The Press-Dispatch

Wednesday, March 8, 2023 The Press-Dispatch D-4 SCHOOL Submit school news items: Call: 812-354-8500 Email: schoolnews@pressdispatch.net Petersburg Elementary Otwell Miller Academy Winslow Elementary Indian Moments From the desk of Rick King, Principal of Petersburg Elementary School It is hard to believe we have one more quar- ter until the end of this school year. Our kinder- garten, first, and second grade students per- formed Thurs- day, March 2 for our spring program. They are so cute and precious. Every school program we have makes me think about many things. I will men- tion two of those things. First, we can see how much they have grown in a year. Second, I think about their innocence at this young age. I often think, "How do we hold them tightly to maintain that innocence, yet give them the right amount of freedom to grow?" It is a challenge, and a respon- sibility that we have. Speaking of the little ones, we have our kinder- garten roundup at Peters- burg Elementary School (PES) March 30 and 31. Kids that are five years old by August 1 are eligi- ble to attend kindergar- ten. Parents can call the school at 812-354-6876 to schedule a time for your child's screening. We will have our Title 1 preschool screening on March 17. PES fourth graders are in the process of completing their science fair projects. I talked to Mrs. Walton about it a lit- tle. She said the students are definitely keeping up with their deadlines at this point. The teachers are busy teaching the students the process of The Scientific Method. There are several steps in the systematic pro- cess. Mrs. Walton said they have done some ex- amples with the students. They are using informa- tion from a source called "Drinks Destroy Teeth." They are learning about the acidity, ph, and sug- ar in soft drinks, and the effect it has on teeth. They followed or will follow the steps of The Scientific Method to re- search, make a hypothe- sis, conclusion, and more. Another activity they did was to see if a ball would bounce better on carpet, wood, or concrete. Again, the teachers modeled the steps of The Scientific Method. The students just need to keep meet- ing their due dates, and it will be a more meaning- ful experience for them. I observed a fifth grade classroom this week, and they were studying prop- erties of matter. There were several experiments or activities set up for stu- dents to do. They worked in small groups as they went from station to sta- tion. The kids enjoy these science activities. I observed in the low- er grades classrooms recently, and they were working on reading and writing. The teachers know how to break it down into the right sizes pieces to teach the stu- dents to read. The young- er students work a lot on phonics and other skills to increase their literacy skills. Second and third grades students will take IREAD3 March 6 – 17. So, we are in the thick of academics. Testing is just beginning, and will take a break after IREAD. It will pick up again in mid-April with ILEARN for grades 3 -5. PES Speaking Bee Winners 1st place: Noah Mullen, 2nd place: Ella Naranjo, 3rd place: Damani Reid, 4th place: Mikel Dubon, 5th place: Chloe Sharp Otwell Miller Academy had the author of Harry the Hugger (Michael Marshall) come in and talk to the students today for another exciting day of Read Across America Week! He even brought a friend along from the Dubois County humane society! Read Across America wouldn't be complete without reading "Green Eggs and Ham " so of course the students had to try it for themselves! Aubrey Sturgeon, Kellcyn Riker and Remi Troutman, all three Student Council members were the first to greet visitors at the Otwell Miller Academy Open House. They had Bonus Cards available to purchase an offered tours to all new visitors. Anesha Rhodes reads a story to Trevor Kendall. The first graders read books to the kindergarteners to kick off "Read Across America " Week Koraline Schwindt reads to Mia Kendle during Dr. Seuss "Read Across America" Week. Avery Overby and Aubree Martin have a good time dancing with Go-Noodle. Second graders John Lee, Landon Keith and Brody Bailey measure the steps as they do a Math measurements lesson outside on the play- ground.

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