Elkhart students enrolled at the Elkhart Area Career Center will begin EACC classes Tuesday, Aug. 14.

Kindergarten 

All kindergarten students will begin classes Tuesday, Aug. 14. Transportation for kindergarten students will be provided beginning the first day of school.   To register for kindergarten, a child must be 5 year of age on or before Aug. 1, 2012. Application can be made for early kindergarten entrance for children whose birthday is between Aug. 2 and Sept. 1. Applications can be obtained at the elementary school (beginning April 2) or from the district's Student Services Office located at the Educational Services Center, 2720 California Road, next to Memorial High School.

Registration/Enrollment

School attendance is required for all students from 7 to 18 years of age.   Students who enroll in the Elkhart Community Schools for the first time, or those who have moved to another school within the Elkhart Community Schools, are to register, prior to the opening of school, at the school they will attend. All school offices will be open for registration beginning Aug. 2. All students enrolling for the first time should bring a certified copy of their birth certificate, a record of immunizations, a report card from the school previously attended, and proof of residency.

Parents needing information as to which school their children will attend should call the Educational Services Center at 262-5569.

* Guidance offices in the secondary schools (grades 7-12) are available for appointments from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily beginning Aug. 2. Parents are asked to phone the school and arrange for a time to register students. Students needing to change program schedules should follow the same procedure.

* Central High School registration hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 7 through 10. No appointments are necessary.


Physical Exams and Immunizations 

Physical examinations are required for all students entering the Elkhart schools for the first time, and  for all students entering grade seven and grade nine. A form verifying the physical exam must be filed with the school office. If a student does not have a physical on file, one should be completed and returned to the school office. This form can be obtained from the school, the Student Services Office in the Educational Services Center, or at many local doctors' offices. The elementary and high school form can also be downloaded here. Click this link for the middle school form.

The completed form is to be taken or mailed to the school the student will be attending. If an ECS physical form is not available, the physician can fill out an office form and the student can return that to the school office.

As mandated by state law, ALL children entering kindergarten or grade one for the first time are required to have the state-required immunizations. Click here for a list. Also, children in all grades need to be immunized against varicella (chicken pox) or have written statements indicating when they have had the disease. Pre-K, kindergarten, and first-grade students are required to have a statement from their physician if they have had varicella (chickenpox.)

By Indiana law, the only exceptions to these requirements are children for whom the vaccines are contra-indicated, or children whose parents file a written statement of religious objection. Objecting due to "personal preference" is not an option. The Immunization Objection Form is available at each school and must be filed each school year.

Transportation

Bus transportation will be provided beginning the first day of school for all eligible students. Questions concerning transportation can be referred to the appropriate school or the Transportation Director's Office at 262-5695. Click here to determine if your child resides in a walk zone.

Meal Prices

Elementary     Secondary Breakfast:            $1.35               $1.60 Lunch:                  $2.25               $2.50 Extra milk:                .60                   .60

Textbook Rental

The 2012-2013 textbook rental fees will be as follows:                                       Semester Fee                         Annual Fee Kindergarten:                          $30.00                             $60.00 Grades 1-6:                             $50.00                             $100.00 Grades 7-8:                  By individual student Grades 9-12:                By individual student

 

Textbook rental fees for grades K-8 are due and payable on the first day of school. If parents wish to pay these fees on a semester basis, they are due as follows:

            First semester:           Aug. 14, 2012

            Second semester:       Jan. 7, 2013

Textbook rental fees for high school students will be billed in October for the first semester and in February for the second semester.

Free and Reduced Price Meals & Textbook Applications

Applications for free/reduced price meals and textbook rental assistance are available in all buildings, including the J.C. Rice Educational Services Center, and may be picked up in school offices prior to the first day of school. Applications must be approved each year before students can receive free or reduced price meals or textbooks, unless the student has received written notification of approval from the State of Indiana.

Student Schedules

High Schools   Central and Memorial high schools will operate on a 7:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. daily schedule. Middle Schools  North Side, Pierre Moran, and West Side middle schools will be in session daily from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m

Elementary Schools

All elementary schools will be in session daily from 8:15 a.m. to 2:25 p.m.

LIFE:     7:45 a.m. to 2:53 p.m.
Jr LIFE:  7:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.

Orientation Activities

North Side:  Friday, Aug. 10; 7th and 8th grade students, accompanied by a parent or guardian, may pick up their schedules and walk through the building from 10:30 to 11:45 a.m. OR 1 to 2:30 p.m.  Pierre Moran:  Friday, Aug. 10; 7th grade students and their parents and new 8th grade students and their parents will attend orientation at 1:30 p.m.  Returning 8th graders can pick up their schedules and have their photo IDs taken from 9 a.m. to noon.              West Side:  Friday, Aug. 10 from noon to 3 p.m. 7th and 8th grade students, accompanied by a parent or guardian, may pick up their schedules and walk through the building.

A follow-up orientation program will be offered on the first day of school. At these sessions, school officials will acquaint new students with school programs and give them a tour of the building. Information relating to attendance, school rules, and school activities is being sent to parents, and they are asked to contact the school if they have any questions.

Central High School:  Central's Blazer Academy (freshmen orientation) is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 10 from 8 to 10:30 a.m. 

Photo IDs will be taken from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Aug. 6 for freshmen; Aug. 7 for sophomores; August 8 for juniors ; and Aug. 9 for seniors. 
 

Memorial High School:  Orientation for Memorial's Freshmen Charger Learner Community is scheduled for all freshmen and new students, and their parents, on Wednesday, Aug. 8 from 6 to 8 p.m. Students should meet in the auditorium.

Photo IDs for Memorial students will be taken from 1 to 6 p.m. on Aug. 7 for juniors and seniors; Aug. 8 for sophomores; and Aug. 9 for freshmen.  (Memorial IDs cost $3. Optional lanyards and plastic covers cost an additional $1 each.)

Information about attendance, lunch and breakfast programs, Guidelines for Good School Order, and fall activities will be sent to all parents from each high school. For additional questions, parents should call the school office.


Beginning Band and Orchestra

Classes for beginning sixth- and seventh-grade band and orchestra students will start Monday, Aug. 27 at the three middle schools. Sixth-grade musicians will attend class at the middle school their elementary school feeds into. Bus transportation is provided between the elementary and middle schools.  Parents can contact the music office at 262-5559 if they have further questions.

Athletics

All interested athletes need to bring to the athletic office a completed IHSAA athletic physical, concussion acknowledgement form, drug testing waiver, and the $50 participation fee this week to be on the list cleared for participation.

Activities include homework assistance, physical exercise, games, art projects, and other educational opportunities. An after-school snack is provided.

Children must be registered in order to start the program on Aug. 14. Parents can register their child at the student's elementary school beginning Aug. 2 or they can call the Community Education Office at 262-5678 for more information.

GED Orientation and Placement Testing & ESL Orientation

All GED classes are offered free of charge. Students must attend orientation and be tested to get into a class. Students will need to be on time each day for ALL the orientation and placement testing dates and plan to attend the entire two hour session. All orientation and placement testing will be held at the Elkhart Area Career Center, located at 2424 California Road, next to Memorial High School. Children are not allowed to accompany their parents. Students MUST call 262-5678 to schedule an appointment.