The Hawk Herald

October 2024

Message from Mrs. Yost & Mrs. Feola

Hello Mill Hill Families & Staff,

Staff and students are off to a wonderful school year. I would like to thank our PTA for organizing our Fall Picture Day sessions...Mother Nature was on our side. In addition, our Above and Beyond Afterschool Program launched Monday, September 30th. We appreciate the PTA for their dedication in providing memorable opportunities for our Hawks. Finally, a big shoutout to Mrs. Han for organizing an author visit with Susan Hood for our 4th & 5th graders! It’s incredibly exciting for our students to meet a published author, especially one with hometown connections. Our Hawks were a SOARing audience. If you're interested, Susan Hood's Lifeboat 5 Launch Party is on October 9, 2024 at the Pequot Library, Southport, CT.

Fall assessments for grades K-5 are nearly finished. Students in K-5 have completed the NWEA math assessment; grades 3-5 also took the NWEA for Reading and Language Usage, while our K-2 students are currently wrapping up early literacy foundational assessments with Acadience. We’re excited to discuss your child’s performance during our upcoming Parent-Teacher Conferences.

October 23rd - (2:00-3:30)
October 24th - (6-8 pm)
November 5th- (11:45-2:30)

Classroom teachers will send a ParentSquare message on October 1st for conference sign-ups. Additionally, Mrs. Yost will share a separate ParentSquare message about specialists, unified arts, and support staff, along with their contact information if you’d like to schedule a conference.

We want to inform families that Mrs. Lau, one of our speech teachers, will be on leave for an undetermined period of time. During her absence, we are pleased to welcome Sydney Larsen to the Mill Hill staff. We understand that change can be challenging, but please know that providing continued support for our students remains our top priority. Thank you for your understanding as we navigate this transition together.

On September 30th, our youngest Hawks embarked on their first off-site field trip to Silverman's Farm. They had a wonderful time exploring the pumpkin patch, enjoying a hayride, and feeding the farm animals. We are excited to build on this experience in the kindergarten classroom over the coming weeks!

We are looking forward to our upcoming field trips and the opportunities they provide for our students to learn and explore outside the classroom! If your child’s class requires chaperones, we truly appreciate your willingness to support our teachers in this role. However, we kindly ask that if you are not selected as a chaperone, please refrain from showing up at the field trip location. These are school events, and having unplanned visitors can lead to confusion and safety concerns for both students and staff. Thank you for your understanding and support in ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone. We look forward to a fantastic time on our field trips this year!

Our SOAR ambassadors have kicked off their meetings with Mrs. Sabrowski, our social worker. They are currently focusing on their Mindful Monday initiatives, and soon we will start planning and implementing the Look For The Good two-week gratitude campaign during our October Town Meeting (school assembly). If you’d like to learn more about the LFTG Project, we encourage you to visit their website (https://www.lookforthegoodproject.org), where you can find free social and emotional resources for parents.

Lastly, our teachers are committed to continuous learning and enhancing their skills. We are fortunate to have experts in their fields who support both district and state initiatives. Currently, our educators are diligently working on implementing the new Into Reading program. Last month, Seline Trinidad, an HMH consultant, spent the day modeling and discussing various literacy components of the program and how it aligns with our curriculum. We look forward to collaborating with Ms. Trinidad again this month.

Additionally, we are excited to welcome EA Aschenbrenner in a couple of weeks. She will support our Kindergarten teachers in navigating the new state Purpose Play legislation, focusing on developing executive functioning skills through play provocations and challenges during stations, as well as scenario development. This continued professional development ensures our teachers are well-equipped to provide the best learning experiences for our students!

Breakfast and lunch menus are linked to the end of this newsletter.

As always, feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns.

Here’s to SOARing to new heights!

