May 5th-9th is Teacher Appreciation Week! Please CLICK HERE to help ZWest PTO celebrate our teachers!
New Calendar Updates
- 5/3 - Academic Super Bowl, 8a-5p, West Hall
- 5/5-5/9 - Teacher Appreciation Week
- 5/7 - Nurse/OT/PT/Speech Appreciation Day
- 5/7 - NJHS Honor Ceremony in West Hall
- 5/8 - Great on the 8s (8th grade t-shirts)
- 5/8 - 7th Grade Baseball Field Trip
- 5/9 - ZCS Unified Track Day
- 5/9 - PTO Ice Cream Sales
- 5/9-5/10 - 8th Grade Orchestra/Choir King's Island Trip
- 5/12 - PTO Meeting, 1pm
- 5/12 - ZCS Board Meeting, 6pm
- 5/13 - 5/6 Band Concert, 7pm
- 5/14 - 7/8 Jazz Band Concert, 7pm
- 5/15 - 5/6 Orchestra Concert, 7pm
- 5/16 - PTO Ice Cream Sales
- 5/16 - BME Voices Concert, 7pm
High Ability Spring Identification Deadlines
- The Indiana Department of Education requires school districts to identify high ability (gifted) students and provide them with appropriately differentiated curriculum and instruction. In ZCS, we consider ability and achievement data of all students each spring to identify any who may need advanced instruction and/or curriculum. While the official designation is a state-required label for students, our school district is committed to continuous progress for all students, regardless of designation. Accelerated content is common in our classrooms as are heightened expectations and instructional levels and high-achieving peers. Instructional methods group and regroup students regularly with differentiated materials and goals. Our teachers are committed to regular assessment of skills and knowledge and matching experiences to challenge each child and help them make maximum academic growth. We are proud to be a high-performing school district with high expectations for all students.
- For Students Currently in Grades 4-7: At this level students are identified more formally for high ability classes. All students are considered for high ability each year. Our identification team considers either achievement (NWEA) or ability (CoGAT) when making decisions. Parents will be notified on June 2nd if their child has been recommended for differentiation based on the need for accelerated instruction or curriculum. If your child was not identified through our extensive process, parents may appeal the decision. Parents can complete the appeal process by June 15. Forms are located here.
- If your child is currently in high ability class(es), you will not receive an email because this placement will continue for the next school year.
8th Grade Party Volunteer LINK HERE
Author Visit - Book Orders
- This week our 5th and 6th graders had the chance to hear from author Laura Martin, who is a resident of Zionsville and who has written several middle school books that often get checked out in the media center.
- If your child would like to purchase any of the books and have them autographed, they can fill out the link below, or pick up a form in the media center and those will be ordered for them through 4 Kids Books.
- The final day for ordering is Friday, May 9th.
- Martin Order Form
Indiana Online Registration (8th Grade Families)
- Summer School registration is currently open through Indiana Online for our 8th grade students. Registration will close on June 3rd. There are no exceptions to this deadline. Before enrolling, please ensure you are aware of Indiana Online final schedule. For students enrolled in any Indiana Online summer course this summer please be aware of deadlines and penalties for dropping courses.
- • Drop before June : No penalty
- • Drop between June 1-16th: $50 Administration fee charged
- • Drop after June 16th: Full cost of the course assessed
On Tuesday, May 27th, Ascension St. Vincent will be offering their sports physical night for Zionsville students. Every student-athlete is required to have a sports physical completed on or after April 1st, 2025 for the 2025-26 school year. This is a great opportunity to take care of this requirement prior to the start of summer workouts. Parents and athletes are also required to have a completed FinalForms profile prior to any athletic participation. More information about FinalForms and physicals can be found on the ZWest Athletics webpage (Forms - Athletics - Zionsville West Middle). Please contact ZWMS Athletic Director Ryan Johnson (ryjohnson@zcs.k12.in.us) with any questions.
Updated Yearbook Information
- Online sales for the yearbook are now closed.
- If you didn't place an order and would like to have your student(s) added to the waitlist for any potential extra copies, please contact Kesha Krieble (kkrieble@zcs.k12.in.us).
