Friday Five 4September2026

THE FRIDAY FIVE
September 4, 2026

ZCS Superintendent Dr. Rebecca Coffman

ZCS Superintendent Dr. Rebecca Coffman

We Are All Part of the Story

The Friday Five has one mission: storytelling and connection.

Each week, we invite you inside our schools to see the people, experiences, learning, celebrations, and everyday moments that make Zionsville Community Schools what it is. One story may take you into a kindergarten classroom. Another may introduce you to a high school student, a teacher, a family, or a community partner. Each story is just a small piece of something much bigger.

Because no single school tells the entire story of ZCS.

Your school newsletter will always be your go-to source for building-specific information, important dates, reminders, and updates. The Friday Five has a different purpose. This is where we step back and look across the district, giving families and community members a window into schools and experiences they may not otherwise have the opportunity to see.

And there is always more than we can fit into five stories. At the bottom of each Friday Five, you will find collections of additional stories from across ZCS. When you have a little extra time, keep scrolling. Go back. Explore a school you may not know as well. Catch a story you might have missed. Those collections are there because every story adds another piece to the bigger picture.

You can also follow ZCS on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn to stay connected to the stories unfolding throughout the week.

Strong schools.
Strong community.
One ZCS.

And all of us are part of the story.

1.
One Community. Every Generation.

EagleFest brings together students, families, staff, alumni, and neighbors for a tradition that spans generations

Little ones running across Jennings Field. Students finding friends in the crowd. Teachers catching up with families. Parents, grandparents, alumni, and neighbors filling the stadium and surrounding spaces.

EagleFest brought everyone together.

For 42 years, this tradition has created a place for generations to gather, connect, and celebrate the schools and community we share. This year’s crowd was another powerful reminder that the school-community connection is not something we simply talk about. You can see it in the faces, the conversations, the packed stadium, and the thousands of people who continue to make this tradition their own.

There is so much more to see from EagleFest 2026. Take another look at the full story, scroll through the faces and moments, watch the video, and experience a little more of a night that captures what happens when schools and community come together.

Explore the full EagleFest story!

EagleFest and Friday Night Lights Full Feature

EagleFest and Friday Night Lights

2.
Connection Across Generations

Senior VIPs find ways to stay connected

The school-community connection extends far beyond a single event.

That connection was easy to see when the ZCS boardroom was filled with Senior VIPs ready to learn more about opportunities to engage with our schools and with one another. Some are retired educators, some are grandparents, and others are community members simply looking for ways to stay involved. Each brings a desire to be part of our schools.

This year, Senior VIP readers will be connecting with students in all six ZCS elementary schools. These connections and experiences matter. They bring generations together and remind us that strong schools are built with a community surrounding them.

Interested in becoming a Senior VIP? Contact Program Director Lynn Kissel at lkissel@zcs.k12.in.us to learn more about the many ways to stay connected to ZCS.

3.
A World of Books Comes to Life

First-grade students at Union Elementary School explore the many ways books find their way into the hands of readers

First-grade students have been exploring “A World of Books” and their learning has taken them beyond the pages of a book.

The Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library bookmobile visited Union Elementary School, and students learned about how biblioburros bring books to readers. First-graders even went behind the scenes in their own school library to discover more about how books are organized, shared, and enjoyed.

4.
Engineering by Choice

ZWEST sixth-graders take the lead as they design, build, test and pitch their own solutions

What happens when students get to choose the engineering challenge they want to solve?

In ZWEST sixth-grade PLTW Design and Modeling, students are finding out. Some are using VEX robotic parts to build and code a State Fair amusement ride or designing a catapult for accuracy and distance. Others are taking on PLTW favorites like the Air Skimmer and Puzzle Cube challenges.

Whatever they choose, students work through the engineering design process, applying creativity, problem-solving, precision, and perseverance as they build, test, adjust, and try again.

And the learning does not stop with the prototype. Students step into the role of professional engineers by developing a pitch for a client, explaining their design, demonstrating how it meets the client’s needs, and making the case for their solution.

5.
Starting the Year The Right Way

Stonegate Elementary School students celebrate character and community

Stonegate Elementary School students and staff celebrated a great start to the school year with a special visit from Corey “Basketball” Jones.

Jones brought plenty of energy, encouragement, and some impressive basketball tricks as he talked with students about Stonegate’s RIGHT traits and the choices they can make each day to put those traits into action.

It was a fun-filled celebration of a strong start, positive choices, and the kind of school community students and staff work together to create.

Let's talk
ZCS

Coffee, a walk, and a conversation with Superintendent Dr. Rebecca Coffman

Do you have questions about ZCS finances? Do you want to better understand how school funding works or what’s ahead for our district?

Superintendent Dr. Rebecca Coffman and Chief Financial Officer Regina May would love to connect.

Join an upcoming Coffee Talk, Walk and Talk, or bring the conversation to your group. HOAs, neighborhood groups, book clubs, community organizations, and others are also invited to reach out and schedule a time for Dr. Coffman to visit, share information, and answer questions.

Coffee. A walk. Your next meeting. Let’s talk ZCS. Coffee. A walk. Your next meeting. Let’s talk ZCS.

Understanding School Finance

ZCS expertise helps bring a complex topic to life for communities across Indiana

There’s a new resource available to help make the sometimes-complex world of school finance a little easier to understand.

ZCS Chief Financial Officer Regina May, SFO, contributed her expertise to a statewide school finance video created in partnership with the Central Indiana Education Services Center (CIESC), Indiana School Public Relations Association (INDSPRA) and Indiana Association of School Business Officials (IASBO).

Mrs. May joined school finance and communications professionals from across Indiana in helping develop a resource designed to explain how public schools are funded and why understanding school finance matters.

We are proud to see our CFO's knowledge and expertise contributing not only to ZCS, but to a resource that can help families and communities across the state better understand public education funding.

School finance can be complicated. Take a few minutes to watch the video and learn more.

Celebrating ZCS:
State of the Schools

Register for State of the Schools

Campaign Reminders

Please review this important reminder regarding campaign-related activities, materials, and expectations on ZCS school campuses. This information and guidance can be found at the link below.

Campaign Reminders