Dear Bulldog Family,
At Spring Mill, we believe that every step forward—no matter how small—adds up to something meaningful. This year has been filled with moments of growth, connection, and achievement, and we are proud to celebrate the many ways our students, staff, and community continue to shine.
Here are just a few of the highlights we are celebrating together:
- 544 students enrolled, including 46 families qualifying for Non-Resident Status or IDLC (In District Limited Choice)
- 88.4% pass rate on IREAD-3 for our 3rd grade students
- Winners of the Great North Run for highest percentage of registration
- 7 new classroom teachers joined our team this year
- Proudly hosted 5 student teachers from Butler University
- Expanded our early learning with an additional kindergarten classroom, bringing us to 5 total
- 2nd grade journalism project featured at North Central High School
- Launched a new Robotics Team for the 2025–2026 school year (special thanks to Amanda Hannan)
- 3rd grade hosted the “Balloons Over Broadway” Parade, showcasing creativity and learning
- Running Club participated in the Apex Benefit Monument Run for Kids
- Offered 12 after-school clubs during 1st semester, expanding student opportunities
- Achieved full staffing in our front office (since October), classrooms, and cafeteria
- Awarded 3 foundation grants from the Washington Township Foundation
- Hosted several Lab Classrooms
- Hosted Staff and Principals from Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation
- Conducted our first ever teacher collaboration
We are also very grateful to Washington Township District for their continued support, as the construction of new entryway doors here at Spring Mill will begin at the end of May. We are excited to welcome students back with newness in August with these improvements in place.
These accomplishments reflect the dedication of our staff, the enthusiasm of our students, and the continued support from our families and community. Together, we are building something truly special—one small win at a time. Thank you for being an essential part of our school community. We look forward to many more moments of success ahead!
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
- April 6 - 24 - CogAT Testing (Kindergarten)
- April 7 - 8 - Body Safety and Abuse Prevention Presentations (K-5)
- April 8 - 5th Grade Field Trip to Camp Tecumseh
- April 8- 3rd Grade Field Trip to Skateland
- April 9 - Math Bowl Practice
- April 9, 16, 23, 30 - Robotics Club
- April 10 - Extra Recess PTO Fall Fundraiser Incentive
- April 13 - 17 - Assistant Principal Appreciation Week
- April 13 - May 8 - ILEARN Summative Testing (3-5)
- April 14 - Math Bowl Competition at North View Middle School - 5:30 pm
- April 17 - PTO Trivia Night - 5:30 pm
- April 22 - 5th Grade Parent Instrument Info Night at Northview Middle School - 6:30 pm
- April 24 - 1st Grade Field Trip to STEM Connection
- April 24 - Kindergarten Field Trip to Holiday Park
- April 28 - Bus Driver Appreciation Day
- April 30 - Spring Fling (K-5) - 5:00-7:00 pm
- May 1 - Midterms Go Home
- May 1 - 2nd Grade Field Trip to White River State Park Visitor Center
- May 1 - Lunch Hero Day
- May 4 -8 - Teacher Appreciation Week
- May 4 - 15 - mClass DIBELS Reading Assessment (K-2)
- May 6 - NCHS Graduate Parade
- May 7 - 5th Grade Tour @ NVMS
- May 7 - Robotics Club
- May 7 - National Jr. Honors Society Induction @ NCHS - 6:00 pm
- May 8 - PTO Popcorn Day
- May 8 - 5th Grade Track and Field Day @ NCHS
- May 11 - School Nurse Appreciation Day
- May 11 - Vaccination Clinic @ SME
- May 13 - Spring Mill Spotlight @ MSDWT School Board Meeting
- May 15 - Field Day @ SME (May 18 Rain Date)
- May 18 - Speech Pathologist Day
- May 20 - Kindergarten Celebration
- May 20 - 5th Grade Celebration
- May 21 - Last Day of School for Students
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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Hello Spring Mill Families,
We have exciting events to celebrate our kids, teachers, and wonderful school. Below are April reminders and highlights:
- 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! Shout out to Kate Nalli who has put together Trivia Night by securing corporate sponsors and planning an exciting silent auction.
- Join us as we all celebrate at Spring Fling April 30th from 5:00-7:00 pm. For volunteer opportunities sign up here. We will have pizza, music and ice cream. This event is open to all Spring Mill Bulldog families. Shout out to Annie Baker for planning and executing such a fun event.
- We would also like to thank Lauren Wright for managing our PTO social media all year. She has done a great job updating events and reminders.
- Lastly, thank you to all of our volunteers who helped at our Book Fair in March. We had such a great time supporting our kiddos while sharing the love of reading.
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.
Spring is a time for growth, and every school day helps our students flourish! Being present, on time, and ready to learn makes a big difference. We are so proud of our students for reaching their attendance goals and showing such strong commitment. For the month of March, great job to the students in the following classrooms: Ms. Badger (96.0%), Mrs. Turner (96.3%), and Hatcher/Davidson (95.8%).
