Welcome to the February 28, 2025, edition of Explorer Echo.

Dear Southeastern Families,

The month of March will be all about reading at Southeastern! Each week, there will be a different theme to promote reading (please see below). Help us get your child excited about reading! As a reminder as part of our School Improvement Plan, reading is our focus for the 2024-2025 school year. Interested in learning more about our SIP goals? Click here: School Improvement Plan

Bookmarks: March 3rd week

Mrs. Cushman has created blank bookmarks that she will be giving to each student. The goal is to encourage kids to read at home each evening, especially through the month of March. Click the video here to learn more: Explore Reading video from Mrs. Cushman. The kids will share their bookmark with their classroom teacher each morning to celebrate and track their reading from home. We will have a tracking display in the LGI space for students to see their progress as a grade level.

Book Buddies: March 10th week

Each classroom will be paired with a buddy to experience reading together. The fun is endless! We will have a schoolwide "drop everything and read" opportunity on March 14th where the entire school will engage in reading to promote our love for literacy.

Book Tastings at Cafe Read-A-Latte: March 17th week

During your child's library time, your child's class will visit Mrs. Cushman at Cafe Read-a-Latte in the LGI space. This is where your child will have the opportunity to "taste" a few new books!

March Madness about Books: March 24th week

Students will have the chance to fill out a bracket with most of the books that have been read aloud in the library this year. Let's see which book will win the championship!

Thank you for partnering with us to bring magic exploring reading at Southeastern Elementary throughout March!

Niki Kaminski, Trae Heeter, & Lori Cushman

SEL at Southeastern

KINDERGARTEN:

Week of Feb 17-21

Second Step Curriculum

Unit 3: Empathy and Kindness – Home Link

Lesson 12: Why Kindness?

Summary:

In last week’s lesson, your child learned that kindness is a way to show people that they care and that doing kind acts can make both the giver and the receiver feel good. They shared personal examples and discussed how they felt when they gave or received kind acts.

Try This at Home:

Help your child think of a kind act they can do for someone and support them in carrying it out. With your child, discuss how they think the receiver of the kind act felt. Ask your child how they felt doing a kind act for someone.

Week of Feb 24-28

Second Step Curriculum

Unit 3: Empathy and Kindness – Home Link

Lesson 13: Showing Kindness

Summary:

In this week’s lesson, your child practiced two kind acts: asking, “Would you like to share?” and “Would you like a hug?”

Try This at Home:

Encourage your child to offer to share items at home. For example, have them help you make a snack and then offer to share it with other family members. Encourage them to offer hugs to family members or friends when they are tired or sad or need encouragement.

FIRST GRADE:

Week of Feb 17-21

Second Step Curriculum

Unit 3: Empathy and Kindness – Home Link

Lesson 12: Ways to Be Kind

Summary: In last week’s lesson, your child learned and practiced two ways they can be kind

to others: asking, “Are you okay?” and offering to keep someone company.

Try This at Home:

Help your child think of a family member or close friend who could use some company. Encourage them to ask the person, “Would you like some company?”

Week of Feb 24-28

Second Step Curriculum

Unit 3: Empathy and Kindness – Home Link

Lesson 13: Offering Kind Acts

Summary:

In this week’s lesson, your child learned and practiced two types of kind acts: offering to help someone and inviting someone to join.

Try This at Home:

Help your child think of a kind act they can do for someone involving offering to help or inviting them to join. Support your child in carrying out the kind act.

SECOND GRADE:

Week of Feb 17-21

Second Step Curriculum

Unit 2: Emotion Management - Home Link

Lesson 10: How Do You Feel?

Summary:

In last week’s lesson, your child learned to explain why their might classmates have a different feeling from theirs in the same situation.

Try This at Home:

Ask your child to tell you what they learned about their classmates’ feelings and their own feelings.

Week of Feb 24-28

Second Step Curriculum

Unit 3: Empathy and Kindness – Home Link

Lesson 11: What’s Empathy?

Summary:

In this week’s lesson, your child learned that empathy means feeling or understanding what someone else is feeling, and that empathy can lead to kindness.

