Dear Bulldog Family,
As we enter testing season, I want to take a moment to speak from my heart. This time of year requires focus, determination, and a mindsets that views challenges as an opportunity. Our students have been working diligently all year long: building skills, growing in confidence, and preparing for this moment.
Testing is simply one way for them to show what they know and how far they have come.
I ask that you join us in reminding your child that they "Can Do" this. Encourage them to walk into each day with confidence, courage, and believing in their ability to CRUSH their goals.
At Spring Mill, we see their potential every single day. We see their resilience when work feels challenging, their brilliance when concepts click, and their growth when they persevere.
As your principal, I believe deeply in the power of preparation, partnership, and growth mindset. We will continue to prepare our students academically here at school, and we ask that you support them at home by ensuring they get plenty of rest, eat a healthy breakfast, and arrive on time each day ready to give their best effort. Just as important, remind them that their worth is not defined by a score. This is a collective goal and we need everyone to do their BEST!
This season is also a time to lean into faith. Faith in the work that has been done. Faith in the abilities God has placed within each child. Faith that when we combine effort with belief, incredible things can happen. We will pray over our students, speak life into them, and remind them daily that they are capable, prepared, and never alone.
Together, as a school family, we will approach testing season with calm, confidence along with unwavering support for every child. Thank you for your continued partnership and for trusting us with your greatest treasures.
In partnership,
Kellée Martin
Principal of Spring Mill Elementary 💙🐾
#WeGrowPanthers #WhyWT
kmartin@msdwt.k12.in.us
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LINK to the 26-27 District Calendar
- March 2-13 - IREAD 3 Testing Window (2-3 ONLY)
- March 4 - Per District communication, students will be attending in-person learning
- March 4- 5th Grade Field Trip to Newfields
- March 4 - 6 - PTO Dine to Donate at Crave Cookies- Nora.
- March 5 - 5th Grade Music Concert at Northview
- March 5 - Artistically Talented Exhibit at North Central High School - 6:30-7:30 pm
- March 5, 12, 19, 26 - Math Bowl Club
- March 5, 12, 19, 26 - Robotics Club
- March 10 - Meet Me In the Middle at Northview Middle School- 6:30 - 8:00 pm
- March 11, 18, 25 - Bridge Club
- March 13 - 1st Grade Field Trip to Indianapolis Children's Museum
- March 13 - Last Day to Order Yearbooks
- March 14 - Great North Run (see below)
- March 16 - 20 - PTO Book Fair
- March 16 - 20 - 1st Grade Music Sharing Days
- March 16 - 27- ILEARN Checkpoint 3
- March 16 - 27 - Panorama Student Survey (3-5 ONLY)
- March 18 - NAEP Assessment (4th Grade ONLY)
- March 19 - KG Jamboree - 5:00 - 6:00 pm (Incoming Kindergarten Students 2026 -2027 School year)
- March 19 - Math & Literacy Night- 5:30 -6:30 pm
- March 20 - Report cards go home
- March 20 - 3-5 Awards Program (Parents will be notified of participating students)
- March 24 - 5th Grade Instrument Try on and Counselor Visit
- March 25 - 2nd Grade Non-Fiction Museum
- March 27 - Life Smart Youth Presentation (4th & 5th Grade ONLY)
- March 28 - April 3 - Spring Break
- April 7 - 8 - Body Safety and Abuse Prevention Presentations (K-5)
- April 8 - 5th Grade Field Trip to Camp Tecumseh
- April 9 - Math Bowl Practice
- April 9, 16, 23, 30 - Robotics Club
- April 13 - Assistant Principal Appreciation Week
- April 13 - May 8 - ILEARN Summative
- April 14 - Math Bowl Competition - 5:30 pm
- April 17 - PTO Trivia Night - 5:30 pm
- April 22 - 5th Grade Parent Instrument Info Night at Northview - 6:30 pm
- April 24 - 1st Grade Field Trip to STEM Connection
- April 28 - Bus Driver Appreciation Day
- April 30 - Spring Fling - 5:00-7:00
To show our school pride and excitement to align with our new branding, "We Grow Panthers", we will have routine spirit wear days each week.
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Spirit Wear Wednesday - Wear your Spring Mill gear on Wednesday or wear our school colors, blue and white. Look for information soon for an online SWAG store to order SME gear!
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WT Friday - Wear Washington Township colors, black and red, on Friday to show that we all grow into North Central High School Panthers.
