The Tiger Times

Email: sstrube@decaturproud.org
Website: decaturproud.org/westnewtonelementary
Location: West Newton Elementary School, 7529 South Mooresville Road, West Newton, IN, USA
Phone: 317-856-5237
Twitter: @wntigers

The MSD of Decatur Township is Student Invested, Community Connected. We prioritize Student learning, Safety and Customer Service, fostering a support system for our families.

Preparing our students to be tomorrow ready!

Dear West Newton Families,

What a wonderful week to come back to school with the beautiful autumn weather and getting to spend time with our West Newton Tigers! Our students and staff came back to school ready to jump back into our teaching and learning.

Our students have also enjoyed some Fall into Good Books Celebrations with reading activities and autumn treats. A reminder that we do not have Halloween parties and students may not wear costumes to school. Thank you for your support.

A very important presentation is coming up soon at West Newton Elementary and it is our annual Veterans Day Program. The staff and students will join with our community members to present our Veterans Day Program on Veterans Day, Mon., Nov. 11 beginning at 8:30am to honor the men and women who have served our country in the armed forces. Please see the invitation in this newsletter regarding this event. Veterans have a special place in our hearts at West Newton so please let us know if you or a family member is a Veteran or is currently still serving our country.

Our West Newton staff takes great pride in honoring our Veterans. If you know of a Veteran who is in need of Military Family Resources, please share our West Newton website at WN Military Family Resources so that our veterans can access resources at the following links: Indiana Dept. of Foreign Affairs, Helping Heroes, Marion County Veteran Affairs. Mrs. Amanda Burch is our Military Family Resources contact at West Newton and she can be reached at 317-856-5237, ext. 21206.

The West Newton staff continues to prepare our students to be “Tomorrow Ready”. Thank you so much for partnering with us in our students’ success and for sharing your children with us. #DecaturProud

With Tiger Pride,

Susan D. Strube

Principal

https://www.decaturproud.org/families/attendance

Attendance

Daily attendance is essential for academic growth and development. Regular daily attendance is the responsibility of the parent and student. Students are expected to comply with Indiana’s Compulsory Attendance statute (IC 30-33-2) which requires students to attend school. Communication regarding attendance between home and school is essential to student success.

Reporting

Parents/Guardians are to report the absence of their child to the school on the day of the absence. In the event of a single absence, a written, verbal, or electronic statement of the cause will be accepted.

Excused Absences

Students are expected to be in school except for the following reasons with documentation:

A. Illness verified by a note from the parent (by phone, written, or electronic communication) *The school reserves the right to verify such statements and to investigate the cause of each in the event of prolonged, repeated, or unexplained absences before excusal.

B. Illness verified by a note from the doctor.

C. Service as a page or honoree of the general assembly

D. Service on a precinct election board or helper to a political candidate on the date of an election

E. Subpoena to appear in court as a witness in a judicial proceeding

F. Exhibiting or participating in the Indiana Fair for educational purposes by a student or member of the student’s household.

G. Participating in an educationally related non-classroom activity which is consistent with and promotes educational philosophy and goals of the School Corporation, facilitates the attainment of specific educational objectives, is part of the goals and objectives of an approved course or curriculum, represents a unique educational opportunity, cannot reasonably occur without interrupting the school day, and is approved in advance by the school principal.

H. Doctor, dentist, counseling appointments (Documented with a note from the doctor, dentist or counselor for an excused absence)

I. Death in the immediate family

J. Recovery from an accident

K. Required court attendance

L. Major religious holidays and religious instruction provided by a church up to 120 minutes/week per the guidelines in IC 20-33-2-19

M. Required appointments for the citizenship process

N. Military connected family absences related to deployment and return

*The above list of excusals applies to all MSD of Decatur Township Schools. Secondary (middle and high schools) have additional excusals due to the age of students. Full attendance policies for each school can be found in the student handbooks on the school webpages.

