Mills Elementary School
April 22, 2024 - April 26, 2024
A Note From The Principal
Dear Families,
Happy Earth Day 2024! This week, our students and teachers are embracing Earth Day through a series of educational activities, using resources provided across the district. Our students are eager to demonstrate their commitment to the environment as they engage in various initiatives to safeguard our campus, community, and the wider world. We encourage you to explore the Earth Week Hub linked below and enjoy an Earth Day project as a family!
In other important news, the Parent Input Form for the 2024-2025 school year is now available in this edition of the newsletter. You can submit your responses until Friday, May 3. This form is your opportunity to share insights about your child’s learning preferences, strengths, and your aspirations for the next school year. The process of creating effective classroom communities is comprehensive and involves our dedicated team, including administrators, classroom teachers, special education staff, and an Essential Areas teachers. We take great care in considering your input during this process. Please remember, specific teacher requests cannot be accommodated.
We also need your assistance in reminding your child about the importance of using technology responsibly. At school, our teachers are reinforcing lessons on digital citizenship and the impact of a student's digital footprint on the Internet. We've included slides for you to review, which outline the topics our teachers, particularly in the upper grades, will be addressing in class in ways that are appropriate for each developmental stage. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ag9yVYeWMSJ4r0XuTd0qNHdpFKDYnC0R2cJgqIkNCro/edit?usp=sharing
Lastly, good news to share regarding road updates! After continuous feedback from the campus, the City of Austin has made adjustments to open up additional turn lanes on Davis and Escarpment. We hope you've found it helpful during the morning and afternoon periods of arrival and dismissal.
Thank you for your continued support and partnership. Have a fantastic week ahead!
Warmly,
Angela Frageman
Parent Input Forms for School Year 2024-2025
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfwzhGnEHuRR8D89a3LrurNf2fMIe-qEnQrPzy3yign-K-dkw/viewform
Do-
Include your child's strengths and learning styles.
Include subjects and activities your child enjoys learning.
Include growth areas and goals for the upcoming school year.
Don't-
Request teachers by name.
Include student(s) to exclude from your child's class (unless there's been a notable and significant pattern of documented difficulties by the teacher/school team). We strive to create inclusive environments in all of our classrooms!
STAAR Testing Info Hub
Our 3rd-5th grade students have their last STAAR test to complete on Tuesday, April 23! This will be the Math STAAR. Thank you for your support throughout these state testing weeks. We will finish strong!
The Mills testing schedule is as follows:
Tuesday, April 23: 3rd-5th Math
Wednesday, April 24: Math Make Ups
*The campus will be closed to visitors on: April 15, 16, 18, 19, 23, 24. You may still drop off lunches and items with the front office.
It is imperative that all students are in their classrooms by 7:40am. Please ensure that they have a good night's rest before each testing day and have a nutritious breakfast to fuel their minds. The Mills cafeteria provides a hot breakfast each day that students can purchase, beginning at 7:15am.
Additionally, please remind students to bring a snack and water bottle.
Our teachers have worked incredibly hard over the course of the year to ensure that our students are ready for this assessment. We will encourage them to do their best and approach these assessments with confidence.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the STAAR testing schedule or procedures, please do not hesitate to reach out to Principal Frageman or Assistant Principal Cartlidge at 512-841-2400.
Thank you for your assistance in helping to ensure the testing days run smoothly for our Mountain Lions!
Earth Day Resources
Earth Month Challenge-
Activities & Learning About the Environment-
2) https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/kids-club/cool-kids/general-kids-club/earth-day/
Austin ISD Earth Week Resources-
Mills PTA Corner
Dates to Remember
4/22- Earth Day
4/22- Parent Input Google Form for School Year 24-25 shared
4/23- STAAR Math Assessment (3rd-5th)
4/26- PreK Field Trip
4/29- Track & Field Day for Pre-K & Kinder
4/29- 5th Grade Parent/Caregiver HSR Zoom Info Session: https://austinisd-org.zoom.us/j/84632242397
4/30 1st and 2nd Track & Field
5/1 3rd and 4th Track & Field
5/2 5th Track & Field
5/3 Parent Input Form Closes
5/3 Cinco de Mayo program by PreK & 1st Grade
5/6-5/8 5th Grade Human Sexuality & Responsibility (HSR) lessons
5/8 Career Day
5/8 National Walk, Bike, Roll to School Day
5/10 Kinder Advancement Ceremony
5/10 PreK Splash Day
5/10 1st grade Mother’s Day Celebration
5/10 4th Grade Field Trip to State Capitol
5/15- Senior Walk
5/16 5th Grade Musical
5/17- Talent Show
5/20 4th Grade Wax Museum
5/21 5th Grade Field Trip
5/23 5th Grade Advancement Ceremony
5/23 Last Day of School
Recognize a Magnificent Mills Staff Member with a RAVE!
The Recognizing All Valuable Employees or RAVE Program was created to honor those who take the extra steps to provide equitable and exceptional experiences. If you had an exceptional experience interacting with a Mills employee , please nominate that staff member by completing the form below.