Try This at Home:

Ask your child to tell you what empathy means.

THIRD GRADE:

Week of Feb 17-21

Second Step Curriculum

Unit 3: Empathy and Kindness – Home Link

Lesson 12: Building a Friendship

Summary:

In last week’s lesson, your child learned how acting on empathy can make friendships stronger.

Try This at Home:

Ask your child to name one of their friends and explain what makes them a good friend.

Week of Feb 24-28

Second Step Curriculum

Unit 3: Empathy and Kindness – Home Link

Lesson 13: My Kind of Kindness

Summary:

In this week’s lesson, your child learned that people like to be shown kindness in different ways.

Try This at Home:

Ask your child what helps them feel better when they feel sad. What helps when they feel embarrassed or angry? Tell them what helps you feel better when you feel those same emotions.

FOURTH GRADE:

Week of Feb 17-21

Second Step Curriculum

Unit 2 – Emotion Management Setting – Home Link

Lesson 6: The Balanced Brain

Summary:

In last week’s lesson, your child learned that our brain works best when the logic and emotion centers are balanced and working together.

Try This at Home:

Tell your child about a time when a strong emotion made it hard for you to learn something new or caused you to say or do something that hurt someone’s feelings. Discuss why it’s important to learn to manage strong emotions.

Week of Feb 24-28

Second Step Curriculum

Unit 2 – Emotion Management Setting – Home Link

Lesson 7: What Is Rethinking?

Summary:

In this week’s lesson, your child learned what it means to rethink a situation and how it can help them calm strong emotions.

Try This at Home:

Tell your child about a time when rethinking a situation, or thinking about it in a different way, helped you feel better. Encourage your child to talk about times in their lives when rethinking could have helped them.

Jen Smith

SES Counselor

jensmith@hse.k12.in.us

If you need to send information about your student to our school nurse, please include both SES nurses on the email:

Carissa Firmand, RN

cfirmand@hse.k12.in.us

Sharon Hughes, RN

shughes@hse.k12.in.us

Injury

If your student has an activity restriction/injury, please let the us know and send in a copy of the doctor's note so we can provide the proper accommodations.

Illness Policy

Please keep your child at home if ill. They must be 24 hours-free from the following symptoms before returning to school: fever, vomiting, diarrhea. Contact the school/clinic for any clarification or further guidance needed.

Carissa Firmand, RN

cfirmand@hse.k12.in.us

(W-TH-F)

Sharon Hughes, RN

shughes@hse.k12.in.us

(M-T)

Attention Southeastern families, please check out the online menu for our *new* breakfast and lunch options. We have added new items for the remainder of the school year.

Online Menu

Ice Cream

Ice cream day is every Wednesday for all grades- cost is $1.25 (must have money in account or bring cash/check)

Lunch Accounts

Funding your student's lunch account is done through eFunds. The link for eFunds can be found on our website at ses.hseschools.org. To make a payment to your student's lunch account, please access eFunds. Student lunch is $2.80.

Snacks

The cafeteria offers snacks for purchase (.90-$1.25) to KG-4th grade students. If you would like to put restrictions on purchases please email cafeteria manager, Kim Lemburg.

Kim Lemburg, SES Cafeteria Manager

March is Explore Reading at SES! It will be a month full of fun as students are encouraged to read at home each evening. Be on the lookout for a bookmark that will be sent home with your child on Monday, March 3. This will be a place for your child to record their reading each evening.

There will also be a bookmark art contest starting next week. More information will be given to your child.