Mrs. Yost & Mrs. Feola

Important Dates

National Hispanic Heritage Month (9/15/2024 - 10/15/2024)

Tuesday, October 1st - 3rd Grade Life Safety Trailer Program

Wednesday, October 2nd

National Custodian Appreciation Day
3rd Grade Health Visit

Thursday, October 3rd - No School in honor of Rosh Hashanah

Friday, October 4th

National Taco Day
Pink Pledge Art After School week 2 of 3 (prior sign-up required)
NWEA Reports will be open to families in the Infinite Campus Backpack

Tuesday, October 8th - 4th Grade Orchestra Rehearsals begins (@ 8:00am)

Friday, October 11th

Fire Safety Assembly Grades 4 & 5
Pink Pledge Art after school Week 3 of 3 (prior sign-up required)

Monday, October 14th - Columbus Day/Indigenous People's Day

Tuesday, October 15th - Operation Hope Meals

Wednesday, October 16th

Orange Crush Day/ Unity Day- WEAR ORANGE to color our nation, and even the world, to visibly showing that no child should ever experience bullying.
Town Meeting to launch the LFTG Gratitude Campaign

Thursday, October 17th - PTA Meeting at 9:15am Mill Hill cafeteria

Friday, October 18th - Pink Pledge Day - Wear your pink to support Breast Cancer awareness

Pink Pledge Car arriving at 2:30pm

Monday, October 21st- Thursday, October 24th - PTA sponsored Scholastic Book Fair

Monday, October 21st

3rd grade field trip to Fairfield Museum
Scholastic Book Fair shopping after school 3:25-4pm

Tuesday, October 22nd

4th grade Mill River field trip
Scholastic Book Fair after school 3:25-4pm

Wednesday, October 23rd

K-5 Author Visit with Jerry Pallotta
Early Dismissal 1:40pm – daytime conferences
Scholastic Book fair after dismissal from 1:40pm– 4pm

Thursday, October 24th

Early Dismissal 1:40pm
Evening Conferences
6:00-8:00pm last chance for Scholastic Book Fair shopping

Friday, October 25th

School Spirit Day wear your MH gear or blue to show your school support
PTA sponsored Mill Hill Trunk or Treat 5:30pm-7:30pm in the MH parking lot

Monday, October 28th - National First Responders Day

UPDATE: Thursday, October 31st - Halloween Parade k-2 parade @ 10:40am & grades 3-5 @ 2:00pm

Important - Media Opt-Out

Media Opt-Out for MH Families

We want to ensure that every parent/ guardian has a say in how we share (or not) their child's school experiences! Please take a moment to complete the Google Form regarding the Media Opt-Out option. Your feedback is essential as it helps us understand your preferences for using photos and videos on our social media platforms, school website, the yearbook, etc. Please complete this form by Friday, October 11th.

Thank you for your participation in keeping our community safe, informed and engaged!

Click Here for Google Form - Media Opt-Out

School App Roundup

We know, there are a LOT of apps, websites and logins to use as the school year begins. Here's a quick guide to what you can download to help you through the week:

Infinite Campus is where you can find grades, test scores, add money to your kids lunch account, and see their Student ID number

ParentSquare shows you communications from teachers, room parents, and the District. You can adjust your settings to receive notifications as they arrive or once daily.

School Dismissal Manager is where you report absences, early dismissals, and alert the school if you child will be going home a different way than normal.

The FirstView app lets you track your child's bus in real-time.

You can find lunch and breakfast menus on our website or on the FD MealPlanner app

Calling Volunteers for the Art Room! 🎨

We are looking for helping hands to assist with art preparation for grades K-5. Your support will involve tasks such as:

Cutting and prepping materials for projects

Labeling and mounting student artwork

Measuring and cutting borders and applying large format vinyl paper to bulletin boards

Hanging artwork on bulletin boards
Assisting with preparations for our End of Year Art Show (May)

Some tasks may include typing out student labels, preparing materials in bulk or hanging displays on bulletin boards. Whether you can spare 30 minutes, an hour, or a few days, your help is greatly appreciated!

If you're interested, please sign up by Art Committee Volunteers or contact Heather Nokta hnokta@fairfieldschools.org