The Bobcat Bulletin

Polar Pop is officially underway at Indian Lane, and the excitement is building. We cannot wait to see our students partcipating for Special Olympics. The following homerooms should submit their videos by March 10th: AM Kindergarten Meile, AM Kindergarten Huebner, PM Kindergarten Meile, PM Kindergarten Huebner, Mrs. Dukes’ 1st Grade, and Ms. Schuck’s 1st Grade. Be sure to check the Polar Pop section below for all the details, and thank you for helping make this such a fun and spirited event for our school.

On Thursday, several Indian Lane Elementary students took part in the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association Chorus Fest. These students dedicated time outside of school to rehearse and prepare, and they represented ILES with pride. We are incredibly proud of their hard work and grateful for the support of our talented music teachers, Mr. Fisher, Mr. Boyle, and Mr. Walls. Thank you to each of them for the important role they play in nurturing our students’ love of music.

We also appreciate the partnership we share with families and thank you for taking the time to attend parent teacher conferences. A special thank you to our PTG for organizing meals for our staff during conferences. Your generosity and care are truly valued.

MARCH

• 7 | Carnival for a Cure at PHS, 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
• 9 | Third grade Field Trip to Camden Aquarium
• 11 | PTG meeting, 7:00 p.m.
• 12 | Principal Advisory Board, 2:00-2:30 p.m.
• 12 | STEAM Club at Middletown Free Library, 4:15-5:15 p.m.
• 12 | Title I Math Night, ILES Cafeteria, 6:00-7:30 p.m.
• 13 | March Bobcat Pride Breakfast, 8:00 a.m.
• 15 | Book orders due for Mari Mancusi Author Visit
• 18 | Fifth Grade Class Picture, 9:00 a.m.
• 20 | World Story Telling Day School Event, 9:25-11:05 a.m.
• 24 | PTG Pinocchio's Dine & Donate Night
• 25 | Mari Mancusi Author Visit (4th & 5th grades), 2:00 p.m.
• 26 | Fifth Grade Career Showcase, 9:15 a.m.
• 26 | Reading Olympics Competition at SLMS, 6:00 p.m.
• 27 | March Birthday Bash

Three Weeks. One School. One Incredible Cause.

Polar Pop 2026 is here, and we are ready for three weeks of energy, creativity, and friendly competition in support of the Special Olympics.

• Every class gets its moment
• Every student can participate
• Every effort makes a difference

Homerooms have been organized into groups to keep the competition fair and exciting. Each class participates one time during its assigned week. When it is your week, it is your time to shine.

HOW IT WORKS

There are two ways to earn points during your homeroom’s week.

Fundraising Power in Numbers

• All homerooms in the group combine their fundraising totals
• The group that raises the most money that week earns 1 point
• Every homeroom in that winning group receives the point
• If there is a tie, both groups receive the point

This is a team effort that builds pride and impact.

Participation Show Up and Stand Out

Homerooms compete within their group based on percentage of students participating.

• The homeroom with the highest participation percentage earns 1 point
• If there is a tie, both homerooms receive the point
• Participation is based on percentage, not total number of videos

Why Percentage

Using percentages keeps the competition fair for classes of different sizes.

Example:

• 18 out of 20 students participate = 90 percent
• 20 out of 25 students participate = 80 percent
• 90 percent earns the point

Participation is about showing up, not class size.

WHAT THAT MEANS

During its assigned week, a homeroom can earn:

• 2 points if the group wins fundraising and the homeroom wins participation
• 1 point
• 0 points

Points add up across all three weeks.

At the end of Polar Pop, the homeroom with the most total points will be recognized as the overall winner. If there is a tie, co winners will be celebrated.

WHY IT MATTERS

• Polar Pop brings our school community together
• It promotes compassion, teamwork, and school spirit
• It supports the Special Olympics and our unified programs

When your group raises funds, you make an impact.
When your class participates, you show your pride.

Let’s bring the energy.
Let’s bring the creativity.
Let’s make Polar Pop 2026 one to remember.

