Thanksgiving is almost here! We have school on Monday and Tuesday of next week but will be closed Wednesday, November 22 through Friday, November 24. (Note: There will not be a newsletter next Tuesday due to the short week, but we will send a Parent Square reminder on Monday, November 27 about STEM Night and PTO Pottery Night).

Here are some things to spotlight for this edition:

• Thank you!-Thank you to our PTO for the sweet surprise to staff during the school day. Thank you also to our Dads Club for hosting a fun Movie and Gym Night!
• STEM Night- STEM Night is scheduled for November 28th. Plan to return to school for a fun filled evening! This is also an opportunity to connect with Mrs. Seward about the Science Fair. More information about the Science Fair is included below.
  
• PTO Pottery Night- PTO Pottery Night is November 29th. No registration is required.
  
• PTO Winter Spirit Wear Sale ends on November 26. Please see the section below for ordering information or click the link here.
• Stewards of Children - Mark your calendar for our next Strong in Every Way Speaker Series, which is next Monday, November 20th. More information is included in below. We hope you will be able to join us on this important topic.

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, we wanted to take a moment to express our sincere appreciation to our exceptional staff, dedicated students, and supportive families. Your unwavering commitment to education and the well-being of our school community is truly remarkable. When we opened our school a year ago, we focused on the core values of inclusion, collaboration, and growth. Thank you for your continued commitment to cultivating a school environment where life is breathed into these words each day.

Wishing you all a break filled with joy and laughter.

With gratitude,

Mrs. Jen Raycroft and Ms. Deb Pickett

Trailside Elementary

jraycroft@zcs.k12.in.us

dpickett@zcs.k12.in.us

November 20- SIEW Speaker Series, Stewards of Children, 6:00 pm

November 21- Kindergarten Friendly Feast; First Grade Beast Feast

November 22-24 - Thanksgiving Break (no school)

November 28- STEM Night

November 29- PTO Pottery Event, 6-8 PM

December 22 - End of 2nd quarter/1st semester & Winter Parties

December 25 - January 5 - Winter Break

January 8 - Certified & office staff returns (teacher work day - no students)

January 9 - Students return to school

January 15 - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - (no school)

February 19 - Presidents Day (no school)

March 15 - End of 3rd quarter

March 29 - April 8 - Spring Break

April 9 - School resumes

May 27 - Memorial Day (no school)

May 31 - End of 4th quarter/Last Day of School

June 3 - Last day for certified staff/teacher work day

June 9 - ZCHS Commencement

23-24 ZCS School Calendar 2023-2024 ZCS Calendar

All ZCS elementary schools will be hosting a science fair this year. All students are invited to enter! Information can be found on your child’s CANVAS page via STEM. Projects will be done entirely at home and brought into school on Science Fair day.

Week of November 5-10: STEM Classes learn about Scientific Method and Science Fair

November 28th- STEM Family Night and Science Fair Information : From 6:15 – 6:45 Mrs. Seward will be available in the STEM Room to answer questions about the Science Fair.

December 15th- Project Proposals through a Google Form: https://forms.gle/UgrGJosvse5DaRXcA

December 18th- Help Session: Mrs. Seward will host a project work/help session in the STEM Room from 4:00-5:00.

Tuesday, February 6th Science Fair: This will take place during the day at school. In the evening families and the community are invited to a Science Fair Open House from 5:00 – 6:30

See Molly Seward, STEM Teacher with any questions. mseward@zcs.k12.in.us

Our lost and found is growing! Please remember to put your child's name in all of his/her sweatshirts and coats so we can return them to their owners.

• Lunch visitors- We are ready to accept visitors for lunch! You can use our online system to sign up to have lunch with your student in the office conference room. You will need to bring your ID to check in. Please no more than 2 guests per student due to limited space. So that others may have the opportunity, we ask that you not sign up more than 1 time per calendar month. When you sign up, please put your student name and classroom teacher in the notes. Here is the lunch visitor sign up link: https://outlook.office365.com/owa/calendar/TrailsideLunchVisitors@zcsk12in.onmicrosoft.com/bookings/

It is the season of giving, but there are some things we hope not to share. As a preventative measure, please regularly check your child for lice and nits. It helps stop the spread as we get into coat and hat weather. Thanks so much!

