Black Cat Bulletin
Keeping it R.E.A.L! Respect + Effort + Attitude= Leadership
September 2017
From Our Principal...
Dear Parents,
I am so happy to welcome you back to a great school year! I hope that this summer was filled with sun, fun, and fond memories for you and your Black Cats. Our staff was busy this summer as well, enjoying some much needed rest and relaxation, but also attending workshops on standards, collaborative structures, technology trainings, as well as doing grade-level and individual planning. We are recharged and ready to provide your students with an exceptional educational experience this year, and are well under way! (We are already 11% of the way through our year. Can you believe it?)
We have some exciting events in store for our West Terrace students and their families, and hope that you will join us for our PTA Trunk or Treat, Breakfast with Mummy, Lucky Gents Breakfast, Book Fair, and many Give-Back nights scheduled in our community. We already had one at Milk & Sugar and Sweet Peony and have more that are scheduled. We have numerous volunteer opportunities for parents and grandparents on campus, including our classroom volunteers, and many PTA event volunteers opportunities. Our impressive parent volunteer force is a huge component of what makes West Terrace an exemplary community. The home-school connection and open communication between West Terrace parents and staff foster a true sense of community partnerships here on campus. We welcome your feedback and suggestions as to how to make West Terrace programs even stronger.
At West Terrace, we place a great deal of emphasis on educating the whole child. We value a challenging and rigorous academic program, in addition to personal wellness and character education. Our four standards of behavior foster personal accountability and consideration of self and others and are taught in our Keep It R.E.A.L. (Respect, Effort, Attitude, and Leadership/Learning) approach. We often recognize our R.E.A.L Leaders and you may see their certificates displayed in our halls. We strive to model and reinforce this behavior through activities and interactions both inside the classroom and out in the community. We encourage you to help your children to set goals that will assist them to reach their own personal best.
Superintendent Dr. David Smith and our School Board of Trustees' vision is excellence in student achievement. Everything we do centers around attaining this vision. This year EVSC will continue our culture of providing a challenging and quality education to all students. EVSC has made a commitment to work with educators, families, and community members to ensure that our schools live the mission to provide outstanding educational opportunities through shared, committed responsibility.
In order to achieve this goal at WT, we are digging deep into data, strengthening our skill in collaboration and intention with students, and we encourage our teachers and students to set goals in order to chart and see growth. Our school letter grade for last school year was a ‘C’ due in large part to individual student growth. We are working hard for every child so that growth is realized for each and every student. We want every child to grow and exceed their goals, and want our school to see the increase in performance in achievement and growth as a result.
If you are joining us for the first time this year, welcome to our family! For those returning to WT, thank you for sharing your amazing children with us. It is a privilege and an honor to support your students, and we are exceptionally grateful for your continued support, involvement, and encouragement. We look forward to an incredible year of learning and personal growth for every West Terrace Black Cat!
Sincerely,
Katie White
principal
From Our Principal Intern...
I'm so excited to be starting my second year with the families and staff at West Terrace. Working with each of you has been a joy in my life! I'm looking forward to a wonderful year full of many learning opportunities for our students. As a school, we can't wait to see the learning that takes place as students collaborate together throughout the school year.
Making the School Year a Success
We look forward to partnering with you to make this year a success for students. We believe a strong partnership between home and school are necessary to maximize learning. We ask that you support your child's learning by doing the following:
1. Check your child's agenda and/or take-home folder daily. Teachers often
communicate to families using these.
2. Contact your child's teacher with any concerns or questions you have.
3. Read with your student daily to practice the skills learned in class and develop a love
for reading.
4. Complete all the homework sent home. This allows you to see what your child is
learning in class and practice important skills.
Have a Fantastic Year, Black Cats!
Bethany Lynch
From Our Counselor...
Hidden Dangers Inside the Apps Your Children May be Using
Online Safety Tips for Parents
by Becky L. Spivey, M.Ed.
