MacArthur Elementary School

Dear MacArthur Families,

A big thank you to Miss Bellamy, our School Counselor, for organizing such an exciting and engaging College and Career Week for our students!
Your hard work and dedication made a lasting impact, and we truly appreciate all that you do!

It’s hard to believe October is already here!

As we look ahead, we’re excited to share some important events happening this fall at MacArthur:

• Bully Prevention Month
  Our students will be learning about kindness, respect, and how to stand up for themselves and others. Mrs. Relinski, our PBIS para, will be visiting every classroom to teach valuable lessons about bullying prevention.
• Red Ribbon Week
  This nationwide campaign reminds us of the importance of making healthy choices and saying no to drugs. It’s a great opportunity to reinforce positive habits with our students.
• Fire Prevention
  Don’t forget to check your smoke detectors and review your family’s home safety plan. Firefighter Mr. Holsti will be visiting our Kindergarten and 1st Grade students to talk about fire safety.
• Grandparents Day – October 10th
  We’re looking forward to welcoming our special guests! We’re currently accepting donations of cookies and bottled water to help us celebrate the day. Thank you for your support!
• Trunk or Treat
  Help us make this fun event a success by donating a bag of candy! You wouldn’t believe how much we give away — your support truly makes a difference. Thank you in advance!

Fall Break is just around the corner!

Our break begins on October 13th and runs through October 17th.

I encourage every family to consider setting aside at least one scheduled “digital detox” period during the break. Taking a break from screens, even for a short while, can be a great way to reconnect and enjoy meaningful time together.

I hope all our families have the opportunity to enjoy some quality time — whether it’s carving pumpkins, visiting a pumpkin patch, spending the day at Brookfield or Lincoln Park Zoo, enjoying a family game night, or heading out to Harvest Tyme Family Farm. Whatever you choose to do, we wish you a fun, safe, and relaxing Fall Break!

Have a great weekend!

Marian Buchko

1st: Bully Prevention Month Begins

10th: Grandparents Day

13th-17th: Fall Break-No School

24th: PTO Trunk or Treat

27th-31st: Red Ribbon Week

4th: Parent Teacher Conferences-eLearning Day

10th: PTO Meeting @ 4:15 pm-MacArthur Library

26th-28th: Thanksgiving Break

MacArthur Elementary’s Grandparents Day will be held on Friday, October 10th, from 1:30–3:00 PM. Grandparents are invited to join their MacArthur grandkids for classroom visits, refreshments, book fair shopping, and more. Please note that our school has very long hallways, so be prepared for some walking. The event will take place at MacArthur Elementary School, 12900 Fairbanks Street, Cedar Lake, IN, (219) 662-3600. Guests should enter through the main entrance, Door 1E, and may use both parking lots in the front of the school off Fairbanks Street. As the leaves turn and we prepare for this special day, we’d love your help! Please use the link below for a list of needed items and let us know if you’re available to lend a hand—thank you in advance for making this celebration special. To help us prepare, we kindly request you RSVP by Friday, October 3rd, by completing and returning one form per child to your child’s teacher, noting the number of guests (limit 4). We encourage students to stay until the end of the school day, but if your child will be leaving early, a signed permission slip is required.

Book Fair fliers and E-Wallet information were sent home last week. A 7% tax will be applied to all purchases.

Payment Options:

• E-Wallet – The easiest way to pay, especially for Grandparents Day.

• Cash – Please send in an envelope labeled with your student’s name, teacher’s name, wishlist, and amount enclosed.

• Checks – Payable to MacArthur PTO.

📅 Shopping Dates:

• Students will shop during their Library Specials, October 6–9.

  • If a student is absent, they will have another chance to shop.

• Grandparents Day Shopping – Friday, October 9 from 1:30–3:30 PM only.

• Families may also shop online with free delivery to your home: Scholastic Book Fair – MacArthur.

Thank you for supporting our school and helping to foster a love of reading!

We encourage parents/guardians to view the presentation linked below to learn more about our Title I programming. Title I is a federally funded program that provides financial assistance to states and school districts to support the needs of educationally at-risk students. Some Title I schools offer school-wide programs available to all students, while others provide targeted assistance for eligible students. As a Title I school, this presentation will give you valuable insight into how Title I supports our school community and the many ways it benefits your child’s education.

Mrs. Dills Applied Skills class is wrapping up their Writing Unit All About Apples! To celebrate we had an Apple Tasting party. We have been learning about Narrative, Opinion, and Informative writing using all things apples. Today the kids got to taste 4 different kinds of apples to help explore descriptive words we could use to describe different apples.

MacArthur Penny Wars
Join us in the fight against childhood cancer, sponsored by our National Elementary Honor Society!

Pennies add to your class total—nickels, dimes, quarters, and dollars subtract from others. All proceeds benefit the Northwest Indiana Cancer Kids Foundation, supporting children and families during treatment.

The winning class earns an ice cream party!
Penny Wars runs Sept. 29–Oct. 10. Buckets are in the front lobby.

Learn more at nwicancerkids.org.

Crown Point Community Schools officially report grades at the end of each semester so that students have a longer time to demonstrate what they know and can do. Our focus is on mastery learning and supporting a growth mindset in our learners.

