Union Family Update
Week of November 21
Happy Thanksgiving!
Please note that we will have 3 weeks and 2 days remaining in Quarter 2. Our last school day before Winter Break is Tuesday, December 20 (this is a bit of a change). School will resume on Tuesday, January 3, 2023.
Thanksgiving Break - November 23-25 (return on November 27)
Winter Break - December 21-January 2 (return on January 3)
Dear Union Families,
Winter Reading Program: The Hussey-Mayfield (Zionsville) Public Library is offering a Winter Reading Program. Registration opened on November 1st and the reading program runs from December 1 through January 31. See the information located below
Safety Note: It has become a concern that several drivers pull around cars in the afternoon at car rider pickup. We need all cars to wait until all children are safely inside their vehicles before the line moves. Moving cars and moving children do not mix! Thank you!
December Movie Night: Our Dads Club will be chaperoning our Movie Night on December 2 from 6:15-8:00 PM. See details and RSVP below!
With gratitude,
Mrs. Erin Kay, Principal of Union
Mrs. Laura Christie, Assistant Principal of Union
Kindy Pajama Drive!
It’s kindness week in kindergarten the week of November 298h – December 2nd. We will be collecting new pajamas for The Villages until December 2nd to encourage kindness.
Provide a New Pair of Pajamas to children and youth this Holiday Season! Donate a new pair of pajamas sizes newborn – Adult XL for foster children, youth, and young adults aging out of foster care.
Serving over 10,000 vulnerable children and youth throughout Indiana.
December Movie Night - sponsored by PTO and Dads Club
All Union students (K-4) are invited to join us in the Union cafeteria on December 2nd at 6:15pm to watch a movie (TBA). The kids will receive a snack of SmartPop popcorn, fruit snacks and bottled water. The cost is $5 and we accept cash or check at the door. More information on drop off is included in the signup link. Please reach out to our Movie Night co-chairs with any questions. Rejwi Dahal (dahalfam@gmail.com) and Kim Chomica (Kimberly.chomica@usa.gkaerospace.com).
Please use this signup link to RSVP and give your child permission to attend.
*Please fill out a new form for each child who will be attending.
When: Friday, December 2 6:15-8:00 PM
- Drop Off is at 6:10-6:15 PM
- Parents will need to sign in their child(ren) at the time of drop off at Door 11.
- *****Drop off will begin at 6:10 - and will not begin earlier!*****
- Movie will begin at 6:15 PM
- Pick Up will be at 8:00-8:10 PM
- Parents will need to sign out their child(ren) at the time of pick up at Door 11.
What: A movie (TBA) and a snack.
Cost: $5 - Pay at the door - cash/check (made to Union PTO) will be accepted at sign in
Where: Union Elementary | Cafeteria - ENTER Door 11 (east side)
Who: K-4 Union Elementary students ONLY (PK and other ZCS students are not permitted to attend)
Counselor Corner
Over the next few weeks, students will be learning about growth mindset during their counselor lesson. Simply put, a growth mindset is believing that your brain can grow and you can learn many new things. Students learn that mistakes are opportunities for growth and that doing hard things are essential for learning.
Mrs. Lori Karnuta
Union School Counselor
Holiday Assistance Information
As we approach the holiday season, we are aware that members of our school community may be seeking assistance to provide for their families. We have been working with a number of agencies to assist in connecting families with ongoing and/or holiday support for food, clothing, and financial assistance. Please contact our school counselor, Lori Karnuta (lkarnuta@zcs.k12.in.us), if we can offer any assistance in connecting your family with a support agency.
Please note the following agencies provide a variety of assistance for families. Please contact the agencies directly for a full list of services:
- Love, Inc. Hours 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Mon/Wed/Fri (765) 482-6144 https://www.loveincbc.org/ Love, Inc. provides short term assistance and education services supported by numerous Boone County Churches
- Zionsville Food Pantry – Serving all of Boone County Located at Zionsville Presbyterian Church, (317) 873-6503.
- The Caring Center 1230 Ransdell Ct., Lebanon, IN 46052 (765) 482-2020. Visit www.thecaringcenter.net for additional information. Assistance with holiday food baskets, Christmas gifts for teenagers ages 13 - 18, and Thanksgiving meals.
- Help 4 Hoosiers Offers a variety of resources. https://www.help4hoosiers.org/
- Indiana 211Families can access resources by calling 211 directly or visiting https://in211.communityos.org/
- Food Assistance Availability Map https://www.in.gov/fssa/dfr/food-assistance-availability-map/?fbclid=IwAR0qdNVKD-Dsxkn0_tAd2Bk5_PJo_newqBp1-qCcSiKFkGflBLtxXeTGqOQ
- Feeding Indiana’s Hungry https://feedingindianashungry.org/find-your-food-bank/
- Boone County Shop with a Cop - Applications are available at Zionsville Police Department, Whitestown Police Department, and the Boone County Sheriff's Office. Applications must be submitted by 11/23.
