Elm Road Express April 2019
"Putting Dreams into Flight"
From the Desk of Dr. Soto Kile
Office Notes
- If you have moved or have a new phone number, please update it with the office.
- If you have a new address, you will need to bring in a current utility bill and your current lease, rental or mortgage with you.
- Don't forget to return your eLearner Chromebooks with the cord placed in zip lock bag.
We are Elm Road Eagles
Website: elmroad.phmschools.org
Location: 54900 Elm Road, Mishawaka, IN, USA
Phone: (574)259-3743
Testing Dates
5th Grade Math Placement test for 6th Grade April 8th-12th
5th Grade LA Placement testfor 6th Grade : Due April 12th
iLEARN(On-line 3rd-5th Grade) April 22-May 17Important Dates to Remember
April 8 PTO - Meeting 2:30pm
April 15-18 - Screen Free Week
April 15-18 - Spring Book Fair
April 15 - PTO Art Fair/ Ice Cream Social
April 16 - 4th Grade Music Program 6-6:45 pm
April 16 - 5th Grade Music Program 7-7:45 pm
April 17 - PTO Grandparent/VIP Night 6-7:30 pm
April 19 - Recess Day-No School
April 22- May 17 - ilearn Testing
April 29 - Running is Elementary
May 4th - PHM Silver Mile
5th Grade News from Grissom
- Dr. Graham will be at Grissom for physicals on Thursday, May 23rd from 8:15am-9:15am in the gym. 5th graders will be going first so that they can return to their schools on time.
- The cost is $25.00, cash or check. Please make checks payable to Dr John Graham.
- Attached is the 2018-19 physical form. Students will need to complete this and bring it with them and their check to their physical. Parents can also find this form on our website.
Student of the Month
Congratulations to the following
“Eagles” for their wonderful
“SOAR” behavior
Barnes: Lily Ferrettie & Bryce Scott
Miller: Blake Fielder & Jace Hurstel
Portolese: Nora Hamper & Martin Cochran x
Renz: Ariah Vigil & Clark Stone
Bush: Ariana Navarro & Makenzie Killelea
Hinton: Austin Scheibelhut & Ella Katz & Bailey Dickson
Taylor: Lucas Ulrich & Mason Borders, & Gabby Hernandez
Clark: Emerald Allen & Peyton Hernandez & Jack Blimling
Garton: Myla Byers & Parker Wolfe & Ethan Ryckeart
Richard: Matthew Haggerty & Savanah Jones
Tornquist: Ian Levendoski & Landyn Toth
Anderson: Chloe King & AnnaBell Rochefort
Myers: Dominic Ross & Blake Scheibelhut
Pillow: Nora Haab & Bonnie Moore
Cook: Noah Gearhart & Maddie McAllister
Fisher: Makayla Nardini & Mira Spence
Keough: Cameron Cora & Emma Clark
Newcomer: Gracelyn Guest & Colten Gemmer
Freeman: Braiden Stark & Elizabeth Applegate & David Bradburn
Kertai: Kain Fairchild & Nickson Shreve
Mellor: Kloe Klein & Rylan Lanthier
Shreiner: Chance Cole & Julia Prathaftakis
Don't forget to pick up your Student of the Month sign from the office March 28th or 29Th. They need to be returned by 4/26/19.
Spell Bowl 2019
Spell Bowl 2019 reported by student writers : Olivia Floyd and Wasif Javed
On March 19th of 2019, at 5:45, the 33rd annual Spell Bowl competition was held at Penn High School in the CPA. The students, up to 21 per school(all with matching shirts), walked in the CPA in order of their grade(3rd, 4th, 5th). Each student received a notebook(for writing words for other rounds), a mechanical pencil, and a pamphlet. Elm Road Elementary School Team got to a spot at the bottom-right of the CPA.
Here is how the Spell Bowl works. There are 3 rounds and 2 students from each grade from each school spell 5 words each. A team could gain a total of 30 points. Each person has 15 seconds to spell their word. After that time, the spellers have to set down their pencil and hear the word spelled. The proctor checks the word, and the scorekeeper adds 0, 1, or 2 points to the team’s total count. Some teams have an alternate like Elm Road Elementary. The alternate for 5th grade and their Spell Bowl coach get assigned a school. The coach is the proctor. The alternate is the scorekeeper. The 5th grade coach of Elm Road (Therese Mellor) and alternate (Olivia Floyd) were assigned Walt Disney Elementary School.
Elm Road’s third grade spellers got 18 points on their three rounds. The teams with the highest points of third grade were (from 3rd place to 1st) Bittersweet Elementary School with 20 points, Prairie Vista Elementary School with 23 points, and in first place, Northpoint Elementary School with 26 points.
Elm Road’s fourth grade spellers got 15 points on their three rounds. However, the top two teams had a tiebreaker of 4 words. The teams with the highest points of fourth grade were (from 3rd place to 1st) Horizon Elementary School with 26 points, Northpoint Elementary School with 36 points, and in first place, Bittersweet Elementary School with 37 points.