• Saturday, March 1st, SES Night at Indy Fuel game, 7:00 pm, Fishers Event Center.
• Tuesday, Mar. 4th, Torchy's Tacos Dine to Donate, 11595 Whistle Drive (see PTO newsletter for more information).
• Monday, Mar. 3rd, Spring Play Practice, 2:15 to 3:30 pm.
• Monday, Mar. 3rd, Math Bowl Practice, 2:15 to 3:15 pm.
• Monday, Mar. 3rd, Tennis Club, 2:15 to 3:15 pm.
• Monday, Mar. 3rd, 3rd and 4th grade ASL Club, 2:15 to 3:15 pm.
• Wednesday, Mar. 5th, Tennis Club, 2:15 to 3:15 pm.
• Wednesday, Mar. 5th, 1st and 2nd grade ASL Club, 2:15 to 3:15 pm.
• Monday, Mar. 10th, Flex Day, no school unless needed to make up snow day.
• Tuesday, Mar. 11th, Spring Carnival Call-Out meeting, SES 5:45 pm (see PTO newsletter below for more information)
• Tuesday, Mar. 11th, PTO meeting, 6:30 pm, SES cafeteria.
• Wednesday, Mar. 12th, Tennis Club, 2:15 to 3:15 pm.
• Wednesday, Mar. 12th, 1st and 2nd grade ASL Club, 2:15 to 3:15 pm.
• Friday, Mar. 14th, Deadline to order SES Yearbooks (see information below).
• Monday, Mar. 17th, Tennis Club, 2:15 to 3:15 pm.
• Monday, Mar. 17th, 3rd and 4th grade ASL Club, 2:15 to 3:15 pm
• Monday, Mar. 17th, Spring Play Practice, 2:15 to 3:30 pm.
• Monday, Mar. 17th, Math Bowl Practice, 2:15 to 3:15 pm.
• Wednesday, Mar. 19th, Tennis Club, 2:15 to 3:15 pm.
• Wednesday, Mar. 19th, 1st and 2nd grade ASL Club, 2:15 to 3:15 pm.
• Wednesday, Mar. 19th, Student Council Meeting, 2:15 to 3:15 pm.
• Monday, Mar. 24th, Tennis Club, 2:15 to 3:15 pm.
• Monday, Mar. 24th, 3rd and 4th grade ASL Club, 2:15 to 3:15 pm
• Monday, Mar. 24th, Spring Play Practice, 2:15 to 3:30 pm.
• Monday, Mar. 24th, Math Bowl Practice, 2:15 to 3:15 pm.
• Wednesday, Mar. 26th, 1st and 2nd grade ASL Club, 2:15 to 3:15 pm.
• Monday, Mar. 31st, Spring Play Practice, 2:15 to 3:30 pm.
• Monday, Mar. 31st, Math Bowl Practice, 2:15 to 3:15 pm.
• Monday, Mar. 31st, 3rd and 4th grade ASL Club, 2:15 to 3:15 pm
• Tuesday, April 1st, Fourth grade music program.
• Wednesday, April 2nd, 1st and 2nd grade ASL Club, 2:15 to 3:15 pm.
• Thursday, April 3rd, Explorer Day, wear school colors of navy and gold.
• Friday, April 4th, through Friday, April 11th, Spring Break, no school.

School day start/end times, 7:40 am to 2:10 pm

Fourth Graders are invited to join our SES Track team! Practices begin after Spring Break. Please find the details and registration using this link.

Track Coaches, Ms. Bleill, Mrs. Gore & Mr. Miller

Join us for SES Night at Indy Fuel! Use the link below to purchase your ticket ($30) and $8 will come back to our school! Buying your ticket also automatically enters you into a raffle to watch pregame warmups FROM THE BENCH!! Purchase tickets here

Beautiful learning is happening in our related arts classrooms. Please see below to learn what your student is exploring.

Mark your calendars for our Fourth Grade Music Program Tuesday, April 1st. R. Powell, Howe, Busch and Hurst classes will perform at 5:45, and Huffer, Kamo and Newton classes will perform at 6:45.

Kindergarten enrollment for next school year is now open at all 13 elementary buildings in the HSE district. Please see below for more information. You can access our enrollment page by visiting ses.hseschools.org, and clicking this link.

It's time to order your child's 2024-25 Yearbook! Follow the link below to place your order online.

Returning this year! Cripe Photography GIFT A YEARBOOK was a great success! Southeastern was able to donate 6 gifted books. You have the opportunity to donate a yearbook to your child's peers. SES will decide who will receive this awesome gift, thanks to your generosity!

