BME Staff Update
March 3, 2019
"Dear March - Come In"
(Emily Dickinson)
Dear March - Come in -
How glad I am -
I hoped for you before -
Put down your Hat -
You must have walked -
How out of Breath you are -
Dear March, how are you, and the Rest -
Did you leave Nature well -
Oh March, Come right upstairs with me -
I have so much to tell -
I got your Letter, and the Birds -
The Maples never knew that you were coming -
I declare - how Red their Faces grew -
But March, forgive me -
And all those Hills you left for me to Hue -
There was no Purple suitable -
You took it all with you - ...
Team Meadow -
I hope everyone had a great weekend.
Boone Meadow Blast was a tremendous success, and thank you to those of you that were able to assist as volunteers. In total, we had approximately 450-500 in attendance over the course of the 3-hour event. I even met some families that don't yet have children at BME, but will be here in the next year or two. You gotta love this community that opens the doors to make neighbors welcome at such events. To me, I view this as an excellent opportunity to get relationships off to a great start. Thank you to our PTO and their generosity to make it happen.
Coffee Talk with Matt Doublestein & Dana Dietz (ZWMS) - On Friday morning, we had about 20 families participate in our annual coffee talk with the leaders at ZWMS. This is the time of year where 4th grade families look at middle school transition. Transition day is set for March 14th where students will visit ZWMS and parent meetings and socials will occur in the evening.
Best Version of Self - (a little clarification)
I’ve been approached to clarify a few of the points I raised at our staff meeting last Monday. My apologies if any of my comments left anyone feeling confused.
- While sharing my concern about the increase of inappropriate language from students, I requested that teachers set aside time during upcoming community circles to impress upon students the power and impact of their words. Use of inappropriate language (especially curse words and racially/ethnically charged comments and name calling) are not acceptable, and provide opportunities for learning.
- Helping students navigate through mistakes and poor choices is part of their learning. Punitive approaches may stop behavior for short moments of time, but connecting and walking through together, in a restorative manner, will help solidify the learning in a meaningful and lasting way. I underscored the need for us to use our Life Goals as structure for clarifying expectations and agreements with students. I did not intend to imply that staff members don't use our Life Goals as frameworks. Rather, I desired to underscore its importance, as well as, the benefit of consistent use and application. I used my anecdote of an unnamed student as an impromptu example of how I recently had an opportunity to connect with a student struggling with a variety of issues. I desired to illuminate a positive outcome and relationship with the child as result of time spent walking through expectations and conveying a high belief in him.
Disabilities Awareness Week- Throughout the week, students will learn what it means to be "unified" and how we can all do our part to show that we are “Unified Eagles: Learning, Working, Living, and Playing Unified!” Students will share ideas and thoughts on morning announcements. Additionally, Unified Sports is joining to raise money to donate to Special Olympics. Students/families are welcome to participate in supporting this cause with a donation of $1 on Friday. Students are also encouraged to wear crazy hair or hats to show their support!
- We have flyers to send home on Monday (3/4). They should go home with all students.
- We will have 2 banners available for signing on Wednesday and Thursday of this week (more info to come, and will be shared in announcements later in the week). Everyone (staff and students) will sign both banners.
- Money collected on or before Friday, should be turned into Barb by Friday (can be sent in office folder). Please make sure it is marked for Special Olympics or Disability Awareness.
- Friday is Crazy Hat/Hair Day in celebration of the week's learning and service opportunity.
- This is a district-wide experience.
On one last note, (1) Lauren and I will be out Tuesday morning for an admin meeting, and (2) I will be out all day on Wednesday.
Team, let's make it a great week!
Tom
Disabilities Awareness Week
Zionsville has recently partnered with Special Olympics to become a Unified Champion School District. Unified Champion Schools is a 12 week program focused on providing different physical activities leading to improved fitness and skills to students in preschool through 8th grade with Intellectual Disabilities. The goal of Unified Champion Schools is for all students to be afforded equality, access, opportunity, respect, and acceptance. Unified Champion Schools focuses on the commitment to all students, throughout the course of their development, to participate in physical education and activity that promotes learning, achievement, and enjoyment.
The theme for Disability Awareness Week this year is “To Include.” We will have announcements each day during the week to share special messages. The announcements on Wednesday and Thursday provide instructions for students (and staff) to sign banners that remind students of their pledge “To Include.”
