Fox Hill Elementary Family Update
Week of January 24, 2022
Translate/Traducir/ترجمة/ Traduire/ Tafsiri
Mrs. Beard and Mrs. Pitcock Welcome You!!
Welcome Fox Hill Families!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
January Dates to Know:
January 12-26 - High Ability Testing (K, 2, 5)
January 17 - MLK Jr Day - No School
January 24- February 25 - FH WIDA testing window
January 27 - Early Release Day - school dismisses at 2:15pm
District COVID UPDATE/REMINDER:
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) along with the Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) have announced new isolation and quarantine guidelines for students, staff, and teachers. These revisions are approved by the Marion County Public Health Department (MCPHD) and are reflected in our updated WT Schools Protocols for COVID-19 Health Safety.
With the recent surge in COVID-19 cases, we remind our students, staff, and families that masks are required and are expected to be worn properly covering the mouth and nose. Since COVID-19 symptoms are similar to flu and other viral illnesses, we ask our parents/caregivers, students, and staff to continue to vigilantly monitor for symptoms before coming to school. If a student or staff member shows any symptoms, stay home and take a COVID test, even if symptoms are mild. Please be sure to notify your student’s school of any COVID-related absences (close contact, tested positive, or quarantining) per normal absence procedures.
MASKS ARE REQUIRED FOR STUDENTS, STAFF, AND VISITORS WHILE INDOORS.
Please continue to follow the WT School Protocols for Covid - https://www.msdwt.k12.in.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/covid-protocols.pdf
Mrs. Beard
Principal
Early Release Day This Thursday
School dismisses at 2:15pm. Buses will leave Fox Hill around 2:25/30pm.
Car rider line will start at 2 pm!!
Brr - It's cold outside!
Washington Township Transportation Update
As a result of these afternoon complexities, we will be suspending the after school late run bus services we provide to each of our eight elementary schools effective Monday, January 24, 2022. Our elementary after school enrichment programming (after school tutoring, clubs, etc.) will continue to be offered to students; however, parents will need to provide transportation from the school to their home.
By suspending these late run services, we are better able to provide transportation staff for our middle school dismissal runs as well as elementary school runs where additional drivers are needed. This will help alleviate some of the delays in getting students home at their scheduled time.
We apologize for the inconvenience, and we hope this suspension is temporary.
2021 Points of Pride - Washington Township Schools
The Great North Run is B-A-C-K ---- March 12th!
The Great North Run & Fitness Fair is BACK! On March 12, 2022, the Advancement Center for Washington Township School will host their first Great North Run in three years!
MSDWT students can register for any event for $10 and the early bird rate for other participants of the 5K and 10K is just $15. The Fun Run registration is $10 for any participant at any time. The Fitness Fair is free and open to school communities.
Fox Hill Elementary will receive $2 out of EVERY registration that designates our school when registering for the race. Please consider registering and sharing this event with families and friends. There is even a "sleep in" option as well!
Register Here: https://secure.getmeregistered.com/get_information.php?event_id=136302
Updated Fox Hill Directory
PTO is pleased to release the online 2021-2022 Fox Hill Student Directory. The hope is that your family will use this directory to become better acquainted with your child's classmates and their families. This directory is only for Fox Hill families, and it is not searchable. To access the directory, you must visit the school website and navigate to the PTO page, follow the link below, or copy and paste the link into a web browser: https://fh.msdwt.k12.in.us/pto/
In order to access the directory, you will have to input the password: pioneers21
The link to the directory will remain active all year and families can access it as often as needed. Please note that this directory is published for the private, personal use of Fox Hill families. Any commercial use of the directory is unauthorized and strictly prohibited. Please also note that some families have chosen not to be included in the directory, or to have only partial information included. Any errors are unintentional. Thank you to our PTO for their efforts in the creation of this directory!!!!!
