Stonegate Elementary Newsletter

What a glorious week of weather it was! It served as a lovely reminder that we are getting closer and closer to spring break! It was a joy to have outdoor recess and to soak in Mother Nature's Vitamin D!

Spring weather is also a good reminder to practice severe weather safety. This past week, we participated in our Statewide Tornado Drill and our monthly fire drill. To practice and be prepared is one of the best ways we can continue to keep everyone safe.

Our students also had the opportunity to participate in the spring raffle. There was much excitement in the air as students put their tickets in for the some incredible staff and community experiences. The raffle winners and certificates were sent home this past Friday. Hat's off to our incredible PTO for organizing this beloved annual event and to our staff for providing fun and creative opportunities that will create lasting memories!

Lastly, our 2nd and 3rd graders completed IREAD testing! We decided to "pop in" to each classroom to thank them for their tenacity and perseverance by surprising each class with a popcorn party and purple ticket! It was well deserved!

Looking ahead:

• Body Safety Lessons-See Ms. Wetzel's Counselor Corner about upcoming Body Safety Lesson on March 17th and 18th.
• 4th Grade-They will be on a field trip to the Carmel Palladium on March 19th.
  
• PTO Dine for Dollars- It will be at Culver's on March 19th. We hope to see you all there!
  
• PTO Salad Bar for Staff-Please sign-up for a staff salad bar pitch-in on March 21st.
  
• Kindergarten Strong Start- We look forward to meeting our newest eagles on Tuesday, March 25th! Registration is now open, so please spread the word to your neighbors with young children!

Enjoy the weekend and thank you for your partnership!

Mrs. Connie Largent, Principal

Mrs. Kathy Drake, Asst. Principal

March

19 - 4th graders visit the Carmel Palladium

19 - PTO Dine for Diners - Culver's with "Celebrity Servers"

25 - Kindergarten Round-up

27 - PTO Spirit Day: Favorite Vacation Shirt

28 - First Day of Spring Break

April

7 - Return from Spring Break

9 - PTO Meeting at 2:45pm

9-11 - PTO Book Fair

11 - PTO VIP & ME Event

17 - 2nd grade to the Pacers Athletic Center

25 - PTO Spirit Day: Crazy Socks

May

5-9 Staff Appreciation Week

8 - 4th grade music program at 6:00pm

14 - SGE Choirs concert at 6:00pm

16 - 3rd grade Zionsville Walking Tour field trip

19 - Kindergarten field trip to The STEM Connection

23 - Field Day

23 - PTO Spirit Day: Wear your favorite hat

26 - Memorial Day - NO SCHOOL

30 - Last day of School for students

30 - 4th grade graduation at 12:30pm

SAVE THE DATE & SPREAD THE WORD!

Kindergarten (Pre) Registration is NOW OPEN (required in order to attend Round-Up)

• Kindergarten (pre) registration for the 25-26 school year is now open! Visit the ZCS website to complete registration (part 1) for the graduating class of 2038!
• All ZCS elementary schools will host Kindergarten Round-Up in the afternoon/evening of March 25th for registered families. More details coming soon!

Enjoy this weekly highlight of five important details from our student handbook!

1. Late Arrival to School (pg 18): Each ZCS student has the responsibility to arrive to school and class on time. For elementary students, the expected arrival to school is not earlier than 7:50 a.m. (grades 1 - 4), unless they attend BAC, a before school club/course, or an arrangement has been made for supervision by the building principal or designee, and no later than 8:00 a.m. A student who arrives after 8:00 a.m. is considered tardy and must be escorted into the office and signed in by a parent/guardian. Kindergarten students are considered tardy after 9:00 a.m. Tardiness takes away from valuable learning time at the beginning of the school day. Taken to the extreme, chronic tardiness can result in educational neglect charges being filed. Tardiness due to inclement weather, late buses, or poor road conditions will be excused.

2. Early Pick-up of Students (pg 18): Parents/Guardians are encouraged not to pick up their child before the end of the day except for emergencies. If it becomes necessary for a child to be picked up before the end of the day, the parents/guardians must come to the school office and present a photo ID (when necessary) to sign the child out of school. The classroom teacher will be contacted, and the child will then come to the office for dismissal. Teachers are instructed not to dismiss a child from their classroom without approval from the office. No student will be released to a person other than the custodial parents/guardians without permission from the custodial parents/guardians or other legal authorization.

3. After School Pick-up of Students (pg 18): Parents/Guardians of children who are car riders should wait in their cars in line and students will be released to them at the time of the dismissal bell. Parents/Guardians, for the safety of all, please do not exit the car while in the car line nor leave your car unattended in the fire lane. Children who walk home may be met by their parents/guardians at the school designated pick-up point following the dismissal bell. All mid-day changes of transportation must be called into the school office no later than 1:00 p.m. Do not communicate mid-day changes through email, Parent Square messaging or voicemail. Please call the school and speak directly with school staff to make changes to your student’s dismissal plan after 1:00pm.

