Burkhart Elementary Newsletter

Principal: Darlene Hardesty

Assistant Principal: Jeanetta Penniston

Burkhart Elementary School

5701 Brill Road

Indianapolis, IN 46227

Phone: 317-789-3600

Attendance: 317-789-3602

School will be closed November 26 - 28 in observance of the Thanksgiving Holiday. We are thankful for our students, our staff, our families, and our community partners. Enjoy the holiday with your loved ones!

Burkhart’s Holiday Candlelight Luncheon for students and families is Friday, December 5. This is a great opportunity for families to enjoy lunch together at school and celebrate the holiday season. Order forms were sent home with students last week and are available in the office. Please note that tickets must be purchased in advance by Tuesday, December 2; no tickets will be sold the day of the luncheon. This is a special dress up day for our students and staff, and we encourage all to wear their holiday best. (No jeans or T-shirts.) Please note that lunch times will be different than usual for this one day. We hope you will join us for this special holiday event.

Students will be able to shop the Book Fair during their library class the week of December 1-5. Students may pay with cash or use eWallet. Parents can set up an eWallet, which allows your child to shop from the funds available in their account. Once set up, parents can invite family or friends to contribute funds to allow their child to purchase more books.

We will have the Book Fair open from 11:30 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. on Friday, December 5 to allow parents to shop together with their child if they would like. This family shopping opportunity is the only time credit card payment would be accepted. (Cash and eWallet would be payment options still as well.) To preview the Book Fair and set up your child’s eWallet, visit:

https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/burkhartelementaryschool

Ms. Lee, our Library instructor, is looking for volunteers to help students shop throughout the week. To volunteer, you must have a current approved background check on file. If you do not have a background check yet or it has expired, you can apply online:

https://www.perryschools.org/community-resources/volunteers-visitors/

If you are able to volunteer, please contact Ms. Lee; we will be happy to have your help. Ways to contact Ms. Lee include email: tvillarreal@perryschools.org, phone: 317-789-3671, or send a note to school with your child asking that she contact you to schedule volunteer time. Thank you for supporting our students and school!

• November 24-December 16 - Food Drive for Hunger Inc.
• November 26-28 - Thanksgiving Holiday, No School
• December 1-5 - Scholastic Book Fair
• December 5 - Holiday Candlelight Luncheon
• December 12 - School Spirit Day
• December 16 - Grade 5 Field Trip to IRT
• December 17 - Giant Voices Choir Performance + Grade 4 Music and Wax Museum Performance, 6:00 p.m.
• December 22-January 2 - Winter Break, No School

Our annual food drive to support Hunger Inc. Food Pantry begins November 24 and runs through December 16. We are collecting items such as cereal, soup, peanut butter, jelly, canned meats and tuna, noodles, spaghetti and sauce, macaroni and cheese, Jell-o and other non-perishable food items. This Burkhart tradition gives students an opportunity to put the life skill of caring into action. Thank you for your support to help others in need.

The School Smiles dentist is returning to our school on December 9 for dental cleanings. If you missed the dentist’s first visit, there is still time to get your student signed up for our upcoming visit! Please visit https://schoolsmiles.com/student-signup/ to sign-up today! A new form needs completed each school year to remain in the program, but if you have already completed a form for the 2025-26 school year, you do not need to sign-up again. School Smiles accepts Medicaid, private insurance, and offers self-pay rates for those who may be uninsured.

As winter weather approaches, please be sure your child comes to school wearing the appropriate outerwear for going out to the playground - warm coats, hats, and gloves. Students may go outdoors for recess every day that the wind chill temperature is above 24 degrees. Please also remember that inside the classroom, students are welcome to wear a solid color sweatshirt or sweater over their collared shirt.

Save the date! On Wednesday, December 17, the Giant Voices Choir will present their holiday program for all to enjoy. Following this, our fourth graders will perform musical selections and present their Wax Museum. Students need to arrive to school between 5:40 – 5:50 p.m. that evening. Fourth graders should come in their Wax Museum costume and with their recorders. The performance will begin in the gym at 6:00 p.m. sharp. It’s sure to be a fantastic evening!

Our winter party will be on Friday, December 19 at 2:45 p.m. All volunteers must have a current approved background check on file. Please check with the classroom teacher about any allergies before sending in food donations. These items must be store bought and sealed.

