The Mission of Middlebury Elementary School, in cooperation with family and community, is to develop compassionate, productive, responsible citizens and life-long learners.
Middlebury Elementary School
News from Mr. Hostetler, our Principal
March is here and our students and staff are doing an amazing job! This time of the year can be challenging leading up to spring break; however, we still have a lot of fun learning activities for our students. Activities to look forward to include: Beach Day, Third Grade Concert, Spirit Days, and March Reading Madness.
This is the month for IREAD. Our second graders will test along with some of our third graders. Our second graders did an awesome job last year, so we only have about 20 third graders that need to test this year. Our teachers have been doing an awesome job preparing the students for this test. The testing window opens on March 3rd and closes on the 14th. We hope to have all students tested during the week of the 3rd.
I hope everyone has a wonderful Spring!
March Calendar
3 - HACIENDA GIVEBACK NIGHT
4 - SCHOOL BOARD MEETING
6 - OLD HOOSIER GIVEBACK
14 - 3RD GRADE MUSIC PROGRAM REHEARSAL 9:30AM (GUESTS WELCOME TO ATTEND)
18 - SCHOOL BOARD MEETING
19 - LAST RUN THE HALLS
20 - WEAR YOUR NO BULLY SHIRT!
20 - 3RD GRADE MUSIC PERFORMANCE 6PM; STUDENTS ARRIVE AT 5:45
25 - LAST HAPPY DAY CLUB
27 - PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES
Request from Mrs. Gleim:
MES Families -
We have had some reports of head lice lately.
While head lice is a nuisance it has not been found to spread disease. Having head lice has nothing to do with how clean you are or how clean of a home you keep. Headlice does not discriminate.
I encourage everyone to do regular head checks of their child(ren). Talk to your child(ren) about the importance of not sharing items like hats, headbands, combs or brushes, etc. Headlice do not jump or fly, they crawl from one item/head to another item/head, but they do not live very long outside of the warm environment of a human head.
If you have any questions about how to identify or treat headlice, I am happy to help.
IF YOUR CHILD WILL BE ABSENT FROM SCHOOL PLEASE MAKE SURE TO CALL THE OFFICE @ 514-825-2158 BEFORE 8:30AM
Kindergarten 2025 Enrollment
Please click this link to be taken to the enrollment form or call the office at 574-825-2158. A mailing with more information will be sent closer to kindergarten round up.
2025-2026 BUS INFORMATION
Your efforts to keep Transportation updated with your student's bus needs helps us to provide efficient bus service for as many students as possible. Transportation changes can be submitted online, on our webpage. This includes indicating if your child will NO LONGER be a bus rider, as that will allow another student to ride, as we manage restricted student capacities and a shortage of bus drivers. If there are no changes from this year to the next, a new form is not required.
IF YOUR STUDENT'S BUSING NEEDS CHANGE FOR NEXT YEAR, PLEASE SUBMIT A NEW TRANSPORTATION REQUEST FORM.
To access a printable form click here. To access an online form click here.
Please remember to have requests submitted by July 18, 2025. Any change made after that date WILL NOT BE GUARANTEED A BUS RIDE ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.
For questions, please contact the Middlebury Community Schools Transportation Department at 574-825-9410
2-HOUR DELAY INFORMATION
If we have a 2 hour delay, school will start at 9:40am - EVEN IF IT IS A WEDNESDAY. You will get an automated call for all school delays or closures. However, if your have a phone with an extension our system is not able to work around that to leave a message. You can always call the school at 574-825-2158 to see if there is a delay or closing if the weather looks bad. Please make sure we always have an up to date phone number. Please eat breakfast at home on 2-hour delay days, if possible. We will only offer a grab-and-go breakfast to those who cannot eat at home.
ATTENDANCE POLICY
Students are expected to be in school except in the cases of emergency, illness, or school-approved absences. Parents should call the school office at 574-825-2158 on the day a student is absent. The school will call if no parent contact is made by 8:30 AM. A doctor's note may be required for an extended illness. If your child cannot participate in PE or recess due to illness or injury he/she must bring a doctor's note stating the reason for being excused.
BACKGROUND CHECKS
The safety of our students is top priority. ALL adults who will be interacting with our students are required to fill out a background check YEARLY. Click here to fill out the form online. If you do not have internet access, call the school for a paper copy.
When visitors come to the school they will need to present an ID or driver's license to scan into our security system and receive a visitor badge.
School Breakfast
Mornings can be rushed, but it is important to make time for breakfast. Children can benefit from the School Breakfast Program! Studies show that school breakfast can raise test scores while improving classroom attentiveness and behavior. Make sure your kids start the school day with a healthy meal!
