Mill Road News

Brian Boyd, Principal

Kristen Strothmann, Assistant Principal

Dear Mill Road Elementary Families,

As we approach the holiday season, I am filled with immense pride reflecting on the incredible month of November we've shared at Mill Road Elementary School. Our school community has demonstrated care, creativity, and compassion throughout these past weeks.

Our month began with a deeply moving Veteran's Day celebration that truly touched the hearts of everyone involved. We were honored to host over 40 veterans who were welcomed by our students. Our young Raiders showcased their appreciation through beautiful artwork, patriotic performances, and thoughtfully designed thank you cards that decorated our cafeteria. Watching our PreK and Kindergarten students share their artwork, and hearing our 1st and 2nd graders perform together, was a testament to the love and respect our students have for those who have served our country.

November also marked the launch of our mentoring program, bringing our students together in meaningful connections that foster growth and understanding. Our school also collected over 2000 non-perishable food items as part of our "Nourish your Neighbor" campaign. Thank you for all of your support! Another highlight of the month was undoubtedly our Raider Parade and 5th-grade football game – an afternoon filled with fun, school spirit, laughter, and community.

I'm particularly excited about the growth we're seeing in our students' narrative writing. Our hallways are now filled with creative, well-organized writing samples that showcase the incredible imagination and communication skills of our students.

As we move into December, I'm reminded of how fortunate we are to be part of such a supportive and vibrant Mill Road School community. Each day, our students continue to inspire us with their enthusiasm, creativity, and kindness.

Wishing you and your family a wonderful holiday season!

Proudly,

Dr. Brian Boyd

On Monday, November 25th, Mill Road Elementary School transformed into a vibrant showcase of school spirit during its annual Raider Parade. The celebration began with Mrs. Valentine's Flex Class leading the way, proudly displaying a beautifully crafted banner that set the tone for the festivities.

Ms. Silvernail's marching band added musical excitement as they paraded down the new pathway to the K wing and back filling the playground area with energy and enthusiasm. Fourth-grade students showcased their artistic talents by designing floats inspired by the famous Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, bringing color and creativity to the event.

The afternoon reached its peak with an exciting staff and 5th-grade football game, led by our dedicated PE teachers. Gunner Lynch had the highlight of the game with a pick-6 in front of the roaring crowd! Special performances by Dr. Boyd, Mrs. Strothmann, and staff members added an extra layer of entertainment to the game, while the cafeteria services kept students warm and energized with delicious hot chocolate.

The Raider Parade was more than just an event – it was a celebration of school spirit, creativity, and community. Students and staff came together to create lasting memories and showcase the unique spirit of Mill Road Elementary School.

Special thanks to all the teachers, staff, and students who made this day so special!

We are excited to announce that we recently congratulated 56 of our 5th graders as the new Student Council representatives for Mill Road Elementary School. These students have shown exceptional leadership qualities and a strong commitment to making our school a better place.

At our first meeting, we discussed many exciting ideas, and it was clear that our new representatives are eager to take on their new roles. They are full of enthusiasm and ready to bring positive changes to our school community.

We are currently planning our first in-school event, which will take place in the next few weeks. Stay tuned for more details as our Student Council works hard to organize an event that will benefit everyone.

We are thrilled to see our 5th graders so motivated to help others and contribute to the betterment of our school. Their dedication and passion are truly inspiring, and we look forward to seeing all the wonderful things they will accomplish this year.

Thank you to all the students, parents, and staff for supporting our Student Council. Together, we can make a difference!

The 5th grade classes at Mill Road Elementary School have participated in a special drama workshop program over the past month focused on the works of William Shakespeare. Led by local artist and Shakespeare devotee Cindy Kubik, students have studied Shakespeare's language, themes, and some of his most famous scenes.

Ms. Kubik has helped students gain appreciation for Shakespeare by making his plays lively and engaging. Students have learned about Shakespearean theater traditions, explored characters through acting exercises, and even created their own interpretations of famous monologues and dialogues.

As a capstone experience, all 5th grade students will take the stage at the Red Hook Performing Arts Center on December 6th to perform for classmates and families. Students are thrilled to showcase all that they've learned about bringing Shakespeare to life through performance. Those attending the final showcase can expect to see the students' creativity, passion, and hard work shine.

