Stonegate Weekly Newsletter

As we wrap up another wonderful week at Stonegate, we have several important reminders and exciting events on the horizon! First, don't forget that Daylight Saving Time ends this Sunday, November 1st! Be sure to set your clocks back one hour and enjoy that extra hour of sleep!

Next week, we look forward to welcoming our families for Learner-Led Conferences! This is such a valuable opportunity for students to take ownership of their learning, celebrate their growth, and share their goals with the people who support them most. We love seeing our students shine as they proudly share their progress! As a reminder, Thursday, November 5th, will be an E-Learning Day for all students to allow our teachers time to meet with families.

Finally, we are looking forward to our upcoming Veterans Day Program, a special Stonegate tradition honoring the brave men and women who have served our country. If you plan to attend, we encourage you to pre-register in advance! Pre-registered guests will have the opportunity to pick up their visitor badges, or "Fast Passes," during Learner-Led Conferences next week. This will allow you to bypass the check-in lines on the day of the program and head straight in to enjoy this meaningful celebration.

Thank you, as always, for your continued partnership and support. We are grateful for our Stonegate community and the many ways we work together to help our students learn, grow, and succeed. Have a wonderful weekend, and we look forward to seeing many of you at conferences next week!

Looking Ahead:

• Dine to Donate: Bibibop- Support Stonegate at Bibibop on Tuesday, November 3rd for a Dine to Donate event!
• PTO Meeting- Join us for the November PTO Meeting on Wednesday morning at 8:15a!
• Conferences/E-Day- Learning Led Conferences will be held on November 4th and 5th. Thursday, November 5th will be an E-Learning Day for students.
• PTO Movie Night- PTO is showing Ratatouille on Friday evening. See information below on how to RSVP to attend as a family!
• Veterans Day- If you plan to attend our Veterans Day Program, please register in advance using the link below and pick up your badge during conferences to bypass the lines!

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Connie Largent, Principal

Mrs. Kathy Drake, Assistant Principal

When you are in the building for your Learner-Led conference, please consider making the following stops:

• Related Arts Classrooms to see the learning in those spaces
• Cafeteria for Lost and Found to look for any misplaced items
• Cafeteria to write a few notes of appreciation to our Stonegate Staff
• Main office to donate any extra or leftover Halloween candy to the SGE Staff

Tuesday, 11/3

• Dine to Donate: Bibibop

Wednesday, 11/4

• PTO Meeting at 8:15am
• Student/Parent/Teacher Conferences 3:00pm-5:30pm

Thursday, 11/5

• EDay for Students!
• Student/Parent/Teacher Conferences 11:00am-7:00pm

Friday, 11/6

• PTO Movie Night 6:15-8:00pm

Wednesday, 11/11

• Veterans Day Program 9:30am-10:15am

Monday - Friday, 11/16-11/20

• PTO Food Drive

Tuesday, 11/17

• PTO Dine for Dollars at HotBox

Wednesday - Friday, 11/25-11/27

• Thanksgiving Break - No School

Wednesday, 12/2

• PTO Meeting at 8:15am

Tuesday, 12/8

• PTO Dine for Dollars at Papa Johns

Thursday, 12/17

• PTO Dine for Dollars at Schkolad

Friday, 12/18

• PTO Spirit Wear - Pajama Day
• Classroom winter parties
• End of Quarter Two

December 19 - January 4

• Winter Break

Tuesday, 1/5

• Students return from Winter Break

Hello Families!

Stonegate artists have been busy creating and exploring the world of art! During Student-Led Conferences on November 5th, please stop by the art room to view your child’s artwork in their sketchbook and folder.

You can also view and celebrate your child’s artwork anytime on Artsonia, our secure online art portfolio. You’ll find their projects, learn about the creative process, and discover how their artwork connects to the Indiana Art Standards.

Thank you for supporting the arts and encouraging your young artists!

Ms. E (Stephanie Emenhiser)

Our annual Veterans Day Program will be held on Wednesday, November 11th at 9:30 am in our SGE gymnasium. This is one of our favorite programs where we recognize members of the armed services. We would like to invite you and your active or retired veteran to attend.

Honor a Veteran:

If you would like to honor any Veterans connected to your family, please complete this form to share their information. All Veterans submitted will be included in our slideshow. The last day to fill out the form is Wednesday, November 4th. The form is scheduled to close on Thursday, November 5th.

Attending the Program:

We are asking ALL guests to pre-register to attend our event. Please use the following guide to pre-register yourself or a family member to attend Stonegate Elementary’s Veterans Day Program. The direct link to register using the SafeVisitor site is linked below. (A full background check is not required to attend.)

