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News for Allen Elementary School

Busing changes, start/end time shifts take effect next school year

Posted: Mar 19, 2014 by Patricia Gibson, Communications Director

Marion Community Schools is shifting to a more efficient, cost-effective bus transportation system starting next school year that will also alter start and end times at our schools.

On Wednesday, March 19, 2014, the MCS Board of School Trustees approved the recommendation (based on the work of a panel of staff members from various departments and schools) that the district move from a three-tier transportation system to a two-tier system.

Right now, MCS picks up K-4 students in one round of busing, 5-8 students in another, then after elementary drop-off sends that first group of buses back out to pick up 9-12 students. So we are sending buses into the same areas of the city three times. With the change approved Wednesday night, one round of busing will pick up K-4 students, and a second round will pick up 5-12 students.

This change represents the most cost savings. A single-tier system (K-12 students picked up in one round of busing — which is what many other Grant County school systems already do) would have required additional buses be added to the fleet, which would come with an additional price tag that would have canceled out some of the savings achieved by eliminating busing tiers.

Marion Community Schools believes making this change now is the responsible thing to do. Though we are not in emergency need of this change — like some school systems across the state, including Muncie Community Schools in neighboring Delaware County, are — a proactive decision at this point is needed to make it possible to continue offering transportation in the future.

"We want to be good stewards," said Superintendent Brad Lindsay. "Our goal is to continue to provide transportation for our students. We have to think differently and creatively to be able to continue to do so."

To make this change possible, start and end times for classes at each building will be shifted as follows for the 2014-15 school year:

Elementary (K-4)

Monday-Friday: 7:25 a.m. drop-off time; 7:45 a.m. starting bell time; 2:15 p.m. dismissal bell time

Intermediate (5-6)

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday: 8:35 a.m. drop-off time; 8:55 a.m. starting bell time; 3:40 p.m. dismissal bell time
Thursday, Friday: 8:50 a.m. drop-off time; 9:10 a.m. starting bell time; 3:40 p.m. dismissal bell time

Junior High (7-8)

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday: 8:35 a.m. drop-off time; 8:55 a.m. starting bell time; 3:40 p.m. dismissal bell time
Thursday, Friday: 8:50 a.m. drop-off time; 9:10 a.m. starting bell time; 3:40 p.m. dismissal bell time

High School (9-12)

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday: 8:15 a.m. drop-off time; 8:45 a.m. starting bell time; 3:55 p.m. dismissal bell time
Thursday, Friday: 8:30 a.m. drop-off time; 9 a.m. starting bell time; 3:55 p.m. dismissal bell time

These changes will take effect in the 2014-15 school year. Marion Community Schools will continue to communicate with our families to make this transition as smooth as possible.

"Basically this is virtually the same schedule that we have in place currently, with very minimal changes," said John Butcher, president of the Marion Teachers Association. "This is keeping our students' needs at the forefront."

Justice Intermediate student wins Grant County Spelling Bee

Posted: Mar 19, 2014 by Patricia Gibson, Communications Director

Congratulations to Justice Intermediate School fifth-grader Jinwon Pae on her win at the Grant County Spelling Bee on Tuesday, March 18, 2014!

This year's competition, hosted by College Wesleyan Church and sponsored by Indiana Wesleyan University, featured 81 students from 18 Grant County Schools. By the fourth round, Jinwon and fellow Justice fifth-grader Carynna Aguila were the last two spellers standing, and they went back and fourth for 11 rounds before Jinwon came out victorious, with the winning word "distinguished".

>> Read coverage of the Grant County Spelling Bee at chronicle-tribune.com

Jinwon will continue on to the 2014 Scripps National Spelling Bee, set for May 27 through 29 in Washington, D.C.

This is her second year competing in the county spelling bee, which features students in fourth through eighth grades. In the 2013 bee, she was the runner-up.

We're proud of Jinwon and wish her luck at the National Spelling Bee!

Congratulations, too to the rest of the top spellers at our elementary and intermediate schools, whose performance at their school spellinjg bees earned them the right to compete in the county bee:

Allen Elementary

Champion: Kaeda Smith
Runner Up: Jada Ellis

Frances Slocum Elementary

Champion: LaNyiah McCreary
Runner Up: Landon Morris

Kendall Elementary

Champion: Peyton Riddle
Runner Up: Chloe Hamilton

Riverview Elementary

Champion: Alex Spitzer
Runner Up: Kaitlynn Weesner

Justice Intermediate

Champion: Brayton Ramsey
Runner Ups: JinWon Pae & Carynna Aguila

McCulloch Junior High

Champion: Zach Stephens
Runner Up: Lane Charlton, Adriana Aleman, and Matt Renbarger

C-T: Emphasizing parent involvement

Posted: Mar 14, 2014 by Patricia Gibson, Communications Director

From the Chronicle-Tribune

Research shows there is one definitive factor for a child’s success in school and that is their parents.

A study from the National Education Association (NEA) found parents who are involved in their child’s school and education promoted better grades, higher attendance, more developed social skills and eventual post-secondary education.

Promoting parent involvement is a key goal for local schools. Allen Elementary hosted a Parent Night Thursday evening to discuss the importance of reading and to give parents tips on how to continue educating their child at home.

“I just think that connection from school to home, home to school — when students see that connection it benefits them and it also benefits parents and teachers that we’re all on the same page, especially when we’re emphasizing core subjects,” said principal Anthony Williams.

Allen Elementary has hosted several school events this year to bring students, teachers and parents together.

“We’re just trying to connect with the parents that we have this school year and we’re definitely just trying to get them as involved as we can,” Williams said. “We’re definitely trying to get them at the younger grades because those parents are going to be with us for a long time. … We just want to get them there so we can initiate that dialogue.”

Williams said Allen has an open-door policy for parents who want to be more engaged, and other Marion Community Schools routinely have events for parents to attend.

“I think that Marion Community Schools have amazing administrators and teachers and support staff that focus on parent involvement and that there are a lot of opportunities for parents to be involved,” said Lori Goss-Reaves, Family Service Society director of school based services, and the event’s guest speaker. “I just encourage parents to take advantage of those opportunities because their child will see through that that their parent values their education and is supportive of the teachers and principal and all the people trying to help them each day.”

C-T: Students take charge with grant proposals

Posted: Mar 03, 2014 by Patricia Gibson, Communications Director

From the Chronicle-Tribune

Grant County elementary and middle school students were able to take charge and try to make a difference to the community or their schools.

On Monday, one student from every elementary and middle school in the county was able to apply for a grant at the Community Foundation of Grant County’s bi-annual “Youth Grant Program,” which provided $5,750 for distribution.

The program allows students to write and request a grant for a maximum of $350 and deliver a presentation about how the money would be used. After all the presentations, the students voted as a governing body and placed ballots of how much each proposal should receive.

>> Read more at chronicle-tribune.com

C-T: Schools seek to better grades

Posted: Feb 27, 2014 by Patricia Gibson, Communications Director

From the Chronicle-Tribune

Three of the Marion Community Schools’ lowest scoring buildings presented plans for improvement in the coming year at the district board meeting on Wednesday night.

It is a legal requirement for priority schools to have a public hearing on their improvement plans and all of the individual schools focused on how to increase their student test scores.

>> Read more at chronicle-tribune.com

— More from MCS: The minutes of the Feb. 26, 2014, School Board meeting will be posted once they have been approved by the board. To view meeting minutes, click here. —

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