Lunch Visitors
In order to ensure safety for our school community, and to ensure capacity for our visitors, we will limit the number of visitors to three adults/visitors per lunch period and lunch visitors will RSVP for specific date/time.
- Lunch visitors will be welcome to come and eat with their child once again starting Quarter Two of the school year (October 17, 2022).
- During the school day, all visitors must enter via the front door (Door 1) and sign-in at the front office.
- Visitors need to be prepared to present a government-issued photo ID which will be scanned against the National Sex Offender Registry.
- All visitors will be issued a visitor badge/tag to be worn inside the building at all times.
- Please sit at the designated visitor tables with your child only.
- Please do not share food with other students.
- HAVE FUN with you child!
Sign up for a spot up to 14 days in advance using this link: Union Families: Union Lunch Sign Up (signupgenius.com)
Mark Your Calendars!
November 23-25- Thanksgiving Break - No School
December 2 - Movie Night (Dads Club) 6:15-8:00 PM
December 5 - December 16 - NWEA winter testing window
December 6- Dads Club Meeting, 7PM, Union Elementary Teachers Lounge
December 8- PTO Meeting, 10 AM at Union Elementary, Makerspace
December 11- Winterfest sponsored by Dads Club (10 AM - 11:30 AM) - More details to come!
December 20- End of Quarter 2 and Class Winter Parties (PTO provided snack)
December 21 - January 2- Winter Break - No School
ZCS 2022-2023 School Calendar (click for the district calendar)
Recess Reminders
Union PTO Updates!
PTO Meeting Calendar:
- October 27, 10 AM, Makerspace
- November 17, 7 PM, Union Cafeteria
- December 8, 10 AM, Makerspace
- January 5, 10 AM, Makerspace
- February, 2 - Soiree
- February 9, 7 PM, Union Cafeteria
- March 9, 10 AM, Makerspace
- April 21, 10 AM, Makerspace
- May 11, 7 PM, Union Cafeteria
- Union Express: We will soon be ready to kickoff Union Express to help our students learn how to write a letter, address an envelope AND encourages a digital detox! While all of our students can participate in Union Express, our 2nd graders get to run the show! The stamp design contest for the 2nd graders will begin before Fall Break. Please reach out to our Union Express co-chairs with any questions. Elizabeth Maijub (ebethg6@hotmail.com) and Lauren Masur (lauren.masur@bhhsin.com).
- Box Tops: You’ve picked the best week to sign up! September 19-25 is National Box Tops Week and we get DOUBLE rewards for our school when you purchase box tops products AND scan them into the Box Tops app. Please reach out to our Box Tops chair with any questions. Lizzie Monce (lizzie.monce@me.com).
- Amazon Smile: Yes, we’re still doing this! And, yes, you need to sign up now before you start any holiday shopping. Please remember to designate Union Elementary as your fundraiser via Amazon Smile. You are donating money to our school just by shopping on Amazon. It is so easy to sign up. Please put it on your to do list for the weekend! If you need help signing up, please contact our Communications chair, Rebecca Wollenburg @rswollenburg@gmail.com. Also, here is a quick guide on how easy it is to sign up! [erin to insert link that explains how to setup]
- Next PTO Meeting: While we are thrilled to have all of our Chair positions filled for the year, there are still plenty of opportunities to volunteer. Come to our next meeting October 27th @ 10 am at Union Elementary to find out more.
- Questions: We love hearing from our parents. Please contact our PTO President, Julie Anthony, with any questions or suggestions for our Union PTO.
Union Dads Club
Dads Club Meetings are the first Tuesday of every month! Dads Club also plans FUN activities throughout the year! ALL ARE WELCOME and ENCOURAGED to attend!
The meeting will be at Union Elementary in the Teachers' Lounge. You can enter the building using door 11. This group will plan a number of fun, extra-curricular activities for Union kids throughout the year. All our welcome to attend! If you have questions, please contact Dads Club President Jake Webster at jwebster1220@yahoo.com.