Attendance Notifications & Truancy Prevention

Unexcused Absences

An unexcused absence is any absence not covered under the definition of excused absence or an exception to compulsory attendance. An out-of-school suspension shall not be considered an unexcused absence.

Three (3) unexcused absences - teacher will call the parent/guardian and document with office administration; Notification sent via Skyward Family Access

Five (5) unexcused absences within a ten (10) week period - Skyward letter sent; required attendance conference scheduled including a representative of the school, a teacher of the student, and the parent/guardian; Student Attendance Success Plan created at conference (see checklist for guidance and success plan document)

Eight (8) unexcused absences - Skyward letter sent and school administrator will call the parent/guardian

Ten (10) unexcused absences - letter sent from the Superintendent’s office, delivered by Decatur Township School Police; a report will be made to DCS (Send to Lisa Perry)

Fifteen (15) unexcused absences - home visit made by school personnel

Twenty (20) unexcused absences - a report will be made to DCS; Letter sent from the Superintendent’s Office scheduling a meeting with the District Attendance Officer. Send documentation of all steps completed to Kathy Flores (form coming soon) The meeting will be scheduled AT THE SCHOOL w/ Emily LeMay and Principal present (Kathy will send calendar invite)

**Continued absences may result in a referral to the Marion County Prosecuting Attorney, Juvenile Division

**The district reserves the right to refuse intra-district transfers due to excessive absenteeism

**District administration reserves the right to refuse out of district requests due to excessive absenteeism

Policy updated in accordance with SEA 282.

Travel basketball is a more competitive environment for experienced players.

Who: Elementary Decatur Township male students. Grades 3rd-6th

When: Tuesday, November 12th, 6:30pm to 8PM

• 2nd grade- Aux gym Decatur Central High School ( enter door 16 )

• 3rd / 4th grade - Blue / Gold ( enter through the community entrance in the back of the building)

• 5th / 6th Grade - Main Gym Decatur Central High School ( enter door 16 )

Coaches

Varsity Head Coach - Bryan Surber ( bsurber@decaturproud.org )

2nd - Corey Bates

3rd - Chad Ison

4th - Donnie McCoy

5th - Justin Dixson

6th - Courtney Dodd

1ST AND 2ND GRADE BOYS

What:

• The Decatur Central Boys 1st-2nd Grade Basketball Program is a true player development league formed by Coach Surber and the high school athletic department. The league is built upon priorities of teaching, learning, and building love for the sport. We use purposeful, researched-based teaching methods & progressions to develop basketball skills, increase terminology and overall game knowledge.
• Each week, there will be a series of whole group demonstrations on individual and team skills. After each of these demonstrations, we will break down into small groups and practice these skills. Later in the season, the players will learn team concepts by playing controlled half court games.
• The emphasis in the 1-2 program will be on teaching the participants “how to play” rather than “running plays” and “winning games.”
• Each week, we will build on the previous week’s skills and concepts.

Who:

• Boys grades 1st-2nd (One 75 minute session per week)

Where

• Armstrong Pavilion

When:

Monday Nights - 7:30 to 9:00pm

• November - 4, 11, 18, 25

• December - 2, 9, 16

• January - 6, 13, 27

• February - 3, 10, 27
  

  
  

• March - 3, 10

Register:

https://public.eventlink.com/registrations?id=2608bcee-ae11-4207-cd87-08dccc402327

3RD - 6TH GRADE BOYS

What:

• The Decatur Central Boys 3rd-6th Grade Basketball Program is a true player development league formed by Coach Surber and the high school athletic department. The league is built upon priorities of teaching, learning, and building love for the sport. We use purposeful, researched-based teaching methods & progressions to develop basketball skills, increase terminology and overall game knowledge.
• Each week, teams will practice with their coach on skill development, terminology and knowledge.

