MacArthur Elementary School
September 18, 2020
Just a reminder when picking up & dropping off items please wear a mask. Thank you
Notes from the Principal
Dear MacArthur Families,
We just completed our fourth week of school and it is seems we are beginning to settle into somewhat of a routine. I am hoping the same is true for all of our families as well. We definitely need a lot of patience with each other and our students when it comes to managing our new reality of learning during this COVID time. Whenever possible we would like to try and offer our students some sense of normalcy and this week we were able to have our first Student of the Month. Of course it was different than in years past, but I think our teachers did a really nice job of making our Student of the Month students feel special. Each Student of the Month student received a donut and had the opportunity to meet with the teacher 1:1 to celebrate this special recognition. Our distance learning Student of the Months received a special visit from their teacher and a donut. A special thanks to our PTO for financially sponsoring our Student of the Month.
Everyone loves to feel a little extra special now and then. This week I had 2 golden tickets hidden for the teachers to find. The golden ticket winners receive 1 free recess, of which I will cover for the teacher. You would have thought the two winners hit the lottery they were so excited. I think this simple gesture helped me see how powerful one small act of kindness can be. I would encourage everyone to take the time to randomly do something kind for someone in your life and/or even a stranger.
Have a Great Weekend.
Marian Buchko
Contact Information:
Phone: 219-662-3600 ext. 16001
Email: mlbuchko@cps.k12.in.us
2020 Census
2020 Census - Shape the Future Start Here
The count ends September 30th.
Census data impacts our daily lives, informing important decisions about funding for services and infrastructure in our community, including health care, senior centers, jobs, political representation, roads, schools, and businesses. More than $675 billion in federal funding flows back to states and local communities each year based on census data. Start Here
Important Dates
Sept. 21: College Go Week
Sept. 22: LEAD Day
Sept. 23: 1/2 Day for Students (UPDATE this is now a Full Day of school)
Oct. 5: World Wide Bully Prevention Day
Oct. 8: Group A Picture Day
Oct. 9: Group B Picture Day
Oct. 16: Fall Break/NO School
Oct. 19: Fall Break/NO School
Oct. 26: Red Ribbon Week Begins
Oct. 28: LEAD Day
Help wanted
Transportation department is seeking a full time diesel mechanic. Competitive wages and full benefits, fantastic work environment. Please apply online or call 663-1465 for details.
Cafeteria News
Crown Point Community School Corporation Families,
Beginning September 10, 2020, the State of Indiana Department of Nutrition has approved a federal waiver to allow schools to offer Free breakfast and lunch to ALL students. The waiver extends through December 31, 2020, dependent on available funding from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The approval allows schools to offer meals to all children at no charge this fall. The goal of this offering is to assist our families by minimizing the financial challenges during a pandemic.
Beginning Monday, September 14, 2020, all students in the Crown Point Community School Corporation are eligible to receive free breakfast & lunch each day. Per the USDA guidelines, This does not include second /additional meals or any ala carte items. This waiver does NOT cover textbook assistance.
Our families who are on our free and reduced benefit program will still need to update their application which is due to expire October 5, 2020. Once the waiver is over it will be important to have the updated application on file so your benefits will not be interrupted.
Thank you,
Pam Maloney
Food Service Director
Crown Point Community School Corporation
Happy Birthday!
Chole F. - Mrs. Hochstetler
Charley M. - Mr. Bysiek
Student Attendance
To “attend” school means to be physically present and enrolled in a school or another location where the school’s educational program is being conducted during regular school hours on a day in which the educational programming is being offered.
Any student who is enrolled and accumulates at least ten (10) unexcused absences during a school year is considered habitually truant. Any student who accumulates at least ten (10) absences, excused or unexcused, during a school year is considered chronically absent.
Our school will continue to track daily student attendance from the beginning of the school year. Therefore, a student will be counted absent using the criteria below when attending in-person days and distance learning days.
On in-person days, a student will be counted absent if they are not present in school/class on their assigned A or B day. Parents must notify the school of the absence.
On distance learning days the student is absent if there is no evidence by the start of the next school day of the following: course progress, participation in virtual class meetings, participation on assigned instruction, system activity and login times, and completion of daily work and/or long-term projects.
News from Our School Counselor
Parents/Guardians,
Talking to your young children about college and its costs can be scary or : Where do you start? When’s the right time?
One way to make it easier: Treat it like an ongoing conversation. Below are some great tips from salliemae.com:
Start early
- “Introduce the idea of college to students at the elementary school level,” says Elaine Griffin Rubin, a communication specialist at Edvisors, which helps families plan and pay for college. “Let them know what it is, what it can do for them.” To give your kids a taste of college, bring them to a local campus for a game, a play, or another event. That’s what Laura Wessels, a senior director at Sallie Mae, did with her son Ian, who’s now a college senior.
