Unfortunately, the days of 70-degree weather are behind us. As we approach the holiday season, we want to thank our amazing families for their continued support and involvement in our school community. December is always a time of joy and celebration, and we have many exciting activities planned for our students. From festive school-wide events to special classroom celebrations, it’s a month filled with opportunities for learning and fun! We encourage families to stay connected with us and check our calendar for upcoming events. Wishing you all a wonderful month ahead filled with warmth, happiness, and holiday cheer!

We are excited to introduce Alyssa Mansfield, our new school psychologist! Mrs. Mansfield brings with her a wealth of education and experience that will greatly benefit our students and school community. She holds a Master of Science in School Psychology and a 6th Year Professional Diploma in Educational Leadership. Mrs. Mansfield is currently pursuing a Certification in Educational Leadership from Quinnipiac University. Her educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Connecticut.

Mrs. Mansfield has been working as a school psychologist in Norwalk Public Schools since 2019, where she has gained valuable experience in a variety of areas. She has expertise in assessing and interpreting a range of student evaluations, including intellectual, academic, and emotional development, and provides both individual and group counseling. Additionally, Mrs. Mansfield

has a strong background in supporting students with emotional and behavioral challenges, conducting Functional Behavior Assessments, and developing Behavior Intervention Plans.

Mrs. Mansfield is committed to fostering a supportive and nurturing environment for all students, and she will be an excellent addition to Mill Hill and resource for our families, teachers, and staff. We look forward to the positive impact she will have as part of our school community. Please join us in welcoming Mrs. Mansfield to our team on December 20, 2024!

We would like to inform our school community that Mrs. Finch, our grade 2 and 3 special education teacher, has decided to take a position closer to home. Her last day at Mill Hill will be December 6th. We are grateful for the five years of service and dedication Mrs. Finch has given to our Hawks and to our school community. Her hard work and commitment have made a positive impact on our students and staff, and she will be missed.

In the meantime, our administration is actively conducting interviews within our Pupil Personnel Services Department to find a strong candidate to fill Mrs. Finch's vacancy. We will keep you updated as we move forward in this process. Please join us in thanking Mrs. Finch for her years of service and wishing her the best in her new position.

As we move into the colder months, we kindly ask for your help in ensuring your child(ren) are properly prepared for outdoor recess. It is essential that our Hawks come to school with hats, gloves, scarves, and a winter coat. Students will continue to go outside for recess when the temperature is above 32 degrees, including wind chill. Please remember to label your child's belongings in case any items are left behind.

As always, feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns.

Here’s to SOARing to new heights!

Mrs. Yost & Mrs. Feola

Celebrations Around the World

Tuesday, December 3rd

• GIVING Tuesday
• Early Dismissal at 1:40pm

Wednesday, December 4th

• SOAR Ambassador Meeting @ 8:15am
• National Cookie Day
• Green Team meeting 3:45pm-4:45pm

Friday, December 6th - Report Cards Issued on I/C

Thursday, December 12th – PTA Meeting 2:15-3:15 in APR

Friday, December 13th -

• PJ DAY for the KIDS (CCMC)
• National Cocoa Day

Sunday, December 15th – PTA Holiday Re-sale Sale at RLMS 10:00am-12:00pm

Monday, December 16th - MH Holiday Sing-Along @ 2pm

Wednesday, December 18th

• SOAR Ambassador Meeting @ 8:15am
• Crazy Holiday Sweater Day
• Grade 5 Trip to FLHS for Holiday Concert

Thursday, December 19th—Holiday Head to Toe Day

Friday, December 20th – Holiday PJ Day

Wednesday, December 25th

• Christmas Day
• Hanukkah begins at sundown

Thursday, December 26th - Kwanzaa begins

Wednesday, January 1st

• New Year's Day
• Kwanzaa ends

• School resumes
• Hanukkah ends at sundown

-Pumpkin & Gourd

-Dumpster bin will be located in the front parking lot of Mill Hill

-Pumpkins being composted can be carved but can NOT have paint, stickers or glitter on them

-Absolutely NO plastic bags are allowed in the dumpster - if your pumpkins/gourds are being transported in one, please empty them out of the bags into the dumpster

As the cold and flu season continues, please reinforce the importance of good hygiene with your children. Hand washing is the most important factor in preventing the spread of cold and flu viruses. When your child is home ill, please call the attendance line and indicate what the illness is. School Nurses are required to report monthly tallies of Communicable Diseases to the Health Department. Communicable Diseases which are reported are: Strep Throat, Pneumonia, Bronchitis, Fifth Disease, Lyme Disease, Influenza (flu), Gastrointestinal Virus, Chicken Pox, Conjunctivitis, Head Lice, Ringworm, Molluscum Contagiosum, Croup, Impetigo, and Coxachie Virus.

