Lowell Lantern

Hello Lowell Families!

I want to give a big shout out to all of our students for the hard work they put into their NWEA Assessments this past week! We appreciate their personal best effort on these assessments! Students who were not able to finish or who were absent during testing will have time next week to complete them.

As we wrap up our Bullying Prevention Week, let's remember to practice kindness and understanding every day! Mrs. Hand, our school counsellor, visited every classroom (virtual and in-person) this week to discuss Bullying Prevention with our students. We appreciate your continued conversations with your children about how to speak up against bullying and about the importance of treating each other with kindness and respect.

Next week is our Colllege Go Week! College Go Week is designed to help students begin to think about their future and to explore opportunities they might be interested in beyond high school. For our elementary students, this week allows them to connect what they are doing and learning now to skills and jobs they might be interested in for the future. Please see more information about our College Go week in this newsletter. We are asking students to wear college spirit wear or Lowell spirit wear (or green for Lowell) all next week in recognition of College Go Week.

Just a reminder ~ Spirit Wear orders are due next Friday, September 25. More information on online ordering is available below in the newsletter.

Parent/Teacher Conferences will occur after our fall break this year. Conferences are scheduled for Thursday, October 22. Students will not attend school that day. Teachers will review students progress and report cards at these conferences. More information will be distributed soon about scheduling these conferences. Please mark your calendar for this date.

The week of September 21 is a White Week for the related arts rotation. For Excel Classes, the week of September 21 is a Red Week.

Thank you for your support of Lowell! Have a great weekend! Take care! Be safe!

Mrs. Griffin

IMPORTANT REMINDER: The Learning Option Change Request form is due on Monday, 9/21 at 3:00pm. Requests submitted after the deadline will not be accepted.

REQUEST WINDOW: SEPTEMBER 11 - SEPTEMBER 21. PLEASE COMPLETE IF REQUESTING A CHANGE FOR QUARTER TWO.

Click on the link below to complete the change request form for Lowell.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScoIoVVsHb9pmjev3YtvkolyBSqBC4YJVfVijGL7ISix8rLZQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

The week of September 18 is College Go Week! College Go Week! is dedicated to helping students find the right college that fits their personality and interests by providing information and opportunities to explore and plan for education beyond high school. For elementary students, this week helps our students make connections with what they are learning now and how that will help them with their future beyond high school. Please see the information below about some things students will be learning about this week! For College Go Week, we encourage our students to wear college spirit wear or Lowell spirit wear throughout the week.

National Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the histories, cultures, and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.

This year’s theme - Hispanic Americans: A History of Serving Our Nation - invites us to reflect on Hispanic Americans' service and contributions to the history of our Nation.

Please take some time over the course of this next month to celebrate and explore Hispanic Heritage with your children.

Here are a couple resources that you can use:

• A Month of Ideas for Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month

• American Latino Heritage
  

Lowell spirit items are now available for purchase. We have some of our classic spirit wear products along with two specialty shirts. We are offering Peanuts Gang and Scooby Doo commemorative t-shirts to celebrate students and staff being "Together Again" for the 2020 school year.

All orders will be placed online or by calling a toll-free number to place your order. The attached flyer will let you see the products we are offering with additional value packages available online. Please do not return flyers with orders. All orders will be placed online or by calling the toll-free number. Orders will not be received at school.

Students who are attending school in-person or virtually are able to place orders. Please call Ms. Reedus at 317-532-3902 if you have questions about ordering spirit wear.

Website: www.spiritandpride.com

Our School ID number is: 19337

Our Lowell PTA provides so much support for students, families, and staff. Please consider joining the PTA! It does not mean you must volunteer for events; however, joining the PTA allows you to advocate for your child and others.

For every membership bought, you will receive a discount card that provides great deals to businesses on the eastside. So your membership could be free with the great deals you get.

Please click on this link to become a member.

https://indiana-congress-of-parents-and-teachers.square.site/

Mrs. Hand, our school counselor, is available to support all of our Lowell students. A student may be referred to the school counselor by a parent/guardian, staff member or the student may refer themselves.

If you are interested in counseling services for your child, please click on the link below and complete the referral form for Mrs. Hand. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdhMbp6BSh7ti1I6Nc6ar3-LjYr-cqbFUzhxIesLZmRXiqa3w/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0

Mrs. Hand has also created her own website where families can access information and resources. Please visit her website at the link below.

https://sites.google.com/warren.k12.in.us/lowell-school-counselor/home

In order for our schools to be in compliance with the state laws regarding immunizations, please make sure that your student(s) have their updated information on file with Nurse Deb, our school nurse. The exclusion date has been extended. All student vaccines must be on file and up to date by October 19, 2020 to avoid exclusion from school. Please make Nurse Deb aware of any upcoming appointments for vaccines, or if there are any medical or religious objections to your student receiving his or her vaccines

Also, PLEASE inform Nurse Deb of any chronic health conditions that the school should be made aware of, and that your student's medical emergency information is up to date. Thank you for your help in getting this important information to our nurse!

