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 week, May 5–9, we are so excited to celebrate Staff Appreciation Week here at Mitchell Road! Each day, we will take time to recognize and honor the amazing individuals who make our school such a warm, welcoming, and inspiring place for our children to learn and grow.

From our dedicated teachers and assistants to our office team, custodians, nurses, cafeteria staff, professional staff, and support specialists—every member of our staff plays a vital role in creating a safe, nurturing, and enriching environment for our students. Their hard work, compassion, and commitment do not go unnoticed, and this week is our chance to shower them with the gratitude they deserve.

We would love your help in making this celebration extra special! Below, you'll find a list of simple and fun ways your family can join in and show appreciation. Whether it's a heartfelt note, a drawing from your child, a small treat, or just a kind word—it all means so much to our staff and lifts their spirits in the most meaningful ways.

Your partnership and support are at the heart of our school’s success, and we thank you for helping us celebrate the people who pour their hearts into our students every day. Let’s make this week full of joy, encouragement, and appreciation!

Can you believe it? Tomorrow marks our last Mustang Monday of the school year and we’re excited to go out with a burst of school spirit! We encourage all of our students to wear their MRES shirts or school colors as we join together with our staff to celebrate everything that makes MRES such a special place. Mustang Mondays have been a fun tradition for building unity, pride, and a strong sense of community among our students and staff—and we’re looking forward to finishing strong with one last celebration. We can’t wait to see everyone showing off their MRES pride one more time!

We are proud to receive this recognition from Capturing Kids' Hearts! This honor reflects the intentional work of our staff to build meaningful relationships with students and create a future where every child feels safe, connected, and empowered to learn. From our morning greetings to affirmations, and daily launches, our staff is committed to making our school a place where hearts and minds grow together.

This recognition is a celebration of our students, staff, and families - thank you for helping us make Mitchell Road a place where students truly come first.

As we begin state testing for students in grades 3–5, we kindly ask for your support in protecting the learning environment during this important time. To minimize distractions and ensure students can fully focus, we will not be allowing visitors for lunch in any grade level on testing days. Our testing days will be April 29, May 1, 2, 6, 8, 9, 13, and 14. We are sharing this with all parents now so that you can plan accordingly.

Additionally, it's crucial that all students in grades 3–5 arrive on time and that early dismissals are kept to a minimum, as testing will begin daily at 8:15 and take up a significant portion of the school day on the days listed above.

Thank you for helping us create the best possible conditions for student success!

We’re inviting all families to join us for a School Grounds & Garden Clean-Up Day on Friday, May 9 from 3:00–5:00pm as we prepare our campus for all of the exciting end-of-year celebrations! Bring your gloves, garden tools, and helping hands to freshen up our gardens, flower beds, pick up litter, and help our school shine. Even if you don't have tools, we have plenty to be done! It’s a great way to enjoy the spring weather and show your school spirit. We hope to see you there!

If your children would like to be a part of creating a large scale art installation at Artisphere, please see the attached flier. Mrs. Tate will be there on Saturday, May 10 from 11am-1pm to participate and help facilitate with any students and families that can join her at that time.

The most exciting part is that a 4'x7' panel from the 28'x7' collaboration called "Rules" gets to come home and be installed at Mitchell Road after Artisphere! We hope to take a group picture at some point during that time.

If you cannot make 11am-1pm on Saturday, feel free to stop by and make your mark anytime during the festival, take a picture and use the hashtag #MRESArtisphere25

The hours of the festival are:

Friday, May 9 noon-8pm

Saturday, May 10 from 10am-8pm

Sunday, May 11 from 11am-6pm

The panels will be created throughout the weekend under the Prisma Health tent in the Graham Plaza (in front of the Peace Center for the Performing Arts (300 S. Main Street, downtown Greenville).

*Please note that students who will be recognized at our awards day programs will receive a personal invitation the week prior.

*Please note that all 5th graders will be recognized during their Awards Program!

Our monthly theme for May is Integrity. Integrity is the ability and willingness to live with honesty and excellence. People who act with integrity make a choice to do the right thing, no matter who is watching. Integrity is the foundation on which we build relationships and trust. Learn more from the CKH parent newsletters in English and Spanish for how you can work on this skill at home with your child.

We are incredibly proud of all our amazing Run Hard participants who ran in the 5K race this past Saturday at Furman University! It was an inspiring morning filled with determination, energy, and school spirit as our students gave it their all on the course.