We also encourage the flu shot for all students and staff.

Children SHOULD NOT return to school until they have been FEVER FREE for 24 hours. (A child who is still sick may not have a fever first thing in the Morning, however, our body temperature rises as the day progresses so a child may still develop a fever later in the day) **Also, medications that reduce fevers i.e. Tylenol and Motrin, DO NOT make your child less contagious and your child SHOULD NOT come to school just because the medication has reduced their fever.

If your child is ill, has had surgery, or has an injury requiring a cast or splint, a note from your health care provider is required to excuse your child from P.E.

If you have any questions regarding your child’s health or need to update us on changes in your child’s medical status, please contact the Nursing Office.

Thank you!!

Liz Lundregan RN

Mary McCarthy, R.N.

School Nurses

Mill Hill prides itself on the philosophy of SOAR behavior both in and out of our school community. We believe in establishing and maintaining strong, positive relationships within our school community through transparency and ongoing communication with families, students, and staff. This month, we will begin utilizing our school’s new “Behavior Documentation Form.” The purpose is to continue to partner with families to ensure our Hawks are continuing to demonstrate SOAR behavior and provide an opportunity for self reflection and growth if and when needed. We look forward to continuing to SOAR to new heights in ensuring all students meet their fullest potential while having a positive and supportive experience during their years at Mill Hill.

Mill Hill SOAR Video

Mrs. Feola & Mrs. Yost

The Holiday Season is upon us! We will be coordinating a Gift Card Collection for families who are in need of financial support. If you are interested in receiving for your children this season, please contact Mrs. Soares (rsoares@fairfieldschools.org) or Mrs. Feola (rfeola@fairfieldschools.org) directly by Friday 12/9/22. Your request will be made anonymously and delivered by 12/16/22.

If you find yourself in the position to give, we will be collecting $25 Gift Cards (ex. Amazon, Gap, Old Navy, Marshals, Stop & Shop, etc).

Cards are due by Wed 12/14. These donations will be made anonymously and distributed to students in the Fairfield Public Schools, K-12. We will have a gold wrapped box on the counter in the main office for collecting.

Each year, we am overwhelmed by the appreciation of those who receive, as well as the generosity of those who give. Feel free to reach out with any questions, 203.255.8320 or ayost@fairfieldschools.org .

Best to you and yours,

Mrs. Yost

Over the next month, our Mill Hill Hawks have an exciting opportunity to unleash their inner artist with PTA Reflections! PTA Reflections is the National PTA’s cornerstone arts program. In the 50+ years since the program’s founding, millions of students have been inspired to participate by reflecting on a specific, student-selected theme to create original artwork. We are excited to share that the 2024-2025 PTA Reflections theme is Accepting Imperfection and all Mill Hill students have an opportunity to participate in this enriching program this year whether in the Primary Grades Pre K-2, Intermediate Grades 3-5 or the Accessible Arts Division.

There are six arts categories—dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography and visual arts. Students may enter the National PTA Reflections Program in one or more arts categories. See each arts category rules in the official guidelines for additional entry requirements.

To help interested students develop ideas and offer constructive time to work on visual arts projects specifically, Mrs. Nokta has graciously offered to host two after school sessions on 12/5 and 12/12 from 3:40-4:45pm on a first come, first serve basis. Please email Mrs. Nokta at hnokta@fairfieldschools.org to register for these sessions. Note: for students interested in any of the five other arts categories (dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography), this is wonderful; however, support will need to be provided by parents/guardians/mentors outside of these session times.

Once artwork is finalized, parents/guardians are responsible for submitting entries via the online Student Entry Form by 12/20. There are 3 Sections to the Entry Form: Section 1 captures the artist's personal information, Section 2 is specific to the entry, and Section 3 is a rules and formatting check for the artist. After completing the Entry Form, parents/guardians are also to email the artwork to ReflectionsCTPTA@gmail.com.

Please find a link to the official guidelines here. Questions related to the program can be directed to Heather Nokta at hnokta@fairfieldschools.org or Jenn Najjar at jennmarks@gmail.com. We look forward to seeing all the wonderful works our Hawks create this year!