On December 11 and 12, Jessica Medeiros of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Victim Assistance Unit will be presenting the Body Safety Program for our students. This programming is mandated by the state of Indiana and teaches children to recognize and avoid sexual abuse. The program is adapted to the age level of the student and will be presented virtually to each classroom. The presentation times vary depending on grade level and are between 20 and 45 minutes in length. Following the presentations, the students in Grades 2-5 will complete a simple questionnaire that asks, “Have you ever been touched on your private body parts for NO GOOD reason?” This does not include students in Grade 1. If a child answers “yes” to the question, they will have an opportunity to speak privately with a school social worker. Depending on what the child shares, if there is a reasonable belief that the child is the victim of abuse, a report will be made to the Department of Child Services, per Indiana law. As always, the safety of our children is our highest priority. This Body Safety program is an important part of your child’s educational experience. We appreciate the support of caregivers at home. If you have questions, concerns, or would like to opt out your student, please contact Ms. Morris, our school social worker.

In case of inclement weather and an E-Learning day is announced, Burkhart School will follow this schedule.

9:00 - 10:00 a.m.: Reading/ELA Instruction - Google Meet with teacher and assignment

10:00 - 11:00 a.m.: Math Instruction - Google Meet with teacher and assignment

11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.: Small Group Instruction / Open Support - Google Meet with teacher

It will be important for each student to join class meetings for instruction and to receive support for learning. Teachers will provide synchronous (live) instruction so that students may interact with them as they would if they were learning in the classroom. Teachers will record the lessons and post those to the Canvas page for students unable to join the live lesson. To be counted as in attendance during an E-Learning day, students must log in to their Canvas page and complete the work assigned by 9:00 p.m. that day. If you have questions or need assistance during an E-Learning day, please communicate with your child’s teacher via Parent Square or email. Specific instructions and Google Meet codes will come from the teacher.

Bus tags are attached via a lanyard to student book bags. Students will need to use their tag to scan on and off of the bus. Please do not remove the tag as it is used both on the bus and in the school cafeteria. Bus tags allow us to ensure the safety of our students by logging the time, location, and bus number a student entered or exited. If your student’s bus tag becomes lost, please send in the $2 replacement fee with your student so that a new one can be ordered.

Burkhart celebrates the birthday of our students during our morning announcements each day. We ask you not to send in treats and save additional celebrations for at home.

We welcome lunchtime visitors. Parents who wish to eat lunch with their child should arrive a few minutes prior to the start of their child's lunchtime so they can get registered as a visitor. Remember that you will need to bring your government-issued ID card (for example: driver's license, green card, passport) with you. School lunch may be purchased for the cost of $5.25 (adult guest) or $3.00 (child guest) using exact cash or with a check made payable to Perry Township Schools. Alternately, parents may bring in a lunch packed from home or from a restaurant as a special treat. While dining in the cafeteria, the parent and student will be seated at a separate table so they can enjoy the visit together. We do not allow other students to join in and also ask that cell phones not be used during the visit.

As part of our security measures, we will ask for a government-issued photo ID card (for example: driver’s license, green card, passport) for adults needing to pick a student up from school. Please be prepared to provide this each time you visit school.

The Perry Township Elementary Dress Code Policy includes the following guidance regarding student clothing:

1. Solid color collared shirt (with sleeves) or turtleneck, encouraged to be tucked in.
2. Black, khaki, navy, or earthtone bottoms, no denim. No overt or distracting holes, rips, cuts, or frays are permitted.
3. Knee-length pants. Shorts may be worn up until Fall Break and after Spring Break.
4. Dresses, skirts, shorts, and jumpers must be near knee length.
5. Winter Wear—mostly solid color sweater or sweatshirt allowed; must be over collared shirt or turtleneck; should be an appropriate size.
6. Student IDs should be worn and made visible at all times.
7. No flip-flops or “wheelie” shoes. No hooded sweatshirts.
8. School spirit wear is determined by each building.

Please see the student handbooks for additional guidance regarding dress code.

Are you interested in helping your child’s teacher and working with students? Or do you enjoy working behind the scenes by making copies and sharpening pencils? Are you wanting to be a chaperone for school trips? Or would you like to help out at your child’s classroom parties? If so, we’d love to have your help!

Perry Township Schools has an easy process for becoming a volunteer in our schools. Backgrounds checks need to be completed just one time every three years and will allow you to volunteer at our school and at any other Perry Township School in which you have a child. Visit the following website and complete the application today:

https://www.perryschools.org/community-resources/volunteers-visitors/

Be sure to reach out to your child’s teacher to arrange for volunteer opportunities once you have completed the background check.