Greetings! I hope this finds you well as the days of summer break are winding down! It is difficult to believe that we are just two weeks away from the beginning of the school year! The summer has been a busy time filled with professional learning, planning and preparation for the upcoming year, and lots of work on staffing! Below you will find specifics regarding changes in the CGES staff! I am excited for these ladies and gentleman to join CGES! I am confident that it will be an amazing year ahead!
Please review this newsletter carefully as it is filled with important information regarding the beginning of the year! Please reach out with any questions that you may have. You can contact the office at 317-881-1720, or reach out to me directly at bucklerc@centergrove.k12.in.us

Enjoy these last days of the summer break! We will be ready for all students on Thursday, August 3rd for our first day!

Looking forward to a fantastic year ahead!

Mr. Buckler

Dear Center Grove Elementary School Families,

It has been a privilege serving as assistant principal at Center Grove Elementary School. It is with a heavy heart, I share that I have accepted a principal position at Indian Creek Intermediate School in Trafalgar for the upcoming school year. CGES will always hold a special place in my heart. I have loved working with and getting to know your students and families. I want to thank everyone for all of the support you have shown me. This community is truly outstanding! I believe my feelings on the matter can be summed up with the quote from Winnie the Pooh, “How lucky am I to have something so special, that makes saying goodbye so hard.” It has been an honor watching your kids grow the past two years. I hope everyone has an amazing school year!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Rollings

Hello and Happy Almost End of Summer!

As I reflect on my time away from school, I realize that one of the things that I love about my neighborhood is the amount of CGES students that live there. Oftentimes, I will see them playing outside, riding bikes, or even fishing in my backyard. During this time of year, I will often ask them 2 very specific questions. First, how has your summer been of course, and second, are you ready to go back to school? In all my years, it never ceases to amaze me about how many kids answer “yes” to the second question. It’s easy to assume that kids love to be away from school, but for many, they truly miss it (except maybe the homework?). Believe it or not, most kids thrive with boundaries and structures in place, and some really struggle with the unpredictability of summer days. Maybe it’s just summers in my house, but dinner could be anywhere from 5 to 8, bedtimes could be anywhere from 10-12, and the amount of people who spend the night even varies! During the school year, however, things are quite different with more reasonable schedules. With this in mind, here are a few of my “aha” moments from when my own children were wrapping up summer.

1. I learned that my kids needed bedtime routines established at least a week before returning to school. This allowed their bodies to get used to falling asleep earlier and waking up earlier as well.

2. I learned that my kids had concerns and worries about the unknowns of a new school year: teachers, friends, and changes in general. Knowing this allowed me the opportunity to discuss these stressors with them AND devise a plan.

3. I learned that when we went back to school shopping, if I gave them an envelope with whatever the determined budget was, shopping was SO much easier! By them holding onto their own money, it sure was interesting to see not only how thoughtfully they made their purchases, but also how quickly they understood how money/spending worked. They knew that once their envelope was empty, they were done!

4. I learned that we needed to make all decisions (what to wear, what to eat, etc.) by the night before. We even created checklists and determined where to put backpacks every night in order to limit the amount of chaos in the morning.

5. Lastly, and maybe most importantly, I learned that my attitude was contagious. If I acted excited about school and their new adventures, my kids were excited. I think we all know that our kids are always listening and watching us.

Here’s hoping for another great year of learning and growth at CGES! I sure have missed your kids!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Taylor

The 2023-2024 school years brings changes for some familiar faces. Mrs. Beggs will has moved to Room 3 and will be teaching Kindergarten this year. Mrs. Watters and Mrs. Rochner will be joining the third grade team. Mrs. Meunier will be teaching fourth grade. Mrs. Dale is joining the fifth grade team as a classroom teacher. These teachers are excited to begin in their new roles for the upcoming school year.

CGES is very excited to have the following join our staff for the 2023-2024 school year:

Mrs. Kingen - 4th Grade

Mrs. Jenkins - 5th Grade

Mrs. Risk - 3rd Grade Maternity Leave for Mrs. Rochner

Mr. Walker - Special Education Resource Teacher Grades K, 2, & 3

Mrs. White - Special Education Resource Teacher Grades 1, 4, & 5

Mrs. Gadig - Special Education Assistant

Mrs. Goss - Special Education Assistant

Mrs. Gallagher - Speech and Language Pathologist

Mrs. Parrott - Secretary/Treasurer
Mrs. Youngman - Office Assistant

We are excited to see our students on Tuesday, August 1st for our annual event! In the interest of moving everyone through the building in a timely manner, please note the following:

Students with last names A-M please attend @ 5:00.

Students with last names N-Z please attend @ 6:00.

Doors One, Eight, Ten, and Eleven will all be open to enter the building.

Parking is available on the north, west, and south sides of the building.

Various organizations will be present in the cafeteria to provide information.

Spirit Wear will be available for purchase.

Plan on taking this evening as an opportunity to locate your child's classroom, drop off supplies, and quickly meet your child's teacher!

We look forward to seeing you on the 1st!

Lunch, Recess, and Specials are times that the students look forward to each day. Below are the schedules for the upcoming year.

Kindergarten:

Lunch @ 11:00, Recess @ 11:35 and 2:50, Specials @ 12:55

First Grade:

Lunch @ 11:25, Recess @ 12:00, Specials @ 1:50

Second Grade:

Lunch @ 12:15, Recess @ 12:50, Specials @ 2:45

Third Grade:

Lunch @ 1:05, Recess @ 1:40, Specials @ 11:25

Fourth Grade:

Lunch @ 12:40, Recess @ 1:15, Specials @ 10:30

Fifth Grade:

Lunch @ 11:50, Recess @ 12:25, Specials @ 9:35

TAGS- "Regular" car riders are assigned a single number per family. This number will be used to page student(s) from within the building via walkie talkie by a staff member outside of the building. Please make sure you have your number visible in the front window. If you have a car rider tag from last year, we will be reusing the same number/tag. If you are a new student or new to car rider, please fill out the form to get you signed up for one! They will be handed out during the back-to-school night.

