Greetings to our Fort Zeller Families,

I hope this email finds all of you doing well, after a summer of much relaxation and rejuvenation. I can't believe our new school year is here. Our teachers and staff have worked hard in preparation for the arrival of our little ones. This first week has been amazing! We are looking forward to a fabulous year that cultivates a safe, fun, and positive learning environment for our young learners. We can't forget about our amazing and generous PTO who works with us to plan informative workshops and engaging events for our students and families.

This monthly newsletter has the essential information and dates for the month of September, so I thank you in advance for your time in reviewing it.

All the Best,

Jodi Houck

1. Link to our lunch menu is below. Lunches are no longer provided to every student for free like the last two years, however, if you feel that your family would qualify for free or reduced lunches, please fill out the application. There is more information provided later in the newsletter about this process.

2. We will be conducting several safety drills in the next three weeks. Thank you in advance for your help in reiterating the importance of these drills to our students at home.

3. I urge you to join your child's Schoology Course so you can be in communication with his/her teacher. Please don't hesitate to call the teacher if you need help.

4. If you are dropping off or picking up our students, please follow the traffic pattern provided in this newsletter. To assure the safety of our little ones, all vehicles must yield to our school buses, in addition to following the traffic pattern when pulling out. Thank you in advance for your help and cooperation.

5. As in past practice, please complete a 'Transportation' form if you are planning to pick up your child on a daily basis. Additionally, please provide your child's teacher with a note if there are changes to your child's transportation mode at the end of the school day.

Important NOTICE!

During this unprecedented time, many families’ income situation has significantly changed. If you have been impacted by a change in income or feel that you now qualify for free and reduced meals, please submit an application.

There are three ways to complete a 2022-2023 Free and Reduced Application;

• Apply online at schoolcafe.com (Preferred and most efficient method)
• Paper Application Free and Reduced Application (Printable) Available
• Apply on Compass https://www.compass.state.ps.us

For SchoolCafe.com, you will need to create a user ID and Password and then add your child(rens) information. You will need their 7 digit ID number for the online application. You may email Jenelle Himmelreich, Director of Food and Nutrition at jhimmelreich@elcosd.org for their ID numbers.

Cafeteria Cash and Check Deposits - We are asking our families to have all cash and check deposits in an envelope with the students name printed, cash amount and the student's ID Number. We are trying to eliminate the handling of cash at the registers. All cash deposits will be all placed in the student's account and no change will be given. Please send only what you want deposited at that time. We will have extra envelopes available at the registers for the students to fill out if an envelope is forgotten.

Thank you for understanding during this time.

ELCO School District is growing our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram channels. Click on the icons and follow along!

Facebook - @ELCOSD

Twitter - @elcosd

Instagram - @elcosd

Why:

1. Celebrate our students.

2. Keep parents, students, alumni, and the community in the loop of what is happening in our district.

3. Promote the great things happening such as athletics, activities, and other events.

4. Build an ongoing conversation about the positive impact our district is making in the lives of our students!

What do I need to do?

• If you are on these social media channels – follow us!

• Help promote these accounts to your family and friends.

• If you aren’t on these platforms – that’s OK. The district will continue to provide communication through traditional channels.

If your child completed one of the Summer Reading Challenges, we would like to celebrate this accomplishment! We will have an ice cream party Friday, September 23rd. Also, your child will receive a free book.

In order to participate in this celebration, your child should turn in one of the following to their classroom teacher: Library certificate OR Summer Reading Calendars OR “Wild About Books” Mobile punch card and reading log. Please make sure your child’s first and last name is listed on their paperwork.

Please turn in paperwork by Friday, September 16th!

As part of our continued effort to provide you with accurate, timely information regarding all aspects of your child’s transportation to and from school, the ELCO School District uses a student ID card swiping system and a GPS system on all of our buses. Your child will receive a new ID card within a few days after enrollment in the ELCO School District. This card must be used to swipe on and off the buses every day including any field trips and athletic trips.

Parents will maintain access to the portal throughout their child’s entire school career. Please keep this information for future reference. If you request a change during the school year, the updated information should be viewable on the portal within two school days of being received by the transportation department.

To login into the Parent Portal

• Go To: https://elco.mybusplanner.com/ (also linked below)
• Click on: Parent Portal
• If you have not created an account please follow the instructions on how to create an account. You will need the following information in order to create an account, (a) Student ID, but you would need to enter their Lunch ID in the portal, (b) Student Birth Date (c) School, and (d) Grade
• Transportation tab–shows your child’s transportation information to school and from school. The route # is the bus number.
  
  

If you have any questions or if any changes need to be made, please contact Brightbill at (717)866-1420 or email Elisa Schubert at eschubert@brightbill.com or Charlene Kline at ckline@brightbill.com

Sept. 2 - 5: Happy Labor Day - No school

Sept: 6 (Day 1):

• Acadience Benchmark all day - at designated time for each class

Sept: 7 (Day 2):

• Acadience Benchmark morning only - at designated time for each class
• PTO Meeting @ 6:30 p.m.

Sept. 8 (Day 3):

• Severe Weather Drill

Sept. 9 (Day 4):

• Medical Emergency Drill - students will remain in classrooms

Sept. 12 (Day 1)

• Interior Threat Drill - students remain in classrooms and follow teacher's guidance

Sept. 13 (Day 2)

• Fire Drill

Sept. 14 (Day 3):

• Picture Day
• Exterior threat drill - students remain in classrooms and follow teacher's guidance

Sept. 15 (Day 4):

• Exterior threat drill - students remain in classrooms and follow teacher's guidance
• Grades 1 & 2 Meet the Teacher Night - drop-in visit, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Sept. 28 (Day 1):

• Two-hour late start - modified kindergarten schedule is followed

1. On September 7th, 2022, at 6:30, our PTO will host its first meeting in our library at Fort Zeller. Most meetings will be held on the first Tuesday of every month. We hope that you will consider joining our meetings and provide your valuable input to support our students and staff at Fort Zeller.

2. Volunteering: If you have an interest in being a volunteer in your child's classroom or in our school, please use this link, https://www.elcosd.org/site/Default.aspx?PageID=918, to complete the necessary paperwork on clearances. Don't hesitate to call our office at (610) 589-2575 if you need additional assistance.