The Bobcat Bulletin

What an incredible first week we had at Indian Lane! Our Bobcats came back full of energy, excitement, and smiles, and it has been exciting to see classrooms settling into routines and friendships beginning to grow. Yesterday was an especially important day as we worked together on building safe and supportive habits.

In the morning, students in grades 1–5 participated in our PBIS Bus Lessons. Each bus was called down separately so that students could learn and practice expectations with the students they ride with every day. We connected these routines to our PBIS Matrix, which guides us to be Safe, Respectful, and Responsible in every part of the school day.

On the bus, being safe and respectful means things like entering and exiting calmly, sitting properly and keeping the aisles clear, keeping hands and feet to ourselves, using kind words and voices, and following the directions of the driver. Students did a wonderful job thinking about what those expectations look like in action and how the same values carry over to the classroom, hallways, cafeteria, playground, and restrooms.

Our Kindergarten students had their First Time Riders practice before school began. They will participate in their full PBIS bus lesson later in September, so we can take a little extra time to guide them through these important routines.

In the afternoon, we held our first evacuation drill of the year. Our students and staff moved quickly and calmly, listened to directions, and showed that they are ready to respond safely in case of an emergency. These drills are an important way to make sure everyone knows what to do, and we were proud of how smoothly the first one went.

As we look ahead, this week brings new opportunities to come together as a community. On Monday evening, we hope you can join us for Popsicles on the Playground with our second and fifth grade families, a fun chance to connect and enjoy time together. On Wednesday, September 10, we will hold our first PTG meeting of the year at 7:00 PM in the library, and we would love to see many families join us as we share ideas and plan for the months ahead. Next week, we are excited to welcome families for Back to School Night on September 18 from 6:00–7:25 PM. Later in the month, we will celebrate one of our favorite traditions, Special Friends/Grandparents Day, with Kindergarten and grades 1–2 welcoming their visitors on September 22 and grades 3–5 on September 25. We will also continue our Popsicles on the Playground gatherings, with grades 1 and 3 on September 29 and grade 4 on September 30. That same evening, September 30, kindergarten families are invited to join us for our always-popular Ice Cream Social!

Please remember that Special Friends/Grandparents Day does require advance sign-up so we can plan for a smooth and enjoyable day. The sign-up links are included in this bulletin.

We are grateful for the teamwork and support of our families and staff who made the first week such a success. With such a strong start, we are excited for the weeks ahead and all of the moments we will celebrate together.

-Michelle Britton

SEPTEMBER

• 8 | PTG Popsicles on the Playground

  • 2nd Grade: 5:30–6:15 PM

  • 5th Grade: 6:15–7:00 PM

• 10 | PTG Meeting – 7:00 PM (Library)

• 18 | Back to School Night – 6:00–7:30 PM

• 22 | Special Friends Day

  • KA: 9:00–9:40 AM

  • Grade 1: 9:40–10:20 AM

  • Grade 2: 10:20–11:00 AM

  • KP: 1:00–1:40 PM

• 23 | Holiday – Building Closed

• 25 | Special Friends Day – Grades 3–5

  • Grade 5: 9:00–9:40 AM

  • Grade 4: 9:40–10:20 AM

  • Grade 3: 10:20–11:00 AM

Breakfast at Indian Lane

• Breakfast is free for all students every day.

• Each morning, teachers ask students what they would like to order for the following school day.

• Morning Kindergarten through Grade 3: Breakfast is delivered to classrooms in individually packaged bags.

• Grades 4 and 5: Students pick up their prepared breakfast bag at a Kiosk in the hallway.

• If you do not want your child included in the breakfast count, please notify their homeroom teacher.

Lunch at Indian Lane

• Cost is $3.45 per meal for the 2025–2026 school year.

• Students who qualify for Free or Reduced Meals receive one no cost lunch meal daily.

• A la carte items are also available at additional cost.

• Funding Meal Accounts:

  • Send cash or a check to school with your child along with the completed meal account form. Change cannot be given back. Extra funds are added to the account.

  • Use MySchoolBucks to add funds with a debit or credit card. Please note that MySchoolBucks charges a 3.25 percent processing fee per transaction. This fee is not set or collected by the district.

• Lunch menus are posted on the district website under the Meals tab.

• All Parents/Guardians who wish to receive Free and Reduced Lunch benefits and qualify are encouraged to complete the Free and Reduced Meal Application available on the district website. The link can be found under Departments, Food Services, Free and Reduced Lunch Information (on the left side of the webpage). If you receive a Direct Certification letter, you do not need to fill out an application. Please contact Jenni Lee (jlee@rtmsd.org) for assistance.

I thought I could further explain since our Food Services Department has received some questions. I hope this helps make everything a little clearer. Please know you can always reach out if you have additional questions. We are always happy to help.

-Michelle Britton

This week marks the anniversary of September 11, 2001. On this day we pause to remember the lives lost and honor the bravery of first responders, service members, and citizens who came together during a difficult time in our nation’s history. While our youngest learners may not yet know the details of this history, they can understand the values of kindness, courage, and community that grew out of it.

We are especially grateful to the military members and first responders who continue to serve and protect others. Their sacrifice and dedication remind us of the importance of courage and compassion. Together we honor their service and commit ourselves to fostering a safe, caring, and inclusive environment for every student.

