Stonegate Weekly Newsletter

As we enter this season of gratitude, we are reminded of how fortunate we are to have such a caring and supportive school community. Thank you for making time to celebrate your child’s learning during conferences this week, supporting e-learning at home, and spending your Friday evening with us for Movie Night! In so many ways, both big and small, our community continues to show its commitment to our children and their future. We are grateful for your partnership and the confidence you place in our schools.

We look forward to honoring our veterans on Wednesday and welcoming so many families and community members into Stonegate for one of our most beloved traditions. Coming together to recognize their service is a meaningful reminder of the gratitude and connection we share.

Thanksgiving recess will be here before we know it! Before we head into the break, our Tackle Hunger Food Drive, November 16–20, will give us another opportunity to care for our community. A fun spirit week will add to the excitement as we team up to help our neighbors. Thank you for making Stonegate a place where generosity, belonging, and support shine!

Looking Ahead:

• Stonegate Spirit Wear- The Stonegate Spirit Wear shop is currently open! Items purchased will arrive in time for the holidays. Orders are due on November 8th. See the link to shop below under PTO.
• Veterans Day- If you plan to attend our Veterans Day Program, please register in advance using the link below! If you would like to bypass the lines, stop by SGE before 11/10 to pick up your nametag.
• Food Drive is Coming- Let's Tackle Hunger and surpass our goal of 20,000 items collected for the Zionsville Food Pantry and our Backpack Program.
• Thanksgiving Recess- There will be no school on Wednesday, November 25-Friday, November 27.

We wish you a wonderful weekend!

Mrs. Connie Largent, Principal

Mrs. Kathy Drake, Assistant Principal

Wednesday, 11/11

• Veterans Day Program 9:30am-10:15am

Monday - Friday, 11/16-11/20

• PTO Food Drive

Tuesday, 11/17

• PTO Dine for Dollars at HotBox

Wednesday - Friday, 11/25-11/27

• Thanksgiving Break - No School

Wednesday, 12/2

• PTO Meeting at 8:15am

Tuesday, 12/8

• PTO Dine for Dollars at Papa Johns

Thursday, 12/17

• PTO Dine for Dollars at Schkolad

Friday, 12/18

• PTO Spirit Wear - Pajama Day
• Classroom winter parties
• End of Quarter Two

December 19 - January 4

• Winter Break

Tuesday, 1/5

• Students return from Winter Break

It's been a wonderful first quarter in the STEM room with all grade levels busy learning and exploring.

First grade started their year learning about the parts of a computer and learning the basics of coding. They just started their unit about living things. They will be exploring living vs. nonliving things, adaptations, biomimicry, inherited traits, and how living things interact in an ecosystem. They just finished planting our classroom tower garden and have been excited to see sprouts already emerging!

Second grade spent the first quarter learning about plant needs and seed dispersal. They were able to apply that knowledge when we went outside and searched for seeds at Stonegate. We found black walnuts, acorns, crabapples, day lilies, pinecones, and more! A couple of lucky classes even got to see some squirrels busy dispersing seeds as they buried them for winter. Second graders will be learning about the properties of materials and states of matter second quarter.

Third grade has been studying animal traits and adaptations, including offspring inheriting traits from their parents, how the traits of a species could change over time, and how an environment could impact traits. They also learned why some groups of animals live in groups and how that helps their chances at survival. Third grade will spend second quarter coding.

In fourth grade, we have been building on previous background knowledge. They have studied animal structures in greater depth and learned how these structures help animals in different environments. They also studied the difference between learned behaviors and instincts. Fourth grade will spend second quarter coding.

We are off to a great start and looking forward to new knowledge and discoveries in the weeks ahead!

Please help us keep our school day focused on learning by reminding your child to leave toys, candy, and items for sharing or trading with friends at home unless requested by a teacher for a classroom activity. These items can create distractions and lead to hurt feelings when something is lost, traded, or given away. Thank you!

Our annual Veterans Day Program will be held on Wednesday, November 11th at 9:30 am in our SGE gymnasium. This is one of our favorite programs where we recognize members of the armed services. We would like to invite you and your active or retired veteran to attend.

Attending the Program:

We are asking ALL guests to pre-register to attend our event. Please use the following guide to pre-register yourself or a family member to attend Stonegate Elementary’s Veterans Day Program. The direct link to register using the SafeVisitor site is linked below. (A full background check is not required to attend.)

SafeVisitor Solutions System:

If registering Wednesday, 11/4 to Tuesday, 11/10 at 9:00AM, please use this link: https://secure.safevisitor.io/safe/visitor/zionsvilleschools/veterans-day-2026-nov-4-10

You will need to enter the following information after selecting “Next Step”:

• GUEST’S First Name
• GUEST’S Last Name
• GUEST’S Birth Date
• Select “Next Step”

On the next screen, you will need to enter the following:

• Person Visiting – Please note “Stonegate Elementary”.
• Select “Next Step”.
• Select “Submit”.

Fast Passes are Back!

• What is a Fast Pass? If you pre-register between dates/times listed above, you’ll be able to pick up your Safe Visitor Pass as late as the day before the program. Please keep this pass in a safe spot and do not lose it. On Veterans Day, please adhere it to a visible spot of your shirt/jacket. This allows you to SKIP to be “checked-in” at the door and gives you instant access to the gymnasium.