WT - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Updates and Opportunities
Webinar Opportunities for Families
WT Parent and Community Partnerships - Tuesday, January 25, 7:00-8:00 pm
This webinar will explore existing partnerships available in WT. There are many community and parent-based organizations that work to support schools as well as outcomes for students. Attend this session to learn more about the Washington Township Advancement Center, WT Community Coalition, Parent Teacher Organizations (PTOs), and the Parent Council Network and how you can stay connected and involved through these partnerships.
Sign-up here: Partnerships: WT Parent and Community Organizations
February webinar opportunities are also available. Find more information on our website: Implicit Bias Training and Black History is American History: The Importance of Teaching Truth.
Additional Community Workshop Opportunity for Students
Interrupting Racism For Children (Youth Training) - Fri., Jan. 21, 4:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m./ Sat., Jan. 22 – 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. and Fri., Feb. 4, 4:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m./Sat., Feb 5-9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. WT has formed a partnership with Child Advocates, an organization that provides community-wide antiracism workshops. More than 100 WT staff members have participated in antiracism training within the past year. Child Advocates (8200 Haverstick Road, Suite 240) is offering free youth workshops to middle and high school students. These workshops offer an opportunity for teens and young adults to engage in conversations around racism in the United States, connect with peers from across the Indianapolis area, and have a space to make their voices heard. If you are interested in this opportunity for your student(s) please register for one of the sessions and use the code YOUTH2022 to waive the registration fee. Note that the workshops have now shifted to a virtual platform due to safety concerns related to Covid-19.
Register here: January 21-22 Youth Workshop and February 4-5 Youth Workshop
Fox Hill Cap/Lid Recycling Program Kick Off!
Thanks to the efforts of the Fox Hill community throughout the 2019/2020 school year there are now two beautiful, recycled benches on the school playgrounds. We are restarting this school recycling program with the goal of collecting enough recycled materials for a picnic table, which requires a whopping 550 pounds of plastic caps and lids!
Please take a look at the attached flier detailing the plastic caps and lids that are and are not acceptable. You can send in your clean/dry caps with your student to be consolidated by their teachers. We will share our progress both on social media and through a progress chart posted in the school cafeteria. Once we meet our goal weight, your contributions will be delivered to Green Tree Plastics for recycling.
Thanks in advance for your help in reaching our school recycling goals!*Flyer below and also attached!
Box Tops!
Saturday Science for 1st - 5th Graders
Youth Programs at the JCC
2nd Semester District and State Assessments
Please know that second semester is often a time for district and state assessments. Please see a listing of upcoming assessments:
WIDA Assessments for English Learners - January 10 – February 25, 2022
CogAT High Ability testing for students of grades K, 2 and 5 - January 12-26, 2022
IREAD-3 for students of grade 3 – March 7-18, 2022
ILEARN testing for grades 3-8 – April 18-May 13, 2022
High Ability Testing
From January 12-26, 2022 students in grades K, 2nd, and 5th at all elementary sites will be administered the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT). This is a screening measure that is administered to all students in these grade levels. The CogAT provides a snapshot of your child’s abilities in the areas of verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal functioning to determine possible placement in the district’s high ability program.
Process and Assessment:
The verbal assessment measures verbal inductive reasoning, problem solving, and verbal comprehension. The quantitative assessment measures general abstract reasoning skills, particularly inductive reasoning and specific mathematical reasoning skills. The nonverbal assessment measures inductive reasoning skills. The nonverbal assessment differs from the verbal and quantitative measures in that it does not require the student to use information gained from other experiences to solve problems.
Students’ performance on these assessments are combined to produce a composite score. Students achieving a composite at or above the 92nd percentile for their age are considered high ability-general intellectual.
Summary of Results:
- For Kindergarten students, the CogAT will be used as a screener in order to measure areas of exceptionality.
- For 2nd and 5th grade students, this is just one piece of the data that school staff will review as a component of multiple criteria used to determine placement for the 2022-2023 school year. We expect to receive the testing results in February. A copy of your child’s results as well as a written summary of strengths and needs for your student will be sent to you.
