At a Glance | Elm


Elm Middle School provides a comprehensive, standards-based public education to students in grades 6-8 as part of Elmwood Park Community Unit School District 401.

Our school is located in Elmwood Park, Ill., a Near West suburb of Chicago with a population of about 25,000. Our nickname is the Cougars, and our school colors are red and black. We are District 401's only middle school. Elm offers a rigorous three-year curriculum organized within the framework of our College & Career Pathways program.

Our final total enrollment for 2021-22 was 675 students.*

  • 6th Grade: 212
  • 7th Grade: 243
  • 8th Grade: 220

*PLEASE NOTE: All enrollment figures were final for 2021-22 as of May 26, 2022.


Elm's Mission Statement


The faculty, staff, students and community of Elm Middle School are devoted to academic excellence. In addition, we feel it is important for students to develop a sense of self-esteem and confidence in order to ensure success in high school and to enable them to make the correct decisions that will guide them later in life. We believe in individual differences, responsible behavior and an obligation of students to serve their community.


Address and Map


Elm Middle School, 7607 W. Cortland St., Elmwood Park, IL 60707



Administration


If you would like to email any of the individuals listed below, please click the name of the person you want to reach. The main office phone number is 708-452-3550.


Title

Name

Phone

Principal

Ms. Ashley Groeneveld

708-452-3550

Assistant Principal

Mr. David Parolin

708-452-3550

Dean of Students Mr. Michael Goodman 708-452-3550

Office Staff


To email any of the individuals listed below, please click the name of the person you want to reach. The main office phone number is 708-452-3550.


Title

Name

Phone

Principal’s Secretary

Ms. Maria Vargas

708-583-6225

Attendance Office Clerk

Ms. Jean Tito

708-583-6226


Main Office Contact Information


If you want to reach us by email, please use the general information email address listed below, or send your message to the appropriate individual listed elsewhere on this page.


Phone

Fax

General Email

Office Hours

708-452-3550

708-452-0662

elminfo@epcusd401.org

7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays
(Closed during winter and summer breaks)


Reporting Absences


Each day a student is absent from school, the absence must be reported to Elm's attendance clerk. To do this, parents/guardians have two options:

  • OPTION 1 — Contact the attendance clerk by phone or email. 
  • OPTION 2 (new) — Submit an absence form via PowerSchool's parent portal or app.

Please scroll down for information about each option.

OPTION 1: PHONE OR EMAIL

To report an absence by phone or email:

  • If calling, use the attendance voicemail at 708-583-6600 before 9 a.m. on the day of the absence.
  • If emailing, use elmattendance@epcusd401.org before 9 a.m. on the day of the absence.

Parents/guardians should leave the following information:

  1. Student name and year in school (please spell your child's last name).
  2. Student ID number.
  3. Date of absence.
  4. Reason for absence, and the name and daytime phone number of the parent.

OPTION 2: POWERSCHOOL

To report an absence via PowerSchool's parent portal or app, follow the directions in this video:

As noted above, a parent or legal guardian is required to contact Elm's attendance clerk every day the student is absent from school. If the contact is not received before 9 a.m. on the day of the absence, the absence will be considered unexcused.


When In-Person Instruction Is Not Possible


When weather conditions become too severe for in-person instruction, remote learning days will be used in lieu of canceling school.

With this in mind, families are advised to make it a habit for their students to bring their Chromebooks home every night.

In the event of a remote learning day due to severe weather or other emergency, we will post notifications to students, parents, employees and community via multiple media sources.


If You Visit Elm


All visitors to Elm Middle School during hours when students are present must sign in and out at the visitor check-in area and obtain a visitor’s badge.

School-age visitors are not permitted during school hours.


School Hours for Students


Full Day

Breakfast

Entrance

Start of Classes

Dismissal

Bus

Late Bus

Tuesdays-Fridays

7:35 a.m.

7:45 a.m.

7:55 a.m.

3:09 p.m.

3:15 p.m.

4:15 p.m.

Early Release Breakfast Entrance Start of Classes Dismissal Bus Late Bus
Mondays 7:35 a.m. 7:45 a.m. 7:55 a.m. 2:09 p.m. 2:15 p.m. TBA

Fast Facts