MacArthur Elementary School

Dear MacArthur Families,

We have had an amazing start to the school year. It is so great to see all our students. They transitioned so smoothly into the new school year, it was as if they never left for the summer. As the new school year begins there is quite a bit for parents to keep track of and the struggle of getting out of summer mode and into school mode is not always easy. All children need routine and structure, so I would encourage you to establish after school routines (i.e. where to put your bookbag when you get home, where to put your lunch box, your shoes, etc.) and a bedtime routine (i.e. lay out your clothes the night before, brush your teeth, read, etc.). I would strongly encourage every parent to have their kids place their ipad/phone in mom and dad’s bedroom at night to charge that way you know they are not sneaking on it and staying up later than you think they are. Below is a chart that shows recommended hours various ages of kids need to sleep.

How Much Sleep Do Kids Need?

• infants (0–3 months): 14–17 hours, including naps.
• infants (4–12 months: 12–16 hours, including naps.
• toddlers (1–2 years): 11–14 hours, including naps.
• preschool (3–5 years): 10–13 hours, including naps.
• school-age (6–13 years): 9–12 hours.
• teens (14–17 years): 8–10 hours.

In talking with students at lunch I know there are many that stay up quite late playing video games, on their ipads watching YouTube videos and/or texting on their phones. Many researchers recommend that turning off screens at least one hour before bed will help you fall asleep and improve your sleep quality. Again, that is why setting the expectations and bedtime routines will pay off big dividends for you as parents and a family.

Have a Great Weekend.

Marian Buchko

August

29th: Title 1 Parent Meeting

September

2nd: No School-Labor Day

10th: PTO Meeting @ 4:15 pm

18th: E-Learning Day

October

3rd: Picture Day

7th: Bully Prevention Week Begins

14th-18th: Fall Break-No School

21st-25th: Red Ribbon Week

24th: Parent Teacher Conferences & E-Learning Day

25th: PTO Trunk or Treat

Thank you to all our past and present families who helped collect money over the years to our PTO Playground Fund. Since our school corporation bought us an amazing new playground our PTO decided to take some of the funds to purchase a 2nd Gaga Pit for our students.

Our Department of Food Service is excited to announce the launch of online, digital menus for our district!

With our new MealViewer system, you can:

• View what is being served each day

• View the nutritional information for each meal

• See if any of the Big 9 allergens are being served

• Get notified when your student’s favorite meals are being served

• Print menus by week or by month that include favorites and/or allergen information

• Rate menu items to provide feedback for our Food Service team

Menus are always viewable without an account. Parents who want to sign up for an account can customize notifications, allergens, and more for each child in your family. Payments to your child’s meal account will continue through My MealTime.

Find more information and your school’s menu at schools.mealviewer.com. If you have questions, please contact our Food Service team at 219-663-3371 x 10601.

Our printable PDF menus will still be available on our website through the first semester. However, the most up-to-date menus will be the new digital version.

We look forward to the additional information and accessibility that this new tool will provide for parents and students!

Free & Reduced Applications can be completed online at www.mymealtime.com.

Birthday ice cream treats are $1.00 each. Money can be uploaded via the Mealtime app or cash/check sent to the cafeteria. Treats are paid for the day the money is received. A 1 week notice is needed to order the treats.

Thank you so much for your patience and cooperation at arrival and dismissal. Each day has improved as students navigate the building and learn procedures this week.

Here are a few suggestions to help improve car rider dismissal:

• Pull all the way forward once you enter the car rider lot. Avoid leaving large gaps between vehicles.
• Please make sure your car rider tag is hanging from the rearview mirror. (We'd be happy to get you an extra one if you need it! Please let your child's teacher know.)
• Please PAY ATTENTION-cell phones down and eyes forward for the safety of everyone.
• Enter the car rider lot from either direction on 129th Street.
• Please do not begin lining up for dismissal earlier than 3:15 pm.
• Lastly, make sure your child knows their first and last name AND they respond to it when called.

