Central Hub
March 2021 Edition
Message from the Principal
Dear Central Parents,
This month our newsletter is filled with important information regarding online registration for the 2021-2022 school year. Please take some time to complete this for your child asap.
Also, parents of third grade students, the children will take IREAD-3 beginning Tuesday, March 9th and 10th. This is an important standardized test. We plan to test in the morning for two days. Please make sure your children are well-rested, fed and here at school. We do have make-up days in place, so if your child is ill, it is okay if they miss. We want your child healthy here at school. Our students are very well prepared for this test. The third grade teachers have been working hard making sure the children feel relaxed and confident in their abilities.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding anything in the newsletter, please give me a call or email me.
Sincerely,
Julie Thacker
Principal
Register Your Children For Next Year ASAP
All new and returning students are required to register online before being scheduled into classes for the 2021-2022 year.
To register a returning student, you will need to sign into your Parent PowerSchool Account. If you forget your username or password, please call the office. Please do not submit a forgotten password on the website as it may take a few days to get back to you.
Please use the 2021-2022 Returning Student Registration link to sign in your account, then click the Returning Student Registration (2021-2022) on the bottom of the left menu to complete. This must be done on a computer, not through the PowerSchool app.
For new students or new transfer tuition students, please use the 2021-2022 New Student Registration link
PCSC is accepting new transfer applications for ALL GRADES students from February 1st to June 1st. No transfer applications will be accepted after June 1st.
PLEASE NOTE IF MOVING:
If you plan on moving for the start of the 2021-2022 school year, you must submit an address change with your new address on your returning student registration. If your new address is not Central's assigned district, you will be contacted and your registration will be sent to the appropriate school.
Feel free to call the office at 317.839.7707 with registration questions.
Order Yearbooks Online
Here is the website and code for the parents to order online.
Code: 14357821
Within the month, Lifetouch will provide flyers for us to send home as well if you prefer to order that way.
Yearbook Cover(s) Chosen
Congratulations April Zabell on the Front Cover
Addyson Grimes
Dane Bolin
Madelyn Racic
State Assessments--Set to Happen
Since we have returned from our holiday break, your child has hit the ground running preparing for the ILEARN (grades 3-5) and IREAD (grade 3 only) assessments. So far, we are set for the state assessments.
Assessment Windows
- IREAD-3 March 8-March 19
- ILEARN April 19-May 14
Please note the following: Schools are required by state and/or federal legislation to administer assessments, such as ILEARN, IREAD-3, ISTEP+, IREAD-3, I AM, and WIDA. Statewide summative assessments are considered high-stakes and may not be given to students remotely since doing so would pose a risk to the accuracy of test data.
ILEARN is a computer adaptive test, which means students are assessed at grade level standards. However, the difficulty of the test will adjust based on student answers. This will provide a better measure of what each student knows and can do.
However, I don't want to give you the impression that we are all about test scores because that is not true. We are all about bringing joy to learning through our creative instructional strategies. We push our students to build stamina, to persevere, and to have a growth mindset in all they do. The ILEARN assessment is just another way for us to have students prove their mastery of the academic standards.
PTO Sponsors Virtual Family Fun Night
Immunization Opportunities
Hendricks Regional Health will be offering immunization clinics for students in April. These immunizations will be billed to your insurance, a self-pay option will not be available. Please bring your ID and insurance card with you to the clinic. Students can attend any of the three clinic options listed below. If a student drives and a parent is not accompanying them, they will need to have a signed consent and copy of their insurance card with them.
Plainfield High School clinic Door 1 Tuesday April 20th 3p-7p
Avon High School clinic Door 1 Thursday April 15th 3:30p-6p
Brownsburg High School clinic Door 1 Saturday April 17th 8a-12p
Students/families can attend any clinic at any of the high schools.
How Breakfast Can Benefit Your Child From HRH Pediatric Unit
School Clinic
Every school has an RN full time on staff. We are fortunate to have Mrs. Jackie Mace. Our nurse administers medication, does vision and hearing screenings, all on top of taking care of your children at school. If your child has a medical condition or takes prescription medication during school hours, please contact Nurse Mace at jmace@plainfield.k12.in.us or at 317-838-3652.
Medications and over the counter medicine- Please note all medication must be delivered to school and picked up from school by a parent. Medications must be in their original packaging; prescription medications must include documentation of the student as the person to whom medication was prescribed (i.e. prescription label).
Asthma Paperwork- please contact Nurse Mace for the form.
Cold Weather and Recess
Now more than ever we want to take children outside whenever possible.
School Supplies
If you need any help with school supplies at any point in the year, please reach out to our home school advisor, Diana White. We have had many donations and are glad to help support your child's learning any way we can. She can be reached at dwhite@plainfield.k12.in.us
2020-2021 Title One Compact
Click below to learn more about the School-wide staff, parent/caregiver and student compact for 2020-2021
Add School Events to Your Calendar!
