September 6th, 2024

Volunteering at Jerry Ross

In order to meet the needs of our growing population of students, we have initiated a robust volunteer program at Jerry Ross Elementary. We’ve had a multitude of parents helping with various needs including reading groups, math groups, bulletin boards, breaks with students, help in the cafeteria, photocopying, etc. We are capitalizing on the talent and commitment of our amazing school community, and the impact has been amazing. We would like to continue the momentum of this program during the 2024-25 school year. Please take a few minutes to complete this brief survey to answer questions about your experience at Jerry Ross Elementary, and your interest/availability when it comes to volunteering. Thank you in advance!

Just a friendly reminder that this Saturday, September 7th is our “Chalk it Up” event at the NEW Jerry Ross playground. See the flier below for more information. We will see you there!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Linsley & Mrs. Reeder

Picture day will be September 12th. Please use the information on the flyer below to purchase a package, as the photographers will not be collecting money on picture day. If your child has gym on Thursdays, please make sure they are wearing gym shoes.

Greetings Parents and Caregivers,

Recent changes in Indiana standardized testing will impact your child(ren) in grades 3-8 for the upcoming school year.

CPCSC has chosen to participate in the 2024-2025 pilot of Indiana’s Learning Evaluation Assessment Readiness Network (ILEARN) Checkpoints. The ILEARN Checkpoints will be required for all Indiana schools in 2025-2026.

• The Checkpoints assess how well students in grades 3-8 are meeting Indiana's learning goals for math and English/Language Arts
• Three Checkpoints will be administered throughout the school year prior to a final test in Spring of 2025
• NWEA will no longer be administered in grades 3-8

The ILEARN Checkpoints help teachers and families understand how students are doing in their learning and guide what they need to work on next. These online tests are taken on your child's Chromebook. If a student doesn't perform well, they may have a chance to retake the test. Please note that the ILEARN Checkpoints do not affect classroom grades.

Your school will communicate in their upcoming newsletter when ILEARN Checkpoints will be administered.For more information about the ILEARN assessment system, please visit the ILEARN Checkpoints Pilot 2024 Family Guidance (scroll to find applicable grade(s), or visit the IDOE ILEARN website.

Dear Crown Point Community School Corporation Families,

We thank you for being valued partners as we work together to educate our students.

While many people often think of student success in relation to grades or test scores, it is also important to consider the social and emotional growth of our students. During the weeks of September 23 or 30, we will ask students in grades 3-5 for their feedback via a 10-15 minute online survey completed at school.

The survey will ask students to reflect on their self-efficacy, emotional regulation, social awareness, and supportive relationships. The results from the survey support our ability to address individual and school-identified needs.

We have administered a similar survey in years past as part of our Ready To Learn student services work. The data was used to implement positive behavior supports and improve school culture and climate. We look forward to using new data from this school year to identify and align services for students.

If you have any questions about the survey or do not want your child to participate, please contact your school’s main office before September 20. Students who opt out of the survey will still be able to participate in programs or services created as a result of the data.

Sincerely,

CPCSC Office of Curriculum and Instruction

Indiana Employability Skills and Competencies

Copy of Student Competency and Well-Being Survey

-Race to become the top dog.

On Tuesday, September 17th, Taft and Colonel Wheeler Middle School cross country coaches are sponsoring a race geared for elementary students. All 5th graders from Crown Point are invited to participate. No experience is required- most of the participants are expected to be beginners.

Location- Lemon Lake County Park- Course will consist of a hilly grass/wooded loop that is one kilometer long.

Date/time- Sept. 17th (Tues) - 5:15. The race will be held as Taft and Colonel Wheeler Middle School’s cross country teams compete in their own cross-town meet. Girls and boys will race separately. Boys race should be 10-15 minutes after.

Awards- Ribbons will be given to the top 20 finishers in both races.

Permission Slip- Please sign and give to physical education teacher by Friday, September 13th. For more information, contact Pat Thomas pthomas@cps.k12.in.us.

I hereby grant my child, ____________________, permission to participate in the Bulldog Elementary Cross Country Meet held on Sept. 17th, 2024.

Parent’s name and phone number (printed) Parent’s signature

_________________________________ ____________________________________

Elementary school ___________________ circle one - boy or girl

If your child's normal dismissal procedure changes, please make sure you call the office AND message your child's teacher. If you're unsure about what was communicated to the teacher at the open house or during the first week of school, please reach out to the teacher to confirm. We have 622 students and want to ensure every single one gets to where they need to be, so it's imperative that changes are communicated.

Kids Hope Mentoring

Jerry Ross has a partnership with Kids Hope Mentoring, an outside mentoring service. This is our 3rd school year with this program, and we are excited to continue. Current mentored students will begin the week of Sept 9th. Kids Hope prefers younger kids to be referred to the program (K-3) so that the mentor can work with the student throughout their career here at Jerry Ross and beyond. Click this link for more information: Kids Hope Mentoring Program or contact Mrs. Berger at mberger@cps.k12.in.us.