For more information or questions regarding CogAT testing, please feel free to contact the District High Ability Coach for MSD Washington Township Schools, Andrea Cannon at acannon@msdwt.k12.in.us or Dr. Erica Buchanan-Rivera the Director of Equity and Inclusion at ebuchananrivera@msdwt.k12.in.us.
To learn more about the CogAT, visit the National Association of Gifted Children’s Website here.
Middle School Honors Application Process
The student application process for students in grade 5 entering grade 6 middle school honors classes is underway. Placement into these courses will be based on a student application process and achievement and/or aptitude test results that may include grades, NWEA, CogAT, ILEARN, content specific exams, etc. If you are interested in having your child participate in honors courses for the 2022-2023 school year, please follow the process below.
1. Students who are interested in Honors courses will complete the student application. Printed copies of the application are available from their teacher and/or the school’s front office. Paper applications can be turned in to their teacher for elementary students or school front office for middle school students.
2. Content tests will be given to students who apply to be in Honors Math (current elementary students only) and Honors Science (current middle school students only).
3. District-level instructional coaches and middle school administration will evaluate the student applications and all academic data in efforts to conduct an unbiased approach.
Upcoming Dates
January 12-26, 2022CogAT Assessment to all MSDWT Kindergarten, 2nd, and 5th graders
February 14-25, 2022Registration window open for parent requests of high ability testing for students in grades 3 and 4
February 1-March 4, 2022Testing results sent home electronically
February 1-18, 2022Window for Middle School Honors Applications
February 7-11, 20226th Grade HA Computation Tests
February 14-18, 20226th Grade Pre-Algebra Readiness Tests
March 14, 2022Honors placement results sent to 5th grade families by middle school principals
March 14-30, 2022Window to request appeals opens for middle school honors (5th graders)
March 15, 2022Parent Curriculum Night
For more information or questions regarding CogAT testing or the middle school honors process, please feel free to contact the WT High Ability Coach, Andrea Cannon at acannon@msdwt.k12.in.us or Dr. Buchanan-Rivera the Director of Equity and Inclusion at ebuchananrivera@msdwt.k12.in.us.
IREAD 3 - 3rd Grade Parents
The Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination (IREAD-3) is a grade three reading assessment developed in accordance with state legislation. IREAD-3 is designed to measure foundational reading skills based on Indiana Academic Standards through grade three. Test design centers on understanding these standards, collaborating with Indiana educators to define content priorities and evidence of mastery, and creating key documents that define the assessment.
All grade three students enrolled in accredited Indiana schools must participate in and attain a passing score on IREAD-3. A summer retest opportunity is available for students who did not pass IREAD-3 during the spring administration.
Washington Township IREAD-3 testing window is March 7 - March 18.
Source/Additional Information: https://www.in.gov/doe/students/assessment/iread-3/?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=
School Times and Arrival Reminders
School STARTS at 8:20 am
Students are tardy after 8:30 am
*Students riding buses that may arrive late are not counted tardy.
If your student is a car rider:
*The Car Rider line starts at 8:10 am and will close by 8:30am.
- Parents/Guardians dropping off after the car rider line has closed, must park in the front parking lot and an adult must walk his/her student across the crosswalk to the entrance of FH. If it is after 8:30 am, please plan to have your student enter the front doors for a tardy pass.
*Students can also be dropped off to the front doors beginning at 8:10 am. Adults, please walk your student across the crosswalk to the school entrance.
Cars should not enter the bus area during arrival and dismissal times!
We have seen a few families drive into the bus area and also at unsafe speeds! Please DO NOT drive in or through the bus area during bus arrival and dismissal! Remember you are also in a school zone - an area with children. Please do not speed through any area on school grounds.
Attendance and Dismissal Reminders
- Should your student be absent for any reason, please call the attendance line at 317-259-5230 by 9:00 a.m. to report the absence. If a child’s absence is not called into the attendance line by 9:00 a.m., the child will be marked unexcused.
