October 23rd, 2026

Over Fall Break, we received the exciting news that Hope Staley has been named a finalist for the Indiana Association of School Principals (IASP) Academic Coach of the Year Award at the elementary level!

This is a tremendous honor, and we are incredibly proud of Mrs. Staley and the impact she has made at Rosa Parks Elementary. We would also like to thank her for her years of dedication to our Rosa Parks Spell Bowl program and for the time, energy, and commitment she has invested in helping our Rockets grow and succeed.

Please join us in congratulating Hope and wishing her the best of luck as a finalist! We are grateful to have her as part of our Rocket family!

Join us on Tuesday, October 27th, for our Chick-fil-A Mobile Dine to Donate event! Stop by the Chick-fil-A on County Line Road between 4:00–7:00 PM to enjoy a delicious meal while supporting our school community. Thank you for supporting our Rockets!

Join us for our next PTA meeting on Thursday, October 29th, from 4:00–5:30 p.m. in the Rosa Parks Elementary library. We appreciate the support our PTA provides to our students, staff, and school community, and we welcome everyone who would like to get involved!

Please remember to check in through the main office when you arrive. We look forward to seeing you there!

Friday, October 30, will be a dress down day for all students! Students may choose to wear regular dress down clothing or a costume. Costumes are optional and must follow the guidelines below.

Costume Guidelines

• No masks or face paint

• No toys or toy weapons

• Costumes may not be scary or gory

• No inflatable costumes

Students who choose to wear a costume that does not meet these guidelines will be asked to change into school dress code clothing. Please consider recess and Physical Education when choosing clothes for the day.

Thank you for helping us make this a fun, safe, and positive day for all our Rockets! We appreciate your support and Rocket Pride!

Picture retakes will take place on Wednesday, November 4th for students who were absent on the original picture day or would like to have their pictures retaken.

Important: Students wishing to have a replacement package printed, must return their original picture package on retake day and hand it to the photographer.

Thank you for your help in making sure our Rockets are picture-ready!

Your online ordering link for the event is: inter-state.com/flyerentry/0472YZ

Get ready to dance, Rockets! Join us on November 13th for our Fall Dance Party from 6:00pm-8:00pm! This will be a free, fun opportunity for students to enjoy music, dancing, and time with friends while celebrating the fall season. We look forward to seeing our Rockets show off their best dance moves and enjoy a fun-filled event together!

We invite our Rockets to bring a grandparent or someone special to join us for breakfast on November 14th! This is a wonderful opportunity to spend time together and make special memories at Rosa Parks Elementary. While visiting, families can also stop by our Book Fair in the library to browse and purchase books. We look forward to welcoming our Rocket families for this special morning!

Our Rosa Parks Student Council will be hosting a Food Drive from November 16–20 in partnership with Hunger Inc. to support families in our local community! We invite our Rocket families to join us in making a difference by donating nonperishable food items.

Some of the most helpful items to donate include canned fruits and vegetables, canned soups, pasta and pasta sauce, rice, cereal, oatmeal, peanut butter, canned beans, and boxed macaroni and cheese. Please choose items that are unopened, unexpired, and shelf-stable. Easy-to-prepare foods and pop-top cans are especially helpful for families who may have limited cooking supplies.

By participating in our food drive, our students have an opportunity to show what it means to be a Rocket by demonstrating kindness, compassion, and responsibility. Every donation, big or small, can help provide meals for families in need and remind our students that even small acts of kindness can make a big difference. Thank you for helping us spread Rocket Pride throughout our community!

The holiday season is a time to give, share, and support one another! Whether your family could use a little extra support this holiday season or you would like to adopt a family and help spread holiday cheer, we invite you to participate!

Please complete on this link by November 11th to request assistance or help make the holidays brighter for a family in our community.

If you have any questions, reach out to Jada Cuttriss at 317-789-2950 or jcuttriss@perryschools.org

UPDATE: As stated in the Student Success Handbook, students may no longer wear shorts beginning after Fall Break and continuing through Spring Break. Please have students come to school wearing pants or skirts with leggings during this time. Thank you for helping us ensure that all students are dressed appropriately for the season and in accordance with our school expectations.

Our school dress code helps promote a positive, respectful, and focused learning environment where all students can feel comfortable and ready to learn. We ask families to review the dress code expectations using the link provided below. If your family needs assistance with school uniforms or clothing that meets the dress code requirements, please contact the school office. We are happy to help support our students and families.

Students who have Rosa Parks Spirit attire may wear thse tops in place of the of the solid collared shirt, or turtleneck. Students will still be asked to wear uniform bottoms and align with the remainder of the dress code.

Dress Code Link

Families, please remember to call our Attendance Hotline at 317-789-2902 whenever your student will be absent from school. Calling the hotline helps us accurately record your child’s attendance and ensures our office has the information we need.

