Eagle News

AUGUST 24, 2001

THE PRINCIPAL'S POINTS - The beginning of our 2001-2002 year here at White River Elementary has been exciting, encouraging, and very smooth. These feelings were all brought through the appearance and attitude of our students and staff as they entered our school together on August 15.

We welcome our new students, their families, and new staff members to the White River school family, and to the Noblesville community. We're looking forward to a great school year of rewarding experiences in learning and the continuation of the White River tradition.

The Noblesville Elementary Schools' Student Handbook is being sent home with all students today. Please read it thoroughly and discuss applicable items with your child. Questions and/or clarifications may be directed to your child's teacher or to me.
Mr. Harvey


WHITE RIVER PROUDLY INTRODUCES NEW TEACHERS & STAFF - Join our school in welcoming several new staff members to our school family for the 2001-2002 school year. We are proud to introduce them to you!

* Ms. Jenny Kreutz - 1st Grade Teacher
* Mrs. Celeste Haas - Title I/APPLE Reading Teacher
* Mrs. Staci Hanlon - 3rd Grade Teacher
* Ms. Erin Hayworth - Title I/APPLE Reading Teacher
* Mr. Dave Peterson - 3rd Grade Teacher
* Mrs. Julie Jessup - Title I/APPLE Reading Teacher
* Ms. Natalie Flinn - 4th Grade Teacher
* Mrs. Janet Catlett - Media Technical Assistant
* Ms. Susan Phillips - 4th Grade Teacher
* Ms. Marilyn Moore - Custodian

WELCOME to our White River family!


ATTENTION WHITE RIVER VISITORS - Please assist us in maintaining a safe environment for our students and teachers by stopping by the office FIRST when visiting our school. Visitors are always welcome, but we require that you inform our office staff of your purpose of visiting immediately upon your arrival and pick up a "VISITOR" badge before proceeding to other areas of the building. Please park in the main parking lot, not along the front sidewalk curb area, and enter the front, main entrance. You will find other entrances of the school locked throughout the school day. Your support of this request will be greatly appreciated!


OPENING OF SCHOOL REMINDERS

* BOOK RENTAL - The first contractual payment on book rental (one-third of the total owed) is due on or before Tuesday, September 4, 2001. One-third is also due by September 24, and the final payment by October 22. KINDERGARTEN PARENTS are asked to please pay your child's fees ($63.50) as soon as possible or complete a contract agreement for payments on the dates listed above.

* SCHOOL INSURANCE - Parents interested in purchasing student accident insurance should stop by the school office for a flyer describing different coverage plans. This insurance is optional, but it does provide important protection at a reasonable cost should your child have an accident at school. A 24 hours-a-day coverage plan is also available. The deadline for returning the envelope is the end of September, with coverage not taking effect until October 15, 2001, or the date the application is received by the company or its representative, if later. This insurance is provided by an independent carrier not associated with the school corporation. It is offered only as a service to you.

* VOLUNTEER DATA SHEET - A reminder to parents that as part of Noblesville Schools' Policy #3121, an individual desiring to help as a volunteer in Noblesville Schools must complete a "Volunteer Data Sheet." This information will be kept on record to help us best use your talents to help our students. This form will also be used as a permission slip for a Criminal History Records check, required if you plan to volunteer in our schools for tutoring, field trips and for other school activities when you would have sole care, supervision, or control over students. Please pick up a form in the office, complete, and return it as soon as possible. Those parents who completed a form last year do not have to complete another form. PLEASE NOTE: School volunteers will, on occasion, have access to private information about students. Failure to respect and maintain student privacy will result in the loss of volunteer status.

*PARKING - A Noblesville City Ordinance has required us to paint and mark fire lanes at our school. The police can, and plan to, ticket motorists who park in these lanes. If you need to leave your car unoccupied and come in to the building, please park in the main lot in front of the building.


SCHOOL ATTENDANCE POLICY - School attendance is essential for school success! There have been significant changes to the Noblesville Schools' attendance policy this year. Those changes can be found in the Noblesville Elementary Schools' Student Handbook (being sent home today with our students). Additional information regarding these changes will be published in future Newsletters.

Please support the following procedures concerning student attendance. All White River students who are brought to school by parents or sitters, are reminded that they need not arrive at school until 8:30 a.m. Students who are eating school breakfast may arrive at 8:15 a.m. and report directly to the cafeteria. Students who arrive before this time cannot be properly supervised by adults. We ask for your cooperation with this arrival-time request.

