Important Dates

Monday 10/12 - NO SCHOOL (Columbus Day/Indigenous People's Day)

Thursday 10/15 - Special Lunch (Pronto)

Wednesday 10/21 - Unity Day (wear orange to school)

Wednesday 10/21, 3:30-7:30pm - Family Volunteer Event: Trunk or Treat

Thursday 10/22 - Special Lunch (Noodles & Co)

Friday 10/23 - last day to enter Book Character Pumpkin Contest

Monday 10/26 - Elm spiritwear online store closes

Tuesday 10/27 - Author Visit: Aaron Reynolds

Tuesday 10/27 - Underwear Donation Drive

Tuesday 10/27, 4-8pm - Chipotle Night

Friday 10/30 9am - Costume Parade (parents welcome to attend)

Monday 11/2 - NO SCHOOL (Institute Day)

Tuesday 11/3 - NO SCHOOL (General Election Day)

Saturday 11/14, 11:30-1:15pm - Family Volunteer Event: Feed My Starving Children

Principal's Corner

Satchel Pulse Social Emotional Screener

Elementary students and teachers will once again participate in the Satchel Pulse Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener, a tool to help us monitor and improve the social-emotional skills of all our students. Teachers of students in grades KG-5th will complete the screener about their students, while students in grades 3rd-5th will complete the screener about themselves. SEL skills include developing healthy habits, managing emotions, setting and achieving goals, developing empathy for others, establishing and maintaining supportive relationships, collaborating with others, and making responsible and caring decisions. 

Satchel Pulse is a student-friendly screener with 25 simple questions, which will be administered during October and February. Students and teachers will complete the screener which includes self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship, and responsible decision-making questions.  Information gained from this screener will provide our school teams with additional insight to best support our students’ social, emotional, and academic growth. If you have any questions related to the Satchel Pulse screener, please contact your building principal. 

 

🧡Unity Day🧡

We’re excited to celebrate Unity Day on Wednesday, October 21, with a day focused on kindness, empathy, and inclusion—core values at Elm School. Let’s turn our school orange! Students are encouraged to wear orange to show their support for kindness and a bully-free school.

Throughout the day, students will enjoy a read-aloud, reflect on the meaning of Unity Day, and talk about ways we can build a kinder, more inclusive community. As a school, we’ll also create a paper kindness chain, with every student and staff member adding a link to represent our commitment to kindness and the important role each of us plays in making Elm a welcoming place for everyone.

 

Technology Ambassadors

We are pleased to embark on the fourth year of the Tech Ambassadors leadership program at Elm School.  Students who complete the application process and are chosen as Tech Ambassadors will serve as leaders within our school and district. 

Grades 2-3 will meet during lunch/recess once a month

Grades 4-5 will meet every other Friday morning before school

 

Goals and Mission of the Tech Ambassadors: 

• To develop leadership skills in order to help their school community

• To serve as technology integration leaders in their school

• To foster positive digital citizenship

 

We ask both new and returning students to indicate their interest in the program by October 23rd.  Please discuss this opportunity with your child prior to starting the application process. If your student would like to apply for the Tech Ambassadors program, please have him/her complete this Google Form by October 23rd. We cannot accept applications submitted after this date. 

 

One-Day School-Wide Collection

On October 27th, in conjunction with our author visit from Aaron Reynolds, author of Creepy Pair of Underwear!, Elm will be hosting a one-day underwear drive to benefit BEDS Plus. Underwear is currently BEDS Plus’ most requested item, so we thought this would be a fun and meaningful way to connect our author visit with an opportunity to help our community, which is our October SuperHero Theme, "Be a Hero to our Local Community." We encourage our families and students to participate by sending in new, packaged underwear on October 27th. All sizes are welcome!

underwear drive

Library News

Book Character Pumpkin Contest 2026
Unleash your Maker Mindset to transform a pumpkin into any book character! Harry Potter, Pete the Cat, Fancy Nancy, Wild Robot, Dog Man...the sky’s the limit!
  • Real pumpkins will NOT be accepted due to our district allergy policy. Foam pumpkins can be found at stores like Target, Michaels or Hobby Lobby.

  • Participation is voluntary. Students choosing to participate must provide their own pumpkins and decorating materials. Yarn, construction paper, pipe cleaners, permanent markers, felt, paint, tacky glue or hot glue work well.