- Please note that additional yearbooks are not guaranteed. If they become available, they will be sold for $50, payable only by cash, or check made out to ZWMS.
- We're thrilled to share an incredible summer opportunity for your child! From June 9th-12th, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, we'll be hosting a 3D creativity camp.
- Campers will explore the world of 3D sketching, modeling, and printing using professional-grade tools. It's a fantastic chance for them to turn their concepts into reality right before their eyes!
8th Grade Yard Sign Ordering is Available!
- Celebrate your child moving on from middle school with a fun yard sign!
- Please have your order placed by Friday, May 9th.
- Where it says Child's Name, please indicate the name you'd like printed on the sign. You may choose what to write on your child’s sign - there's typically a mix of signs with just first name, just last name, full names (both first and last), or nicknames.
- You can also choose to not have a name by writing NO NAME in the required field. (In this case, the sign will say CONGRATS! ZWEST PROUD in that space).
- Click "add to cart" and continue to checkout, or you may order additional signs.
- Select “Pick Up” sign to avoid shipping cost. You can pickup from Ultimate Exhibits, located in Walker Farms in Whitestown.
- Signs will be available for pick up around Friday, May 16th.
PTO Fundraiser! With $15 you can't buy happiness, but you can buy a dozen donuts and support ZWestPTO. From now until May 26th, 50% of orders will be donated back to ZWPTO (when you purchase your donuts using our fundraising sales page). More details HERE.
ZEF Eagle Honors are the perfect way to “Show your love” for the teachers, administrators, and staff that make ZCS a special place for you and your student! For a minimum donation of $10 per honoree, ZEF will send a personalized certificate. Proceeds help fund future ZEF grants. Send your Eagle Honors today by clicking here.
Child Find is the process for locating, identifying, and evaluating individuals with suspected disabilities who may need special education services, regardless of the severity of their disabilities. This is the responsibility of ZCS regardless of whether a parent affirmatively requests an evaluation. ZCS provides a Free Appropriate Public Education to any child who qualifies as having a disability, in accordance with federal and state laws. ZCS is responsible for locating all children ages 3 through 22 years of age with a suspected disability who reside within the boundaries of its district. With early identification and intervention, frustration and academic failure can be prevented, which in turn creates a positive learning experience for students. Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), which encompasses academics, speech, language, and/or social and emotional learning, is an essential component of the child find process. Utilizing screening assessments, the ZCS team members identify students in need of intervention, implement action plans, and monitor the response to the targeted interventions. In addition, the evaluation referral procedures in ZCS provide the framework to refer students with suspected disabilities for evaluation. If you have questions regarding the Child Find process in ZCS, please contact your child’s school counselor.
Favorite Things!
- Have you ever wondered what the ZWest Teachers, Staff and Bus Drivers' favorite snack, gift card or supply might be? There is now a place to find all of those things and more!
- This is perfect for Birthdays, or just a way to say Thank-You with a special treat.
- Take the guess work out and Click the link: ZWest Teacher/Staff/Bus Drivers 2024-2025
Laptop Info for the 2025-2026 School Year
- All grades (5-8) will be provided a school-issued Chromebook for their 1:1 device for the 24-25 school year. For more information, visit the website here.
- School Device Coverage info HERE.
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT for ZCHS 1:1 Laptop Use for the 2025-2026 School Year
- At the December 9th School Board meeting, the extension of the 1:1 computer program into ZCHS for all freshman and sophomores was approved to begin at the start of the 25-26 school year.
- For planning purposes, please note, all Freshman and Sophomores will be provided a ZCS Chromebook for use in the 1:1 program starting in August of 2025.
Community Flyers LINK
Credits:
Created with images by MarekPhotoDesign.com - "calendar icons - months in wood type" • Ayla Harbich - "Have a great day, hand written, yellow background, transparent." • Pixel-Shot - "Female hands with books on color background" • Rochu_2008 - "Holiday memories. Old postcards with a map, photo camera and travel notebook" • prescott09 - "Working 3d printer close up of process" • marcin jucha - "Colorful celebration mockup,birthday card" • BEIZ images - "花火" • AnnaStills - "Horizontal image of table with laptop for online education in bedroom of teenager"