Mills Elementary School

February 3, 2025

A Note From The Principal

Dear Families,

It is School Counselor Appreciation Week!

We are so grateful to have a strong and responsive counseling team here at Mills. This week we celebrate Ms. Allison Murphy, Mrs. Elise Edwards, and Mrs. Candi Swarts! They support all students with strengthening their social emotional wellbeing every single day on campus. Please send them lots of love and gratitude this week!

Mills celebrates Black History Month

Our students learn about and celebrate Black History Month in their classroom this month, with additional extensions in their Essential Areas classes! Read more below:

Music- In celebration of Black History Month, students in music class will engage in a wide variety of activities that honor the rich contributions of Black artists to American music and culture. They'll explore the works of Black composers, from classical to contemporary, including Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, Florence price and others to learn how these composers shaped the musical landscape. Additionally, students will delve into the influence of blues, jazz, and other Black art forms on the development of rock & roll, gaining insight into the cross-pollination of genres. A special focus will also be placed on American Banjo Traditions, uncovering the African roots of the banjo and its role in shaping American folk and popular music. By the end of the month, students will have a deeper understanding of how Black music continues to shape and define the soundscape of modern music.

Makerspace-This month in February, Makerspace is celebrating the incredible contributions of African American inventors. Our Mountain Lions will learn about Garrett Morgan, who invented the three-way traffic light in the early 1920s. Students will pay homage to his invention by building their own traffic lights using paper circuitry and mini LED lights. Next, we’ll focus on Lisa Gelobter, the brilliant mind behind the creation of the GIF format and key digital products like Shockwave and Hulu. Students will learn how to make their own GIFs to honor her impact on the digital world. Finally, we’ll explore James West’s invention of the electret microphone, which has become the standard microphone used in products from music recording equipment to hearing aid devices. Students will create functional matchbox microphones to see how this technology works firsthand.

Art-This February, our art classes are celebrating Black History Month by exploring the work of influential Black artists. Kindergarten students are creating vibrant dinosaur paintings inspired by Jean-Michel Basquiat, embracing his bold colors and expressive lines. 4th grade students are sculpting clay masks in the style of contemporary artist Kimmy Cantrell, focusing on asymmetry and abstract features to celebrate individuality and creativity. Through these projects, students are learning about the impact of these artists while expressing their own unique artistic voices.

PE- In celebration of Black History Month, PE will highlight groundbreaking moments in gymnastics history where Black American athletes paved the way as Olympic gold medalists. We will watch highlight reels of trailblazers like Simone Biles, Gabby Douglas, and Jair Lynch, exploring their achievements and lasting impact on the sport.

Library- In recognition of Black History Month, we are celebrating black Americans who have made a lasting contribution to our country. In Kindergarten, we're reading a wonderful biography about artist Jean Michel Basquiat. Then in art class, kindergartners are making artwork in the style of this amazing artist. Some of the other influential people we're reading about are inventor Lonnie Johnson, former U.S. Representative Barbara Jordan, father of hip-hop DJ Kool Herc, civil-rights activist Martin Luther King, and mathematicians Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden. We are fortunate to have so many interesting and informative biographies to share with our students in the library!

Boosterthon School Fundraiser is Coming!

Our We Love Mills fundraiser is kicking off soon! Mark your calendar for February 10-21. Register beginning February 10 at Mybooster.com Last year's fundraiser was very successful! We are partnering again with Boosterthon for this fundraiser. We will accept donations online or by check or cash in the office. Incentives will be based on individual and class funds raised. More information to come. Our school goal is 60K in order to fund classroom projects, a maker space and maker space teacher, future track improvements, cultural studies, and lunchroom supervision.

Principal Coffee Spotlight: Elementary Math Slides

We had a wonderful turnout at last Thursday's Principal Coffee! Our Austin ISD Director, Jennifer Jones, shared great information on supporting our students with their mathematics growth and development. We also had our teacher leaders present on the progression of Math from Kinder-5th grade.

You may view their slides below. Reach out to your child's teacher if you have any questions regarding how to support your child with their Math at home! Thanks for partnering with us to support your Mountain Lion.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1q9YDt1VqcllZ9_5U0QjgvjkKPzaHUeO4JmPzz0j26mQ/edit?usp=sharing

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/11B0Wsrfz1YJ5O_Y4G7ZKXmhXtGB9_0070C9pyPVR8-0/edit?usp=sharing

Mills Representing Destination Imagination!

CONGRATULATIONS to our two DESTINATION IMAGINATION teams from Mills who attended the Capitol Region Tournament on Saturday. My Name is Not Finished Yet presented their solution to the K-2 Rising Stars’ Weather Together Challenge, and The Hammy Wammy Hamsters placed third in the extremely difficult High Wire engineering challenge. Only three teams from AISD attended the ninety-team tournament, and two were from our school. Want to see your kids’ communication, STEM, and teamwork skills grow immensely in 5 months? Consider forming a team next season because new challenges come out in August! https://sarasanchez.my.canva.site/destination-imagination

Dates to Remember

February is Black History Month

2/1- Mills Around the World 1pm-4pm; Campus Book Swap (Library) 2pm

2/3- School Counselor Appreciation Week

2/3- February Campus Advisory Council (CAC) Meeting, 3:30pm Google Meets

2/4- STAAR Interim Assessment: 5th Grade Reading

2/5- STAAR Interim Assessment: 5th Grade Science

2/6- STAAR Interim Assessment: 5th Grade Math

2/7- Lunar New Year Dragon Dance- Schoolwide celebration

2/10- 100th Day of School!! School Fundraiser Kickoff!

2/12- 12- STAAR Interim Assessments: 3rd Grade & 4th Grade Math & Reading

2/14- Feb Principal Coffee Spotlight- All About Mills Maker Space & STEM learning, 8am

2/17- Spring Parent/Caregiver Conference Day- No School for Students

2/24- Food Services Worker Appreciation Week

3/3- March Campus Advisory Council (CAC) Meeting, 3:30pm Google Meets

3/14- No School for Students- District PLED Day

3/17-3/21- Spring Break

3/28- March Principal Coffee Spotlight: Anxiety in Children Workshop Part II, 8am Library

Campus Recognition

It's always a GREAT day to be a Mountain Lion and we're extremely proud to be recognized as one of the top schools in the state by US News & World Report: https://austin.culturemap.com/news/city-life/best-elementary-middle-schools-list/