Trailside Elementary Weekly Update

Dear Trailside Families,

Welcome back! We hope your family has made a smooth transition to school life after our week away for Fall Break. We hit the ground running this week, with Fire Safety lessons, ILEARN checkpoints, and our Jog A Thon convocation with the Indy Dunkers! Our kindergarteners also are helping us keep track of how quickly the year is passing, as they celebrated the 50th day of school with a decades theme day.

These weeks before the holidays arrive are full of a variety of opportunities for us to connect as a school community. Please be sure to check this newsletter and communication from your classroom teacher to stay in the know!

• Trail Closed for Season- The walk/bike to school trail will be closed for the season. If this is your child's default end of day plan, please communicate the new arrangements with his/her teacher. Looking forward to seeing our walkers and bikers back in the spring!
• College and Career Week- Next week is College and Career Week. Students are invited to participate in the themed dress days. Students will have announcements and lessons on this topic throughout the week.
• Report Cards- The end of first quarter was Friday, October 9. Student report cards will be available in PowerSchool on 10/27.
• Save the Date - Family Conferences – Nov. 4 (after school) & 5 (E-Day) Please save the date! Conferences are a time to celebrate your child’s growth and partner together for their continued success. While these dates are set aside for formal conferences, know that our teachers always welcome your communication to support your child’s journey. Please don't hesitate to reach out to them to dialogue or share concerns and/or successes!
• Culture Fair- “Celebrate the World With Us! You're invited to Trailside Elementary’s annual Culture Fair, a vibrant evening of food, music, art, and traditions from around the globe, brought to life by our staff, students, and families! Click the link to sign up and join the fun. Don’t miss this unforgettable celebration: Trailside Elementary Culture Fair.
• Veterans Day- Planning is well underway for our annual convocation in honor of the men and women of our community who have served our country. This will be held on November 11, 2026. See the flyer linked below for details. This was also sent directly to you via ParentSquare.
  

Sincerely,

Mrs. Jen Raycroft, principal

Ms. Deb Pickett, assistant principal

October

26-30, College and Career Week

November

2-6 Book Fair

3 Picture Retakes

4 School Conferences, 3:00-5:30pm

5 E-Day, School Conferences 11-7

9 PTO Meeting, 9:15 am

11 Veterans Day Program, 9:15

12 Dads Club Meeting, 8-9 at the American Legion

19 Culture Fair

16 Student Grant Proposal Presentations

25-27 No School- Thanksgiving Break

December

3 PTO UPaint Pottery Event

7 PTO Meeting, 9:15am

11 Dads Club Wellness, Gym and Movie Night

18 Winter Classroom Parties

18 End of Second Quarter

21-January 3 No School- Winter Break

26-27 ZCS School Calendar

Nov. 2nd – Nov. 6TH

Class shopping Days

Monday: Kemmerling, Hasselbring, Post, Gray, Steele, Skura, Bradford, Off, Mueller

Tuesday: Clark (2nd), Smitson, McCune, Carroll, Sigmund, Merrell, Wyatt

Wednesday: Hinne, Clark (4th), Kellum, Sarpa, Herrick, Hlade, Wood

Friday: Reiter

Family Shopping: Open During all conference times! Swing by before or after your student’s conference, Wednesday Evening and All Day Thursday

Volunteer to Help and receive 20% off all purchases at the fair.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080A4CACA92AA0F58-66377276-fall

"Would you like to perform or host an activity at Trailside's Annual Culture Fair? This may look like hosting a visual art activity, a group dance/music performance, or teaching a popular game, or any creative idea you have! Reach out to Mrs. Gönültaş if you are interested!"

Hello TSE families!
Trailside's annual Culture Fair is November 19, 6-7:30 pm. Please signup here to display a booth representing a culture that's important to your family and/or to support our Culture Fair in another capacity such as decorating, setting up tables, welcoming guests, preparing passports, etc. Trailside's Cultural Understandings team will contact you with more information once we receive your generous offer to help. Click here to see our 2023 event video and see what an amazing opportunity this is!

Reach out to me on ParentSquare with any questions, and have a wonderful day! 😊

-Mrs. Gönültaş

🧥 Cold Weather Gear Assistance

As the temperatures drop, Trailside wants to ensure every student stays warm and comfortable. If your child needs help with a winter coat, boots, gloves, or other cold weather gear, please fill out the form linked below. We’re here to help!

