The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1069334
C-12 Wednesday, Januar y 9, 2019 The Press-Dispatch EAST GIBSON NEWS Submit school news: Email: egnews@ pressdispatch.net Deadline: Noon on Friday GOT SCHOOL NEWS? Email: egnews@pressdispatch.net SOMETHING NEWSWORTHY? Give us a call: 812-354-8500 Barton Elementary UPCOMING SPORTS SCHEDULE WEDNESDAY, JAN. 9 Wrestling ( V ) vs. Bosse, 6 p.m. THURSDAY, JAN. 10 Girls' Basketball ( V ) at Princeton, 5:30 p.m. Boys' Basketball (7 & 8) vs. Loogootee, 5:30 p.m. Girls' Basketball (7 & 8) vs. Southridge, 5:30 p.m. FRIDAY, JAN. 11 Boys' Basketball ( V ) at Washington Catholic, 5:30 p.m. SATURDAY, JAN. 12 Wrestling ( V ) at South Spencer Invitational, TBA Girls' Basketball ( V ) at Hoosier Gym (Knightstown, IN), TBA MONDAY, JAN. 14 Boys' Basketball (Fr) vs. Pike Central, 5:30 p.m. Boys' Basketball (7 & 8) at Pike Central, 5:30 p.m. TUESDAY, JAN. 15 Girls' Basketball ( V ) vs. Southridge, 5:30 p.m. Wrestling ( V ) at Heritage Hills, 6 p.m. Girls' Basketball (7 & 8) at Haubstadt Comm., 6:30 p.m. Mrs. Elaman, a jack of all trades at Barton By Kenzie Rudolph Lori Elaman, a 1998 Wood Memorial graduate, took the Business Manage- ment route for college first and graduated in 1992 from Oakland City University with a Bachelor of Science degree. She then decided that she wanted to teach. In 2002, she started as an aide at Oakland City El- ementary. In 2004, she finished her Master's Degree at OCU for teaching, and she has been with Barton Town- ship Elementary teaching third grade since 2006. "I changed to be with the kids," added Elaman, re- garding her children. She said she likes being off in the summer now to spend time with her new grand- son. Elaman described be- ing an elementary school teacher as being much more than just that. She mentioned also sometimes having nurse and counsel- or type roles that just come with the gig. "I try to teach them life skills...on their first day I always tell them, if you learn anything from me, I want it to be that I want them to be kind," said Ela- man. She also added that she likes to encourage friend- ship so that kids do not feel left out. Even though she teaches young third grad- ers, she added that kids are becoming more "street smart" and drama seems to start sooner than it used to between children. "I think you see kids are a lot more involved with things like sports from a younger age than when I first started, and they start to try using it as an excuse for not having homework done," added Elaman. She said that she preaches to them that it will not be tol- erated when they're older. Elaman said that she feels like education has fall- en down on our country's list of importance. She added, "We can't teach kids to be produc- tive members of society... you're trying to teach them to be able to pass that test." She added that what third graders are now expect- ed to be able to do would knock someone's socks off. Elaman discussed try- ing to make learning fun for the kids. She said that the kids get to plot out their dream home when learn- ing about area and perim- eter. She likes putting the kids in groups for projects so that they can learn to work together like they will in their future jobs. "Being a mother of four boys and older kids, I try to teach them life lessons to go with what they're doing now," added Elaman. She also said that she tries to encourage kids to stay off of video games, and she added that it is a "HUGE issue." She said that the action they experience in video games does not relate to real life, and that children now often get bored. "I have literally a hand- ful of kids in the last five years that don't have vid- eo games, and you can tell a difference. They're cre- ative, they can deal with down time and not have to be constantly entertained, and you can tell a differ- ence," Elaman said. When it comes to her- self, she said that she tries to relax and put herself in her student's shoes. "There is more to them than tests. I try to love these kids...I try to listen to them. I try not to be so impatient," said Elaman. She said that she tries to build a relationship, and she tries to be that adult that her students can go to with help. Elaman said that she tries to teach by one prin- ciple: "I never try to ask or say anything to a child I wouldn't want said to mine...I don't want to be any harder on a student than I would my own kid." Mrs. Lori Elaman, Kenzie Rudolph photo Third graders Kehlund and Hannah Doerner in Mrs. Elaman's class at Barton Elementary. Kenzie Rudolph photo Above: A lunch trio at Barton Elementary, including Heidi Heldt, Hannah Henry and Anna Ireland. Kenzie Rudolph photo Left: Mya Hudson enjoys a pizza lunch with the 5th and 6th grade basketball teams at Barton Elementary. Kenzie Rudolph photo Savannah Craney waits for instruction in Mrs. Elaman's third grade class. Kenzie Rudolph photo Mrs. Elaman always tries to take care of her third graders, even if it means fixing hair in the morning before school starts, such as she is doing with Ireland Tkacz, pictured here. Ken- zie Rudolph photo Above: Wood Memorial High School sophomore Paxton Schwomeyer (55) dribbles past Pike Cen- tral senior Christian Benson (right) during var- sity boys' basketball action on Friday, Jan. 4. Schwomeyer scored five points in the host Tro- jans' 60-55 loss to the Chargers. Ed Cahill photo Left: Wood Memorial High School senior Pax- on Bartley (32) puts up a shot over Pike Central seniors Austin Holder (center) and Judah Leath- co (right) during varsity boys' basketball action on Friday, Jan. 4. Bartley scored a game-high 29 points in a 60-55 loss to the visiting Chargers. Ed Cahill photo Above: Wood Memorial High School junior Grant Hale (3) tries to dribble past Pike Cen- tral junior Colin Craig (left) during junior varsi- ty boys' basketball action on Friday, Jan. 4. Hale scored six points in the host Trojans' 59-53 over- time win. Ed Cahill photo Right: Wood Memorial High School sophomore Gramm Collins (32) goes up for a lay-in during ju- nior varsity boys' basketball action against visit- ing Pike Central on Friday, Jan. 4. Collins scored two points in the Trojans' 59-53 overtime victo- ry. Ed Cahill photo TROJAN BOYS' BASKETBALL VS. CHARGERS