Mustang Messenger for Parents

The mission of Mitchell Road Elementary School is to educate all students in a safe, inclusive learning environment while challenging them to be lifelong learners, prepared for their future as compassionate, respectful, and self-disciplined citizens.

This month we will focus on the character trait of respect. Respect is the willingness and ability to act professionally and thoughtfully with ourselves and others. Leaders can deal respectfully with opposition and provide space for both dignity and differences to coexist. Check out these newsletters to learn more about how you can talk about this important skill with your child: English version and Spanish version.

**INPUT NEEDED! It is also time to complete our mid-year data survey. Please take a few moments to share your feedback here.**

Mark your calendar! We are excited to be hosting our first PTA Bingo Night on Tuesday, January 28. Prizes will be given and food will be available for purchase. We hope you will be able to join us!

Tomorrow, January 13 is our next Mustang Monday! All students are encouraged to wear their red MRES shirt from this year to celebrate our school spirit with staff.

As many of you know, we have a clothing closet at Mitchell Road that is used when a child needs to change their clothing. Sometimes students fall in the mud, spill food, or have an accident on themselves during the school day. We don't want students to have to miss instructional time for these situations so we try to keep clothing available for this purpose. At this time, we are running low on pants for both boys and girls in the following sizes: 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10. If you have any to donate, please send them in to the school nurse.

Now that we are back in school for the second semester, it is a good time to review our safety procedures for arrival and dismissal:

• Follow all road safety expectations.
• Enter and exit the school grounds appropriately. Drivers coming from around the playground must yield to parents leaving the K-1 car rider line.
• At the 2-5 car rider line, there is room for 2-3 cars to pull beyond the cross walk in the mornings and afternoons. This allows for more cars to drop off/pickup at once.
• Do NOT stop on the crosswalk lines. We have several staff members and students/parents who have had to go around cars recently who are stopping in the middle of the crosswalk.
• If your car is at the sidewalk at either car rider line, it is appropriate for the child to exit the car. You should not wait until you are directly in front of the school.
• No students should be dropped off or picked up by car at the front office parking lot area. That is for walkers ONLY.
  
• Parents must have their car tag to pick up through the car rider line. The only other option is to open the BackPack app on your phone and go to the dismissal information to show your child's dismissal number.
• Follow all directions of staff members on duty in the mornings and afternoons. We are doing all that we can to make arrival and dismissal a smooth, safe process for everyone. We appreciate your understanding and support of this.

4K Applications

Greenville County Schools will begin accepting applications for the 4-year-old kindergarten program for 2025-26 on December 2. A limited number of full-day 4K classrooms are offered in various elementary schools and five Child Development Centers. More info: https://tinyurl.com/mrxjvdtp

5K Enrollment for 2025-26 School Year

Enrollment for 5K and new to Mitchell Road students is now open for next year. Information can be found under the enrollment section of the district website here. If you know someone who will have a student at Mitchell Road next year, please let them know to enroll now. Questions may be directed to our clerks in the front office by calling 864-355-6700.

*UPDATED* Cell Phone Policy

Due to a legislative action by the South Carolina General Assembly, the South Carolina State Board of Education passed a new cell phone policy for school districts across the state, which goes into effect after Winter Break. School districts must adopt this policy pertaining to personal electronic devices. At their December meeting, the Greenville County Schools Board of Trustees approved an updated policy to comply with the state requirement.

While Greenville County Schools had updated our policy last year and this is not significantly different, we want to make sure you are aware of the most notable updates in order to comply with the state, which includes that student cell phones and personal electronic devices must be stored in backpacks, lockers, or in a location directed by school; this includes smartwatches, earbuds, and all other personal electronic devices and accessories.

Details about the updated policy can be reviewed on the district’s website. Please reach out to me with any questions by contacting the front office. Thank you.

Parents are invited to attend the Parent Academy, a comprehensive workshop designed to support families in navigating the special education process. This event offers a valuable opportunity to connect with other parents and explore essential topics, including:

• An overview of special education
• The evaluation process
• The roles of parents and students in the IEP process
• Understanding the Individualized Education Program (IEP)
• Answers to your questions
• Information about available resources

Sessions will be held at MT Anderson from 1:00 p.m.- 2:30 p.m. on the following dates:

• January 24, 2025
• March 7, 2025

Link to Register- https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeBcF16kihKVYCLKlQx08rHwsq7N2uCztu4hS1UpVpFmeNsYg/viewform

We encourage all parents to participate in this informative session to enhance their understanding and access the tools needed to support their child's educational journey.

