Lowell Lantern

Dear Lowell Families,

Hats off to our 4th Grade Spell Bowl Team! They worked hard and did a great job at the competition this past Monday. We are very proud of their hard work and effort!! A special thanks to Mrs. Reid for sponsoring our Spell Bowl Team!!

We will host our Fall Harvest Party in each classroom next Tuesday, November 26 at 2:00pm. Please call the front office if you would like to help with these.

On December 10, we have an exciting event for our students and families. We are hosting our first ever Family Financial Literacy Fun Night. Students will rotate to different game stations with their families to explore financial literacy learning, and it’s a guaranteed good time for all! We will have free pizza for the family, and students will receive a core buck for attending the event. We want to thank the Indiana Council for Economic Education and Wells Fargo for sponsoring this event and helping our students learn about these important skills in a fun way! In addition, information will be shared about Warren’s Strategic Planning Initiative via a Town Hall station. We will provide construction updates during this evening as well. Flyers were sent home with students and can be found in this newsletter. Please RSVP by Friday, December 6.

Just a reminder that school is in session next Monday, November 25 and Tuesday, November 26. There will be NO SCHOOL on Wednesday, November 27 through Friday, November 29 so that families may enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday. School will resume on Monday, December 2. We hope that you and your family enjoy your time together!

Mrs. Griffin

Lowell will be holding Harvest Parties on Tuesday, November 26 at 2:00 pm in the classrooms. If you are available to help with the party, please contact your students teacher directly or the front office at 317-532-3900.

Warren's High Ability Program is designed to meet the unique academic needs of gifted and talented students. The curriculum in these classes is differentiated and faster paced and students will be working above grade level if they qualify. As a district, we look at all students in grades 1, 4, 6 and 8 to see if they qualify for the following school year based on eligibility criteria. Parent recommendations are considered along with achievement scores when determining placement in high ability. More detailed identification information can be found here: https://www.warren.k12.in.us/o/msd-of-warren-township/page/high-ability--3 If you would like to complete a recommendation for the broad based planning committee to consider you can do so here https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeptTssN1vtlIXg0RyEmmSYMROhINneDMw7OepoY4W_Ckq-gw/viewform The parent recommendation form will be open until January 31, 2020.

This fall, MSD of Warren Township will be creating a comprehensive strategic plan based on community input that will ensure all students and staff have the conditions necessary to develop and apply Journey of a Graduate (JoG) skills and dispositions. The Journey of a Graduate skills are a set of 6 skills and dispositions that have been identified by our community needed for success in and out of school. The JoG skills are Critical Thinking, Citizenship, Communication, Collaboration, Content Knowledge, and Resilience. These JoG skills will serve as the foundation of the district strategic plan.

One way the district will capture community input is through an online survey. Linked below is a short survey that will ask questions around our strengths as a district and help us identify areas for improvement,

(Click on link below to begin survey)

This fall, MSD of Warren Township will be creating a comprehensive strategic plan based on community input that will ensure all students and staff have the conditions necessary to develop and apply Journey of a Graduate (JoG) skills and dispositions. The Journey of a Graduate skills are a set of 6 skills and dispositions that have been identified by our community needed for success in and out of school. The JoG skills are Critical Thinking, Citizenship, Communication, Collaboration, Content Knowledge, and Resilience. These JoG skills will serve as the foundation of the district strategic plan.

One way the district will capture community input is through an online survey. Linked below is a short survey that will ask questions around our strengths as a district and help us identify areas for improvement,

(Click on link below to begin survey)

http://bit.ly/MSDWTSPS

http://bit.ly/MSDWTSPSSPANISH

Town Hall Meetings will also be scheduled for our teachers, students, parents and community to collaborate in person. Town Hall Meeting will be held at Lowell Elementary on December 10 at 6:00pm.

If you are unable to attend the evening meeting, there is a morning meeting option available to parents. The morning meeting date is below.

Wednesday, October 30th, 8:30 a.m., Strategic Planning with the Superintendent at Warren Education and Community Center -- 975 North Post Road

Thank you in advance for your participation and thank you for your continued support of MSD Warren Township Schools.

