Coulston Elementary School
Comet Connection Newsletter December 14, 2025
School News
SHS Ecology Lab Lighted Holiday Forest
Our PTO is partnering with the SHS Ecology Lab for the Holiday Lighted Forest on Saturday, December 20th, from 6:00–9:00 PM.
Admission: $5 per individual or $10 per family
Location: Behind the girls’ softball fields
Proceeds: Benefit our amazing PTO
This is a wonderful Christmas family outing filled with festive lights and holiday cheer! We hope you and your family can join in the fun and make some magical memories.
Thank you for supporting this event and helping make it a success for our PTO. We can’t wait to see you on December 20th!
Christmas Parties
Our classroom Christmas parties will be held on Friday, December 19. Classroom teachers will be reaching out to parents about volunteering to send in treats, games, and other items to help make the parties special. Treats and other items can be sent in on Thursday, December 18, or by Friday, December 19 at 10:00 AM. We appreciate your support in making these fun classroom celebrations possible for our students!
Christmas Spirit Week
Join us as we celebrate the Christmas season! We’re wrapping up the month with fun and festive spirit week activities. We can’t wait to see all the Christmas spirit at Coulston this week at Coulston!!!
Christmas Break & Snow Make-Up Day
Just a reminder that Coulston will be on Christmas vacation from Monday, December 20 through Friday, January 2. Students will return to school on Monday, January 5. Also, please note that our snow make-up day will be on Monday, January 19. We hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday!
Parent Night Opportunity-Date Change
Please join us on January 29th at 6:00 PM at SCS Administration Office for a Parent Workshop focused on Tools for Today’s Parents. We’ll share tips on technology, behavior, and supporting the school and home behavior connection. Space is limited, so please sign up if you plan to attend.
Breakfast Survey for Parents
Chartwells is asking families to complete a short breakfast survey to help them better serve our students during school breakfast. Your feedback is important and will help improve the options offered. Please complete the survey as soon as possible. Thank you in advance for your time and support!
Negative Lunch Balances:
Please note if your student has a negative lunch balance the negative balance needs to be paid in full by the end of each month. Any negative balances over $25.00 may be sent to TRECS (Tax Refund Exchange and Compliance System) and additional collection fees will be charged. You can pay by credit card through MySchoolBucks or cash/check can be brought to the front office. If you need financial assistance, please complete the free and reduced application to determine if you are eligible. If you become eligible for assistance, all charges prior to your approval still need to be paid in full. Please contact Ashley Metcalfe, 317-398-9731 ext. 2033 or armetcalfe@shelbycs.org for more information.
Coulston Christmas Spirit Week
Join us as we celebrate the Christmas season! We’re wrapping up the month with fun and festive spirit week activities. We can’t wait to see all the Christmas spirit at Coulston during the week of December 15–19.
Free TBRI Parent Workshop
Please join us on January 29th at 6:00 PM at SCS Administration Office for a Parent Workshop focused on Tools for Today’s Parents. We’ll share tips on technology, behavior, and supporting the school and home behavior connection. Space is limited, so please sign up if you plan to attend.
DATE CHANGE: Snowie Day at CES is now DECEMBER 17, 2025
Snowie will be at CES on Wednesday, December 17th.
SHS Ecology Lab Lighted Holiday Forest
When: Saturday, December 20th, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Where: Behind the girls’ softball fields
Cost: $5/individual or $10/family
UPCOMING EVENTS:
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Dec. 8-12-PTO Santa Shop
Dec. 8-12-COGAT Testing in 5th Grade
Dec. 8-12-mClass MOY testing in 1st and 2nd Grade
Dec. 9-Second Grade Christmas Program at 6:00
Dec. 19th-Christmas Parties
Dec. 22-Jan. 2-Christmas Break
Jan. 5-School is back in session
Jan. 19-Martin Luther King Jr. Day - School is in session (Snow Make Up Day)
PTO News
Santa Shop has been extended until Tuesday 12/16
Our Santa Shop will be at Coulston from December 8–16. The Santa Shop is a small holiday store where students can shop for inexpensive gifts for family and friends. It’s a fun way for them to purchase gifts during the holiday season.
