Mills Elementary School

It's not every day you get a Pulitzer Prize nominated author to visit! Mills is thrilled to welcome acclaimed writer Ann Patchett (and illustrator Robin Glasser) on Friday Sept. 27th. She will present to Kindergarten-3rd Grade students! Ms. Patchett's novel, Dutch House, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Robin Glasser is the illustrator of the bestselling Fancy Nancy series. The two have collaborated to write a heartfelt story about honoring differences called The Verts: A Story of Introverts and Extroverts. If you are curious and would like to learn more about this event, please reach out to our librarian, Sarah Rasmussen!

We encourage our families to join the virtual meeting tomorrow (9/24) at 6pm with Austin ISD Board Trustee Lynn Boswell. She will share details and answer questions about Proposition A, on the ballot November 5. Please see the flyer below to register and receive your Zoom link information.

Every Fall, we open up our doors to host a Family Fitness and Fun Night. This year, CATCH Night will be held on October 16, from 5pm-7pm! We'll have a plethora of wellness games and activities for families to engage with along with many vendors/booths here to share their wellness offerings! We'll also be raffling off a number of great prizes and experiences!

We encourage you to pack a healthy picnic and have dinner on campus during CATCH night as well! This will be a great way to mix and mingle with other families and share in family fitness and wellness at Mills!

Mills Elementary students enjoy a variety of enrichment opportunities other schools nearby do not get! We fund these experiences largely through Enrichment Fees from families. This one time financial investment supports so much! Here is a short description:

1. Funding Maker Space/ STEM teacher, Sara Sanchez! All PreK-5th Grade students enjoy hands-on instruction in the Maker Space lab, along with enrichment support through technology applications for in classroom learning! Ms. Sanchez supports dynamic instructional planning as she also works collaboratively with classroom teachers to infuse 21st century STEM elements into teaching and learning. These are fantastic articles on the power of MakerEd and MakerSpaces in schools:https://blog.tcea.org/makerspace/ https://www.eduporium.com/blog/eduporium-weekly-why-are-makerspaces-important/

2. Grade level field trips! Field trips are a highlight of every school year for our students. Part of the enrichment fees are comprised of field trip fees for the school year.

3. Additional programming, resources, and supplies to supplement the district resources! Due to the diverse needs of our student body, our staff continually look for ways to enrich and diversify the Austin ISD curriculum. Our campus uses these funds to research effective and dynamic resources to purchase in order to supplement those supplied by the school district.

Pay for your child's enrichment fees using the QR codes and links in the flyer below!

You will receive the below information from your child's teacher. Please review the policy and complete the RUP acknowledgement form.

Austin ISD is invested in using technology to enhance student learning and improve learning outcomes. Using your device, the AISD network, and systems is a privilege and any privilege comes with responsibility. Signing this Responsible Use Policy (RUP) will serve as an acknowledgment of this information for students and families.

Please review the district's Responsible use Policy and complete the RUP acknowledgment here: https://forms.gle/2JVTQodTCjP3ZZhP6

You can review the district Responsible Use policy of technology here: https://www.austinisd.org/technology/policy

Please reach out to our campus device manager, Sara Sanchez, or a member of our administration team if you have any questions.

Follow the link below to complete the form to notify the Mills front office and registrar of your child's absence. Once you complete and submit the form, the front office will be notified by email.

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

New: Parent/guardian notes for illness may be used to excuse a total of 8 absences for the school year. If exceeding 8 parent/guardian notes, parent/guardian are encouraged to communicate with campus principal or assistant principal to discuss the reason(s) for absences and whether future parent/guardian notes will be accepted.

https://austinisd.voly.org/

Welcome to Austin ISD's new volunteer management platform! All Mills Elementary Volunteers must complete the application through the link above.

Thank you for your interest in supporting our students and schools.

Volunteer Opportunities at Mills! Contact the front office to learn more: 512-841-2400 or email susan.jetton@austinisd.org or kristi.thomason@austinisd.org

Lunchroom

Teacher Work Room

Front Office

Roaring Readers (help students with literacy)

Classroom

WatchDOGS

Spanish Program Volunteer

Landscaping

9/24- Virtual Meeting to Learn about Proposition A from AISD Trustee Lynn Boswell (see flyer above to register to receive Zoom link) 6pm

9/27- Ann Patchett Author Visit for Kindergarten-3rd Grade Students

10/2- 4th Grade Field Trip

10/3- Student Holiday/Staff Professional Learning Day

10/4- Student Holiday/Staff Professional Learning Day

10/7- October Campus Advisory Council Meeting

10/8- 5th Grade Super Fun Book Club after school

10/9- City of Austin Walk to School Day

10/11- October Principal Coffee: Dyslexia Awareness and Dyslexia Documentary Viewing in the Mills Library, 7:50am

10/14- Elementary Student Conferences/Student Holiday

10/16- Family Fitness 'CATCH' Night, 5pm-7pm

10/21-10/25 Book Fair

10/23- STEM/Maker Space Family Night

10/25- PTA 5th Grade Monster Mash

10/29- 1st Grade Glow Show Art Program, 2:00pm-3:10pm

10/30- 3rd Grade Music Program 8am & 9am

10/31- Halloween

11/1- Student/Staff Holiday- Diwali

11/5- Student/Staff Holiday Election Day

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

September 16- https://secure.smore.com/n/2n5tdg-mills-elementary-school

September 9- https://secure.smore.com/n/nacvz-mills-elementary-school

September 3- https://secure.smore.com/n/mkcs0-mills-elementary-school

August 26- https://secure.smore.com/n/n6p2w-mills-elementary-school

August 19- https://secure.smore.com/n/q6rtx-mills-elementary-school