MCS WEBSITE
Here you can find breakfast and lunch menus, photos from our school system, newsletters, and fun educational websites for your child to brush up on their skills.
SIGN IN/OUT
Any student that arrives after the tardy bell or leaves the school before the end of the day must be signed in or out by an adult. If this person is not a parent/guardian, please make sure the office is aware. Thank you!
TRANSPORTATION
If you know in the morning that your student will have a change from their normal routine at the end of school, please send a note that morning. If you are unable to do this, please call the school before 1:30PM. Notes are appreciated more than telephone calls. Your cooperation is appreciated.
FREE/REDUCED MEALS
Click here to apply online for free or reduced meals. If you do not have internet access and need a paper copy of the form please call the school. If your financial situation changes at any point during the school year you may apply for free or reduced meals.
LATE START WEDNESDAY
Remember that school will start later every Wednesday at 8:05AM. Bus routes will run 20-25 minutes later than other days.
HOWEVER If we have a 2 hour delay on a Wednesday, the day will start 2 hours later than a regular Monday, Tuesday, Thursday or Friday. The 2 hour delay time does not include the Wednesday delay time.
MEAL PRICES
BREAKFAST
$1.70 per day
$8.50 per week
LUNCH
$2.45 per day
$12.25 per week
REDUCED BREAKFAST
$0.30 per day
$1.50 per week
REDUCED LUNCH
$0.40 per day
$2.00 per week
If your child receives free or reduced meals and packs their lunch but wants milk, they need to buy milk. Milk costs $0.65.
You can deposit money into your child's lunch account online through the LINQ Connect website or by sending money to school clearly labeled with your child's name.
Negative balance notices are bright pink and sent home daily. Please take care of negative balances as soon as possible.
ART NEWS FROM MRS. RUSK
Hacienda in Goshen will be featuring 2nd Grade Bean Art in the restaurant the week of March 3-9. Please stop in to view the unique creations from our talented 2nd graders!
LIBRARY NEWS FROM MRS. DAVIS
Important News From The Library:
Our Annual March Reading Madness is here!! Reading time lasts for three weeks. Beginning on March 10th - March 28th. All reading time must be done outside of school. Reading to yourself, reading with someone else, or being read to all count as reading minutes. Last day to turn in reading logs is 3/28. Our Reading celebration will take place in the gym on Thursday, April 3rd. Everyone who reads will earn fun prizes! Top 2 student readers in each class will earn trophies!
HAPPY READING!!
PE NEWS FROM MRS. FREY
A big THANK YOU to all the students and families who donated and participated in our school's Kids Heart Challenge fundraiser! Our goal was to raise $6500.00, and we raised $6614.84. Great job giving back and being so generous Middies!
MUSIC NEWS FROM MR. LOAR
Concert Dates for 2025
Third Grade: March 20, 2025 @ 6PM
First Grade: May 8, 2025 @ 6PM
Middlebury Elementary is an ALLERGY AWARE building. We have many students with various food allergies. PLEASE FOLLOW GUIDANCE FROM YOUR STUDENT'S TEACHER REGARDING SNACKS AND TREATS FOR THE CLASSROOM! In some cases, very specific brands known to be safe will be requested. Thank you for your cooperation so that all classmates feel safe and included in celebrations.
NEWS FROM OUR NURSE, MRS. GLEIM
If your child is sick, please KEEP THEM HOME! Remember - students must not have had a fever (below 100.4), vomited, or had diarrhea for 24 hours (without the help of medicine) before they may return to school.
March is National Sleep Awareness Month. Sleep is so important for children! Elementary-aged children should be getting about 10-11 hours of sleep each night. Sleep-deprived kids can become hyper or irritable and may have a hard time paying attention in school. Too little sleep can affect growth and your immune system making it easier for you to get sick. Setting up a consistent bedtime routine (example: bath/shower, brush teeth, story, bed), maintaining a consistent bedtime (even on weekends when possible), and turning off all screens at least 30 minutes before bedtime can help your children (and you!) get a good night's sleep.
Please keep a seasonally appropriate CHANGE OF CLOTHES in your child's backpack. Accidents, spills, & playground messes are all possible and I may not have the right size to loan your child.
Middlebury Schools needs substitute nurses!! If you or someone you know would be interested I'd be happy to talk about it with you!
CHANGES IN CHILDREN'S INFORMATION
Many changes may occur throughout the school year regarding telephone numbers, work numbers, addresses, and transportation arrangements. Please notify the school office when these changes happen and give new information to the office.
Morning Transportation Changes
If you have last minute transportation changes in the mornings (for example, on 2 hour delay days), then a call needs to be made to Transportation @ 574-825-9410 or to your child's bus driver.