Understanding the ins and outs of apps for social media and related sites can be a daunting and never-ending task. Children and young adults are becoming more aggressive in using social media without truly understanding its potential dangers. Our children are constantly seeking interaction through social media, games, and sharing of personal information with people they may or may n ot know. While constantly posting their locations, activities, and photos, most young people are oblivious to just how vulnerable they are to the dark side of the World Wide Web. The Family Online Safety Institute, https://www.fosi.org/ recommends that parents engage in “7 Steps to Good Digital Parenting” in keeping abreast of their children’s digital use. The following ideas and suggestions will help you work towards being a more informed digital parent. 1. Talk with your children openly and honestly about your concerns with social media and its hidden dangers. Discuss with your children what they can and cannot do regarding their interaction with others. 2. Educate yourself. If you do not have first-hand information of an app or website, download it and see for yourself what its function or purpose really is. 3. Engage parental controls. On ALL Android and Apple devices, you can create a password that allows you to enable/disable apps and phone functions. From there, you can create a pin that allows you to filter age-appropriate content and apps. 4. Friend and follow your children on social media so you can see everything that your children post, share, or receive. Respect their online space and refrain from commenting, but your goal and responsibility is to teach your children how to use social media appropriately and protect them from potential dangers. 5. Explore and share the internet with your children by finding apps and sites to use as a family. Take the time to teach them what you know about technology and, at the same time, learn what they know. 6. Be a good digital role model. Spend more time unplugged from your devices. However, when you do plug in, show your children how to use technology productively by seeking answers to questions, evaluating information, and solving problems. 7. Set ground rules and the penalties for breaking them. Create an internet safety contract as you would a chore chart or family job list. Its purpose is simply to establish ground rules for internet safety including (1) information children can and cannot share online, (2) how to be good digital citizens, and (3) the consequences if they violate the rules. Monitor and manage your digital footprint. By visiting different sites and apps, you automatically create a passive digital footprint without even knowing it. It can reveal your internet history, IP address, location, and make accessible the information stored on your device. An active footprint is the information you share and control. The Family Online Safety Institute, https://www.fosi.org/ has suggestions for cleaning up your passive digital footprint by: checking privacy settings, using strong passwords, updating software, and consistently maintaining your device!
Needing a Boys' Basketball Coach
INFORMATION
Notes From The Nurse
Welcome back
The first month of school is almost behind us! If you have not sent in your Childs shot record please do so. I will be also reaching out to those who still need to update their shots.
I will also begin to reach out to those who have sent in either inhalers or Epi pens. I need to have either an Asthma plan or an Allergy plan on file.
Looking forward to a great year if you have any questions about your Childs health or medications taken here at school please give me a call.
Christine Hamilton
812-435-8736
VOLUNTEER: PAINT THE PLAYGROUND!!
Policy Reminders 2017-18
Signing in at the Office
Our front doors are locked during school hours. When you arrive at the front entrance, please press the intercom button. You will be asked to state your reason for entering the building. You will be buzzed in after speaking with office personnel.
Once you have entered the building please report to the office where you will be asked to sign in our Raptor sign-in system (same as last year). Please be prepared to present your driver's license to be scanned into our system. Please make sure to wear your Raptor printed badge where it is visible so staff will know that you have signed in at the office. It is important that you return to the office to sign out as you leave. You may scan the barcode on your printed badge to scan out.
Dress Policies
SHOES
Students may not wear flip flops to school. There are many safety concerns in the building and on recess each day that require a stable shoe. They also break easily, and we do not have shoes to provide to students.
Modest Dress
Spaghetti straps, belly shirts, sagging pants, and short shorts or short skirts will not be permitted. Spaghetti strap shirts are allowed under an overshirt or sweater.
Classroom visits and instruction
While we enjoy visitors here to support learning at West Terrace, we do ask non-scheduled visits be avoided for things such as giving a child a forgotten lunchbox, saying "hi" when you're here on other business, etc. We find these interruptions frequently occur during instruction when not monitored. Instruction is our number one priority. Please help us keep students' focus on the teacher and not on visitors in the classroom. Forgotten items will be given to the child at the teacher's convenience. You'll be asked to leave the item in the office for a later delivery.
Lunch Visits
We welcome you to join your child for lunch this year. Please remember that a lunch visit is a special time for you and your child to interact. You will sit in a booth with your child. For security purposes, you may not have other children join your family in the booth. *Please send a note to the office if someone other than you will be eating lunch with your child.
If you come for lunch with your child, please remain in the cafe. Visitors are not permitted in the classrooms before or after lunches as part of the lunch visit without notifying the office. This is for the security of all children in the building.
Recess
Visitors will not be allowed at recess due to safety concerns. If you join your child for lunch, please say good-bye at the cafe doors. Children nor parents are permitted to go to lockers during the lunch period.
Transportation Calls or Notes for Changes
ALL transportation changes should be made in writing to your child's teacher and sent to school. Calls to the office are not encouraged but will be accepted before 2:00 p.m. We are unable to let students go home a different way unless we have been contacted by parents. This includes sporting events, early dismissals, play dates, etc.
