Mills Elementary School
Sept 9, 2024
A Note From The Principal
Dear Families,
Celebrate Freedom Week is September in Texas Schools. HB 1501 requires school districts to commemorate the events of September 11, 2001 with a moment of silence at the beginning of the first class period of the day. Our campus will commemorate 9/11 through our morning announcements led by Principal Frageman. The announcement message will read: Today commemorates the events that happened on September 11, 2001. That day was a frightening and sad time for the people living in the United States and for many people around the world. Today we honor the memory of the lives that were lost on September 11, 2001. We remember the heroic efforts of our first responders such as police, fire fighters, Coast Guard, and EMTs. Please join us for a moment of silence.
Additionally, National Hispanic Heritage Month is also celebrated in September. Our 2nd Graders are excited to perform their Dieciseis de Septembre Program to their families and the entire student body on Friday, September 13! They have been working so hard (since the first week of school!) to prepare for this beautiful performance celebrating Hispanic cultures. Our students are so fortunate to have these rich and meaningful opportunities to expand their knowledge and global worldviews!
Keep Enrichment Alive & Awesome at Mills
Mills Elementary students enjoy a variety of enrichment opportunities other schools nearby do not get! We fund these experiences largely through Enrichment Fees from families. This one time financial investment supports so much! Here is a short description:
1. Funding Maker Space/ STEM teacher, Sara Sanchez! All PreK-5th Grade students enjoy hands-on instruction in the Maker Space lab, along with enrichment support through technology applications for in classroom learning! Ms. Sanchez supports dynamic instructional planning as she also works collaboratively with classroom teachers to infuse 21st century STEM elements into teaching and learning. These are fantastic articles on the power of MakerEd and MakerSpaces in schools:https://blog.tcea.org/makerspace/ https://www.eduporium.com/blog/eduporium-weekly-why-are-makerspaces-important/
2. Grade level field trips! Field trips are a highlight of every school year for our students. Part of the enrichment fees are comprised of field trip fees for the school year.
3. Additional programming, resources, and supplies to supplement the district resources! Due to the diverse needs of our student body, our staff continually look for ways to enrich and diversify the Austin ISD curriculum. Our campus uses these funds to research effective and dynamic resources to purchase in order to supplement those supplied by the school district.
Pay for your child's enrichment fees using the QR codes and links in the flyer below!
Sept 12 Principal Coffee- Join Us on Campus
Principal Frageman, along with our administration team look forward to sharing Back to School updates on September 12 at 7:50am in the Mills library. This will be a joint collaboration with the Mills PTA. You do not need to be a PTA member to attend the meeting. A light breakfast and refreshments will be served. We'll also have Mills spiritwear for sale!
Austin ISD Mobile App
A new mobile app for Austin ISD is now available for download!
Mills families can select and 'star' our campus for updates through the app!
Users can stay up-to-date with events, documents, news from administrators, student stories and emergency notifications.
Absent? Follow These Protocols
Follow the link below to complete the form to notify the Mills front office and registrar of your child's absence. Once you complete and submit the form, the front office will be notified by email.
https://www.austinisd.org/attendance/report-absence
New: Parent/guardian notes for illness may be used to excuse a total of 8 absences for the school year. If exceeding 8 parent/guardian notes, parent/guardian are encouraged to communicate with campus principal or assistant principal to discuss the reason(s) for absences and whether future parent/guardian notes will be accepted.
Ready to Volunteer on Campus?
Welcome to Austin ISD's new volunteer management platform! All Mills Elementary Volunteers must complete the application through the link above.
Thank you for your interest in supporting our students and schools.
Volunteer Opportunities at Mills! Contact the front office to learn more: 512-841-2400 or email susan.jetton@austinisd.org or kristi.thomason@austinisd.org
Lunchroom
Teacher Work Room
Front Office
Roaring Readers (help students with literacy)
Classroom
WatchDOGS
Spanish Program Volunteer
Landscaping
Dates to Remember
9/9-Campus Advisory Council (CAC) September Meeting 3:30pm
9/10- Library Volunteer Orientation 8am Mills Library
9/12-Principal Coffee & PTA General Meeting 7:50am, Library
9/27- Ann Patchett Author Visit for Kindergarten-3rd Grade Students
10/2- 4th Grade Field Trip
10/3- Student Holiday/Staff Professional Learning Day
10/4- Student Holiday/Staff Professional Learning Day
10/9- City of Austin Walk to School Day
10/9- Principal Chat/Q&A Focus: Mills Counseling Program & Student Supports Session 1: 8am-9am Session 2: 3:20pm-4:20pm Library
10/14- Elementary Student Conferences/Student Holiday
11/1- Student/Staff Holiday- Diwali
11/5- Student/Staff Holiday Election Day