“Today’s complex world requires that our next generation of leaders be able to raise questions. They need to be able to hold multiple ideas in their minds. They need to be able to see a situation from multiple perspectives. They need to be flexible thinkers who recognize that there will rarely be one correct answer, but instead there will be multiple answers that must be weighed and evaluated.”

Kylene Beers and Robert E. Probst

A student's locker cubby makes for an interesting photo for the lead in this week's Friday Flyer. The adage says that "a picture's worth a thousand words," and that is the case here. There's a backstory.

Over the last couple of weeks, we've welcomed many new families to our community. Most of my days of late, I find my mind often drifts to our new families and students as they transition to a new place after leaving the familiar. Earlier this week, I went to check on one of our new students, as he was having a challenging day. We had a student that was transitioning to this new space and trying to find his place. One tearful morning, he expressed his needs in a way that caught the attention of some students and staff. When I went to the classroom near the end of the day to check on him, he sprang out of his seat to share something special that spoke to his soul. His locker cubby was filled with post-it notes from his classmates. His peers expressed their regret for not making him feel welcomed. They shared their desire to be a better friend. They apologized for if they were unkind. As best they could, they shared their stories of when they moved here from other parts of the world.

This student was rejuvenated and optimistic at the end of a hard day because his peers poured into him through small messages of encouragement. His story is familiar with many of you as you've transitioned to this community. My hope for you and your child is that you find this place to be home where our investment and care for you as a respected individual is unconditional.

In addition, many other exciting experiences and opportunities abound as we draw nigh to Fall Break.

• ZEF (Zionsville Education Foundation) made a surprise appearance at Boone Meadow to award one of their largest grants to date. Mr. Doublestein, our music teacher, received a $9,000 grant to grow a collection of high quality musical instruments for your students. As evidenced by the photo below, Mr. Doublestein was thrilled to hear the wonderful news.
• Jog-A-Thon Update – We exceeded our goal! As of yesterday, our total in donations received landed slightly north of $19,000. Sponsorship monies are yet to be included, which may result in an additional $2,000. The PTO Board is looking forward to quickly allocating the funds back to the classrooms to enhance learning through varied resources and experiences. Thank you.
  
• Conferences - Thank you for carving out time to participate in conferences with your students. You send a powerful message to your child when (1) you listen to them share their learning and (2) invest in the time to understand what they are experiencing.
• PTO Meeting - Last night's one hour meeting covered a lot of ground. We discussed and shared success stories, upcoming events, and vision/mission statement drafts. In addition, Dan Layton did a fantastic job sharing a portion of a presentation entitled, Parenting in the Digital Age. Thank you to all that were in attendance. Our next PTO meeting is scheduled for November 9th.

Wow! What a week! There is more evidence of the great things that are happening at Boone Meadow in the photos below. These are exciting times!

Thankful to be here,

Tom

October 16th-20th - Fall Break

October 25th - Blood Drive (BME Cafe)

October 26th - Fire Safety for 2nd grade

October 27th - 1st grade field trip to Stuckey Farm

November 9th - PTO Meeting

November 10th - Veterans Day Program (see details below)

November 13th - School board meeting

November 22nd-24th - Thanksgiving break

Parenting is never easy. But today's parents have to grapple with a wired world in a way that no other generation has ever had to before. This ever-evolving digital landscape can be daunting to navigate.

Join ZCS in a 5-part series on Parenting in the Digital Age. This series will take place over the winter months and focus on keeping our students safe and healthy in the digital world while weighing the potential benefits and possible negative effects of social media. All presentations will be from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Board Room at the Educational Service Center.

For dates and information on the sessions, click here!

CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR VOLUNTEERS

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 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.