Mill Road News

Brian Boyd, Principal

Kristen Strothmann, Assistant Principal

What an incredible month October has been at Mill Road Elementary! Our school community has been filled with exciting learning experiences and memorable events that have brought joy and connection to our students. Fire Safety Week was a highlight for our youngest learners. Our PreK through second grade students were thrilled to welcome local firefighters who taught them important safety lessons and showed off their amazing fire truck. The excitement and wonder in our students' eyes were truly special.

Our PreK students embarked on a delightful Pumpkin Hunt along our nature trail, turning a simple activity into an adventure of discovery and exploration. Watching their faces light up as they searched for pumpkins, counting, and exploring ten frames was a true testament to the magic of early childhood education.

Looking ahead, we have several heartwarming events on the horizon. We'll be honoring our local veterans, celebrating their service and sacrifice, on Thursday, November 7th. Our fifth grade students and staff will continue our beloved tradition of the annual football game, with our talented fourth graders creating a special Raider Parade to kick off the event.

We are grateful for your continued support and partnership in your child's educational journey. First trimester report cards will come out mid-December. If there is anything we can do to further support your child or family, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Dr. Brian Boyd

Dear Mill Road Elementary School Families,

As we enter the heart of the school year, we want to discuss an important topic that impacts every student's academic success: school attendance. Chronic absenteeism – missing 10% or more of school days – can have significant long-term consequences for our young learners.

Recent research highlights the critical importance of consistent school attendance, especially in elementary grades. A 2022 study published in the Journal of Education and Development found that students with chronic absenteeism in kindergarten and first grade experienced:

• 25% slower progress in early literacy skills
• 33% slower mathematics skill development
• Increased difficulty catching up to grade-level peers

The National Center for Education Statistics (2019) reported that students who are chronically absent in elementary school are:

• 7x more likely to struggle with reading by third grade
• At higher risk of falling behind in multiple subject areas

• More likely to struggle with academic confidence

*The graphic below highlights the difference between students with good attendance in K and 1st grade (64% are reading on grade level in third grade) vs. students with chronic absenteeism in K and 1st grade (only 17% are reading on grade level in third grade).

We understand that life happens, and occasional absences are inevitable. However, we kindly ask families to:

• Schedule non-urgent medical appointments outside school hours
• Ensure students attend school unless they are genuinely ill
• Communicate with teachers about any extended absence plans
• Prioritize consistent school attendance

Every day in the classroom is a day of learning, growth, and opportunity for our students. Let's work together to support their academic journey by making attendance a priority.

Stay healthy, stay engaged, and see you at school!

Warmly,

Dr. Boyd and Mrs. Strothmann

We will be honoring veterans with a special assembly on Thursday, November 7th at 9:30 a.m. Local veterans from our community will be joining us and students will be performing patriotic songs. If you have a friend or family member that would like to attend, please reach out and let us know by Monday, November 4th.

Mill Road students learned about the rich cultural tradition of Día de los Muertos through two beautifully crafted ofrenda displays located in our main lobbies. Through these exhibits, students learned about the traditions and meaning of this important cultural celebration. Many thanks to Martha Tepepa and Jueng-Il Tsumagari for sharing their cultural expertise and taking the time to set up and share this tradition with us.

Halloween brought magic and excitement to our school as creativity and community spirit took center stage. Each class embraced the Halloween spirit with themed reading, writing, and math activities, filling the school with laughter, learning, and spooky fun. The highlight of our Halloween celebration was undoubtedly the kindergarten parade which brought the entire school together. As some of our youngest learners marched proudly in their costumes, the rest of the school cheered and danced, creating a moment of school-wide unity and fun. From tiny superheroes to miniature monsters, our kindergarteners stole the show and brought smiles to everyone's faces.

We're reaching out to remind you of the importance of completing two crucial steps for your child's safety and well-being at school:

1. Operoo Sign-Up: If you haven't already done so, please sign up on Operoo as soon as possible. This platform is essential for managing your child's information and permissions efficiently.
2. Emergency Contact and Procedures: Please ensure you've completed and submitted the emergency contact information and the emergency procedures for your child.

