RedHawk Tales

May 4-8: Teacher Appreciation Week

May 4-8: Starbase field trip for 5th grade

May 6-8: Crave Cookies Dine to Donate Fundraiser

May 6: 4th Grade Field Trip to Indiana State Museum

May 6: District Showcase of the Arts, Music, Innovation, and Wellness (Northwest MS, 6:30-8:30 pm)

May 7: Unified Champions Game Day

May 11-15: Book Fair

May 12: 3rd Grade Field Trip to the farm

May 14: Sidener's Got Talent

May 15: SPRING FLING (6-8)

May 18: Field Day

May 18: All library books due

May 20: 5th Grade Promotion Ceremony at 10:00 am in the Sidener Gymnasium

May 21: Last Day for Students

Redhawk Families,

I hope this message finds you well. As we move further into the month of May, there is a great deal of excitement in our building as we approach the end of the school year. Our students continue to show growth, resilience, and a commitment to their learning, and we are incredibly proud of their efforts.

With the completion of our ILEARN testing window, we want to thank our families for your support in ensuring students were prepared each day. Our students worked hard and demonstrated perseverance throughout the process.

We are now looking ahead to several end-of-year events and celebrations that make this time of year so special. Students are excited for upcoming activities such as Field Day, which provides an opportunity for fun, teamwork, and community building. We are also preparing to celebrate our 5th grade students during their Promotion Ceremony, as they reach this important milestone and prepare for their next chapter.

In addition, our students are eagerly preparing for Sidener’s Got Talent. They have been practicing and are gearing up for what will be an exciting and joyful showcase of their talents.

As always, we thank you for your continued partnership and for entrusting us with your most precious gifts. We look forward to finishing the school year strong together.

Wishing you sunshine and happiness,

Dr. Milanda Penn

Spring Fling: Celebrating Sidener Students, Staff and Families

May 15, 6-8pm on school grounds

The Sidener Academy PTA invites you and your family to our annual Spring Fling! This free spring festival celebrates the end of the school year and brings together our Sidener Academy community for an evening of fun. A free hot dog dinner is provided while supplies last. Yaso Jamaican Grill, the Snowie Shaved Ice truck and Nothing Bundt Cakes will also be on site for purchase with a portion of each sale being donated back to the Sidener Academy PTA to help cover the cost of the event. We'll have free bounce houses, games, two free professional face painters, karaoke, crafts, glitter tattoos, student artwork and International Festival projects on display, and the annual Scholastic BOGO Book Fair! Please mark your calendar for Friday, May 15, 6-8pm to join us for this wonderful evening at Sidener Academy! If you have any questions, please contact the PTA Events Chair, Becky Schwantes-An at info@sideneracademypta.org

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED for Spring Fling!

Spring Fling is a volunteer run event, and we need your help! We especially need adult volunteers to help staff bounce houses, help with the food table, run games and assist with set-up and clean up. Shifts during the event are 1 hour long leaving you time to eat, socailize and have fun at the event as well. Thank you for volunteering!

Sign-up here to volunteer: tinyurl.com

Our next fundraiser is SWEET! Crave Cookies and Soda in Nora (1250 E 86th Street) will be donating 15% of your purchase back to our school. They drop new cookies on Fridays, so stop by on Wednesday or Thursday and then again on Friday for the new flavors!

Join the PTA in showing our love and appreciation to our wonderful teachers and staff during Teachers' Appreciation Week by donating here:

https://teacher-appreciation-donations-7307.cheddarup.com

Have your student bring a note of appreciation and a flower to their teacher on Friday, May 8. The PTA will have vases for each teacher so that each will receive a unique bouquet from their class!

Join us for a Family Bike Ride Day on May 16th at 12:30 PM—a fun, free way to kick off the summer with your Sidener community!

This relaxed ride is designed by student council for students to enjoy the Monon trail alongside their family and friends. We’ll begin at Java House (with free parking available nearby the trail) and ride approximately 1.8 miles to Lick Ice Cream—about a 20-minute ride at an easy pace.

Please note that this is a family event, and parents/guardians must stay with their children at all times. Sidener staff and the school are not responsible for students on the trail. We also ask that students and parents practice safe riding and be mindful of others on the trail.

Families are welcome to continue riding past Lick or head out whenever they’re ready—this is meant to be flexible and fun!

Bring your bikes, helmets, and a great attitude—we hope to see you there!

https://forms.gle/3i1cmpmvfcxJ3TFe7

Congratulations to all Sidener Students who participated in the National Junior Duck Stamp Competition! 35 Sidener Students received awards. 100 awards are given out statewide across grades k-12. Congratulations RedHawks!

The award ceremony scheduled for May 2nd for the NJDS competition has been postponed. The display has also been canceled at this time. Both the ceremony and display will be rescheduled for a later date. Mrs. Thomas (Ms. Fillenwarth) will continue to share updates as she receives more information.

BOGO Summer Reading Book Fair | May 7–15

Our Buy One, Get One FREE Book Fair is coming soon! It’s the perfect time for students to stock up on summer reading.

We encourage families to use eWallet, a safe and easy way to shop without sending cash to school. Simply set a spending limit and let your child shop worry-free.

👉 Sign up here: https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/sideneracademyhighability1

The fair will also be open during Spring Fling so that parents can shop!

Happy reading! 📖

Indiana State Museum: Free STEM Summer Programming Opportunity

GSK Science in the Summer™ is a free, informal science summer program for youth entering grades 2-6. The Indiana State Museum is looking for 150 more youth to participate in the program. Your site would receive training and materials for the program. Then, your staff will lead your students through all 5 hour-long activities throughout the summer. If you have any questions, contact: Lauren Marsh, Out of School Time Program Manager at the Indiana State Museum, lmarsh@indianamuseum.org.

Learn more about GSK Science in the Summer here: http://scienceinthesummer.fi.edu/

Happy Hollow Children's Camp

Camp registration is open! Join us for an epic summer filled with adventure, friendship, and discovery. Experience the ultimate camp adventure tailored for every young explorer! Scholarships available.

SIGNATURE SUMMER CAMP SCHEDULE 2026

JUNE 7-12

JUNE 21-26

JUNE 28 - JULY 1 (Deposit and base rate is $55/short week)

JULY 5-10

JULY 12-17

Click here for more information.

Kroger's Community Rewards

To participate, Sign up here, search for SIDENER ACADEMY PTA, and click Enroll. Then, Kroger gives back to Sidener each time you shop using your Kroger rewards card--it's just that easy!

Box Tops for Education
Use the Box Tops app to scan your store receipt, and earn cash for Sidener! Sign up here by searching for Sidener Academy-School 59.

Staples Rewards

Need school or office supplies? Shop at Staples! Download the Staples app to enroll or link your existing rewards account to Sidener. Staples then gives 5% back to Sidener with every purchase. Sign up here

Scripps

Need to purchase gift cards? Shop through Raise Right (Scripps) to earn money for Sidener! Enrollment Code: FA5B7A34652L5 Shop here

Make a tax deductible Donation to support Sidener community events, teacher requests and other needs throughout the year. Sidener Academy PTA is a nonprofit organization, and all funds support our students and school community. Donate here

Anh Nguyen, President, president@sideneracademypta.org

Ashley Rice, Vice President, vicepresident@sideneracademypta.org and Recording Secretary, secretary@sideneracademypta.org

Carolyn Svirsky-Interim Treasurer, treasurer@sideneracademypta.org

Becky Schwantes-An, Communications Secretary, info@sideneracademypta.org