Mustang Mail

September 21, 2000

Mr. McDaniel's Memo
There can be a wide-variety of reasons that may cause our schools to have to be dismissed early for an emergency situation. In cases of electrical, water, heating, weather, or other emergencies, it may be necessary to send students home early. Please make plans NOW with your children should such a situation develop in the future. Your child should know where to go if you are not home - such as a neighbor's or relative's house. (We may even give them a quiz soon to see if they know the answer!) In case of an emergency, it is impossible for the school to contact all parents at home or at work to make last minute arrangements over the phone. We may have only a few minutes before needing to dismiss school. With very limited telephone lines, parents must not call the school either and tie up the phone lines.

The PTO is developing an emergency contact system to let parents know should such a situation develop. It will be a courtesy contact to attempt to let you know of the early dismissal. A form will be sent home with more information and a request for volunteers.

Hopefully, we will not have an emergency closing. If one should be necessary, we want to be prepared. Thank you for your help and cooperation.


IMPORTANT INFORMATION - New Cafeteria Program
To all Stony Creek Parents,
I am pleased to inform you about a change that will be taking place in the school lunch and breakfast programs here at Stony Creek Elementary. Effective October 2, we will be implementing the Offer Versus Serve Program.

Some of you may already be familiar with this program, as several other schools in the Noblesville district are already participating in it. For those of you who are not familiar with this program, here's how it will work. First, let me tell you that in the national school lunch programs, meal patterns are designed so that over a period of time, school lunches will provide children with approximately one-third of the nutrients they will need.

With the offer versus serve program, a school lunch consists of five different food items from four food component groups. The five food items are: (1) one serving of meat or meat alternate; (2) two servings of different vegetables or two servings of different fruits, or one serving of fruit and one serving of a vegetable; (3) one serving of bread or bread alternate; and (4) one serving of fluid milk. In the offer versus serve program, a student must have three of the five components and can have all five if he or she wishes.

Please keep in mind that some items may contain two components already such as pizza. It has the crust which equals a bread and the sauce and cheese which equals the meat/meat alternate component. Other examples would be a hot dog or a hamburger. These items are made up of two parts - the meat and the bread, which therefore qualifies them for two components already. In these instances, only one more item need be chosen to be a valid offer versus serve meal.

Under Offer Versus Serve, the following conditions must be met:
1. All five food items must be offered to all students.
2. The serving sizes must equal the minimum required quantities.
3. Whether 3, 4, or 5 components are chosen, the price of a lunch will remain $1.50.
4. Students have the option of which item(s) to decline. Students cannot be required to take any specific food items, For example a school may not tell students they must take the meat but decline the milk. The choice of which foods to take or to decline must be left up to the student.


The October menu will reflect the items being offered to choose from. There will be three meat/meat alternate items to choose from on a daily basis. There will be the entree of the day such as lasagna, tacos, chicken nuggets. Pizza and hot dogs will be offered everyday. There will be a hot vegetable of the day as well as a fruit of the day. There will also be an option to choose a 4 oz. fruit juice of which there will be an assortment of flavor's provided. There will be a bread selection and a variety of milks to choose from - chocolate, 2%, and a fat free skim.

With the offer versus serve program what is so appealing to the children is their choice to choose what they wish to eat from our variety of well balanced meal options. Therefore our thought is, if they are choosing it themselves according to their likes and dislikes, they are more likely to clean their trays (which is my goal). Studies prove without a doubt that a child who has had a good breakfast and lunch will learn and function much better during their school day.


So please be looking for the October menu next week. One is sent home on a monthly basis. You can also log onto the web at www.nobl.k12.in.us and click on Stony Creek Elementary and then select cafeteria info. It would be very helpful for your child's teacher if your child has an idea of what entree item they are going to be wanting before they arrive at their class each morning. Their teachers will be taking a tally each morning according to what entree they will be eating that day and sending this information to the cafeteria to help us to determine what amounts we will be needing to prepare for the day. I'm sure that if your child is well prepared for this each morning their teachers will be very happy and this process will move through very quickly.

