Stonegate Elementary Weekly News
January 25, 2020
"Intelligence plus character, that is the goal of true education." - Martin Luther King, Jr.
Calendar of Events
- January 27-31 - Box Top Collection Week
- February 3-7 - School Counselor Week
- February 7 - Global School Play Day (see information below)
- February 13 - 3rd Grade Specialty Fair
- February 13 - Family STEM/Wellness Night from 6:00-7:30pm
- February 14 - Valentine's Day Parties
- February 17 - President's Day - No School
- February 18 - Teacher Professional Development Day - No School for Students
Stonegate Spotlight: 1st Grade
In first grade we are officially 100 days smarter! We have been working on nonfiction reading strategies before we jump into our animal research project later this spring. We recently started opinion writing and are learning how to not only state our opinion, but also provide at least 3 reasons to support it. For math, we are learning all about place value, time, money, and addition/subtraction strategies. It’s been a busy start to 2020 and we are excited for all of the fun that awaits!
International Fair...HUGE success!!
*Important Announcement from the town of Zionsville*
Sycamore Street Bridge Project
Lost and Found
PTO - Are you ready for some football (snacks)?
Please join the Stonegate PTO in cheering on our favorite TEAM of teachers and staff with a Super Bowl Bash on Friday, January 31st! Our GOAL is to fill the tables in the break room with everyone’s favorite game day appetizers. With your help, the TEAM can have a much needed TIME-OUT! Stonegate PTO will be providing wings, drinks and dessert. We need your help with the apps! All items need to be brought to school on Friday, January 31st by 10am. Please be sure to label all crockpots or anything that needs to be returned. Thank you so much for your help in making this luncheon a TOUCHDOWN! Please click on the link to sign up: https://sge.ivolunteer.com/staffsuper_2020
Family STEM/Wellness Night
Our Family STEM/Wellness Night will be on February 13 from 6-7:30. Our theme this year is Global Games. Please see the links below if you are able to donate supplies, or if you’d like to sign up for the VR headset station. Please contact Mrs. Skura (jenskura@zcs.k12.in.us) or Mrs. Torrance (dtorrance@zcs.k12.in.us) if you have questions. Thanks!
Donations Link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0f44a5a92ca75-stemwellness1
VR Headset Station Link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0f44a5a92ca75-stemwellness
* Global School Play Day - February 7th *
What is "Global School Play Day"?
Play has a significant psychological and cognitive impact on children.
Positively, play...
- develops physical fitness,
- refines physical (gross motor and fine motor) skills,
- provides practice for social and emotion development (requires cooperation, problem-solving, work in close proximity, requires emotional regulation, etc...)
- at times requires high levels of strategic thinking,
- and assists in developing skills to navigate risk and fear.
In other words, play can be considered the "work" of children.
Current research bears out significant negative impact on a child’s cognitive, social, and emotional development when play, especially unstructured play, is absent from children.
Research findings illustrate that a decline in play is closely correlated to
- a decrease in empathy,
- increase in anxiety and depression,
- a decline in creativity,
- and deficits in socialization skills.
Simply put, Global School Play Day started in 2015 with the intent to set aside one day (or a portion of the day) for students to engage in unstructured play. It is an opportunity to introduce and inspire us to consider the necessary benefits of play.
After careful consideration, our staff decided that on Friday, February 7th. This day will provide us the opportunity to:
- observe and interact with students as they engage in authentic social exchanges,
- use this time to witness how your children navigate peer relationships,
- expand our understanding of your child as a person that has academic, social, and emotional aspects of their well-being,
- witness how they interact, show empathy, assist one another, problem-solve, and create
- glean more insight and information in order to provide more feedback to you (parents/guardians) that we are often unable to provide from our typical school day programming.
Our staff was inspired to consider participation when we viewed a Ted Talk by Dr. Peter Gray. In this Ted Talk, Dr. Gray shares his research on the impact of decreased play. I have the Ted Talk below. He definitely provides some interesting food for thought.
Report Cards are now Available
Elementary report cards for Q2 are now available. To access your child’s report cards, simply login to PowerSchool (using your parent login or your child’s login) and click on the Report Cards link on the left. If you and your child do not remember how to access Powerschool, please follow these directions:
1. go to zcs.k12.in.us
2. click on powerschool
3. click on student sign-in
4. to sign-in the username will be your child's first name-last name and the password will be your student's lunch code (example: angela-duncan 1234)
If you still are unable to log-in, please contact the office at 317-873-8050.
Eagle Madness is Next Week!
Eagle Madness is next Friday, January 31st at ZCHS. This fundraiser is in conjunction with our varsity girls and boys basketball doubleheader. Elementary students wearing their Jog-a-thon t-shirts will receive free admission to the game! Proceeds benefit our athletic department programs at ZCHS, ZMS and Z’WEST.
Eagle Recreation Enrichment Classes
The Zionsville Eagle Recreation Program now has a direct link that will show you all the updated courses that take place at Stonegate Elementary. Please click on the link below to see the list of courses as well as links to sign up. https://www.zionsvilleeaglerec.com/stonegate-elementary.cfm
For course offerings in music, please clink on this link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/8hkiruvdt6knmyh/Course%20offerings%20in%20music%20Jan%2017%2C%202020.pdf?dl=0
Running Clubs starting soon!
