Trailside Elementary Weekly Update

As we wrap up our first week of the school year, we want to take a moment to celebrate the incredible start we've had at our school. It has been a joyful and exciting time filled with new beginnings, laughter, and learning! Our classrooms have come alive with the energy of eager students and dedicated teachers. From engaging lessons to fun activities, it has been heartwarming to see our students reconnecting with friends and making new ones. We are proud of how quickly everyone has adapted to the new routines and embraced the opportunities for growth this year. Thank you for your continued support as we work together to create a nurturing and academically enriching environment for our children. We look forward to an amazing year ahead filled with learning, adventure, and success!

A Few Important Details for Week Two:

• Transportation: We're off to a great start, and our systems are getting more efficient each day. The addition of bikers and walkers to our modes of transportation has been smooth so far. We do ask that walkers/bikers arrive as close to 7:50 as possible, as this is when our staff will be supervising and crossing students. We know that lots of parents have been riding in with their students and we appreciate having the additional adults. If you arrive at the trail at a time when no staff is present, you will need to walk your child across to enter the building in the front.

• Transportation Changes: If you need to change your child’s transportation plan for the day, please communicate with your child's teacher prior to the date of change. If you need to make a change during the day, please contact the office by phone as classroom teachers are busy with students and may not receive your message. We understand that needs vary but would encourage as much consistency as possible in end of day plans.

• Curriculum Night: Mark your calendars for August 29th! This will be an opportunity for teachers to share with parents and caregivers the key details for the year ahead. More information is available below.
  

• Technology Reminders: Students should store smartwatches and cell phones in their backpacks during the school day. More information about district policies and Indiana legislation regarding devices in the classroom can be found below.

Enjoy the beautiful weekend, and we look forward to welcoming students back for week two of the 24-25 school year. Grateful to share this school journey with you!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Jen Raycroft, principal

Ms. Deb Pickett, assistant principal

August 19- September 6- NWEA Testing Window (see classroom communication for

specific dates)

August 19- Afternoon Spanish Classes Begin

August 24- Parent Training at Camp Tecumseh for chaperones, 9-12

August 29- Curriculum Night (this is an adult event for parents/guardians)

5:30-6:00 Kindergarten

6:00-6:30 1st Grade

6:30-7:00 2nd Grade

7:00-7:30 3rd Grade

7:30-8:00 4th Grade

August 30- Eaglefest

September 2- Labor Day- NO SCHOOL

September 5 and 6- Fourth grade at Camp Tecumseh

September 6-8- Lions Club Fall Festival

September 10- PTO Meeting, 9:15 AM

September 11 and 12- Body Safety Lessons

September 17- Constitution Day

September 18- Picture Day; STEM Night

September 19- Dads Club Meeting, 8 PM at American Legion

September 25- First Grade Vision Screening

September 27- Jog-A-Thon

September 30- Jog- A- Thon Rain Date

October 7-9- Fire Safety Lessons

October 8- PTO Meeting, 7 PM

October 11- End of First Quarter; Fall Parties

October 14-18- Fall Break

October 24- Dads Club Meeting, 8 PM at Americal Legion

November 6- Elementary Conferences After School

November 7- Elementary Conferences- NO SCHOOL, E-Learning

November 11- Veterans Day Program

November 14- Wellness Night

November 21- Dads Club Meeting, 8 PM at Americal Legion

November 27-29- NO SCHOOL, Thanksgiving Break

December 4- PTO UPaint Pottery Night in Cafeteria

December 10- PTO Meeting, 9:15 AM

December 9-20- NWEA Winter Benchmark Testing Window

December 20- End of Second Quarter; Winter Parties

December 23-January 6- NO SCHOOL, Winter Break

ZCS 2024-2025 School Calendar

August 29: Curriculum Night, 5:30 – 8:00 PM

During this event for adult parents and caregivers, each preschool lead/ classroom teacher will present a half hour session highlighting the curriculum, events, and expectations for the year ahead. Each grade level has a designated time, indicated in the calendar below. You will also be able to visit informational booths from various district and community organizations.

5:00-5:30 Preschool

5:30-6:00 Kindergarten

6:00-6:30 1st Grade

6:30-7:00 2nd Grade

7:00-7:30 3rd Grade

7:30-8:00 4th Grade

Regular attendance is crucial for your child's academic growth and overall success. The Board of School Trustees and Indiana Department of Education emphasize the importance of being present in the classroom, as it allows students to fully engage in instruction, participate in class discussions, and benefit from the rich learning environment our teachers create. In addition, the State of Indiana uses attendance data to evaluate schools and performance. We readily recognize that some absences are unavoidable when illness or urgent family needs arise. Our team is always understanding and supportive of such situations or needs.

When students are consistently present, they are better equipped to excel academically and socially. We encourage all families to prioritize regular on-time arrival/attendance and schedule vacations during school breaks. This approach ensures your child won't miss out on essential learning opportunities that occur each day.

Thank you for your commitment to your child’s education and for helping us foster a community of learners who are present, engaged, and ready to succeed!

Indiana code (IC 20-34-4-5) states that all children attending public schools in our state shall be immunized according to requirements set forth by the Indiana Department of Health. Please ensure that the health clinic professional in your child’s school has been supplied with the most up-to-date copy of your child’s immunization records!

A link to the required immunizations for the 2024-2025 school year can be found here.

Clinic Information:

Mindy Conrad, RN- Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday

Lisa Stepsis, RN- Monday, Thursday

Hours: 7:30am to 3:30pm

Call or drop in any time!