These steps are vital for us to provide the best care and support for your child. If you've already completed these tasks, thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. If not, please get this information completed this week.

Get ready for some tail-wagging excitement! Mill Road is excited to welcome Rocco, a certified therapy dog to our school. This gentle canine companion will be visiting to provide comfort, support, and joy to our students and staff. Therapy dogs are trained to offer emotional support and create calm, positive interactions. Be on the lookout for a permission slip regarding student access and visitation with Rocco.

October was a real rollercoaster for our garden, freezing at night and then an unbelievable stretch of balmy weather! Our plants didn't know what do with the warm, dry, almost mediterranean month we had, but I sure had some ideas! We took advantage of the warmth and got to work on some major garden projects, everything from digging a new trench around the fence to building a great dirt wall around our meadow. As gardeners we can never predict what is coming our way, but we can always be ready to make the most of it!

As much of the garden is dying or going dormant, we played a favorite game of mine where we traverse the stages of the life cycle by recycling our nutrients. Students were challenged to stump the teacher and come up with anything that humans eat that doesn't require death in some way. The point was not to be a bummer, but rather illustrate that death is an essential part of life, in fact we use it every day in the garden in the form of compost! And from death springs new life, which is why in our trench we are in the process of planting over 650 flower bulbs, hyacinth, tulips, daffodils, squill, crocus, alliums, and much, much more! While everything else is going dormant or dying, the bulbs are patiently waiting beneath the ever-cooling ground so they can get a head start in spring! We are looking forward to planting our garlic next so we can have another bountiful harvest in summer, but for now we are content to clean up our garden to prepare it for bed.

In another bit of exciting news, we have had a guest from Bard College, Eliana Levine, come and do a two-part lesson with some of our classes! We are proud to integrate our many community partners in the Garden Program as it brings fresh ideas and energy to our school! We hope everyone had a frightfully fun Halloween, and we hope to see your pumpkin scraps going to good use in the compost!

Best,

Doug Keto

Garden Educator

Mill Road School

dketo@rhcsd.org

• 11/4 - K-2 Title I Information Night 5-6
• 11/5 - No School - Superintendent's Conference Day & Election Day
• 11/7 - Veteran's Day Celebration 9:30
• 11/8 - No School - Parent Teacher Conferences
• 11/11 - No School - Veteran's Day
• PTA Meeting 7:00
• 11/13 - Picture Retake Day
• 11/22 - PTA Evening Book Fair
• 11/25 - Annual 5th grade & staff football game / 4th grade parade
• 11/26 - 15 minute early release bus drill
• 11/27 - 11/29 - No School - Thanksgiving Recess

• Absence reporting is now available on ParentSqaure. Please use the form titled "Absence Notifications for Mill Road Elementary" to report an absence for your child. This online form can be used for full day absences and late arrivals. ParentSquare cannot be used to report early dismissals or end of day dismissal changes. Please do not use the message feature to report changes.
• It is preferred that you send notes in with your child for any dismissal changes. Emails can be used in an emergency and should be sent to the following people:
• JoAnn Johnson - jmjohnson@rhcsd.org and Amanda LaFratta - alafratta@rhcsd.org for PK-2 students
• Lynn Sykes - lsykes@rhcsd.org and Alicia Kenny - akenny@rhcsd.org for 3-5 students
• If you have not done so, please fill out all forms on Operoo. These forms are very important should we have an unscheduled early dismissal or if we need to contact you in an emergency situation. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
• Please put names in your child's jackets and sweatshirts. Our Lost & Found is growing rapidly! If there are names on the lost clothing items they an be returned to their rightful owner!
• All smartphones and interactive devices need to be turned off and kept in backpacks during the school day.

Email: bboyd@rhcsd.org

kstrothmann@rhcsd.org

Website: https://www.redhookcentralschools.org/millroadis
Phone: (845) 758-2241 35100
Twitter: @RH_MR3_5