Eagle Elementary
Friday, May 1, 2020
MVP - Most Valuable Partners
The Doughnut Dream
Once there was a doughnut who had its dream come true.
It hopped out of the doughnut window and ran away with you.
It went to the park, down the slide too.
Then you noticed the round, shiny doughnut
And gulp, gulp, yum!
The rest of its dream never came true.
By Nina Tucker, 1st Grade
In this week's Newsletter
- Teacher Appreciation Activity!
- Young American Poetry Digest Poets
- National Physical Education and Sport Week Hang Outs!
- Counselor's Corner
- ZEF Opportunity
- Virtual Bookfair! Ends TODAY!
- Eagle Family Input Survey
- School Supply Lists for 2020-21
We Need Your Help for Teacher Appreciation Week!
Young American Poetry Digest 2020
Congratulations Poets!
The following students had poems accepted into the 2020 Young American Poetry Digest:
Henry Ewing
Maebel Porzel
Oliver Maertz
Caiden Hobson
Nico Valbuena
Gabe Radovich
Molly Marshall
Nina Tucker
Simone Donofrio
Bailey Cravens
Taylor Cambridge
Penn Voight
Hadley Thompson
Callie Carlson
Hailey Miller
Nellie Montei
William Johnston
Tatum McClimon
Charlotte Vincent
Cole Siebrase
Carver Pank
Cora Noonan
Charlie Newman
Rogan Makinson
Isaac Evans
Mitthelesh Sathish
Adelie Deck
Harry Uland
Xander Smith
Roman Donofrio
Salma Shipchandler
Vivian Sears
Lauren Pedersen
Christian Callahan
Kate Ladd
Mia Forbeck
Emma Kasyjanski
Chase Ostrum
Callum Weber
Harrison Thayer
Greer Hanlon
May 1-7 Celebrates National Physical Education & Sport Week!
- Sign-ups are in the National PE/SPORT Week unit on the Related Arts Course Wellness Page in Canvas. SIGN UP NOW so we can plan accordingly for all the fun!
Counselor's Corner
Dear Families,
Next Wednesday May 6th, our Social Emotional Lesson will focus on Fixed vs. Growth Mindset. Students will learn the language that is unique to each mindset and how to think of challenging situations as opportunities for growth. Students will have access to this visual in their lesson as well.
Please feel free to reach out if I can provide any additional resources and/or support.
Fondly,
Diane Radivan, Counselor
Virtual Bookfair!
- Shoppers, use this link in order for purchases and benefits to be connected to Eagle Elementary. https://www.scholastic.com/bf/eagleelementaryschool8
Eagle Family Input Survey - The link below is now correct!!!
Dear Eagle Families,
Thank you for taking time to provide feedback regarding your child's learning experience. Your input provides us the opportunity to reflect on our strengths and areas to improve. We readily admit that we, as a staff, must always strive to grow in our work and practices. Please complete the form using the button below and submit your responses by Monday, May 18 so we may have the opportunity to adequately review your input before the end of the school year.
With Gratitude,
Andrew Foreman, Eagle Principal
Spring Identification
The Indiana Department of Education requires school districts to identify gifted students and provide them with appropriately differentiated curriculum and instruction. In ZCS, we reconsider ability and achievement data of all students each spring to identify any who may need further consideration for advanced differentiation in curriculum and instruction the following school year. This spring we will do the same with the data we have collected over the course of the school year. Our team of teachers, licensed in gifted education (representing each elementary building and central office), will look at all data remotely to make sure that we understand the needs of each student.
Our school district is committed to continuous progress for all students, regardless of designation. Accelerated content is common in our classrooms as are heightened expectations, instructional levels and high-achieving peers. Instructional methods regularly group and regroup students with differentiated materials and goals. Whether or not a child is identified as needing advanced curriculum, our teachers are committed to regular assessment of skills and knowledge and matching experiences to challenge each child and help him or her make maximum academic growth. We are proud to be a high-performing school district with high expectations for all students.