We are still updating our calendar for this year, but I am sharing our Central Elementary Parent Calendar. I am hoping this will help you to have all our important events at your fingertips.
(Disclaimer: Every phone is different. If you have a Google calendar, it will work for sure; others will have different steps to follow, but your phone should prompt you.) Note - for Google, you need to be on a computer to add the calendar.
Link to VIEW ONLY the Central Elementary Parent Calendar
There are some old calendars floating around in the Google drive. We do have school on March 12.
Check Out How to Access Beanstack from Home and Log Your Reading
A Note From the Central PTO President
Highlights:
- Valentine's Parties were a success! Thank you Deidre for putting together all of the bags for each student. Each bag had a snack (Thanks to Mrs. Thacker) a drink, a game, and a craft.
- We had a great Cocoa Bomb sale! Thank you to everyone who made purchases!
- Culver's fundraiser night-Thank you if you had dinner and/or dessert!
- Staff Appreciation: On Monday, February 22 each staff member received a blanket with the Red Pride shield, a hot chocolate packet, and a motivational card.
- 5th Grade tshirts are currently on sale for $15. A flyer has been sent home or you can order on the PTO website (www.centralelementarypto.com)
- Officer Poston led storytimes with snacks for the Readathon class winners. The kids had a great time!! Congratulations to Mrs. Riester, Mrs. Mitchell, Mrs. Todd, Mrs. M Johnson, Mrs. Tobey and Mrs. Mosier's classes!
- Central Family Celebration Night In: Register by March 12 at www.centralelementarypto.com under PTO News to receive a kit full of guided activities and supplies for some Minute To Win It challenges. You can schedule a time to meet with your grandparents or a special person virtually or in person. Connect and have fun at your convenience!
- Staff Appreciation: March 2-17 Teachers will be looking for Lucky the Leprechaun (life size cutout) around the school and can win prizes if they locate him.
- Spring Bunny Hunt: During the week of March 22 we will have bunnies hidden around the school for the students to find as they go to specials, lunch, and recess. When the classes find 10 of the bunnies, they will win a prize!
- Join us on March 15 at 7pm for our next PTO Parent Meeting. Look for the zoom link on our Facebook page as well as on Parent Square.
Thank you! Have a great week!
Nicole Rongo
February PTO Meeting Agenda and Minutes
Minutes from January Meeting
Value of the Month for March: Reliability
VALUE OF THE MONTH FOR FEBRUARY: Honesty
Value Winner For Each Class
Berklee Hause
John Brinker
Delaney Schindler
Kailiana Sheets
Ava Tom
Elayna Webb
Presley Mattix
Corbin Speas
Madden Gauck
Chase Kerins
Cain Drury
Khimoni Briggs
Alex Bola
Ethan Denbrook
Aubrey Racic
Neela Bullard
Beau Short
Gianna Clark
Keagyn Terry
Tinley Woodruff
Lok Summers
Cruz Bullard
Dane Bolin
Beau Basham
Value of the Month- School Winner
Nomination Letter from Ms. Carmichael
Madden is a great example of this month's value of honesty. Madden knows the importance of telling the truth, even when he may have made a mistake or a decision that he is not proud of. Madden encourages others to do the right thing and be honest. He is a leader within our classroom without realizing , just by simply being honest and showing his peers that honesty is always the best policy. Keep up the great work, Madden! We are proud of you!
3rd grade Mineral Identification Lab
4th grade Jello Structures
First Grade Creating Monuments
Transportation
Providing a safe arrival and dismissal system is extremely important to all of the staff at Central Elementary. To achieve that, Central utilizes a number system when dismissing our car rider students.
Car Rider Request Form-Will you be picking your child up from school this year? If so, please click on this link Central Car Rider Request and register for a number. You must complete the form for EACH child that is attending Central. Please place your car rider number on the right side of your dashboard for pick up beginning the first day of school. With the changes in our procedures, it is imperative that we know asap.
Bus- You will be contacted by the bus driver a week before school starts with information regarding the pick-up and drop off times for your child. For any questions or concerns regarding transportation, please call their office at 317-838-3632.
Add/Cancel Bus Service- You will need to fill out the Transportation Data Form to add or cancel bus service.
Arrival- If your child will be dropped off by a parent or guardian in the mornings,
please follow these procedures:
Enter the parking lot from Wabash Street and pull forward to let your child get out of the car on the passenger side. Doors are locked until 8:30am. Once doors are unlocked and staff members appear, your child may exit your car. Make sure your child is wearing a mask.
Dismissal- Please the Car Rider number tag in your front car window for pick up. Please enter off of US 40 onto Wabash Street. There will be two lines, which form into one around our horseshoe. A dismissal teacher will radio for your child to be walked out from the gym. You can also park in the lot/grass parking for the funeral home and enter the gym at Door #8 on the east side of our building. Be sure to social distance and wear a mask.
- Please make sure to list in your car rider request sheet all parent names and anyone else, such as a grandparent, aunt/uncle or babysitter, who will be picking up your child. Any additions or changes to your pick up list must be made by calling the office at Central. No child will be released at dismissal to someone who is not on their pick up list.