Cold Weather Gear

🥪 Weekend Food Support - Backpack Program

Trailside Elementary sends home bags of food each Friday for families who could use a little extra help. Food bags are placed discreetly into students’ backpacks. The bags include nonperishable food items. Whether your family needs ongoing support or just temporary assistance, we’re happy to provide this resource. Please click the link below if you would like to receive this support.

Backpack Program

Please check out the School Counselor tab on the Trailside Elementary website for more information about our Second Step curriculum and other resources available to families.

Food Allergies

​2026-2027 School Wide Party Snack List.docx​: Please check for Allergy Concerns!

*If your child cannot have the school wide snack, please contact your child’s teacher. You are welcome to bring in an option for your child that fits their dietary needs.

*Please communicate Allergy table requests with the classroom teacher. We are not a nut-free school or lunchroom. We do try and keep classroom snacks nut free when there is an allergy in the classroom. ​Safe Snack Guidelines.docx

​

Returning to School from Illness

• Fever-free (under 100.4°F) for 24 hours without medication

• No vomiting for 24 hours

• Diarrhea-free for 24 hours

• Lessing of "acute cold symptoms"

• Chronic medical issues require proper documentation

• 24 hours or more of antibiotic use or as directed by your HCP

Quick Medication Reminder
Ever wonder why we still call before giving Tylenol or Ibuprofen, even if you selected “yes” during registration?

• It’s our K–5 clinic policy

• These medications are never given without parent/guardian consent at the time

Questions?

tsenurse@zcs.k12.in.us

Thank You!

-Nurse Mindy and Nurse Lisa

This summer, the ZCS Board of School Trustees approved revisions to Board Policy 5136 to comply with new laws passed during the 2026 legislative session. The new law requires school districts to adopt either a complete prohibition on student electronic devices or a secured storage policy. ZCS adopted the secured storage approach, requiring student cell phones and other personal electronic devices to be powered off and not readily accessible during the school day. This action applies to any portable wireless communication device that has the capability to provide voice, messaging, or other data communication between two (2) or more parties, including:

• Cellular phone
• Gaming device
• Smartwatch that is connected to a cellular telephone, a cell tower, or the internet.

ZCS students are permitted to bring their own devices to school but following the law they must be powered off and stored in accordance with school procedures such as a locker or classroom storage system.

If you need to communicate important information to your child during the day, please contact the school office.

We know students being present at school benefits them in numerous ways from learning to connecting. Senate Enrolled Act (SEA) 482, an Indiana law as of July 2025, brought changes to how attendance is documented and reported to the state. Our ZCS Board of Trustees has updated our attendance policy and student handbooks to align with SEA 482. Below is a graphic to help you understand these updates.

*ZCS policy and state law outline different procedures for students with significant medical circumstances.

Check out the PTO website for info on how to get involved: Trailside Elementary PTO

• Next Dads' club meeting: Thursday Nov 12th (8-9 pm) at the American Legion. All TSE dads are welcome.
• Gym, Movie, & Wellness Night will be December 11th -- 6-8 pm (more details to come)!

The ZCS Food Service Website is home to lots of important information, including monthly menus, price lists, nutritional and allergen information. You can also learn more regarding meal assistance using the website or clicking here. For more information or assistance, you can contact the Food Service Department directly at 317-873-1232.

We are accepting visitors for lunch! You can use our online system to sign up to have lunch with your student in the office conference room. You will need to bring your ID to check in. 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 calendar month. When you sign up, please put your student's name and classroom teacher in the notes. Here is the lunch visitor sign up link: https://outlook.office.com/book/TrailsideLunchVisitors@zcsk12in.onmicrosoft.com/?ismsaljsauthenabled

During the school day, all volunteers come to the front office to check in. Before the volunteer opportunity, all volunteers 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.

Please click the link below for information about many community activities going on in our area.

Community Flyers - Zionsville Community Schools

The countdown is on for ZEF Bash 2026, happening Saturday, November 7th at the Golf Club of Indiana! You don’t want to miss ZEF’s biggest fundraiser of the year! Grab your tickets today on our website at zionsvilleeducationfoundation.org or at the QR code and get ready for an unforgettable night benefitting ZEF.

Z Eagle Recreation and Enrichment Foundation, Inc. offers enrichment classes and athletic camps for students in Pre-school through High School. Many of these classes and camps are taught by local educators. We also offer programs from outside professionals who offer unique courses for students. All programs are conveniently located the Zionsville locations. Learn more about the offerings by checking their website: Eagle Rec

Email: jraycroft@zcs.k12.in.us
Website: http://tse.zcs.k12.in.us/
Location: 4200 South 875 East, Zionsville, IN, USA
Phone: 317-873-8057