SafeVisitor Solutions System:

If registering on or before Tuesday, 11/3, please use this link: https://secure.safevisitor.io/safe/visitor/zionsvilleschools/veterans-day-2026

If registering Wednesday, 11/4 to Tuesday, 11/10 at 9:00AM, please use this link: https://secure.safevisitor.io/safe/visitor/zionsvilleschools/veterans-day-2026-nov-4-10

You will need to enter the following information after selecting “Next Step”:

• GUEST’S First Name
• GUEST’S Last Name
• GUEST’S Birth Date
• Select “Next Step”

On the next screen, you will need to enter the following:

• Person Visiting – Please note “Stonegate Elementary”.
• Select “Next Step”.
• Select “Submit”.

Fast Passes are Back!

• What is a Fast Pass? If you pre-register between dates/times listed above, you’ll be able to pick up your Safe Visitor Pass as late as the day before the program. Please keep this pass in a safe spot and do not lose it. On Veterans Day, please adhere it to a visible spot of your shirt/jacket. This allows you to SKIP to be “checked-in” at the door and gives you instant access to the gymnasium.

• Once again:

• If registering on or before Tuesday, 11/3, please use this link: https://secure.safevisitor.io/safe/visitor/zionsvilleschools/veterans-day-2026-registration

• During the dates/times of Fall Conferences (Wed. 11/4 from 3:00-5:30 & Thurs. 11/5 from 11-7 PM), our office staff will print your Safe Visitor tag for you to pick up and use as the FAST PASS.

• If registering between Wednesday, 11/4 - Tuesday, 11/10 by 9:00 AM, please use this link: https://secure.safevisitor.io/safe/visitor/zionsvilleschools/veterans-day-2026-nov-4-10

• You can pick up your FAST PASS on Tuesday, November 10th, between 10 AM and 2 PM.

• Pre-Registration closes at 9:01 AM, on Tuesday, November 10th. All registrations after this time on Tuesday, November 10th must be checked in at the door the morning of Wednesday, November 11th.

Also, as a friendly reminder: although we hope this process captures all pre-registrations, sometimes there are glitches, so please bring your driver’s license (just in case). If you encounter any problems, please email us at stonegateoffice@zcs.k12.in.us

We’d love to hear the story of your family! By creating a safe space to allow us to get to know more about your family, you’re helping us meet our core mission to “engage, create, and belong.”

Please sign up for a month. After you’ve signed up, what’s next? Mrs. Largent or Mrs. Drake will connect you with Mrs. Nadia Adams. She will connect with you to schedule a time to do a short video recording by asking you these questions below:

1. ENGAGE:

• Please tell us who you are by introducing yourselves.

• Please share something you'd like our Stonegate community to know about you/your family.

2. CREATE:

• What is something special from your family, culture, or heritage that you can teach or show us?

3. BELONG:

• What is something that makes your family special or unique?

Optional: 4. EVERYONE BELONGS: What is one way we can help everyone feel like they belong at Stonegate?

The holiday season can bring added expenses and challenges for many families, and we want you to know that support is available. If your family could use assistance with holiday needs, clothing, gifts, or other essentials, please know that you are not alone. We are happy to help connect families with available community resources and support to help make the season a little brighter.

If your family could use holiday assistance, please complete the Family Support Request Form below. All requests will be handled with care, compassion, and confidentiality.

Family Support Request Form

This week was College Go Week! Students enjoyed a fun-filled week exploring local colleges, universities, and career opportunities! It was wonderful to see so much excitement and participation during our spirit week. (IU was the clear winner for school spirit!) Students also participated in a university mascot scavenger hunt, played a daily staff “Guess Who?” game featuring college photos, learned about SGE staff members’ college experiences, and learned about careers connected to their interests. It was an exciting week of discovering possibilities and exploring futures!

· Ask your child: “What are you curious about?” Talk together about something your child might want to learn more about someday. It could be at a college, trade school, apprenticeship, military program, job-training program or through hands-on experience.

· Try this at home: Have your child ask someone in your family…

· Where did you learn what you do?

· Did you attend college or another type of training?

· What did you enjoy learning?

· Learning Goal: I can think before I act. I can control my impulses and choose respectful responses.

· EFs2theRescue Visual: Stop-a-tron + Emotibot

o Stop-a-tron: self-control, inhibition

o Emotibot: Emotional control, self-regulation

· Try This At Home: Practice “Stop, Think, and Choose” at home. When your child feels like reacting quickly, pause and ask:

Stop: Red Light - What am I feeling?
Think: Yellow Light - What could I do or say?
Choose: Green Light - Which choice is respectful and helpful?

· Try practicing with scenarios such as waiting for a turn, losing a game, being interrupted, hearing “no,” or getting frustrated with a sibling. Celebrate with your child when they pause and make a respectful choice!

Kindergarten

Lesson 10: Accidents

Learning Goal: Students will be able to identify what to say when they do something by accident and demonstrate saying, “I’m sorry. It was an accident. Are you okay?” in response to scenarios.

Try This At Home: Practice what to say when an accident occurs. Take turns pretending to accidentally bump into someone or knock something over. Practice saying, “I’m sorry. It was an accident. Are you okay?”

