The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1493779
Wednesday, March 1, 2023 The Press-Dispatch D-4 SCHOOL Submit school news items: Call: 812-354-8500 Email: schoolnews@pressdispatch.net Miller Moments From the desk of Richard Padgett, Principal of Otwell Miller Academy as we move into spring, the student coun- cil is expanding on kind- ness week activities by creat- ing a kind- ness tree in the hall- way. stu- dents and staff can drop a nomination in a drop box for someone to add a leaf to the kindness tree. Just like the trees during the spring adding leaves for a healthy grow- ing season our kindness tree is adding leaves to strengthen our kindness branches. read across america activities will be in full swing by the time you read these notes. The building is adding color and excitement for read- ing with guest readers and a door decorating contest among the week's activities. While reading is a focus throughout the year, finding new ways to present the activity can ease stress for those who need extra practice. Please encourage your students to read aloud to/ with you, grandparents, pets and other family members. If time is tight consider employing tech- nology to help by having them record the reading to share with you later. This is something that as a grandparent myself i really enjoy since dis- tance can make these ex- periences far and few be- tween once busy sched- ules and travel come into play. We are practicing what we preach by hav- ing different grade levels share stories in small groups with one another. spring in Indiana el- ementary schools also means testing and the stress that can be asso- ciated with them. Grade three students are hit particularly hard as they have two "high" stakes test windows this spring with Iread in March and ILearn in april. Be- tween these two tests they have nearly two weeks worth of state test- ing to complete. Fourth and Fifth grade have the april ILearn testing tak- ing up a week. PLease assure your child that while these tests are important they do not define them as a person or student. They are im- portant points in time to measure progress but are only a small part of their academic journey. If they follow the simple rule of doing their best, everything will work out with regards to the test. Being well rested and re- laxed going into the ses- sions can really improve performance. all are invited to stop by our open house Wednesday March 1st 4-7 p.m. classrooms will be open with stu- dent work and activities displayed. Our spring student program will be March 16 at 6 p.m. in the Otwell community center gym. This year's theme is country and western. congratulations to our Kindness Week coloring contest winners Ps -K winner - natalie Burkhart (PK) 1-2 winner - Gracie hayes (1) 3-5 winner - Jocilyn Woosley Eskimo Moments From the desk of Aaron Meyer, Principal of Winslow Elementary School Teaching at its core is an act of hope and optimism. We continue our work through the winter months focused on prob- lem-solv- ing and creating school-to-home part- nerships to amplify the learning students access during the school day. We need these connec- tions to be continuous and to become habits. One of my favorite habits the last month has been reading the same book with all of the staff and students at school. When I was growing up there seemed to be many more things that every- one shared. The same T V shows, the same mu- sic, and the same sports teams. reading this book together gives us one touch point to talk about with anyone in the school and fosters genuine con- versations. It is a power- ful habit to read every single day even if it's just 10 pages a night. We will culminate our book with a sTeM Family night showing off some of the projects that students have created to connect with the book. There is a joy that we have found doing this one thing together that is in- vigorating what is usual- ly the drabbest month of the school year. shaping habits and minds is how we change the world. connecting is how we make our school and community a better place to live. I am so thankful that our P TO and The hume Foundation helped facilitate this experience. While I wanted to highlight this new oppor- tunity we have so many things that our staff, par- ents, and volunteers do to help augment the student experience at Winslow. We held our spelling Bee with Braxton Barley tak- ing home top honors. We also had our P TO-spon- sored Father-daughter dance, and started our dare Program. Finally, we will soon get the opportunity to welcome the next gener- ation of eskimos during our Kindergarten round- Up. spring is a great time to be a part of Winslow and the Pike county school corporation. Petersburg Elementary Winslow Elementary Otwell Miller Academy Paige Holman from Mrs. Elliott's 3rd grade bought the principals chair for the day. She used her earned chief tickets for good be- havior! Maxx Hoover shared some of his rock collection as Mrs. Elliott's 3rd grade class started their study of rocks and minerals. Vivi Craig from Mrs. Elliott's 3rd grade class got to print a pug with the 3D printer for gettingg 200% of her AR goal. Ms. Heather McCandless's Kindergar- ten class doing a STEM activity learning about germs. This week was week 3 of the D.A.R.E. for Otwell Miller Academy's fifth grade with Officer Buck Seger. Otwell Miller Academy school nurse Mrs. Jada Maxwell talked to the kindergarten students about dental hygiene. She did a demonstration of how plaque builds up on our teeth. They discussed food and drinks that are good and bad for our teeth. They all received a new toothbrush and toothpaste. Naomi Boyd and River Harbin Shinu Fernandez and Bristynn Houtsch Congratulations to our Kindness Week coloring con- test winners PS-K winner - Natalie Burkhart (PK), 1-2 winner - Gracie Hayes (1), 3-5 winner - Jocilyn Woosley. They each won a $10 Walmart gift card, and I think all of their smiling faces show how proud they are of their work! Second grader Ariel Willis and Colton Breidenbaugh found a comfortable spot to read an AR book on MyON. First graders in Mrs. Ashlyn Hoffaman's class work on individual STEM activities. We're not afraid to shed some light on the truth. 812-354-8500 SUBSCRIBE TODAY! Malachi Barrett, Kalijah Cum- mins, Rolon Bruce and Wyatt Knight take a break during the Student Council Winter Dance. Alexis Gayhart adjusts her basket on the zip line. The February STEM challenge was a Valentine zipline de- livery. Devon Doughty, Jackson Taylor, Teytum Fenwick, Creighton Gromer, Stihl Nalley and Beau Kellams watch their valentine basket travel the zip line. Harper Riggs wears her coyote hat for Hat Day. The students donated $1 towards a fellow hospitalized stu- dent and got to wear a hat last Friday