The Nugget

I hope this message finds each of you safe and healthy. I want to provide some very important information as we head into our 2 week winter break.

Our food distribution will take place this Friday as normally scheduled from 4:00 - 6:00 PM at Moorhead Community Resource Center, Warren Central High School, Creston, Raymond Park, and Stonybrook Intermediate Middle Schools. There will be additional distributions on Tuesday, December 22nd and Tuesday, December 29th from 4:00 - 6:00 PM at our same locations. Multiple meals will be provided at each distribution and our winter break meals will have a special treat included.

This is a reminder that all K-5 students will remain VIRTUAL through at least Friday, January 15th with a tentative IN-PERSON return on Tuesday, January 19th. K-5 families will have the option to request that their student remain VIRTUAL for the remainder of the school year. The request window will open on Wednesday, December 30th and will close on Friday, January 8th at 3 PM. This will be the last request window of this school year.

Students in grades 6th - 12th will remain 100% VIRTUAL until at least Friday, February 12th with a tentative IN-PERSON HYBRID return on Wednesday, February 17th. Tuesday, February 16th is a scheduled district eLearning day. Families with students in grades 6th - 8th will have the option to request that their student remain VIRTUAL for the remainder of the school year. The request window for 6-8 students will open on Friday, January 15th and close on Friday, January 29th at 4 PM. This will be the last request window of this school year.

Our priority from the beginning of the school year has been to have safe access to our students and provide a safe learning environment for our students and staff. Due to our Marion County Data and our local district data, we believe that bringing in our K-5 students with an IN-PERSON or VIRTUAL option and keeping our 6-12 students VIRTUAL until February 17th continues to meet that priority. We know that consistency for our students and staff increases the overall experience and their success.

We will continue to provide food distribution during the VIRTUAL windows and do our best to meet the needs of our students, families, and staff. We will also continue to monitor our data and make adjustments as needed to ensure the safety of everyone.

As I have said from day one, I am appreciative of everyone’s patience, flexibility, and understanding of this situation. #WarrenWill has gotten us this far and will continue to move us forward next year. Weekly communications will continue over the winter break to share reminders or new information. In the meantime, I hope you have a joyful holiday season and I look forward to seeing you next year!

Learning Option Change Requests Forms for students in grades K-5th grade will be available for families on Dec. 30. Each K - 5th grade school will have a link on their home school webpage where families can communicate their desire for next semester. If you are an traditional IN-PERSON family or a fully VIRTUAL family this is your opportunity to let us know how you would like to end the school year.

For example, if you would like your student to return to traditional IN-PERSON instruction for the remainder of the school year, you would fill out the Learning Option Change Request Form and select “traditional IN-PERSON”. If you are a traditional IN-PERSON family who would like to move to fully VIRTUAL for the remainder of the school year, you would select “fully VIRTUAL”.

Families considering remaining/moving too fully VIRTUAL for the remainder of the school year, should be aware of four factors:

1. Indiana schools are required by state and federal legislation to administer assessments, such as WIDA, ILEARN, IREAD, and IAM. These statewide assessments may not be given to students remotely, they must be taken in-person at school. Your student will be required to attend school on designated days to take their assessments. 2021 Assessment Window Dates.

2. Second semester placements for K-5th graders will begin January 19th. Students in the Virtual Learning Academy (VLA) will receive a schedule from their VIRTUAL teacher(s). Choosing to move to the VLA for the remainder of the 20-21 means you are agreeing that your student will follow the schedule provided by your teacher(s) and will log into Zoom for instruction provided by teachers each day during the scheduled times.

3. When the Learning Option Change Request window closes, staffing changes will be made to support the high volume of requests. Due to these staffing changes, it is possible that your student may be assigned to a new Virtual teacher for the second semester.

4. This is the last window to request a learning option change. There will not be another opportunity to communicate a change. Students will finish the school year in this option.

Learning Option Change Request Forms for students in grades K-5th will open Dec. 30 and close Jan. 8th, 2021, at 3PM. Second semester schedules will start Jan. 19, 2021.

All students in grades 6th - 12th will remain 100% VIRTUAL until at least Friday, February 12th with a tentative IN-PERSON HYBRID return on Wednesday, February 17th. Learning Option Change Requests Forms for students in grades 6th-8th grade will open Jan. 15 and close Jan. 29, 2021, at 4PM.

If you have any technology needs, you can access one of the following supports:

• Technology Help Desk at Moorhead Community Resource Center from 10:00 - 2:00, Monday - Friday. iPad concerns should be directed here.

