Elm Hill School Newsletter
May 2026
Happy May, Elm Hill Families!
The arrival of warmer weather has brought so much energy and joy to our school community. Lately the students have enjoyed being outside soaking up the sunshine, embarking on woods walking adventures, and thriving in our outdoor classrooms. Inside the building, that same energy is being channeled into incredible academic growth. Our students are working hard to build and solidify their early literacy and math skills, and they are currently showing off everything they’ve learned this year as they complete their third and final iReady Diagnostic. We are incredibly proud of their focus and determination.
Speaking of reasons to be proud, we have a massive celebration to share! Across our five reading challenges this year, Elm Hill students have read a staggering 80,000 pages! They have officially accepted the ultimate challenge to push that number to 100,000 pages before the end of the school year. Reading logs are attached to this newsletter and will be sent home both electronically and in Friday folders. If they hit this goal, the reward will be sweet: Mr. Otis and Miss Marcey (Spaghetti) will be heading straight into the dunk tank at Field Day!
Mark your calendars, because Field Day is scheduled for Wednesday, June 3rd (with a rain date of Thursday, June 4th). As the school year wraps up, we are so excited for the days still to come. Thank you for partnering with us to support and educate your students; we look forward to making a few more unforgettable memories and ensuring Elm Hill finishes the year as a truly fun place to learn!
Thank you for all you do!
Rachel
May 25 - No School, Memorial Day
May 29 - No School for Kindergarten
May 29 - Kindergarten Registration
June 3 - Field Day (June 4 is the rain date)
June 8 - PreK Bridge Ceremony
June 10 - Step Up Day for First Grade
June 15 - First Grade Bridge Ceremony
June 16 - Last Day for Students - Early Release at 11:30
As we approach the final weeks of the school year, I want to take a moment to share how grateful I am to be part of the Elm Hill School community. As a new Assistant Principal, this year has been filled with learning, laughter, and so many meaningful moments with students, staff, and families. From the excitement at the beginning of the year to the tremendous growth we now see in our classrooms, it has been inspiring to watch our youngest learners build confidence, friendships, independence, and a love for learning each day.
I want to thank our families for your partnership and support throughout the year. Your encouragement at home, communication with teachers, and involvement in school events make a tremendous difference for our students. I also want to recognize our dedicated staff members, who continuously create warm, engaging, and supportive learning environments where children feel safe, valued, and excited to come to school.
As we finish the year, there are still many exciting activities and celebrations ahead. These final weeks are an important time for students to continue learning routines, practicing skills, and celebrating the progress they have made. We are so proud of all our students and the growth they have shown academically, socially, and emotionally.
Thank you for welcoming me to the Elm Hill School family during my first year as Assistant Principal. It has truly been a wonderful year, and I look forward to continuing to build strong relationships and support our students, staff, and families in the years ahead. Wishing everyone a great finish to the school year and a fun, restful summer to come!
Ms. Kathy
With warmer weather approaching we just want to remind you of our dress code.
Dress Code:
For PreK through 1st grade, dress code expectations focus on comfort, safety, and independence. Children should wear clothing and shoes they can manage on their own, especially for bathroom use and outdoor play. Since students are active and engage in hands-on learning, outfits should allow free movement and be durable enough for messes. Weather-appropriate clothing is important, as children typically go outside daily. Overall, the goal is to help students stay comfortable, safe, and ready to learn throughout the day.
Quick Guidelines for Parents:
- All children need to have a top that covers their torso, bottoms that are comfortable and allow for easy movement, toileting and activity engagement.
- Shoes that fit all types of activities including running, climbing, woods walks and in classroom learning.
- Dress for active play—running, climbing, and sitting on the floor
- Expect messes—pick durable clothes and pack a spare set if needed
- Provide weather-appropriate gear (sweatshirts, coats, boots, hats, gloves, etc.)
- Avoid clothing with inappropriate images or language, shirts that do not cover midriffs and bathing suits.
If you need support with clothing we have a good supply that has been donated and we are happy to help including sneakers. Additionally, the Springfield Area Parent Child Center in North Springfield and Northern Liquidators in the plaza both have expansive inventory of affordable second-hand clothing.
First graders in Miss Cora's class recently completed a unit on engineering. Students learned how engineers use the design process to identify and solve real life problems. Throughout the unit, students practiced working through the design process including defining the problem, asking questions, creating plans, building prototypes, then testing and improving on their designs. As a class, we read texts about grit, perseverance, creativity, and teamwork. We also read biographical texts about real engineers like Garrett Morgan, inventor of the traffic signal, and Lonnie Johnson, inventor of the famous Super Soaker.
