Elm Road Express October 2019
"Putting Dreams into Flight"
From the Desk of Dr. Soto Kile
October is a busy month at Elm Road! Our teachers are currently administering the Dibels,
(K-2) and mini-assessments, and Everyday Math and Pearson Reading assessments. These
results will be reviewed with parents at conference time and used to help guide our
instructional day. In addition, 3-5th grade students just completed the Airways assessment.
Thank you also for your participation during our recent Parent Information Nights. It is an
important time for us to communicate class procedures and our yearly curriculum guide. I
am appreciative of all of the PTO and fundraiser support. We are looking forward to a great Walk A-Thon event! These funds help all of our students in so many ways.
I look forward to seeing all of you at our upcoming conferences. I encourage all of our
students to attend the meetings. Each student has an important role to play, and I think it is
critical that they hear the good things being said about them. Most teachers have a student
led portion in which the students share some of their work/goals. I am hoping for perfect
attendance from our building this year. We will also have our book fair open for all families
to enjoy.
Important Dates
Oct. 14th: PTO Meeting 6 pm
Oct 15th: Picture Retakes
Oct 22nd -23rd: Parent/Teacher Conferences
Oct. 18th-25th: Fall Book Fair
Oct 25th and 28th: Recess dates- NO SCHOOL
We are Elm Road Eagles
Website: elmroad.phmschools.org
Location: 59400 Elm Road, Mishawaka, IN, USA
Phone: (574)259-3743
Twitter: @ElmroadES
Student of the Month
Congratulations to the following
“Eagles” for their wonderful
“SOAR” behavior
Barnes: Mary Domonkos & Kael Boyd
Portolese: Adelynn Carter & Connor Hartman
Renz: Glen DeRoeck & Alexis Nemeth
Swaby: Avery Smith & Jack Gordenier
Bush: Molly Cummins & Peyton Luczkowski
Hinton: Addison Woods & Liam Phillips
Taylor: Zoey Faragoi & Levi Karnath
Clark: Eli Neuenschwander & Kaliyah Mikulyuk
Richard: Emily Smith & Collin Hintz
Tornquist: Lucas Artman & Ella Ryckeart
Anderson: Abrianna Reynolds & Luke Sobieralski
Miller: Lorelei Retter & Garrett Werntz
Myers: Jenna Fair & Roel Alvarez
Pillow: Romina Colina-Ferrer & Greyson VanSandt
Cook: Keaton Ingram & Averi Hernandez
Keough: Ava Vanvynckt & Lali Juarez
Newcomer: Katarina Obradovic & Nora Purucker
Freeman: Jade Santos-Barrera & Aiden Kennedy
Kertai: Channing Daniel & Evan Wiseman
Mellor: Emma Pratt & Lee Lehtomaki
Shreiner: Tina Holderread & Mitchell Forsythe
Health Office Reminders
- Students are not allowed to carry medication on them to school. Parents need to bring it in and complete the paperwork for medication to be given to their child.
- As your child turns 11, they can get their 6th grade vaccines.
- Any questions please contact the health room at Elm Road
Mrs. Freeman
Car Riders
- Student safety is important to us!
- When arriving at the school, please approach from the south off of Capital. That allows our traffic to keep flowing and does not interfere with our buses that are waiting to enter our parking lot to drop off the students.
- Parents picking up or dropping off children are reminded to have students exit curbside ONLY.
- Please pull up as far as safely possible to the next car before having students exit your vehicle. Always follow the directions of the safety patrol assistants.
- Please refrain from using your cell phones when you are not idling. Use this time to talk with your child or enjoy a read along chapter book. They are young, but for such a little time.
- Tune in and turn off.
- Please help your child memorize their car rider number. This helps dismissal go a little quicker!
- Students will be getting a tag with their car rider number on it next week. They can attach this to their bag in case they forget their number!
Youth Service Bureau
Fall is here!
Students have been engaging in Social Emotional Learning (SEL) since the beginning of the year. They have learned about the power of YET. We recently came up with a goal to work on through out the year. This goal is something that they are not good at YET. But with practice and perseverance, this goal can be achievable. Ask your child what his or her goal is so that you can assist them in reaching their goal. I am looking forward to working with students through the SEL lessons.
Hope everyone had a wonderful transition back into school. If there are any questions please contact Mrs. Shell at 259-3743. Thank you!
Library Lines
The students have been enjoying our library and have been checking out many books. Please continue to help your children take responsibility for the books they are borrowing by being sure to keep books in a safe place and returning them within two weeks after they have checked them out. Reading aloud as a family is very important to developing good readers, and it’s a wonderful opportunity for family bonding.
