The Bobcat Bulletin

Another fantastic week at Indian Lane! Even though it was only four days, it was packed with excitement. We enjoyed two days of Special Friends and Grandparents Day and had Picture Day as well. This coming three day week will be just as busy. On Monday, September 29, we will celebrate our September Birthday Bash and host Popsicles on the Playground for Grades 1 and 3 (Grade 1: 5:30 to 6:15 PM, Grade 3: 6:15 to 7:00 PM). On Tuesday, September 30, our Kindergarten Ice Cream Social will take place from 5:30 to 6:15 PM, followed by Popsicles on the Playground for Grade 4 from 6:15 to 7:00 PM. On Wednesday, October 1, we will come together for our first PBIS Assembly of the year at 9:30 AM, and later that afternoon at 2:00 PM, we will welcome author Chris Van Dusen to share his work with our students. It has been a great start to the year, and we are excited for another busy and memorable week ahead at Indian Lane! Best wishes for a meaningful Yom Kippur to all who celebrate.

-Michelle Britton

SEPTEMBER

• 29 | September Birthday Bash

• 29 | Popsicles on the Playground

• Grade 1: 5:30-6:15 PM

• Grade 3: 6:15-7:00 PM

• 30 | Kindergarten Ice Cream Social, 5:30-6:15 PM

• 30 | Popsicles on the Playground

• Grade 4: 6:15-7:00 PM

OCTOBER

• October 1 | PBIS Assembly – 9:30 AM

• October 1 | Chris Van Dusen Author Visit – 2:00 PM

• 2 | No School- Yom Kippur
• 3 | No School

We are changing things up this year to make birthdays even more exciting! For the past two years, students received Bobcat t-shirts, and last year we trialed the VIP Lunch as a reinforcer. It was such a huge hit that we are bringing the celebration to a whole new level with the Bobcat Birthday Bash! 🥳

Students will receive a birthday invitation to join Mrs. Britton for a VIP lunch on the stage. The table will be set up with a special surprise theme each month to make every celebration unique and memorable.

Students may bring their own lunch or buy from the cafeteria, and each will receive a voucher for a special birthday treat as their present.

Our youngest Bobcats in Kindergarten will also be celebrated with a birthday treat delivered right to their classrooms.

✨ Our very first Birthday Bash will be held on September 29th to celebrate all of our September birthdays. 🎂

Please make sure to check your child’s folder carefully for interest forms and/or permission slips. It is important that these forms are returned in a timely manner so that students can participate. We are beginning to roll out before- and after-school clubs at Indian Lane. As requested last year, we are adding a new opportunity for 2nd and 3rd grade with our Mindful Coloring Club, along with more to come. Next week we will share details about additional clubs, including the return of the Young Engineers Club and our Unified Sports Club.

Here is a look at what will be available, along with some general information. More details will follow about additional clubs, including Unified Sports and the Young Engineers Club.

Bobcat Choir -Bobcat Choir is the premiere performing ensemble of Indian Lane. Fifth grade students sing and perform at special events including our winter and spring concerts.

Broadcast Club - Fifth graders produce and record News On the Lane, Indian Lane's daily morning announcements.

Garden Club - Club designed to educate fourth and fifth graders in the basics of gardening. This club meets in the fall and the spring.

mILES Running Intramural - Students in fourth and fifth grades will engage in running activities and then run or walk on the track with a goal of completing a 5k before Run The Lane. Participants will be invited to come to Run The Lane. This club meets in the Spring.

Mindful Coloring Club - Second and third grade students gather to color together for relaxation after school. Students will express creativity while learning to work together & share.

Reading Olympics - Fourth and fifth grade students read books from the RO book list and compete in a county-wide competition in the spring.

Sketchbook Club - Club designed for fifth graders to complement the sketchbook work that is accomplished in the art room.

STEAM Club at Middletown Free Library - Students in all grades are invited to come to Middletown Free Library to explore STEAM stations after school. Dates will be announced soon.