If someone will be picking up your child who is not listed in your child's emergency information, please send a signed note to school or add the individual to the form. Students will not be sent home with individuals who are not on the emergency form without a written note from parents.
Dismissal
We make every effort to make sure children do not miss a bus by providing supervision in the halls until they are cleared. If your child misses a bus, your child will be brought to the office and a parent will be contacted for pick up. In the event that a parent cannot be contacted, they will be sent to day care.
Arrival and Dismissal Procedure
Car pick up and drop off is located in the back of the school. Drop off will be from 7:45 to 8:10. As you proceed through the thoroughfare, please drive all the way to the fifth grade doors and drop your child at the door. Please do not pass cards to drop off your child unless directed to do so by staff. Teachers on duty will help get your child out of the car if needed.
At pick up, we will load multiple cars at a time. There will be two rows of cars. Please put your car in park and take your foot off of the brake. The children will be dismissed once it is safe to release them. Wait for the adult in charge to dismiss your row of cars. There is no passing.
The pick-up process for Kindergarten is in front of the building. We no longer use the side entrance and around the back of the property for kindergarten-only. Keep driving past the school and carefully turn around at the end of the drive in the gravel. Drive to the edge of the kindergarten rooms but DO NOT block the parking lot entrance, as buses drive in and out there. The children will be brought out front and delivered to your car.
There is no parking along the front curb in the school parking lot after 2:30.
Medication
Medication can not be given to students without a current medication permission slip on file for this school year.
Healthy School Guidelines
Suggestions include: The following qualify as better choice beverages: (a) Fruit or vegetable based drinks that: contain at least fifty percent (50%) real fruit or vegetable juice; and do not contain additional caloric sweeteners. (b)Water and seltzer water that do not contain additional caloric sweeteners. (c)Low fat and fat free milk, including chocolate milk, soy milk, rice milk, and other similar dairy and nondairy calcium fortified milks. (d)Isotonic beverages.
Further State and School Board policies include: Soft drinks including diet, energy drinks and caffeinated beverages such as coffee and tea, will not be brought from home since they are not allowed to be sold during the regular and extended school day per Indiana Code 20-26-9-19. Communicating to students and families that only accepted drinks will be allowed during the school day as directed by Indiana code is vital. Teachers can have a huge influence on students’ behavior by modeling healthy attitudes and habits toward food and physical activity.
Fast Food: Schools will strive to eliminate fast food from being brought into the school by students, the school, parents, or mentors, etc. during the school day.
We care about your children's health today, tomorrow, and as they become adults. We know the habits they develop now, and the model we set for them, makes a difference for a healthy future. Please join us as we further our commitment to health and wellness!
Birthday Treats
Birthdays are recognized in some classrooms. If your family objects to the celebration of birthdays, please make sure the teacher and the office are aware.
Volunteer Applications
Volunteer applications must be submitted each school year. If you plan to volunteer in the school at anytime during the year, you must complete the volunteer application. Follow the link below to make signing up easy!
https://district.evscschools.com/cms/one.aspx?portalId=74772&pageId=189373
Recycling News
Please remember to recycle your aluminum cans here at West Terrace! We have a recycle cage in the east side parking lot right next to the blue recycle dumpsters. All proceeds go to help our school!
As a reminder, we no longer collect plastic caps for recycling at West Terrace.
Thank you to everyone for helping our school!
PAWS ON PARADE
Paws on Parade Club has started. The kids are excited. Several students have already made a mile and several are very close. Ask your child if they've made a mile yet. They will be excited to know you care about how well they are doing. The POP Club is for grades 1st thru 5th during their recess time. It's their choice to participate how often they like. POP is a walking club, but some students like to run and that's okay. If your child hasn't joined yet; they still can anytime during the year. Prizes are awarded for meeting goals and they get their name announced during Morning Meeting on Wednesdays after reaching every 20 miles. Please encourage and support your student no matter how much or little they participate.
Your support will help us accomplish the following …
- For kids – it’s fun while building self-esteem, learning responsibility, mathematics, and record-keeping skills. They’ll also learn how to set goals, work to achieve them, and evaluate their personal achievement.
- For recess supervisors – it channels kids’ energy
- For teachers – it gets kids ready to learn
- For principals – it aids in children’s educational development
- For parents – it’s getting their child physically fit
And, it will help develop fitness while building muscles, burn calories, reduce stress, and create good lifelong healthy habits.