We will also be sending home flyers on Monday, the 4th sharing information about Crazy Hair/Hat Day. On Friday, March 8, students and staff can wear Crazy Hair or a Hat of their choice to school that day. A $1 donation is appreciated if you are able. If our school raises at least $250 we will be a Special Olympics Unified Champion Banner school and will receive a Banner to display proudly in our building!!
Calendar Items & Information
March
1st-15th - DigiLab
8th - Donate a $1 Crazy Hair/Hat Day (Disabilities Awareness Support)
11th-14th - 2nd Grade Informances
12th - Blood Drive 2:00-7:00 PM Cafe
13th - Spirit Day - One Color Day; PTO Meeting in Cafe @ 6 PM
16th-18th - ASCD Conference (Chicago)
18th - ZCS Growth Forum w/ Dr. Robison @ 6:30-8:00 PM Cafe
18th-22nd - Book Fair; 1st Grade Informances
20th - Dine for Dollars at Buffalo Wild Wings (all day)
21st - Hoosier Heritage Projects (4th grade); Rube Goldberg Projects (3rd grade); Wellness Night 6:00-7:30 PM
22nd - PTO Boone Meadow Mixer @ Golf Club of Indiana
26th - Kindergarten Round-Up (Pre-registration now open)
29th - April 7 - Spring Break
April
10th - PTO Mtg
12th - Spirit Day - Twin Day
17th - 3rd grade music performance @ 6:30 PM
23rd - ILEARN testing window opens (3rd/4th gr)
24th - Spirit Day - Who's Your Hero Day; Dine for Dollars @ McAlisters Deli 5-8 PM
Boone Meadow Mixer - Staff Donations
February 12, 2019
Dear Boone Meadow Teachers and Staff,
It’s time again for our annual Boone Meadow Mixer! We are always so grateful for the donations of time and experiences that you provide for our auction, as these are often the most “valuable” items we have for sale! This year, we would again, ask for your generous donations for our Silent Auction event on March 22nd.
In the past staff/teacher donations have varied from “experiences” to “classroom treasures”. Both are great and both are acceptable! We would like to avoid activities that involve the whole class (other than “teacher for the day”) as we would like to keep to a special experience for the individual children. We are asking you to please consider donating (1-2) items to this year’s Silent Auction. We will again be hosting our silent auction on an online bidding tool in order to allow families to still participate even if they may not be able to attend the event.
We appreciate what you do for our children every single day, and we thank you sincerely for your willingness to provide these experiences that our kids will remember forever. Your time is the most valuable thing you could possibly provide to our students.
Once you have decided if you would like to donate something. Please use the enclosed link to submit your donations electronically. If you prefer manually drop off your form in the PTO mailbox, feel free to use the page attached. Please offer as many details as possible. We will print an auction certificate to give to the winning bidder for any “experience” items. Please complete and submit all forms no later than March 4, 2019.
We thank you again for your generosity, and we would LOVE to see you all at the Cardinal Room at the Golf Club of Indiana on March 22nd at 6:30! (Please remember that each staff member will receive one free ticket to the event). If you have any questions or want to purchase additional tickets, please reach out to us at boonemeadowpto@gmail.com.
Sincerely,
BME PTO
Google form link https://goo.gl/forms/lWrZAZZfA4PV8eei2
Boone Meadow Mixer - Friday Evening, March 22nd
It may seem early, but now's the time to get March 22nd on your calendar. Please consider attending this special PTO sponsored event on the evening of March 22nd. It’s a great opportunity to enjoy each other and connect in a relaxed atmosphere. Based on last year's experience, I believe many of you found the evening quite enjoyable.
Keep in mind:
- Begin thinking about teacher experiences to make available for the auction.
- PTO will have (one) free ticket set aside for each BME staff member should you attend.
- Additional tickets for spouses or any additional staff guests will be available.
Personal Business Leave Requests
For Certified Team Members:
To requests "personal business days," please complete the following process.- Go to the following link, and complete the "personal business request" form. https://goo.gl/forms/CycfilABEUyILbh83
- Once the form is completed, please send a brief email to me (Tom) that includes the date(s) of your request(s).
- Enter your upcoming absence in AESOP as soon as possible. (It can always be deleted later should plans change.)
Thanks -
Contact Us
Email: thundley@zcs.k12.in.us
Website: http://www.zcs.k12.in.us/bme/
Location: 5555 S Main St, Whitestown, IN, United States
Phone: 3178732226
Twitter: @ZCSBoone_Meadow