Indian Lane Student Council

Participation Schedule

Week of March 9 (2 groups)

Group 1

• AM K-Meile

• AM K-Huebner

• PM K-Meile

Group 2

• PM K-Huebner

• 1-Dukes

• 1-Schuck

📹 Videos due: Tuesday, March 10
🎬 Featured: Friday, March 13

Week of March 16 (3 groups)

Group 3

• 1-Parkinson

• 1-Sammaciccia

• 1-Herman

Group 4

• 2-Ford

• 2-Ferdon

• 2-Amoroso

Group 5

• 2-Pinto

• 3-Davis

• 3-Coelho

📹 Videos due: Tuesday, March 17
🎬 Featured: Friday, March 20

Week of March 23 (3 groups)

Group 6

• 3-Defoor

• 3-Hausladen

• 4-Johnston

Group 7

• 4-Arbutina

• 4-Iovonnoni

• 4-Cancelosi

Group 8

• 5-Siciliano

• 5-Speir

• 5-Bianchi

• 5-Michaels

📹 Videos due: Tuesday, March 24
🎬 Featured: Friday, March 27

To all of the families who observe Ramadan, we want to take a moment to recognize this special time. Ramadan began at sundown on February 17 and will continue until sundown on March 19. During this time, many Muslims around the world engage in prayer and fasting. We understand that some of our students and families may be observing Ramadan, and we want to ensure that everyone feels supported. If any student needs assistance or specific accommodations during the day, please feel free to reach out to Mrs. Britton or Mrs. Hilden.

Order a personalized and signed copy for your child today. Available in hardcover or paperback.

Students from Springton Lake came to read books to our students as part of our Read Across America celebration.

Read Across America Week at Indian Lane Elementary is a fun and busy week all about celebrating books. Each day has a different theme, like dressing as a favorite character, wearing pajamas to read, or sharing an act of kindness. Students will get to talk about books they love, take part in a bookmark contest, vote in March Book Madness, and try new reading activities from the choice board. There will even be special guest readers visiting. It’s a great chance for everyone to enjoy reading in new and exciting ways.

Students do not have to be a runner to join this club! We’ll start slow and work to increase our movement and laps each week, with an optional goal of completing the Run The Lane 5k the first Saturday in June.

MEETING DATES: April 7th, April 14th, April 21st, April 28th, May 5th, May 12th, May 26th, June 2nd. Members are encouraged to join us Saturday June 6th for Run the Lane 5k. (There is no school for students on May 19th, so the club will not meet. On May 12th 5th graders should attend the Spring Concert instead, but 4th graders can still meet.)

DUE TO THE HIGH INTEREST, we will use a lottery system for 4th and 5th grade participation in mILES Intramural Running Club again this year. Please complete the interest form below before Monday, March 30th to receive further communication.

Any Questions, please contact Club Sponsor: Becka Cancelosi, bcancelosi@rtmsd.org

Please see the letter below for an important facilities update regarding the HVAC project at Indian Lane Elementary School. Thank you for your continued support.

The cold is here and so is an increase in winter illnesses! Uncertain about if your student is well enough to come to school? Please review the district's guidance on When to Keep Your Child at Home.

If you still are unsure, please call the nurse's office at 610-627-7104 to speak with Mrs. LaRose

Sandy Wright and Alison Marshaleck, the PTG parents organizing the Indian Lane 2025–2026 Yearbook, have created a Google folder for the 5th Grade Bobcat Memories Page.

They are collecting photos of the current 5th grade class from school events throughout their years at Indian Lane. Photos should include only current 5th graders (no students from other grades or family members).

Suggested submissions include:

• Class party group photos from any year

• Field trips

• Field Day

• Photos with teachers

• Special events such as 100 Days of School, Friendship Feast, and other school activities

Families are encouraged to look back through their photos and share special memories as we celebrate our 5th graders and their time at IL. Please upload folders to this link

Just like the popular Family Fun Night at Oasis, the PTG is hosting another family night event. In recent weeks, they gauged interest through a survey before finalizing plans.

Message from the PTG:

To reserve your tickets, please click the Google Form linked below or in the image above. Please note that there is a maximum capacity of 400 attendees, and tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

🔗 Reserve Your Tickets Here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScv20Wpu7DGy1sqndNO6XCRP0BGJ9HjR2PJ3o1tdz6H5udQeA/viewform?usp=publish-editor

We look forward to celebrating this special night with our students and their special guests!

