Crawfordsville Elementary Schools

If you are accessing this newsletter from a computer you can use the table of contents on the left to scroll directly to a specific school section of the newsletter. If you are accessing this newsletter from your phone, simply scroll down to read specific information from each school.

Dear Elementary Parents/Guardians,

Help us celebrate the success of students and staff and to improve, too. Please Click Here to Provide Feedback!

Onward C'ville,

Rex M. Ryker, PhD

Superintendent and Parent

SAFETY DRILL NOTICE

All CCSC Schools will be conducting an armed intruder drill prior to Nov. 5, 2024.

In addition, CCSC schools will complete a monthly fire or other man-made safety drill, one tornado drill per semester, and an earthquake drill. The transportation department also conducts bus evacuation drills annually.

Per 511 Indiana Administrative Code (IAC) 6.1-2-2.5, within 60 calendar days of each school year, superintendents shall certify to IDOE that the emergency preparedness plans for the school corporation and each school in the corporation have been reviewed and revised, if necessary.

• Fire: Completed within the first 10 school days, and monthly throughout the remainder of the school year.
• Armed Intruder: Completed within the first 90 calendar days from the start of school. Additional information can be found in IDOE’s Indiana School Safety Laws for Reference document.
• Per Indiana Code (IC) 10-21-1-10, during armed intruder drills, schools must:
• Have accommodations for students who have mobility restrictions, sensory needs, or auditory or visual limitations;
• Emphasize the practical nature of the drill;
• Provide access to mental health services on school grounds following the conclusion of a drill;
• Provide advance notice of a drill to parents or legal guardians of students who attend the school; and
• Provide alternative exercises for students who are unable to participate in a drill.

A Note from the Director:

Students have been learning about the five senses and apples. The classrooms have had an opportunity to complete a taste test for the five senses. Students tasted kale, lemons, chocolate, and pretzels to explore the 4 types of taste buds. Teachers also explored the five senses with popcorn to learn more about what students hear, smell, see, and taste when presented with popcorn. Students painted pictures with apples and tasted different types of apples to compare the flavors. Classrooms have also been working with graphing for math lessons to determine how tall students are, their favorite types of apples, and much more.

We are having a lot of late transportation changes. All phone calls for change to pick up must be called into the main office by 1:00.

Just a reminder, we will be practicing a lockdown drill this month. A lockdown drill is used in case an unwanted intruder enters the building. Each month we will be practicing a fire drill. This will allow students to learn more about safety and how to exit the building in an emergency.

Playground

We will be using the Playground app to communicate with families. This application/website will be replacing the Class Dojo that we have used in past years. The program will allow us to take attendance, communicate with parents, allow digital payment, and much more.

Vouchers

Willson Preschool Academy does accept vouchers for families that are eligible. Please let us know if you need any assistance applying. You can sign up at

https://earlyedconnect.fssa.in.gov/onlineApp/home

Nurse’s Notes

Hello Parents and Students,

The mobile dentist will be coming to Willson Preschool on October 16, 2024. If you would like your student to be seen, please complete the forms sent home with your student's folder and return them to the school by October 1st. You can register online at www.MySchoolDentist.com before October 1st.

Arrival and Dismissal Procedures

Willson Preschool Academy has worked with the Crawfordsville Police Department to improve the car rider arrival and dismissal procedures. On Monday, please follow these updated instructions:

1. Approach Wabash Ave from the South: Drive on Wallace Ave to Wabash Avenue. We recommend using College Street.

2. Stop at the Wabash Avenue Intersection: When you reach the intersection of Wallace Avenue and Wabash Avenue, come to a complete stop.

3. Turn onto Wabash Avenue: Only make a right turn onto Wabash Avenue if there is space available in the parking lot. This helps avoid blocking traffic on Wabash Avenue.

4. Enter the Parking Lot: Turn into the first Preschool entrance and proceed to the next available parking spot.

5. Exit the Parking Lot: Turn right as you exit the parking lot.

6. At Dismissal, Provide Student’s Name: At the 1:50 pick-up time, give your student's name to the staff member stationed at the corner of Wabash Avenue and Wallace Avenue. This staff member will be wearing a safety vest.

Drop-off starts at 7:50 AM, and car rider dismissal is at 1:50 PM. We encourage all parents to use the car rider line for both drop-off and pick-up. Students arriving by bus will enter through Door 1. Parents picking up their child on foot should go to the gate near the playground on Wallace Avenue. See the map on the opposite side for reference.

Breakfast and Lunch

Lunch at Willson Preschool is $2.75 per meal unless you have been approved for Free or Reduced meals. To take advantage of free/reduced textbooks you must still fill out the free lunch application at: https://crawfordsville.familyportal.cloud/. Parents can also use the family portal to deposits on their student's lunch account.

Kroger Community Rewards

Willson Preschool has signed up to participate in the Kroger Community Rewards Program. Help our school earn cash for new playground balls and games. We would like families to visit http://www.kroger.com.

Once logged into your Kroger account, you can search for WILLSON PRESCHOOL either by name or XN492 and then click Enroll. New users will need to create an account which requires some basic information, a valid email address, and a rewards card. You must have a Kroger Rewards Card. If you would like to participate and need to enroll with a Kroger Rewards card, please visit the customer service desk at any Kroger store. REMEMBER to swipe your registered Kroger rewards card or use the phone number that is related to your registered Kroger rewards card when shopping for each purchase to count for Willson to receive rewards. Thank you for participating.