Elm Road’s fifth grade spellers got 13 points on their three rounds. However, the top two teams had a tiebreaker of 6 WORDS. The teams with the highest points of fifth grade were (from 3rd place to 1st) Mary Frank Elementary School with 29 points, Northpoint Elementary School with 41 points, and in first place, Walt Disney Elementary School with 42 points.
Afterwards, they had an award ceremony for every single speller that showed up at the Spell Bowl.
They do each schools’ teams starting with 3rd Grade and announce the winner last and take pictures. Each speller says their name only and then the next person does the same. The coaches also introduced themselves.
Each student left Penn High School at around 8:00 P.M. Each student did well, and worked hard to get there, even if they never appeared in the top 3.
3rd Grade
4th Grade
5th Grade,
Library Lines
April 8-14 is National Library Week. Visit the public library and sign up for a library card if you don’t already have one. Our public libraries have many wonderful books and activities to offer. It’s a great place to go on an adventure during spring break too!
The Scholastic Dino-Mite Book Fair, will be held from April 15-18. Unleash your inner dino and track down exciting new books! It will also be Screen Free week with many evening activities happening to keep your family busy. Please mark your calendars!
April 22 is Earth Day. We will be celebrating all month by reading a variety of conservation and earth related books. We recycle paper at school. Hopefully you are recycling at home also.
Thanks again to our many library volunteers!
Have a wonderful spring break. Remember to READ, READ, READ!
Mrs. Knapp
574-259-3743
Kindergarten Enjoyed St. Patrick's Day Activities, Crazy Hair Day and Reading Buddies
Fifth Grade boys vs. Staff in Basketballl
Boys’ Basketball reported by student writers: Mason Shook and Toby Prince
Boys’ basketball at Elm Road School was so much fun. Let's start with the practices. There were two weeks of practices to prepare the boys for the big game against the staff. At the practices we started by shooting around at our home basket with our group. Then, we ran five laps around the gym. Then, two or three fifth graders led stretches. Then, we ran drills. We did drills like dribbling, layups, and three-man weave. During this entire thing, we worked on teamwork. Some other things that we did included knockout and scrimmaging. Finally, at the end we all put our hands in the middle and said a cheer like Elm Road, Go Team, or Papa John's! Then it was the end of practice.
Finally, it was time for what every boy waited for the entire time for: The game against the staff! Some of the staff was Mr. Phipps, Mr. Keller, Mrs. Parisi, and many more. There were ten five-minute periods, so every kid got to play twice. The score of the game ended up being 65 to 66. Unfortunately, the students lost. But we all still had a fun time doing boys’ basketball!
Thank you from Mr. Coleman and Mrs. Keough
What's Happening in PE
Elm Road Families:
First thru fifth graders have finished a basketball unit along with Jump for Heart. Congratulations to our school for raising $10, 906 for American Heart Association! Mrs. Pillow’s class won the most students registered on line and will receive recess equipment soon! We also just had barely over 50% of our student body register on line to receive the $500 in gym equipment! Our Elm Road community ROCKS! Our top fund raiser at Elm was Emma Pratt. (She raised $400). Congratulations Emma! Students demonstrated incredible growth with jumping skills. Hopefully they have shared with you many ways they can take care of their heart! Those that raised $100 or more had lunch with Dr. Soto Kile on March 19th.
During our basketball unit, students demonstrated growth with passing, dribbling, and shooting skills through drills and lead up games! We definitely targeted good sportsmanship and how to be a cooperative teammate during this unit. During the week of St. Patrick's day, we all enjoyed a game of “Leprechaun tag”.
Grades 3-5 will be participating in some fitness circuits and then will be starting a volleyball unit (bumping, setting, serving, team play, ready position, rotating, etc.) Kindergarten thru second grade will be using balloons, beach volleyballs and pool noodles to work on eye hand coordination and some volleyball skills. All grades continue to develop perceptual motor skills with our "Minds-in-Motion Maze" through balancing, jumping and landing, visual strengthening, catching, skipping, cross lateral integration (crossing mid line). The upper grades will be completing the final round of fitness testing as well.
Practices for all interested fourth and fifth graders for running club will be starting the Monday after spring break. We have over 60 runners signed up to be a part of Running is Elementary! This will be a great opportunity for all those students wanting to train to run the Silver Mile at Penn High School on Saturday, May 4th. Mark your calendars for Monday, April 29th, for our “Running is Elementary” meet at Elm Road for those students that participate in Elm Road Running Club.
Super job to all the 4/5 grade boys that participated in the intramural basketball program. The boys demonstrated a great deal of improvement due to their effort and enthusiasm for the game!
Our “Fun in the Sun” date is scheduled for Wednesday, June 5th . A sign up has been sent home asking for parent volunteers for this date! Thank you to all the parents willing to help lead a station.
