Elm Road Express November 2018
"Putting Dreams into Flight"
Dr. Lisa Soto Kile
Thank you for your recent participation in
student/parent/teacher conferences. This important time
allows our teachers the opportunity to share student progress
with families and reinforce needed assistance at home. Please
take advantage of the information shared regarding free
computer programs available to your child. The programs are
aligned to grade level standards and are geared to the instructional needs of your child.
Safety is important at Elm Road School. The students have participated in all necessary
drills so far this school year. The drills serve as a reminder to all of our staff and students
and prepare us in the event we have an emergency. As our morning arrival becomes
darker, I remind parents to please be cautious when dropping off students. Parents are to
pull forward as much as possible along the curb and remain in a single file line. Please
remain in your vehicle, unless you use our parking lot and escort the students into the
building. As you pull into the parking lot, please stay on the far right side, so staff members
can enter in the morning and leave in the afternoon. Do NOT pass other vehicles. Thank
you for helping keep all of our students safe.
Dates to Remember
Nov 2 - Picture Retakes
Nov 2 - PTO Family Dance 6:30-8:30 pm
Nov 4 - Daylight saving time over, set your clocks back one hour!
Nov 5 - 2nd grade to Penn High School 8:45-11:05 (Tornquist and Clark)
Nov 5-16 Food Drive
Nov 6 - 4th grade Owl Prowl at Meadow's Edge 5:45pm-8pm
Nov 8 - Student Council Trip 8:20-11:30
Nov 9 - 2nd grade to Penn High School 8:45-11:05 (Richard and Garton)
Nov 6 - 1st and 4th Grade Hearing Screening
Nov 12 - PTO meeting 2:30pm
Nov 14 - 4th Grade to Morris Performing Arts Center 10-12
Nov 21-23 Thanksgiving Recess
Notes From the Office
- Parents, please call the school office in the morning before 9 am, when your student is absent for the day or will be arriving late. Otherwise, it will be marked unexcused (call 574-259-3743, press 1 for attendance).
- Please be aware that the front office is not able to make change for field trips, lunch accounts, fee payments etc. Families are being asked to pay with the exact amount that is required for payment.
- If you are a family needing duplicate copies of report cards and office notifications send a note to the teacher with the proper mailing information, so that we may get those items to you in a prompt manner.
- Nov 2nd is Picture Retake day for students who were absent or need retakes. If you need retakes, please send the old packet with your child.
We are Elm Road Eagles
Website: elmroad.phmschools.org
Location: 59400 Elm Road, Mishawaka, IN, USA
Phone: 574-259-3743
Twitter: @ElmroadES
Student Council
STUDENT OF THE MONTH
Congratulations to the following
“Eagles” for their wonderful
“SOAR” behavior
Barnes/Kelleher: Jayden Baugher & Zoey Faragoi
Miller: Alaina Benson & Ryan McClain
Portolese: Addison Woods & Trevor Kabiru
Renz: Nolan DeVreese & Amaya Hernandez
Bush: Emily Smith & Dontae Hollingsworth
Hinton: Arianna Reczek & Mason Francis
Taylor: Peyton Dodd & Royce Henry
Clark: Esmeralda Santos-Barrera & Royce Niles
Garton: Londynn Lanthier & Chase Montague
Richard: Erik Jaquay & Claire Steif
Tornquist: Avery Runyon & Wesley Tuttle
Anderson: Angie Maldonado & Lali Juarez
Myers: Ethan Karnath & Ava Vanvynckt
Pillow: Kade Grounds & Lexi DiMicco
Cook: Mara Sandoval & Baylee Ward
Fisher: Jade Santos-Barrera & Ben DeCicco
Keough: Emma Pratt & Arianna Leon
Newcomer: Molly Barnes & Sam Hoover
Freeman: Noah Lucas & Noelle Gillespie
Kertai: Joshua Zumbrun, Ryleigh Browning
Mellor: Kam Chamness & Grace Kazmierzak
Shreiner: Madison Luchowski & Emily Snider
Kindergarten Field Trip to Matthy's Farm
Youth Service Bureau
The holiday season is just around the corner. In need of Thanksgiving and/or Christmas assistance? Please let me know because we would be glad to help you and your family. You can contact me by phone: 574-259-3743 or by email: ashell@phm.k12.in.us To ensure that we can assist your family for the holidays, please let me know by the following dates:
Thanksgiving: November 5, 2018
Christmas: November 12, 2018
Anyone who contacts me after these dates might not be able to get holiday assistance.
