Jeremiah Gray Kindergarten Academy
Home of the Little Giants - November 16, 2018
From the Principal's Office
A Message From Your Principal
As the week closes, I hope that everyone is doing well. It's been a very busy week here!
Monday we started our week with a wonderful Veterans' Day program. Students sang beautifully, and we honored several members of our community that have served our great country! I want to publicly thank our music teacher, Mrs. Pietranczyk, for her work with our students. They gave a great performance!
On Wednesday, students practiced our first emergency lock down drill. Students learned how to handle themselves in the event an intruder entered our building. They did a great job listening to their teachers and moved quickly to safety. We moved 400 kids to a safe place very quickly!
Next week we will continue to talk to our students about staying safe in a couple different ways. We will be discussing child abuse. We will discuss how to look for signs of physical abuse, and how to talk to a trusted adult if they think a friend is getting hurt. We will also talk to the kids about what to do if someone is physically abusing them. We will talk about appropriate touch, and what to do or say if someone makes you feel uncomfortable.
As a school principal, the hardest part of my job is having to prepare my students for bad things. But, I know that bad things can happen, and I want our children to rise above these things and always stay safe!
If you have any questions, or would like to discuss any concerns, please reach out to me at lhansell@perryschools.org or (317) 782-2251.
Love,
Mrs. Hansell
Congratulations to our Little Giants of the Week!
Teacher Spotlight
Name: Chelsie Lucid
Number of years: >1
Family Info: I have my parents and a little sister
Favorite Hobbies: I like to exercise, go out to eat, and travel
Interesting fact: I am obsessed with the Rockefeller Christmas Tree but I have never seen it in real life!
Staff Spotlight
Name: Louise Kelter
Number of years: 22
Family Info: My husband Steve, I have 3 grown children Ann, Michael, and Nicole. Son-in Law Dustin, and Daugher-in-Law Rachel. I also have 3 grandsons Oliver, Macklin, and Jack.
Favorite Hobbies: Spending time with my family and having my grandsons spend the night. Going out to dinner with friends, Watching movies and travel.
Interesting fact: I volunteer in the Gift Shop at the Altenheim Senior Living.
JGKA Salutes Our Veterans!
Important Things to Know About the School Bus
Here are a few things that might help make the commute to and from school more understandable:
*Kindergartners will only be let off of the bus and released to a parent or designee. Drivers will NOT release your child without an adult present.
*Parents need to be out at the stop, visible to the driver.
*If you are not at the stop when the bus arrives in the afternoon, your child will be brought back to school and you will have to pick them up as soon as possible.
*Kindergartners work hard all day, and often can fall asleep on the bus. If the student is sleeping, they may not hear the driver call their name to get off at that stop. Our drivers are instructed to walk the bus at the end of their route. If a sleeping child is still on the bus, they will be returned to school and we will call you immediately.
*If you are concerned that your child might have missed their stop, you can call the transportation department at (317) 789-6221, or you may call the main office at school (317) 782-2240.
The main thing we want you to know is that we are not going to leave school until all children are safely home. So, if by chance your child misses the stop for any reason, please know we will be here to receive them and keep them safe until you can come get them. We LOVE our Little Giants, and keeping them safe is our number one priority!
Bus Information
A parent or guardian MUST be home to receive children in grades K-2 from the school bus at the end of the school day.
If no one is home upon the young student’s arrival, the child will be returned to the school where the parent will be required to pick up the student. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Also, please remember that Wednesdays are an early release day. Please be at the bus stop 30 minutes earlier on those days.
Attendance & Timeliness
Car Rider Pick Up
We have a concern in the afternoon, and we need your help with it to keep our dismissal safe and efficient.
We have had a number of parents lining up early in front of our building. We prefer that we leave the drive open for parents that HAVE to come up and sign into the building. After 2:20 each day, we need to ask that ALL cars pull into the campus car line. We KNOW waiting is hard, but it really is in the best interest of all students on the Jeremiah Gray campus.