- If your student has a required appt during the school day, remember he or she can/should still attend school before and after the appointment. We would rather have a student come in tardy than miss a full day's instruction. Please provide a signed statement from the doctor, dentist, etc., upon the return to school in order for the office to code the missed time appropriately.
- Please notify your classroom teacher of dismissal changes in writing, or call the front office before 2pm with transportation changes.
- The front office does not dismiss car riders from the office area during school dismissal time, 3pm-3:40pm. Please notify the front office of any last minute changes by 2pm and report to the car line if your child will be a car rider. (*We do understand that there may be unforeseen circumstances, emergencies, or appts that may result in a deviation from this process.)
- Early pick ups from school - before 3:15pm- are coded in our FH Skyward system as afternoon tardies.
**The State of Indiana requires that we send letters of notification to the families of children with excessive tardies (6 or more) and/or absences (4 or more unexcused). These letters will be sent on a regular basis.
Car Rider Line Reminders
AM/PM
***It is helpful if your child can exit and enter your car at the door that is closest to the Fox Hill sidewalk.
AM
Students should have items ready to go (mask on, backpack, lunch bag, etc.) before exiting. Students should WAIT for the FH staff member to release them from their car.
***Car rider drop off line concludes by 8:30 am. Families dropping off after the car rider line has closed, must park in the front parking lot. Parents must walk their student to the foyer of FH to sign in.
PM
***Please have your car tag is hanging from your rearview mirror - number side facing forward
***Car rider pick up line up concludes around 3:40pm. If you are not at school by that time, you will need to park in the front parking lot and come to the front office to retrieve your student. The front office closes at 4pm.
***We are asking families not to park and walk up to the car rider line or walk to the front office to bypass the car line. We only allowed this accommodation for the first 3 days as dismissal processes were being fine-tuned. The office does not dismiss car riders from the office area during school dismissal time, 3pm-3:40pm. If you have a special circumstance in regard to walking, please contact Mrs. Beard.
Car Rider Drop off and Pick Up Route
Skyward Family Access - Stay in the Loop!
Access your student's teacher name and bus information via Skyward Family Access!
Also make sure your phone number and email address are updated in Skyward Family Access to receive all school and district updates!
Skyward Family Access Directions
If you have questions or issues with Skyward, please email skyward@msdwt.k12.in.us.
If you do not know your username/password, please email skyward@msdwt.k12.in.us or call Fox Hill Elementary.
FROM THE NURSE
Medication – A parent or guardian must fill out a permission form for prescription (blue) and/or non-prescription (yellow) medication to be administered at school. All medication must be stored in the clinic and children MAY NOT transport medicine to and from school. It must be brought into the school by an adult.
Life-Threatening Allergies – If your child has a life-threatening allergy or serious medical condition, you MUST report this to the nurse and meet with the nurse prior to your child starting school. You can call the office to schedule your appt with the nurse at 319-259-5371.
AYS (At Your School) - Before and After Care
*2021-2022 MSD Washington Township
*Fox Hill Elementary
Focus on Equity
As the 2021 school year starts, we at Fox Hill want to share that our work around equity is still a priority for us!
Please know that we will:
-Continue to prioritize Professional Development that focuses on Anti-racist teaching, Bias training, and Equitable practices.
-Continue to develop our Equity Team to include various perspectives.
-Continue to look at systems and programs with a common goal of creating opportunity and access for all.
-Continue to look at disproportionality as it relates to staffing, behavior, special services, and academics.
We are committed to the work and to positive change! We ask for your support as we continue to grow.
Stay Connected!
District Websites:
- www.msdwt.k12.in.us
- Washington Township Schools Facebook
- Twitter: @msdwt
- Fox Hill Facebook Page
Website: https://fh.msdwt.k12.in.us/
Location: 802 Fox Hill Drive
Phone: 317-259-5371
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Fox-Hill-Elementary-School-643527989006604/
Twitter: @FoxHillElem