Shimek
Elementary School
Meet Our Principal
Welcome to Shimek Elementary School, and thank you for sharing with us your most precious gift! We are honored and humbled to work with you and your child.
Shimek Elementary is a special place where all children are cared for, feel safe, and where their own unique styles of learning are EMBRACED. Our teachers and staff work hard to INSPIRE our students with engaging instruction, high expectations, and a desire to meet each child where they are in order to help them grow. Our ultimate goal is to promote EXCELLENCE in every child who walks through our doors, helping them to realize and reach their fullest potential — preparing them for the future. Embracing and Inspiring Excellence is what we do and who we are.
On behalf of the entire Shimek family, welcome to our community.
Welcome home.
Chris Pisarik, Principal
Our School
About Shimek Elementary
The mission of Shimek Elementary School is to meet every child’s needs with compassion and high expectations to positively impact society. This is accomplished by challenging each student with a differentiated, rigorous and creative curriculum taught by a collaborative, caring staff. Shimek will be enriched through the resources and partnership of students, families, and the community.
Shimek Elementary is located at 1400 Grissel Place, a quiet neighborhood surrounded by woods and native prairie in a beautifully landscaped open area. The school is named after a native Iowan, Bohumil Shimek, who made important contributions as a pioneer, geologist, botanist, zoologist, educator, engineer, conservationist, patriot and citizen. Shimek Elementary opened in the fall of 1970 and has an enrollment of approximately 240 students in preschool through grade 5.
Shimek Elementary School is organized into single grade units. Teachers collaborate to meet student needs through flexible grouping patterns, including specialized programs to meet the needs of exceptional learners. Like Professor Shimek, educators at Shimek Elementary strive to provide students with a personalized, well-rounded understanding of what is to be a life-long learner and to help all of our students appreciate and enjoy the learning process.
Especially significant is Shimek’s parent participation, which has made Shimek a family-oriented school. The Shimek Parent-Teachers’ Organization has been instrumental in providing funds for enrichment opportunities and celebrations. Volunteers help in the classrooms and library throughout the year, serving as educational aides, guest speakers and learning resources.
The “Shimek Family” believes there should be an atmosphere of cooperation and respect among students, parents and staff to establish a strong home-school partnership. As partners in education, teachers help students learn, students actively engage in instruction, and parents help reinforce both teacher and student efforts. Through PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention Supports), the expectations of respect, responsibility and resilience are taught and reinforced. It is our goal that students will be on their way to becoming independent, life-long learners who are respectful of all people and individuals who will become responsible and productive global citizens.