Mills Elementary School

January 22, 2025

A Note From The Principal

Dear Families,

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day- School Holiday 1/20

A reminder that students did not attend classes on January 20, 2025 for the observance of Martin Luther King Day. This federal holiday marks the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King led the charge for nonviolent activism during the Civil Rights Movement. This movement protested racial discrimination in state and federal laws. Martin Luther King Day commemorates the life and work of Dr. King. Coretta Scott King explains, "The holiday must be substantive as well as symbolic. It must be more than a day of celebration . . . Let this holiday be a day of reflection, a day of teaching nonviolent philosophy and strategy, a day of getting involved in nonviolent action for social and economic progress."

If you would like to learn more about this important holiday, please review these resources:

Resources for Martin Luther King Day- This article from Edutopia contains 6 resources for MLK Day and a link to an article about how to honor the legacy of Dr. King throughout the year. The resources and activities can be used for K-12.
Listenwise- This resource hosts a collection of National Public Radio podcasts about the civil rights movement as well as contemporary stories about contemporary civil rights activism. The podcasts include discussion questions to promote conversation.
Search MLKDay.gov. This AmeriCorps site allows you to search Martin Luther King Day virtual and in-person volunteer opportunities in your community.
PBS Learning Media- This collection of curated resources, including videos, is an excellent resource for teachers and families to use for students in grades PK-12.

Special Dragon Dance at Mills in celebration of Lunar New Year

We're excited to welcome the Texas Dragon/Lion Dance team to Mills on Friday, Jan 24! Although this is a student and staff only event, we're sure your child will come home excited to share with you about this fun and culturally enriching experience! Visit this link to learn more about the Dragon Dance: https://tddt.org/

Learn how to support your child with navigating Mathematics throughout their elementary years and beyond!

Mark your calendars for Thursday, Jan 30 at 8am. We're excited to welcome Jennifer Jones, Austin ISD's Elementary Director of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) to Mills. Additionally, a few Mills teachers will join to share their experience/insights in teaching elementary Math. We'll have tasty breakfast treats and light refreshments available as well for the event.

Sick Child? The protocol for reporting an absence can be completed through this link:

https://www.austinisd.org/attendance/report-absence

Still need assistance? Please contact Kristi.thomason@austinisd.org

Join Us for the January Principal Coffee Spotlighting Elementary Mathematics!

Books Needed for Book Swap!

Join us for the 2nd Annual Mills Book Swap on February 1, from 1 PM to 4 PM in the library! We're seeking donations of gently used books from your personal collections. It's the perfect opportunity for some early spring cleaning—send those books that have been gathering dust on your shelves to school with your children and help us make this event a success!

Dates to Remember

1/24- Lunar New Year Dragon Dance (Students Only)

1/27- January Campus Advisory Council (CAC) Meeting, 3:30pm Google Meets

1/29- Student Holiday (No School), Staff Professional Learning Day, Lunar New Year

1/30- January Principal Coffee, 8am Library

February is Black History Month

2/1- Mills Around the World 1pm-4pm; Campus Book Swap (Library) 2pm

2/3- School Counselor Appreciation Week

2/3- February Campus Advisory Council (CAC) Meeting, 3:30pm Google Meets

2/4- STAAR Interim Assessment: 5th Grade Reading

2/5- STAAR Interim Assessment: 5th Grade Science

2/6- STAAR Interim Assessment: 5th Grade Math

2/10- 100th Day of School!! School Fundraiser Kickoff!

2/12- 12- STAAR Interim Assessments: 3rd Grade & 4th Grade Math & Reading

2/17- Spring Parent/Caregiver Conference Day- No School for Students

2/24- Food Services Worker Appreciation Week

3/3- March Campus Advisory Council (CAC) Meeting, 3:30pm Google Meets

3/14- No School for Students- District PLED Day

3/17-3/21- Spring Break

Do You Know How to Access Your AISD Parent Portal?

Families of Austin ISD students can enter the portal to access their student's grades, attendance, bus routes, lunch information, and to access ENROLL AUSTIN yearly registration/application process.

Frontline (Parent) Self Serve-

Update student information, view report cards, and set attendance notifications, etc. https://docs.google.com/.../1RkJBQ7lUXfeVHw3NchYp.../edit...

How do you access Self-Serve?

Families must first log into the AISD Portal (https://portal.austinisd.org) and then select the Parent Self-Serve tile on the dashboard.

Priority Registration for SY 25-26

Enroll Austin Priority Registration opened on November 6, 2024. Families will be able to register for their SY 2025-2026 neighborhood school or to submit an application to another school, including admissions-based programs (i.e. Magnet). Be sure and choose the 2025-2026 school year when registering.

If you have questions or need support, please contact Kristi Thomason at kristi.thomason@austinisd.org

https://www.austinisd.org/sites/default/files/dept/ctfc/docs/Calendar_2024_2025_4.pdf

Campus Recognition

It's always a GREAT day to be a Mountain Lion and we're extremely proud to be recognized as one of the top schools in the state by US News & World Report: https://austin.culturemap.com/news/city-life/best-elementary-middle-schools-list/