October 21-24, the Elm Road PTO will host the Scholastic Book Fair “Artic Adventure" Book Fair. Our students will be able to purchase books during their CAMPE library rotation. Everyone will be able to visit the Book Fair in the Library and during an evening event (details will come home soon). This is a great time to come in and shop for books for your child’s personal library. Buying from the Book Fair also helps us acquire more books and other supplies for our school library.
Thanks to our helpers in our library! If you would like to volunteer – please contact Linda Knapp at school or email at lknapp@phm.k12.in.us
What's Happening in Gym
The third through fifth graders are finishing up fitness testing and playing cooperative
group games (Hula Hut Build, Super Hero Fitness warm ups, 4 Square, Knock Out). The
fitness tests measure muscular strength, endurance and flexibility and allows the students
to reflect and set goals for fitness levels. This is not a test of athletic ability or a test
that will determine the future success rate for students. It is not a test that children
can fail. It is designed to have students reflect on where their strengths and weaknesses
are and how they can set goals and achieve growth. These tests will be given two times
this school year. The events are shuttle run, sit and reach, arm hang, sit-ups, push-ups,
PACER test and endurance run/walk. This past month in PE our focus has also been on
basic jump rope skills, procedures and vocabulary such as: static and dynamic stretching,
warm up, cool down, cardiovascular endurance, pacing, and sportsmanship. In addition to
our Fire Obstacle Course, grades 3-5 will be playing some cooperative games as well as
soccer skill related games next month.
All grade levels are participating in "Minds in Motion". This is an obstacle course set up
around the perimeter of our gym. It is designed to develop and challenge a student's
balance and learning capabilities. The course aides students to alleviate clumsiness,
improve vision skills for reading, improve balance, improve handwriting, enhance body
control, increase focus and improve eye-hand coordination.
Kindergarten thru second graders have been practicing their sliding and tossing skills
through several tag and lead-up to sports games like Flippy Hoop, Bumble Bee Tag. We
even practiced some spelling words with a tossing game. A large focus at the beginning of
the school year has been on personal space, locomotor movements, rolling, throwing,
tossing and sliding as well as starting and stopping cues, being alert in general space
activities, and moving in general space at different levels, pathways, and directions. Please
help your child practice tying, lacing, zipping, and buttoning at home. Many kindergarten
through second graders are needing additional help with tying!
A big “thank you” and “congrats” to the following 5th grade students that help with the
kindergarten and 1st grade gym students: Baylee Ward, Riker Eggleston, Kirsten Davidson,
Esmeralda Hernandez, Arianna Leon, Brooklyn Klatt, Ben DeCicco, Jade Santos-Barrera,
Ella Neuenschwander, Owen Wilder, Ayden Guffey, Charlie Ward, Reece Hudnall, Nora
McKinney, Curtis Markowski, Emma Pratt, JJ Cencelewski, Josh Sobieralski, Michael
Nardini, Keely McLauglin, Layla Palmer, Denise Mahora, Emily Huerta, Molly Barnes,
Nathan McKinnies, Channing Daniel, Brogan Oldfather, Nevaeh Draper, Emily Signorino and
Ryan Hall. Mrs. Sime and Mrs. Parisi certainly appreciate your leadership in helping the
younger students learn new skills.
REMINDERS:
1. Make sure your child has tennis shoes and socks on his/her gym day.
2. Our Fire Obstacle Course will be in Elm Road Gym Oct. 7-11 Students will learn
about the importance of a fire safety plan for home, how to dial 9-1-1, what to do if
clothes catch on fire, and overall fire safety. Every child will need to know his/her
address and telephone number to make a 9-1-1 call. Please practice this with
your child. Please call or email if you would like to volunteer to help with the
obstacle course during your child’s class!
Congratulations to the following 2-5 graders that are now members of the Jumpin’ Eagles
Team: Max Barnes, Alyssa Goss, Emilia Ducret, Misty Fielder, Channing Daniel, Leyna
Tropp, Adaria Henry, Addie Primrose, Abby Freeman, Melina Perri, McKenzie Ray, Deya
Fey, Elena Clark and Max Shook!
Sinerely,
Debbie Parisi (dparisi@phm.k12.in.us)
Sarah Sime (ssime@phm.k12.in.us)
Greetings for Elm Road Music Room
In the month of October, 1st and 2nd grade students will be studying composer Edvard Grieg. These grades will also be focusing on using their singing voice vs. their speaking voice and doing steady beat activities with instruments. 3rd-5th grade students will be studying Camille Saint-Saens. 3rd graders will be doing introductory sight-singing activities and studying rhythmic patterns with sixteenth notes.