Many of our runners achieved personal bests, and we were thrilled to see a few of our students place in the top categories—what an accomplishment! A huge thank you to our teachers who coached this season: Mrs. Finley, Mrs. Betten, Ms. Foster, and Mrs. Henderson! And thank you to our families who came out to cheer on our runners and support them every step of the way. Events like these are a wonderful reminder of the strength and spirit of our MRES community.

Congratulations to all of our Mustang runners!

Thank you to our students and families who joined us for the Best Buddies Walk on Sunday! Mitchell Road won the Friendship Award for being a chapter that has brought people together and fostered strong bonds of friendship. We appreciate all of our students who participate in this program to help make our school more inclusive. A special thank you goes to Mrs. Henderson and Mr. Brown for sponsoring the club!

We are getting close to our Field Days and we need your help! If you are a level II volunteer and available to help with Field Day on one or both days, please contact Coach Koontz. Field Day for grades K - 2 will be Thursday, May 15 from 9:00-11:00am. Field Day for grades 3-5 will be Friday, May 16 from 9:00-11:00am. Volunteers will need to arrive and check in at the front office at 8:30am. We hope you can join us!

Parents and guests who would like to come watch Field Day but who are not able to volunteer may do so. Please plan to sign in at the front office with your ID to receive a visitor badge. We’re excited to welcome you on campus and hope you enjoy cheering on our students during the day’s events. Be sure to dress comfortably and prepare for some sunshine!

We are excited to invite back any former Mitchell Road Mustangs who are graduating from high school or college this year to walk our halls one last time! Graduates and guests are welcome to join us for this event on Thursday, May 15. Visitors need to sign in at the front office by 1:15 and the walk will begin promptly at 1:30. Please feel free to wear your cap and gown or college shirt!

We are excited to welcome our incoming kindergarten students and parents into the building to learn all things MRES! We need you to help us spread the word. Please share the flyer above and this Google RSVP Form to any rising K5 parent.

Back to School Vaccine Clinics

The South Carolina Department of Public Health is hosting four vaccination clinics at the Greenville County Health Department. The clinics are appointment only. Please share the flyers linked below.
Link: English Flyer | Spanish Flyer Contact: Janet Lage, 355-3171

Hurricane Helene Makeup Days

The Board of Trustees voted to forgive 3 instructional days missed due to Hurricane Helene. In accordance with state law, the State Department of Education is requiring districts to make up 3 of the days missed during Hurricane Helene, which would then allow our local school board to excuse 3 days and the State Board of Education to excuse 3 days. The district’s plan for addressing the 8 missed days from Hurricane Helene is as follows:

• 3 Makeup Self-paced eLearning Days (Friday, March 14; Friday, April 18; and Saturday, May 10, 2025)
• 3 Days Forgiven by GCS Board of Trustees (approved)
• Up to 3 Days Forgiven by SC State Board of Education (pending approval in April)

Greenville County Schools will make up three days missed from Hurricane Helene using self-paced, asynchronous (no live instruction) eLearning on the following days: Friday, March 14; Friday, April 18; and Saturday, May 10. Students and teachers will not need to be online for these makeup days; teachers will provide students with assignments that can be completed within five school days upon return to school. Details about how self-paced, asynchronous eLearning will be conducted, the complete plan for making up days, and other FAQs can be found on the Greenville County Schools website.

Evolv System at the Elementary Level

Parents and Guardians,

Greenville County Schools is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for all students. To enhance safety measures, we will begin utilizing the Evolv Weapons Detection System at our elementary schools, similar to the process already in place at middle and high schools.

Students in grades 3-5 will participate in random screenings using the Evolv system, which will be worked into the school day with minimal disruption to the schedule. While only students in grades 3-5 will participate in random screenings at this time, there may be times in which all grades are screened if necessary. Before the screenings begin, we want you to have the opportunity to preview this video, which schools will share with students to familiarize them with the process.YouTube’s captioning function can assist with language translation.

Since the 2022-23 school year, the Evolv system has been used on a random, rotating basis around the district during the school day and at events. The system uses algorithm technology and cameras to detect concealed weapons, and multiple students can walk through it at the same time, at a normal pace. The system is a more current and superior technology compared to traditional metal detectors. Learn more at the Safety and Security page of the GCS website.

If you have any questions, please reach out to your school’s principal or the district’s Infoline at 864-355-3100 or infoline@greenville.k12.sc.us.

Back to School Vaccine Clinics

The South Carolina Department of Public Health is hosting four vaccination clinics at the Greenville County Health Department. The clinics are appointment only. Please share the flyers linked below.