12/16 - Holiday Hats Around the World Day - wear headgear to represent your favorite winter holiday or world celebration

12/17 - Candy Cane Day - wear red & white from head to toe

12/18 - Winter or Holiday PJ Day

12/19 - Sparkle & Shine Day - wear your fun winter or holiday accessories

12/20 - Holiday Cheer - wear your favorite holiday, funny or ugly sweater

A bulb went off for our students, not a light bulb, but a flower bulb! October was chock full of work for our intrepid gardeners, everything from pulling out the old to planting the new. Our 3-5 students dug a new bed across the entire front side of the garden (160 sq ft) to make room for our PK-2 students to plant over 500 flower bulbs! Crocus, tulip, hyacinth, oh my! 8 different varieties added to our already impressive spring flower collection, it will be sure to make a lasting impression on anyone traveling down our newly paved path from the school to the garden.

That wasn't all, the excess soil, grass, and weeds removed were put to good work in building a small berm surrounding the native meadow. It was planted with a variety of native grasses to provide more habitat and forage for our wonderful wildlife and give a nice natural border to the garden expansion. Flowers weren't the only thing planted, ~250 garlic cloves were tucked in for winter. The garlic used are direct descendants from the garlic first planted in the garden over 5 years ago!

The most exciting part of October wasn't the planting or the digging, it was the games of course! Two of my favorite games were played, The Game of Life (cycles) and Compost Obstacle Course! The Game of Life (cycles) is a deep dive into the most important part of the life cycle...DEATH. Students explored how everything they ate involved death in some form, but not in a sad way, death is natural and necessary for all things to live, so we celebrated! Each team made their way through the life cycle by continuously dying and recycling their nutrients.

The Compost Obstacle Course challenged our student's knowledge and physicality by transforming them into bacteria. Bacteria are the real work horses of compost and so students had to continuously run the obstacle course to see just how hard bacteria has it! Each obstacle represented a different aspect of compost for bacteria a)food was represented by a large scale skee-ball game where students separated compost from trash, b)air was represented by students leaping (getting air) from one stone to another, floor-is-lava-style, c) heat was represented by climbing up and over a haystack, d)water was represented by carrying a water bucket across a balance beam, and e)finally bacteria were eaten by worms when they crawled through a long tunnel, only to do it all over again!

Now that it is winter we can look forward to indoor gardening, cooking lessons, ecology games, maple tapping/sugaring, erosion modeling, and much much more!

Doug Keto

Garden Educator

Mill Road School

dketo@rhcsd.org

• 12/3 - Mitten Tree collection begins
• 12/4 - PTA Poinsettia pickup 5-7 in the PK-2 cafeteria
• 12/6 - 5th grade Arts in Ed Performance at RHPAC 9:15
• 12/10 - PTA Meeting 7:00
• 12/11 - Winter Chorus & Band Concert 7:00 at RHPAC
• 12/13 - Report Cards and Badge Books issued
• 12/23 - 1/1 - No School - Winter Break, school resumes on 1/2

• The holiday season is a time of joy, but we also understand that it can be a challenging time for families. Our school community is here to support you. If your family is experiencing financial hardship or can use extra assistance during the holidays, please contact our confidential support email address: MillRoadcares@rhcsd.org.
• We are excited to welcome our certified therapy dog, Rocco, to Mill Road in December. He will be working with students in grades 3-5 this month.
• Please DO NOT use the Operoo form for bus changes at this point in the school year. All bus change requests must be made in writing to the appropriate school office and the transportation office.
• Absence reporting is now available on ParentSqaure. Please use the form titled "Absence Notifications for Mill Road Elementary" to report an absence for your child. This online form can be used for full day absences and late arrivals. ParentSquare cannot be used to report early dismissals or end of day dismissal changes. Please do not use the message feature to report changes.
• It is preferred that you send notes in with your child for any dismissal changes. Emails can be used in an emergency and should be sent to the following people:
• JoAnn Johnson - jmjohnson@rhcsd.org and Amanda LaFratta - alafratta@rhcsd.org for PK-2 students
• Lynn Sykes - lsykes@rhcsd.org and Alicia Kenny - akenny@rhcsd.org for 3-5 students
• If you have not done so, please fill out all forms on Operoo. These forms are very important should we have an unscheduled early dismissal or if we need to contact you in an emergency situation. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
• Our school theme for the month of December is GENEROSITY
• Please put names in your child's jackets and sweatshirts. Our Lost & Found is growing rapidly! If there are names on the lost clothing items they an be returned to their rightful owner!
• As the weather grows colder, please remember to send in warm outdoor clothing for recess. We try to go outside as often as possible! For snow play, boots, snow pants and gloves are needed.
• All smartphones and interactive devices need to be turned off and kept in backpacks during the school day.

Email: bboyd@rhcsd.org

kstrothmann@rhcsd.org

Website: https://www.redhookcentralschools.org/millroadis
Phone: (845) 758-2241 35100
Twitter: @RH_MR3_5