I wanted to make a special note for the 4th and 5th grade. The month of October is a month where we focus on recorder. All 4th and 5th grade students are expected to practice at home with their practice recorder and the music website. This is considered their music homework. They have worked very hard to learn how to make a good sound on their instrument. I greatly appreciate your support. Please contact me if your student needs another practice recorder. Recorders can also be purchased at the dollar store if additional recorders are needed.
Auditions for the Circle the State with Song Choir are happening at 2:30 on October 8th. Any 4th or 5th grader that is interested needs to turn in their permission slip in order to audition.
Please email me with any questions!
Mrs. Nakayama
Elm Road Music Teacher
Mrs Zache's Literacy Corner
A huge thank you to everyone here at Elm for such a warm welcome! I am so humbled and honored to work with such an amazing staff and student body! I am learning many names and faces daily! I am really enjoying teaching across grade levels and watching them learn and grow!
Many great things are happening here at Elm. I am excited to share that starting in October we will kick off our Whole School Reading Initiative! Monthly you will be asked to turn in your child’s reading calendar to their teacher. The class with the highest percentage of reading calendars turned in will be recognized and given a small award monthly. Located by the gym and cafeteria you will find a STEM themed bulletin board . Here is where we will track all classes and their percentages. All classes with an 80% or above will earn a “bubble” for their class beaker. At the end of April we will see which class has the most “bubbles” in their beaker. This class will then earn an award along with a Literacy STEM based activity created by the Title One Reading Team.
Lastly teachers will be nominating students for “Reader of The Month”. Each month, each grade level will have one student who is highlighted and recognized for excellence and growth in reading! Students will be recognized on announcements, in our monthly newsletter, and on the Elm Road reading initiative bulletin board!
Please feel to reach out to me with any questions at azache@phm.k12.in.us
Happy Reading!
Penn Harris Madison School Corporation News
SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING (SEL)
At P-H-M, we value each student and want to help them reach their fullest potential. We can help unlock potential through Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)! According to the Collaborative for Academic and Social-Emotional Learning, SEL is the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. SEL is vital and can offer so many benefits to students, such as an increase in prosocial behaviors, social and relationship skills, emotional wellness, academic success, stress management and the list goes on and on. Since SEL has so many benefits and is crucial for ALL students' success, P-H-M has a unified, systematic focus on SEL and developed goals and initiatives on this front. One of our major goals is to offer SEL lessons to all students. We have aligned our teaching and learning to the SEL competencies set forth by the Indiana Department of Education. In order to teach students these skills, the Youth Service Development Specialist will deliver the Social-Emotional Learning lessons one day per week during IMC or computer lab time, with the exception of a few weeks throughout the year due to testing, etc. For the months of August, September, and October, we will focus on offering an overview of SEL, and then learning more about self-awareness/insight, mindset, self-management/regulation, identifying strengths and goal setting. If we want our students to learn the important SEL skills, we must intentionally teach the skills so they can benefit both now and in the future. In fact, research shows SEL can really move the needle in terms of academic performance. Furthermore, if we look down the road, Forbes identified the top qualities employers want in their employees, which are all related to SEL (e.g., ability to work on a team, problem solve, make decisions and communicate). Therefore, we must teach these skills to our students so they can be successful now and as well as later in life. SEL is a value-add to all P-H-M can offer to help unlock potential. For more information on SEL, please visit P-H-M's SEL web page https://www.phmschools.org/parents/social-emotional-learning or contact Dr. Jennifer Sears, Director of SEL & Mental Health at jsears@phm.k12.in.us
Jennifer Sears, Ph.D.
Community Connections Fair
Community Connections Fair
Saturday, Oct. 5, 2019
10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Schmucker Middle School
56405 Bittersweet Rd., Mishawaka
The Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation English as a New Language Program is sponsoring the District’s third annual Community Connections Fair!
This community event is FREE and brings together in one place many community resources and businesses, such as: TCU, the Better World Books bookmobile, the ETHOS science bus, HeathLinc, Real Services, Sky Zone, St. Joe County Public Library, Mishawaka Public Library, La Casa de Amistad, 4-H brought bunnies, and many more!
P-H-M is inviting area businesses who want to participate in the Community Connections Fair to sign up. Click here to request a table at the event.
The Fair will also include cultural performances from P-H-M students and families. Families wishing to sign up to perform, click here.
Flyers about the event are available in the following languages, please click to download and print:
Bilingual interpreters will be on hand at the event to assist those families who need it.
Come out and enjoy the many cultural performances and student work that will be on display representing countries from all over the world!
Please join us!
For more information, please contact:
Nicole Parker
P-H-M Elementary ENL Coordinator
(574) 259-2486, Ext. 53261