- Campout sponsored by Dads Club, September 17-18, 5pm-9am, Rain Date September 24, Soccer Fields
- Dads Club Meeting (October), October 4, 7:00 PM, Union Teachers Lounge
- Kindy Special People Breakfast - sponsored by Dads Club, October 19, 8-9 AM, Union's Cafe
- Dads Club Meeting (November), November 1, 7pm, Union Teachers Lounge
- First Grade Special People Breakfast - sponsored by Dads Club, November 16, 7-8AM, Union Cafe
- Movie Night #2 sponsored by Dads Club, December 2, 6:15pm - 8:45pm, Union Cafe
- Dads Club Meeting (December), December 6, 7pm, Union Teachers Lounge
- Winterfest sponsored by Dads Club, December 10, TBD, Location - TBA
- Dads Club Meeting (January), January 3, 7pm, Union Teachers Lounge
- Dads Club Meeting (February), February 7, 7pm, Union Teachers Lounge
- Second Grade Special People Breakfast sponsored by Dads Club, February 15, 7am - 8 am, Union Cafe
- 2 on 2 Basketball Tournament, March 4, TBD, Union Gym
- Dads Club Meeting (March), March 7, 7pm, Union Teachers Lounge
- Third Grade Special People Breakfast sponsored by Dads Club, March 15, 7-8 am, Union Cafe
- Dads Club Meeting (April), April 11, 7pm, Union Teachers Lounge
- Fourth Grade Special People Breakfast sponsored by Dads Club, April 13, 7-8am, Union Cafe
- Dads Club Meeting (May), May 2, 7pm, Union Teachers Lounge
Visitor and Volunteer Procedures
During the school day, all volunteers are expected to check in at the front office. Prior to the volunteer opportunity, all volunteers must sign a Non-disclosure Acknowledgement Form and have successfully completed a Full Criminal History Background Check.. Necessary background check paperwork is available on the ZCS website at the Volunteers/BRAVO link and should be submitted at least 10 days prior to the intended volunteer date. Volunteers must also view the state mandated confidentiality/bullying video, provided on the Volunteer/BRAVO website. The volunteer will pay the fee for the full background check which will expire after 5 years.
During the school day, all visitors must enter via the front door and sign-in at the front office. Visitors need to be prepared to present a government issued photo ID which will be scanned against the National Sex Offender Registry. All visitors will be issued a visitor badge/tag to be worn inside the building at all times. Visitors other than parents/guardians must be prearranged and organized through the main office.
Grow/Child Care Services
Fall Break Access Days
- ZCS GROW offers childcare during Fall Break, October 10th-14th at Pleasant View Elementary. This is for Preschool through 6th grade. The hours are 7:30 to 5:30. We will be taking 2 field trips: one to Beasley’s Orchard and one to the Indianapolis Zoo. On the other days, kids get to go swimming at Zionsville High School. There is something fun planned every day that week!! The cost is $75/day for K-6th and $85/day for Preschool. Please register at www.ezchildtrack.com/zcsgrow/parent. If you have any questions, please contact Becca King at bking@zcs.k12.in.us. It’s a fun week to celebrate Fall!.
GROW/Child Care Services (click here)
- Bridge and Early Start Spanish are optional, fee based programs that “bridge” the time between the 7:50-8:00 arrival time for 1st-4th grade students, and the start of the instructional day for Kindergarten students, which is 8:50-9:00.
- Before and After-School Care (BAC) is available for all PVE students, and the before/after school starts at 6:45am and extends childcare from 2:30 to 6:00pm.
- Access Days Care provides a childcare option for when school is not in session for parents who need care for their children during some of the school breaks during the year.
- Eagle Rec offers fee based programs in a variety of interest areas, which typically start after school has already begun after Labor Day.
ZCHS Rummage Sale
The ZCHS Student Council is hosting a community rummage sale Saturday, December 3 in the ZCHS main cafeteria 8 am - 4 pm. Proceeds benefit "The Book Project" and "The Diaper Bank," which provide books and diapers to underprivileged children in our area. We will also be sharing proceeds with "To Write Love on Her Arms," which supports individuals needing mental health care for depression, anxiety, and addiction. Donations for the sale have come from many generous community members and include everything from designer clothing new with tags to baseball bats, Coach bags to assorted housewares, and much, much more. Items will go quickly! Follow yard signs to the ZCHS parking lot off of Hal Sharpe Rd, and join us for many great deals. Cash and credit cards will be accepted. Kroger, Lowe's, and Meijer are even loaning us shopping carts for your shopping convenience. We hope you will join us to benefit these worthy charities!
Food Service/Cafe Information
- Public school lunch cost returns for the 2022-2023 school year unless students qualify for meal assistance.
- Please click here to read all of the important information regarding school lunch for this year, including costs, nutrition, menus, and how to use SchoolPay for your child's lunch money.
- Please visit the ZCS Food Services Department section on our ZCS website for easy access to SchoolPay, how to apply for meal assistance, and more!
ZCS is now hiring Instructional Assistants at multiple locations. Join the ZCS team and make an impact on the lives of our students. IAs work in the classroom with individual and small groups of students. Please apply online at https://www.applitrack.com/centralindiana/onlineapp/jobpostings/view.asp?choosedistrict=true&district=1452 or contact Robyn Nelson at rnelson@zcs.k12.in.us with any questions.
Above and Beyond
Union Elementary School
Erin Kay, Principal
Laura Christie, Assistant Principal
Email: ekay@zcs.k12.in.us
Website: http://uni.zcs.k12.in.us/
Location: 11750 E 300 S, Zionsville, IN, United States
Phone: 317-733-4007
Twitter: @ZCSUnionElem