Also, you are required to call in to school (Attendance # 770-2083) whenever your child is going to be absent or tardy from school (including doctor, dental, etc. appointments). If we do not hear from you, we will utilize the phone numbers that our office has on file to contact you regarding your child's absence. This request (and call-back, if necessary) is to better insure the safety of our children.


3RD AND 4TH GRADERS TO EXPERIENCE A "MATH BLITZ" - Beginning on Friday, August 24, and ending on Friday, September 7, your child will be involved in a "Math Blitz" during their math class time. These ten days are designed to introduce and/or review various math skills in preparation for the ISTEP and Terra Nova/CTBS standardized tests that the students will begin taking on Monday, September 10. During these ten days, your child might bring home some reinforcement pages on the skill that they covered that day. These are stictly papers that are to help reinforce that math topic. No grade will be taken on these papers. They can be done at home and should not be returned to school. It's just another way to help your child prepare for testing. Help your child by asking them what skill they learned about in the "Math Blitz" each day and which teacher they had for that day as well.


FALL TESTING FOR GRADES 3 & 4 - - - SEPTEMBER 10 - 28 - The Indiana Department of Education has directed the annual ISTEP+ tests to be administered during the Fall of the school year. These tests will be administered from September 10 to 28. The ISTEP+ tests involve students in GRADE 3 only. However, students in GRADE 4 will take the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills and an appropriate cognitive abilities test during this same time period. Appointments must be scheduled around these dates, as make-ups are nearly impossible. If you have further questions regarding ISTEP+ or any other test, please contact Mr. Harvey or your child's classroom teacher.


LABOR DAY MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 - School will not be in session on Monday (September 3) because of the observance of Labor Day. We will resume our regular schedule on Tuesday, September 4. Lunch for the four-day week will be $6.00.


BOYS' AND GIRLS' CLUB OPENS SEPTEMBER 4 - Programs provided by the Boys' and Girls' Club of Noblesville will begin after school on Tuesday, September 4th. A shuttle van/bus will take students to the Club each day after school for 25 cents. Please call the Club (773-4372) if you have any questions.


CUB SCOUTS REGISTRATION - All White River boys in grades 1-4 are invited to the Cub Scout Registration Night next Thursday, August 30. Registration and a short parent meeting will be held in the school cafeteria at 7 p.m. A parent must accompany each boy for this meeting. Please call Pat Crimans at 773-2004 or 1-800-776-4928.


P.T.O. NEWS

FIRST P.T.O. MEETING - The first P.T.O. meeting of the 2001-2002 school year will be held in the cafeteria on Thursday, September 6 at 7 p.m. Please support your P.T.O. by attending the meetings on a regular basis. P.T.O. meetings will begin at 7 p.m. and conclude at 8 p.m. There are many opportunities available for you to get involved on P.T.O. Committees. Free child care is provided during the P.T.O. meetings for school-aged children. Please sign the sign in sheet at the meeting including your student's teacher's name. The classroom with the most parent attendance will receive a $30 gift certificate to use for the classroom.


MARKET DAY - White River will again be participating in the Market Day Fund Raising program. Each month, restaurant quality food products will be available for purchase. The P.T.O. will earn at least 10% of the wholesale value of the food purchased. Our goal is to earn $5,000. Please give Market Day a try! All Market Day products are covered by a 100% satisfaction guarantee! Please return this month's order form by Friday, August 31. Our first pick-up date is Monday, September 10 from 6-7 p.m. in the Large Group Instruction Room.


INNISBROOK FALL FUND RAISER - Innisbrook Fall Fund Raiser begins August 27 and runs through September 10. Packets will be sent home with students next week to begin sales. Please read the instructions carefully.


SPIRIT WEAR - Show your White River Eagles' Spirit! T-shirts, sweatshirts, sweatpants, duffle bag and baseball cap are available through the P.T.O. Order forms will be sent home next week. If you have any questions, please call Beth McIntire at 877-0103.


SCHWAN'S FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM - Schwan's offers bi-weekly "to your door" service. A Schwan's Representative will come to your home weekdays between the hours of 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. When you place an order with your Schwan's representative, you receive your products straight from the truck to your freezer. Please be sure to complete a "Schwan's Food Service Program" form to begin earning money for the P.T.O.


CALENDAR - The White River Elementary 2001-2002 calendar is available in the office for $5.00. This calendar has important information about White River Elementary School, school hours, flex days, staff development days, parent/teacher conferences, vacation days, teacher's voice mail numbers and P.T.O. Officer's and Committee chairpersons' phone numbers.


C.P.R. CERTIFICATION FOR STAFF - The P.T.O. will be sponsoring a training program for teachers and staff to become certified in Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation on September 29.