Who:

• Boys grades 3rd-6th

Where

• Games: Decatur Middle School

• Practice: TBD by each coach

When:

• Practice starts: Week of November 4th
  

• Games begin: Week of December 2nd

• Season Ends: Week of March 10th

Register:

https://public.eventlink.com/registrations?id=2608bcee-ae11-4207-cd87-08dccc402327

Coaches App:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScoJY5B_dLu7svQZp0vYqiTz_OOen1t71nYvtPRbccearJLBg/viewform

1ST AND 2ND GRADE GIRLS

What:

• The Decatur Central Girls 1st-2nd grade Basketball Program is a true player development league formed by Coach Carothers and the high school athletic department. The league is built upon priorities of teaching, learning, and building love for the game. We use purposeful, researched-based teaching methods & progressions to develop basketball skills and intelligence.

• Each week, there will be a series of whole group demonstrations on individual and team skills. After each of these demonstrations, we will break down into small groups and practice these skills. Later in the season, the players will learn team concepts by playing controlled half court games of 3 on 3.

• The emphasis in the 1st-2nd grade program will be on teaching the participants “how to play” rather than “running plays” and “winning games.” Each week, we will build on the previous week’s skills and concepts.

Who:

• Girls grades 1st-2nd (One 75 minute session per week)

Where

• Armstrong Pavilion

When:

Monday Nights - 6:00 to 7:30pm

• October - 21, 28

• November - 4, 11, 18, 25

• December - 2, 9, 16

• January - 6, 13, 27

• February - 3, 10, 27

Register:

https://public.eventlink.com/registrations?id=96c2b5eb-7688-4e8b-5882-08dccc1a87c1

3rd - 6th GRADE GIRLS

What:

• The Decatur Central Girls 3rd-6th Grade Basketball Program is a true player development league formed by Coach Carothers and the high school athletic department. The league is built upon priorities of teaching, learning, and building love for the sport. We use purposeful, researched-based teaching methods & progressions to develop basketball skills, increase terminology and overall game knowledge.

• Each week, teams will practice with their coach on skill development, terminology and knowledge.

• Games will take place once a week.

• Regular season and playoffs.

  • 3rd-4th grade division and 5th-6th grade division.

Who:

• Girls grades 3rd-6th

Where

• Games: DTSE gym (across from Valley Mills Elementary)

• Practice: TBD by each coach

When:

• Practice starts: Week of October 21st

• Games begin: Week of November 4th

• Season Ends: Week of February 24th

Coaching Application 3rd-6th grade:

https://forms.gle/T4XbRQsaXHKVy3kZ7

Register:

https://public.eventlink.com/registrations?id=e2471295-30ce-4ee2-39a4-08dccc2011b6

For any 6th-grade girl interested in playing volleyball, there will be an open gym at the Pavilion on October 29th and 30th from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. If you have any questions, you can contact Jenna Franklin at (317) 418-6668.

Who: Decatur Township 6th grade girls
What: Open gym with the DCHS volleyball team
Where: Armstrong Pavilion
When: October 29th and 30th, 6pm to 8pm
Need to bring: Athletic wear, court or tennis shoes, water bottle.

Thank you,

Tandace Joseph

DCHS Varsity Volleyball Coach

Dry and fresh food items will be available for drive thru pick up for any families with children enrolled in MSD of Decatur Township Schools!

When: Select Thursdays 11:00AM – 11:50AM (dates listed on intake form)
Where: DCHS, Door 10
How to apply: Complete the intake form below and submit! (required for each distribution date). The form must be completed by the Tuesday before the pick date.

Contact Mattie Hurt anytime at mhurt@decaturproud.org or call DCHS main office at 317-856-5288 during school hours.

