Spring Mill Elementary
Kellee Merritt Email: kmerritt@msdwt.k12.in.us
Lou Ann Keeling Email: lkeeling@msdwt.k12.in.us
Website: www.sm.msdwt.k12.in.us
Location: 8250 Spring Mill Road, Indianapolis, IN, USA
Phone: (317) 259-5462
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpringMillElementary/
Twitter: @springmillelem
May
1 - Principal's Day - Thank you Ms. Merritt, we love you and are so thankful for you!
2 - Spring Fling 5:00-7:00 pm
5/6 - 5/10 - Teacher Appreciation Week
5/6 - 5/17 - NWEA Testing (K-2 only)
7 - 5th Grade NVMS Tour (9:45-11:15)
8 - Nurse's Day - Thank you Nurse Jamie for all that you do!
9 - End of Bulldog Reading Challenge
10 - District 5th Grade Track and Field Day at the new NVMS
13 - Bulldog Wow Out (K, 1, and 4)
15 - Unified Track and Field Day
15 - Dine to Donate - Tee Jay's Sweet Tooth at 8660 Purdue Road
16 - 3rd Grade Field Trip to Indianapolis Indians
16 - 5th Grade Field Trip to Great Times
17 - Spring Mill Field Day (K-2 am / 3-5 pm)
20 - Retention Conferences
21 - Field Day Rain Date
22 - 5th Grade End of the Year Ceremony
22 - Kindergarten End of the Year Celebration
22 - Bulldog Wow Out (2 and 3)
23 - Last Student Day
5/30-6/14 - Summer School
Message from Ms. Merritt
Dear Spring Mill Bulldogs,
As we enter the final weeks of the school year across the country, in some places, both students and teachers alike are checking out and slacking off knowing that the school year will be over soon. Instead of approaching this time of year with the mindset of, Let's Finish Strong! Weeks of assessment, behavior challenge, and life struggles have taken their toll, and some are beginning their count down to how many days they have left.
However, this is not reflective of our SM Bulldogs. We have been going hard all year long and the end of the year will be no different. I strongly encourage you to have a conversation with your child about giving their 100% personal best each and every day. Even when they feel as if this will be an impossible task because they are tired or frustrated. We must keep in mind that we are a school community that is committed to being ALL IN. This is our heart posture every day because what we believe about ourselves and how we show up, matters!
We have a strong team. Every day we prove that we are not only willing to do hard things; we also can! I believe in the intelligence, talent, and creativity of our students as well as our dedicated staff. Each one of us deserves to be a part of high quality instruction and learning experiences that create opportunities for us to accomplish our short-term and long-term goals. We are not average, nor are we mediocre. In fact, we are excellent on purpose and continue to set the bar high for what we can do together.
Spring Mill Bulldogs are a "fourth quarter" kind of team, so this is the time of year where we literally SHOW UP in a BIG way! All throughout this building, we have students and teachers who are highly skilled and serve as exemplar models for what it means to be a Bulldog. This is our moment in time to finish like the champions we know we are. Showing up on time and ready to learn, every day. Giving full effort, at all times. Being kind and courteous to everyone, while we take our learning to the next level! Every student, every single time! Over these next three and a half weeks, let's continue to work together as a unified team, pushing each other towards higher levels of performance. This is our time to INCREASE our growth mindset. We are a dynamic, hard working and resilient school community. Let's continue to work together in order to make this final leg of the race....the absolute BEST!
LET'S GO!
Sincerely,
Ms. Kellee Merritt, Principal
#goodBetterBEST
#excellentonpurpose
#whyWT
#BulldogProud
Spring Mill PTO
Hello Bulldogs,
What an incredible year at Spring Mill Elementary!
First off, thank you SO MUCH to everyone who participated in Trivia Night last month! Your tremendous support was overwhelming, and we are so grateful to everyone who helped make it such a special night! A special shout out to each of our Bulldog Bestie family sponsors and MISO Energy for making the return to Liter House possible.
You know we can’t end the year quietly, so mark your calendars for these special events!
Thursday, 5/2 - Spring Fling 5-7pm
Classrooms are open from 5:00-6:45 pm and then you can join us outside on the playground for FREE FOOD (pizza, chips, and a VERY SPECIAL TREAT!!!) as well as spring activities! It is going to be a gorgeous night and we can’t wait to see you there.
THIS WEEK until Friday 5/3 - Penny Wars!
Our annual battle of the grade levels is BACK! Bring in your pennies or dollars for your grade and “attack” other grades with nickels, dimes, and quarters! The money will be counted and the winning grade will get a pizza party!
NOTE: We will have the tables out at Spring Fling so you can donate there:)
Monday-Friday, 5/6-10 - Teacher Appreciation Week
The faculty and staff at Spring Mill are INCREDIBLE and we want to show each and every person how much we love and appreciate them! Each day we have a different activity planned, but we need your help!
SNACKS & SUPPLIES - sign up here *donations due Fri 5/3
VOLUNTEER - help with set up, drink running, etc. - sign up here
Write a note or get an individual gift for you or your children’s favorites. We have a list of what they love HERE!
Wednesday, 5/15 - Dine to Donate @ Tee Jay’s Sweet Tooth!
It’s our last Dine to Donate of the year and we’re going out in style! Grab a sweet treat at 8660 Purdue Road and 30% of your purchase will be donated back to Spring Mill PTO!
