We approach the 50 yard-line of the 2016-2017 school year with much celebration. This week of excitement, reflection, and celebration was one of contagious joy, which was almost too much for some. (insert smiling emoji here) Students were ready to board buses at the end of the day, but I had more than a few say that they thought two weeks was too long to be away from school. (Those kiddos get bonus points!)

I hope these next couple of weeks provide you with opportunities to unplug and spend quality time with the people most important in your life. Our children are growing so quickly, and this holiday/winter break is a gift of time to be spent with them. Cherish it. Notice their smile as you play with the Legos by their side, or sip tea from the tiny cup in their new kitchen playset.

May you find peace and joy in this wonderful holiday season.

Tom

Save the date: January 27th from 6:30-10:30 pm

Join us at the Cardinal Room at the Golf Club of Indiana for a fun evening of child-free socializing in addition to our annual silent auction! For details and to purchase tickets, please see the PTO page of the Boone Meadow website by clicking here!

Students and teachers are invited to dust off their tutus, tune up their instruments, and warm up their voices for an afternoon of entertainment for all to enjoy! Mark your calendars for February 11th at 2:30 for the BME Talent Show! Sign up begins on January 14th. A flyer should will be sent home today with more detailed information. Questions can be directed to our PTO planners: eileenadam@hotmail.com, lizkeiper@gmail.com or carla.strawmyer@gmail.com.

December 23rd-January 6th - Winter Break

January 10th - NWEA Testing Begins

January 12th - PTO Meeting (BME Cafe at 6:00 PM)

January 14th - Signup goes live for Talent Show
January 16th - Schools are closed in observance of MLK Jr. Day

January 26th or 27th - First Grade OLSAT testing

January 27th - Parents' Night Out and Silent Auction (Golf Club of Indiana at 6:30-10:30 PM)

January 30th - Simon's Hook Convocation (Topic: Bullying, Kindness, & Mutual Respect)

February 4th - Talent Show Dress Rehearsal (2:30)

February 11th - BME Talent Show (BME Cafe at 2:30)

As the end of the year approaches, the ZEF Board and staff have the chance to review what we accomplished in 2016. Did you know that your school had these tools and programs funded by ZEF donors…

Boone Meadow Elementary

Growing 365 with Tower Garden Technology ($3,348.25) - Kara Benson

400 students and 18 teachers targeted

Intervention Is the Key to Success ($2,986.60) - Amanda Rush

100 students and 15 teachers targeted

Moving to Learn ($5,400.00) - Garrett Stephens

2,048 students and 5 teachers targeted

Listed above are just the ZEF Classroom Grants! Over $13,800 was granted to teachers for professional development, $5,000 was awarded to student organizations through Student Enrichment Grants, and nearly $5,000 was used to match ZCS Donors Choose grants. In all, ZEF granted $102,150 to Zionsville Community Schools in 2016. More importantly, EVERY ZCS STUDENT was affected by a ZEF grant. Every elementary school has a Tower Garden…both middle schools and the high school have a maker space and collaboration lab…every elementary student has a crucial component needed for our Wellness policy.

Please consider ZEF in your year-end giving decisions. Your students, your neighbors, your teachers – they all benefit from ZEF’s mission to promote academic excellence. We can’t do it without you. To invest in innovative educational experiences, visit: https://app.etapestry.com/onlineforms/ZionsvilleEducationFoundatio/Donate.html/

Thank you.

Please be advised that students are not allowed to bring medications of any kind to school. This is for the safety of all our BME students! Instead, an adult 18 years or older may drop off any meds at school.

If you have any questions, please contact Nurse Amy, at x14104.

Thank you!

As Old Man Winter prepares to roll in, please be sure to send your student to school appropriately dressed for the weather as it grows colder and snow is on the ground. As stated in the handbook:

As the weather turns colder, each child needs a winter coat, hat, and gloves. Snow pants and boots are required when there is snow on the ground.

Students without snow pants and boots (when there is snow on the ground) will only be permitted to play on the cleared blacktop.

All children play outside except on rainy, icy, or very cold days (wind chill below the 10-20 degree range)." Inside recess will be held on those exceptional days.

For more information regarding our procedures for school delays and closings please visit our website.

Boone County has shifted from NIXLE to SMART911. This is a free service that allows you to receive emergency notifications from the county which may include severe weather warnings and traffic alerts. The program will ask for optional personal information that could be used in the event of an emergency situation in your home. Boone County citizens are encouraged to create their Safety Profile with Smart911 today. To create a safety profile and sign up for updates, go to www.smart911.com

School Visitor Check-Ins at ZCS

Please be aware that we use a visitor management system known as SafeVisitor. SafeVisitor is a 30-45 second check-in process that cross references against all national sex offender registries and prints a visitor badge. Please be prepared to scan a government issued ID (Driver License) when arriving to campus as a visitor or volunteer. The printed badge should be visible at all times while in the building. Thank you!

Please note: Full background checks are still required field trips. Full background checks cost $15.95 and take at least 7-10 days to process. Limited background checks are still required for lunch visits, volunteering in a supervised area, etc.

**Bullying Video**

All volunteers in our district are also required to complete the bullying module, consisting of a short video and a digital signature as proof of watching the video. This video must be watched for either level of volunteer (Full or Limited). Please click here to visit the BRAVO/Volunteers page where all of these items can be completed.