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Empowering Students Through Communications & Lifelong Learning

At South Elementary School, we are a learning community nurturing a culture to provide students the skills necessary to be active, productive, and responsible citizens while empowering students through communications.

Every school day counts! When students attend school regularly, they build stronger skills, form lasting friendships, and develop good habits for the future. Missing just two days a month—even if they're excused—can add up to nearly a month of lost learning over the school year.

We know life happens! If your child needs to miss school, please let us know as soon as possible. If you're facing challenges getting your child to school regularly, we're here to help—reach out to the office or the counselor, and we'll work together to find solutions.

Let's make this a great year of learning together. Thank you for partnering with us to ensure your child is here, ready to learn, every day!

September

September 1 PTO Meeting 5PM

September 3 PTO Calendar Fundraiser Due

September 4 Midterm 1 Ends

September 7 No School-Labor Day

September 9 Midterms posted

September 10 PTO After School Movie 3:35-5:30PM

September 18 Safety Matters Presentations

September 21-25 College Go Week

September 25 Fall School Pictures

September 26 PTO Fall Festival 5:30-7:00PM

Week of Sept 28 PTO Coin Wars

October

October 2 End of 9 weeks

October 6 Morgan County Unified Track & Field Day

October 6 Honor Choir 7PM at MHS

October 8 Half Day instruction; Parent Teacher conferences (early release schedule; Elementary will dismiss at 12:35PM; PreK will dismiss at 12:00PM)

October 12-16 Fall Break-No School

October 19 Elementary 2K Fun Run

This year, your child’s school will be using the MBF Child Safety Matters® program (the Program)

from the Monique Burr Foundation for Children the week of September 14th, 2026. The goal of the

Program is to help keep your child safe. The Program empowers children to spot and respond to

bullying, cyberbullying, child abuse, and digital dangers. Most importantly, it teaches that adults are

responsible for their safety but there are things they can do to help adults keep them safe. The

Program is based on the latest research and has been reviewed and endorsed by national experts.

The Program teaches using age-appropriate, easy to understand language and provides take-home

items to remind children and parents of the lessons and Safety Rules. When children are taught

safety information and rules to help them stay safe, they perform better in school and enjoy

healthier, happier, and safer lives. You can learn more about the Program at

www.mbfpreventioneducation.org. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Cox at

catherine.cox@msdmartinsville.org.

Be keeping an eye out for more information about our 2K Run October 19th! Forms will be sent out after Labor Day! One of my favorite things to plan and I can’t wait.
Starting this year, we are not going to do any timing because it creates quite a mess at the finish line and this is for fun. If you would like to know your child’s time, you can time them at the start and then make sure you’re at the finish line when your child comes across. We also will not be pulling those stickers off the students because that creates a mess as well. When you arrive with your child we will still give you one of those labels with their name on it so that we know the student has signed the waiver form but other than that, they will not be taken off at the finish line. I hope this creates a more smooth finish at the line. It will also be more enjoyable for those of us running the event to be able to cheer on our students and take pictures too. Looking forward to a big turnout.

On Wednesday mornings, staff will be participating in professional development to improve student learning and success.

Therefore, doors will open at 9:25AM with school starting at 9:40AM for all students, including Pre-K.

Free childcare is provided on Wednesdays from 8:25-9:25 by South staff.Contact the South office if childcare is needed from 8:25-9:25 on Wednesdays.

All MSD of Martinsville students will receive Free breakfast and Free lunch this School year. Full tray meals that meet USDA nutrition standards are included. A la carte & individual items are not included, but are available at a set cost.

Questions? Contact the Food Service Department for details at 765-342-6641.

The MSD of Martinsville, South office, and some of the South teachers use ParentSquare for school and district communication, primarily with email, text and app notifications. ParentSquare automatically generates an account for each family, using their preferred email address and phone number.

Here’s what you can do with ParentSquare:

• Receive messages from the school and district via email, text or app notification.
• Choose to receive information as it comes or all at once with a daily digest at 6pm.
• Communicate in your preferred language.
• Comment on school postings to engage with your school community and more all from your desktop or mobile device.
• Report attendance for your child if your child is going to be absent.
• Receive District ArtieStories

Add the free app today!

For more information and training videos, please visit our

website www.msdofmartinsville.org/community.

Most South Elementary teachers will still be using Class Dojo to communicate with parents. Class Dojo is FREE. You do not need to pay for this app. Your child's teacher will send home more information to get connected.

Arrival

• We ask that all parents/guardians dropping students off Remain In Your Vehicle during drop off.
• No Parking in the drop off lines. If you need to park to come into the office, then please park in a parking spot and report to the office.
• We need to keep the lines moving. So please do not park or get out of your vehicle.
• We will have South staff members outside and at the doors to guide the students into the school.
• You can drop off students at the front of the building in the front drive OR in the circle lot.
• Staff will be located at both locations to assist.
• Pre-K students should be dropped off in the circle lot in the designated area for Pre-K.
• If you are dropping off in front of the building, buses will drop off first. You will need to line up in the staff lot and then will be pulled forward after the buses have dropped off.
• Do not drop students off prior to seeing staff outside to supervise. The doors open at 8:25AM.
• Please be patient and respectful during arrival as we want to make sure that everyone remains safe.