We are also looking for volunteers to help students shop and wrap gifts. If you are interested in helping, please contact the office or our PTO President Ashlee Deaton at aldeaton@shelbycs.org. Thanks in advance for volunteering your time!
Cereal Box Challenge
Parents, our PTO is doing a special Caring & Sharing Challenge with our students! We are inviting our school families and community to donate unopened boxes of cereal to Coulston Elementary for a fun Cereal Box Domino Knock Down on December 15th! We will send the boxes of cereal home to families in need over the Christmas Break, as well as donate to Pantry Pals. Thank you for helping us spread kindness and support to others this season! The classes that bring in the most boxes will win classroom prizes.
News from Our School Social Worker
With the colder temperatures and winter weather now upon us, I want to send a friendly reminder about the importance of making sure your children are dressed appropriately for school each day.
We want all of our students to stay healthy, comfortable, and warm, especially during outdoor activities like recess, waiting for the bus, or walking to and from school.
Essential Cold Weather Gear:
Please ensure your child comes to school prepared with the following items, as needed:
Warm Coat/Jacket
Hat
Gloves or Mittens
Notes from the Nurse
Please check out the Remind invite from Nurse Polston to sign up for updates and communication directly from her. This is a great way to share information and get important updates from the school nurse.
Additional Information
Coulston Elementary Readers are Leaders
Lines from the LibraryThank you for signing the reading log each week. The log only has to be signed one time per week! We will recognize students at our quarterly convocation. Keep reading!
Attendance
This year, we will have a monthly focus on attendance and share helpful resources with our school community.
Regular attendance at school does more than help your child succeed academically. It also helps them develop important habits that will benefit them for years to come. Being on time and present every day teaches responsibility, time management, and commitment and skills that are essential for future success in school, work, and life.
We appreciate your support in helping your child build these habits by ensuring they attend school consistently and arrive on time. Together, we can set them up for a bright and successful future!
We will continue to recognize strong attendance with classroom awards and celebrate overall improvement as a building. Our school-wide goal is to maintain an overall attendance rate of 96% or higher. Thank you for partnering with us to reach this important goal!
Sports Information
Breakfast/Lunch Menu
Lunch Information
Lunch Information
We encourage all families to complete the Free & Reduced Lunch Form each year. Even if you qualified last year. This ensures eligible families receive meal assistance. You can sign up at this site: SCS Free and Reduced Lunch Form
Healthy Snacks – We appreciate your help in following the SCS Wellness Policy! Students enjoy a daily healthy snack at school, helping us meet our Healthy Snacks guidelines.
CES Student Handbook
Please remember the following rules from the SCS Elementary Handbook:
Transportation
Bus route information is available at scs.shelbycs.org/page/transportation. Scroll down to find the INFOFINDER link. If you need to make a change to your child’s transportation, please complete a Change of Transportation form at school. Changes take 48 hours to process. Call the office with any questions.
Car Rider Line
Thank you for your patience as we navigated the extra traffic during the first few weeks of school. We’re happy to see the flow improving this week! Here are a few car rider reminders to keep things running smoothly:
Drop-off begins at 7:25 AM
Pick-up is at 2:15 PM (1:45 PM on Wednesdays)
Students should exit the car on the side closest to the sidewalk
Please stay in your vehicle—do not park and get out
Give hugs, kisses, and goodbyes before pulling forward in the line
The car rider door closes at 7:45 AM. After this time, students must be dropped off and signed in at the front office.
Thanks for helping us keep arrival and dismissal safe and efficient!
Coulston Elementary School
Phone: (317) 398-3185
Fax: (317) 392-5721
Office Hours: 7:00am - 3:30pm
Address:
121 N Knightstown Road
Shelbyville, IN 46176