Phone number: (317) 873-8057 ext. 21993

Email: tsenurse@zcs.k12.in.us (new contact email)

Please use this shared email address to contact the clinic.

GROW/Child Care Services

Eagle Rec

Bridge and Early Start Spanish are optional, fee based programs that “bridge” the time between the 7:50-8:00 arrival time for 1st-4th grade students, and the start of the instructional day for Kindergarten students, which is 8:50-9:00.

Before and After-School Care (BAC) is available for all Trailside students. Before school care begins at 6:45am and After school extends childcare from 2:30 to 6:00pm.

Eagle Rec offers fee based programs in a variety of interest areas.

Jog-A-Thon Kickoff is coming up August 28th and event date is September 27th! The 2024 theme is Olympics as we Go for the Gold to hit our $25,000 goal this year!

The Jog-a-Thon Committee is looking for volunteers to help behind the scenes. If interested please reach out to megan@ferrispropertygroup.com (day of volunteer sign up will be sent out in Sept). More info and details to come on Kickoff day. Let’s Go TSE!

Mark your calendar!

PTO meetings for the year, all located at Trailside (all are welcome to attend!)

*Tuesday 9/10 9:15am

*Tuesday 10/8 7pm

*Tuesday 12/10 9:15am

*Tuesday 1/14 9:15am

*Tuesday 2/11 7pm

*Tuesday 3/11 9:15am

*Tuesday 4/15 7pm

*Tuesday 5/13 9:15am

Stay tuned for further information on how to access our school directory.

It’s time for our annual Trailside Express Stamp Contest! Parents of kids in grades K-4, look in your child’s folder for a stamp contest entry sheet. Students can design their own stamp entry to be turned in to their teacher no later than Tuesday, Aug 20th. There will be small prizes for a finalist from each grade, and the winning stamp will be used for postage on all letters sent through Trailside Express Mail this year! Please encourage your child to participate - bright colors and large details reproduce best. Good luck!

For those new families who might not be familiar, Trailside Express is an inter-school mail system run by all of our 2nd graders! Students and teachers can write to each other, and parents/grandparents/caregivers can send mail to their child’s classroom! Look for a handout that will come home on Aug 30th with more details.

Dads Club will plan a number of fun, extra-curricular activities for Trailside kids throughout the year. All are welcome to attend! The Dads Club President is Todd Ferris and he can be reached at todd@ferrispropertygroup.com.

Dads Club Leadership:

Todd Ferris - President

Kevin Spry - Vice President

Jeff Bennett - Recorder

Hans Nowak - Treasurer

Dave Ernst - Marketing

Jon Hoya - PTO Liaison

School transportation is available for the 2024-25 school year and bus stop information was sent to families earlier this week.

ZCS continues to experience high student enrollment growth, and is currently seeking interested candidates to serve our community as a professional driver for ZCS. Paid training and excellent benefits are available. Please click here to learn more about becoming a bus driver, or contact Amy Eaton, Transportation Manager at 317-873-1237.

Menu Change: Monday August 19th and Friday August 23rd main entree and hot vegetable will be switched.

Monday will be Retro 4X6 Pizza and corn

Friday will be Rotini in Meat Sauce w/NY Garlic Toast and California Blend.

The ZCS Food Service Website is home to lots of important information, including monthly menus, price lists, nutritional and allergen information. You can also learn more regarding meal assistance using the website or clicking here. For more information or assistance, you can contact the Food Service Department directly at 317-873-1232.

Trailside will welcome lunch guests for students beginning in mid-September. Look for more information, including the reservation link, in an upcoming newsletter.

During the school day, all volunteers come to the front office to check in. Before 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 before 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.

As we plan for the year ahead, we wanted to make sure to communicate regarding our expectations regarding electronic devices. These devices are a distraction to our students (not just the students wearing them) and have become a disruption to the classroom learning environment. This is addressed in our elementary handbook on page 21: Elementary Handbook and is copied below. Teachers will request students to store smartwatches/cell phones in their backpacks and lockers during the school day. Please note that our teachers have phones in their classrooms and will be able to communicate if an emergency occurs. As always, we thank you for your support and cooperation!

Electronic Devices and Other Restricted Items in School

The following items are restricted on school grounds: toys, trading cards, valuables, and electronic devices not academically necessary including but not limited to cell phones, tablets, and smart watches. These items may NOT be used by students in the building or on school-sponsored transportation, unless the student has permission by the supervising adult. Electronic devices are to be used for educational purposes only. When not in use for educational purposes they need to be off and stored in the student’s locker or backpack during the school day. A reminder that communication for a student’s dismissal change should not be made through a student’s electronic device but always needs to be made directly to the teacher or school office. The school accepts no responsibility if these items are lost, stolen or damaged and is not responsible for investigating the loss or damage of these items. The student and parents/guardians accept full responsibility for these items.

Trailside is hiring an instructional assistant! Join the ZCS team and make an impact on the lives of our students. IAs work in the classroom with individual and small groups of students. Please apply online at https://www.applitrack.com/centralindiana/onlineapp/jobpostings/view.asp?choosedistrict=true&district=1452 or contact Robyn Nelson at rnelson@zcs.k12.in.us with any questions.

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

Email: jraycroft@zcs.k12.in.us
Website: http://tse.zcs.k12.in.us/
Location: 4200 South 875 East, Zionsville, IN, USA
Phone: 317-873-8057