Principal's Message
By Ashley Groeneveld, Elm Middle School Principal
Welcome Cougar Students & Families,
My name is Ashley Groeneveld, and I am so excited to enter my fifth year serving as the Principal of Elm Middle School. I am delighted to welcome our new and returning students, families, and staff to the 2024-25 school year. The Elm team is eager to begin working with our students and parents to promote a highly collaborative learning environment that challenges our students to be the best version of themselves.
Our theme for the year, "Going for Gold,” signifies our commitment to challenging all students to achieve their highest potential in academics and throughout our school community, including athletics, clubs, and activities. We encourage our students to strive for greatness in every endeavor, every day!
Elm Middle School is a very special place; in that, it is the first time children across the Elmwood Park community join together to create a united community of learners. We recognize the unique experiences each of our students bring to Elm Middle School and feel fortunate to have the opportunity to nurture a collaborative, warm environment to support our students as they transition from elementary into middle school.
At Elm Middle School, our entire staff’s goal is to provide all of our students with a nurturing environment in which they can take risks as learners and feel both challenged and supported in their academic endeavors while building meaningful relationships with others. Our students are at a critical stage in their lives where they are learning to understand themselves as young adults. To support each student, Elm Middle School embeds a substantial social-emotional learning focus throughout the day to ensure that our students are developing intellectually with an understanding of themselves as citizens of the world. Further, it is our hope that our students become fully ingrained in our school community; we seek to have all of our students be involved in an extracurricular activity where they can expand their interests and gain new experiences. Get ready for an action-packed year of learning, fun and excitement!
I look forward to communicating with you about all things Elm as the year unfolds in my weekly newsletters, called the Cougar Courier. You can expect these newsletters each Friday.
The home-school partnership is incredibly important in supporting our growing learners. I look forward to partnering with you to support your child on this journey. As always, if you have any questions, concerns or anything you’d like to discuss please don’t hesitate to contact me directly.
Most Sincerely,
Mrs. Ashley L. Groeneveld
Principal