Union Elementary Weekly Update
May 12, 2018
Thank you PTO!
Not sure what Gaga Ball is? Ask your kids, then come to campus to play!
Eagle Creek
Investigating
Upcoming Union Events
May 14, 15: First Grade Young Authors Showcases at Barnes and Noble
May 14: Third Grade Specialties Fair; Board of Trustees Meeting at ESC, 6PM
May 15 and 16: Third Grade Zionsville History Field Walking Tour
May 15: Fourth Grade End of Year Celebration, 2:30-4:30
May 16: Fourth Grade Young Hoosiers Wax Museum
May 18: Kindy 500; Student Council Spirit Day- Wear Green for Celiac Disease Awareness
May 21: Fourth Grade Talent Show Practice, 2:30-4:15
May 22: Field Day; Fourth Grade Talent Show Parent Performance, 6:00 PM
May 23: Field Day Rain Date; PTO Meeting, 7PM at LA Cafe
May 24: UE Now/ ZCS Future Presentation by District and Building Leaders, 6:30 PM in Union Cafeteria
May 25: Last Day of School
InfoSnap Registration for 2018-19 (for ZCS Parents):
The week of May 7 you should receive an email from Registration@zcs.k12.in.us with information and instructions on registering your child(ren) in Zionsville Community Schools for the 2018-19 school year. We request that you complete this registration by Friday, May 25.
If your child is returning to Zionsville Community Schools next year and you do not receive this email, please check your spam or junk folder. If you can’t find this email, please let us know.
If your child will not be returning to Zionsville schools next year, please notify your school(s) building secretary at your earliest convenience. For all other residency changes, please contact the Central Office at 317-873-2858.
UE Now/ZCS Future
If you are a parent of a Union student for the 2018-2019 school year, you should have received an evite this week inviting you to attend a 90 minute session with school and district leaders. There will be a presentation regarding future planning for district facilities, finances, and curriculum, as well as an opportunity to have your questions answered.
The meeting will take place on May 24, 2018 in the Union Cafeteria from 6:30-8:00 PM. Childcare will be provided. Please RSVP via the evite. We hope to see you there!
From the Clinic
It’s hard to believe it is time for the end of the year medication reminder. It amazes me how the school year has flown by. A quick reminder that ALL medication that is in the health clinic must be picked up by May 25, 2018. Medication can be picked up in the clinic on school days from 7:30a-3:30p.
For the safety of our students, we are asking for your assistance in picking up ANY medication that your child may have in the health clinic. ALL medication, including over the counter medication, must be transported to and from school by an adult. Any medication that has not been picked up by the end of the day, May 25th will be discarded by St. Vincent Hospital.
Missing any items?
Thank you!
- To Holy Horton and all who helped to make Staff Appreciation Week so special. Our teachers and staff felt the love and support.
- To Steve Poole, for coordinating another successful golf outing. Thank you for all of your hard work!
Field Day
Field Day 2018 will be held on Tuesday, May 22nd (Rain date Wednesday, May 23rd). We appreciate your willingness to assist in leading each of the stations. There will be 3 sessions during the day.
8:20-10:00- Grades 1 and 2
10:10-11:50- Grades 3 and 4
12:30-1:45- Kindergarten
Please arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled time. You can check in at the Dads Club shelter outside. You do not need to go into the building. Please make sure that you have a full background check on file with the school.
We have included sign up for the Field Day Rain Date on Wednesday, May 23rd. Please note that volunteers for this date will only be needed in the event that we have to cancel on Tuesday, May 22nd due to weather.
To sign up to volunteer, click here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0844a8ab2d6-field1
PTO News
STAFF APPRECIATION WEEK
Thank you to everyone who donated time, money and supplies and helped the PTO put together a special Staff Appreciation Week for our teachers, administrators and everyone else who makes Union Elementary a unique place where our kids want to be. The PTO decorated bulletin boards, provided coffee from Liberations Roasting, lunch from Moe's, cupcakes by Theresa Beardsley and a smoothie bar from A Cup Above for our super star staff.
Also, a big thank you to Holly Horton for organizing all of it.
UPCOMING MEETINGS
It's been a great year and being an active part of the PTO has really been, well, fun. To keep the good times rolling the last PTO meeting of the year, open to every Union parent, teacher, and administrator, will be held at LA Café in Whitestown at 7pm on Wednesday, May 23. The PTO is providing appetizers and we will vote on a budget and officers for next year and maybe hand out a couple awards. You'll just have to come and see.
SPIRIT WEAR
The Spirit Sara(h)s are looking for input on spirit wear for next year! Email any suggestions or items you would love to see tosarambrauer@gmail.com and sarahjanicki99@gmail.com. Please include both of us on the email!
BOX TOPS
The Box Top winning class for our last competition is Mrs. Munley’s class with 561 Box Tops turned in! They will be receiving their special prize early next week. Mrs. Masters’ class turned in 547 for second place, followed by Mrs. Michener’s class in third place with 475.
Thank you to everyone for contributing to this fundraiser this year. The overall winning class will be announced next week. Stay tuned...
Also, a BIG thank you to some special mom’s who counted throughout the year... Rachel Rideout, Sarah Wagers, Kathy Laboe, Kristin Barlo, Lisa Smith and Jennifer Harvey.
If you are interested in heading up Box Tops for Education next year, please contact Heather Lewis at heathermlewis@yahoo.com.
JOG A THON
Would you like your company name or logo on the back of more than 3000 T-shirts?! If so, sponsorship opportunities are available for our upcoming September 26th, 2018 Jog-A-Thon! Our sponsors receive their name or log on the back of each student shirt, depending on the sponsorship level. The T-shirts are used by all five Zionsville elementary schools, and in addition to event day, shirts are worn for spirit day and fields trips! All donations are tax-deductible. Please send an email to unionjogathon@gmail.com if you're interested.
