Mills Elementary School

December 2, 2024

A Note From The Principal

Dear Families,

We hope you had an enjoyable and restful Fall (Thanksgiving) Break. Our staff is excited to return back on campus and continue with vibrant learning experiences during the month of December! There is a lot to look forward to. Here are some notable upcoming events & celebrations:

1. Human Sexuality & Responsibility (HSR) Curriculum- In June 2022, the Austin ISD Board of Trustees approved a human sexuality and responsibility (HSR) curriculum to be offered to all district students from kindergarten through high school. The age-appropriate units will be taught in the month of December (Dec 16-20) for K-4th grade students and during the Spring 2025 semester for 5th grade students. All HSR curriculum lessons were revised to comply with current law and to meet the updated Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for Health.

Parents/Caregivers must opt-in for each and every HSR lesson. You will receive this information from your child's classroom teacher.

The Mills admin team will be holding a virtual HSR info session at 3:30pm, Tuesday, Dec 3. Here are the district approved slides we'll be using:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1NNBC6F08xi456W5SpIHHdE6CyEfMuFuth5e7zYEzZ1I/edit?usp=sharing

Please use the virtual meeting link for the Dec 3 info session: https://meet.google.com/dgj-raxe-pam

2. December Principal Coffee is Wednesday, Dec 4 highlighting Inclusive Schools Week

Join us Wednesday Dec 4 at 8am in the library to learn more about how Mills honors and celebrates inclusive practices throughout campus. You'll hear from special guests that will include our phenomenal Special Education teachers! Coffee and breakfast treats will be served.

3. MAP Growth Middle of Year Assessments in Reading & Math

Kindergarten through 5th grade students will be taking their middle of year district MAP Growth assessments in Reading and Math in the next 1-2 weeks. These assessments are one data measure educators use to determine how your Mountain Lion is progressing with standards and taught skills. You will receive this information from your child's teacher once assessment is complete.

4. 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/

Food Drive Update: A Big Thank You to Our 4th and 5th Grade Artists

We are thrilled to share the success of our recent Food Drive, sponsored by our talented 4th and 5th-grade artists. Thanks to the generosity of our Mills community, we collected an impressive 420 lbs of food to donate to our local food bank. Our students not only gathered, organized, and packed up the donations but also took the time to carefully calculate the total amount!

Your contributions make a real difference to hungry families across Central Texas. Thank you to everyone who participated—your kindness and generosity are truly invaluable. Together, we are helping to brighten the holiday season for those in need!

With gratitude,

Mrs.Tipton & Mills Art Department

Dates to Remember

12/3- MAP Growth Middle of Year Assessment Window Opens for K-5th grade students

12/3- 4th Grade Cultural Program Showcase

12/3- Human Sexuality & Responsibility (HSR) Virtual Family Info Session, 3:30pm https://meet.google.com/dgj-raxe-pam

12/4- Principal Coffee Spotlight: Inclusive Schools Week 8am, Library

12/9- December Campus Advisory Council (CAC) Meeting via Google Meets, 3:30pm

12/16- Human Sexuality & Responsibility Curriculum Week (K-4th grades)

12/17- Gifted & Talented Student Showcase

12/18- 4th & 5th Grade Spelling Bee

12/19- Mills Frosty Family Fun Run & Holiday Sing-a-long, 4:30pm

12/30-1/3- Austin ISD Winter 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 opens 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