We had a very successful week of Read Across America! Throughout the week, students and staff celebrated a theme each day that spoke to the power of stories in varied forms. Each day, a different staff member shared a story with the entire school (virtually) and many participated in our dress up days. It was a great way to share, learn, and celebrate literacy!

A few other important items to note:

ZCS Do Days -

• Food Drive - The Boone Meadow Elementary school community will participate in the upcoming ZCS “Do Days” by collecting non-perishable food items for The Caring Center, which is located in Lebanon. Food pantries are not allowed to accept expired items, so be sure to check those labels. The BME Food Drive will run Monday, March 7th – Friday, March 11th. Students may bring items to the classroom or drop off in our designated areas in the front entry. To learn more about The Caring Center, visit their website by clicking here: https://thecaringcenter.net/

• Lost and Found Items – In addition, our lost and found has been overflowing for months, and it is time to make way. If you are missing a specific item, please have your child visit our lost and found location by Wednesday, March 9th. Unclaimed items will be donated to the Caring Center or discarded if appropriate. Thank you.

Class of 2035! 2022-2023 Kindy Enrollment is now OPEN- Kindergarten registration opened this week, and we encourage families to register as soon as you are able. Early registration helps inform staffing decisions for the coming year. So, tell your neighbors, friends, and family that live in ZCS boundaries to visit the ZCS website to learn more Information about "Kindergarten Strong Start". We are so excited to welcome the class of 2035.

Click here: https://www.zcs.k12.in.us/apps/pages/kindergarten

Disability Awareness Week (Unified Champions/Special Olympics Fundraiser) – March is Disability Awareness Month and our annual fundraiser for Special Olympics is next week. Bring in a dollar to participate in the fundraiser. Next Friday, March 11th, we will celebrate our support for Special Olympics with a Bubblegum and Crazy Socks day!

BME Mixer is canceled - See the PTO update below for more information

Spring Book Fair - We are still in need some volunteers to make our spring Book Fair a success! The book fair will run from March 10-18th! Please click here to sign up: Book Fair SignUp Note: You must have a full background check to volunteer!

Have a wonderful weekend,

Mr. H

Let's come together as a school community and create some memories as we gather to celebrate all of our successes together! Think of bonfires, music, food trucks, and games!

We are working on details for our April 29th event! We will provide a full update for families and staff in the coming weeks.

We hope everyone will be able to make it!

(Note: Rain date of May 13th)

BME is collecting non-perishable (non-expired) food items as part of a larger service project for the Boone County community. Any non-perishable items are greatly appreciated.

Tables and boxes for collection will be located in our main entry area.

YAM is an annual observation each March to emphasize the value of art education for all children and to encourage support for quality school art programs. Established in 1961, YAM is a way to celebrate the skills that are fostered through experiences in the visual arts.

The Zionsville Fine Arts Department (k-12) has teamed up with the town of Zionsville to display a sampling of student artwork from all 8 ZCS schools for the month of March. Please be on the lookout for artwork hung in storefronts or even INSIDE local businesses on Main Street! And don't forget to check out Hussey Mayfield Library and the Sullivan Munce Cultural Center. If your child has artwork at a venue, they will receive a certificate stating the location of the work.

There will be two Youth Art Month First Friday Receptions this year on March 4th, one at Robert Goodman Jewelers from 5-8pm, a second at Sullivan Munce from 5-8pm. Everyone is invited to attend these! Please be prepared with a mask to wear inside these venues.

The Boone Meadow students that opted to submit their art were from Mrs. Bender’s first grade class. The following students artwork will be on display in the window of Cobblestone Grill:

William Raybourn; Blaraj Parmar ; Henry Linkenbach ;

Amelia Windler ; Bryce Voegerl

Dylan Clarke ; Reed Sims; Crew Benson;

Norzin Smanla ; Prahil Jani

Calvin LaFontaine; Peyton Lewis; Nora Desplinter

Happy Creating BME!

Mrs. Trinosky

Hey parents! Do your kids want more social interactions with their school peers? Do you want to make a difference at your child’s school? ZCS-GROW is looking for adults to help in their aftercare program. The best news is that any of your children who attend this elementary school can attend BAC for FREE as long as you are working! We have a variety of schedule options from a couple hours per day once a week to five days per week. BAC does not meet during school holidays. For more information contact Becca King at bking@zcs.k12.in.us or call 317-733-4847.

Enrollment is open for Z'CAMP 2022! Z'CAMP is held at Zionsville West Middle School and is led by ZCS-GROW staff, ZCHS high school and local college students. All campers receive swim lessons, field trips and a huge variety of activities. Enroll now as space is limited. Register Here Questions? Email Becca King at bking@zcs.k12.in.us.