First Grade

Lesson 10: Accidents

Learning Goal: Students will be able to know what the word accident means, know what to say when they do something by accident, and predict how others might feel as a result of their own or others’ actions.

Try This At Home: Talk about a time when something happened by accident. How might the other person have felt? Practice explaining what happened, apologizing, and thinking about how repair the situation.

Second Grade

Lesson 10: Predicting Feelings

Learning Goal: Students will be able to predict others’ feelings in response to scenarios and offer possible reasons for others’ actions and feelings in response to scenarios.

Try This At Home: While reading a story or watching a show together, pause and ask, “How do you think that person is feeling? Why might they feel that way?” Talk about how people can have different feelings in the same situation.

Third Grade

Lesson 10: Making Friends

Learning Goal: Students will be able to demonstrate focusing attention and listening skills in the context of a game and initiate, continue, and end a conversation in a friendly way in the context of a game.

Try This At Home: Play a family game together. Have your child practice asking to play together, listening when others speak, taking turns, and starting and ending conversations in a friendly way.

Fourth Grade

Lesson 10: Introducing Emotion Management

Learning Goal: Students will be able to describe what triggers their own strong emotions and describe what happens in their brains and bodies when they experience strong emotions.

Try This At Home: Talk about a time when you experienced a strong emotion. What triggered the feeling, and what did you notice happening in your brain and body? Discuss how recognizing these signals can help you manage strong emotions.

Lunch guests are welcome! Students and their guests will have lunch at designated locations in the front lobby area. Please no more than 2 guests per student due to limited space. So that others may have the opportunity, we ask that you not sign up more than 1 time per month. Thank you!

Here's how it works:

• Sign up for a reservation in advance using the link below. https://bookings.cloud.microsoft/book/Stonegate@zcsk12in.onmicrosoft.com/?ismsaljsauthenabled
• When you sign up, please be certain to complete all fields requested.
• Your child will meet you in the front office area when they are ready.

PTO Stonegate Spirit Wear is now available! The online store is open until November 8th. All items will be delivered to the school before winter break and sent home with your student. Thank you!

2026-2027 Elementary Q1 report cards are now available. To access your child’s report card, simply log in to PowerSchool (using your parent login or your child’s login) and click on the Student Reports link on the left. If you have forgotten how to log in to PowerSchool, your child or building administrative assistant can assist with this.

The countdown is on for ZEF Bash 2026, happening Saturday, November 7th at the Golf Club of Indiana! You don’t want to miss ZEF’s biggest fundraiser of the year! Grab your tickets today on our website at zionsvilleeducationfoundation.org or at the QR code and get ready for an unforgettable night benefitting ZEF.

The ZEF Bash silent auction will go live on Monday, November 2nd! Register today at https://zionsvilleef.home.qtego.us for our Qtego auction site and bid from anywhere beginning 11/2 and up until the auction close at Bash on 11/7.

Celebrating your child's birthday is always an exciting time. Here at Stonegate, students can come get a pencil, bookmark, and book from the front office on their birthday! We enjoy celebrating their special day with them. However, it is important that families adhere to our Zionsville Community Schools policy regarding student birthdays.

Birthdays: In order to comply with the current wellness policies and to minimize interruption to instruction, birthday treats (food or otherwise) are not allowed. Balloons or flowers should not be sent to school because of possible allergies and the distraction they may cause. Birthday invitations can be distributed at school only if there is an invitation for every member of the class. (page 24 of the ZCS student and family handbook)

Thank you for adhering to our birthday policy.

The ZCS Board of School Trustees approved revisions to Board Policy 5136 to comply with Indiana Senate Enrolled Act 78, enacted during the 2026 legislative session. The new law requires school districts to adopt either a complete prohibition on student electronic devices or a secured storage policy. ZCS adopted the secured storage approach, requiring student cell phones and other personal electronic devices to be powered off and not readily accessible during the school day.

The policy includes state-required exceptions for students with IEPs, Section 504 plans, medical needs, multilingual learner plans and emergency situations. During discussion, board members also reviewed implementation procedures, including expectations for smartwatches and classroom storage, before approving the policy with a minor language amendment for clarity.

During the school day, all visitors and volunteers are expected to check in at the front office. Prior to the volunteer's first volunteer experience, the individual must sign a Non-disclosure Acknowledgement Form and have successfully completed a Full Criminal History Background Check.. Necessary background check paperwork is available on the ZCS website at the Volunteers/BRAVO link and should be submitted at least 10 days before the intended volunteer date. Volunteers must also view the state-mandated confidentiality/bullying video, provided on the Volunteer/BRAVO website. The volunteer will pay the fee for the full background check which will expire after 5 years.

During the school day, all visitors must enter via the front door and sign in at the front office. Visitors need to be prepared to present a government-issued photo ID which will be scanned against the National Sex Offender Registry. All visitors will be issued a visitor badge/tag to be worn inside the building at all times. Visitors other than parents/guardians must be prearranged and organized through the main office.