• Mitchell Road provides free breakfast and lunch to all students.

• Breakfast is from 7:00-7:45am each day.
• At the 7:35am bell, the cafeteria switches to bagged breakfasts to help get students to class on time.
• If parents would like to join students for breakfast or lunch, please sign in at the front office with your ID. Parents cannot walk with students to class after eating. All parents must say goodbye at the cafeteria door and sign back out at the main office.
• If students would like to purchase additional servings or snacks, they must have money on their lunch accounts. You can do this by sending in cash or check to the cafeteria or by adding money to the student's account on MySchoolBucks.
• Meal prices for adults this year will be $3.10 for breakfast and $5.27 for lunch.
  

• The weekly newsletter can be translated to a variety of languages. Please click the "Translate" button on the top right side and select your language.
  
• El boletín semanal se puede traducir a una variedad de idiomas. Haga clic en el botón "Traducir" en la parte superior derecha y seleccione su idioma.
• Please be sure any transportation changes are sent to the teacher, in writing the day of the change. We cannot accept these over the phone.
  
• No early dismissals will be allowed after 1:45pm.
• Dismissal begins at 2:15pm. If you are not here by 2:35pm, you will need to go to the office with your driver's license or car tag to sign your student out.

January

13: Mustang Monday!

20: No School - Martin Luther King Jr. Day

28: PTA General Membership meeting at Bingo Night in the Cafeteria from 5:30-7:00pm

29: Class picture day

31: SIC Meeting at 7:00am in conference room

February

3: Mustang Monday!

4: Student Council meeting at 7:15am in Challenge Room

6: Skate Night at Taylors Roller Rink from 6:00-8:00pm (5 dollar cash admission and parents MUST stay)

10: General PTA membership meeting and performance by 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students at 6:00pm

10: Chick-Fil-A Spirit Night at Pelham Road from 4:00-8:00pm

13: Muffins for Moms for K4, K5, 1st, and 2nd grade students in the cafeteria from 7:00-7:45am

14: Muffins for Moms for 3rd, 4th, 5th grades and self-contained classes in the cafeteria from 7:00-7:45am

17: No School - Presidents' Day

28: SIC Meeting at 7:00am in conference room

March

3: Mustang Monday!

4: Student Council meeting at 7:15am in Challenge Room

10: Chick-Fil-A Spirit Night at Pelham Road from 4:00-8:00pm

14: No School - Teacher Workday

17-21: No School - Spring Break

26: Third Quarter Report Card

28: SIC Meeting at 7:00am in conference room

April

1: Benchmark testing for grades 2-5 (ELA)

2: Benchmark testing for grades 2-5 (math)

3: Benchmark testing for grade 4 (science)

7: Mustang Monday!

8: Skate Night at Taylors Roller Rink from 6:00-8:00pm (5 dollar cash admission and parents MUST stay)

10: Grits for Grands for K4, K5, 1st, and 2nd grade students in the cafeteria from 7:00-7:45am

11: Grits for Grands for 3rd, 4th, 5th grades and self-contained classes in the cafeteria from 7:00-7:45am

14: General PTA membership meeting and performance by Chorus for the Broadway Musical at 6:00pm

14: Chick-Fil-A Spirit Night at Pelham Road from 4:00-8:00pm

18: No School

24: Glow Party from 5:00-7:00pm in the gym (1 dollar cash admission for students and parents MUST stay)

25: SIC Meeting at 7:00am in conference room

May

2: PTA selling Chick-fil-a biscuits in car rider lines while supplies last (5 dollars cash per biscuit)

5: Mustang Monday!

12: Chick-Fil-A Spirit Night at Pelham Road from 4:00-8:00pm

15: Senior Clap Out (details to come)

16: SIC Meeting at 7:00am in conference room

22: Half Day Dismissal for Students at 11:45am

23: Last Day of School! Half Day Dismissal for Students at 11:45am

We know it is important for you to see a glimpse of our school day, even when you cannot be here with us. Please follow us on social media at the following accounts:

• Facebook: Mitchell Road Elementary School
• Instagram: mitchellroadelementary
• Twitter: mitchell_road

Email: jholman@greenville.k12.sc.us
Website: https://www.greenville.k12.sc.us/mitchell/
Location: 4124 East North Street, Greenville, SC, USA
Phone: (864) 355-6700
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Mitchell-Road-Elementary-School/100050881973460/
Twitter: @mitchell_road