Dismissal

• PreK dismisses at 3PM in the circle lot.
• Busses are loaded between 3:35PM-3:40PM.
• Walkers and car riders are dismissed and staff will begin loading vehicles after the busses are loaded and dismissed.
• Walkers are dismissed from the back of the building.
• Kindergarten and Daycare students can be picked up in the circle lot. If a Kindergarten student has an older sibling at South, the older sibling would be picked up in the circle lot also.
• Students in grades 1-4 can be picked up in the front drive. In the front drive, cars will be moved up in line once the busses have been loaded and dismissed.
• Parents/guardians picking up students should Remain In Your Vehicle during dismissal. Students will be called to each vehicle.
• Car tags are available in the office.
• Traffic in both locations will remain stopped until students are loaded safely. Staff members will be calling names so that students come to the vehicles.
• Remain in the car rider lines and follow staff direction for movement.
• Please be patient and respectful during dismissal as we want to make sure that everyone remains safe.
• Please remain in vehicles. Do not walk to the front doors to wait on your child.

• To report an absence for your child, please call the office at

(765) 349-1486 by 9:00AM. If you do not call the school by 9:30 a.m. and report the absence, the school messaging system, someone from the school, or the attendance officer may be calling your home. You can also dojo the teacher or put a message in ParentSquare to notify the office about your child's attendance.

• If you find that your child is still ill the next day, another phone call from you to the school is necessary. At this time, arrangements may be made to send home make up work for your child so that he/she does not fall behind in the classroom. Schoolwork will be sent with a sibling, neighbor, or you may pick the work up at the end of the day.

• Upon returning from home to school, a note should be sent to the teacher explaining the absence. A doctor visit should be documented with a statement from the doctor so that it can be entered in the school data system. Doctor statements should be faxed to 765-349-5247 or given to the office.

• Call the school office or send a note on the day before or the day of the appointment. This helps teachers plan for tests, homework, etc. The note should contain the date, the time, and the reason for the appointment/absence.

• If your child has a slip from the dentist/doctor’s office, please have your child drop it off at the office when your child returns to school.

• We ask that you not keep a child out of school for the entire day for a doctor or dental appointment.

• Please keep these appointments to a minimum. The best time to schedule appointments is toward the end of the day.

• If a child is sent home with a fever of 100.4 degrees or over, he/she is not to return to school until fever free for 24 hours without fever medication.

1. Call the school as soon as possible, informing us that your child is going to be late.

2. Bring your child in as soon as possible, as teachers start their lessons as early as 8:40 a.m.

3. Sign your child in at the office, with an explanation for the tardy.

*A number of unexcused or questionable absences and tardies for any child are reported to our district attendance officer. Daily records are kept on all students and weekly reports are made.

Under IC 20-33-2-25, the “Superintendent or an attendance officer having jurisdiction shall report a child who is habitually absent from school in violation of this chapter to an intake officer of the juvenile court or the department of child services. The intake officer or the department of child services shall proceed in accord with IC 31-30- through IC 31-40.”

Everyone should report abuse or neglect. The reporting and investigating of suspected child abuse and neglect are not discretionary matters. They have been required by law (IC 31-33-5-1) since 1979.

Do Report When...

• Students have reached ten (10) or more unexcused absences.

• Educational neglect is suspected

• Students are missing and unaccounted for

*Complete details of attendance procedures and guidelines can be found in the student handbook.

Federal funding has been made available through school-wide Title I services to South Elementary for the purpose of providing students with extra support in reading and language arts. This extra support is available for all students at South Elementary. Classroom teachers, Title I teachers, and instructional assistants will provide assistance in reading, language arts, and math through small group and individual instruction as children demonstrate need for support. Please contact Jessica Shanafelt at 765-349-1486 Ext. 1628 with any questions about support your child may receive.

Only adults listed on a student's emergency contacts will be able to check out a student from school. Please be sure your child's emergency contacts are updated and kept up to date in SKYWARD. In addition, anyone picking up a child, will need identification to be able to check a student out of school. Students will be counted tardy if leaving school early.

No visitors will be allowed beyond the front foyer area unless they have an approved, scheduled meeting. We will not be having visitors for breakfast or lunch. All visitors must have a background check on file in the office before volunteering.

1) Medical Conditions - If your student has a medical condition requiring accommodations or emergency action plans at school, an updated physician's order is required each new school year. This ensures the school has the most up to date information and instructions. Action plans for asthma, diabetes, anaphylaxis and seizures should be faxed to the school from your child’s physician BEFORE the first day of school.

2) Medications - If your child requires medication during the school year, medication must be sent in the original container labeled with your child’s name and date of birth. All prescription medications must have an intact, up to date label. All over the counter medications must be in an unopened container. Package directions will be followed on all medications. In addition, a permission form must be on file and signed by the parent/guardian.

Want to get involved?!? Join South Elementary School PTO!!! The monthly meetings will typically be the first Tuesday of each month at 5PM. The first meeting will be on September 1, 2026. PTO has spirit wear available for purchase.

PTO OFFICERS

President: Joanna Chamberlain

Vice President: Chelsea Voyles

Secretary: Jessica Hostetter

Treasurer: April Shover

Chess Club is for grades 2-4. Chess Club starts on September 15th. It is every Tuesday after school until 4:15. Reach out to Mrs. Hostetter or Mrs. Pilat with any questions.

Practices are underway for Honor Choir. The concert will be October 6th at MHS. Reach out to Mrs. Harris, South and Poston music teacher, with any questions.

Practices will be on Wednesdays from 5:30-6:30 pm starting Wednesday, September 2nd which will be a student & parent meeting for those that made the team. Reach out to Miss Shover or Mrs. Willard with any questions.

Spell Bowl will start Thursday, September 10th after school until 4:15. If you have any questions, contact melanie.scrougham@msdmartinsville.org.

Twitter: @southdolphins1

Website: https://msdofmartinsville.org/south-elementary/

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Location: 500 Artesian Ave, Martinsville, IN, USA
Phone: 7653491486