The Hawk Herald

September 2024

Message from Mrs. Yost & Mrs. Feola

Hello Mill Hill Families & Staff,

We extend a warm welcome to both our new and returning families at Mill Hill School. The office team, custodial staff, Mrs. Feola, and I have been working hard to ensure a smooth start to the school year, and we are thrilled to be part of this wonderful school community. We appreciate your understanding as our head secretary, Ashley Prosniewski, recovers from surgery. In the meantime, we are fortunate to have Linda O’Connor, a retired FPS Secretary, assisting us a few days a week to support our clerks and families. We wish Ashley a speedy recovery and look forward to her return.

Please join me in welcoming our newest staff members to the Mill Hill Family!

Brianna Gray, CLC 3 Teacher

Margaret (Maggie) Kudzy, SLP

Heather Nokta, Art

Maria Stewart, MRT

Bret Cowan, BCBA

Matthew Borsuk , OT

Maeve McAdams, Building Substitute

Delanah Urban, Building Substitute

Kristin DeGroat, Intern

We were delighted to welcome our Hawks back this past week. It brings us immense joy to see our scholars navigating the hallways once again. We’re excited to continue growing together as a school community, both academically and socially! Our motto for this year is "SOARing to New Heights," which reflects our commitment to striving for personal excellence while supporting and uplifting those around us. Our goal is to create an environment that inspires wonder and enthusiasm for learning while nurturing positive relationships.

We appreciate your patience with the buses during the first week of school. As drivers become more familiar with their routes and the students, we expect schedules to become more efficient. Thank you also for your cooperation in not leaving cars unattended on the street in front of the school.

We are eager to work together with our Mill Hill families to support our youngest scholars. The collaboration between home and school is crucial for a child's success, as parents are their first teachers. We are here to support you, so please don’t hesitate to reach out via email or phone with any concerns or questions. We are grateful to be part of such a supportive and wonderful school community.

Our Open House will take place on Wednesday, September 4th, at 6:00pm. We look forward to welcoming our families to share opening day photos, hear remarks from Mrs. Yost, Mrs. Feola, and the PTA, and visit the classrooms for more information from the teachers. This evening is intended for adults, and we encourage students to stay at home. Please see the format below for more details.

Session 1 (6-6:30pm) - Opening videos and the classroom presentations for child #1
Session 2 - (6:35-6:55) - Classroom presentations to those families with a second child OR families may visit specialist and PPS staff
Session 3 - (7:00-7:20pm) - Classroom presentations to those families with a third child OR another opportunity to visit our specialists and PPS staff

As always, feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns. I am looking forward to a wonderful school year!

Here’s to SOARing to new heights!

Mrs. Yost & Mrs. Feola

Important Staff Change - Please Read

It is with mixed emotions to inform you that Dr. Ludwiczak, our School Psychologists, has made the difficult decision to resign from her position at Mill Hill Elementary School with the Fairfield Public Schools. Her final day with us will be September 12, 2024.

This news is certainly a setback for our school community—staff, families, and especially our students. Dr. Ludwiczak has been a pivotal figure for many of us, known for her exceptional skills, compassion, and ability to handle challenging situations with patience and honesty. Her calm and reassuring presence has positively impacted everyone she interacts with. Her dedication to improving student outcomes has been unwavering, and her absence will be deeply felt. We wish her the very best as she sets on a new journey.

Human Resources, Pupil Personnel Services, and I have already begun the search for a new school psychologist. We recognize the significance of this role and are committed to a thorough process to find the right candidate. While we aim for a smooth transition, our priority is to ensure we select the best fit for our needs, so we will not rush this process.

We understand that this change might affect our students, and we want to give you the opportunity to discuss it with them. Dr. Ludwiczak will meet with her students this week to help them understand and process the situation. After speaking with your child(ren), please feel free to contact us with any concerns about their reactions.

We remain dedicated to our partnership with you and to providing the best support for our students. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to Mrs. Feola or me.

Again, We recognize that this change might be unsettling, but please rest assured that we are dedicated to finding a candidate who will contribute positively to the Mill Hill community, just as Dr. Ludwiczak did.

Respectfully,

Principal Yost

Important Dates

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

National Library Card Signup Month

Monday, September 2nd - Labor Day - No School

Tuesday, September 3rd - Qualitative Spelling Inventory for grades 3-5 to determine spelling strengths and areas to improve (9/3-9/6)

Wednesday, September 4th - Open House 6:00pm-7:30pm Recommended for Adults only

Thursday, September 5th - National Cheese Pizza Day!...Fun Fact

Sunday, September 8th - International Literacy Day

Sunday, September 8th - Happy Grandparents Day!

Monday, September 9th - Hawk Day: Wear your MH Spirit Wear or anything Blue

Monday, September 9th - Welcome Back to School Assembly and Kick Off to our Fall Assessments

Monday, September 9th - 20th - District Benchmark Assessments

NWEA Math: grades K-5
NWEA Reading: grades 4 & 5
NWEA Language: grades 4 & 5

Tuesday, September 10th- PTA General Meeting @ 9:15am in the APR ~ All are welcome to join!

Wednesday, September 11th - National Day of Service and Remembrance

Sunday, September 15th - First day of Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-Otober 15)

Sunday, September 15th-17th - PTA "Above and Beyond" PREVIEW Week

Tuesday, September 17th - Early Dismissal for Students @ 1:40pm, Staff Professional Development

Wednesday, September 18th-22nd - PTA "Above and Beyond" Registration begins at 8pm

Friday, September 20th -Peace Day: International Peace Day! Spread Kindness throughout Mill Hill

Tuesday September 24th - PICTURE DAY begins: photography by "Clickin Mamas"

Picture day will be on: 9/24, 9/25 and 9/27
Rain dates 9/30 & 10/4

Wednesday, September 25th- October 9th - District Benchmark Assessments

Acadience Reading: grades K-3
CORE Phonics Survey: Grades K-3 until mastered (Testing window open until 10/9)

Friday, September 27th - Hawk Day: Wear your MH Spirit Wear or anything Blue

Monday, September 30th - PTA "Above and Beyond" Classes begin

Mill Hill Spirit Days!

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Recess Clarification

We would like to provide some clarification regarding the changes to our recess and lunch structure for this school year. These adjustments are designed to ensure proper coverage by certified staff and align with district guidelines.

Here’s a summary of the new recess and lunch structure:

Three Waves Instead of Six: To improve efficiency and supervision, we have streamlined the schedule from six waves to three. This restructuring helps us provide better oversight during both lunch and recess.
Recess Before Lunch: In accordance with district guidelines, recess will occur before lunch. This change aims to enhance students' overall experience by allowing them to be active before eating.
Combined Grade Levels: Two grade levels will be combined for both lunch and recess. This means that students from two adjacent grades will share these times, allowing for more manageable supervision and a more organized experience.
Play Area Rotation: Students will rotate between the blacktop and the lower playground area to ensure they have diverse play opportunities and to manage space effectively.
Grade-Level Play: Within each combined group, students from the same grade (e.g., all first graders) will have the option to play together, separate from the other grade in their lunch/ recess wave.

We understand that changes can raise questions, and we appreciate your understanding as we implement these new procedures. If you have any further concerns or need additional information, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Thank you for your support and cooperation.