The 2020 Census is open until September 30. The results of the Census help support our communities with financial resources for safety, education, roads, and other public services. The Census can be completed online at my2020census.gov.

It only takes a few minutes to complete your 2020 Census. Please take the time to complete yours now!!

Please read the important information below about virtual learning.

Virtual Learning: What to Expect

Starting Monday, September 21 full time VIRTUAL K-12 students and ALTERNATING DAY 6-12 students will be required to mark their own attendance in Canvas on days they are not in their school building. Staying active and engaged in each Canvas course is critical for learning and success both short term and long term. Schools and teachers will communicate additional information including sharing tutorials that detail the simple process students will take to mark themselves present for each class period. If you have any questions, please reach out.

Using Canvas for attendance:

****Instead of teachers taking attendance, the following will now occur:

1. Students (families) will sign into CANVAS and click their class and then hit the attendance verification.

2. The teacher will log into Synergy and submit the attendance for that day.

3. The following morning, building secretaries will get an email of students who did not indicate their attendance for the previous day.

4. The building secretary will go in and mark the student absent for the previous day.

5. THIS WILL GO LIVE ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2020!

1. In the long run, we are trying to make the attendance process more streamlined. Once this becomes a routine, it should help simplify the attendance process for everyone.

2. Other districts that have made this transition noted and they have indicated that this takes about 10 days and then the process is pretty smooth.

The following links are Parent Resources:

• Attendance Process: K-4 IPAD

• Attendance Process: 5-12 Chromebook

• Attendance Process: K-5 Chromebook

• Attendance Process: 5-12 Application Day

• Virtual Attendance - Taking Your Attendance - Application Days

• Virtual Attendance - Taking Your Attendance - Application Days (Spanish)

• Virtual Attendance - Taking Your Attendance

• Virtual Attendance - Taking Your Attendance (Spanish)

Warren Parents and Caregivers,

here is the link to our Student Success Handbook. This handbook is updated every year to include information about how we keep students and staff safe at school, along with resources for families to access as well as information on district procedures and policies. This handbook is also shared with students.

Please take a moment to review and complete this as acknowledgement that you have received the handbook. Please reach out if you have any questions.

We want to send out a big thank you to all of our parents of our virtual students for doing such a great job with helping students to access the NWEA Assessments! Thank you for your efforts and support!! If your child has not taken NWEA with his/her teacher, please ensure that you are reviewing your email and teacher communication daily. It is important that students are given this opportunity to show what they can do.

Virtual Students in Grade 1 - 4 are being given the opportunity to engage in NWEA testing between September 14th - September 25th. Below are a few parent resources that will come in handy:

• NWEA Remote Testing Guidance for Parents/Caregivers - https://docs.google.com/document/d/167qNVHRPwMG0lnL3-fCiHWid0bwTUUyTaDtVP1uTQdg/edit

• NWEA Remote Testing Guidance for Parents/Caregivers (Parent Facing) SPANISH - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zfDYSyTdLXEfkbgrK8iF6MEzxrjz2kJekMdAOoFPuro/edit

• NWEA Accommodation Guidance (Parent Facing) - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Y6RacXQUNmWOv_TYe8SA3CuU4aip08emlzI5VRxTj0Y/edit

• NWEA VIRTUAL Accomm Parent/Caregiver Guidance (SPANISH) - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FUHC29uzUbNko-AMJupGao4sfP614xTat3Hm9i4wu04/edit

• Directions for Administering the NWEA Practice Assessment on the iPad; September 2020 - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1U5sdU6fg4NDKGyqP5QvRnVtG2TQ8APEW01jtWrucFjg/edit

Please reach out with questions. We are here to help.

Parent/Teacher conferences will take place after Fall Break. Families will meet with their first quarter teacher to celebrate their efforts in the first quarter. Teachers will review student progress and report cards at these conferences. October 22nd is a non-school day for all students in Warren Township due to Parent Teacher Conferences. (October 22nd is NOT an Enrichment Day.)

***ALL FAMILIES should have a conference with their first quarter teacher. This means that some students will be in a new learning environment while having conferences with their first quarter teacher.

Breakfast and lunch distribution for all VIRTUAL students will continue to be Tuesday and Friday mornings from 8:00am - 9:30am at Moorhead Community Resource Center (8400 East 10th Street). Also, we have added Tuesday evenings from 4:30-6:00 as an additional distribution time. I would also like to remind our 6-12 students that we are offering a take home meal for your VIRTUAL Application Day.

