MSD OF DECATUR TOWNSHIP
DISTRICT NEWSLETTER - BACK TO SCHOOL EDITION - JULY 2023
DISTRICT NEWSLETTER - JANUARY 2024
A MESSAGE FROM DR. STEPHANIE HOFER
Dear Decatur Township Families,
Greetings and Happy New Year! I am Dr. Stephanie Hofer, and it is my sincere privilege to be your new Interim Superintendent of the MSD of Decatur Township. Though this is a new role for me, I have served in Decatur Township since 2005 in a variety of positions including teacher, principal, director, and most recently as Assistant Superintendent. I will continue to work closely with each school and department to ensure a smooth and stable transition, while also bringing the excitement of new opportunities. As we begin the second semester and 2024, let’s take a moment to reflect on how much was accomplished by all stakeholders of the MSD of Decatur Township during the first half of our school year:
The Decatur Central Graduation rate for 2023 was finalized as 92.16%, which is a new all-time highest rate!
Congratulations to DCHS student, Don Papa Fall, recipient of the Lilly Endowment Scholarship 2024!
The DC Hawks Football Team finished their amazing season as Class 5A State Runner-Up!
Decatur Township School for Excellence has celebrated 6 early graduates so far this school year with their traditional “Bell-Ringing” Ceremony. As of December 4th, 437 credits combined were earned by DTSE students.
The DC Band & Guard were awarded Class 2A Runner-Up, Best Visual, and Best Effect at the 2023 Bands of America competition in Louisville, also becoming regional finalists.
The district was awarded a $200,000 grant from the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation, aimed to increase FAFSA completion and college enrollment rates.
The Decatur Central Career Center (“DC3”) was completed and celebrated with a ribbon cutting ceremony on August 25th. Some of the many career pathways offered at DCHS are now housed there including construction, manufacturing, and animal and plant sciences.
Key Performance Indicators from our strategic plan including IREAD-3 scores, 6th and 8th grade ILEARN scores, and the 9th grade Algebra pass rate have all increased.
We are Decatur Proud to keep our facilities up to date for our students and community to use and enjoy! Most recently, renovations were completed at Lynwood Elementary and new renovations are now underway at Valley Mills Elementary.
Funded by the Literacy Cadre, all elementary teachers grades K-2 have successfully implemented the UFLI curriculum for phonics and phonemic awareness, which aligns with the Science of Reading. We are excited to see the positive impact for our students!
Our Elementary Athletics program began, successfully implementing soccer and basketball leagues so far this school year.
Mr. Wachnicki (Principal of DCHS) and Mrs. Pearson (Principal at SD) were honored by IASP as District 7 Principals of the Year.
Decatur Township is home to the BEST students, families, staff, and community. There is no limit to what we can accomplish together in 2024!
We look forward to welcoming all students and staff back to school for the second semester on Monday, January 8th!
Decatur Proud,
Dr. Stephanie Hofer
Interim Superintendent
Decatur Township School for Excellence Early Graduates
Community Virtual Care
With cold and flu season upon us, don't forget that Decatur Township students in grades K-12 can receive FREE Virtual Care services through Community Virtual Care! Appointments are held at the clinic (5106 S. High School Rd, Suite B, Door #4 in the Technology Center, beside the entrance to DMS) and the students will see a provider virtually. Schedule an appointment by calling your school nurse or emailing decaturvirtualcare@ecommunity.com.
SCHOOL NEWSLETTERS
December Photo Gallery
INFORMATION CENTER:
MEAL BENEFIT APPLICATION
Apply for Free & Reduced price meals HERE!
Eligibility results will be emailed or mailed. You will also have the option to print the meal eligibility letter to keep for your records. Only one application per household is needed.
Important: A new application must be filled out each year for meal benefits to continue. Meal benefits begin when the application is approved. Applications in other languages will be provided upon request to the Child Nutrition Department.
MENUS
Check out this school year's menu! Don't forget that breakfast is free for all students! Join us for some delicious, nutritious meals!
E-FUNDS
Need to load funds to your student’s lunch account? Click here to load funds through eFunds!
PURCHASES & ACCOUNT INFO
Check out our new lunch portal! You can monitor purchases, complete a meal benefit application, and much more!
Register here: https://linqconnect.com/WPME5A
MSD of Decatur Township Child Nutrition Department
5275 Kentucky Ave., Indianapolis IN 46221
317-856-5265
STAY CONNECTED
Visit https://www.parentsquare.com or download the ParentSquare app:
Connect to Skyward here or download the Skyward App:
STUDENT FEE CHANGES
K-12 Curriculum Fee Changes for 2023-2024
The state legislature has determined that schools can no longer charge fees for educational materials. As a result, MSD of Decatur Township families will not be charged textbook fees for the 2023-2024 school year. Parents and students will continue to be responsible for any lost or damaged educational material, including but not limited to, lost textbooks, lost or damaged iPad and related components, library books, cafeteria fees, extracurricular activities, fundraising, and NSF check fees.