The Jetliner

Dear ACES Families,

As we move through the school year, I want to take a moment to share how hard our students and staff are working each day. Classrooms are focused, purposeful, and full of learning. It is a joy to walk the halls and see students stretching themselves, practicing new skills, and building confidence.

One of our strongest building priorities right now is word recognition — helping students learn how to read words (decode) and spell words (encode) accurately and automatically. When students can quickly and confidently read and write words, their minds are free to focus on understanding, thinking, and learning at deeper levels.

At ACES, we use instruction grounded in the methods of Orton-Gillingham. This approach is explicit, meaning teachers clearly explain and model each skill rather than expecting students to “pick it up.” It is systematic and structured, meaning skills are taught in a carefully planned order, building from simple to more complex, so nothing is left to chance.

Our goal is tight alignment across grade levels. We are carefully following a shared scope and sequence so that what students learn in one grade directly prepares them for the next. This helps ensure students move through elementary school without gaps in foundational skills — especially in reading and writing.

We use very clear routines such as Pound and Tap and Red words/arm tap to learn new concepts and practice skills. You can implement these at home to increase the consistency for students. You can find more resources here: https://www.imse.com/support/parents/

We know strong foundations create strong futures. Thank you for partnering with us as we continue this important work. If you have questions about your child’s literacy development, please reach out to your child’s teacher. We are here to support you.

Proud to serve the ACES community,

Mary McCullough
Principal

Being Resilient in Times of Adversity

When facing adversity, the Three Pillars of Trauma-Informed Care pave the way to resilience.

1. Connection: Stay connected to safe people you trust and who can be responsive to your needs.
2. Felt-Safety: Prioritize physical and emotional safety to create optimal conditions for your brain and nervous system.
3. • Self-Regulation: Consistently utilize resources and engage in activities that support your regulation needs.

We are excited to welcome our newest Jets! If your child will be 5 years old by August 1, 2026, they are eligible for Kindergarten for the 2026–2027 school year. Kindergarten screening will be held on April 2. Families may stop by the elementary office to pick up an enrollment packet and receive additional information. We look forward to meeting our incoming Kindergarten students and beginning this exciting journey together!

It is hard to believe it is already March! With March comes unpredictable weather, so please be

sure to dress your child accordingly.

As always, this is a reminder to return any clothing that has been borrowed from Adams Central.

With wet weather, students sometimes get their pants wet at recess. Please keep an extra pair of

pants in your child’s backpack in case they need to change. We are currently running low on

several pant sizes.

I am proud to share that Adams Central has once again received its designation as a Heart Safe

School. I appreciate our staff and students for their understanding and participation in the

preparation process and the drills throughout the year to ensure we are prepared in the event of

an emergency.

We are looking forward to warmer weather and students being able to play outside during all

recess periods. Stay safe!

Donna Barger, School Nurse

Did you know that the amount of sleep you get and academic performance is linked? Studies have shown that without enough sleep children will have problems with memory, attention, and problem-solving skills. Lack of sleep can also contribute to increase in behavioral issues and emotional issues which in turn effect academics. So how much sleep do our students need? School aged kids need 9-12 hours of sleep to have optimal academic performance. Are your kids getting enough sleep?

Sarah Rhymer, LCSW, LSSW

rhymers@accs.k12.in.us

260-692-6151

Megan Ross-Espinosa, LCSW, LSSW, RPT™

rossespinosa@accs.k12.in.us

To better serve our students and families of Adams Central, please complete the residency survey that helps Adams Central Community Schools identify families that have had recent changes in housing, which enables the school to provide support. Residency Form

Contact Megan Ross-Espinosa with any questions or if you need support.

Upcoming Elementary events are as follows & subject to changes.

• Monday, March 2: Robotics Club meets

• Wednesday, March 4 and Thursday, March 5: Grade 2 and 3 IREAD Testing

• Friday, March 6: Grade 4 Levi Coffin Home Field Trip

• Monday, March 9: Robotics Club Meets

• Wednesday, March 11: End of Quarter 3

• Friday, March 13: Grade 2 Field Trip to Isch Seeds

• Wednesday, March 18: Grade 3 Field Trip to Embassy Theatre and Tin Caps Stadium Tour

• March 20-27: Spring Break, No School

• Thursday, April 2: KDG Screening Day

• Friday, April 3: Good Friday, No School

• Wednesday, April 8: Donuts with Dad, Cafeteria, 7:15-8:00 AM

• Wednesday, April 8: Title Family Night, More details to come

• Friday, April 10: Feed My Starving Children Mobile Pack

• Thursday, April 23: Grade 4 Indiana History Program, Hangar, 7:00 PM

• Friday, April 24: PTO Basketball Bash, Hangar, 6:00 PM

• Monday, May 4: PTO Meeting, Elementary Library, 3:30 PM

• Thursday, May 7: Miss Pett's Room to McMillan Center and Lunch out!

• Week of May 11: Mental Health Awareness Week (All dress up days are optional)

• Monday: Mellow Monday: Wear your PJ’s to relieve stress
• Tuesday: Twin Tuesday: Team up against stress! Dress like a friend because you aren’t alone.
• Wednesday: Wear Green for mental health awareness. Green represents the green light to reach out for help if needed.
• Thursday: Tie dye Thursday. Colors can represent a wide range of emotions. It’s ok to express them.
• Friday: Wear your Jet spirit wear to show your support to the Adams Central Family
• Tuesday, May 12: IREAD Retest

• Thursday, May 14: KDG Program, 6:30 PM, Hangar

• Friday, May 22: Grade 4 Field Trip

• Monday May 25: Memorial Day: No School

• Tuesday, May 26: Grade 5 Graduation, 7:00 PM, Hangar

• Wednesday, May 27: Preschool Program, 7:00 PM, Hangar

• Friday, May 29: End of Quarter 4 / Last Student Day