Student Council - School leaders who plan fundraisers, support school events, and share student ideas and concerns with teachers and staff to help make the school a better place for everyone. Third, fourth, and fifth grade students can participate.

Every child at Indian Lane is a BOBCAT & we want to celebrate with each of you. Families are invited to sign up to attend ONE Bobcat Pride Breakfast during the 2025-2026 school year. Younger siblings are welcome to attend, but please only sign up for the IL student(s) on the sheet. Each student should take one spot on the sign up sheet. The Breakfast are held from 8:00 - 8:40 a.m. in the Indian Lane cafeteria.

Mrs. Hatton is thrilled to announce that two author-illustrators will be visiting our students soon! Chris Van Dusen is coming on October 1st to visit our first, second, and fourth grade students. John Patrick Green is coming on October 24th to visit our third and fourth grade students. Other visits are in the works for the remaining grade levels.

This is a unique opportunity for children to meet the creative mind behind the stories they love, hear about the writing and illustration process, and be inspired to explore their own creativity.

To help support this special visit, we are offering selected books by the authors for sale. The books will be personalized and signed by the authors. Purchasing a book not only gives your child a keepsake from the event—it also helps us continue to bring enriching experiences like this to our school.

Chris Van Dusen is one of Mrs. Hatton's absolute favorites! Please consider purchasing a book to support this event for our students. It's a great series that builds creativity and problem solving. To learn more about Chris Van Dusen, click here.

About If I Built a Town

“My town will be swanky! My town will be swell! My town will be prized as the best place to dwell,” says Jack to the mayor one day as he describes his plans for improving their community.

And what a town he has dreamed up! The zoo is packed with fantastic, Jurassic, and mythical creatures, the mail is delivered by super-fast hover vans, the health clinic travels right to your door, and a parade passes through each and every week. And don’t forget the robots! All of Jack’s plans include the most exciting and useful serving machines. But most of all, wait till you see the beach!

Jack’s over-the-top creativity and infectious enthusiasm will inspire budding young inventors. It’s a storytime romp that you’ll want to return to again and again.

The students are REALLY excited about this one too! These books are extremely popular in our library. John Patrick Green is the creator and illustrator of these fun graphic novels. More details about ordering personalized and signed books coming soon.

About InvestiGATORS Case Files

Special agents Mango and Brash are back again, and this time they’ll be asking their readers for help in cracking the case! The gators have been given a brand new add-on for their V.E.S.T.s to help with gathering evidence and making sense of clues – the G.R.I.D. (Gator Reasoning, Inquiry, Deduction) – and with that powerful tool in hand, kids can follow along as they solve six brand-new mysteries! Featuring plenty of familiar faces from investigations past, as well as a few brand new suspects, Mango and Brash and YOU (the reader) will get to the bottom of cases big and small!

Thank you so much to everyone who volunteered to help in classrooms this year! Now that homeroom parents have been confirmed, it is time to begin selecting class photographers. In some cases, more than one parent was interested, so we used the Wheel of Names to keep things fair and fun. The class photographer plays an important role in capturing memories and will also work closely with the yearbook parent representative to make sure photos are shared and organized. A few homerooms are still in need of homeroom parents, and we are reaching out to those families individually. We are so grateful for the time, energy, and support you give to make our students’ year so special! 💜🐾

Bobcat Campaign Facts

What is it? The Bobcat Club Campaign is a PTG fundraiser created to allow Indian Lane families a way to donate money directly to IL PTG instead of traditional buying/selling fundraisers (for example, wrapping paper, silent auction, cookie sales, etc.)

The campaign is our main fundraiser and we do it at the start of the school year. The money we collect sets our budget for the year. The more money we collect, the more we can do!

100% of your donation supports PTG events like the Holiday Extravaganza, Bingo for Books, the Bobcat Winter Festival, Kindergarten Ice Cream Social, Popsicles on the Playground, Run-the-Lane, Teacher Luncheons... and more!