For our newest Bulldog Families, here is a LINK to the Back to School Newsletter to ensure you are aware of our procedures, expectations, and other important information to make your year successful.
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Join us for the Great North Run on March 14, 2026, from 8:00–11:00 a.m.! This exciting event will be benefiting and supporting our school while bringing our community together. It’s a great way to get some exercising in, get your body moving, and enjoy quality time bonding with family and friends—or simply come out and have some fun. Whether you’re running, walking, or cheering others on, there’s something for everyone. We hope to see you there! 🏃♀️🎉
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Hi Spring Mill Families,
We have many exciting events and volunteering opportunities as we head into spring. Below are March/April reminders and highlights:
- Get your cookie fix March 4-March 6th at Crave Cookies! See flyer for additional details. A big shout out to our Spring Mill parent Audrey Cope who has set up all the Dine to Donates for Spring Mill.
- Order Yearbooks before March 13th.Yearbooks are $22.00 and must be purchased by March 13, 2026. Order Now
- A big shout out to our Spring Mill Parent Traycee Lane-Gess who organized the yearbook fundraiser.
- Sign up for the Great North Run! See you at the starting line on Saturday March 14th.
- Mark your calendar for the PTO Book Fair Mon. March 16th- Fri March 20th. Send in money with your kiddo to purchase the latest and greatest books. Sign up here for Book Fair volunteer opportunities.
- Purchase Tickets to Spring Mill Trivia Night on Friday April 17th: https://springmillpto.betterworld.org/events/spring-mill-trivia-night-2026. Join us for an amazing night of trivia, good food, drinks, and fun conversation - all to support our bulldogs, their families, and our wonderful learning community! For silent auction items or donations contact Kate Nalli via email at katenalli16@gmail.com.
With Bulldog pride,
Kim Stratton
Proud PTO President 💙
Questions or feedback? Email us anytime at springmillschoolpto@gmail.com.
For updates, visit springmillpto.com or check out our Spring Mill Elementary PTO Facebook page.
With Bulldog pride,
Kim Stratton
Proud PTO President 💙
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Our goal each month is for every class to exceed 95% attendance—and that means being on time and ready to learn every day. We know it takes teamwork between home and school to make that happen, and we’re so thankful for our families’ partnership in helping students show up, stay engaged, and succeed.
We are so proud of our students for their continued commitment to being at school every day and on time! Strong attendance plays a key role in academic success, helps build positive routines, and keeps our students connected to their classmates and teachers.
A special shout-out goes to Miss Best's 4th Grade class, which earned the highest attendance percentage in the entire school!
Students in the following classrooms that reached 95% or higher attendance in February got to spin the prize wheel as another fun celebration of their great attendance: Leading the way in kindergarten is Miss Boyer with an impressive 93.6%. In first grade, Miss Johnson is setting the pace at 96.5%. Second grade is a close race, with Mrs. Culp at 95.8% and Mrs. McAllister right behind at 95.4%. Our third graders are shining! Ms. Urbanski is rocking it at 95.7%, with Mrs. Chappelle close behind at 95%. Fourth grade is soaring, with Ms. Best leading at an outstanding 97.4% and Mrs. Turner close at 97%. Finally, our fifth graders in Ms. Neiman’s class are aiming high with 95.8%. Let’s keep showing up, Bulldogs! 🐾
Thank you to our families for your ongoing support in making attendance a priority. Together, we are building strong habits that set our students up for success—every single day
Keep up the great work!
Check out the pictures below of some classes being acknowledged for their commitment to attendance. Let’s keep it up, Bulldogs—every day counts! 💙🐾
#AttendanceMatters #BulldogPride #WeGrowPanthers
Should your student be absent for any reason, please call the Attendance Line at (317) 259-8850 before 9:00 am for each day that the student is absent. A written medical verification from a physician/clinic must be provided upon the student’s return to school after 5 consecutive days of absence due to illness.
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In February, students participated in their monthly classroom lessons with School Counselor, Hannah Loeffler. This month’s focus was on problem solving. Students learned how to identify the size of a problem (big vs. little), practiced problem-solving strategies, and worked on collaborating as a team to find solutions.
We discussed how big problems are situations where someone is unsafe, the problem can’t be solved alone, or it may take a long time to fix. Little problems are situations where everyone is safe, the problem can be solved independently (or with little help), and it can be resolved quickly.
Ways to reinforce these skills at home:
- When your child faces a problem, ask them what size problem it is.
- If it’s a little problem, encourage them to think of ways they could solve it on their own.
- Remind them that it’s okay to ask for help—but it’s important to try first.