Please remind your child to wear tennis shoes that fit securely on his/her feet for gym class!
Thank you Miss Hope
Mrs. Creighton's Reading Corner
Dear Families,
Reading comprehension is the end goal of reading. Connections are links that readers make between their prior knowledge and what is being read. Making these connections can help support reading comprehension.
There are three types of connections that readers can make. Text-to-self connections are those that readers make between the text and their own personal experiences. Text-to-text connections are those that readers make between the text they are reading and text that has been previously read. Text-to-world connections are made between the text and larger events or issues that are occurring in the world around them.
You can help build upon your child’s background knowledge by taking trips to a local farm, the farmer’s market, an apple orchard, the beach, or to a state park. Encourage your child to talk about his or her experiences and to make connections with books they have read. All of these connections help build a foundation for lifelong learning.
Happy Reading,
Mrs. Creighton
Youth Service Bureau
With iLEARN on the way I thought I would provide you with some tips to help your child do their best on the test.
Relaxation is important and can assist with lowering stress levels, help with better sleep, improve mood and memory, and reduce the chance of physical illness.
R – Read the question carefully then reread the passage or problem to find the right answer.
E – Examine every answer choice before you choose your answer.
L – Label your answer in the passage or in the problem.
A - Always check your work.
X – X-out answers that cannot possibly be correct.
Additional tips to remember:
1. Make sure your students are on time for school each day.
2. Avoid taking your student out for doctor’s appointments during testing times. Students will feel more at ease when taking the test at the same time as their classmates.
3. Get a good night’s sleep each night. Students cannot do their best if they are sleepy.
4. Eat a good breakfast!
5. Encourage your child to do their best!
Extra Important Information!!
Lost and Found items will be donated to Christ Child Society the first week back from Spring Break. Please have your children look through the items and take what is theirs so that it can be returned to the owner. Thank you!
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to give me a call at 259-3743. Thank you! - Mrs. Shell
Greetings from Elm Road Music Room
The month of April is an exciting one in music class. First through third graders will be studying Claude Debussy for their composer of the month. First graders will be playing instruments more this month and continuing to work on their singing skills. Second graders will be singing songs with Do, Re, Mi, So and La. Third graders will be finishing their unit on syncopation and beginning a unit on the notes of the staff.
Fourth and fifth graders are preparing for their program. The program will demonstrate many skills they have studied over the last 4-5 years and will include singing, dancing, and playing instruments. The program is Tuesday, April 16th. The fourth grade will perform at 6, and the fifth grade will perform at 7. All 4th and 5th graders must wear a solid white shirt and blue jeans for the program. We look forward to a great performance!
Mrs. Nakayama
PHM Silver Mile Bubble Bash Coming May 4th
Jr. Academies Summer 2019
Health Room News
Below are the number of doses and each vaccine required for school entry. Changes for this year include the Hepatitis A requirement for grades K-4, 6 and 12th grade.
3 to 5 years old
3 Hep B (Hepatitis B) 4 DTP (Diphtheria, Tetanus & Pertussis) 3 Polio (Inactivated Polio) 1 MMR (Measles, Mumps & Rubella) 1 Varicella
K-4th grade
ЗНер В.
5 DTap 4 Polio
2 MMR 2 Varicella 2 Hep A (Hepatitis A)
Grade 5
3 Hep B 5 DTap 4 Polio
2 MMR 2 Varicella 2 Hep A*
Grade 6
3 Hер в 5 DTP 4 Polio 2 Hep A
2 MMR 2 Varicella 1 Tdap (Tetanus & Pertussis) 1 MCV4 (Meningococcal)
Grades 7 to 11
3 Hep B 5 DTap 4 Polio 2 Hep A*
2 MMR 2 Varicella 1 Tdap (Tetanus & Pertussis) 1 MCV4 (Meningococcal)
Grade 12
3 Hер в 5 DTap 4 Polio 2 Hep A
2 MMR 2 Varicella 1 Tdap (Tetanus & Pertussis) 2 MCV4 (Meningococcal)
Hep B The minimum age for the 3'd dose of Hepatitis B is 24 weeks of age. DTP Four doses of DTP/DTP/DT are acceptable if 4th dose was administered on or after child's 4* birthday. Polio Three doses of Polio are acceptable for all grade levels if the third dose was given on or after the 4th birthday and at least 6 months after the previous dose with only one type of vaccine used (all OPV or all IPV). For students in grades kindergarten through 6th grade , the final dose must be administered on or after the 4th birthday, and be administered at least 6 months after the previous dose.
MCV4 Individuals who receive dose 1 on or after their 16th birthday only need 1 dose of MCV4. Hep A The minimum interval between 1st and 2nd dose is 6 calendar months. Two doses of HepA is required for K-4, 6th and 12th grades.
Indiana State Department of Health, Immunization Division
(800) 701-0704