This will be a change for everyone involved and I assure you we will all be learning together. Please do not hesitate to call me if you have any questions or concerns.
Cheri Higginbotham, Cafeteria Director


PTO News
Your Stony Creek PTO Officers for 2000 - 2001 are as follows:
Presidents - Emily Shoultz and Sherry Ottilie; Treasurer - Bambi Garrett;
Vice-Presidents - Lisa Smith and Linda Knoll; Asst. Treasurer - Kathy Statzer;
Secretary - Shelly Porter.

We want to thank them for their extra effort in helping our students and school. We also have dozens of other parents helping with various committees. Please give all of these individuals your support, time, and help this year with the many great activities and programs the PTO sponsors.


Parent Volunteers
(From: Cindi Fogelsong, PTO Classroom Volunteer Coordinator)
All scheduling for the PTO sponsored Parent Classroom Volunteer Program is completed. Parents and grandparents wanting to participate have been notified of their working dates and times. If you would like to work in your child's classroom on a regular basis, and have not received a schedule, please contact your child's teacher. Thanks so much.


HELP - I Need Somebody...(Not Just Anybody!)

We need an adult assistant to help supervise students during recess for two hours per day from 11:20 - 1:20 p.m. every day. The position is open starting October 2. Please contact the school office as soon as possible for more information.
* * * * * * * * * STONY CREEK NEEDS YOU!


Sports Announcements
The Boys and Girls Club Basketball League is holding registration right now. If you want to play basketball this year, you may register on Saturday between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. While you are registering, parents can have their car washed for free!

Olympic swimming is happening now! Be sure to watch. Better yet, why not participate in swimming? Noblesville Swim Club will be holding registration every Wednesday until October 11, from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. at the Noblesville Intermediate School pool. Lessons are available, too! Please call Jason at 773-8424 if you have questions.


September 18, 2000

Mr. McDaniel's Memo
As we start ISTEP testing in the third grade and other standardized testing in the fourth grade this week, I would like to remind parents to remind their children to do their personal best on these tests. This should not be a time of unnecessary stress, worry or concern on the part of the student or the parents. Testing is an opportunity for each child to demonstrate his or her strengths and help us identify areas in need of improvement for the future. It is one indicator of how your child is doing in school, but not the only one. Class performance, report card grades, and individual progress are other important factors to consider. This is also an opportunity for the teachers and administrators to see how well students are meeting state and local standards, how our curriculum is aligned to those standards, and what adjustments we must make in the future to make our great school even better.

Let us also remember the importance of a proper night's sleep and a good nutritional breakfast for all children everyday. For a student to be able to do his or her personal best at school, he or she needs plenty of rest and an appropriate diet to help them be mentally alert and physically able to learn.
Thank you for your support and cooperation.


Cross Country Race - Grades K-5

What: Elementary and Intermediate School Cross Country Races
When: Saturday, October 14, 2000
Where:White River Elementary Chinquapin Ridge CC Course
Time: 9:30 walk the course, 10:00 Races begin
Race order: Race 1: Kindergarten and First Grade - 600 meters,
Race 2: Second Grade and Third Grade -1200 meters,
Race 3: Fourth Grade, -1200 meters
Race 4: Fifth Grade -1600 Meters
Awards: Ribbons to all participants.

THE SCHOOL WITH THE MOST PARTICIPANTS WINS A TROPHY!

Cost: Donations accepted to defray ribbon expense.


PTO News
The PTO Fund-Raiser Project has been extended to this Tuesday, September 19. All orders must be turned in on this day. Thanks for everyone's help and support!

Remember the PTO meeting September 19th at 7:00 p.m. in the media center. Free Baby-sitting!


Book Rental Reminder
The second contractual payment on book rental is due on or before September 25th.


Parents' Points to Ponder:
Horace Mann Educators Corp. Survey Part 2 - (Continued from Mustang Mail #5)
Key findings of the survey include:

* Half of Americans believe there was one educator who had the most impact on their success as an adult. Nearly 80 percent said this educator was a teacher (versus a coach, principal or counselor) and that the personal interest the teacher took in them made the critical difference in their success.

* Time and attention from a teacher is more important than the curriculum being taught. Of those who said one educator helped them become successful in their adult life, nearly all believe that the teacher's interpersonal skills were more influential than the subjects they were teaching. Taking a personal interest (94.2 percent), listening (93.3 percent), making learning interesting (92.3 percent), and holding student to high standards (92.3 percent) far outweighed other factors, such as teaching an important skill (76 percent) or getting them interested in a subject that led to a career (56 percent) as the teacher's most important contribution.