For the past two school years, our Special Friends/Grandparents Day has been one of the most anticipated September events at Indian Lane, and we are thrilled to be celebrating it for the third year during the first month of school. Students love welcoming their grandparents or special friends to school and sharing a glimpse of their day. This year, Kindergarten and grades 1–2 will host their visitors on September 22, and grades 3–5 will welcome theirs on September 25. To help us prepare, families are asked to complete the sign-up form in advance. Please click the link below to register your child’s guests so we can ensure a smooth and memorable day for everyone.

https://forms.gle/K91ZuF8RfNA3D1gPA

We are looking for two parent/guardians per classroom. If more than two parents volunteer, we will use a random selection process with the “Wheel of Names.”

We ask that you complete this survey by September 8th, you will be contacted by September 12th After that date, we will send a separate volunteer interest form for Class Photographer. This process will allow us to organize roles clearly and ensure every class has the support it needs.

Thank you for helping to make this year a wonderful experience for our students, teachers, and families!

Homeroom Parent/Guardian Survey

Back to School Night is a wonderful opportunity to connect with your child’s teachers and gain insight into the year ahead. During the evening, you will learn more about classroom expectations, curriculum highlights, and the many ways families and teachers can partner together to support student success.

The evening will begin promptly at 6:00 PM and conclude at 7:25 PM. To make it easier for families with more than one child, there will be two identical sessions.

For 4th and 5th grade, the entire grade-level teams will present together. Because these grades are departmentalized, families will have the opportunity to hear directly from each teacher about the subjects they teach and how the team collaborates across the grade level. This joint format provides families with a clear picture of how instruction, expectations, and supports are aligned for all students as they develop greater independence and prepare for middle school.

In addition to hearing about classroom routines and curriculum, you will also have the chance to get a feel for the learning environment and connect with other families in our community. Homeroom teachers will share additional details about what to expect during the evening.

Please see the schedule below for session times by grade level:

Mrs. Hatton is thrilled to announce that a two author-illustrators will be visiting our students soon! Chris Van Dusen is coming on October 1st to visit our first and second 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!

If you purchased a school supply kit, it will be delivered directly to your child’s classroom in time for Open House. The attached supply lists are for families who did not purchase a school supply kit and will be supplying materials on their own.

This year, all students in grades 1–5 will be issued a district-owned Chromebook for instructional use. Devices are assigned individually and may go home only when needed for learning. Families are asked to review and acknowledge the Responsible Use & Loan Agreement, which outlines care guidelines, digital citizenship expectations, and repair/replacement responsibilities. Attached is the agreement which was sent to all families in early August.

The Rose Tree Media School District uses the My Ride K-12 app to provide families with student transportation information. This app replaced Ride 360 beginning in the 2024–2025 school year and will continue for 2025–2026.

• Access Information: Usernames and passwords from Ride 360 carried over, and you may also log in using the web version at https://patmsd.myridek12.tylerapp.com.

• Features: My Ride K-12 provides real-time updates, including estimated time of arrival (ETA) to your child’s bus stop.

• Download the App:

  • Apple App Store

  • Google Play Store

The Indian Lane Elementary School PTG will be using Membership Toolkit for our Directory, Online Sales, Volunteer Sign Ups, and Classroom Communications. Each year we ask current families to verify/update their family information.

Here's what you need to do:

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

• Select "Create Account" and fill in the name, email, and password information.
  • Please note that while your family's information has been copied over from MySchoolAnywhere, you must still create a new account in Membership Toolkit.
• Click "verify my email" and then check your email for a link to complete the process. The link expires in 2 hours. If you do not receive the email, check your spam or junk folders.
• Once you have verified your email address, log back in and finish the registration process.

For more support, click here.

The state of Pennsylvania requires three clearances for all volunteers, chaperones or employees.

A CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CLEARANCE

Website: https://epatch.pa.gov/home

Click on the button that says "New Volunteer Record Check". The cost for volunteers is waived.
Follow the instructions for filling out the application.

DHS FBI CLEARANCE - IDEMIA - 1-844-321-2101
Register online or by phone.
Online: https://uenroll.identogo.com/

For employment: enter service code 1KG6XN
For volunteers: enter service code 1KG6ZJ

Click on "Schedule or Manage an appointment"
For employment the screen should read "1KG6XN Pennsylvania PDE-School Districts"
For volunteers the screen should read "1KG6ZJ Pennsylvania DHS-Volunteer"

Fill in the information on the page and click next. Follow through completing all of the pages.
On the last page, you will schedule your fingerprint appointment.
Payment in the amount of $25.25 will be made at the fingerprint site by credit card, money order or check.
Be sure to bring your ID with you to the fingerprint site.

The volunteer clearance is now done through Pennsylvania DHS-Volunteer. The original FBI clearance must be shown at the school before anyone can volunteer.

CHILD ABUSE CLEARANCE

The application for the Child Abuse Clearance must be completed online at the following link:

https://www.compass.state.pa.us/CWIS/Public/Home

You will need to create a log-in before applying. The cost of the clearance is $13.00. For volunteers, the cost will be waived. After you apply for the child abuse clearance, you will receive an email confirming your application. You will be able to print out your child abuse clearance when it is ready, you do not need to wait for it to come in the mail.

Parents and caregivers are reminded to check their student's head periodically for lice and if they notice itching. Classrooms are not screened for lice. You can contact the school nurse at 610-627-7104 for guidance if you are uncertain or if you discover lice/nits.

As always feel free to call the nurse's office if you have any questions.

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