As the cold winter approaches, winter coats, hats and mittens will be necessary. If you need a referral for Christ Child, please contact Andrea Shell at 259-3743. All requests are confidential.
If interested in any assistance, please contact Mrs. Shell to get more information.
Mrs. Creighton's Literacy Corner
Dear Families,
It is difficult to believe that we are already in the second quarter of the school year. As we move into the next quarter, I wanted to share some ideas on how to help your child become a successful reader. At school we work on improving literacy, but family involvement is crucial to ensure student success.
There are many ways in which you can support your young reader at home. Just because your child has learned to read, does not mean that they no longer would appreciate or benefit from being read aloud to at home. Children of all ages enjoy hearing stories read aloud. As you read aloud to your child, take time to ask your child questions about the book. If you are reading a book to your child, try to pick a high interest book that is up to two years above his or her reading level. By doing this, you will expose your child to new vocabulary and to higher level concepts. A broad, rich vocabulary is important in supporting reading comprehension. Visualizing events in a story will also aide in building comprehension skills. As you read aloud to your child, have them draw what they are visualizing in the story. You can ask them how they visualized characters or settings in the story.
Reading practice is essential in becoming a successful reader. The best way to encourage reading at home is to set up a routine for family reading. Keep a supply of books within reach of your child. Whether your child is reading to you, or independently, try to pick books at their reading level.There are many places to purchase inexpensive, high interest books. Try going to a library book sale, or check out your local Goodwill. You can stock a family library for a few dollars.
Happy Reading,
Mrs. Creighton
Title I Teacher/ Reading Specialist
Library Lines
Thank you to the many volunteers, Deana Shinall and Leah Runyon for co-chairing the Scholastic Book Fair. The Book Fair was a huge success! Sales were over $8000 and we received about $1500 in books for our library. Many thanks to all of you for your purchases!
The students have been enjoying their books. Please ask them about the books they've been reading. Set an example, let them see you read. When children read independently for pleasure, they are building a strong foundation for future success in school and in life.
Thank you to the many library moms, dads, and grandparents that help with classes in the library every week – you are very much appreciated.
Mrs. Knapp
School Nurse News
The flu can be very dangerous for children. CDC estimates that since 2010, between 7,000 and 26,000 children younger than 5 years of age have been hospitalized each year in the United States because of flu. During past seasons, approximately 80% of flu-associated deaths in children have occurred in children who were not vaccinated.
You have the power to protect your child and your family from flu this season by getting vaccinated and making sure everyone in your family 6 months and older gets their yearly flu vaccine too.
This season, only injectable flu vaccines (flu shots) are recommended for use. The nasal spray vaccine LAIV is NOT recommended for use because of concerns about how well it might work.
Help keep your family healthy this flu season. Fight flu. Get your family vaccinated.
5TH GRADE PARENTS: ONCE YOUR STUDENT TURNS 11, THEY CAN GET THEIR 6TH GRADE SHOTS. IF YOU GET THEIR 6TH GRADE SHOTS, PLEASE TURN IN THE VACCINE RECORD TO THE HEALTH OFFICE OR HAVE YOUR DOCTORS OFFICE FAX IT 574-258-9384.
PLEASE REMEMBER: ANY MEDICATION FOR YOUR STUDENT NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT IN BY AN ADULT, IN ITS ORIGINAL PACKAGING. IF IT IS OVER THE COUNTER IT NEEDS TO BE CHILDRENS UNLESS YOU HAVE A DOCTORS NOTE PRESCRIBING IT. WE ALSO NEED AUTHORIZATION TO ADMINISTER FORMS FILLED OUT BY A PARENT FOR OVER THE COUNTER MEDICATION AND A DOCTOR FOR PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS. YOU CAN GET THESE FORMS IN THE ELM ROAD HEALTH OFFICE.