PROCEDURES-

Please use this link to see a map of the car rider line as well as some additional information.

**Your child will be entering and exiting the car from the right hand side. No students should exit the car from the driver side. This is a safety concern. Thank you!

https://www.centergrove.k12.in.us/domain/1420

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the CGES Office at 317-881-1720.

CGES is looking for energetic folks who love working with children!

We currently have openings for a Kindergarten Assistant as well as a Special Education Assistant. If you or someone you know is interested, please visit the CG Website to apply! If you have questions, please reach out to Mr. Buckler at bucklerc@centergrove.k12.in.us

Center Grove's Food and Nutrition Services Department provides breakfast and lunch options for all students in grades K-12.

Breakfast Prices

Elementary: $1.70, Reduced $0.30

Secondary: $1.70, Reduced $0.30

Lunch Prices

Elementary: $2.50, Reduced $0.40

Secondary: $2.70 Reduced $0.40

Meal prices are established to cover food and non-food expenses, staff benefits and labor expenses, and equipment repair and replacement. The food service department is self-supporting and does not receive money from the general fund.

Menus and nutritional information are available through Nutrislice, which is available online and via iTunes and Google apps.

Class Lists / Student Schedules in Skyward

Class lists for elementary students will be posted in Skyward Family Access the week of July 24.

Remember to update your email and cellphone numbers in Skyward Family Access to ensure your child’s school has the correct contact information for your family. One-minute tutorials are available on our website at centergrove.k12.in.us/skywardhelp to show you how to use Skyward Family Access to access your child's information, including grades, food service balances, schedule, notification settings, and more. Contact information updated in Skyward will automatically update in ParentSquare.

Pickup Patrol is now up and running. The web-based platform also allows parents to inform their child's school when plans change for pickup. Instructions are available at this link. If you are new to Center Grove Elementary School, please register your student and set a Default Plan as to how your student will get home. For returning parents, please update your child’s Default Plan for the new school year. We need a Default Plan entered for every student, even if you already notified the teacher as to how your student will be getting home. Keep in mind that many of the bus routes have changed, so your child might be assigned to a different bus this school year. Please check Skyward to see what bus your student is assigned to before updating PUP.

In order to make the program work, every Center Grove family will need to set up an account with Pick Up Patrol. You should have received an email from Pickup Patrol that contains your individual link to start the process. Once you set up your account you can login to their website and enter your child’s Default Dismissal Plan. It will be our only Absence Reporting and Dismissal option. Instead of sending notes, emails, or leaving a voicemail, all you do is login to your Pick Up Patrol account and mark your child absent or enter your dismissal change for the day. Your account is available 24 hours a day and can be set up for future dismissal changes.

Below are guidelines and information about our dismissal options:

1. Absences and Late Arrivals need to be entered by 9:00 am. You will need to enter the information that will be requested.

2. Changes to your default dismissal plan must be entered by 2:30 pm (1:45 pm on Wednesday). This will give us time to print our reports and notify teachers. We will follow the dismissal plan in place each day unless a change is made. If a change is not entered, your child will go home according to the default plan.

3. In the case of a two household family, the parent listed as Family 1 in Skyward should set the Default plan. Changes due to your alternating schedules will need to be entered as dismissal changes either daily or set up ahead. Each student can have only one default plan and Pickup Patrol will send emails to both parents’ email when changes are made to that plan.

ABSENT - If your child will not be at school just choose the dismissal option titled “Absent”. You will be asked to enter the reason, such as stomach flu, headache, vacation, or funeral. Please be specific for absence due to illness. For an absence to be considered excused you will need to provide a doctor’s note, or in the case of a funeral, please provide an obituary.

EXCUSED BY SCHOOL NURSE - If your child is sent home by the school nurse, and she tells you that he/she should stay home the next school day, choose “Excused by School Nurse”. These absences are considered excused.

LATE ARRIVAL - If your child will be coming in late, choose the “Late Arrival” dismissal option. You will be asked to enter the reason. For a late arrival to be considered excused, you will need to provide a doctor’s note to the office. When the student arrives at the school, the office will update the dismissal plan to the option you choose.

EARLY DISMISSAL - Do you need to pick up your child early? Pick the “Early Dismissal” option. You will be asked to enter the time, reason, and the FULL NAME of the person picking up your child. We will ask to see a driver’s license every time a student is picked up from the office, regardless of the reason.

CAR RIDER - This option is designated for students that are picked up everyday. You will need to be assigned a car # from the school office to use this option. If you have already received your car #, it has been entered in your Default plan for you.

AFTER SCHOOL CLUB OR ACTIVITY, DAYCARE, VANS, BUS - These options are self-explanatory. Please enter information if prompted. Please note - students are NOT allowed to ride a bus that they are not assigned to this year for any reason.

Thank you for setting up your Pickup Patrol account and Default Plan. If you have any questions, please feel free to call the CGES Office. The web-based platform also allows parents to inform their child's school when plans change for pickup. Instructions are available at this link.

Make note of these important dates for the month of August:

August 1 - Meet the Teacher/Back to School Night

August 3 - First Day of School

August 7 - CGES School Safety Week

August 15 - PTO Meeting @ 6:30, CGES Library

August 16 - Early Release

August 20 - Back to School Swim at Freedom Springs @ 6:30

August 23 - Early Release

August 30 - Early Release