- “Ian went to reunions with me and his dad. He knew what college was, what it looked like, and that it was our dream for him to go to college,” says Laura. You can also bring college into any school-focused conversations you have with your kids (including if they ask, “Do I have to go to school?”).
- “College has always been talked about as being part of my sons’ education . . . elementary, high school, and college,” says Irena Bosworth, director at Sallie Mae, and mom to Max, 12, and Jake, 8. “They both already have their dream schools picked out, Northeastern and Duke.” Elementary school is also a good time to introduce your kids to money basics, which can help them understand college costs later.
- “Show kids how money works. You have to earn money, save money,” says Elaine.To do so, keep things simple. Give your kids an allowance for doing chores around the house. If they get money for a birthday or holiday, encourage them to save it—maybe even for college. “Whenever my sons receive large sums of money, they know it’s going in the bank for ‘college’ and not for Xbox games,” says Irena.
Have a great weekend,
Ms. Bellamy, M.S.Ed, LPSC
School Counselor
Child Abuse and Sexual Abuse Prevention Education for Students
Indiana legislature has adopted legal requirements that each Indiana public school, including charter schools and accredited nonpublic schools, shall provide age appropriate and research and evidence-based instruction on child abuse and child sexual abuse to students in kindergarten through grade 12. Note that this expands the previous requirement from providing education in grades 2-5 to grades K-12. In order to meet the new requirements, Crown Point school counselors and home-school facilitators will be providing age appropriate, research-informed student personal safety sessions from September 2020 through December 2020. At the elementary level, students will learn the Protect Yourself Rules with their counselor or home-school facilitator in a classroom session of 30-40 minutes. Parents can view the Protect Yourself Rules and related materials at the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center Foundation website fightchildabuse.org. Parents are encouraged to contact Mark Gianfermi, Director of Student Services and School Safety, with questions or concerns at (219)663.3371; mgianfermi@cps.k12.in.us
Chromebook Repair and Support
The Chromebook is the property of the school within the Crown Point Community School Corporation. Therefore, the device must be repaired by Crown Point Technology staff.
1. If a student is attending classes in person, please see your School Librarian for Chromebook repair.
2. If a student is an at-home learner and the Chromebook is broken or fails to work or your charger needs repair please fill out this form Chromebook Repair Form. Your School Media Specialist will contact you.
3. For help with the RDS Log-in or the Buzz Button inside RDS complete the CPCSC Support Form.
4. If you are having issues with one of your courses on Buzz, please contact the teacher by email.
Birth to School
Do you have a child aged 0-5 and not yet in kindergarten? If so, enroll in the Birth to School program for FREE developmentally appropriate learning opportunities. Visit the Birth to School website or contact Program Coordinator, Jamie Kalk, at jkalk@cps.k12.in.us for more information.
Please visit the Birth to School website for enrollment information and to register for your FREE learning kits! https://www.cps.k12.in.us/Page/11905
Distance Learning Students Computer Issues
Before and After School Latch Key Child Care Application
Complete a form for each child.
The Latch Key program is in operation before school from 6:00-10:00 a.m. and 3:45-6:30 p.m. every day school is in session. School is considered in session when in-person or distance learning is taking place.
To apply for the Latch Key Program for Child Care a $10.00 annual non-refundable family enrollment fee must be paid. The Latch Key Child Care Program cost is $7.00 for each before school session and $7.00 for each after school session.
To reserve your child’s session for the upcoming week prepay by Thursday of each week. If your registration is received and there are no session openings due to capacity limits, your name will be put on a waiting list and you will be notified when an opening becomes available.
All checks should be made payable to the school site your child attends: Eisenhower Latch Key, Jerry Ross Latch Key, Lake Street Latch Key, MacArthur Latch Key, Solon Robinson Latch Key, Timothy Ball Latch Key, or Winfield Latch Key.
Please use this link to submit a ‘Before and After School Latch Key Child Care Application.’
Box Tops 2020
Collecting Box Tops is a simple & easy way to raise money for MacArthur! We are still collecting the traditional old box tops, found on grocery items such as cereals, Kleenex boxes, kids snacks, etc. You can also scan a grocery receipt to see if any items have the new digital box tops, found on the free Box Tops app. You are also welcome to send in your grocery receipts to the school. Grocery receipts must be scanned within 2 weeks of the purchase date. Thank you for participating & helping our school!
Douglas MacArthur Elementary School
Website: https://www.cps.k12.in.us/Page/3689
Location: 12900 Fairbanks Street, Cedar Lake, IN, USA
Phone: 219-662-3600