In the final project, students worked with partners to design, test, and improve backscratcher prototypes out of common classroom and household materials like pencils, popsicle sticks, tape, etc.
I can’t believe the school year is almost over. What a fun and exciting year it has been. Our class has been very busy lately. We have gone on a few different field trips, we have had VINS visit our classroom, we have been doing a lot of new learning and exploring together, and we have been enjoying each other’s company since our time together will be ending soon. Our class got to learn about the night sky and moon phases when Mr. Corey from VINS came to visit our classroom. Then, when we went to visit VINS we had the opportunity to learn and see many cool birds and other animals that can fly. We also had an awesome time exploring VINS. We really enjoyed going through the tree canopy. It was a cold and rainy day, but we did not let that ruin our fun. I have had such a great year with this group of first graders, and I can’t believe they will be moving onto 2nd grade soon. They have been such a joy to teach, and I have really enjoyed watching them grow this year.
–Ms. Fraser
With the transition into kindergarten, we understand that students and parents can have all kinds of emotions: nervousness, excitement, and being overwhelmed, just to name a few. Here are a few tips to help make the transition just a weee bit easier.
NAPS: If your child is taking those afternoon naps we all love as parents, this summer will be a good time to start weaning them off. Kindergarten at Elm Hill does not offer a nap time, and getting their little bodies ready for a full day of fun and learning will make for a much easier transition for your child.
ROUTINES: Setting and staying consistent with a morning and evening routine a few weeks before school starts will help your child to know what is next. Research shows that children who follow a routine benefit greatly because knowing what is coming next can eliminate stresses of the unknown, and they know what is expected of them and what to expect.
READ: Books can also be a wonderful way to help ease nerves and generate excitement for your child. Here are a couple that some parents have recommended:
The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
School is starting in the forest, but Chester Raccoon does not want to go. To help ease Chester's fears, Mrs. Raccoon shares a family secret called the Kissing Hand to give him the reassurance of her love any time his world feels a little scary. Since its first publication in 1993, this heartwarming book has become a children's classic that has touched the lives of millions of children and their parents, especially at times of separation, whether starting school, entering daycare, or going to camp. It is widely used by kindergarten teachers on the first day of school. Stickers at the back will help children and their parents keep their Kissing Hand alive.
https://www.amazon.com/Kissing-Hand-Audrey-Penn/dp/1933718102
We Don't Eat Our Classmates: A Penelope Rex Book
It's the first day of school for Penelope Rex, and she can't wait to meet her classmates. But it's hard to make human friends when they're so darn delicious! That is, until Penelope gets a taste of her own medicine and finds she may not be at the top of the food chain after all. . . . Readers will gobble up this hilarious new story from award-winning author-illustrator Ryan T. Higgins.
We hope these couple suggestions help you and your child ease their way into kindergarten. We are all very excited to have them here next fall!
Have a fabulous and fun summer break!
Elm Hill ESCE Team
Thank you for supporting and celebrating the visual arts at Elm Hill this month! Our Elm Hill artists proudly displayed their skills, creativity, and imaginations at our annual Spring Art Show.
I also want to extend a huge thank you for your generous cardboard donations. The art room has been buzzing with activity as students crafted amazing creations using endless amounts of tape, cardboard, egg cartons, googly eyes, pom-poms, old glue caps, feathers, pipe cleaners, brass fasteners, gems, and other found items. Through this process, our students generated their own ideas, chose their materials, solved problems, and showed perseverance when their designs didn't work out on the first try. I can't wait to see what brilliant ideas they dream up next!
Get ready for the 2026 Hannaford Helps Schools program!
We’re happy to share our school is automatically reenrolled in the Hannaford Helps Schools program! The 2026 program will run from April 5 through May 30. During this time, our community can support our school by shopping for specially marked items. For every 4 participating products purchased, shoppers earn 3 School Dollars. At checkout, customers receive a School Dollar printout that they can redeem online and direct funds to our school.
Using Hannaford To Go? With Hannaford To Go, School Dollars are not provided at pickup. Instead, about a week into May and again a week into June, Hannaford will email you a unique code reflecting the total School Dollars you earned in the previous month from qualifying purchases.
To redeem School Dollars, simply enter the unique printout code and store number on the Hannaford Helps Schools website or app, then select our school. Each School Dollar printout also includes a QR code linking directly to the website, making it quick and easy to redeem School Dollars.