During the November 8 board meeting, ZCS school board members approved an updated 1:1 technology plan. Beginning in the fall next year (2022-2023 school year), Zionsville Middle School (ZMS) and Zionsville West Middle School (ZWMS) will be using a staggered approach to transition into a 1:1 rental program that will eliminate the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD). *These changes will only affect the current 4th grade class (class of 2030), students who are incoming 5th graders next year at ZMS and ZWMS.*

How it works.

Current 4th grade students (Class of 2030) will be required to rent a Lenovo 11e from ZCS for the start of their 5th grade year in 2022. Students in grades 6-8 will maintain their BYOD status for the 2022 school year so as not to interfere with already purchased devices. All current middle school students who started with BYOD will have the option to maintain BYOD status throughout their middle school years. The chart below shows the staggered approach over the next four years as we transition out of BYOD and into this new rental program.

For more details about this change, including financing, please visit the following

link: https://www.zcs.k12.in.us/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=458767&type=d&pREC_ID=2267749.

If you have questions, reach out to Dan Layton at dlayton@zcs.k12.in.us.

March 7-11 - Caring Center Food Drive; Special Olympics Donation (Unified Champions - Donate $1?)

March 7-18 - IREAD3 testing window

March 10-18 - Spring Book Fair

March 11 - Bubble Gum & Silly Socks Day

March 13 - Daylight Savings Time starts

March 14- March 31 - NWEA testing window

March 15 - End of Quarter 3

March 24 - Student Progress Reports posted in PowerSchool

April 1-8 - Spring Break (no school)

April 29 - Family Event at BME - Save the Date!

May 25 - Last day of school

May 26- June 3 - Make up days (if needed)

May 30 - Memorial Day (no school)

We attempt to get outside to breathe fresh air as much as possible. Please see the paragraph below taken from page 19 of our ZCS Elementary Handbook:

“Each child is expected to be suitably dressed for play outdoors. As the weather turns colder, each child needs a winter coat, hat, and gloves. Snow pants, waterproof boots, warm gloves/mittens are required to be able to play in the snow. All children play outside except on rainy, icy, or very cold days (wind chill below the 10-20 degree range). Inside recess will be held on those exceptional days. A child who is well enough to come to school is well enough to go outside and play. Exceptions will be made if parent/guardians send in a note from the doctor stating that the child needs to stay inside."

Our Student directory is now updated! Many thanks to the PTO for organizing this helpful resource! If you have never used our student directory, just follow these easy steps:

• Go to www.directoryspot.net or download the “Directory Spot” app on a smart phone. Click “Login”.
• Enter your email address as your Username, and click on “Reset Password”. An email will be sent to you with a link to set your password.
• Click on the link in the email to set your password and to log in.

If you have trouble logging in, please contact PTO volunteer Eileen Adam at eileenadam@hotmail.com.

Also note that if your information has changed, you can update it by logging in on a computer (not available through the app).

At this time, due to CoVID 19 restraints, we are "pausing" on volunteers and visitors. When volunteers are needed and approved, appropriate staff members will reach out to you in effort to welcome your support and assistance.

If you plan to volunteer of visit in the future, please note the following information.

CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR VOLUNTEERS

We value partnerships with our families and welcome parents and guardians to serve as volunteers in our schools. Each ZCS building typically offers a wide variety of volunteer opportunities.

Examples include:

• Field Trip Chaperones
• Out of Town/Overnight Chaperones
• Tutors
• Volunteer Coaches
• Classroom Helpers (PTO parties/room parents)
• Library Helpers
• After Prom Workers
• Field Day/Jog-A-Thon Volunteers
• Book Fair Sales/Athletic Ticket Sales

During the school day, all volunteers are expected to sign 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. The link to apply for the full background check can be accessed on the Volunteers/BRAVO link on the ZCS main webpage. For more information, contact the Volunteer/BRAVO Coordinator.

CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR VISITORS

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.

Examples Include:

• Lunch Guests
• Classroom Guest Speakers
• Classroom Special Events (Grandparent Day/Famous Hoosiers/etc.)
• Parent/Teacher Conferences

We ask that all visitors schedule an appointment to meet with teachers, counselors, administrators and all other staff members so that we may best serve everyone. Visitors other than parents/guardians must be prearranged and organized through the main office.

*ZCS thanks all volunteers for generous support of our youth and schools. Thank you, too, for supporting assurance of student and staff safety by completing and paying for a volunteer background check.

Email: thundley@zcs.k12.in.us
Website: http://www.zcs.k12.in.us/bme/
Location: 5555 S Main St, Whitestown, IN, United States
Phone: 3178732226
Twitter: @ZCSBoone_Meadow