Our students have been loving our new STEM special and their STEM instructor, Miss Riley! Here are some 4th graders learning about systems and doing a Lego listening activity this week!

Indiana Legislature requires that each public school shall provide age-appropriate, research-based instruction as provided under IC 5-2-10.1-12(d) focusing on bullying prevention for all students in grades 1 through 12. Crown Point elementary students will receive age-appropriate, research-based instruction using the Second Steps Bully Prevention Unit by October 15th.

Indiana legislature has adopted legal requirements that each Indiana public school, including charter schools and accredited nonpublic schools, shall provide age-appropriate and research and evidence-based instruction on child abuse and child sexual abuse to students in kindergarten through grade 12. Note that this expands the previous requirement from providing education in grades 2-5 to grades K-12. In order to meet the new requirements, Crown Point school counselors and home-school facilitators will be providing age-appropriate, research-informed student personal/body safety sessions from September 2024 through December 2024. At the elementary level, students will learn the Protect Yourself Rules with their counselor or home-school facilitator in a classroom session of approximately 30 minutes. Parents can view the Protect Yourself Rules and related materials at the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center Foundation website fightchildabuse.org. Parents/Guardians are encouraged to contact Ms. Bellamy, school counselor at abellamy@cps.k12.in.us or via ParentSquare with any questions.

Our Bulldog Buddies were on a scavenger hunt today to find photos of their families throughout our school. This activity was based upon the book, The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn. Our preschool students wore racoon masks and tails as they scurried through MacArthur.

• President - Stephanie Heim
• Vice President - Amy Harvey
• Secretary - Lissette Martinez- Kadisak
• Treasurer - Katie Santostefano
• Volunteer Coordinator - Open Position
• Communications Coordinator: Aurora Schmidel

Charleston Wrap Catalog; 9/9 to 9/27

Affy Tapple Caramel Apples; 10/7-10/16

PTO is excited to kick off another amazing school year. We are accepting cash donations to help fund all of the amazing opportunities that we provide for students, teachers and staff throughout the year. We can't do this without your help! If you'd like to donate to us, visit www.macpto.com/join to submit your credit card donation, or you will be able to donate via cash/check through the "no-sell" donation form that will be going home with students. Donating automatically makes you a member of PTO which enables you to cast your vote at any of our meetings on budget discussions, big decisions, etc. Becoming a member DOES NOT REQUIRE YOU TO JOIN A COMMITTEE OR VOLUNTEER!!! We of course would love to have your help if you are interested, but understand schedules and interests vary. Please donate if you can - your support is absolutely seen and incredibly appreciated. www.macpto.com/join

Strack & Van Til helps local schools by providing FREE classroom supplies. All you have to do is collect your receipts from Strack & Van Til and send them in an envelope to the school office with ATTN PTO on them. Receipts need to be dated from September 1, 2024, through March 31, 2025. Receipts are due by April 15, 2025.

Ask your family and friends to save their receipts, too! Every dollar spent earns a point towards FREE classroom supplies.

Stock up on your spirit wear! You can save 20% at all Crown Point Schools online spirit wear stores with the code SAVE20. You’ll find gear and accessories with dozens of official designs on over three hundred items. Brands include companies like Under Armour, Nike, NorthFace, Ogio, and more. Visit www.cps.k12.in.us/spiritshop to find your school’s store.

Marian Buchko, Principal ext. 16001

Laura Florek, Assistant Principal ext. 16003

Carla Gard, Treasurer ext. 16000

Kim Wasserott, Secretary ext. 16002

Jodi Kvachkoff, Nurse ext. 16081

Email: mbuchko@cps.k12.in.us
Website: https://mac.cps.k12.in.us/
Location: 12900 Fairbanks Street, Cedar Lake, IN, USA
Phone: 219-662-3600
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maccpcsc