The end of the first 9 weeks is Friday, October 10, 2025. While parents can always monitor their child's progress through our Buzz Learning Management System, this review period at the end of the 9 weeks is a great opportunity to assess how your child is doing. There will still be plenty of time to ask for help if needed, complete work, and bring grades up before the end of the semester when grades are finalized. If you have not yet verified your email address in Buzz, this is an important step to ensure that you are receiving all relevant alerts and information about your child’s progress. Instructions for accessing Buzz are linked here. The end of the semester is December 19, 2025.

Please reach out to your child’s classroom teacher should you have any questions about their progress or to learn more about how you can partner with us to support your child’s academic development.

We look forward to welcoming you to Parent Teacher Conferences in early November. During Parent Teacher Conferences, we encourage a collaborative dialogue that highlights how your student is transitioning throughout the first semester. We look forward to addressing questions parents/caregivers have, sharing relevant information (engagement, strengths, NWEA, classwork, socialization, areas for growth), and establishing on-going means for communication.

Last year, CPCSC participated in the pilot of Indiana’s Learning Evaluation Assessment Readiness Network (ILEARN) Checkpoints. Starting in 2025-2026, the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) requires that all students in grades 3-8 participate in three ILEARN Checkpoints in addition to the ILEARN summative assessment in the spring each year.

The ILEARN Checkpoints are a component of the ILEARN through-year assessment for English/Language Arts (ELA) and Math. The Checkpoints occur seasonally in fall, winter, and spring, with an optional retest opportunity window opening concurrently.

Each Checkpoint has 20-25 questions to show how an individual child is performing on key skills and concepts from the Indiana Academic Standards. Families may refer to this guide that outlines skills and concepts that will be assessed for each Checkpoint for teaching and support as you prepare for these assessments.

The ILEARN Checkpoints help teachers and families understand how students are doing in their learning and guide what they need to work on next. These online tests are taken on your child's Chromebook. Please note that the ILEARN Checkpoints do not affect classroom grades.

Teachers will be communicating about when students will be taking specific checkpoint assessments. We will be communicating with you soon about how to access the Department of Education’s new Family Portal to view your child’s results. For more information about the ILEARN assessment system, please visit the IDOE ILEARN website and/or reference the Family Support and Resources.

Our 2nd graders wrapped up their Knowledge 2 unit on Ancient Asian Civilizations with a special Culmination Day celebration! Students learned about the Chinese birthday year and the animals associated with each year. They had fun building their birthday year animals using tangrams. It was a wonderful way to combine history, culture, and hands-on creativity!

Parents/Guardians,

September was Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, a time to focus on supporting the emotional well-being of our children. It’s important for parents to know that early conversations about feelings can make a big difference. Here are some tips to support your child at home:

• Encourage open and honest talks about emotions—let your child know it’s okay to share how they feel.
• Look for changes in behavior or mood, such as withdrawal or sadness, and gently ask if something is bothering them.
• Teach your child healthy ways to cope with stress, like deep breathing, drawing, or talking to a trusted adult.
• Reassure your child that they are loved and not alone, and that help is always available.

Together, we can create a safe and caring environment for all our children.

Ms. Bellamy

Order your yearbook online today! Visit inter-state.com/order and use order code: 0261GK

MAC PTO presents Trunk or Treat on Friday, October 24th from 5:00–7:00 PM in the Mac parking lot. Enjoy food trucks including Dan’s Pierogies, Fun Times Cotton Candy, Damos Dogs, and NV Donuts (please be prepared with cash and/or card for food purchases). Admission is free, and the event will feature candy, food trucks, a DJ/dance party, and best costume and trunk awards. Please note this is not a public event—it is for Mac families only.

Our PTO Charleston Wrap fundraiser is officially underway and will run from October 1–October 15! This is a great opportunity to get a head start on holiday shopping while also supporting our school. Charleston Wrap offers a wide variety of high-quality gift wrap, home goods, and unique gift items—something for everyone on your list!

Every purchase helps raise important funds for programs and activities that directly benefit our students. Thank you for your support and for helping make a difference!

• President - Stephanie Heim
• Vice President - Amy Harvey
• Secretary - Lissette Martinez- Kadisak
• Treasurer - Katie Santostefano
• Volunteer Coordinator - Open Position
• Communications Coordinator: Hannah Noonan

Our food services team remains committed to providing healthy meals that meet all requirements of the federal school lunch guidelines. Mrs. Milner and the cafeteria crew look forward to serving you hot lunches this school year.

Ice cream treats will be sold every day for $1.00.

Student Breakfast: $1.60 Student Lunch: $2.55

Please visit our website at https://www.cps.k12.in.us/district-departments/food-services for:

• Online payments for My MealTime

• Nutritional information for all products

• Free and reduced applications

• Birthday Treat Order Forms

• Allergy information (call us to help plan a menu if your child has dietary restrictions)

Free & Reduced Applications can be completed online at www.mymealtime.com.

Stock up on your spirit wear! You’ll find gear and accessories with dozens of official designs on over three hundred items. Brands include companies like Under Armour, Nike, NorthFace, Ogio, and more. Visit www.cps.k12.in.us/spiritshop to find your school’s store.

Marian Buchko, Principal ext. 16001

Laura Florek, Assistant Principal ext. 16003

Carla Gard, Treasurer ext. 16000

Kim Wasserott, Secretary ext. 16002

Jodi Kvachkoff, Nurse ext. 16081

Email: mbuchko@cps.k12.in.us
Website: https://mac.cps.k12.in.us/
Location: 12900 Fairbanks Street, Cedar Lake, IN, USA
Phone: 219-662-3600
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maccpcsc