Thank you for helping us keep our attendance records accurate!

How families can help:

• Make sure your child wears their lanyard to and from school every day
• Notify the bus driver or our front office if the badge is lost or damaged
• Before the bus arrives, have your child hold their badge and be ready to scan as they board

You can watch this short video to learn more about using the bus badges:
Bus Badge Video

Thank you for helping this system run smoothly!

Fall Semester Volunteers Needed!

We have an exciting fall semester ahead at Rosa Parks Elementary, and we would love your help! Our school events are made possible by the support of our amazing parent and family volunteers.

If you are interested in volunteering at any of our upcoming fall events, please click the link below to sign up for a volunteer opportunity that works for you.

Sign Up to Support Rosa Parks Elementary:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080A45ACAA22A1FC1-65394176-fall

Adult Night BINGO Fundraiser Committee

We are also beginning to plan our Adult Night BINGO Fundraiser and are looking for parents who would like to be part of the planning committee!

If you are interested in helping plan, organize, and make this a fun and successful event for our school, please be sure to confirm your spot on the SignUpGenius link above.

Every volunteer makes a difference, and we truly appreciate your time, support, and commitment to making Rosa Parks Elementary a great place for our students!

Thank you for supporting our school and our students!

Our wonderful PTA does so much to support our students, families, and school community! In the link below, you will find information about upcoming PTA meetings, dress down days, special events, and so much more. We are incredibly grateful for the time, energy, and dedication our PTA gives to make Rosa Parks Elementary an even more special place for our students.

PTA Fall Semester Events

UPDATE: During car arrival in the morning, please be sure elementary students are dropped off before the sidewalk extends at Door #2. Elementary students can still enter through Door #2, but we ask that Rosa Parks Elementary vehicles do not pull up all the way top the door. This allows ample space for Kindergarten families to form a line for their arrival. Thank you!

As we prepare for a successful start to the school year, please take a few moments to review our arrival and dismissal procedures with your student. Establishing these routines ahead of time helps ensure a safe and smooth experience for everyone. For your convenience, we've attached detailed procedures for both car riders and bus riders. Thank you for your partnership in helping us keep all of our students safe during arrival and dismissal each day. Bus information can be located on Skyward. Please feel free to call the front office if you have any questions.

At Rosa Parks Elementary, we follow The Rocket Way! Our students demonstrate Rocket Pride each day by being Respectful, Responsible, and Safe. These three expectations help create a positive, welcoming, and successful learning environment for everyone. We have included more information at the link below with examples of what The Rocket Way looks like throughout our school.

The Rocket Way Link

A new Indiana state law requires that devices must be powered off and inaccessible for the entire school day. Teachers do not have the authority to provide exceptions. To support a focused learning environment, the expanded list of personal devices now includes cell phones, smartwatches, tablets, personal laptops, gaming devices, wireless headphones/earbuds, and other personal smart devices. Families are encouraged to review the updated device list and school expectations using the link provided below.

Personal Devices Update

Families can view the lunch menu for the first semester by clicking the link below. We encourage families to review the menu regularly to help students plan for their school meals.

First Semester Lunch Menu

Perry Township Schools is now utilizing SafeVisitor visitor and volunteer background checks.

All visitors must present a picture ID and scan their ID with the front office staff. This scan will check the National Sex Offender Registry but a full background check is not necessary. The visitor background check is free of charge.

• Has lunch with their child
• Has a meeting with the principal
• Has a meeting with the teacher
• Guest speakers are also considered visitors

A volunteer is anyone who:

• Attends a classroom party
• Assists in a classroom such as tutors/helpers/room parents
• PTA volunteers
• Attends a field trip with their students (for overnight field trips, please see below)

A SafeVisitor volunteer background check is $15.95 and is valid for three years. Any of the volunteers who had an active and valid Level III volunteer background check last year will be uploaded into the SafeVisitor database.

https://secure.safevisitorsolutions.com/Safe/Volunteer/000432/volunteer

For more information, please visit our website:

https://www.perryschools.org/community-resources/how-to-volunteer/

Birthdays are special occasions, and our teachers will celebrate students’ birthdays in their own special ways within the classroom. To help ensure consistency and accommodate all students, please do not send treats or food items into the classroom for birthday celebrations. Thank you for helping us make birthdays special while supporting a safe and inclusive environment for all students!

Dear Families,

Below you will find opportunities for your child to participate in various athletic activities being offered throughout Perry Township. When registering your athletes, please use the grade they will be entering into for the 2026-2027 school year. Please reach out if you have any questions or need help registering!

Falcon Youth Sports Link

Scott Simmonds - ssimmonds@perryschools.org

Keira Bush - knbush@perryschools.org