DCHS Gleaners' Food Pantry Intake Form

Dates for Pantry Pick-Up:
October 3, 2024
October 24, 2024
November 7, 2024
November 21, 2024
December , 2024
December 19, 2024
January 9, 2025
January 23, 2025
February 6, 2025
March 6, 2025
March 20, 2025
April 3, 2025
April 17, 2025
May 1, 2025
May 15, 2025

westnewtonelempto@gmail.com

NOVEMBER

11/11 - Veterans Day Program @ 8:30 am

11/12 - PTO Meeting @ 5:00 pm

11/16 - Winter Wonderland

11/25 - Gray Brother Pies Fundraiser

DECEMBER

12/3 - PTO Meeting @ 5:00

12/9-12/13 - Secret Santa Shop / 9:00-1:00 pm each day

West Newton has a book store with school supplies (ie: pens, pencils, notebooks, folders, etc) in addition to trinket style school suppplies (ie: pencil sharpeners, small notepooks, pencil pouches, etc). Students may bring cash to shop at the supply store. The supply store is open every week on Monday and Wednesday only.

Popcorn is $.50 per bag. Popcorn money will be collected all week and the popcorn will be distributed during the students' lunch time. All proceeds benefit the Student Activity fund and the Staff Fund.

Popcorn Friday will take place every other week!!

You are welcome to send a donated book, puzzle or game to celebrate your child’s birthday. Due to food allergies and diet restrictions, all birthday celebrations will be FOOD FREE. This is to assure that all students can participate in the birthday celebrations. Students will be recognized on the announcements and in their classroom for their special day. At times, parents have asked us to help them by passing out birthday party invitations to children in the class. We are not able to do this unless every child in the class is invited.

Decatur Township School Police Department, (DTSPD), in collaboration with the Drug Free Coalition, is excited to offer a new diversion program for students found to be in possession of tobacco products,

e-cigarettes, and or vaping devices. DTSPD has also partnered with our local courts in an effort to minimize the use of these products and devices on our campuses. Our students, if found with the aforementioned items, would be in violation of Indiana Code 35-46-1-10.5, Minor in Possession of a Tobacco Product or an Electronic Cigarette or 7.1-5-12-8 Smoking in a Prohibited Area. Each of these would be met with an Indiana citation, also known as a “Uniform Traffic Ticket,” (UTT). When submitted to the courts, the cost of the ticket for this violation is $170.50. This is an actual ticket and will affect your license or the ability to obtain one if left unpaid. Our objective however, is not to create financial hardship, but to have an opportunity to educate students and families on the dangers of vaping and tobacco products. Twice per month, DTSPD officers will present a 1-hour class for students who have opted to accept the terms of the diversion program. The cost of the class for a student attending alone is $75.00. If a student attends the class with a parent or guardian, the class is discounted at a cost of $25.00. Upon the completion of the class, the UTT, or citation, will not be referred to the courts, and there will be no record of the violation. A student may only participate in the program once per school year, and only twice throughout their entire school career.

All volunteers are required to submit a volunteer application and clear a background check prior to volunteering at any Decatur Township school. It is important to submit your application at least 2 weeks prior to the field trip, field day, and/or any other special event to ensure we get the background check results to clear you to volunteer. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. To begin the volunteer process, click the application link below.

Volunteer Application

Hello Decatur Township community members.

Please share your input on programs you would like to see offered at the Indianapolis Public Library Decatur Branch and what times work best for you and your family. Follow the link to fill out a brief survey. Thank you for your time. https://forms.gle/SMY6iUxCGHUaSbMF9

Distribution of information by a community group in accordance with MSD Decatur policy does not imply, directly or indirectly, that the group's program(s), event(s) and/or service(s) is sanctioned, sponsored or endorsed by the district, the Board of Education or the superintendent."

Connect to Skyward here or download the Skyward App:

Parent Instructions

ParentSquare is the official communication platform of the MSD of Decatur Township.

Visit https://www.parentsquare.com or download the ParentSquare app to get started:

K-12 Curriculum - No Fees

Per state legislation, Indiana families will not be charged textbook fees. Parents and students will continue to be responsible for any lost or damaged educational material, including but not limited to, lost textbooks, lost or damaged iPad and related components, library books, cafeteria fees, extracurricular activities, fundraising, and NSF check fees.