• All three Intermediate Middle Schools during school hours for chromebook help.

• Chromedesk at the High School during 1st and 2nd period.

• Submit a help ticket through IncidentIQ by clicking on Technology under the Explore Tab and then select Parent Tech Info.

If you have any academic needs, you can access the following supports:

• Contact your child's teacher(s) for support. Teacher contact information is available on each school’s website under the Explore Tab, then select STAFF. (We also have a button below in the Nugget.)

• Contact your child's school counselor or administrator.

Mrs. Forey, counselor - kforey@warren.k12.in.us or 317-532-3100 x3123

Ms. Hardin, dean - mhardin@warren.k12.in.us or 317-532-3102

Mrs. Merchant, principal - cmerchan@warren.k12.in.us or 317-532-3101

• Visit our district website's transition to virtual learning page for more information and resources.

If you have other needs beyond what is being provided, you can access of the following resources:

• Contact your child’s counselor or administrator. All of our schools are open during normal school hours. Grassy Creek's office line is 317-532-3100.

• Share your request through our outreach hotline at 317-608-0545 or email at MSDWarrenOutreach@warren.k12.in.us.

• Visit our Moorhead Community Resource Center. Monday / Wednesday / Friday - 8:00 - 4:00 or Tuesday / Thursday - 8:00 - 8:00.

Today marks the end of our 1st semester of learning for 2020-21! Your child's report card will be available in ParentVUE this evening. If you have questions, please reach out to your child's teacher.

If you are in need of a Hotspot please use the link below to make your request.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1B02rXd5tSfr8mIgpI_--EPObW7lA7MOzEwI47JMqIRQ/edit

If you are in need of Parent Tech Support please use the link below.
https://www.warren.k12.in.us/o/msd-of-warren-township/page/parent-tech-info

Moorhead technology help desk is located at door 11 at the rear of the building near the playground. Please drive through the gate on the west side of the building and, after parking, enter door 11 for assistance. The Technology team will keep the same hours for the help desk: Monday through Friday (except holidays) from 10am to 2pm.

Over the course the of the next few weeks, all students at Grassy Creek will join in lessons about mental health and wellness, along with introductions to social justice topics appropriate for school age children.

There are many benefits of beginning to discuss racial bias and injustice with young children of all races and ethnicities:

• Research has shown that children even as young as three years of age notice and comment on differences in skin color.

• Humans of all ages tend to ascribe positive qualities to the group that they belong to and negative qualities to other groups.

• Despite some adults’ attempts to protect children from frightening media content, children often become aware of incidents of community violence, including police shootings.

• Adults who don’t proactively talk about racial issues with the children around them are inadvertently teaching the children that race is a taboo topic. We want to raise children to accept individuals from diverse cultures and need to counter negative attitudes that children develop from exposure to the negative racial stereotypes that persist in our society.

We are using many resources aligned with Indiana State Academic Standards, National Standards, and our social-emotional learning curriculum from Second Steps. Want to learn more? Check out these resources:

• Second Steps Social Justice Lesson guide - we will use some of these tools throughout the year but not all at once.
• Social Justice Standards - this is the resource provided by the Indiana Department of Education to guide age appropriate conversations about social justice in the school setting.
• 5 Tips for Raising an Antiracist Child - great ideas for both home and school!

The Moorhead Community Resource Center (MCRC) will remain open during the VIRTUAL window and is committed to providing Warren Township families and students with programs and services in a safe, non-judgmental environment where families feel welcome and supported.

Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. and Tuesday, Thursday 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Main Line: (317) 532-3854

Address: 8400 E 10th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46219

Services

• Support for Homeless Students and Families
• Housing and Utility Support
• Foster Care Support
• Food & Clothing Pantry Services through Sonny Day
• Nutritional Education
• Mental Health Counseling for Individuals and Families
• Registration Assistance for Health Insurance
• Substance Abuse Education and Support Groups
• Healthy Relationships Education
• Latino Support Services
• Mentoring Services
• Employment Services
• Tutoring Services

For more information about the Moorhead Community Resource Center, click here. If you have needs beyond what is being offered, please reach out to your child's home school or contact us through the Community Outreach hotline at 317-608-0545.

Follow us on social media or contact us at anytime.

Website: http://grassycreek.warren.k12.in.us/
Location: 10330 East Prospect Street, Indianapolis, IN 46239, USA
Phone: 317-532-3100
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GrassyCreekElementary/
Twitter: @GrassyCreekElem