Mustang Minute

8/9- Homeroom Teacher Notification

8/9- EPIC Fundraiser @ Launch (see EPIC News)

8/12- New Families to the District Orientation- 6PM

8/13-New Families to the District Orientation- 1PM

8/15- Kindergarten Parent Night (6-7PM)

8/16- Back to School Event @ Millennium Park

8/19- Supply Drop Off/ Pictures (3:30-6:00)

8/21- First Day of School (Release @ 11:00)

8/24- Lindenfest Parade

9/2- No School- Labor Day

9/4- Early Release @1:00PM

• School Supply Lists

• Class Placement Notification
  
• School Supply List
• New to the District Orientation
• Kindergarten Parent Night
• EPIC Back to School Event
• Supply Drop Off/ Student Pictures
• End of Day Dismissal
• 24/25 Cross Country
• Volunteering at MES
• New Curriculum for 24/25 School Year
• School Attendance
• EPIC News

Families will receive an email on Friday, August 9 on their child's teacher for next year. Families that have not completed registration or how outstanding balances in Pushcoin will not receive their child's placement until those are complete.

Stores are already gearing up for the coming school year and there are a lot of sales going on. Please take advantage of getting yoru school supplies sooner rather than later. Below is a link to each grade level's supply list.

Each year we have new families that move into the district or families that will be sending their first child into Kindergarten. To help with their transition into a new school district, Millburn Elementary and Middle Schools offer orientation sessions for families. Topics of the orientation include:

• School Information
• Schedule
• Assessments
• Arrival/ Dismissal Procedures
• Lunch
• iPads
• Extra-Curricular activities
• Building Tour

Monday, August 12, 2024

MMS Welcome- 4:30PM

MES Welcome- 6:00PM

OR

Tuesday, August 13, 2023

MES Welcome- 1:00PM

MMS Welcome- 3:00PM

**This is designed for families that are NEW to the district

We invite all Kindergarten Parents/Guardians to Parent Night on Thursday, August 15 . This event starts at 6:00PM. Parents will head straight to their child's homeroom. Once there, families will get information from the teacher about what their child will experience in Kindergarten this year.

Parent Night is designed for parents only. 1st-5th Grade Parent Night will be later in September.

Supply Drop Off Night will be Monday August 21 from 3:30-6:00. This is an opportunity for families to come in to drop off materials, introduce yourself to the teacher, and for students to take their school photo. Come anytime during that time frame.

Pictures will taken place in both of our gyms. You child's last name will dictate which gym they will take their photo. Tables with student ID stickers will be out with your child's name on it. Find your child name and then stand in line at any photographer station. Last Names A-L will be in the East Gym. M-Z will be in the West Gym.

Picture proofs will then be sent home about four weeks later for you to order pictures. Ordering is through the picture company online.

In order to maintain a safe transfer of students to families who pick up their child at the end of the school day, adults must be listed on our Parent Pick-Up list. As parents pull up to pick up their child, we first validate the adult picking up is on the list. Once that is confirmed, we send the child outside for pick up.

If you plan to pick-up your child this year at dismissal, please complete the Parent Pick Up Form below.

Attention All 5th Graders and Parents/Guardians

- this upcoming fall presents an opportunity to join the Millburn Cross Country Team. Each year we have a group of 15-20 5th graders that participate in cross country. If you enjoy running, would like to learn to enjoy running, and/or would like to be part of a great family/team experience, please consider joining. We plan to have some workouts in August before the school year starts. More information will be sent in early August. If interested, please email Coach Perusich (dperusich@millburn24.net) and/or Coach Browning (jbrowning@millburn24.net). Please provide us with your son's/daughter's name, grade level, and parent email contact information.

We encourage parents/guardians and other members of the community to share their time, knowledge and abilities with our students. Community volunteers in our schools enrich the educational program and strengthen our school.

The education of today’s youth takes a whole community. Caring members of our community bring new energies and resources into our schools. All over the country schools are drawing support from their communities through the efforts of volunteers who work in our schools, contribute goods and supplies, and support our schools financially.

Volunteering includes:

• Mystery Readers
• Guest Speakers
• Lunch Help
• Chaperoning Field Trips
• Helping small groups
• Assisting teachers
• So much more!!!

In order to volunteer, you must complete the application and have a background check done through our Raptor system here at school.

A master list of approved volunteers will be kept in the main office for staff to access when volunteers are needed.

We encourage parents to start the process now so that you can join us next year in volunteering.

Click the link below to complete the application.

***We do ask you to do this each year, so if you did complete the process last year....you still need to do it for this school year. Confidentiality is a crucial step when volunteering and the application process allows you to review this annually.

This year will be implementing a few new curriculums resources to our instruction. The biggest change is our math program. We will be moving towards a consistent program for grades K-8th. Our new program is called Into Math. Below you can see a preview how the student book. With this program comes a digital tool that will replace IXL. This new tool is called Waggle. Waggle will provded a personalized journey for students with their math skills.

We also will be implementing some programs to assist our teachers in the development of words. As students begin their journey in literacy, each grade provides a foundation of words that will build as they proceed in their learning of word study. Here is a quick overview of word study development:

Phonological Awareness

Definition: Phonological awareness is a broad skill that involves recognizing and manipulating various sound units in spoken language. It includes an awareness of larger units of sound, such as words, syllables, onsets, and rimes, as well as individual phonemes.

