Pleasant Lake Elementary School is a small rural school that offers a comprehensive curriculum to meet the needs of each child. Our school goal “Improving Reading Comprehension for All Students” and our commitment to literacy includes the implementation of research-based instructional models.

Accreditation
We are accredited by the state of Indiana. Pleasant Lake Elementary has received extensive recognition from the state. Awards include: “Indiana Buddy System Technology Grant” (1989-1998), “Indiana 200 Designation” (1992), “Indiana Blue Ribbon School” 2000-2001, and “Four Star School Award” for 1997-98, 1998-99,2000-01, 2001-02 designating Pleasant Lake Elementary in the top 25% of all schools in the state for achievement in language arts and mathematics and school attendance.

Pleasant Lake Elementary completed their last Indiana State Performance Based Accreditation study during the 2014-2015 school year and has been awarded full accreditation by the Indiana State School Board through the fall of 2020. Our school staff reviews and evaluates our yearly goals and sets new goals for each school year using information from our parents, students, staff, and community stakeholders, district goals, and current and projected needs. We meet the qualifications for Indiana Public Law 221 every year.

Metropolitan School District of Steuben County"Lighting The Way" Pleasant Lake Elementary

School Demographic Information And Overview, 1915 - 2020
Pleasant Lake Elementary School is located in the town of Pleasant Lake, 4 miles south of Angola, in Steuben, the farthest northeast county of Indiana. The current population is 125 students. Our school has its own beach on Pleasant Lake at the back of the property. The ethnic diversity is .07% with 52.7% of our students being female and 47.2% being male. 28% of our students are on the federal free or reduced lunch program. Our community is largely a lower middle to middle level working class that travels to outlying areas for the jobs or farms within our community. Our school building dates from 1915 and has served not only as an educational facility for more than 84 years, but has been the center of community and organizational meetings and events as well. Our school demographics are: 94.4% White, 4 students 2.8% Hispanic, 0% Black, 0% Asian, 3 students 2.1% Multi-racial, and 0% Native Hawaiian.  Our schools free and reduced population is 46.6% with Reduced being 15.3% and free is 31.3%, and our special education population is 18 students 12.5% encompassing the following special needs areas: Specific Learning Disabilities, Other Health Impairments, Speech and Language impairments. Pleasant Lake currently does not have an English Learner population. Pleasant Lake has a certified faculty of 12 full-time, and 1 part-time. Our school has 9 full time support staff personnel.  We provide all core content curriculum as well as physical education, music education, and visual arts programs.Our teaching and learning curriculum embeds the Indiana College and Career Ready and content standards. Instructional strategies are evidence based including focus on Depth of Knowledge, individual learning goals, and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS).

Our school has diversified technology opportunities for students including one-to-one devices (Chromebooks), instructional classroom display equipment, digital curriculum resources including blended adopted materials, G Suite for Education tools, content creation tools and a learning management system (Google Classroom) for delivering instruction.  These technology tools provide our school and district with the opportunity for e-learning days for all students.

Our school also embraces the social and emotional needs of students through Makerspace Mornings before school start time, an in-school support (ISS) classroom that utilizes sensory equipment and brain-based practices, counselor-led social and emotional lessons with all students twice per month.

Pleasant Lake Elementary provides enrichment and extended day activities including the district-wide Base Camp Program, a variety of ECAs (checkers, running, STEAM, Baking, Drama, and Garden), Bible Club, Off-Site Afterschool Childcare, and PTO Sponsored Family Events (Dances, School Carnival, Themed Book Fairs, BINGO night, Game Night, and Carnegie Library Night).  Our school holds school assemblies, Field Day, Science Fair, Student Council, Recycling Team, Career Day, Guest Speakers (TOMA the Mime, McMillen Health, Science Central, Ft. Wayne Zoomobile), and other co-curricular events. Our Title I program sponsors quarterly family nights focusing on literacy and learning. Trine University and other community leaders participate in Read Across America at Pleasant Lake Elementary. 

Our students extend their learning outside the classroom on field trips to Sauder’s Village, Ft. Wayne Zoo, Pokagon State Park, Tibbits Opera House, Trine University Campus, Fort Wayne TinCaps Reading Incentive/ Ballgame, Shrine Circus, Walk Into My Future Day, Local Orchards, and various walking field trips to community locations. All grade levels at Pleasant Lake completed service learning projects in our community. Pleasant Lake Elementary holds an annual Veteran’s Day Program, Christmas Program, 5th Grade Graduation, Grandparent’s Day Program, and Meet the Teacher Night. These events are open to all stakeholders.

Pleasant Lake School is part of the Metropolitan School District of Steuben County. Our central office administration include Dr. Brent Wilson, Superintendent; Ann Rice, Associate Superintendent; Cyndi Nusbaum, Coordinator of Instruction; Chantell Manahan, Technology Coordinator; Monte VanGessel, Business Manager; Gary Puckett Transportation Director Nancy Irwin; Safety Director; and Stephanie Haynes-Clifford, Food Service Director.

We are innovators at Pleasant Lake Elementary School. We feel that our accomplishments in educating our students have been vast.