For students currently in grades K-3: Programming at the elementary level is based on student need for acceleration and enrichment within a cluster group in a general education classroom and not on labels. All student data is reviewed each year to look for several indicators that a child needs advanced instruction in order to grow academically. Our identification team looks at achievement, ability and teacher observational data. Since these vary from year to year with young students, we re-look at every student each spring. Parents will be notified by June 10 if their child has been recommended for differentiation. If your child was not identified through our extensive process, parents/guardians may appeal the decision. Parents/guardians can complete the appeal process by June 15. Forms are located on the Academics tab of our website under “Advanced Curriculum”: https://4.files.edl.io/039c/01/28/20/182123-3d4a9f45-de63-4549-95a9-0341f67290eb.pdf
For students currently in grade 4: All students are considered and more formally identified for high ability each year throughout middle school where they are placed in a class with high ability curriculum. Our identification team considers either achievement (NWEA) or ability (OLSAT) when making decisions. Parents will be notified by June 10 if their child has been recommended for differentiation based on the need for accelerated instruction or curriculum. If your child was not identified through our extensive process, parents may appeal the decision. Parents can complete the appeal process by June 15. Forms are located on the Academics tab of our website under “Advanced Curriculum”: https://4.files.edl.io/9ed3/07/24/19/163425-9b8daab0-04e6-4efb-acd8-f68c3aec4318.pdf
Registration for the 2020-21 school year
With May right around the corner, it will soon be time to start our registration process for next school year.
This year we plan to leverage PowerSchool Parent accounts for our registration process rather than sending snap codes as we have done in the past. If your child wasn’t tied to a Parent Portal account, you should have received an email on April 13th from zcstech@zcs.k12.in.us with the subject line of “ZCS PowerSchool Parent Portal Account - Action Required” with instructions on how to set up a PowerSchool Parent Portal account.
If you haven’t done so already, please be sure your child is tied to your PowerSchool Parent Portal account to facilitate this process. You will not be able to register your student for 20-21 until that has been completed. If you have any problems with this process, please email zcstech@zcs.k12.in.us.
Planning for the 2020-2021 School Year
School Supply Lists for 2020-2021 School Year!
The link will be open until June 15!
Upcoming Events
Monday, April 27th
- 9:00am - eLearning classroom module focused on literacy and math, with differentiation and enrichment activities available.
Tuesday, April 28th
- 9:00am - eLearning classroom module focused on literacy and math, with differentiation and enrichment activities available.
Wednesday, April 29th
- 9:00am - eLearning Social Emotional Learning (SEL) module, with enrichment activities available
Thursday, April 30th
- 9:00am - eLearning classroom module focused on differentiated literacy and math instruction, with enrichment activities available.
Friday, May 1st
- Bookfair Ends!
- Student day off; no new module for students - Teacher work day to design instruction for the next week.
Monday, May 4th
- Teacher Appreciation Week!
Thursday, May 21
- Last Student Day before Summer Break!
Kindergarten Pre-Registration for the 20-21 school year -
We are re-launching our Kindergarten pre-registration for families. Feel free to share with others if you know of any families that still need to register their Kindy student for the upcoming school year. A few items to note:
- If you already pre-registered for Kindergarten Round Up, you need to do nothing at this time.
- We are currently accepting kindergarten registrations for families/students that have not yet registered. Please click on the link below to begin the registration process.
- When we are able to return to school, our team will schedule a special time for you and your child to come to our school and learn about kindergarten. This Kindy experience will most likely occur this summer.
- If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at aforeman@zcs.k12.in.us
ZCS Kindergarten pre-registration link: http://secure.infosnap.com/family/gosnap.aspx?action=22262&culture=en
Get a Library Card within 24-Hours
Visit our Get a Card page , fill out the application, and all eligible applicants will receive an email within 24-hours with their new, personal Library Card information.
Please fill out an application for each person in your family who wants their own card. ALL ages are welcome to receive a card.
Cards issued while we are closed will expire within 6 months from the date of issue. When the Library reopens, please bring your valid ID to the Library to extend your expiration date.
Canvas Notifications – Turning Them On or Off
One of the features in Canvas allows notifications to students when anything is added or updated. Some students may find this beneficial as it keeps them updated as changes occur. Other students may find this stressful because they are receiving several Canvas notifications due to content being added/changed for instruction. We want to give students choice in whether or not they receive these notifications, so please watch this short video which explains how to turn on/off these notifications. Students can choose what works best for them!
Tech Support Available
Tips to Support Learning At Home
- Set up a work space. This would be an area away from distractions that contains all the needed materials to complete school work.