Dr. Tim Hanson

We are very excited that construction is beginning at Lowell! Please know that during this time, there will be some changes with traffic flow and building access. As always, we will put student safety above all things. There may be times when this may feel inconvenient; however, we are asking parents/guardians to understand that decisions made have been well thought out and in place because it is safest for students and families. If your child(ren) have access to a bus, please have them ride the bus to and from school daily. This will help lessen traffic at the busiest times of the day and is the best way to ensure that students are arriving to school on time. Please make sure if you are picking up or dropping off your child that it is important to move your vehicles to the farthest point along the front curb. Please do not stop in front of the entrance. We need to fill the front curb so that we can get the most students into the building at one time. Please listen to the teachers that are outside at car rider pick up/drop off and follow the directions given to ensure that everyone is safe. Thank you for your patience and for working together to keep students safe!

https://warren.nutrislice.com/menu/raymond-park/lunch/2018-12-19

https://foodservice.warren.k12.in.us/

* Students are expected to be at school on time every day. Our tardy bell rings at 8:05am. Please plan accordingly to ensure your child is in his/her classroom by 8:05am each day.

* If your child will be absent due to illness or late due to a doctor's appointment, please call the front office at 317-532-3900 to report the absence or late arrival. This helps to ensure your child's safety. Please bring a doctor's note to document the excused absence.

* Dismissal is at 3:05pm. If you are picking up your child from school, please follow our car rider procedures.

* When arriving at Lowell, please make sure you stop first at the front desk. All visitors MUST sign in and put on a Lowell Badge while in the building. Safety is our top priority for our students. This process allows us to ensure every child's safety during the school day. Thank you for your cooperation.

* Parents are always welcome at Lowell! If you would like to visit your child's classroom, please call or email your child's teacher or Mrs. Griffin so we can make arrangements and ensure that the students will be in the classroom at the time of your visit. We encourage you and welcome you to always be a part of your child's learning, and we truly value your involvement!

* Please remember that our Lowell Campus is a smoke-free campus. There is no smoking allowed anywhere on Lowell grounds. This includes smoking in your cars while on the Lowell Campus.

Dear Lowell Families,

I wanted to take this opportunity to let you know how excited the Lowell Elementary family is about the start of the school year and to share our process for emergency preparedness. In an effort to make sure our students and staff understand and know what to do in the case of emergencies, we plan practice drills throughout the school year. Some of these drills include procedures we practice monthly, like fire drills, and some we practice only a few times during the year, like wind/tornado drills.

We wanted you to be aware of the types of drills that we practice together in the event of a school safety concern so that you can talk with your students about these situations if they should come home with questions.

• Fire Drills – Students and staff evacuate their classrooms and exit the building. All classrooms report to a designated location outside of the school building. During these drills, cars entering campus will be stopped by staff until our perimeter is clear of students and staff.

• Wind/Tornado Drills – Students and staff report to designated locations in the building away from large windows and doors with windows. During this drill, our exterior doors will be locked so that all office staff can participate as well.

• Lockdown Drills – Our buildings are secured internally and externally. Students remain with staff and wait for directions. During these drills, if you visit campus, you may see law enforcement agencies like Warren Police, parked on our campus supporting this practice.

• Bus Evacuation Drills – Students practice exiting the bus using emergency exits upon arriving to school. During these drills, cars entering campus will be stopped by staff until our perimeter is clear of students and staff.

It is important to note that your student’s focus and cooperation during our drills is paramount. When drills are conducted, all individuals on our campus must participate, and that number can be upwards of 600 people. Paying attention, being alert and following directions allows for the best learning experience during the drills. Please reinforce this at home. Also, please know that if you are in the building when these drills are being practiced, you will be asked to practice with our school.

I appreciate your support and ask that you reach out with any questions.

Kim Griffin, Principal

The occasion may arise when the school district wants to recognize your child or your child's school. This may include your child's photo, your child's name or your child's work in district publications, newsletters, on school district websites, and in electronic/ social media or in staff training videos. We may also want to tell the media (including newspapers, television, and radio) about your child's achievements. We never knowingly release information about a student to anyone who wants to use it for commercial/ political purposes. However, we will honor your request to not include your child in these types of recognitions if you notify your child's school office in writing that you do not want this type of information released.

https://go.boarddocs.com/in/msdwt/Board.nsf/files/BD5KA350D6C6/$file/Student%20Success%20Handbook%20Board%20Approved%2019-20%20school%20year%20(1).pdf

Contact Us

Kim Griffin -- Principal

kgriffin@warren.k12.in.us

Tasha Reedus -- Dean

nreedus@warren.k12.in.us

Website: lowell.warren.k12.in.us
Location: 2150 South Hunter Road, Indianapolis, IN, USA
Phone: 317-532-3900
Facebook: facebook.com/LOWELLLEOPARDS
Twitter: @LowellElementa1