To celebrate, students will have the opportunity to spin the attendance wheel and enjoy fun rewards like lunch in the classroom, a snack break, and a lollipop party! Great job parents, staff and students! Let’s keep working together to stay on track and keep our school community blooming all season long!
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.
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 March, students participated in their monthly classroom lessons with School Counselor, Hannah Loeffler. These lessons built on our district-wide You Matter Week initiative, which focuses on fostering a sense of belonging and supporting mental health. This month, students explored ways to manage big feelings, with a focus on sadness.
Students learned developmentally appropriate strategies across grade levels:
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K–1 students explored tools they can use when they feel sad at school, such as drawing or creating art, talking to a trusted adult, asking for a break, thinking happy thoughts, or playing a game.
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Grades 2–3 focused on the power of positive affirmations (e.g., “I am brave, I am smart, I am kind”) to help when they feel discouraged.
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Grades 4–5 learned how to make space for sadness rather than pushing it away, by practicing self-care and using healthy coping strategies.
Ways to reinforce these skills at home:
- Encourage your child to try a coping strategy when they feel sad—such as talking to someone, using a calming activity, or practicing a positive affirmation.
- Thank you for helping our students know that they matter—and that their feelings matter too!
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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Please see the following district message:
We are excited to be starting National Elementary Honor Society chapters at each of our elementary schools for the 2026-2027 school year. Current 4th graders will be identified for eligibility and invited to apply. Initial criteria, based upon 3rd and 4th grade data, will be 3.5 GPA, 95% on time attendance and fewer than 3 office discipline referrals. A list of eligible students has been shared with each school, and those students will receive an invitation and application. Along with the information on the application, students will need a teacher signature. Applications are due April 15.
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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 was being Collaborative. For April and May our focus is on being a Life Long Learner. Being a Lifelong learner means to embrace curiosity, adapt to change, and continuously seek growth.
At home, families can support this by encouraging your child to:
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Stay Curious – Always be ready to explore and ask questions.
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Keep Growing – Look for ways to learn new things every day.
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Adapt to Change – Be flexible when things don’t go as planned.
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Set Goals – Challenge yourself to improve and reach new achievements
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 March are listed below:
K - Boyer - Molly Corley
K - Freed - Aiden Gray
K - Gabbei - Josiah Halvorson
K - Gilmore - Josiah Roberts
K - Miranda - Legend Walters
1st - Harton - Estrella Moran Barrios
1st - Johnson - Jayden Antunez
1st - Keegan - Lloodiany Doresca
1st - Schneider - Julius Inskeep
2nd - Culp - Kenaya Bruno Jean
2nd - McAllister - Journey Isaac
2nd - Topps - Ava Johnson
2nd - Wilson - Daniel Nguweneza
3rd - Chappelle - Autumn Jones
3rd - Gallagher - WInter Mitchell
3rd - Stanley - Devion Nelson
3rd - Urbanski - Corbin Fisk
4th - Best - Arthur Arduini
4th - Dewey - Kristiana Williams
4th - Turner - Savannah Mastain
4th - West - Sheyla Ratia Maldonado
5th - Badger - SaMya Adams
5th - Neiman - Devanee Duncan
5th - Bradley - Jah’shon Gates
5th - Sullivan -Scout Schultz
Specials
K- Mira Pottanat
1st - Leon Lotfalian
2nd - Bridget Hudson
3rd - Menah Dominique Joseph
4th - Violet Wood
5th - Bryson Lee
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Spring into Teacher Recognition
Dear Spring Mill Community,
Spring is here — and it’s the perfect time to recognize a teacher who helped you grow. 🌸Students and families can nominate a current or past teacher through Honored Schools. Every nomination increases that teacher’s chances of receiving the $2,500 Life-Changing Teacher Award and helps unlock up to six awards for our district.
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Learning Under the Sun:
Willow Lake Elementary School is hosting Learning Under the Sun camp June 1–12!
Learning Under the Sun (LUS) is a summer enrichment day camp with an emphasis on STEM education (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). LUS has been offering engaging summer programming for MSDWT students for more than 30 years. The program is designed for students entering grades 4–8 and is led by highly qualified MSDWT elementary and middle school teachers.
This year’s theme, “The Art of Science,” highlights how creativity and scientific thinking work together—showing students that discovery, design, innovation, and problem-solving all require both imagination and analytical thinking.
During the two-week (10-day) camp, students will participate in hands-on learning experiences such as 3D printing, build challenges, coding, rocket launching, journaling, and community service. We also have several exciting field trips and activities planned this summer, which may include visits to a water park, historical landmarks, a college campus, a cow eyeball dissection, hikes at Indiana State Parks, a county fair, & MORE!
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We are excited to be starting National Elementary Honor Society chapters at each of our elementary schools for the 2026-2027 school year. Current 4th graders will be identified for eligibility and invited to apply. Initial criteria, based upon 3rd and 4th grade data, will be 3.5 GPA, 95% on time attendance and fewer than 3 office discipline referrals. A list of eligible students has been shared with each school, and those students will receive an invitation and application. Along with the information on the application, students will need a teacher signature. Applications are due April 15. |
Here are a few photos from the month of March. 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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