Our site has a preschool, Kindergarten Academy, and Elementary School. We need to have the car line procedures in place so we can swiftly move all three programs.
Thanks in advance for your assistance with this!
Breakfast & Lunch Menu
Visitor Policy
Volunteer Policy
SCOPE: Volunteers who in the course of performing their service and have access to vulnerable populations, specifically minor children less than 18 years of age. This policy will cover all volunteers who volunteer on a regular basis with “ongoing contact” with students.
Such volunteers consist of:
- Volunteers who are with children on a regular basis
- Tutoring/Mentoring
- Coaches
- Extracurricular sponsors
- Volunteers who chaperone overnight trips/ or are attending field trips and have sole responsibility over a group of students or any student other than their own child.
PURPOSE: To establish a pre-screening program and an ongoing evaluation process to protect the students we are attempting to serve.
POLICY: It is the policy of Perry Township Schools to promote an environment in which the students we serve do so in safety and without fear in an atmosphere of trust and respect. Perry Township Schools, therefore, requires an expanded criminal history of volunteers who will have as part of their duties access to minors under the age of 18. Volunteers must wait until after their background screening process is complete to begin their volunteer assignment. However, the volunteer must contact Perry Township Schools if there are any personal arrests or filing of criminal charges while serving as a volunteer. A volunteer MUST complete the background check through Raptor each year. Volunteers will be interviewed by Administrators, teachers and/or Human Resources when deemed appropriate.
There is a $5.00 charge for the volunteer background check. The background checks usually take 5-7 days to be completed. Background checks will be maintained in Human Resources Office. The school will maintain a list of all current volunteers.
http://www.perryschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/VOLUNTEER-POLICY-2018.pdf
A Message from Our Nurse
Board Vacancy Notice
The Perry Township Schools Board of Education will have an opening, effective January 2019. As three seats on the board were up for election, only two people ran for the positions.
Candidates interested in serving as a school board member should submit a resume and cover letter explaining why they would like to serve on the Board. Please email materials to boardofeducation@perryschools.org or mail to 6548 Orinoco Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46227, Attention: Mr. Pat Mapes. The board will select and vote on the candidate to fill the open seat.
Resumes and cover letters are due by Tuesday, December 4, 2018. Appointment of the position will take place January 2019.
4th Annual Cheer Teddy Bear Toss
Please join us at Southport High School for the 1st home game of the basketball season vs Perry and participate in a great cause! When: 7:30pm, Tuesday November 20, 2018. Where: Southport High School. Please bring a new bear (or a few) to toss into the middle of the court when announced during halftime. All bears collected will be delivered to Police Stations, Fire Stations and Battered Women’s Shelters.
Tea with a Princess at Southport High School
It’s time again for Tea with a Princess! Join our Southport Thespians for refreshments, cookie decorating, crafts, and dancing with our Princes and Princesses. Each child will have extended amount of one-on-one time with every single character. Each person attending should purchase a ticket. Dec 2nd @ 11:00am & 2:00pm. Dec 9th @ 11:00am & 2:00pm. www.ticketracker.com Search Southport HS and then click EVENTS. You will find all 4 Tea with a Princess sessions listed. Contact Kimberly Roberts @ kroberts@perryschools.org with questions.
Cookies with Mr. and Mrs. Claus
Save the Date!! December 15 Cookies with Mr and Mrs Claus at Southport High School. 1:00-2:30pm & 3:30-5:00pm - $10 per child (all children must be accompanied by an adult). Recommended for children up through 5th grade but open to all believers! Activities include cookies, hot chocolate, water crafts and games, face painting with elves and a photo op with Mr and Mrs Claus. Sponsored by SHS Indoor Percussion. Register at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080D4EAEA823A2F49-cookies. Registration opens: November 16 and closes: December 10.
Jeremiah Gray Kindergarten Academy
Website: http://www.perryschools.org/jk/
Location: 5225 Gray Road, Indianapolis, IN, United States
Phone: (317) 782-2240
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JGKALittleGiants/
Twitter: @JGKAPrincipal