* Most important life lessons relate to character. Survey respondents who identified one educator as being most influential in their adult success said the most important things they were taught included being shown they could achieve (96 percent), taking responsibility for their education (89.5 percent), the ability to stick with a project until it's finished (89.0 percent), how to use creativity (83.6 percent), and how to solve a difficult problem (81.9 percent).

* A majority of Americans favor personal interaction with students over technology. When asked to describe how they would approach teaching today, most Americans ranked using technology behind techniques that require a more personal touch, including showing an interest in each student's work (98.4 percent), demonstrating respect for students and expecting to receive it from them (98 percent), enforcing strong codes of conduct and behavior (88.5 percent) and being entertaining (81.4 percent). Less effective approaches included using a lot of new technology (76.1 percent) and being a strict disciplinarian (63.5 percent).

* Many Americans see education today as different than it was when they were in school. Negative student attitudes were cited by 30.4 percent of respondents as a major shift, including a lack of respect and a rise in school violence. Other changes include the greater availability of technology (21.8 percent), less discipline (21.4 percent), greater educational opportunities (16.6 percent), smaller classrooms and less student/teacher interaction (16.3 percent), lower educational standards (10.4 percent) and lack of parental support (6.3 percent).

The telephone survey of 1,009 adults was conducted by Market Facts, Inc., an independent research firm, and has a confidence level of 95 percent.



TODAY'S LIFE SKILL:Organization: To plan, arrange, and implement in an orderly way; to keep thinks orderly and ready to use.


Did You Know????
Stony Creek has a total of 55 teachers and staff who work as a team in our school to help your child everyday! (This does not include our bus drivers, corporation maintenance staff, or central office administrators and support staff.) As of today, we have 467 students enrolled from our Early Childhood Program through fourth grade. Hundreds of parents and guardians help support our school's mission.


T.E.A.M. - Together Everyone Achieves More!




September 8, 2000

Mr. McDaniel's Memo
Thanks Stony Creek Custodians!
Next week is Building Maintenance and Custodian Appreciation Week. We want to thank our custodial staff for all of their efforts in making Stony Creek such a great school! Please take time whenever possible to thank Jerry Grimes, Reba Burgess, Shirley Wright, and Mike Barentine for all of their hard work and dedication.


2000 - 2001 Staff Development Days
The Noblesville School Board and the Indiana Department of Education have approved six (6) "Waiver Days" for professional development activities for teachers and staff this school year Please mark your calendars for early student dismissal next Thursday, September 14, October 11, November 16, January 24, February 27, and March 22. Students will be here for lunch and be dismissed at 12:50 p.m. (All lunches will start 15 minutes earlier than normal.) There will be NO P.M. Kindergarten or Early Childhood classes those days. Thank you!


PTO News
(This note from your PTO Co-Presidents Mrs. Ottilie and Mrs. Shoultz.)
A special thanks to Mrs. Mercer and her committee for organizing and handling the sale of the Spirit Sportswear. We really appreciate all your time and hard work.

The fund-raiser is under way: remember the order forms are due Friday, September 15. There was an error on the flyer in the fund-raiser packet. Payment is due when the orders come in... students do not need to collect money, or send money, when they turn their orders in. When the students deliver their orders (first part of November), is when they will collect the money. There are additional order forms in the office, if needed.

We have some openings for chair (or co-chair) positions for the Carnival! Just let us know.

Remember the PTO meeting September 19th at 7:00 p.m. in the media center. Free Baby-sitting!


Classroom Volunteer Reminder
The deadline for sending in your classroom volunteer form was today, Friday,
September 8, 2000. If you haven't already turned it in, please do so if you are interested in volunteering in your child's classroom this year. If for some reason you did not receive a form, please call Mrs. Fogelsong ASAP at 776-0372. Thank you.

PTO Reading Incentive Program Kickoff
"Reading Olympics 2000" will start next Friday, September 15, with an all-school assembly in Mustang Hall from 2:30 - 3:00 p.m. Students will be bringing home information regarding the program that afternoon. Mrs. Welklin and Mrs. Turk are once again coordinating this great event for our students to help motivate them to read - read - read! Parent support and assistance is critical for the program to be a success.