Friday, 5/17 - Field Day!
Thanks to those of you who have volunteered to help with Field Day. The kids have an AMAZING time and Mr. Campbell and the specials team put together an awesome day for the kiddos.
One final reminder, for those who are KROGER shoppers or BOX TOP item buyers, please click HERE to find out how to make sure your purchases are going toward Spring Mill PTO. It’s a simple way to give back all summer long, and the cash back really does add up!
If you’re interested in getting more involved in the PTO please let us know! We will have a table set up at Spring Fling, but you can also add your contact info HERE to get on our list for next year. It takes a village to support a school, and the more Bulldogs supporters, the merrier.
Thank you for an incredible year, and here’s to a safe and enjoyable summer break! Go Bulldogs!
-Spring Mill PTO
Go Bulldogs!
Field Day Information
“Summer Olympics Field Day” at Spring Mill Elementary will be held on Friday, May 17 with a rain date of May 21. Students in grades K, 1, and 2 will participate in the activity stations from 8:30 am - 10:55 am and students in grades 3 ,4, and 5 will take part in the activity stations from 11:05 am - 1:40 pm. Thanks to those who have signed up to volunteer your time or are donating items to make our Field Day successful, we appreciate you!
Learning Under the Sun Camp
Willow Lake Elementary School is hosting Learning Under the Sun Camp from June 3-14.
Learning Under the Sun (LUS) is a summer enrichment day camp with an emphasis on STEM education (sciences, technology, engineering, and math). LUS has been offering fun summer programing for MSDWT students for over 30 years. The program is for students ages 9-13. LUS is run and taught by highly qualified MSDWT elementary and middle school teachers.
The theme this year is “Science Works” – students will learn how various occupations are connected to science. The 2-week (10 days) camp will include opportunities for students to participate in fun learning activities such as 3-D printing, build challenges, coding, animation creations, journaling, community service, and also includes visits to Indiana State Parks, college campus, baseball game, and MUCH MORE!
Submit an application (download and print), email Mr. Tyler Thiems with any questions at: tthiems@msdwt.k12.in.us
Sunbucks
A new program from the state of Indiana called “Sunbucks” will provide $120 per child to help with purchasing meals over the summer break for all families that qualify for free and reduced meals as of May 1, 2024. These “Sunbucks” cards will be mailed to the address we have on file in skyward. All families that qualify should be sure their address is correct in skyward in order to receive the pre-paid “Sunbucks” card.
Spring Mill Reading Challenge
Spring Mill Reading Challenge
We are in the final weeks of The Spring Mill Reading Challenge and students are eager to reach the finish line. The challenge ends on May 9th and so far we have had many students participate and surpass their goal. It is not too late to still participate nor will the priority of reading be done once the challenge is complete. Please continue to encourage your students to read every night. The details of the challenge are below as a reminder. Thank you for your continued partnership with this initiative.
How it works….
Each student will receive a recording sheet to keep track of the number of books read. Students will shade in a box or add the title for each book they have finished from beginning to end.
Reading Challenge K-2
This challenge would run through the end of the year (May 9). Students will be challenged to read 40 books by May 9. There will be a prize associated with each set of 10 books that students read.
Goal: Read 40 books by May 9th
10 Books = Reading Sticker
20 Books = Bookmark
30 Books = Popsicle
40 Books = Certificate
41 Books or more= Name will be read on the morning news
Reading Challenge 3-5
This challenge would run through the end of the year (May 9). Students will be challenged to read 20 books by May 9. There will be a prize associated with each set of 5 books that students read.
Update: Student's names are added to the Bulldog Readers Hall of Fame as soon as they reach the first milestone. After that, each milestone will be added to their star.
Goal: Read 20 books by May 9th
5 Books = Reading Sticker
10 Books = Bookmark
15 Books = Popsicle
20 Books = Certificate
21 Books or more= Name will be read on the morning news
Happy Reading!
May Behavior Focus - Integrity
Bulldog Bone Students of the Month of April for Respect
Throughout the month of April, our behavior focus was respect. This included using kind words and actions towards yourself and others, respecting other students' comments, opinions, and ideas, as well as responding to adults in a respectful manner. Every classroom selected a student to recognize that consistently modeled the skill of respect in all areas throughout April.
April Respect Students
Raes- Clifton Clark
Kindergarten
Gabbei- Z’yon Mitchell
Bloomer-
Miranda- Teddy Miller
Moore- Gabe Anderson
Specials- Clara Alabbadi
1st Grade
Johnson- Davion Self
Harton- Shane Dixon
Schneider- Caiden Rogers
Keegan-Lohany Aguilar Mathis
Specials- Sihen Gidey
2nd Grade
McAllister- Ava Anderson
Urbanski- Daniel Vazquez-Garcia
Finley- Gabriela Dimas
Culp- Skylar Myles
Specials- Bella Ann Turley
3rd Grade
Gallagher- Justice LeBroi
Hartnagel- Melanie Clara
Joyner-Samuel Nouel Moreno
Specials- SaMya Adams
4th Grade
Dewey- Leon Dishmon
Patterson- Briseyda Lucero Barrios
Turner- Nalah Campbell
Morse- Harvey Lewis
Specials- Jordan Carter
5th Grade
Amspaugh- Isaac Fadaini
Evans- Anthony Farris
Badger- Kimberly Perez
Arms- Noelani Thomas
Specials- Neema Annet
