MSD OF DECATUR TOWNSHIP

Dear Decatur Township Families,

It is hard to believe that we are already at the beginning of the 2nd quarter of the school year. The month of October brings Fall Break, a well-deserved opportunity for our students, teachers, and staff to “press pause,” rest, and renew. Last month, I shared about the E+R=O mindset, and the first discipline of this mindset is “press pause.” The skill of pressing pause helps us to slow down our impulsive or default responses, and get clarity on the event we are facing. It is true that our first reaction is rarely our best response, so pressing pause helps us to respond with discipline and the best version of ourselves. Talk to your child about how pressing pause before responding can earn better outcomes.

At the September School Board Meeting, we recognized our community partners who support our annual Backpack School Supply Event. We are thankful for the generosity and time from our partners listed below. 1225 backpacks filled with school supplies were given prior to the beginning of school, and we appreciate all of the hard work by our community partners and staff.

As a reminder, this Wednesday, October 5th, is a parent/teacher conference day. There is no school for our children as parents/guardians connect with their children’s teachers. Thank you for your collaboration with our teachers to support all of our students.

Also, please note that Tuesday, November 8th (Election Day), will be a district-wide eLearning day for all students. Look for communication from your child’s school about how to access activities and assignments through Canvas for the day.

Fall Break for MSD of Decatur Township Schools will be Monday October 10th-Friday, October 21st. All school offices will be closed during this time. The MSD of Decatur Township Administration Office will remain open October 10-14th and 17-19th, but will be closed October 20th-21st.

We wish everyone a safe and relaxing fall break.

Together we are Decatur Proud!

Dr. Prusiecki

Superintendent

MSD of Decatur Township

Board Meeting Recognition

At the School Board Meeting on September 13, 2022, those who contributed their time, business resources, donations, and talent to our 2022 Backpack School Supply Drive were recognized. By partnering with the Decatur Township Fire Department and with the help from all of our community partners, we were able to provide 1225 backpacks, donated by the Indianapolis Airport Authority and Patterson Horth, filled with school supplies to our K-12 Decatur Township students! This event and the generosity of our partners truly has a great impact on our families, helping to equip students to have a successful school year. Thank you to all of our community partners:

The Cozad Family

Carriage Cleaners

Culver's of Kentucky Avenue

Decatur Township Fire Department

Decatur Township Trustee, Jason Holliday

The Excel Center

Indianapolis Airport Authority

Los Patios

Nikki Osborn

Patterson Horth, General Contractors

Walmart Valley Mills

Thank you to Kathy Flores, Shannon Preda, Billie Auberry, and Bev O’Toole for their hard work and dedication to this project. We would also like to express our sincere appreciation of our staff members, school board, and administrators for their invaluable support in both filling and distributing the backpacks.

Tobacco, E-Cigarette, & Vaping Diversion Program

Decatur Township School Police Department, (DTSPD), in collaboration with the Drug Free Coalition, is excited to offer a new diversion program for students found to be in possession of tobacco products, e-cigarettes, and or vaping devices. DTSPD has also partnered with our local courts in an effort to minimize the use of these products and devices on our campuses. Our students, if found with the aforementioned items, would be in violation of Indiana Code 35-46-1-10.5, Minor in Possession of a Tobacco Product or an Electronic Cigarette or 7.1-5-12-8 Smoking in a Prohibited Area. Each of these would be met with an Indiana citation, also known as a “Uniform Traffic Ticket,” (UTT). When submitted to the courts, the cost of the ticket for this violation is $170.50. This is an actual ticket and will affect your license or the ability to obtain one if left unpaid.

Our objective however, is not to create financial hardship, but to have an opportunity to educate students and families on the dangers of vaping and tobacco products. Twice per month, DTSPD officers will present a 1-hour class for students who have opted to accept the terms of the diversion program. The cost of the class for a student attending alone is $75.00. If a student attends the class with a parent or guardian, the class is discounted at a cost of $25.00. Upon the completion of the class, the UTT, or citation, will not be referred to the courts, and there will be no record of the violation. A student may only participate in the program once per school year, and only twice throughout their entire school career.