The Read-Aloud Handbook Author Coming to Noblesville
Jim Trelease, author of The Read-Aloud Handbook, will speak to parents and teachers about children, literature, and television. He will help you "motivate children to make books into friends, not enemies!" We would like to encourage all Stony Creek Parents to attend!

When: Tuesday, October 3, 2000
Time: 6:30-8:00 p.m.
Where: Noblesville High School Auditorium
18111 Cumberland Road, Noblesville, IN 46060

This program is sponsored by: Noblesville Title 1, Hamilton County Reading Council and Step Ahead of Hamilton County, Inc. PLEASE, ADULTS ONLY, NO CHILDREN

Substitute Cafeteria/Recess Aides and Substitute Custodians Needed!
Would you be interested in working as a substitute assistant supervising students during lunch and/or recess for two hours per day? How about being on our custodial sub list to help out (usually) on the 3:00 - 11:30 p.m. shift? Please contact the school office for more information.


Parents' Points to Ponder:
According to a survey released recently by Horace Mann Educators Corporation, an overwhelming majority of Americans (86 percent) believe their K-12 education helped them become successful adults -- but not because of the subjects they learned. Instead, Americans credit the life skills they learned from role model teachers as having the most impact on their success.

When asked to identify the single most valuable lesson their K-12 education provided them, Americans cited taking responsibility for personal behavior (34.1 percent), problem solving (25.4 percent) and learning to work as part of a team (18.9 percent.)

"These survey results show that teachers are role models who provide a lot more instruction in the classroom than is recognized," said Louis G. Lower II, president and chief executive officer of Horace Mann Educators Corporation. "What they teach goes far beyond textbooks and includes life lessons and personal values that are critical to achieving success as an adult."

(Key findings of the survey will be printed in Mustang Mail #6.)


TODAY'S LIFE SKILL: Responsibility - Being Dependable and Reliable



September 5, 2000

Mr. McDaniel's Memo
A very important period of our school year will be during the three weeks of September 11-29. At this time, our student rate of attendance is extremely critical. Our corporation's state funding is determined through student attendance. It is also about the time of third and fourth grade testing (please see the following item). Please do your best in seeing that your child is here each and every day. It is certainly valuable to be here daily throughout the entire school year, but it is especially important during this count period. Your support would certainly be appreciated.


3rd Grade ISTEP and 4th Grade testing
The state ISTEP test will be given to third grade students from September 18 - October 6. Noblesville Schools also gives an achievement test to fourth graders called Terra Nova and the Test of Cognitive Abilities test during this ISTEP testing period.

Parents can help students by making sure they have a good night's sleep, eat a healthy breakfast, and try their very best! This is not a time to put unnecessary pressure and stress on the children. We simply want them to do their very best.

The PTO provides the students with snacks for these days. We appreciate support.


PTO News
(This note from your PTO Co-Presidents Mrs. Ottilie and Mrs. Shoultz.)

There is an error on the flyer in the fund-raiser packet. Payment is due when the orders come in... they don't need to collect money or send money in when they turn in their orders. When they deliver the orders (the first part of November), the money will be collected then.

IMPORTANT - STUDENTS ARE NOT TO TAKE ORDERS DOOR TO DOOR. THEY MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY AN ADULT AT ALL TIMES. PLEASE ONLY APPROACH RELATIVES, FRIENDS, AND CO-WORKERS.

Thanks! Your PTO


School Pictures TOMORROW:
School Pictures are scheduled for tomorrow, Wednesday, September 6. An envelope is being sent home today for you to return money if you wish to order pictures. If you are unable to send money at this time, you may do so when pictures are re-taken some time in October. All students will have their pictures taken tomorrow for the yearbook, even if you do not purchase them.


Caller I.D.
We have had many calls again this year from parents asking who called them from school when they see the school's telephone number on their Caller I.D. machines. Please understand that there are 53 telephones in this school! The office staff is therefore unable to tell you who might have made that call. If there is an important message to get to you, school personnel will try to call you again or send a note home with your child. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.