ROOMS - classroom communication tool
If you have not yet accepted the invitation from your child's teacher to ROOMS, please do so as soon as possible. This new platform will be the district's main source of communication going forward.
Hi MES Family! March is here and it’s definitely starting to finally feel more like spring is near! We hope you’re all doing well! We want to thank everyone who participated in our calendar fundraiser last month that will help to reimburse PTO for the playground remodel!
Don’t forget that all day THIS MONDAY MARCH 3rd is our annual Hacienda Give Back ! Please don’t forget to bring your MES coupon when you dine in at Hacienda in Goshen to support MES! If you pre-ordered a Hacienda gift card we will have those ready to send home the week of March 3rd with your student!
Our next PTO meeting is scheduled for Wednesday March 19, at 3:30 at the school, with childcare available for school-aged children. Come help us plan some exciting spring activities as we are always looking for new members and would love to have you join us! Hope everyone has a fabulous month! :)
MES STAFF SPOTLIGHT
Mr. Sallee
The students had so many great things to say about him, and really appreciate all he does for MES. One student wrote, "He has a good way of teaching that is fun. He has a good sense of humor. He also gets my humor!" It's always good when your teacher can match your humor!
This year is my 18th year of teaching, all in 3rd grade here at MES. I previously worked in the business world; however, I really never felt that it was my true calling. I went back to school and received my teaching degree. Part of my education brought me to MES as a student teacher. The following year I was hired for a 3rd grade full-time position. I have absolutely loved my time here at MES and have never regretted my career change. I have worked with so many wonderful teachers and have taught hundreds of awesome students. I would love to continue working here until I retire!
My wife, Deb, and I have been married for almost 31 years. She is a 3rd grade teacher in the Concord School District. We have two sons, Trevor and Tanner. They both are married and live close by. Deb and I love spending time with the boys and their wives.
My favorite activity is biking on the Pumpkinvine Trail. During the spring, summer, and fall I spend most mornings biking the trail. In the winter, I work out daily on my spin bike in the basement. My wife and I also take 3-4 out-of-state biking trips with our friends each summer. It is a great way to stay in shape and to enjoy nature. I also love mowing, landscaping, and working on our yard.
My favorite drink is Diet Coke and my favorite baked sweet is a cinnamon roll.
Mrs. Imel
The students had so many great things to say about her, and really appreciate all she does for MES. One student wrote, "She is very kind and will always come to the rescue!" Here is a little about Mrs. Imel:
This is my 8th year at MES as the MLL teacher! Prior to this position, I had stayed home with my two sons, Andrew who is now a sophomore and Isaac who is a 7th grader! Before that I taught preschool, 6th grade and mostly 2nd grade! I am married to Steve Imel who is an electrical engineer at Jayco/Entegra Coaches. Our boys both love music and are in show choir and enjoy being involved in our church's youth group at Brennemen Missionary Church. We have two cats, Cleo and Patches and a dog, Cody! I love to spend time outside when it is nice and tend to our garden, flowers and yard. I also love to watch the birds, deer and other wildlife visit our backyard! When it isn't as easy to be outside, my family loves to play board games or have a pizza and movie night!
My favorite thing about MES is that it reminds me a lot of where I went to school when I was in elementary school. MES is a special place with special people! It truly does feel like a second family! My position as the MLL teacher is special because I get to work with small groups of students and help them grow in their learning! I love learning new words in other languages and also about other cultures. It has been so rewarding to see how hard our MLL students work to understand what is expected of them, especially those who have started here not knowing any English! I am VERY proud of them! I have been greatly blessed with this job at MES!
I guess a favorite drink of mine would be a fresh strong cup of coffee with just regular creamer and I'd say it is very hard to turn down an Essenhaus twisty glazed roll!
Do you shop at Hardings?
Did you know Harding's offers community rewards? This is a way you can help earn money for MES doing something you would normally do! Information on how to sign up is at this link. When you shop just enter your phone number at check out. So simple!
Cafeteria News:
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING MENU CHANGE: Friday, March 28th will be Beach Day. The menu will be a ham and cheese sandwich, Sun Chips, and fresh fruits and veggies.
Join us for some fun themed days this month!
March 3rd - 7th is National School Breakfast week. Eat breakfast with us and see what special prize you get. Monday, March 3rd is Dr. Seuss's birthday. We will have a special popping treat! Thursday, March 6th is National Oreo Day. Have an Oreo cookie with us! Monday, March 17th we will have a St. Patrick's Day treat. Monday, March 31st is National Crayon Day. Come see our colorful treats!
