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Elm Road Kindergarteners Celebrate Thanksgiving with a Homemade Feast

Elm Road Kindergarten Thanksgiving 11-25-25 (15) Elm Road Elementary’s kindergarteners got an early start on the Thanksgiving celebrations with a special classroom feast.

Students enjoyed a homemade meal that included noodles, mashed potatoes, cornbread, and mini pumpkin pies complete with whipped cream.

In the days prior to the feast, the kindergarteners helped prepare for the event, even making the noodles themselves! Elm Road Kindergarten Thanksgiving 11-25-25 (15)

The students started off the meal thinking of one thing they were thankful for before eating.

The festive feast was made possible thanks to the support of dedicated parent volunteers, who helped prepare and serve the meal.

Click here to view the full photo gallery.

Kindergarten Students Learn About “Wiggling Worms”

Elm Road Kindergarten Wiggly Worms Presentation

As part of Elm Road Elementary’s ongoing STEM Community Partners Program, kindergarten students recently participated in “The Wiggling Worms” presentation—an engaging, hands-on lesson all about soil health and decomposers.

A representative from the St. Joseph County Soil & Water Conservation District led the session, helping students discover the important role that earthworms play in keeping our soil healthy. Students observed live worms up close and even conducted simple “worm experiments” to see how these tiny creatures move and interact with their environment.

Through fun and interactive learning, students gained a better understanding of how decomposers contribute to a thriving ecosystem—one wiggle at a time!

Elm Road’s STEM Community Partners Program connects classrooms with local experts and organizations to bring real-world science, technology, engineering, and math experiences to students. To learn more about the program and other STEM learning at Elm Road, visit Elm Road’s STEM Certified School page.

Young boy sitting at a table in a library, holding a flashlight.

Boy holding a small glass dome at a table in a room.

Two children examining a microscope on a table.

Young girl in pink shirt holding a small glass dome.

Woman in white shirt pouring blue liquid into cups at a table surrounded by children.

People gathered around a table with numerous petri dishes containing small insects, some of which are being observed under

Children in a library, sitting at tables, looking at books.

Children sitting at a table in a classroom. A young boy is holding a green toy. The teacher is standing behind the children.

Children sitting at tables in a library.

Woman standing behind table of children engaged in activity.

Woman holding a sign with a diagram of an animal in front of a room full of books and toys.

Small child sitting at table in school room, smiling at camera.

Young boy sitting at a table in a classroom setting, smiling and looking directly at the camera.

Young girl sitting at a table in a restaurant, looking down at her hands clasped together.

Young girl sitting at table in library, smiling at camera, holding a small object in her hand.

Little girl sitting at table in classroom, smiling at camera.

Elm Road Eagles See Steady IREAD Growth

Elm Road’s third graders posted an 84.4% IREAD pass rate in 2025, rising from 77.3% in 2024. This steady 7.1-point gain reflects the hard work of our students, the dedication of our staff, and strong family support.

“Our students put into practice the literacy foundations taught by P-H-M’s dedicated teachers, and their families reinforced that learning at home. I also thank our principals, administrators, and support staff who worked tirelessly to provide the best and safest learning environments so our students could excel.” — Superintendent Dr. Heather Short

P-H-M as a whole achieved 93.7% IREAD proficiency, up from 86.8% last year—the district’s largest gain ever.

Click here for more information on P-H-M’s overall 2025 IREAD district success.

Our Eagles are ready to soar to even greater heights this year.

Elm Road Earns as STEM Certification for 5 More Years!

The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) announced today (Friday, May 23) that it will be renewing Elm Road’s STEM Certification for an additional five years!

This Certification means that our school is a certified institutional leader in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. Click here for more information on the IDOE’s STEM Certification process. Our school completed a rigorous application and review process, which must be repeated every five years to remain certified.

The IDOE first named Elm Road a STEM Certified school in 2020.

Created in 2015, the IDOE’s STEM Certification program recognizes schools committed to teaching STEM disciplines beyond the classroom. STEM Certification exemplifies a highly innovative approach to education, employing a great deal of inquiry, project-based learning, community engagement, entrepreneurship, student-centered classrooms, integration into humanities and related arts and out-of-school STEM activities. For secondary schools in particular, earning STEM Certification requires heightened intention and coordination in terms of vision, scheduling and interdisciplinary collaboration. More than 100 schools statewide hold STEM Certification.

We also congratulate our fellow P-H-M elementary school, Northpoint, for receiving their first time certification!