Link: English Flyer | Spanish Flyer Contact: Elizabeth Kinard, S.C. Department of Public Health

Register for Special Education Forums and View Survey Results

Parents and Guardians,

As we previously shared, Greenville County Schools is undergoing a review of special education services called the Shared Ownership Strategic Review Process. As a parent or guardian of a GCS student with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), your input is critical. You’re invited to provide feedback at upcoming forums and to review the responses to the recent parent survey. Please see the details below, and all of the following information is available on the GCS Shared Ownership Review webpage. Thank you for your time and input!

Forum Dates & Registration

There are several options for parents and the public, both in-person and virtually, as outlined below. Responses from the recent parent/guardian survey are being used to develop topics and questions for discussion at the forums.

PARENT Forums – These four forums are reserved for only parents/guardians of GCS students with an IEP. Each parent/guardian’s name must be in the district’s student database as a parent or guardian to participate. This helps ensure confidentiality as required by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). If unable to attend one of these, parents/guardians may attend one of the public forums.

• Registration must be completed by April 24 using this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScNCWGA4aJgnV3M0cXlqRLwa9MlTX6ia5rES2LS-PZOcd6mYA/viewform

• In-person forums are 5:30 - 8 p.m., with pizza and drinks available from 5:00 - 5:30 p.m. There is a structured agenda so please plan to attend the entire session; this is not a drop-in format. There is no child care provided during the forums.

• Monday, April 28 – Berea High (201 Burdine Drive, Greenville)

• Tuesday, April 29 – Ralph Chandler Middle (4231 Fork Shoals Road, Simpsonville)

• Tuesday, May 6 – Blue Ridge High (2151 Fews Chapel Road, Greer)

• Wednesday, May 7 – Mauldin High (701 E. Butler Road, Mauldin)

PUBLIC Forums – Two forums (one in-person and one virtual) are open to anyone, including parents of GCS students without an IEP and the general public.

• Registration must be completed by April 24 using this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeySpy0VwCArQx1Tj8QUn4Jvlk_WhlwnWBAjOl7-bSfCMEaVQ/viewform

• In-person Public Forum:

• Tuesday, May 13 – MT Anderson Support Center (100 Blassingame Road, Greenville)

• From 5:30 - 8 p.m., with pizza and drinks available from 5:00 - 5:30 p.m.

• There is a structured agenda so please plan to attend the entire session; this is not a drop-in format. There is no child care provided during the forums.

• Virtual Public Forum:

• Tuesday, May 13 – Online from 12-1:30 p.m.

• After registering online, a link will be emailed to participants.

For questions, please email kamalone@greenville.k12.sc.us or jwarren@greenville.k12.sc.us, or call 355-3100.

Parent Survey Responses

Parents/guardians of students who have an IEP were invited to participate in a survey. There were 1,859 responses logged, which included 1,760 unique responses from those who self-identified as parents or guardians and met the criteria for the survey. This equates to a response rate of approximately 15%, which is in line with generally acceptable response rates in the field of research. The district has been committed to a transparent process, and the responses are available on the district website. There are two documents that they can view on the Shared Ownership Review webpage:

• Summaries of Close-ended Responses – Duplicate responses and responses from anyone who was not a parent or guardian of a student with an IEP were removed from these.

• All Open-ended Responses Redacted – All responses are included, and any personally identifiable information, including student, teacher, parent, and school names, has been removed in order to protect the privacy of respondents.

Your input is critical to the success of this process. Thank you for your time and feedback. See more details HERE.

• 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.

May

5: Mustang Monday!

6: SC Ready ELA Writing State testing for fourth and fifth grades

7: Second grade Mother's Day Tea event (see details from homeroom teacher)

8: SC Ready Reading Day 1 State testing for fourth and fifth grades

9: SC Ready Reading Day 2 State testing for fourth and fifth grades

10: Asynchronous eLearning makeup day

13: SC Ready Math State testing for third, fourth, and fifth grades

14: SC Ready Science State testing four fourth grade

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

14: Field Day for self-contained special education classes

15: Field Day for grades pre-K, K, 1, and 2

15: Senior Clap Out

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

16: Field Day for grades 3, 4, and 5

20: K5 program (see details from homeroom teacher)

21: Awards Day for first, second, third, and fourth grades

21: Fifth Grade Day

22: Clapout event for fifth graders at 8:15am (before awards)

22: Awards Day for fifth grade at 8:30am

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