4. Money sent to school (pg 20): Whenever money is sent to school with a child, please put it in a sealed envelope with the child’s name and the student’s teacher’s name on the envelope. Please add a note indicating how the money is to be used. Please caution children NOT to open the envelope. Separate checks must be issued for the cafeteria or any other activity or expense conducted by the school.

5. Classroom Celebrations(pg 22): The elementary schools have created guidelines for parents/guardians to follow during classroom parties and events. Please refer to the ZCS Elementary Safe Snacks document when planning for a classroom party if food will be provided by volunteers rather than the school. School office administrative assistants, health care professionals, and administration can assist with ensuring the snacks provided to our students are safe. Food provided for a class celebration should be store-bought with a product ingredient label, not homemade. Items should be in compliance with our district Wellness Policy and considerations should be made to be inclusive of students who have life threatening food allergies.

Students are putting their Skills for Learning (focusing attention, listening carefully, using self-talk to stay on task and being assertive when asking for help) in action! Students are now learning how to identify and understand their own and others’ feelings and how to show compassion. Compassion involves saying kind words or doing something helpful to show you care how another person feels. When students can identify, understand, and respond in a caring way to how someone else is feeling, it helps create a positive and accepting school climate. Below are the Home Links for the grade levels so you can learn more about what your child is learning, why it is important, and activities you can do at home with your child!

Kindergarten

1st grade

2nd grade

3rd grade

4th grade

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

Dear SGE Families, Safety of our students is our highest priority. We routinely practice safety drills and engage in ongoing safety education of our students throughout the year. We teach guidelines and principles in a way to develop student agency, allowing them to regularly make decisions that prioritize their safety across settings and situations. One topic within the larger umbrella of Safety Education is that of Body Safety. A few examples of Body Safety topics include wearing seat belts and helmets, eating healthy foods, and following school procedures such as walking in the hallways. Body Safety education also encompasses the prevention of childhood abuse.

ZCS has partnered with the Indiana Center for Prevention of Youth Abuse and Suicide (ICPYAS) to assist us in providing the instruction of strategies for abuse prevention. This instruction will be provided to all students at Stonegate Elementary the week of March 17th. ICPYAS is a non-profit organization that employs certified instructors who deliver research-based lessons to students in developmentally appropriate ways as a means to give children strategies to keep their bodies safe. All students in grades K-12 receive the instruction on an annual basis, in accordance with state legislation SEA 355.

To learn more about these presentations, be sure to visit https://www.indianaprevention.org/parentresources and click on “Child Lures Video”, which provides information regarding the content of this program. The website also contains links to additional resources. Parents have the opportunity to opt out of this program, if desired. Please click link for opt out form. Opt+Out+2024-2025+Elementary+Boone+Co.docx We will have additional copies available for you should you need a hard copy - simply call the front office or notify your child's classroom teacher with a request for the paper version. Please note, this opt-out form should only be completed and returned if you desire for your student NOT to receive this body safety education. For questions or concerns, you may contact Megan Banet at megan@indianaprevention.org or 317-759-8008

Every student at SGE had a GREAT time choosing where to place their 5 tickets this week for the Experience Raffle! Winners should have brought home a certificate with the details of their experience!

Please take the opportunity to donate as a thank you to our teachers and staff ($10 suggested donation per student) for their time and effort by Thursday, 3/28. These experiences could not happen without them!

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=9YAH8ZAAMUVS8

STILL GOING - WIN FRONT ROW SEATS!!!

Enter to win FRONT row seats to the Stonegate Spring Choir Concert (up to 6 seats), 4th Grade Finale (up to 4 seats), or 4th Grade Graduation (up to 8 seats)!

TICKETS: $3 each with a max of 10 tickets ($30) PER EVENT!

PURCHASE: Use the link below (PLEASE designate how many tickets and if it is for the Stonegate Singers, 4th grade finale, or 4th grade graduation), or send in cash or check (payable to Stonegate PTO). If sending in money, please indicate which event and how many tickets. Tickets available through March 28th. Winners will be drawn the week of APRIL 7th.

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=9YAH8ZAAMUVS8

It's time to get RED CARPET READY for our Stonegate Swing on Friday, April 11th from 6:45-8pm. This dance is open to ALL students and their favorite dancing partners. There will be dancing, dessert and an opportunity to peruse the book fair! Please RSVP below and indicate not only how many children will be attending, but also the number of boys/ girls in your party so we can order the right number of corsages and boutonnieres. The cost for the event is $10 pp, $30 max per family. Can't wait to see you there!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050D4DACAE2DA1FF2-55695178-stonegate

Help us treat our staff to a healthy salad bar lunch on Friday, March 21st. Sign up below!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050D4DACAE2DA1FF2-48385139-salad

Join us on Wednesday, March 19th for a Dine for Dollars event at Culvers! There will be "celebrity" staff sightings who will be serving that night!

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.

(Click the Image to Register)

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

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.

Click the image below for information about the many community activities going on in our area!