August 29, 2000

Mr. McDaniel's Memo
One topic that has been mentioned by a few parents to me recently is their desire for an appropriate amount of homework for students to do on a routine basis. We have discussed this in our faculty and grade level meetings and teachers are trying to assign regular activities that will help students practice and reinforce skills taught at school. It is not easy to find assignments that meet the needs, learning styles, and instructional level of every child every day. The amount of homework and time it takes to complete it varies according to age/grade level, individual work pace, and effort (both at school and home), and the amount of adult assistance available. However, no child should be spending large amounts (30 - 60 minutes or more) of time on homework every or even most nights. If this happens, please contact your child's teacher to discuss the situation. I am hearing from teachers that several students are already not turning in homework on time. Please check with your child to see if they have homewor





k, if it is finished to the best of your child's ability, and help make sure it is returned the next school day. (I've always said that no one forgets to wear shoes to school, so have your child place finished homework next to his or her shoes!) A special place away from distractions for quiet study time is best. Thank you for helping us help your child!

Other information:
We have new visitor I.D. badges for you when you visit our school. Each one is numbered and must be returned at the end of your visit. Please include your badge number when you sign-in on the sheet in the office.

Thanks to parents and other drivers for their great cooperation with the loading and unloading procedures of our students. Let's all continue to take an extra'minute when necessary to help insure every student?s safety!

PTO News
(This note is from your PTO Co-Presidents Mrs. Ottilie and Mrs. Shoultz.)

Thank you to all the volunteers who helped with the ice-cream social. It wouldn't have been a success without so many great people helping out. A special thanks to the Fogelsong family, Clancy?s, and Third Phase for their donations... it is greatly appreciated. And thanks to the Lion's Club for the use of their tent. THANK YOU!

Please remember to return the PTO volunteer forms that were sent home with your children. There are a lot of different committees to help with, and it's a good way to be involved. If you need a form, there are extras in the office.

Watch for information coming home with your child this Friday, September 1, about the Fall Fund-raiser. (Also, Friday is the deadline for the sportswear orders.)

Mark you calendar for the first PTO meeting, September 19th at 7:00 p.m. Free baby-sitting!

Book Rental
The first contractual payment on book rental is due on or before September 5.

Labor Day - No School Monday
Just a reminder that there will be no school on Monday, September 4, in observance of Labor Day. School will resume at the regular time on Tuesday. Have a safe holiday weekend.


Parents' Points to Ponder:
(The following information was provided by a consultant from the Indiana Department of Education.)

"This year's Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public
Schools documents significant trends in public attitudes about the quality of schools and
overall education. The poll shows a shift in public attitudes about high-stakes testing, support for choice involving private or church-related schools, school financing, and what should be emphasized in a school's curriculum.

Overall, the findings are pretty encouraging. The poll demonstrates that the U.S. public is not dissatisfied with public schooling.

"Respondents continue to indicate a high level of satisfaction with their local schools, a level of satisfaction that this year approaches its all-time high among the parents whose children attend those schools. Seven in 10 public school parents now assign the school their oldest child attends an A or a B."

More than half of individualized surveyed agreed: "reforming the existing system of public schools, rather than seeking an alternative system, is the best way to bring about school improvement. When given the choice, 75 percent would improve and strengthen existing public schools while just 22 percent would opt for vouchers, the alternative most frequently mentioned by public school critics."

Did You Know????
Stony Creek recently had a new roof installed on the school. A total of $105,950 was invested in our building by the school corporation. A new roof or other structural improvement is not something that you normally see to appreciate. It is when you have leaks or other problems that you soon realize how important the "little things" are for a school. We appreciate the efforts of our school board, central office administrators, and maintenance personnel in providing a great learning environment here at Stony Creek!

(I will occasionally be including important and interesting information in a new "Did You Know????" section of the newsletter.)

F.Y.I. - Daily School Schedule for Students
4th Grade Break 10:35 - 10:55
1st Grade Lunch and Recess 11:00 - 11:50
2nd Grade Lunch and Recess 11:30 - 12:20
3rd Grade Lunch and Recess 12:00 - 12:50
4th Grade Lunch and Recess 12:30 - 1:20
1st Grade Recess 1:25 - 1:45
2nd Grade Recess 1:55 - 2 :15
3rd Grade Recess 2:15 - 2:35

Dates To Remember
- Wednesday, September 6 - School Picture Day
- Thursday, September 14 - Early Release Day for Students- Dismissal after lunch at 12:50 p.m. Students in P.M. Kindergarten and P.M. Early Childhood classes will not attend school on that day.
- September 18 - October 6 - 3rd Grade ISTEP and 4th Grade Testing.
Student attendance is critical for these days!