• Once again:

• If registering between Wednesday, 11/4 - Tuesday, 11/10 by 9:00 AM, please use this link: https://secure.safevisitor.io/safe/visitor/zionsvilleschools/veterans-day-2026-nov-4-10

• You can pick up your FAST PASS on Tuesday, November 10th, between 10 AM and 2 PM.

• Pre-Registration closes at 9:01 AM, on Tuesday, November 10th. All registrations after this time on Tuesday, November 10th must be checked in at the door the morning of Wednesday, November 11th.

Also, as a friendly reminder: although we hope this process captures all pre-registrations, sometimes there are glitches, so please bring your driver’s license (just in case). If you encounter any problems, please email us at stonegateoffice@zcs.k12.in.us

The holiday season can bring added expenses and challenges for many families, and we want you to know that support is available. If your family could use assistance with holiday needs, clothing, gifts, or other essentials, please know that you are not alone. We are happy to help connect families with available community resources and support to help make the season a little brighter.

If your family could use holiday assistance, please complete the Family Support Request Form below. All requests will be handled with care, compassion, and confidentiality.

Family Support Request Form

· R.I.G.H.T. Connection: Gracious – adapting when things don’t go your way

· Learning Goals:

o I can adapt to change and try another strategy.

o I can learn from my mistakes.

o I can work cooperatively with others.

· EFs2theRescue Visual: FlexiLexi

o FlexiLexi: Goes with the flow

· Try This At Home: Plans don't always go the way we expect, and that's okay. As a family, talk about a time when something didn't go as planned.

o What did you expect to happen?

o What changed?

o How did you respond?

o What else could you have tried?

· Remember: Being flexible doesn't mean you have to like the change. It means you can adjust your thinking and find another way forward.

Kindergarten

· Lesson 10: Accidents

· Learning Goal: Students will be able to identify what to say when they do something by accident and demonstrate saying, “I’m sorry. It was an accident. Are you okay?” in response to scenarios.

· Try This At Home: Practice what to say when an accident occurs. Take turns pretending to accidentally bump into someone or knock something over. Practice saying, “I’m sorry. It was an accident. Are you okay?”

First Grade

· Lesson 10: Accidents

· Learning Goal: Students will be able to know what the word accident means, know what to say when they do something by accident, and predict how others might feel as a result of their own or others’ actions.

· Try This At Home: Talk about a time when something happened by accident. How might the other person have felt? Practice explaining what happened, apologizing, and thinking about how repair the situation.

Second Grade

· Lesson 10: Predicting Feelings

· Learning Goal: Students will be able to predict others’ feelings in response to scenarios and offer possible reasons for others’ actions and feelings in response to scenarios.

· Try This At Home: While reading a story or watching a show together, pause and ask, “How do you think that person is feeling? Why might they feel that way?” Talk about how people can have different feelings in the same situation.

Third Grade

· Lesson 10: Making Friends

· Learning Goal: Students will be able to demonstrate focusing attention and listening skills in the context of a game and initiate, continue, and end a conversation in a friendly way in the context of a game.

· Try This At Home: Play a family game together. Have your child practice asking to play together, listening when others speak, taking turns, and starting and ending conversations in a friendly way.

Fourth Grade· Lesson 10: Introducing Emotion Management

· Learning Goal: Students will be able to describe what triggers their own strong emotions and describe what happens in their brains and bodies when they experience strong emotions.

· Try This At Home: Talk about a time when you experienced a strong emotion. What triggered the feeling, and what did you notice happening in your brain and body? Discuss how recognizing these signals can help you manage strong emotions.

Lunch guests are welcome! Students and their guests will have lunch at designated locations in the front lobby area. Please no more than 2 guests per student due to limited space. So that others may have the opportunity, we ask that you not sign up more than 1 time per month. Thank you!

Here's how it works:

• Sign up for a reservation in advance using the link below. https://bookings.cloud.microsoft/book/Stonegate@zcsk12in.onmicrosoft.com/?ismsaljsauthenabled
• When you sign up, please be certain to complete all fields requested.
• Your child will meet you in the front office area when they are ready.

PTO Stonegate Spirit Wear is now available! The online store is open until November 8th. All items will be delivered to the school before winter break and sent home with your student. Thank you!

2026-2027 Elementary Q1 report cards are now available. To access your child’s report card, simply log in to PowerSchool (using your parent login or your child’s login) and click on the Student Reports link on the left. If you have forgotten how to log in to PowerSchool, your child or building administrative assistant can assist with this.

Celebrating your child's birthday is always an exciting time. Here at Stonegate, students can come get a pencil, bookmark, and book from the front office on their birthday! We enjoy celebrating their special day with them. However, it is important that families adhere to our Zionsville Community Schools policy regarding student birthdays.

Birthdays: In order to comply with the current wellness policies and to minimize interruption to instruction, birthday treats (food or otherwise) are not allowed. Balloons or flowers should not be sent to school because of possible allergies and the distraction they may cause. Birthday invitations can be distributed at school only if there is an invitation for every member of the class. (page 24 of the ZCS student and family handbook)

Thank you for adhering to our birthday policy.

During the school day, all visitors and volunteers are expected to check in at the front office. Prior to the volunteer's first volunteer experience, the individual 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 before 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.

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. Visitors other than parents/guardians must be prearranged and organized through the main office.