Miles ELC Newsletter
November 2023
Monthly Site Council and PTA Zoom Link
Miles PTA Email
Zoom Link
Location: 1400 East Broadway Boulevard, Tucson, AZ, USA
Phone: 520-225-2200
Miles Facebook
😀Parents, please enter your child's absence via ParentVUE😀
Upcoming Events
Friday November 10th, Veterans Day, No School
Tuesday November 14th, Ruby Bridges Day
Saturday November 18th, 9:00-12:00 Garden Workday
Tuesday November 21st, 5:00-6:00 Site Council and Family Engagement Meeting,
6:00-7:00 p.m. PTO Meeting (Zoom Link in Bio)
Thursday and Friday November 23rd and 24th, Thanksgiving Break, No School
Principal's Corner
Hello Miles Mustangs,
I’m excited to bring to you this month’s monthly newsletter. There is a special tribute to Joey, our third grader from Room 5 who lost his life in a horrible car accident. We have great updates on the wonderful programs that make Miles special. And, we have the recently released news to share that Miles is an A-rated school as determined by the State of Arizona. It might just be a newsletter, but it captures the essence of what our school community is. Enjoy!
In Memory of Joey from room 5
Students at Miles decorated our hallways with art to remember Joey and everything he loved. Students and staff came together to decorate an ofrenda: a memorial for Joey and other loved ones who have passed away, letters and other offerings were added for all to enjoy.
It is inspiring to see how our community has come together to support one another during a very difficult time.
Student's Words about Joey
A message from Coach Scott
Hello all,
Sports are underway with girls basketball and boys volleyball. We have home games on November 3rd, 21st, and on the 30th. Come out and cheer for the Mustangs. Looking forward to seeing you all.
Counselor's Corner
As we continued our Character Strong program, students had the opportunity to learn and express Gratitude, for themselves and others. In expressing our gratitude, we need to find value in the small things we usually take for granted. With everything going on in our world, it is easy to highlight what is going wrong in our lives, and that can consume us in our thinking, feeling and behavior. Finding action in our distraction is not an easy task.
Here are some positive outcomes in daily gratitude practice that has been proven to improve mental health:
Model Gratitude: Children often learn by example, so parents can model gratitude in their own behavior and interactions. By using our everyday manners can help children observe the kind words being used regularly. For example, noting how gorgeous the Tucson sunset is, or delicious a meal is, or how great a song playing on Spotify is. They're using their senses to stay grounded in the moment but will also build positive memories they can draw back on as they get older.
Acts of Kindness: Volunteer with your child together to give back to the community. This will be a wonderful way to model gratitude for your child. Whether it be donating or helping your child create something nice for the classroom, it will help them understand that gratitude is not about receiving but making a positive impact. Give to gain doesn't have be a pain, but a quality to attain. Even jotting down some positive words for another person gives you that time to think about those small things. Write them to a peer, a family member, a friend, your boss, or even to yourself. Little things like this can make someone's day when they are least expecting it.
Practice Gratitude Rituals: This can create a healthy habit for students to develop and look forward to. They can make a gratitude journal, or a nightly gratitude discussion to reflect on positive things they experienced during the day. Counting those blessings will help them end on a positive note for the day.
By instilling these values and practices into your home and everyday life, the more likely they will be happy, empathetic and emotionally balanced as they grow into adulthood.
-Alex
Spooky Fall Night - a message from Mustangs for Change
Miles Mustangs, our 2nd annual Fall Spooky night was a Spooktacular success!
The kids had a blast and many hands made light work.
Thank you to all who attended and helped as YOU helped make it happen!
It was great seeing so many families come and show your support.
Funds will help our Miles and Tucson communities.
Garden News
The Joy of Garden Lessons
“So she’s special, like me?” chimed in a second grader curious about the fabric brace one of our chickens wears to help with digestion. These Miles kids learn – and teach - so much more than any lesson plan I start with. Shadows in the ramada helped teach middle school Social Studies, and the meander of ants became a source of observation rather than fear across the grades. Student engagement grew in classes drawing diverse chicken features, and writing and reading diverse egg recipe. Student leaders are growing in Roots & Shoots Club. Problem-solvers eagerly fix up the field on Wednesday mornings at Tool Time. What a joy it is to work alongside the students of Miles.
Parents too!
Our next Miles Garden Work Day is Saturday, November 18th, and will focus on animal care. The chickens, turtles, and pollinators hope to see you there!
School Community News
Hi Miles families! With the new year soon approaching I will be looking for volunteers to help plan the Miles carnival for the Spring.
Let me know if you are interested, we need as much help planning this event as possible.
-Grace