🎃 Car Line Chat: Blue Ribbons, FFA Jackets & Candy-Fueled Classrooms

🎃🚗 Car Line Chat: Halloween Edition

 

Blue Ribbons, FFA Jackets, and a Candy-Fueled Friday in Indiana Schools

 

Scene: The last Friday of October. Sarah’s car smells faintly of KitKats. Maria’s kids are already in half-costume, and the car line is buzzing like a haunted beehive.

 

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Sarah: Tell me your kids didn’t talk about candy before 8 a.m.

 

Maria: Oh, they absolutely did. And then I opened Dr. Jenner’s newsletter and, bam!...she starts with, “Halloween on a Friday…fun, exhausting, energetic…” Like she knows!

 

Sarah: She really does. But there’s a lot more in there this week.  Did you see the Blue Ribbon Schools list? Eleven Indiana schools made it, and they’re being honored next month at the Educational Excellence Awards Gala.

 

Maria: I love that she highlighted both public and private schools. Batesville, Carmel, Richmond, even Fishers and Mount Vernon made the list. That’s awesome recognition for the teachers and students.

(The car line pauses—someone’s kid drops a candy bucket. The whole row watches as Tootsie Rolls scatter across the pavement.)

 

Sarah: Speaking of teachers, there’s a new Teacher Appreciation Grant update, the applications are due Jan 30, 2026. And IDOE announced 63 new STEM Integration Grant recipients, with a virtual kickoff next week.

 

Maria: I saw that, plus something called “AI is Computer Science.” Nextech and IDOE are teaming up for Computer Science Education Week in December. There’s a session about teaching AI safely in classrooms.

 

Sarah: That’s so on-brand for 2025...Halloween candy and artificial intelligence in the same inbox.

(A teacher in a pumpkin sweater waves traffic forward, clutching a walkie-talkie and a Starbucks the size of a cauldron.)

 

Teacher: Hey parents, quick PSA! If your kid takes the PSAT or SAT, the College Board workshops start December 3 through 11, including a Fort Wayne session on the 10th. Teachers can register now to prep for next spring’s testing.

 

Maria: Good to know! I’ll make sure my high-schooler’s counselor sees that.

 

Teacher: Oh, and there’s a WIDA bilingual workshop November 20, plus office hours November 13 for multilingual learner support...super useful if your school uses the new ILP platform.

(She waves again, directing cars like a traffic DJ.)

 

Sarah: This week’s update had such good energy; FFA convention, Blue Ribbons, STEM, reading… even a reminder to appreciate teachers.

 

Maria: Exactly. It feels nice to end October on a positive note. And now, I’m off to glue my kid’s vampire cape before tonight’s sugar storm.

 

Sarah: Good luck! May your coffee be strong and your doorbell batteries stronger.

(They laugh as the car line finally starts to move.)

 

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🧭 Quick Highlights for Parents

• 🏅 Indiana named its first Blue Ribbon Schools – 11 across the state!

• 🎓 PSAT/SAT training workshops Dec 3–11 (in Fort Wayne Dec 10)

• 💡 STEM Integration Grants announced + kickoff Nov 5

• 🤖 AI is Computer Science event Nov 13 in the Indiana Learning Lab

• 🧑‍🏫 Teacher Appreciation Grant applications due Jan 30, 2026

 

🧑‍🏫 Educator & PTA Corner

• 💬 Special Programs Office Hours – Nov 13 for multilingual learners

• 🗓️ WIDA Workshop – Nov 20 (Register by Nov 7)

• 📚 Acadience Reading Webinar – Nov 5

• 🧮 Data Science 4 Everyone Grant – Apply by Nov 17

 

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💬 This week in Car Line Chat: Candy, community, and classroom innovation...Indiana’s got a lot to celebrate.

 

📖 Read the full IDOE update ➡️ https://www.in.gov/doe/news/