New Families
Welcome to Sycamore!
Welcome to Sycamore! We are thrilled that you have chosen to join the Sycamore community. This page is designed to help new families learn even more about Sycamore and to provide you with valuable resources about our school. Be sure to bookmark this page and visit frequently, as it will continue to be updated throughout the spring and summer!
Use the tabs below to find information that is grouped into the following categories:
- To-Do List — steps that your family will want and/or need to take this spring and summer
- Useful Links — links to key pages on our website
- Calendar Items — events you could attend this spring and a link to the 2026-2027 calendar
- Sycamore Lingo — terms, phrases, etc. that are unique to Sycamore
- Who to Ask — names and titles of who to contact for various needs
Also, be sure to use the navigation in the right margin of this page, even though some of those items are also shared within the tabs below.
There are several important items that your family will want and/or need to do throughout the spring and summer. Below is a list of such activities:
- Attend your new parent meeting — Each new family will have a meeting this spring or summer that will include the parents/guardians, our Head of School (John Huber), and the appropriate Division Head(s). Maria Fulton will reach out to you to schedule this meeting.
- Enjoy play dates at Sycamore (Early Childhood and Lower School) — Two play dates hosted at Sycamore will allow new families to get to know other new families as well as some current families. The school will host play dates for Early Childhood and Lower School at the school this summer -- June 17 and July 16 (5:30-6:30 p.m. on each date). Siblings are also welcome to attend these play dates.
- Join Sycamore families at an Early Childhood play date — Sycamore families will host a play date specifically for students and families entering Early Childhood (Preschool, Pre-Kindergarten, and Kindergarten). This will take place at Coxhall Gardens in Carmel from 9-11 a.m. on Sunday, June 28. Siblings are also welcome to attend this gathering.
- Set up your technology — No later than the first week of July, new families will receive information about various technology-related items at Sycamore, including the following: a new Sycamore parent email address, how to access the Portal, Verkada (building access), VisitU (student attendance and parent visitation), and Vidigami (student photos). Click the "Technology" link in the right margin of this page, or click here to visit the technology page for new families.
- Complete required summer forms — Very late in June or early in July, families will receive an email asking them to complete a number of required forms, which will be accessible via the Portal. These include, but are not limited to, the following: emergency contacts, lunch program registration, authorized drivers, Quest (before and after care), volunteer, acknowledgment of the school handbook, etc.
- Attend the Middle School Pool Party (Middle School students only) — All Middle School students are invited to the Middle School Pool Party (for students and parent volunteers only) on August 9 from 6-8 p.m. at the JCC Indianapolis.
Below are items that are specifically for certain grade levels. Click on the grade level to see the list for that grade.
- Consider the Preschool Prep Camp (July 27-31) — This is specifically designed for incoming Sycamore Preschool students. Children will get acquainted with the teachers and will explore the classrooms via a "typical" classroom schedule. This is tremendously beneficial for children's transitions to Sycamore, all while being a lot of fun for them! Click here to see learn more about Sycamore's summer camp offerings. You can even view a list of summer camps specifically for incoming Preschool children.
- Continue to encourage and develop self-help skills — Parents often ask about potty training and other self-help skills. Click here for a Self-Help Skills Checklist for Preschool that Sycamore's Preschool teachers developed.
- Summer Academic Assessments — The Kindergarten teachers will contact families this spring about scheduling their child to complete assessments in Math and Reading. These assessments, which last about 20 minutes each, will take place on July 23 and 24. Results help the teachers understand the different needs and abilities of the class, which is critical to helping teachers differentiate instruction for these children from day one!
- Music Class Selection — Since all Middle School students at Sycamore take one or both of our music classes (band and choir), all incoming Middle School students must let us know which class(es) they will be joining. An email with more information and a link to an online selection form was sent to all families.
- Math Placement — The Enrollment Management Office contacts the families of all incoming Middle School students to discuss additional testing needs related to placing each student in the correct math course at Sycamore.
- Summer Reading — Sycamore has a summer reading program for all Middle School students. The Enrollment Management Office sends information about this with incoming Middle School families via email. Click here for the summer reading list for incoming 5th graders.
- Middle School Supplies List — There is a list of supplies for each Middle School grade. Click here to view the 2026-2027 Middle School Supply List.
- Athletic Participation — Students wanting to participate in a fall sport at Sycamore (coed cross country, coed soccer, coed tennis, and girls' volleyball) will register during the summer to do so. The registration form will be available in mid-July, and the registration deadline will be very early in August. The Enrollment Management Office will update this information once it is available. Please do not wait for school to start to attempt to register for fall athletics, as it will be too late at that point. Click here to view 2026-2027 athletic information from Mr. Buchholz (Athletic Director).
- Attend the Middle School Pool Party — All Middle School students are invited to the Middle School Pool Party (for students and parent volunteers only) on August 9 from 6-8 p.m. at the JCC Indianapolis.