Components:

• Word Awareness: Recognizing that sentences are made up of individual words.
• Syllable Awareness: Identifying and manipulating syllables within words.
• Rhyme Awareness and Production: Recognizing and creating rhyming words.
• Onset and Rime Awareness: Identifying the initial consonant sound (onset) and the following vowel and consonant sounds (rime) in syllables.
• Phonemic Awareness: This is actually a subset of phonological awareness that focuses specifically on phonemes, the smallest units of sound.

Importance of Phonological Awareness

• Foundation for Reading and Writing: It is a key predictor of later reading success. Children with strong phonological awareness skills tend to learn to read more easily.
• Decoding Skills: Helps children understand how sounds correspond to letters and patterns in written language.
• Spelling Skills: Supports the ability to break down words into their constituent sounds, aiding in spelling.

NEW Resource: Bridge to Reading

Phonemic Awareness

• Definition: Phonemic awareness is a more specific skill within the broader category of phonological awareness. It involves the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual phonemes, which are the smallest units of sound in spoken words.

  Components:

• Phoneme Isolation: Identifying individual sounds in words (e.g., the first sound in "cat" is /k/).
• Phoneme Identification: Recognizing the same sounds in different words (e.g., /b/ in "bat" and "ball").
• Phoneme Blending: Combining individual sounds to form words (e.g., /c/ /a/ /t/ = "cat").
• Phoneme Segmentation: Breaking down words into their individual sounds (e.g., "dog" = /d/ /o/ /g/).
• Phoneme Addition: Adding a sound to a word (e.g., adding /s/ to "top" to make "stop").
• Phoneme Deletion: Removing a sound from a word (e.g., removing /s/ from "stop" to make "top").
• Phoneme Substitution: Changing one sound in a word to another (e.g., changing /c/ to /h/ in "cat" to make "hat").

• Importance:

  • Foundation for Reading: Phonemic awareness is the building block for understanding the alphabetic principle, which links sounds to letters.
  • Predictor of Reading Success: Strong phonemic awareness in early childhood is a good predictor of future reading achievement.

NEW Resource: Bridge to Reading

Phonics

Definition: Phonics is the relationship between the sounds of spoken language (phonemes) and the letters or groups of letters (graphemes) that represent those sounds in written language. It's about decoding written words by sounding them out.

Importance:

• Decoding Skills: Helps children understand how to read and spell words by recognizing sound-letter relationships.
• Reading Fluency: Phonics instruction leads to more fluent reading as children learn to recognize familiar patterns in words.

Key Components:

• Alphabet Knowledge: Knowing the names and shapes of the letters.
• Phoneme-Grapheme Correspondence: Understanding which letters represent which sounds.
• Blending: Combining sounds represented by letters to read words.
• Segmenting: Breaking down words into individual sounds for spelling.

NEW Resource: Bridge to Reading

Vocabulary

Definition: Vocabulary refers to the body of words a person knows and uses. It includes both spoken (oral) vocabulary and written (reading) vocabulary.

Importance:

• Reading Comprehension: A rich vocabulary enhances understanding of texts.
• Communication Skills: Expands the ability to express ideas clearly and effectively.
• Academic Success: Strong vocabulary is linked to better performance in all subject areas.

Types of Vocabulary:

• Listening Vocabulary: Words we understand when others speak.
• Speaking Vocabulary: Words we use when we talk.
• Reading Vocabulary: Words we understand when we read.
• Writing Vocabulary: Words we use when we write.

NEW Resource: Morpheme Magic

As we prepare for the coming school year, I wanted to take a moment to emphasize the critical importance of regular school attendance for your child's academic success and overall development.

1. Academic Achievement: Regular attendance is closely linked to higher academic performance. When students attend school consistently, they are better able to keep up with daily lessons, complete assignments, and participate in classroom discussions. Each day of instruction builds upon the previous one, and frequent absences can disrupt this learning process.

2. Social Skills and Peer Relationships: School is not just about academics; it is also a place where children develop essential social skills and form friendships. Regular attendance allows students to engage with their peers, work in teams, and develop communication skills that are vital for their personal growth.

3. Responsibility and Work Ethic: Consistent attendance helps instill a sense of responsibility and a strong work ethic in students. By prioritizing school attendance, you are teaching your child the value of commitment and the importance of showing up, which are traits that will benefit them throughout their lives.

4. Reduced Risk of Falling Behind: Missing school means missing out on important lessons, activities, and assessments. This can make it challenging for students to catch up and can lead to a cycle of falling behind, which can be discouraging and affect their confidence and motivation.

5. Preparation for the Future: Regular attendance sets the foundation for future success. Whether it’s higher education or entering the workforce, consistent attendance is a habit that will serve your child well in any path they choose.

The state of Illinois defines chronic absenteeism as missing 10% of the school year. For us, this is equal to missing 17 or more days of school. As we reviewed last year's attendance, we had 124 students that have been identified as chronically absent. Therefore, 17% of of our student population was chronically absent.

How You Can Help:

• Set a Routine: Establish a regular bedtime and morning routine to ensure your child gets enough rest and is prepared for school each day.
• Stay Informed: Keep track of school events, important dates, and any changes in the schedule.
• Communicate: If your child is facing challenges that affect their attendance, please reach out to us. We are here to support you and your child in any way we can.
• Encourage Attendance: Reinforce the importance of going to school every day and celebrate their efforts and accomplishments.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership in your child’s education. Together, we can ensure that our students have the best opportunities to learn, grow, and succeed.

Email: bwalshire@millburn24.net
Phone: 847-245-2800

Email: kgedville@millburn24.net