TODAY?S LIFE SKILL: Responsibility: To respond when appropriate; to be accountable for your actions.




August 22, 2000

Mr. McDaniel's Memo
Thanks to all parents who attended last evening's parent meetings. We appreciate your extra effort in being there. We want everyone to always feel welcome to visit school or schedule an appointment for a conference. The end of school or next summer is too late to let us know your child had a problem. Our goal is to solve little problems early before they grow. If you have concerns about homework, classroom expectations, discipline issues, or your child?s academic progress, please contact the teacher as soon as possible. Thank you.

PTO News
Reminder: PTO Spirit Wear Orders are due Friday, September 1, 2000. Extra order forms are available in the office. Show your school spirit and wear your school clothes with pride! Please call the school office or Mrs. Joy Mercer at 776-7056. Thank you!

Nurse's Notes:
SCHOOL SEASON IS HEAD LICE SEASON. A school-wide check for head lice is being conducted this week. Please remember that anyone can get head lice. We need to be aware of the problem and observe our children for frequent scratching of heads or complaints of head itching. If you suspect that your child might have head lice, please contact Mrs. Nee, our school nurse. She will be able to check your child and/or answer your questions. Let's all work to keep this problem to a minimum.

New Teachers and Staff
We are glad to have Mr. Jim Temple as our new playground assistant. He is a retired custodian from Hinkle Creek School. Welcome Mr. Temple!

The Stony Creek faculty would like to introduce our student teachers for this semester. Mr. Phil Thomas will be working with Mr. Kirkpartick's fourth grade classroom, and Mrs. Stage's student teacher in second grade will be Heather Purcell. Both are students at Ball State University. Starting in October, Mrs. Hudnall will have Melissa McLaughlin as her student teacher from Purdue University. Please join us in welcoming them to Stony Creek!

Fire Lane Notice
There is a city ordinance that requires marked fire lanes at all school buildings. The police can and will ticket motorists who park in fire lanes ($10 fine). Cars may be towed for a second offense. PLEASE DO NOT PARK AT CURBS DESIGNATED AS FIRE LANES. Thank you.

Bike Riders Permission Slips
Students who wish to ride their bikes to school must have a signed permission slip on file before they begin riding their bicycle. Please be reminded that only those students who normally walk to and from school will be allowed to ride their bicycle. Bus students are not allowed to ride their bicycle to and from school.

School Pictures
School Pictures are scheduled for Wednesday, September 6. More information will be sent to you soon. The first flyer will give you price information. You do not send money at this time. On the day before school pictures, an envelope will be sent home for you to return money in for Wednesday, September 6. Please call the school if you have any questions after you receive the materials.

Student 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 October 13, 2000. This insurance is provided by an independent carrier not associated with the school corporation. It is offered only as a service to you.

Cafeteria Reminder
Please remember that the first day of the week is the best time to send lunch money. Mrs. McDonald goes to each classroom and sells lunch tickets. It really helps here if you send the money that day. As a reminder, school lunch prices are as follows:
1 day = $1.50
5 day ticket = $7.50
4 day ticket = $6.00
3 day ticket = $4.50
Please note: We do not sell tickets for less than 3 days. Students can pay for a lunch on a daily basis.
(Please cut and save for future reference. Thanks!)

Parents' Points to Ponder:
Stony Creek has adopted the following five LIFELONG GUIDELINES which will be fully explained, taught, and practiced with the children in this school during the school year. They are very basic values which we all need to get along together in our world.


1. TRUTH

2. TRUST

3. ACTIVE LISTENING

4. NO PUT DOWNS

5. PERSONAL BEST

In addition, we will learn and practice 16 LIFE SKILLS. It is important that children understand and practice these skills in order to be successful and responsible citizens of our community and our world. We will feature one at a time for students, staff, and parents to focus on and discuss.

TODAY'S LIFE SKILL: Effort: To do our best.

To go along with our Lifelong Guidelines and Life Skills, our school has come up with "procedures" which all students will learn to follow for the hallway, restroom, playground, cafeteria, and classroom. We will talk about and practice these procedures often during the first few weeks of school to make sure that all students are familiar with them.



