your generous donations, we have raised approximately $15,000 so far toward our goal of raising $20,000 for Stonegate! You have until Wednesday, October 9th to turn in pledge forms and donations or donate online at https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=FDQ6EXRFD2M72. Please include your student’s name and teacher’s name when donating on PayPal. If you have any questions, please contact sgejat@gmail.com.

Our top 5 classes for donations are:

1. Mrs. Terri Brown $1,694

2. Mrs. Deidra Smith $1,087

3. Mrs. Alicia Lewis $955

4. Mrs. Amy Brizzolara $820

5. Miss Irene Tragesser $792

We will continue to award raffle prizes up until Fall Break, so get those donations in! Please make sure to return your envelope even if you donate online, in order to be included in our raffle. Thank you for all of your support!

Please help us spoil our staff by stocking their lounge so they have healthy and fun treats available to them! Items can be dropped off at the front desk and PTO will take care of the rest; making sure their lounge is fully stocked on a weekly basis. Thanks!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050D4DACAE2DA1FF2-51572900-stock

We are excited to announce a new program that PTO is launching called Adopt Team Stonegate! This program will organize collective gifting for all of the SGE staff at the holiday season and end of the year.Please choose an available teacher/group to "adopt." (You will be in charge of coordinating one large gift for that teacher/group!) Once you have your teacher/group you will be sent more information. **In lieu of individual class gifts, each parent will use the paypal code that is assigned to the teacher/group to pay towards one large gift. Thank you again for your willingness to help with this!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050D4DACAE2DA1FF2-51301006-adopt

Come join us for ice cream as our own Stonegate Staff will be there as "celebrity scoopers". See the list below so you know when your favorite teacher or staff member will be scooping!

4-4:30: Kelsey Charboneau, Angela Bourff & Melisa Benefiel

4:30-5: Deidra Smith, Katie Delp & Katie Petelik

5-5:30: Kathy Drake, Connie Largent & Amy Brizzolara

5:30-6: Nurse Jae, Kim Wagoner & Jamie Smith

6-6:30: Kyla McDaniel, Robin Wagner & Jamie Smith

6:30-7: Leslie Frobig, Terri Brown, Jackie Mowrey

Please help us celebrate our teachers and staff by contributing to a chili pitch-in on Friday, October 25th! Thank you for supporting the staff at Stonegate! Chili Bar Pitch In

Join us for Trunk or Treat on October 29th from 6:00-7:30pm at the SGE north parking lot.

Starting September 3, SGE will be ready to welcome our K-4 Lunch Guests! Here's how it works:

• Due to limited space, we are happy to welcome one special visitor with each student for a total of four different guests per grade level.
• Sign-up to reserve your spot by clicking here.

• We have "Visitor Tables" in the front foyer that you will sit at with your child during their lunch time.

Interested in learning more about after school clubs, sports, and enrichment opportunities? Click the link for a list of opportunities offered here at Stonegate. https://www.zionsvilleeaglerec.com/stonegate-elementary.cfm

During the school day, all volunteers are expected to check 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.

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. Visitors other than parents/guardians must be prearranged and organized through the main office.

Please click the link below for information about many community activities going on in our area.

https://www.zcs.k12.in.us/apps/pages/community_flyers