Please ensure your family can log onto Canvas. Canvas is the only way that building administrators can inform families when the teacher is out.

Students can log into Canvas using their google email and password. If you don’t have it, please ask your teacher today.

How to Log On to Canvas - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qsKPOuTZvtooXx2X1U5k1hxIQBzQQ0Y7/view

Warren Canvas Website - https://warren.instructure.com/

How To Log Into Canvas - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-5sWZODhY8&feature=emb_logo&ab_channel=CanvasLMS

If you are having tech issues, please contact the help desk:

• Tech Site: https://www.warren.k12.in.us/o/msd-of-warren-township/page/parent-tech-info

• Tech Ticket: https://www.warren.k12.in.us/o/msd-of-warren-township/page/parent-tech-info

**In an effort to support families and teachers, families will need only to contact their virtual teacher and their home school for support. If in doubt, contact your virtual teacher and they will support your needs.

**Please be on time for each meeting and log-in with your first and last name. Also, please follow the teacher’s expectations for camera-use.

**Please read your virtual emails as the teacher will keep you informed of the schedule and important details.

**Please attend all Zoom meetings throughout the day.

Did you know that Amazon donates money to approved charities and the Lowell PTA was just approved as a charity?

If you use Amazon or have an Amazon Prime Account, money may be donated to Lowell with NO extra charge to you. The AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price from your eligible AmazonSmile purchases.

Please see the flyers below for easy ways to donate to Lowell. Share with your friends and family!

Thank you for taking time each morning to screen your child before coming to school each day. Please continue to do so. Below are symptoms impacting consideration for exclusion from school:

● A fever of 100.0° F or greater

● Chills

● Cough

● Muscle or body aches

● Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

● Headache

● Sore throat

● Congestion or runny nose

● Fatigue

● New loss of taste or smell

● Nausea or vomiting

● Diarrhea

Students and employees should be excluded from school if they test positive for COVID-19 or exhibit two or more of the symptoms of COVID-19 that are not otherwise explained based on ISDH / MCPHD guidance. If in doubt, please don't hesitate to call school at 317-532-3900 for some guidance. We appreciate your support in doing this important screening step each day before sending students to school.

You may download our 20-21 Reopening Plan on our S.A.F.E. Reopening Webpage.

https://www.warren.k12.in.us/o/msd-of-warren-township/page/20-21-s-a-f-e-reopening

Our car rider line has changed locations! The car rider drop-off and pick-up line is now on the SOUTH SIDE (Raymond Street) of the building. DO NOT ENTER OFF OF HUNTER ROAD. All car riders will enter the line off of Raymond Street. There is a circular drive that cars will follow around to the sidewalk. Pull your car to the end of the sidewalk, place your car in park, and wait for staff to signal that students may be released from cars. DO NOT RELEASE STUDENTS UNTIL STAFF IS OUTSIDE AND INDICATES THAT STUDENTS MAY BE RELEASED FROM VEHICLE. WE WILL BEGIN TO RELEASE STUDENTS AT 7:55AM. STUDENTS MUST WEAR A FACE COVERING WHEN EXITING THE VEHICLE. PARENTS ARE TO REMAIN IN CARS AT ALL TIMES AND CANNOT EXIT THE VEHICLE TO WALK STUDENTS INTO THE BUILDING.

Students will only be released on the sidewalk side/passenger side of the vehicle. Please make sure your child is sitting on that side of your vehicle. When the sidewalk is cleared of students, cars will be released by staff to exit back out onto Raymond Street. PLEASE DO NOT MOVE YOUR CAR UNTIL STAFF INDICATES IT IS SAFE TO MOVE. DO NOT GET OUT OF THE CAR RIDER LINE TO MANUVEUR YOUR CAR AROUND OTHER CARS. STAY IN LINE AND FOLLOW THE CAR IN FRONT OF YOU SO WE CAN EXIT SAFELY. When the next row of cars are lined up along the sidewalk and are stopped and in park, staff will release the next group of students into the building.

OUR PRIORITY IS TO KEEP STUDENTS AND STAFF SAFE! PLEASE MAKE SURE TO FOLLOW THESE PROCEDURES AND TO FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS OF THE LOWELL STAFF. WE APPRECIATE YOUR COOPERATION.

Please make sure your child has backpack/supplies ready and that good-byes are said before it's time to exit the car. We will not have time to retrieve items or have prolonged good-byes in the morning. We appreciate your help with this!!

Review the map below to see the entry/exit location and the path for the car rider line. We appreciate your patience as we all learn this new system.

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. Please refrain from smoking on school grounds if you are picking your child up or dropping your child off at school. We appreciate your support with this policy!

The renovation at Lowell is going strong!! We are excited to see the progress!

Click on the link below to access the 2020-2021 Student Success Handbook.

Student Success Handbook 2020-2021

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