Bus- If there will be a change in your child’s regular after-school transportation routine, you must send a note to your teacher and call the front office on that day before 1:00 p.m. If NO note or call is made, the child will go their REGULAR way home that day.
Changing the End of the Day Transportation Routine
The following information is from our handbook:
If your child is to go home a way different than their normal arrangement, you must send in a note to the teacher with instructions as to how the child is to go home. We will not allow a child to go home a different way without a note. Please make these arrangements before school or by 1:00 p.m. at the latest. NEW THIS YEAR, Children will NOT be allowed to ride a different bus to or from school. All children have assigned seats on the bus.
If you call requesting that your child become a car rider, you are required to come into the
school office to sign out your child no earlier than 3:45 p.m. Your child will be waiting in the office lobby until you sign them out. Signing your child out prior to 3:45 does affect your child’s attendance, as it counts as a partial day present.
If you call requesting that your child ride a bus home instead of being a car rider, we will need to verify that we are speaking to the child’s parent/guardian by asking certain questions or through caller ID on our phone system. To make this smoother, please call from one of the phone numbers that you have registered with our school as contacts.
Finally, please note that e-mail notifications of changes for the end of the day ride home are not accepted. We are not able to ensure that the email will be read in time.
ADDRESS CHANGE? RECENTLY MOVED?
Before and After School Care--
The YMCA runs a before and after school program at Van Buren. THIS IS A CHANGE. Van Buren is better suited to host the program this year. They are able to keep Central and Van Buren students separated. Students will ride a bus from Van Buren in the morning and a YMCA staff member will walk the students over to Van Buren in the evening.
The program is run independently from the school so please call 317-941-9578 for information and to register or Click the link below. In addition, there are several daycares that bus kids to and from Central that include ABC Daycare, Living Christ for Kids, Kids Connection, Children of America, Beginning Steps and Kindercare.
FREE LUNCHES EXTENDED
USDA has extended the waiver for FREE school meals for the remainder of the 20-21 school year. All school meals will be free for all students until the end of the school year. Ala Carte items will still be available to purchase. Free meals are available for our Virtual Learners. Visit our school website https://www.plainfield.k12.in.us/page/new-food-services for more information on the pickup for the meals.
Sincerely,
Kelly Collins
Director of Food Services
General Food Service Information
Breakfast- $1.50, Lunch $2.50, Milk $0.50 (FREE PROGRAM EXTENDED THROUGH MAY 2021)
Purchase- FREE Breakfast and lunch is served daily at Central. To purchase additional ala catre items you will need to put money into your child’s lunch account. You may send cash or a check to school in a sealed envelope with the student name, teacher name and “lunch money” on the front. You can also add money by creating an account on EFunds . You can check your child’s lunch card balance and/or upload money via debit/credit card for lunches or Textbook Rental ("optional fees"). You will need your child’s student number to set up this account.
Packing a lunch- You can pack your child a lunch box
Free/Reduced Status- Applications for Free/Reduced lunch status can be submitted online on Lunch App Website. We protect the privacy of students who receive free or reduced-price meals or textbooks. Their classmates will not know that they’re receiving this support. If your family qualifies, these programs can save you hundreds of dollars, so please be sure to apply. If your child receives free or reduced-price meals, you may add money to their account to allow them to purchase ala carte items that are not part of the free or reduced-price federal meal program. Please be sure to apply if the free breakfast and lunch program should end.
FREE TEXTBOOKS Did you know? If a child qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, they also qualify for no-fee textbooks. You do not have to use the meal benefit to receive this benefit. Other school fees may apply.
LOW BALANCE E-MAILS When a student's meal balance drops below $5, the student's parent/guardian will be notified by email. Please be sure your child's student record includes current contact information.
Food Allergies- If your child suffers from food allergies, we are prepared to help ensure they enjoy meals that are both safe and nutritious. Please fill out the correct form and return to Kelly Collins, Director of Food Services at kcollins@plainfield.k12.in.us. If you have any questions regarding the forms please call Kelly Collins 317-839-2578. Please use the following links below:
Computers
It is the expectation that students come to school every day with their computer charged and ready to go. You may leave the charger in your child's backpack. Cases for the computers were ordered for the 300 model computers because the 500 are more durable.
In the event we would have a school closure, students would need to be ready to work from home the next day of school.
Student Acceptable Use Policy- The Plainfield Community School Corporation (PCSC) recognizes that access to technology in school gives students greater opportunities to learn, engage, communicate, and develop skills that will prepare them for work, life, and citizenship. We are committed to helping students develop 21st-century technology and communication skills. To that end, we provide access to technologies for student and staff use. You may review the Student Acceptable Use Policy for more details.
PowerSchool Student Management System
The Plainfield Community School Corporation uses the PowerSchool Parent portal, which gives you access to your child’s grades, lunch account balance, bus schedule, and registration for returning students for the next school year.