GO FAR
Third and Fourth Grades - Go Far is a 10-week comprehensive fitness program designed to teach children of all abilities about healthy eating, goal setting and how to train to walk/run a 5k. Club will meet each Monday beginning March 9th. Club will not meet the week of spring break. Our final club meeting will be May 11th. The final 5K event will be the Schools Out 5K on Thursday, May 21st in Zionsville. SGE Running Club participation fee will cover the cost of entry for this event. Email Mrs. Torrance dtorrance@zcs.k12.in.us with questions. Lace up your shoes and join us beginning Monday, MARCH 9, at 2:30! Are your ready to go for a run and be STRONG in EVERY WAY? REGISTER NOW at https://register.ryzer.com/camp.cfm?sport=19&id=152672
GIRLS ON THE RUN
Girls on the Run inspires 3rd and 4th grade girls through a 10-week program, with lessons focusing on self-esteem, intentional decision making, empathy, and teamwork! The team positively impacts their community by completing a community project and eventually they will run in the Indy Fuel Girls on the Run 5K, May 9 at Marian University with over 1,000 participants, running buddies and friends from the community. Girls on the Run will meet Mondays 5:30-6:45 p.m & Thursday’s 2:30-3:45 p.m. beginning February 24. Register here: https://www.gotrci.org Confidential scholarships are available – no girl is ever turned away! Email questions to: marcie.cates@girlsontherun.org
Not sure which club to choose? Sign up for both! No experience is necessary!
Coaches are Needed
Two Spring Running Clubs Complement our mission: Strong in Every Way! Stonegate students are fortunate to have the opportunity to participate in both! We are looking for a few more volunteer staff or parent coaches for each running club. Commitment is minimal (1 practice per week) however, the impact on the youth you coach is life changing! Email dtorrance@zcs.k12.in.us to help out with GO FAR or marcie.cates@girlsontherun.org to help coach Girls on the Run. Whether you can assist at 1 session or all 10, your support is appreciated! Please e-mail for more details.
ZCS Food Service - January Update
The ZCS Food Service Department has a current listing of food service positions. Please click on the link below to view the Zionsville Food Service Department page. On this page you will also find the monthly newsletters. Nutrition Nuggets focuses on elementary aged students, while Teen Food and Fitness focuses on middle and high school aged students.
BACKGROUND CHECK INFORMATION
We value partnerships with our families and welcome parents and guardians to serve as volunteers in our schools. Each ZCS building offers a wide variety of volunteer opportunities.
Examples include:
- Field Trip Chaperones
- Out of Town/Overnight Chaperones
- Tutors
- Volunteer Coaches
- Classroom Helpers (PTO parties/room parents)
- Library Helpers
- After Prom Workers
- Field Day/Jog-A-Thon Volunteers
- Book Fair Sales/Athletic Ticket Sales
During the school day, all volunteers are expected to sign 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. The link to apply for the full background check can be accessed on the Volunteers/BRAVO link on the ZCS main webpage. For more information, contact the Volunteer/BRAVO Coordinator.
CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR VISITORS
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.
Examples Include:
- Lunch Guests
- Classroom Guest Speakers
- Classroom Special Events (Grandparent Day/Famous Hoosiers/etc.)
- Parent/Teacher Conferences
We ask that all visitors schedule an appointment to meet with teachers, counselors, administrators and all other staff members so that we may best serve everyone. Visitors other than parents/guardians must be prearranged and organized through the main office.
*ZCS thanks all volunteers for their generous support of our youth and schools. Thank you, too, for supporting assurance of student and staff safety by completing and paying for a volunteer background check.
Follow this link for community flyers and events
Did You Know?
ZCS, like other public schools, has a no-idling policy for vehicles on campus. The purpose of the policy is to limit vehicle emissions that might be brought into the schools and adversely impact the health of our students and staff. If you are stopped on campus for more than 5 minutes, please remember to turn off your engine. We thank you for abiding by this policy to help reduce the exposure to these emissions.
Strong In Every Way
Click here to learn more about ZCS's Human Capital Campaign.
SAFEVISITOR VISITOR MANAGEMENT
All school visitors will be checked in using a visitor management system known as SafeVisitor.
Please be prepared to scan a government issued ID (Driver License) each time you arrive to campus as a visitor or volunteer. The printed badge should be visible at all times while in the building. Thank you!
BOONE COUNTY EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM
GROW/CHILD CARE SERVICES
The mission of GROW programming is to provide value-added, enriching, fee based services for families of Zionsville Community Schools. Click here for more information about GROW child care options regarding before and after care programming in addition to preschool.
CLASSES WITH EAGLE REC
Eagle Recreation & Enrichment (ERE) offers enrichment classes and sports camps for our students in elementary, middle, and high schools. We also offer some courses for adults. Click here for more information and course offerings with ERE.
LET'S GO SWIMMING!
ZCS Aquatic Center is open to the public 7 days a week year-round for family swim, lap swim, lessons and more! Daily, monthly or yearly passes are available for purchase. Click here for more details.
Contact Us
Website: http://sge.zcs.k12.in.us/
Location: 7312 W Stonegate Dr, Zionsville, IN, United States
Phone: 317-873-8050
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Stonegate-Elementary-667262290025971/
Twitter: @ZCSStonegate