SCHOOL SUPPLIES
We are so excited to announce a continued partnership with 1st Day School Supplies! We have collaborated with 1st Day School Supplies to help parents and teachers get the exact supplies needed for next school year without the hassle and aggravation of shopping at WalMart, Target or Staples. 1st Day School Supplies is convenient, easy and hassle free! Plus, the prices are competitive! You can make your purchase right now, get started by clicking the link below:
http://www.1stdayschoolsupplies.com/list.php?school_zip=46077
Dads Club News
Calling all Dads! Join us the first Tuesday of every month for our monthly meeting. Check out our calendar on the Dad’s Club webpage and our Facebook page Union Elementary Dads Club. While we have had all of our meetings for the 2017-2018 school year, planning for next year is underway. Be on the lookout for information regarding our summer meeting! In the meantime, if you are interested in becoming involved, please contact Dads Club President Geordie Hester at geordiehester@mac.com
Student Council Update
The month of May is Celiac Awareness Month! On Friday, May 18th, Union will be wearing green to support those with Celiac Disease. Celiac Disease is an auto immune disease caused by foods and products, such as gluten and Band-Aids. This is not an allergy. It is genetic and can never go away. Also, if you wear green on Friday, May 18th and visit the Chick-Fil-A in Westfield, across from Clay Terrace, you will receive a free small ice cream cone because you showed your support for Celiac Awareness! Thank you for showing your school spirit and wearing green on Friday, May 18th to support Celiac Awareness!
-Your UE Student Council Members
High Ability Spring Identification Deadlines
The Indiana Department of Education requires school districts to identify high ability (gifted) students and provide them with appropriately differentiated curriculum and instruction. In ZCS, we reconsider ability and achievement data of all students each spring to identify any who may need further consideration for high ability differentiation. While the High Ability designation is a state-required label for students, our school district is committed to continuous progress for all students, regardless of designation. Accelerated content is common in our classrooms as are heightened expectations and instructional levels and high-achieving peers. Instructional methods regularly group and regroup students with differentiated materials and goals. Whether or not a child is identified as High Ability, our teachers are committed to regular assessment of skills and knowledge and matching experiences to challenge each child and help him or her make maximum academic growth. We are proud to be a high-performing school district with high expectations for all students.
For students currently in grades 1-3: All students are considered for high ability each year. Our identification team looks at both achievement (NWEA) and ability (OLSAT). Since these vary from year to year with young students, we re-look at every student each spring. Parents will be notified by June 10 if their child has been recommended for differentiation based on the need for accelerated instruction or curriculum. If your child was not identified through our extensive process, parents may appeal the decision. Parents can complete the appeal process by June 15. Forms are located on the High Ability website: https://1.cdn.edl.io/STFd2znmUm9v64tOK0o5GHa56Sylujl5JYhwFChIXdtXGo0P.pdf
For students currently in grades 4-7: All students are considered for high ability each year. Our identification team considers either achievement (NWEA) or ability (OLSAT) when making decisions. Parents will be notified by June 10 if their child has been recommended for differentiation based on the need for accelerated instruction or curriculum. If your child was not identified through our extensive process, parents may appeal the decision. Parents can complete the appeal process by June 15. Forms are located on the High Ability website: https://1.cdn.edl.io/STFd2znmUm9v64tOK0o5GHa56Sylujl5JYhwFChIXdtXGo0P.pdf
August Calendar Dates
Open House/Meet the Teacher:
Monday, August 6th, 5:00 – 6:30 pm (PK- Gr. 4)
No School
Tuesday, August 7th- Enjoy one last taste of summer!
First Day of School for Students:
Wednesday, August 8th
Back to School Curriculum Night: Thursday, August 23rd:
Kindergarten: 5:30 – 6:00 pm
1st: 6:00 – 6:30 pm
2nd: 6:30 – 7:00 pm
3rd: 7:00 – 7:30 pm
4th: 7:30 – 8:00 pm
Transportation News
Background Check Information
CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR VOLUNTEERS
We value partnerships with our families and welcome parents and guardians to serve as volunteers in our schools. Each ZCS building offers a wide variety of volunteer opportunities.
Examples include:
- Field Trip Chaperones
- Out of Town/Overnight Chaperones
- Tutors
- Volunteer Coaches
- Classroom Helpers (PTO parties/room parents)
- Library Helpers
- After Prom Workers
- Field Day/Jog-A-Thon Volunteers
- Book Fair Sales/Athletic Ticket Sales
During the school day, all volunteers are expected to sign 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. The link to apply for the full background check can be accessed on the Volunteers/BRAVO link on the ZCS main webpage. For more information, contact the Volunteer/BRAVO Coordinator.
CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR VISITORS
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.
Examples Include:
- Lunch Guests
- Classroom Guest Speakers
- Classroom Special Events (Grandparent Day/Famous Hoosiers/etc.)
- Parent/Teacher Conferences
We ask that all visitors schedule an appointment to meet with teachers, counselors, administrators and all other staff members so that we may best serve everyone. Visitors other than parents/guardians must be prearranged and organized through the main office.
*ZCS thanks all volunteers for generous support of our youth and schools. Thank you, too, for supporting assurance of student and staff safety by completing and paying for a volunteer background check.
Union Elementary School
Email: jraycroft@zcs.k12.in.us
Website: http://uni.zcs.k12.in.us/
Location: 11750 E 300 S, Zionsville, IN, United States
Phone: 317-733-4007
Twitter: @ZCSUnionElem