- If you have more than one child, consider scheduling times for them to work. Attempting to oversee multiple children simultaneously may be challenging. Consider creating a rotating schedule to provide children with individual support throughout the day. The child/children not receiving support could read, do a chore, or take a break.
- Consider the appropriate amount of time for a child to work based on their age. For example, a 7-8 year old can be expected to stay focused on one activity for about 10 minutes. If your child is still working after the 10 minute time frame, great! Keep going. If not, let them stand up and stretch.
- Don't expect your child to complete an entire day's work in one sitting. A typical school day naturally has many built-in breaks. Allow for children to stand up, walk around, exercise. You will find that many teachers will incorporate movement breaks or brain boosts into their lessons.
- Children crave routine. Creating a routine for school days is crucial for a successful day. Work with your child to create a schedule that includes the time and the activity. Post it somewhere at home and work together to stick to it.
- Stay positive! Children will take our lead. Patience, flexibility and a positive attitude will go a long way. If you feel yourself becoming frustrated or stressed, take a break. This is good for kids and grown ups alike.
- If you have trouble with accessing the content that your child's teacher has uploaded, please email him or her.
- If you have trouble with Canvas working properly for you, please scroll down to the bottom left corner and click the HELP button. Once there, please complete a Ticket and describe your problem. Please be as detailed as possible, so that our tech department can assist you efficiently.
- Canvas will be used more heavily nationwide than it ever has before. It is very possible that it may get bogged down at times. If this happens, take a break and try again later. If that doesn't work, complete a work order ticket as well.
Resources For Families
Attached are some resources that you may find helpful as you navigate these times with your children.
Common Sense Media
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/resources-for-families-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic
What’s Up with this Coronavirus? Comic for Kids
http://elisegravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/CoronavirusE-FINAL2.jpg
Mind Yeti Videos
Mind Yeti provides a great way for everyone to practice mindfulness. At the following link are over 15 videos of mindfulness sessions that help kids and families calm their minds, check in with their bodies, and notice their surroundings.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiaUKiwbiHMQDQLCXoPaMMYotldKlUQCw
Sesame Street Little Children, Big Challenges
Young children face new challenges at every age and stage. That’s why it’s so important to help them build the skills they need to become resilient. With self-confidence and the ability to express themselves, little ones will be able to handle whatever may come their way and will just keep getting stronger.
How to Talk to your Kids About Coronavirus
This is an article written by PBS Kids about how to talk to children about coronavirus. You will find tips for handwashing, covering coughs, and practicing healthy habits.
https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/how-to-talk-to-your-kids-about-coronavirus
Support for Helpers during Coronavirus
Resources from the Fred Rogers Center in addition to partner organizations for those of you looking for ways to create learning opportunities and structure for children.
https://www.fredrogerscenter.org/what-we-do/child-wellness/coronavirus-response
Resources for Families Practicing Self-Care:
CNET Everything you need to know…
Resources for working, cooking, and coping while practicing social distancing.
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network Parent Guide
Support in understanding and coping during this time. The guide provide information on children’s developmental/age reactions and how to help.
https://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/resources/fact-sheet/outbreak_factsheet_1.pdf
Thanks,
Diane Radivan
Food Assistance
Confidential Food Assistance from ZCS
Please use this link to set up a pick-up time for a food package from ZCS Food Service.
Assistance from the Boys and Girls Club
The Boys and Girls Club will also be offering a take out evening meal at the Lebanon Unit, 403 West Main Street. The offering is available to Club members and any community member in need during these difficult times.
Meals will be available Monday through Friday beginning March 16 - March 27 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. with a limit of eight carry-out meals per family. We are initially preparing meals for at least 100 people each day and will make adjustments as needed.
Zionsville Food Pantry
4775 W. 116th St, Zionsville
Phone 317-873-8137, ext. 1087
Hours of Operation on Thursdays from 5-6 pm and Fridays from 12-2 pm
The Caring Center
1230 Ransdell Ct.
Lebanon
Phone: 765-482-2020
Hours of Operation on Mondays & Wednesdays from 8 am - 2 pm
Hours of Operation on Tuesdays, Thursdays & Fridays from 11 am - 5 pm
(Closed on 3rd Tuesday and 4th Thursday of each month.)