Box Top Rewards

Join me in earning cash for our school by using the Box Tops app. It’s an easy way to make a difference. All you have to do is buy Box Tops participating products (like Cheerios!) and scan your grocery receipt. Box Tops are worth $.10 each and they add up fast! Twice a year, our school receives a check to help pay for whatever we need - equipment, supplies, or experiences the kids love!

It's easy! Here's how it works:

• Buy Box Tops products. With hundreds of participating products, there are lots of chances to earn!

• Scan your receipt with the Box Tops app within 14 days of purchase and automatically earn for WILLSON School with every Box Tops product you buy.

• If you shop online, you can earn with your digital or email receipt, too. See how to submit those receipts here.

Our goal is to earn $1,000.00 through Box Tops this year. We need your help to hit our goal!

Remember, you can earn a bonus for our school by referring your friends, family and other parents at WILLSON School to sign up for Box Tops. You'll both earn a bonus when they scan their first receipt with the Box Tops app.

Use this referral code MXDD4JEU when you sign up and you’ll get 25 Bonus Box Tops when you scan your first receipt now through 05/31/2024, while supplies last! Download the Box Tops for Education app here: https://btfe.smart.link/c2jjdifkw?referral_code=MXDD4JEU

Every Box Tops product counts towards our goal. Let's make a difference together. We can do this!

Upcoming Dates

October 10- Fall Festival 5:00-7:00

October 11 - No School

October 16 - Mobile Dentist

October 21-25 - Fall Break

October 31- Wear your Halloween Costume (no masks or accessories)

THANK YOU to all students and parents for an outstanding level of participation in the Read-a-thon this year. The students have thoroughly enjoyed hearing the results each day and the amount of minutes that have been read by Hose students has been awesome to see!

Our Leaders as Readers program continues to go well. Each classroom has a local community member reading to our students. Please ask your student about this!

Please continue to communicate with your student's teacher regarding upcoming parent-teacher conferences. We want to have a chance to talk to each of you!

No School Friday, October 11th-Parent Teacher Conferences and Staff Development

Thank you to all of the students and families who participated in the Nicholson Bike and Hike! It was exciting to see so many families participating. We would also like to thank all of our volunteers who helped to guide the various stations and activities. Please visit our Facebook page to see more pictures from the Nicholson Bike and Hike.

Parent/Teacher conferences will be held the week of October 7, 2024. Your student’s teacher will be contacting you to schedule a time for your conference. Conferences will be15 minutes in length. This is a valuable opportunity to communicate with your child’s teacher, discuss your student’s strengths and gather information on future experiences offered to Nicholson students.

ILEARN CHECKPOINTS

This year Hoover students are participating in the ILEARN Checkpoints pilot. This will assess students over their core curricular knowledge 3 times per year on shorter assessments to track growth throughout the year and guide teacher instruction. The checkpoints are shorter and take less time to complete and administer. Teachers will have results back within just a day or two in order to adjust instruction for individual students. Checkpoint 1 will take place September 17 & 18 from 8:15-10:15 AM. Please be sure your student has a good night's sleep so they can do their best.

Transportation Changes

If your child needs to change his/her transportation, you must call the Hoover Office by 1:30 PM.

UPCOMING DATES:

• Sept. 16 Volleyball Games 5:30/6:30

• Sept. 19 Volleyball Games 5:30/6:30

Healthy people need support, too. Taking care of our own mental health is important. As a parent myself, I know that when I am stressed, tired, or upset, feelings common when I am actively parenting, my responses to my children can be less than ideal. I want to encourage all of us as parents to build a positive support system for yourself and your children. Having an adult who understands your feelings that you can talk to is an important part of keeping yourself sane and stable. Making sure you go to an adult instead of talking about personal adult issues with your children is also important in making sure they are not carrying a burden too large for themselves.

With a healthy support system in place, let’s take a moment and focus on the experiences we are sharing with your children. This time of year, as we enter fall and Halloween approaches, I encourage you to make sure what you are allowing and encouraging your child to do is age appropriate. I’ve seen many students over the years scared from movies, videos, games, or experiences that they’ve shared with a parent. It may seem funny or amusing to some when a 5 year old seems to enjoy Chuckie or Jason. Please remember, every child wants to be loved and accepted by their parents, so make sure you aren’t unintentionally encouraging them to participate things they aren’t yet ready to handle. Bragging to an adult friend or family member about how tough your child is or how they “weren’t scared at all” may push your child to participate in these types of things. Also - know that they want to spend time with you. Make sure you are sharing experiences with your child that are good for them. Happy parenting!

~Mallory Tucker, Hose school counselor

Students enrolled in after school clubs are expected to stay for clubs unless parents call the office to change transportation plans.

After School Club Contacts

• Hose Elementary K-1
• Diamond Carrell dcarrell@cville.k12.in.us
• Nicholson Elementary 2-3
• Deneen Bartlett dbartlett@cville.k12.in.us
• Hoover Elementary 4-5
• Trisha Whicker twhicker@cville.k12.in.us
• Sharon Danforth sdanforth@cville.k12.in.us
• Hannah Lafever hlafever@cville.k12.in.us

The after-hours transportation number is 765-376-3926. (Please use only for urgent matters related to your child's after-hours bus issues.)

A great big THANK YOU to all parents, caregivers, teachers, and students for making this year’s Read-A-Thon our best one yet! YOU read more than _________ minutes and raised an incredible amount of funds to help our elementary schools thrive. We cannot believe how much you accomplished in only three weeks and are SO proud! We hope you had fun diving into books, taking your imagination on all kinds of adventures, and learning new and amazing things. Can’t wait for next year!

Thanks so much,

Crawfordsville Elementary Schools PTO

Click HERE to access the latest PTO Newsletter.