  • Students are encouraged to display the matching book or cover, if possible. Please make sure names are inside any personal books.

  • Students may enter as a family with siblings. The pumpkin will be judged with the grade level of the oldest sibling in the group.

  • Special category this year: Aaron Reynolds' Creepy Pumpkins! Since Aaron Reynolds will be visiting Elm on October 27th, he will get to select his favorite Creepy Carrot, Creepy Underwear, Creepy Crayon or Jasper Rabbit pumpkin for a special prize!

Entries may be brought to the Elm Library from Wednesday, October 14th through Friday, October 23rd. No late entries will be accepted. Voting will be the week of October 26th during library classes.

  • There will be one winner from each grade level. Winners will be announced on the morning announcements on October 30th, and will receive a free book at our November book fair. Pumpkins must be taken home by Friday, November 6th.

  • Please fill out the attached entry form when you turn in your pumpkin.

Any questions, please email Mrs. Petersen at spetersen@d181.org.

Family Volunteer Events - Sign-ups

TRUNK OR TREAT - Wednesday, October 21st, 3:30-7:30pm @ Wellness House, Hinsdale

trunk with QR final

 

FEED MY STARVING CHILDREN - Saturday, November 14th, 11:30-1:15pm @ FMSC, Aurora

FMSC canva QR 9.23

Spiritwear Store Open 10/5-10/26

Elm spiritwear is here!!! Check out all the fun new designs! The online store is open 10/5-10/26, and orders will be ready by mid November. 

ELM Spiritwear FALL 2026 FLYER

Order Your Yearbook by 10/31 for 10% off

ElmElementarySchool_10OffENG_2026-10-02-page-001

Student Clubs: Color Your Calm Club

 

COLOR YOUR CALM CLUB: Mrs. Bass and Mrs. Namik are hosting Color Your Calm Club on Mondays during recess. Students will learn mindfulness strategies and enjoy relaxing coloring time.

coloryourcalmclub

Thank you to our Premier Sponsors!

24 x 36 Premier Sign

Principal's Corner

Satchel Pulse Social Emotional Screener

Elementary students and teachers will once again participate in the Satchel Pulse Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener, a tool to help us monitor and improve the social-emotional skills of all our students. Teachers of students in grades KG-5th will complete the screener about their students, while students in grades 3rd-5th will complete the screener about themselves. SEL skills include developing healthy habits, managing emotions, setting and achieving goals, developing empathy for others, establishing and maintaining supportive relationships, collaborating with others, and making responsible and caring decisions. 

Satchel Pulse is a student-friendly screener with 25 simple questions, which will be administered during October and February. Students and teachers will complete the screener which includes self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship, and responsible decision-making questions.  Information gained from this screener will provide our school teams with additional insight to best support our students’ social, emotional, and academic growth. If you have any questions related to the Satchel Pulse screener, please contact your building principal. 

 

Walk and Roll to School Day

Elm School is participating in National Walk to School Day on Wednesday, October 7. Parents and students are all invited to walk or bike to school. This movement aims to inspire our school community to come together to promote health and safer routes for students to walk and bike to school. 

 

🧡Unity Day🧡

We’re excited to celebrate Unity Day on Wednesday, October 21, with a day focused on kindness, empathy, and inclusion—core values at Elm School. Let’s turn our school orange! Students are encouraged to wear orange to show their support for kindness and a bully-free school.

Throughout the day, students will enjoy a read-aloud, reflect on the meaning of Unity Day, and talk about ways we can build a kinder, more inclusive community. As a school, we’ll also create a paper kindness chain, with every student and staff member adding a link to represent our commitment to kindness and the important role each of us plays in making Elm a welcoming place for everyone.

 

One-Day School-Wide Collection

On October 27th, in conjunction with our author visit from Aaron Reynolds, author of Creepy Pair of Underwear!, Elm will host a one-day underwear drive to benefit BEDS Plus. Underwear is currently BEDS Plus’ most requested item, so we thought this would be a fun and meaningful way to connect our author visit with an opportunity to help our community, which aligns with our October SuperHero Theme, "Be a Hero to our Local Community." We encourage our families and students to participate by sending in new, packaged underwear on October 27th. All sizes are welcome!

underwear drive