What's Happening in PE
Dear Families,
Happy Autumn! During the month of October, your child has practiced the following fire safety procedures during physical education: calling 9-1-1, stop-drop-and roll, staying low and crawling, opening and closing doors and windows, and learning that fire fighters are our friends (not to be scared or hide from them). We also appreciate Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Shinall, Mr. Hintz and Mrs. Tropp, for being our 9-1-1 operators so students could practice making a 9-1-1 call and recite their address! Firefighter Hintz was a great guest speaker for our students! Please continue to work with your child(ren) on knowing address and a fire safety plan.
In addition to fire safety, all grades closed the month of October with discussing intensity, healthy foods and heart rate through our “Haunted House” game and applied some soccer skills to our game of Ghostbusters. We have learned about the importance of the skeletal system and how to keep our growing bones strong and healthy.
Kindergarten students also enjoyed learning all about fire safety and discussing the importance of knowing your meeting spot, calling 9-1-1 in an emergency, and ways to safely escape your home in the event of a fire. We discussed knowing and understanding the difference between toys and tools and how matches/lighters are tools for adults. We learned a fun new game this month called “Galaxy Clash” where planets made of fire, ice, and gas attempted to build the greatest world in the galaxy. Finally, kindergarten students enjoyed exercising and playing games with the parachute. Some of the students favorites were: Goin’ Campin’, Scarecrow’s candy, Color Dance, and Shark Attack.
Grades 1-5 have been working on team “strategies” (strategy= a plan of action to help accomplish a goal) and throwing and catching skills through games such as Capture the Lemon, Crab Soccer, Scooter Football, Monster Ball and Snowball Fight.
In the month of December, all grades will be celebrating Veterans' Day and Thanksgiving with games in the gym as well as a visit from our martial artist. Our Jumpin’ Eagles will also be performing at a Penn High School girls’ basketball game on November 27 and Bethel College for a boys’ basketball game on November 28.
A huge “thank you” to Mrs. Jodarski for giving us a good “pound” work out and Mrs. Minden for leading us through an intense PLYOGA workout. They are both great ways to increase our cardio endurance and muscle strength.
A focus during gym has also been placed on basic locomotor skills. Please help your child practice tying, hopping, jumping, skipping, throwing and catching when there is opportunity. Many kindergarten through second graders are needing lots of help with tying!
Thank you to Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Werntz for monitoring our 4/5 mileage club runners at recess on Tuesday and Wednesday!
Debbie Parisi & Michael Phipp
Greetings from the Elm Road Music Room!
November is an exciting month of music learning here at Elm. On November 13th from 2:30-3:30, auditions will be held for this year's Circle the State with Song Choir. Any 4th and 5th grade student interested in this honor choir will receive a letter home with more details about how to get involved. Students can prepare for the audition using the music website: sites.google.com/phm.k12.in.us/elmroadmusicclass. This website is also available for ALL 4th and 5th grade students to practice their recorder assignments at home.
4th grade will be taking a field trip to the South Bend Symphony on November 14th. Students will be gone from about 10-12.
In music class, students will be studying composers George Frideric Handel and Duke Ellington this month. Here's a little more of what each grade is working on:
1st: Introducing So and Mi. Playing a steady beat on instruments.
2nd: Introducing sixteenth notes, Continue So, Mi and La focus
3rd: Singing and Playing instruments in Rounds
4th: South Bend Symphony Trip, Continue Recorder Unit
5th: Finish Recorder Unit, Begin Unit in 6/8.
Mrs. Nakayama
Elm Road Elementary Music Teacher
P-H-M Community events and activities
The following link is for PHM community events and activities.
Community Events webpage (https://www.phmschools.org/community-events-activities)