- Music Class Selection — Since all Middle School students at Sycamore take one or both of our music classes (band and choir), all incoming Middle School students must let us know which class(es) they will be joining. An email with more information and a link to an online selection form was sent to all families.
- Math Placement — The Enrollment Management Office contacts the families of all incoming Middle School students to discuss additional testing needs related to placing each student in the correct math course at Sycamore.
- Summer Reading — Sycamore has a summer reading program for all Middle School students. The Enrollment Management Office sends information about this with incoming Middle School families via email. Click here for the summer reading list for incoming 6th graders.
- Middle School Supplies List — There is a list of supplies for each Middle School grade. Click here to view the 2026-2027 Middle School Supply List.
- Athletic Participation — Students wanting to participate in a fall sport at Sycamore (coed cross country, coed soccer, coed tennis, and girls' volleyball) will register during the summer to do so. The registration form will be available in mid-July, and the registration deadline will be very early in August. The Enrollment Management Office will update this information once it is available. Please do not wait for school to start to attempt to register for fall athletics, as it will be too late at that point. Click here to view 2026-2027 athletic information from Mr. Buchholz (Athletic Director).
- Attend the Middle School Pool Party — All Middle School students are invited to the Middle School Pool Party (for students and parent volunteers only) on August 9 from 6-8 p.m. at the JCC Indianapolis.
- Music Class Selection — Since all Middle School students at Sycamore take one or both of our music classes (band and choir), all incoming Middle School students must let us know which class(es) they will be joining. An email with more information and a link to an online selection form was sent to all families.
- Math Placement — The Enrollment Management Office contacts the families of all incoming Middle School students to discuss additional testing needs related to placing each student in the correct math course at Sycamore.
- Summer Reading — Sycamore has a summer reading program for all Middle School students. The Enrollment Management Office sends information about this with incoming Middle School families via email. Click here for the summer reading list for incoming 7th graders.
- Middle School Supplies List — There is a list of supplies for each Middle School grade. Click here to view the 2026-2027 Middle School Supply List.
- Athletic Participation — Students wanting to participate in a fall sport at Sycamore (coed cross country, coed soccer, coed tennis, and girls' volleyball) will register during the summer to do so. The registration form will be available in mid-July, and the registration deadline will be very early in August. The Enrollment Management Office will update this information once it is available. Please do not wait for school to start to attempt to register for fall athletics, as it will be too late at that point. Click here to view 2026-2027 athletic information from Mr. Buchholz (Athletic Director).
- Attend the Middle School Pool Party — All Middle School students are invited to the Middle School Pool Party (for students and parent volunteers only) on August 9 from 6-8 p.m. at the JCC Indianapolis.
Click the links below, some of which are also in the margin to the right, to access other areas of the Sycamore website:
- Extended Programs — This refers to everything that takes place at Sycamore outside of the school day, including Quest (before and after care), After School Activities (for Early Childhood and Lower School students), and Middle School activities such as academic teams, clubs/activities, and athletics.
- Summer Programs — Sycamore offers a wide array of summer programs/camps to children entering all grades available at Sycamore. As a new Sycamore family, your family can also utilize Extended Care, which provides full-day supervision and care for those children participating in a Sycamore summer camp. While it is similar to Quest (before and after care), it is more structured with weekly themes, activities, and projects.
- Lunch Program — Families have the option of purchasing hot lunch for their children. Flik Independent School Dining provides high quality food prepared from whole, fresh ingredients. Families purchase lunch for half of the year or for the full year. Registration for lunch will happen via summer forms.
- Student Services — Supporting the whole gifted child at Sycamore involves health and wellness (Nurse), academic support for twice-exceptional students (Learning Resource Specialists), and social/emotional wellness (Psychologist).
- Sycamore School Association (SSA) — The SSA promotes a sense of community through volunteerism, school events, and more. Each family pays a fee of $85 per child for membership in the SSA, which in turn uses those funds to support various initiatives and events.
Visit our Academic Calendars page to view the 2026-2027 Academic Calendar. Below is a list of key dates to put on your calendar now!
- June 17, 2026 (5:30-6:30 p.m.) — Early Childhood and Lower School Play Date at Sycamore
- June 28, 2026 (9-11 a.m.) — Play date for students and families entering Early Childhood, hosted by parents at Coxhall Gardens in Carmel
- July 16, 2026 (5:30-6:30 p.m.) — Early Childhood and Lower School Play Date at Sycamore
- August 7, 2026 — All School Social
- August 11, 2026 — First day of school (1/2 day for Prekindergarten and Kindergarten, and a one-hour visitation day for Preschool)
- October 12-16, 2026 — Fall Break
- November 25-27, 2026 — Thanksgiving Break
- December 21, 2026 - January 3, 2027 — Winter Break (school resumes January 4)
- March 29-April 11, 2027 — Spring Break (school resumes April 12)
- May 27, 2027 — Last day of school
Not sure who to contact if you have a question about something at Sycamore? Click here for a "Who to Ask" list.
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