Mills Elementary School
January 7, 2025
A Note From The Principal
Dear Families,
Happy New Year and Welcome Back!
I hope you had a restful and joyful winter break filled with special moments with your loved ones. As we return to school, I’m thrilled to welcome back our incredible students, families, and staff for an exciting second half of the school year.
The new year brings opportunities for fresh beginnings and continued growth. Our teachers and staff are ready to engage your children with meaningful learning experiences, nurture their curiosity, and support them in achieving their goals, as well as continuing with campus goals!.
Here are a few reminders to help us kick off the new term smoothly:
- Arrival & Dismissal Follow all speed limits in school zones, stay off your cell phone, pull all the way up when dropping off/picking up students through the car line. School starts at 7:40am every day! Please make it a priority that your child is on time daily to prioritize instructional time and to avoid being marked tardy.
- Upcoming Events: Please check the 'Dates to Remember' section below to stay informed about upcoming school and grade level events! We are excited to see what Science Fair projects will be submitted, as well as celebrate Lunar New Year around the corner! Our students will be treated to a Lunar New Year Dragon Dance performance on Jan 24! February also promises to be filled with learning and celebration, including African American History Month, Mills Around the World, the Campus Book Swap event, and Counselor and Food Service Workers' Appreciation Weeks!
- Stay Connected: Remember to check and read all updates from your child's teacher as well as school communication that is shared weekly for regular updates.
If you have any questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Let’s make 2025 a fantastic year for our school community!
Austin ISD Weather Guidelines
Cold, and possibly inclement, weather is expected soon.
Our campus carefully monitors weather conditions while students are at school. The following temperature guidelines have been established in order to provide a safe and healthy environment for students participating in outdoor activities at Austin ISD, including recess, PE, and WOW time: https://www.austinisd.org/health-services#collapse2 Please ensure that your Mountain Lion comes to school with clothing to support safe outdoor play during cold weather days in the months of December-February. Thank you for your support.
Sick Child? The protocol for reporting an absence can be completed through this link:
https://www.austinisd.org/attendance/report-absence
Still need assistance? Please contact Kristi.thomason@austinisd.org
Science Fair Info Hub
The 2025 Mills Science Fair is coming! Your Mountain Lion has been learning all about Science Fair projects during Maker Space class time.
This is an OPTIONAL opportunity for Kindergarten - 5th Grade students. Projects are due January 13. All students will be able to present their projects in class. Top projects will be up for judging on Thursday, January 16. Students will be presenting their projects to the judges on that day. Finalists will move on to the Austin Regional Science Fair.
Families are invited to view Science Fair projects after school on January 16 from 3:15pm-5pm. Students can work alone or with classmates.
Please review the Science Fair packet attached below to learn more about this year's Science Fair. You may also contact your child's classroom teacher or sarah.leder@austinisd.org with questions.
Science Fair website: https://mills.austinschools.org/departments/science-fair
Thank you for supporting your Mountain Lion with Science Fair!
Mills Around the World is Coming!
From our Mills Around the World Parent/Teacher representatives:
On February 1st, 2024 from 1:00 - 4:00 pm in the cafeteria, come see why Mills is the best place to go to school!
Mills Around the World is a wonderful family event that spotlights the diversity that makes Mills great. But we can't do it without you! We need families to be ambassadors at the event.
Ambassadors host a table for their country of origin or a country they have traveled to extensively. You can partner with other families or do it alone. We would also like to invite interested parents and kids to perform on stage. Reimbursement for food/decor purchased is available, subject to a limit. Singing, dancing, group performances, instruments, skits, jigs, all welcome!
If you have any questions about being an Ambassador, please don't hesitate to reach out to Ruckmani Ramachandran at ruckmani@gmail.com, Heidi Connealy at hconnealy@gmail.com or Ms. Bethany Bond at bethany.kennedy@austinisd.org
Links to sign up for ambassador and cultural performances:
Campus Sock Drive
The campus sock drive is still going strong! Please consider donating a new pair of adult socks to those in need. Mills Elementary SEL team is partnering with Socks for the Sole to support adults during these cold Winter months. Please drop off sock donations to the front office or to the Mills counseling room.
Dates to Remember
1/7- First Day of Spring Semester- Students return to school
January is School Board Recognition Month
1/13- January Campus Advisory Council (CAC) Meeting, 3:30pm Google Meets
1/13- Science Fair Projects Due
1/16- Science Fair Judging and Family Viewing, 3:15pm-5pm
1/20- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Student/Staff Holiday
1/24- Lunar New Year Dragon Dance (Students Only)
1/29- Student Holiday (No School), Staff Professional Learning Day, Lunar New Year
1/30- January Principal Coffee, 8am Library
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
2/7- 100th Day of School
2/10- School Fundraiser Kickoff!
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
Do You Know How to Access Your AISD Parent Portal?
Families of Austin ISD students can enter the portal to access their student's grades, attendance, bus routes, lunch information, and to access ENROLL AUSTIN yearly registration/application process.
Frontline (Parent) Self Serve-
Update student information, view report cards, and set attendance notifications, etc. https://docs.google.com/.../1RkJBQ7lUXfeVHw3NchYp.../edit...
How do you access Self-Serve?
Families must first log into the AISD Portal (https://portal.austinisd.org) and then select the Parent Self-Serve tile on the dashboard.
Priority Registration for SY 25-26
Enroll Austin Priority Registration opened on November 6, 2024. Families will be able to register for their SY 2025-2026 neighborhood school or to submit an application to another school, including admissions-based programs (i.e. Magnet). Be sure and choose the 2025-2026 school year when registering.
If you have questions or need support, please contact Kristi Thomason at kristi.thomason@austinisd.org
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/
Archived Family Newsletters
December 16-https://secure.smore.com/n/fy47q-mills-elementary-school
December 2- https://secure.smore.com/n/yzt1b-mills-elementary-school
November 18-https://secure.smore.com/n/2rap8-mills-elementary-school
November 11- https://secure.smore.com/n/rtfcj-mills-elementary-school
November 4- https://secure.smore.com/n/7zgrv3-mills-elementary-school
October 21- https://secure.smore.com/n/xbcnu-mills-elementary-school
October 7- https://secure.smore.com/n/rtvdh-mills-elementary-school
September 30- https://secure.smore.com/n/hq0f3-mills-elementary-school
September 23- https://secure.smore.com/n/1v8k7-mills-elementary-school
September 16- https://secure.smore.com/n/2n5tdg-mills-elementary-school
September 9- https://secure.smore.com/n/nacvz-mills-elementary-school
September 3- https://secure.smore.com/n/mkcs0-mills-elementary-school
August 26- https://secure.smore.com/n/n6p2w-mills-elementary-school
August 19- https://secure.smore.com/n/q6rtx-mills-elementary-school