Pillars of Wellness

The CPCSC district has a relationship with Pillars of Wellness, an outside counseling agency. Parents/guardians sign their students up and services are provided during the school day. Parents/guardians pay through insurance or self-pay. Click this link for more information: Pillars of Wellness School Based Services and to sign up your child. Contact Mrs. Berger at mberger@cps.k12.in.us with any questions.

Bully Prevention Lessons (runs from mid September - Oct 15)

Bully Prevention Education for Students

Indiana Legislature requires that each public school shall provide age-appropriate, research-based instruction as provided under IC 5-2-10.1-12(d) focusing on bullying prevention for all students in grades 1 through 12. Crown Point elementary students will receive age-appropriate, research-based instruction using the Second Steps Bully Prevention Unit by October 15th. Parents/Guardians are encouraged to contact Mrs. Pape with questions or concerns at (219)663.3010 or tpape@cps.k12.in.us.

Body Safety Lessons (runs from next newsletter until Sept 15)

Child Abuse and Sexual Abuse Prevention Education for Students

Indiana legislature has adopted legal requirements that each Indiana public school, including charter schools and accredited nonpublic schools, shall provide age-appropriate and research and evidence-based instruction on child abuse and child sexual abuse to students in kindergarten through grade 12. Note that this expands the previous requirement from providing education in grades 2-5 to grades K-12. In order to meet the new requirements, Crown Point school counselors and home-school facilitators will be providing age-appropriate, research-informed student personal/body safety sessions from . At the elementary level, students will learn the Protect Yourself Rules with their school counselor or home-school facilitator in a classroom session of approximately 30 minutes. Parents can view the Protect Yourself Rules and related materials at the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center Foundation website https://fightchildabuse.org/ Parents/Guardians are encouraged to contact their school counselor, Michelle Berger, with questions or concerns at (219)663-3010; mberger@cps.k12.in.us.

Welcome back to school! So glad you all are here. Cheers to a healthy year.

Please get your child’s immunization records to the office to be compliant for this school year. If your child needs vaccines, the Lake County Health Department offers immunizations. It is a walk-in clinic open Monday – Friday 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM. It is free for Medicaid and uninsured children. They also do take insurance. Their number is 219-755-3658. The deadline for immunization compliance is September 12th, 2024. Please continue to turn in your updated information.

Vision and hearing screenings will start next week. If you choose not to have your child screened for this, please send in a note not to screen. These are mandatory screenings so a note not to screen has to be written.

Reminders: If your child has a medical condition that could be life threatening, please get your medical order forms and medication that is needed for emergency services. If you need further assistance, please call or email me at khorst@cps.k12.in.us

Thank you for not sending any medication to school with your child.

Please check in with your child if he/she is sick and do not send to school when sick.

Thank you for all you do for your child.

Enjoy your weekend!

Karen Horst RN

-Check out this fun upcoming event at Jerry Ross!
CHALK IT UP!
Saturday, September 7th, 5pm-7pm.

We will have a chalk drawing contest, categories will be announced the night of the event, with prizes for the winners!

You will also be able to purchase snacks from Snowie NWI!

We can't wait to see you there!

Find us on Facebook!

Dismissal and arrival procedures are carefully put into practice to maintain the safety of students and staff. Please read the signs posted outside and follow the procedures for everyone’s safety.

ARRIVAL: Doors will open at 8:50 am. Students who arrive in a car will proceed through the car rider line on the north side of the building and ending in the circle drive in the back of the school.. Bus riders arrive through the main entrance.

DISMISSAL: All students exit the building to load onto the bus OR be picked up in a car. Children are not picked up inside the building. Students who are car riders will gather in the gym once their name appears on the TouchScreen and begin dismissing around 3:35 p.m. All cars should have the child’s full name visible in the front dash/visor of the car using the provided name plate. Parents/guardians of car riders should enter the north lot at the end of the school day and follow the direction of staff members.

All dismissal changes must be communicated to the office prior to 3:00 p.m.

Please see the car rider map if you are new to drop off/pick up.

September

7- Chalk It Up

12- Picture day

18- E-learning Day; Staff professional development

20- Student of the Month breakfast

Our Department of Food Service is excited to announce the launch of online, digital menus for our district!

With our new MealViewer system, you can:

• View what is being served each day
• View the nutritional information for each meal
• See if any of the Big 9 allergens are being served
• Get notified when your student’s favorite meals are being served
• Print menus by week or by month that include favorites and/or allergen information
• Rate menu items to provide feedback for our Food Service team

Menus are always viewable without an account. Parents who want to sign up for an account can customize notifications, allergens, and more for each child in your family. Payments to your child’s meal account will continue through My MealTime.

Find more information and your school’s menu at schools.mealviewer.com. If you have questions, please contact our Food Service team at 219-663-3371 x 10601.

Our printable PDF menus will still be available on our website through the first semester. However, the most up-to-date menus will be the new digital version.

We look forward to the additional information and accessibility that this new tool will provide for parents and students!

Jenn Linsley, Principal ext. 18001

Kate Reeder, Assistant Principal ext. 18003

Karie Lukas, Treasurer ext. 18000

Kelly Martin, Secretary ext. 18002

Karen Horst, Nurse ext. 18081