August 16, 2000

Mr. McDaniel's Memo
WELCOME BACK!
There are not enough "o's" in smooth to describe how well our school year has started! Thanks to everyone for their cooperation with registration, immunizations, and the first days of school. Our custodial staff has worked extra hard in getting the building in great shape. The teachers and staff have put in many long, additional volunteer hours preparing their classrooms for your children. We certainly appreciate everyone's extra efforts!

I would also like to thank all parent volunteers, teachers, and staff for their help with our Ice Cream Social. It was a great evening for everyone to get together, enjoy the ice cream, support the PTO, and help our students prepare for their first day of school."

We will be sending out "Mustang Mail" on a regular basis as needed. I would appreciate you reading each one carefully and marking your calendars with important dates. Please check with your child often to see if "you have mail!"

Parent Orientation Nights
(For parents only. No students, please.)
Monday, August 21 Tuesday, Aug. 22
6:30 - 7:15 p.m. - Grades 1 & 2 Focus Parents
7:30 - 8:15 p.m. - Grades 3 & 4 New Parents 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Returning Parents 7:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 24
Kindergarten Orientation
7:00 - 8:00 p.m.

New Teachers and Staff
Please join me in welcoming several new individuals to our Stony Creek School family. Mrs. Lois Holbrook is our new Early Childhood teacher. She comes to us from Forest Hill Elementary. Our new additional third grade teacher is Mrs. Susan Darling, a former Intermediate School and North Elementary School teacher. Returning to Stony Creek after one year at White River is Mrs. Deb Gilliom, our new fourth grade teacher.

Familiar faces in new places include Mrs. Jennifer Shelton and Miss Danielle Reece who have moved from instructional assistants to the Title I program. Miss Amy Wagoner is our new L.D. assistant after serving last year in the third grades as an assistant. Mrs. Barb Polstra comes to us from Forest Hill to work with some of our special needs students. We are also glad to have Mrs. Mary Boles as our new lunch room assistant. Her children have attended Stony and she has one grandson here now. WELCOME!!!

Boys and Girls Club of Noblesville
Programs provided by the Boys and Girls Club of Noblesville, will begin after school on Tuesday, September 5. Please contact them if you have any questions.

Attention Stony Creek Visitors:
Please assist us in maintaining a safe educational 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. EXCEPT FOR ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL TIMES, ALL DOORS OTHER THAN THE FRONT DOORS BY THE OFFICE OR THE AYS DOORS WILL BE LOCKED. Your support will be greatly appreciated!

Walkers and Car Riders
Car riders are dismissed first so that students who walk will not be among the cars leaving the back driveway. We want to do everything possible to prevent accidents at this school. REMINDER: STUDENTS MUST BE LOADED AND UNLOADED FROM CARS AT THE REAR OF THE SCHOOL. THIS HELPS AVOID ANY CHANCE OF ACCIDENTS WITH SCHOOL BUSES IN THE FRONT OF THE SCHOOL. Please do not pass cars in front of you who are loading or unloading students. THANK YOU!

School attendance policy
School attendance is essential for school success. If students are not here, they can never truly make-up what they missed. The question, "Did I miss anything important?" will always be answered with, "Yes!"

FYI - Students are to arrive at school no earlier than 8:15 for the breakfast program or 8:30 when the doors open for school to begin. There is no adult supervision provided for students who are dropped off early. The tardy bells rings at 8:40. Student arriving at school between 8:40 and 11:00 a.m. will be counted as tardy. Students arriving after 11:00 will be counted as absent for 1/2 day. Students who leave school before 1:00 p.m. will be counted as absent for 1/2 day. Students leaving after 1:00 p.m. will not be counted as absent.

Volunteer Data Sheet
A reminder to parents that as part of School Board 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 field trips and/or other school activities when you would have sole care, custody or control over students. Please pick up a form in the office and complete it at least three weeks prior to when you would like to be a school volunteer. Those parents who completed a form last year do not have to do it again. Thank you.

Dates To Remember
- Monday, August 28, 6:30 -8:00 p.m. - Cub Scout Pack 135 Registration - here
- Thursday, August 31, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. - Girl Scout Registration - here
- Monday, September 4, NO SCHOOL - Labor Day5