Please notify Nurse Mindy Conrad by email at mconrad@zcs.k12.in.us if you detect head lice on your child. As always, confidentiality will be maintained. Thank You!

The Home Links for the entire year are linked below.

• Kindergarten Home Links
• 1st Grade Home Links
• 2nd Grade Home Links
• 3rd Grade Home Links
• 4th Grade Home Links

Visit the website at www.secondstep.org and enter your grade level activation code. You will first need to create an account and then from your account dashboard you can select Family Resources.

Grade Level Activation Codes:

Kindergarten: SSPKFAMILY70

Grade 1: SSP1FAMILY71

Grade 2: SSP2FAMILY72

Grade 3: SSP3FAMILY73

Grade 4: SSP4FAMILY74

If you have any questions about the Second Step program, please do not hesitate to reach out for more information. Thank you for supporting your child(ren) in learning the skills which lead to success in school and in life.

Resources:

Family Assistance - When basic needs are met, students are better able to focus on education and learning. Therefore, there is assistance available for our students and their families to help with various needs which may arise throughout the school year. If you are currently in need of assistance, please fill out the form by clicking the link Family Assistance. Please know, this information is private and will be kept confidential.

Local Provider List

As the school counselor here at Trailside Elementary, I wanted to (re)introduce myself and my role. Please see below to learn more about me, my role, and how I help and support your student(s) social and emotional learning here at school!

Dismissal Changes

Same Day Changes

• Prior to 1pm – please call the main office and press 1 in order to leave a message that will be received in time to communicate the change.
• After 1pm - please call the main office and press 0 to speak live with one of our administrative assistants.
• Please do not email same day changes to your child’s teacher. They may not have an opportunity to check email prior to dismissal.

Changes in Advance

• Please send a handwritten note to your child’s teacher or call the office instead of an email. There may be times that a substitute teacher has been assigned, that he or she will not have access to the teacher’s email.
• If you choose to email, please ensure you get a reply confirmation that your child's teacher received the change. If you do not, please call the main office.

Attendance

Illness or Late Arrival

• If your child is ill, you are running late, or your child won’t be coming to school that day for any reason - please call the main office and press 2 to leave a message on the attendance line. If you do not, you will receive phone calls after a certain time so we can ensure your child is safe.

Pre-Arranged Absence

• Please complete the pre-arranged absence form, linked below or located on the Trailside Elementary website (under the Parent tab) at least two days in advance, and turn it into the front office.

During the school day, all volunteers are expected to check in at the front office. Prior to the volunteer opportunity, all volunteers must sign a Non-disclosure Acknowledgement Form and have successfully completed a Full Criminal History Background Check.. Necessary background check paperwork is available on the ZCS website at the Volunteers/BRAVO link and should be submitted at least 10 days prior to the intended volunteer date. Volunteers must also view the state mandated confidentiality/bullying video, provided on the Volunteer/BRAVO website. The volunteer will pay the fee for the full background check which will expire after 5 years.

During the school day, all visitors must enter via the front door and sign-in at the front office. Visitors need to be prepared to present a government issued photo ID which will be scanned against the National Sex Offender Registry. All visitors will be issued a visitor badge/tag to be worn inside the building at all times. Visitors other than parents/guardians must be prearranged and organized through the main office.

GROW/Child Care Services

Eagle Rec

Bridge and Early Start Spanish are optional, fee based programs that “bridge” the time between the 7:50-8:00 arrival time for 1st-4th grade students, and the start of the instructional day for Kindergarten students, which is 8:50-9:00.

Before and After-School Care (BAC) is available for all Trailside students. Before school care begins at 6:45am and After school extends childcare from 2:30 to 6:00pm.

Eagle Rec offers fee based programs in a variety of interest areas throughout the school year.

One such program is the Trailside Choir- https://register.ryzer.com/camp.cfm?sport=24&id=252965

Email: jraycroft@zcs.k12.in.us
Website: https://tse.zcs.k12.in.us/
Location: 4200 South 875 East, Zionsville, IN, USA
Phone: 317-873-8057