The Paws On Parade club will also help students meet the American Heart Association's recommendation.
American Heart Association Recommendation… All children age 2 and older should:
- Participate in at least 60 minutes of enjoyable, moderate-intensity physical activities every day that are developmentally appropriate and varied.
- The 60-minute activity can be broken down by providing at least two 30-minute periods or four 15-minute periods in which they can engage in vigorous activities appropriate to their age, gender and stage of physical and emotional development.
What a great start to the new school year!
Tammy Jewell
POP Coordinator
Calendar Link--click below for calendar
IMPORTANT DATES
Mon Sep 4: NO SCHOOL LABOR DAY
Wed Sep 6: 3:15pm – 5:00pm Cheer Tryouts - Gym
Thu Sep 7: 3:15pm – 5:00pm Cheer Tryouts - Gym
Fri Sep 8: 3:15pm – 5:30pm Cheer Tryouts - Gym
Tue Sep 12: 8:00am – 12:00pm School Picture Day - Gym
Thu Sep 14: 4:00pm – 4:30pm Celebrity Scoop Night - Baskin Robbins 848 S Green River Rd
Sep 25-Sep 29: Book Fair
Wed Sep 27: 5:30pm – 6:30pm West Terrace PTA Meeting - Media Center
Important policy reminders
Drop Off/Pick Up
Lunch Box Bringers
JOIN THE WEST TERRACE PTA!
President: Jenny Fuquay
Vice-President: Sandi Davis
Secretary: Tera Babb
Treasurer: April Coughlin
PTA MEETING DATES:
Wednesday, September 27 @ 5:30pm
Wednesday, October 25 @ 5:30pm
Wednesday, November 29 @ 5:30pm
Wednesday, December 20 @ 5:30pm
Wednesday, January 24 @ 5:30pm
Wednesday, February 28 @ 5:30 pm
Wednesday, March 21 @ 5:30 pm
Wednesday, April 25 @ 5:30pm
West Terrace PTA Spirit Wear: Orders due September 8
TRUNK OR TREAT
Extended Care
Our Extended Care Program is off to high
flying start with an average of 65 students
in the morning and 105 after school. The kids
enjoy having extra time with their friends and
parents appreciate us scheduling in homework
to help free up family time in the evenings. The
kids enjoy more time on our vast playground with
friendly competition on the field/court.
As always, we truly appreciate donated items for
crafts (paper, ribbon, wrapping paper, etc.) and
any extra balls (soccer, basketball, volley,
footballs, etc.)
Thank you so much for helping us help your kids!
Barbara Grant
Extended Care Coordinator
Community Outreach
Jenna Hancock-Wargel Berkshire Hathaway Home Services (Click here for more information)
THIS YEAR'S STAFF
Please help us welcome the following staff members to our teams.
Here are the specific grade level assignments:
Kindergarten:
Tara Kolb, rm 32
Wendy Brunson, rm 30
Lisa Gooch, rm 33
Angela Hayes, rm 34
Christine Harris, rm 21
First Grade
Amanda Woods, rm 1
Brooke Corressell, rm 3
Mallorie Roberts, rm 6
Cindy Evans, rm 5
Second Grade
Vera Emmons, rm 9
Nicholas Iaccarino, rm 23
Carie Kingery, rm 10
Trisha Kavanaugh, rm 15
Amy Nau, rm 12
Third Grade
Courtney Rueger, rm 16/ Stephanie Scheu, rm 11
Robin Bass, rm 19/ Denise Strawn, rm 18
Fourth Grade
Shelly DeWeese, rm 22/ Nikki Paul, rm 17
Megan Murphy, rm 24/Lindsey Stine, rm 29
Fifth Grade
Trish Toelle, rm 26/Cassie Curl, rm 28
Renee Schefer, rm 27/Simone Nance, rm 25
Special Ed
LIfeskills:
Jennifer Bennett, rm 4
Sarah Walls, rm 2
Resource:
Renae Jackson, rm 14
Shelley Patton, rm 21
Elizabeth Ray, media center
Rotation
Susan Kemper, Art, rm 8
Anne Woodruff, Music, rm 7
Peggy Davis, Gym
Nadine Risley, Technology
Office
Katie White, Principal
Bethany Lynch, Principal Intern
April Coughlin, Counselor
Sheri Moore, Principal's Secretary
Nicole Smith, Secretary/Receptionist
Christine Hamilton, Nurse
Kim Sitzman, Media Aide