Our goal is to achieve 100% family participation. Simply decide what amount you are comfortable with giving and make a one-time donation.

To continue to support Indian Lane with our current PTG events and to avoid the need for additional fundraisers during the upcoming school year, we need your support to reach our fundraising goal of $13,000. This is our 2025-26 operating budget, not a savings account.

Donations are on the household level and all donations are appreciated and confidential.

Your donation may be tax deductible and many companies have programs that will match the charitable contributions made by their employees. Check with your company today!

All families that donate will get a 2025-26 school year magnet!

Donate to the Bobcat Club Campaign Today! Here's How:

1. Click this link or scan this QR code and fill out the Google form with the details of your donation
   
2. Choose your payment method (Venmo, PayPal, Cash, or Check payable to ILES PTG) and make your donation following the instructions provided below.
3. That's it! You're done!
   

IMPORTANT: No matter the method of payment, please fill out the Google form from Step 1 above and include a note/memo it’s for the Campaign and your family/student’s name.

The December Sing-Along is one of the most joyful and heartwarming traditions at Indian Lane. Our students love coming together, and it has always been so special to welcome families to share in the celebration. Over the past few years, families have kindly shared with me that the gym has become more and more crowded, making it difficult to see and enjoy the performance. At the same time, I know how deeply this tradition is loved. With that in mind, Mr. Fisher and I worked together to find a way to keep this wonderful tradition alive while making it even more comfortable for everyone.

This year, we will hold two concerts on the same day instead of one. By expanding to two performances, we can continue the tradition we all treasure, while giving families more space and a better viewing experience. Rather than changing the event, we see this as enhancing it so that everyone feels welcome and included.

Thursday, December 11th:

• Morning Concert – 9:15 AM
  AM Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 4

• Afternoon Concert – 2:00 PM
  PM Kindergarten, Grade 2, Grade 3, Grade 5

We understand that some families may need to attend both concerts, and we truly appreciate the extra effort this may take. We also plan to still offer a virtual option for those who are not able to attend in person, so that every family has the opportunity to enjoy this tradition.

Please know that this decision was made with great care, based on the thoughtful feedback you have shared. I am so grateful to Mr. Fisher for his willingness to adjust the format, and I am thankful to our families for the love and support you bring to this tradition. We will include a survey after the event to take your feedback on the new format.

-Michelle Britton

1. Go to: https://indianlaneptg.membershiptoolkit.com/

2. Create your account. Select Create Account and fill in your name, email, and password.

3. Verify your email. Click verify my email and then check your inbox for the link.

   • The link expires in 2 hours. If you do not receive it, check your spam or junk folders.

4. Log back in. Once your email is verified, return to the site and complete your registration.

5. Enter your information. Fill in the Parent/Family and Student details.

6. Update your child’s information. Make sure you select the correct grade and homeroom teacher so you receive classroom party and volunteer communications.

   • If your child has a special education teacher, please do not select that teacher unless your child’s homeroom is physically in that classroom.

7. Set your preferences. Complete the Directory/Publish section to choose what information is visible to others.

8. Finish up. Once these steps are complete, you will have full access to the directory.

📌 Tip: Once the Primary Account is set up, you can invite another parent or guardian by email so they can create their own login while still being connected to your family account.

Apple users: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/membership-toolkit/id912169276?platform=iphone

A few quick links to keep handy:

• Our school website: Indian Lane
• If your student is sick please submit Absence Form
• For an educational trip: Pre-Planned Absence Request
• Breakfast and Lunch Menus - Nutrislice / to check your student's account: MySchoolBucks
• You may follow the bus routes and check for transportation updates at MyRide360

Grades 1st - 5th 8:50 am - 3:30 pm

AM Kindergarten 8:50 am - 11:25 am

PM Kindergarten 12:55 pm - 3:30 pm

Email: mbritton@rtmsd.org
Website: https://www.rtmsd.org/Domain/9
Location: 309 South Old Middletown Road, Media, PA, USA
Phone: 610-627-7100