Principal Update
Mills Elementary, Jan 10, 2023 - Jan 13, 2023
Happy New Year and Welcome Back!
I hope each of you had a wonderful holiday season filled with special time in the company of family and friends. I also hope that the time away provided the rest and relaxation needed to reenergize us for the second half of a phenomenal school year.
Our school doors will open at 7:15am on Tuesday, Jan 10th. To avoid tardies, please help us ensure this is a great year by having your child(ren) in the building (and ideally in their classroom) by 7:40am. Our teachers and staff are eager to get the day started with connection and learning!
Join the PTA, Principal Frageman, and our counselors for a PTA General Meeting and Principal Coffee after school in the library on Wednesday, January 11th. ALL are welcome! The Mills PTA will share updates and important information, followed by a special presentation by our counselors on strategies to build connections for student success, in and out of school.
Writing & Typing Activities for January
Across all grade levels, our Mountain Lions are focused on improving their writing skills! Some families have inquired about ways to infuse writing opportunities at home. See below for some great writing prompts. If your child is not yet ready to write, use these prompts as family conversation starters around the breakfast or dinner table!
1. The best and worst thing about winter in Austin.
2. You were awarded a pet penguin who loves to "tweet." Write a narrative about a day with your penguin build around two of his/her tweets.
3. January is National Soup Month. You were chosen to develop a new soup for the cafeteria. What is the name of your soup? What are the ingredients?
4. January 24th is National Opposite Day. What would a day of opposites look like?
5. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday is January 15th. Write your own speech about your hopes and dreams for the world.
6. Look at some of these photographs of the most historic moments of Dr. Martin Luther King's life. Write a summary of your thoughts to attach with one of the pictures.
7. Describe a place you would like to visit to escape cold (or warm!) weather.
Our older Mountain Lions are also working on typing skills! Students can use their district issued Chromebooks and follow the steps below for keyboarding practice:
1. Open your Chromebook. At the search bar at the very top of Chrome, type in this website. www.typingtraining.com
2. Bookmark this website by clicking on the little star at the right side of the search bar.
3. Click “Sign In” at the top of the website.
4. Sign in. Use your regular S number and student password. *This is the same one students use to sign into the AISD portal.
5. Once signed in, the computer program will tell you what to do next.
6. Work for 15 minutes and build stamina as you go!
This Week & Looking Ahead
Monday, Jan 9
Staff Professional Development, Student Holiday
Registration open through student portal for 23-24 school year
Tuesday, Jan 10
1st Day of Classes for Spring Semester
Wednesday, Jan 11
Book Drive Begins- (see flyer below)
PTA General Meeting & Principal Coffee 3:20pm, Library
Friday, Jan 13
Student Report Cards available in the Parent Portal for viewing
Looking Ahead
Jan 16- Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday, No School
Jan 21- Dirt Club Campus Beautification Day (ALL ARE WELCOME!), 9am-12pm
Jan 22- Happy Lunar New Year!
Jan 23- January CAC Meeting via Zoom. 3:30pm
Jan 31- 100th Day of School!
Feb 1- Black History Month Kick Off
Feb 4- Mills Around the World 9am-1pm
Feb 6-10- School Counselors Appreciation Week
Feb 11- Dirt Club Campus Beautification Day (ALL ARE WELCOME!), 1pm-4pm
Feb 15 & 16 Parent Conference Evenings
Feb 17- Early Release Day
Feb 20- Staff & Students No School
Mills Around the World Needs You!
Mills Around the World is set for Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023! The Mills PTA is bringing back this treasured event. Please consider signing up to represent a country/ culture or nation that is meaningful to your family. Presentations, music, student performances, and food sampling are just a few of the fun experiences during this special day!
The event will take place in the MIlls cafeteria. Sign up HERE