Clarks Creek Chronicles

Dear Parents,

As we approach the end of our first semester, we look forward to these last few days of learning and the memorable activities teachers have planned. It's a great time to reflect on the accomplishments of the year and all the things that have made this year so special. In January, we'll take time to assess where we are with our goals for each student, and we look forward to celebrating their progress with them. The time has flown by and our students have been learning so much!

In addition to the general academic lessons that students have been learning on a daily basis, we have also put an emphasis on our December value of kindness. Teachers have encouraged students to show kindness and to be watching for kind acts of others to help them direct their thoughts toward those around them. While it's easy for little ones to get caught up in the "wants" of the season, it's also a great time to refocus their attention and teach empathy toward others.

I hope that you and your families enjoy some quality time together over our break from school. As a reminder, Thursday is the last day before our vacation. School will resume on Monday, January 8th.

We will look forward to beginning the new year, as Hal Borland said, with a bit more wisdom that the past year of experience has brought us, and we anticipate many more great things in 2018!

Happy holidays, everyone!

Kind regards,
Mrs. Donovan

With just two days left, we invite all students to participate tomorrow in "Polar Express Day" by wearing pajamas to school. Be sure to have kids wear their regular coats over pjs or robes and regular shoes for the playground. They may bring slippers to change into, if they'd like to. Thursday will be a day for students to wear any winter or holiday-inspired clothing they would like to.

Also, the Student Council is accepting donations this week for Samaritan's Purse and their Operation Christmas Child program. We welcome any student who is able to bring in a dollar to do so. We will see how many $25 shoeboxes of essential items and toys we can build with the donations. Children in need will benefit from our students' generosity! As always, thanks for your support of the worthy causes our Student Council selects for us to support throughout the year.

Congratulations to the third grade cast of 'Twas One Crazy Night Before Christmas on an outstanding performance earlier this month, and thanks to Mrs. Swincher and all of those who helped make the program possible.

If your child loses anything this school year, you are strongly encouraged to inquire with his or her teacher or the office to see if it has made its way to the lost and found. You can do so by sending in the form that is shown below, or by emailing it to Mrs. Baker in the front office at christinebaker@plainfield.k12.in.us. The inventory grows quickly and the pile soon becomes overwhelming for kids to search through effectively. Because of this, a volunteer is now organizing and logging the items weekly in order to make the search easier for teachers and staff.

There are over 40 jackets and coats, multiple pairs of eyeglasses, shirts, scarves, winter hats, lunch bags, water bottles, various accessories, and even a basketball and a cell phone on the list currently. It is our practice to purge and donate unclaimed items quarterly, as the quantity of items simply becomes more than we can store. This makes it especially important to check in and see if the school may have something you are missing.

Please clearly write your child’s name on everything that comes to school. Nothing fancy is necessary – writing it in permanent marker on an inside tag works on clothing items. When lost things are labeled with a name, they are immediately returned to the student as opposed to being logged and kept in lost and found.

The school is concerned about parents’ investment in their children’s personal care and supplies, and does not want to see a child go without something they need. With your help, we can get these items back to where they belong. Please encourage your child to be responsible and check to be sure he/she has everything that belongs to him/her. If something is missing, please fill out the form and we will do our best to return lost items to their rightful owners.

• 12/21/2017 End of 2nd Quarter- Last Day for Students

• 12/22/2016 - 1/7/2018 Winter Break
• 1/8/2018 Semester Two Begins
• 1/12 PRIDE Convocation - 2:30 p.m. - gym
  
• 1/15 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - No School
  

We sure haven't needed to put winter weather plans into effect this year, with a warmer-than-average season thus far, but January and February are right around the corner! Before then, I wanted to take a moment and remind you of important district policies and information about school delays, closings, and wintertime recess.

REMINDER OF IMPORTANT WEATHER-RELATED PRACTICES

The ultimate decision will always rest with the parent.

~ Scott Olinger, Superintendent

SNOW. ICE. WIND CHILL. FOG. FLOODING. SUB-ZERO TEMPERATURES.

Winter in Indiana can bring many forms of weather that people often find unpleasant. Others find it difficult to navigate the roads under conditions that Hoosiers sometimes only experience every year or two. But for a school superintendent, dealing with the uncertainties of changing, unpredictable weather and road conditions makes the decision about calling for a delay, or even a cancellation, a challenging task. And usually, an unpopular choice. In the space that follows, we’ll explain the rationale and thought processes behind the decisions we make.

THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF STUDENTS IS OUR #1 PRIORITY.

STUDENTS THRIVE ON ROUTINE.

While there is usually a frenzied excitement surrounding a winter weather event, the truth is that children love, and need, structure, including the structure that comes during a normal school day.

STUDENTS ARE SAFE WHILE IN SCHOOL.

An oft-overlooked factor: when school is delayed or cancelled, parents face a difficult dilemma – who will care for the kids? All too often, children must stay home alone. And the dangers that accompany that scenario are far greater than traveling to and from school in the snow or cold weather.

