Middie News - October 2026

Posted Date: 09/30/26 (04:00 PM)

MIDDIE NEWS

Middlebury Elementary School - October 2026

OUR MISSION

The mission of Middlebury Elementary School, in cooperation with family and community, is to develop compassionate, productive, and responsible citizens and life-long learners.

OCTOBER CALENDAR

((SEPTEMBER 28-OCTOBER 1 - BOOK FAIR))

1 - KINDERGARTEN FIELD TRIP TO KERCHER'S, 9:15-1:00

2 - ROUNDBELLY PIZZA ORDERS AND MONEY DUE

13- SCHOOL BOARD MEETING 4 PM @ AD CENTER

14 - PTO MEETING 3:30 PM

19 - PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES

19- PIZZA PICK-UP DAY, 2:15-7:00 PM

20 - PICTURE RETAKE DAY

(MUST RETURN ORIGINAL PACKET)

20 - PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES

21 - CLASSROOM FALL PARTIES

21 - KINDERGARTEN WALKING FIELD TRIP

22-26 - FALL BREAK, NO SCHOOL

News from Mr. Hostetler, our Principal

We are in the season of Fall already! I love the crisp air in the morning and the changing colors of the leaves. Fall brings cooler weather, so make sure your children come to school with warm clothes and jackets.

Parent/Teacher conferences will be on Monday, October 19th, and Tuesday, October 20th. More information will be coming home with your child. Please take the time to meet with your child's teacher. This is a wonderful opportunity to see how your child is growing at school.

AFTERNOON PICKUP - Please let the office know if someone other than a parent/guardian will be picking up your child. We cannot send a child with someone unless you have approved the change.

If you have any questions at any time, don't hesitate to call the school at 574-825-2158.

News from Mr. Peery, our School Counselor

Blessings In A Backpack

MES will again be working with the Blessings In A Backpack program this year. Blessings In A Backpack is an organization that provides extra food for students to take home with them on Fridays to help provide over the weekend. Items are usually fairly easy to make and "kid friendly." If your student has already participated in Blessings In A Backpack last year, they will automatically be signed up for this year.

Participation is FREE and there is no qualification process, all you have to do is ask to be signed up. If you are interested in this program for your child, please contact Mr. Peery through ParentSquare or at peeryb@mcsin-k12.org.

Important Attendance Update

Dear Middlebury Families,

Starting October 14, 2026, Middlebury Community Schools will be using ParentSquare Attendance Plus to strengthen how we support student attendance. This means you may hear from us more with messages about your student’s attendance, including:

Celebration messages about attendance milestones and improvements
Check-ins when your student is absent more frequently
Digital attendance letters through ParentSquare when certain absence levels are reached, instead of paper letters sent by mail

You’ll receive these attendance-related communications the same way you receive other Middlebury Community School updates and notifications through ParentSquare.

For more information about how to use ParentSquare for attendance, here are some helpful resources for your reference:

If you have questions about your student's attendance, please contact Middlebury Elementary School at 574-825-2158

Thank you for being our partner in supporting your students’ attendance!

Sincerely,

Marion Hostetler

Principal

Middlebury Elementary School

News from Mrs. Gleim, our Nurse

As we head into cold and flu season, I want to remind you of our sick policy. If your student has a temperature of 100.4 or higher, they must stay home for 24 hours after it breaks without the help of medicine. If your student is vomiting or has diarrhea due to illness, they must stay home for 24 hours after the last episode without the help of medicine. If your student has a very persistent cough that you think would interfere with their ability to participate in the school day, they should stay home. Also, rashes that are blistering or spreading should be evaluated by a doctor before your student returns to school.

Please keep a seasonally appropriate change of clothes in your child's backpack. Accidents happen, there can be spills in the cafeteria, and the playground can be wet and muddy. The clinic is running low on several sizes (especially for little boys) and may not have clothes to share.

Middlebury Schools is always looking for substitute nurses! If you or someone you know is interested, I would love to talk with you!

Background Checks

To better protect the safety of our students, Middlebury schools changed our policy on background checks. There was a letter explaining this new process in everyone's grey registration folder. The standard free background check will still apply to most instances of visiting or volunteering. However, if you would like to chaperone field trips, there is now a higher level of screening that has a cost. This screening is good for two years. Background checks are good across all Middlebury schools - if you have students in multiple buildings, you do NOT need to do multiple background checks. Due to the nature of the new screening process, ALL background checks need to be filled out online. Thank you in advance for your cooperation in helping keep the safety of our students a top priority. If you have any questions, please contact the office.

Link to Background Check

Music News from Mr. Loar

2026 -2027 Music Program Dates

Second Grade - December 10, 2026 @ 6PM

Third Grade - March 18, 2027 @ 6PM

First Grade - May 6, 2027 @ 6PM

Physical Education News from Mrs. Frey

Gym Shoes

All students should have a set of gym shoes that are not black soled to keep at school. Please contact Mrs. Frey or Mrs. Gleim if assistance is needed.

Library News from Mrs. Wingard

A colorful, nautical-themed sign with the text 'Please remember to send library books in on Mondays!' flanked by watercolor sailboats.

PTO NEWS

🌼 THANK YOU, MES FAMILIES!

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who participated in our Mum Fundraiser! We are so grateful for your support and for helping make our fundraiser a success. Every purchase helps the PTO continue supporting our students, teachers, and school throughout the year. 💙🍽️ DID YOU KNOW?

Did you know the PTO provides dinner for our teachers during Parent-Teacher Conferences?

Conference days are long ones for our amazing MES staff, and we love being able to provide them with a meal while they are here meeting with families.

Want to help? We would love your support!

🔗Look out for the sign-up link to be posted on Parent Square! A flyer will also be sent home with students!

📅 JOIN US!

Our next PTO meeting is:

Wednesday, October 14

📍 Middlebury Elementary Library

We’d love to have you join us! Childcare is available for school-aged children, so bring the kids and come see what PTO is all about. Everyone is welcome! 💙

🥪 LOOKING AHEAD…

Mark your calendar for our next Middlebury Elementary Give Back!

Jimmy John’s

📅 November 2

More details coming soon — plan for an easy dinner while supporting MES! 🎉

Thank you for continuing to support our students, staff, and school!

— Middlebury Elementary PTO

MES Staff Spotlight

A welcome flyer for Kathryn Ann Gaskill, Art Teacher at Middlebury Elementary, featuring her photo and a biography paragraph.

News from the Middie Cafe

Welcome to October! Tuesday, October 6th, is National Taco Day. Join us for Taco Tuesday! October 13th is National M&M Day. Have an M&M treat with us at lunch that day! Join us on October 30th for our spooky lunch menu.

Link to October Breakfast Menu

Link to October Lunch Menu

Afternoon Transportation Changes

If you need to change how your child will be going home (for example, being picked up instead of riding the bus), please send a note in your child's backpack or contact the office as soon as possible during the day. The office can get very busy towards the end of the day - especially the first few days of school - and the earlier we know the better. Thank you!

Attendance Policy

Students are expected to be in school except in cases of emergency, illness, or school-approved absences. Parents should call the school office on the day a student is absent (825-2158). A message will be sent if no parent contact is made by 8:30 AM. A doctor's statement may be required for an extended illness.

Youth Basketball

Youth basketball leagues, run by the high school coaches and players, begin soon for both boys and girls. If you would still like to sign up, see the Parent Square messages sent earlier or contact the school.

Late Start Wednesday

Just a reminder that Wednesdays are LATE START days. Every Wednesday we will start at 8:05. Busses will arrive about 25 minutes later than other days and our doors will open 25 minutes later than other days.