Stonegate Elementary Newsletter

Happy Labor Day weekend! Thank you for spending your Thursday evening with us preparing for another great school year. We are grateful to have such wonderful families to partner with in the educational process.

On Friday, SGE had a special guest to help us kick off Doing the RIGHT thing and treating people RIGHT. Boomer visited has a conclusion to our Stonegate Startup and got the kids excited to do the RIGHT thing and have a successful school year!

We look forward to ushering in September. September will hopefully bring cooler temps, routine, and of course Jog-a-thon. See more information about how you can support Stonegate and Jog-a-Thon in the newsletter.

Looking ahead:

• No School- Monday, September 2nd in observance of Labor Day.
• Jog-a-Thon Launch- Wednesday we kick off our only fundraiser of the year!
• PTO Meeting- Join us for the 1st meeting of the year. 2:45p at SGE.
• School Picture Day- Friday, September 13th!
• Mark your Calendar: International Fair- Join us for a fun evening celebrating the diversity of SGE on Thursday, September 19th!

Enjoy your long weekend!

Mrs. Connie Largent, Principal

Mrs. Kathy Drake, Asst. Principal

September

2nd - Labor Day! No school!

4th - PTO Meeting at 2:45pm

13th - School Picture Day

19th - International Fair (6:00-7:30pm)

20th - 3rd grade to Indianapolis Zoo

27th - PTO Jog-a-Thon

October

2nd - PTO Meeting at 7:00pm in the cafe

3rd-4th - 4th grade to Camp Tecumseh

11th - End of Quarter One

14th-18th - Fall Break! No school!

PRE-ORDERING for Stonegate Elementary Picture Day is now open! To order with a debit or credit card, please follow the link below. All pre-ordering will close after Friday, September 13, 2024. You do not need to turn in any receipt or form for an online order. If you need to pay by cash or check, the office will have an order form available. Proof ordering will be available 4-6 weeks after photo day once packages have been delivered. https://www.cripephoto.com/zionsville

If you have any questions or concerns please fill out our Customer Service Contact Form

Stonegate Cafe will begin serving breakfast after Labor Day, September 3. Breakfast will be served from 7:45-8:00am each morning, and the cost is $1.40 per day. Your child must be at school prior to 8:00am in order to receive breakfast. Please contact cafe manager, Nancy Fitzpatrick, if you have any questions. Thank you!

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.

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.

If your child comes to school via car in the morning, the car line starts dismissing at 7:45a and is efficient! We expect our students to be in their seats ready to learn no later 8:00a! If your child arrives at 8:00a or after, you need to come in with your student to sign them in.

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!

As we plan for the year ahead, we want to ensure 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.

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

Our office team has created an Amazon Wish List. We would love your support in two important ways.

First, our staff works so hard every day. To show our appreciation, help us “stock the lounge” with their favorite snacks all year long! Next, we have also added in items that would be helpful to our team and used in a variety of ways. As always, we thank you for your partnership!

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

Mrs. Torrance is looking forward to another year of guiding your child(ren) on their Wellness journey! Each month, she will be sending a new HEALTHY HABITS challenge for ALL family members! Each week of the month will focus on a "healthy habits" theme: Fitness, Family, Food, and Fun.

• To bump up the benefits, complete the Fitness routine at least 5 days a week throughout the entire month!
• Students can turn in a paper copy of the challenge, or a parent/guardian can message her in ParentSquare to indicate completion.

She looks forward to seeing many challenges completed at the end of each month. Students will earn a "toe token" for each month they complete the challenge. Remember- CHALLENGES MAKE US STRONGER!

Jog-A-Thon is Friday, September 27! Students will walk or jog around a 1/4 loop in front of the school (we block off the streets around The Commons). The preschoolers and kindergarteners will walk for 30 minutes while the older kids will walk for 40 minutes.

Our goal is to raise $20,000 to support math and literacy materials, technology, enrichment grants, field trips, and special projects for each grade. To do that, we are challenging each student to raise $50 in donations ($25 for preschool). 100% of the donations collected by Stonegate students will directly impact our school. Look for a donation envelope to come home next week.

Jog-A-Thon is a success because of our volunteers! We need your help cheering on the kids, helping them stay on the course, marking their shirts for each lap completed, and handing out water. ALL VOLUNTEERS MUST HAVE A FULL BACKGROUND CHECK. Look for a sign-up genius coming out next week!

We would also like to thank the many local business that help make this day possible:

• Aterna
• Pure Life Chiropractic
• La Joie Nails
• Stonegate Orthodontics
• CertaPro Painters

If you have any questions, please email SGEJAT@gmail.com

SAVE THE DATE

STONEGATE ELEMENTARY’S 8TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL FAIR

Date: Thursday, September 19th

Time: 6:00 - 7:30 pm

Location: Stonegate Elementary

What is this?

During this event, students will have an opportunity to travel the globe to experience the different cultures enriching the Stonegate community. Last year 25 different countries were represented! Once you arrive, everyone will receive a passport and have the opportunity to participate in interactive stations with many foods to taste.

How can I participate?

We invite families to sign up, set up a small table or booth, and share your culture or present a country to which you feel personally connected. Want to participate but don't have a country to represent? We can help team you up with another family! If you have any questions please contact Nadia Adams at nadiam.adams@gmail.com. If you would like to sign up you can find the link here: https://forms.gle/Zgt1JjSxwva1bs4KA

Please help us spoil the SGE staff with a carmel apple bar to welcome in fall!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050D4DACAE2DA1FF2-baked

Please help us celebrate our teachers and staff members who have birthdays in the months of August, September & October. Please sign up for a teacher or staff member listed and contact them via email to set up a time to deliver a birthday lunch!

August/September/October Teacher Birthday Lunches

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 actitivities going on in our area.

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