Coulston Elementary School

Dear Families,
We’ve wrapped up another great week in September, filled with volleyball games and lots of student preparation for upcoming events like the cross country meet, Robotics, and Art Club. Our students are also excited to welcome grandparents next week!
Just a reminder that we’ll continue sending home a monthly calendar with all special events and dates, while our weekly newsletter will provide reminders and updates.
Important Dates & Events in September
- Grandparents Day: Tuesday, September 16th (5:30–6:30 p.m.)-Shuttle service will be provided from Blue River Park to Coulston beginning at 5:30 and the last shuttle ends at 6:30 to return to the park.
- Homecoming Spirit Week: Week of September 22nd and Spirit Week
- College Go Week: Week of September 22nd
- Fall Pictures: Wednesday, September 24th
- Volleyball & Cross Country: Seasons are starting up! Come cheer on our athletes!
- Snowie Ice Fridays: October 1st
- Book Fair: September 29th – October 3rd
- PParent/Teacher Conferences: October 2-3
- Fall Break: October 3-10; School resumes on Monday, October 13th

School Picture Day
Smile….Picture Day is coming soon!!! Our picture day is on Wednesday, September 24th. Just a reminder that all picture orders need to be completed online. The required information is included below. Inter State Picture Order Link

Order School Pictures

Click here to order your pictures

Grandparents Night

Our Grandparents Night is coming up on September 16th from 5:30–6:30 PM at Coulston.

Doors will open at 5:30 PM.
Parking will be available in the back lot, the bus lot, and the front parking area. Additional parking will be available at Blue River Park (by the pickleball courts), with a shuttle bus running every 15 minutes.
The first shuttle will depart Blue River Park at 5:15 PM, and the last return shuttle will leave Coulston at 6:30 PM.

We are excited to share this special evening with our Coulston families!

Grandparents Night Flyer

Click here to view and download

Homecoming Spirit Week Flyer

Click here to download the flyer.

Our Book Fair will be held September 29 – October 2! Information will be sent home with students this week with all the details. The Book Fair will also be open during Parent-Teacher Conferences, so families will have an extra chance to shop together. We can’t wait to see you there!

The Book Fair is still in need of additional volunteers on Monday, Sept. 29, Tuesday, Sept. 30, and Thursday, Oct. 1. Please call the front office if you are interested in volunteering for more details. Thanks in advance for your help!

Coulston Elementary Readers are Leaders

Families,

This year, our school is focusing on Reading At Home (RAH). We encourage students to check out and read their library books each week and return their RAH log to the library.

Students who return their log every week in the 1st Quarter will earn a prize in the library.
Their names will also go into a drawing for bigger prizes at our quarterly convocation and on the Prize Board.

Please try to READ 20 minutes a DAY with your child. This daily practice helps build knowledge, strengthens reading skills, and prepares students for success on the IREAD test in 2nd and 3rd grade. Thank you for supporting your child’s reading!

September PTO Meeting
Our September PTO meeting is being rescheduled due to the City-wide Cross Country Meet. We’ll share the new date as soon as it’s confirmed. We’d also love to invite all parents to be a part of our Coulston PTO family! The next few months we have several exciting events planned, including Grandparents Night, Parent-Teacher Conference Meals for our teachers, and Dogs with Dad.

We hope you’ll join us and assist in making these events a success! Being part of the PTO is a wonderful way to support our school community!

Attendance Matters

This year, we will have a monthly focus on attendance and share helpful resources with our school community. This month’s focus is Working Together to Improve Attendance.

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!

Reminder: If your child will not be in attendance, please call the school office at 317-398-3185 to report the absence.

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!

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

SCS Free and Reduced Lunch Form

Click here to fill out the form

Reminders & Updates for the 2025–2026 School Year

Cell Phones – Indiana law now prohibits cell phones in the classroom. Please keep this in mind if your child brings a phone to school.

Attendance – A new law requires interventions and parent conferences after 5 unexcused absences in a 10-week period. More information will be sent home this week.

Dress Code – Students must wear shoes with a back. No slides, backless sandals, or shoes without backs are allowed for safety reasons.

Wednesday Early Release – Dismissal is at 1:45 PM every Wednesday.

Transportation Changes – Must be called in by 1:00 PM. After this time, changes cannot be accommodated. Just a reminder that students being picked up after 2:00, need to be picked up in the car rider line.

School Start Time – The first bell rings at 7:25 AM. The tardy bell rings at 7:45 AM.

Tardy students must be signed in by a parent or guardian.
Students may not sign themselves in or be dropped off if tardy without an adult.

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.