- If it’s a big problem and someone isn’t safe, support your child in seeking help right away.
Thank you for your continued support in helping our students build strong mindsets that empower them and foster resilience in their academics and beyond!
Together, we are growing Panthers who are confident, curious, and lifelong learners, ready to explore their futures and reach their full potential.
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Each month, Spring Mill highlights a Bulldog Behavior Focus and recognizes students in every classroom who model that behavior. This work connects directly to our district focus of We Grow Panthers, helping our students practice the Panther Traits that guide them to be collaborative, compassionate, well-rounded, critical thinkers, and lifelong learners.
For February and March our focus is being Collaborative. Being collaborative means to value teamwork, respect diverse perspectives, and build strong relationships.
At home, families can support this by encouraging your child to:
- Work as a Team – Help and support each other.
- Respect Others – Listen and show kindness to everyone.
- Value Different Ideas – Appreciate and consider all perspectives.
- Build Relationships – Communicate and cooperate to reach goals together.
Together, we can nurture Bulldogs who show compassion every day—at school, at home, and in the community! 💙
The students nominated for being collaborative in each classroom for February are listed below:
K - Boyer - Amir Webb
K - Freed - Aria Heywood
K - Gabbei - Jeremiah Spalding
K - Gilmore - Oaklan Gordon
K - Miranda - Sarai Johnson
1st - Harton - Paula Cordova
1st - Johnson - Nadia Brown
1st - Keegan - Emily Smith
1st - Schneider - Aaliyah Alexis
2nd - Culp - Anna Schweiss
2nd - McAllister - Sedar Woods
2nd - Topps - Zamora Williams
2nd - Wilson - Darrian Blackmon
3rd - Chappelle - Pax Patel
3rd- Gallagher - Penelope Sanchez
3rd - Stanley - Devion Nelson
3rd - Urbanski - Aylan Calix
4th - Best - Ava Barker
4th - Dewey - Devin Nelson
4th - Turner - Montae Jackson
4th - West - Jesus Soleto
5th - Badger - Javon Crayton
5th - Neiman - Susanna Htoo
5th - Bradley -Samuel Nouel-Moreno
5th - Sullivan - Brianna Hickner
Specials
K - Naiaja Lyle
1st - Veda Patel
2nd - Darrian Blackmon
3rd - Cali Jordan
4th - Simone Dale
5th - Lucky Niwemfura
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Spring into Teacher Recognition
Dear Spring Mill Community,
Spring is a season of growth, renewal, and new beginnings — just like the impact of a great teacher.
This month, we invite students and families to nominate a teacher who has made a meaningful difference in their lives. You can nominate a teacher you have now or one you’ve had in the past. Many of the educators who shape us most are the ones whose lessons stay with us long after we leave their classroom.
Every nomination is more than a thank-you. It increases that teacher’s chances of receiving the Honored Schools Life-Changing Teacher Award, which includes:
- $2,000 DonorsChoose classroom resource
- $500 Visa Gift Card
- Recognition on HonoredSchools.org alongside the nominating student
The number of awards our district receives depends on how many nominations are submitted — up to six $2,500 awards can be unlocked.
More nominations = more awards for teachers in our district.
Take a moment this spring to recognize a teacher who helped you grow.
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Elementary students (Grades 1-5) are invited to sign up (for a small fee) for Saturday Science at North Central High School. Join North Central High School Chemistry teachers for this exciting opportunity to learn. Scan the QR codes to register or contact jejackson@msdwt.k12.in.us
with questions.
Saturday Science at North Central For Elementary Students
Who: Grades 1-5
What: Saturday Science
When: March 7th, 14th, 21st
Where: North Central High School
Why: An opportunity for elementary students to have a hands-on science laboratory experience.
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Here are a few photos from the month of February. For more photos and to stay updated on what's happening, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. |
In an effort to keep our children and school safe, a Limited Background Check must be completed every school year prior to volunteering in or visiting the classroom or attending any field trips. Forms can be requested from the office or online at https://www.msdwt.k12.in.us/volunteer-requirements. Limited Volunteer / Limited Background checks are free of charge and first time applicants are responsible for the completion of the online bullying education and training provided by MSDWT. We suggest that, if you plan on volunteering at any point in the year, turn in your Background Check form now to allow for processing time.
We welcome parents/guardians to visit the classroom but we ask that you make an appointment with your child's teacher prior to the visit. This will help to ensure it is not during a time that would be an interruption to instruction or during testing.
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