OUR ROADS ARE WELL-CARED FOR.

School buses are heavy pieces of equipment, built to handle wide- ranging road conditions. And in Plainfield, town employees do an excellent job clearing the streets. Navigating the roads isn’t the issue here that it may be elsewhere.

OUR BUSES ARE WARM ON COLD DAYS.

Many districts must worry about buses that don’t start, or need longer to warm up. In Plainfield, our buses are plugged in to heaters at night, so they start without issue on even the coldest winter mornings.

OUR WALK DISTRICTS ARE VERY SMALL.

Plainfield has fewer walking students than many districts. And many parents choose to take their children to and from school.

THERE IS NO MAGIC TEMPERATURE FORMULA.

Some districts set their policy based on specific temperatures and wind chills. We look at each situation individually. Many times, temperatures don’t rise until later in the day, so delaying by two hours makes little (if any) impact.

Cold is cold. And Hoosiers have always had our fair share of cold days. Dressing children appropriately, with coats and hats and gloves, as opposed to shorts and tee-shirts, is the best way to ensure they stay warm.

WEATHER DELAY TIMELINE

When the forecast leads us to believe morning travel could be tricky, we plan ahead. Sometimes we make the call at night, but most often we do so in the morning. Members of our leadership team hit the roads early to assess conditions. Even though they are out before 5 a.m., things can change before the buses leave. But their assessment is vital to the decision-making process.

Dismissing school early is even trickier. Many parents can’t get home in time to meet their children when we have an early dismissal.

Notifications of delays and closings go out via School Messenger, websites, social media and local TV stations.

THE FINAL DECISION BELONGS TO PARENTS!

As a parent, you make the ultimate choice about what’s best for your child. If you feel we’ve made the wrong decision, you can certainly choose to keep your child home.

HOW WE COMMUNICATE ABOUT SCHOOL DELAYS AND CLOSINGS

• School Messenger (phone call based on student records in PowerSchool; this would be a good time to verify your contact information is correct)
• Website (plainfield.k12.in.us) and Mobile App (found in the App Store (Apple and Android) under Plainfield Community School Corporation
• The info will be posted under LIVE FEED for PCSC.

• TV stations and their websites:
• CBS4/FOX59
• WRTV - 6
• WISH - TV8
• WTHR – 13

WHAT ABOUT RECESS?

Elementary students WILL go outdoors for recess as long as the air temperature and wind chill factors are at or above 20 degrees. Bundle kids up!

The middle of the year is a good time to check with your child about their school necessities. Does he/she still have...

• enough school supplies from the beginning of the year list?
• a working set of headphones for using technology at school?
• money in his/her lunch account (if buying)?
  

You can find our school menus by clicking the red button below. Student lunches are $2.40 (including milk). Breakfast is $1.30. Extra milk (or for those bringing their lunch) is $0.50.

We know that parents often want to come in and eat lunch with their children on special occasions. You are welcome to do so by following the usual school visit procedures - beginning with stopping in the office to sign in and get a visitor tag. Please be aware, though, that space in our cafeteria is currently VERY limited. Please be prepared for the possibility that you may have to eat in another location with your student when you arrive.

We had a great turnout for Santa Shop! The kids had a blast choosing gifts for family and friends at our well-stocked shop. Thanks to all who were able to volunteer time to help our young shoppers, and special thanks to Heather GeRue for all of her hard work as chairperson of the event. Special thanks, also, to Meghann Avilez and Amber Parker for product supply and to Brandy Richardson and Lisa Dykstra for oversight of the event on various days!

Our next meeting will be Monday, January 22, 2017 @ 6:30pm in the library. Please enter through Door 2.

The Plainfield-Guilford Township Public Library has some exciting news! Hoopla now has picture ebooks for young readers. These books are especially wonderful for emergent readers who enjoy read-along-style stories.

All that is needed is a Plainfield Library card and you can checkout ebooks on your phone, tablet or computer. Visit the library to find out more!

If you have some time to donate at Clarks Creek, be sure to complete a Volunteer Background Check and have it cleared prior to the first volunteer experience. This can take a couple of weeks, so be sure to plan ahead! These are also needed prior to chaperoning field trips, etc. The form can be found at http://www.plainfield.k12.in.us/o/clarks-creek-elementary-school/documents .

Another thing we ask all volunteers to complete annually is the Volunteer Confidentiality Form. This form is available in the school office and should also be completed before the first volunteer experience.

We appreciate the help of all of our volunteers! We couldn't do it without you!

Email: clarkscreekinfo@plainfield.k12.in.us
Website: http://www.plainfield.k12.in.us/o/clarks-creek-elementary-school
Location: 401 Elm Drive, Plainfield, IN, United States
Phone: (317)839-0120
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClarksCreekElementary/
Twitter: @ccquakers