If you have any questions, please contact Kara Cron, PTG Co-President, at kara.jessel@gmail.com.

In the event of an emergency weather closing of our schools, the Rose Tree Media School District will implement a Flexible Instructional Day (FID). Our FID plan has been updated for the 2025-2026 school year. Please visit the FID page on the District website for building-specific information regarding FID learning.

On March 20th, Indian Lane will be celebrating our Around the World event, which also aligns with World Storytelling Day, a global celebration of the power of stories to connect people across cultures. Observed each year on the spring equinox, World Storytelling Day symbolizes balance, renewal, and new beginnings, and communities around the world mark the day by sharing stories that reflect their cultures, traditions, and values. To connect these two celebrations, Indian Lane will host a Stories Around the World event, modeled after last year’s Recipes Around the World event. Instead of sharing recipes, volunteers will share a short story that represents the culture and traditions of a country. We are currently looking for volunteers to represent different countries, whether by sharing a story from their own heritage, a country they have lived in, a country they feel connected to, or one they are interested in learning more about. Volunteers may choose a country on their own, and support and ideas will be provided along the way. Each volunteer will host a country station and read a planned story aloud as participants move between stations, listening to stories from around the world and learning about different cultures through storytelling. The volunteer time commitment for this event will be from 9:15–11:00 AM on March 20th. This event is a meaningful way to celebrate Indian Lane’s Around the World Day while honoring World Story Day through equity, inclusion, and global connection, and we would love broad and diverse participation to help bring it to life.

We will be holding the 5th Grade Career Showcase on March 26, 2026. We are in need of volunteers to present at our Showcase! Please consider telling our students about your chosen career. We are asking for volunteers to prepare a twenty minute presentation that will be shared during a rotation over the course of two hours. If you are available to join us, please complete the following survey by March 1, 2026. We will reach out to all volunteers with more specific information once presenters have signed up.

Thank you for considering joining us for this special 5th grade event!

This is a friendly reminder that we go outdoors for recess as often as the weather allows. With the colder weather we have been experiencing, please make sure your child comes to school dressed appropriately. Please also label all items your child brings to school, including coats, hats, gloves, lunchboxes, and other belongings, to help us keep items organized and easily identifiable.

Every child at Indian Lane is a BOBCAT & we want to celebrate with each of you. Families are invited to sign up to attend ONE Bobcat Pride Breakfast during the 2025-2026 school year. Younger siblings are welcome to attend, but please only sign up for the IL student(s) on the sheet. Each student should take one spot on the sign up sheet. The Breakfast are held from 8:00 - 8:40 a.m. in the Indian Lane cafeteria.

1. Go to: https://indianlaneptg.membershiptoolkit.com/

2. Create your account. Select Create Account and fill in your name, email, and password.

3. Verify your email. Click verify my email and then check your inbox for the link.

   • The link expires in 2 hours. If you do not receive it, check your spam or junk folders.

4. Log back in. Once your email is verified, return to the site and complete your registration.

5. Enter your information. Fill in the Parent/Family and Student details.

6. Update your child’s information. Make sure you select the correct grade and homeroom teacher so you receive classroom party and volunteer communications.

   • If your child has a special education teacher, please do not select that teacher unless your child’s homeroom is physically in that classroom.

7. Set your preferences. Complete the Directory/Publish section to choose what information is visible to others.

8. Finish up. Once these steps are complete, you will have full access to the directory.

📌 Tip: Once the Primary Account is set up, you can invite another parent or guardian by email so they can create their own login while still being connected to your family account.

Apple users: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/membership-toolkit/id912169276?platform=iphone

A few quick links to keep handy:

• Our school website: Indian Lane
• If your student is sick please submit Absence Form
• For an educational trip: Pre-Planned Absence Request
• Breakfast and Lunch Menus - Nutrislice / to check your student's account: MySchoolBucks
• You may follow the bus routes and check for transportation updates at MyRide360

Grades 1st - 5th 8:50 am - 3:30 pm

AM Kindergarten 8:50 am - 11:25 am

PM Kindergarten 12:55 pm - 3:30 pm

Email: mbritton@rtmsd.org
Website: https://www.rtmsd.org/Domain/9
Location: 309 South Old Middletown Road, Media, PA, USA
Phone: 610-627-7100