Maintenance and Custodial Division of Fairfield Public Schools

Toy Drive

For Various Charities throughout Town and Connecticut!

We are collecting new unwrapped toys for a Boy/Girl!

Donations are used to brighten up the holiday season for children who are

less fortunate during this time.

All donations can be placed in a collection box located outside most Fairfield Public School Main Office. If there is no box for our toy drive, you can call (203) 650-2162 and arrangements will be made to pick up your donation.

All collection boxes will be distributed by November 15, 2024 and picked up on December 16, 2024 on behalf of Maintenance and Custodial Division of Fairfield Public Schools.

Thank you for your support

Congratulations to all our Mill Hill Artists who participated in the 1st Annual Think Pink Art Competition this past October! Each piece was beautifully displayed at The Pequot Library in Southport through November 1st and is now being proudly displayed in school to continue enjoying their beauty and inspiration! A few of our very own Hawks received awards and their artwork has been hung at Central Office. Please enjoy this celebratory video announcing our Mill Hill award winners:

Think Pink Winners Video

Congratulations to all our Mill Hill Artists who participated in the 1st Annual Think Pink Art Competition this fall! Each piece was beautifully displayed at The Pequot Library in Southport until November 1st and have been returned to Mill Hill. We are proudly displaying our Hawks’ artworks in school to continue enjoying their beauty and inspiration! A few of our students received awards and their artwork has been hung at Central Office. All artworks will be returned before the new year.

Here are the announced award recipients

You are invited to be part of the Board of Education's ongoing revision of the Library Media Curriculum on how our children engage with educational technology through school. Thank you to those who attended the Nov. 26th meeting or commented; if you'd still like to weigh in, please see your Parent Square email from 11/20 called "Library and Media Department Curriculum Review & Feedback" to submit this form with your comments and suggestions.

To learn more about the myths and current research around Ed Tech, check out this article from two leading researchers on the topic: The False Promise of Device-Based Education.

Finally, you are invited to join The Anxious Generation book club event at Fairfield Public Library on Thursday, December 5 at 6 pm. There is no need to have read the book in advance, and copies will be available to check out.

From the PTAC Digit Wellness Committee

@millhillpta

@millhillgoesgreen

One hour shifts are available to assist Mrs. Han and Mrs. Gori-Montanelli with student book checkout and shelving. Volunteers may also help with other tasks as needed such as de-milling books that are no longer used and the LLC bulletin board.

2024-2025 LLC Volunteer Sign Up!
Here's how it works in 3 easy steps:

1. Click this link to go to our invitation page on Sign-up: https://signup.com/go/WcdfYVr
2. Enter your email address: (You will NOT need to register an account on Sign-up)
3. Sign up! Choose your spots - Sign-up will send you an automated confirmation and reminders. Easy!
Note: Sign-up does not share your email address with anyone. If you prefer not to use your email address, please contact me and I can sign you up manually.

or sign up with the QR code provided below

2024-2025 LLC VOLUNTEER SIGN UP
Please sign up!

Scan this code with your smartphone camera now:

We are looking for helping hands to assist with art preparation for grades K-5. Your support will involve tasks such as:

• Cutting and prepping materials for projects

• Labeling and mounting student artwork

• Measuring and cutting borders and applying large format vinyl paper to bulletin boards

• Hanging artwork on bulletin boards
• Assisting with preparations for our End of Year Art Show (May)

Some tasks may include typing out student labels, preparing materials in bulk or hanging displays on bulletin boards. Whether you can spare 30 minutes, an hour, or a few days, your help is greatly appreciated!

If you're interested, please sign up by Art Committee Volunteers or contact Heather Nokta hnokta@fairfieldschools.org

School Hours: 8:55 AM - 3:30 PM

(Student drop-off 8:45am-8:55am)

Early Dismissals:

8:55am-1:40pm

Delayed Openings:

10:55 AM - 3:30 PM

Amy Yost, Principal - ayost@fairfieldschools.org

Rebecca Feola, Assistant Principal - rfeola@fairfieldschools.org

Ashley Prosniewski, Secretary - aprosniewski@fairfieldschools.org

Elizabeth Miller, Office Assistant AM - emiller@fairfieldschools.org

Lisa Brown, Office Assistant PM - lbrown@fairfieldschools.org

District Website: Fairfield Public Schools District Website

Mill Hill's Website: Mill Hill Elementary School Website

Mill Hill’s PTA Website Mill Hill School PTA Website

Location: 635 Mill Hill Terrace, Southport, CT 06890
Phone: 203.255.8320