Southeastern Yearbooks - ORDER HERE

ORDER DEADLINE: March 14 (late orders cannot be guaranteed a yearbook).

Questions? Please contact Cripe Photography HERE.

Join Ms. Bleill for an exciting week of hiking, sports, games, and many activities at SES & Cyntheanne Park. Limited space available. For current K-4 students at Southeastern Elementary the weeks of June 9-13th and 23-27th. The cost of the 5 day camp is $125.00. Confirmation and payment method paperwork will be sent home with student after registering using link below.

Please access the Sports and Games Summer Camp link to register your student.

During Mrs. Hiett's February Family Friday, students and families worked together to create a Time Capsule. Each capsule contains a measurement of students' height, a letter to themselves as well as a class picture to capture this special time in their learning journey.

After reading I Am Helen Keller and learning about her struggles with reading, Mrs. Gore's class had the privilege of welcoming Mrs. Kixmiller, our district vision teacher, to share how blind students learn to read. It was an incredible experience comparing our current read-aloud in braille and exploring picture books and other resources designed to make learning accessible to everyone. Students even received a braille alphabet and numbers, along with their own name in braille, to take home!

Mrs. Smith's first grade students hosted a U.S. emblem museum. Students shared their informational writing about chosen emblems and created a visual replica that they shared with families.

First grade friends celebrating Pink Shirt Day to stand up against bullying.

Second grade students and families enjoyed an evening of music, games and family time with our music teacher Ashley Eaton.

Please access the latest PTO newsletter at this PTO link.

SES has an amazing PTO! Our PTO organizes many activities and events that help raise much-needed money for our school. Resources raised through our PTO activities each school year help to support teachers' classrooms with supplies, books and curriculum materials. Our PTO produces a newsletter with regularly updated information about events happening in our building. These newsletters will be sent to families via ParentSquare.

Learn more about our PTO.

Instagram: @Southeastern PTO
Twitter: @Southeastern PTO
Linktree: linktr.ee/sespto

Email: info@sespto.org

president@sespto.org

vp@sespto.org

Facebook: Southeastern PTO

The Southeastern Elementary handbook has answers to many of your questions regarding policies and procedures for our building. The handbook can be found on our website at ses.hseschools.org, or by clicking below.

Anyone wanting to spend time in the school or chaperone a field trip must have a SafeVisitor background check on file with the district prior to coming into the building and working with students. If you have not yet completed the background check, please click below to get started.

If you are interested in tutoring opportunities for your student, please access the attached list. If you have a student that stays after school for tutoring, you much change dismissal manager so that the teacher knows where to send your student at the end of the day. Please log in to dismissal manager, make an exception for the day, and select "Tutoring with Teacher," and list the teacher's name in the notes section.

Did you know that you can use School Dismissal Manager to report student absences, late arrivals, and early dismissals? It is very easy. Log in to your SDM account, select your student, click on the date, select "add late arrival" or "report absence," type a reason in the notes section, and click update. If leaving early, click on "add exception" and select "leaving early" from the drop down menu. A report will be generated and the front office will be notified. Questions? Call the front office at (317) 594-4340.

Daily Dismissal Changes

Also, all daily dismissal changes NEED to be reported through School Dismissal Manager. If you need to change your student's dismissal on any day, you will need to log in to your Dismissal Manager account and make the necessary changes by 1:00 pm. A list will be generated before the end of the school day with all of the dismissal changes for that day. You can access Dismissal Manager on our Southeastern Elementary website, or by clicking below. Any issues using School Dismissal Manager, please call the front office at 317-594-4340.

Submit A Tip 24/7

HSE Report It! is a school safety mobile reporting app that allows students, staff, and community members to provide anonymous information about concerns for their own safety or the safety of others. It’s anonymous and reports are made exclusively through the mobile app. HSE Report it! has no length limitations or the need to remember a short code. Reporters can attach photos, screenshots, videos, documents and/or audio recordings to their concerns and they can engage in a two-way

Website: https://ses.hseschools.org/
Location: 12500 Cyntheanne Road, Fortville, IN, USA
Phone: 317-594-4340
Twitter: @SoutheasternEl1