As local students prepare for the 2012-13 school year, several changes await them at Zionsville Community Schools. Classes begin August 15, and here’s a glance at what pupils – and parents – can look forward to:
Full-Day Kindergarten
74 percent of the nearly four million kindergarteners in the United States are enrolled in full-day kindergarten, and more than 300 of those reside in Zionsville.
Introduced for the first time in this community for the 2012-13 school year, the switch to full-day kindergarten (or “FDK” for short) means growing from two and one-half hour school day to five and one-half hours. The extended day will encompass lunch, recess and instructional time.
Full-Day Kindergarten Bridge
The Bridge program is an afternoon play and enrichment time that literally “bridges” students to the 3:30 p.m. free bus ride home. It can also serve as an early intake to the PM Before and After Care (BAC) program which begins at 3:30 p.m. and is open until 6 p.m. on school days.
InfoSnap
The InfoSnap system contains many registration forms for PTO, ZEF, ZABC, ZBOP and for ordering athletic passes. It also contains the school calendar, open house and back to school information, and various medical fact sheets and care plans. Access to InfoSnap is still available – since May 1, more than 99 percent of Zionsville parents have accessed the system.
GROW Program
In an effort to improve operations at Stonegate Elementary, the after school portion of the GROW program will be housed at Boone Meadow Elementary School, 5555 S. 650 E.
Two upstairs rooms will be dedicated to the afternoon BAC program which will improve programming and security. All other remaining programs will be housed at Stonegate Elementary in the cafeteria. At the end of the school day, all students participating in afternoon BAC will take a bus to Boone Meadow where they will be greeted by GROW staff.
Parents will need to pick up their child from Boone Meadow by 6 p.m., and will use the front entrance with the same code as Stonegate.
Cafeteria changes
As of now, reference to a “meal” (school lunch) must include a fruit or vegetable, and various sources will be used to convey this message as attempts are made to encourage consumption of fruits and vegetables.The ZCS Food Service website is a resource for helpful information such as menus, departmental contact information, applications for meal assistance and payment options – including an exciting change, as credit cards will be usable the cafeteria. This year, for ease and simplicity the cafeterias will begin utilizing School Pay.
Bus drivers wanted
Zionsville Community Schools are actively seeking bus drivers. Interested parties may learn more about this opportunity by contacting Transportation ManagerAmy Eaton at 873-1237 ext. 11802or [email protected].