mill run register · 2016. 11. 27. · absentee phone line if your child is absent for any reason,...
TRANSCRIPT
Mill Run Register Newsletter for Mill Run Elementary Volume 42 February 2014
February At-A-GlanceAfrican American History &
Dental Health Month
“I Have a Dream” essays and poems posted in our halls all month! Please visit!
Feb. 2: Groundhog Day
Feb. 3-7: Nat’l School Counselor’s Week: Hooray for Ms. Kovach, Ms. Fulkerson, and Ms. Millikin
Feb. 3: Science Expo projects due
After-School Activity sign-up @ 6:30 p.m. in library
Feb. 5: Science Expo parent viewing night (Mandatory for all participants) @ 6:30 in gym and café
Report cards sent home
Feb. 6: PTO Restaurant Night @ CiCi’s Pizza from 4:30-9 p.m.
Feb. 11: PTO Board Meeting @ 2:50 in Library
Feb. 12: Mt. Lion Pride Citizenship Breakfast @ 7:50 am (by invitation)
Eagle Ridge MS Parent Info Night @ 6:30 @ ERMS auditorium
Feb. 13: SCA Twins Day (dress like a friend or sibling)
Feb. 14: Valentine’s Day classroom parties @ 1:00 p.m.
Feb. 17: Presidents’ Day holiday/ NO SCHOOL.
Feb. 20: “Tales by Twilight” literary evening @ 6:30 p.m.
Feb. 21: Specials run on Monday schedule today
Feb. 23: Custodian Appreciation Week: Hooray for Thomas, Reyna, Maria, and Ernesto!
Feb. 24: After-school activities begin today!
Feb. 25: Winter student portraits and class photos taken
Feb. 27: SCA Neon Day
Mr. Vickers’ Views:
I’m wri(ng this message during our first full-‐week of school in 2014. With the snow, ice, and biAer cold impac(ng the first two weeks of the new year, it is a pleasant relief, both as a principal and as a parent, to have the children snap back to the reality of a five-‐day school week. Kids thrive on rou(ne, so it is nice to have our students with us on a more consistent basis. Of course, with Dr. Mar(n Luther King, Jr.’s birthday next week and a moveable teacher workday the following week, we will adapt and create the very best learning opportuni(es for the children each day. The good news is that your kids demonstrate flexibility to small scheduling changes, and our outstanding teaching team is well-‐prepared for them each and every day. 2014 holds great promise for all of our Mill Run Mountain Lions!
As we push forward into February, we have three academic highlights that I would like to share with you. All three are now firmly steeped in tradi(on here at Mill Run, and you won’t want to miss any of them. First, our school always focuses on the all-‐important work of Mar(n Luther King during his birth month (January); and every Mill Run student writes a poem or an essay inspired by his great “I Have a Dream” speech. 2013 marked the 50th anniversary of his amazing speech in Washington, DC, and your kids’ own dreams for a beAer future will be posted in our hallways during February, which is African American History Month. Please take a few minutes when you visit Mill Run in February to read of the vision that 952 elementary-‐aged children have for tomorrow. You are sure to be impressed and moved by their literary gi_s and vision!
Next, our annual Science Expo will be in full-‐swing during the first week of February. Children have been working on their science projects since Thanksgiving, and we can’t wait to discover what they learned during the process? Did their hypotheses prove to be true or not? What, if anything, surprised them about the results? What would they do differently if they were to aAempt the project a second (me? How can they apply their newfound knowledge in life? These are some of the ques(ons that will be asked of our par(cipants by their teachers, classmates, and visi(ng guests. All Science Expo par(cipants, including every fourth and fi_h grader,
(con’t. on next page)
are expected to aAend the parent viewing of the projects @ 6:30 on Wednesday, February 5th to share their results. Even if your child did not complete a project this year, please come to to some of the great things that Mill Run children are discovering through the scien(fic method.
Finally, and one of my very favorite tradi(ons, Mill Run will hold our annual Tales by Twilight literary evening on Thursday, February 20th. Over 40 staff members will return to school that evening to read aloud from their favorite books. Your children are invited to come in their cozy clothes (PJ’s are fine) with a favorite stuffed animal and listen to our teachers bring the wriAen word to life! There is nothing quite like reading aloud to children and opening their imagina(ons. Each child in aAendance will receive a free book of their own choosing, courtesy of our local business partner, 360 Degrees A_er School Program. I even get to finish the evening by reading aloud to all of our guests, as we perform a drama(za(on of a special story. Make plans now to be here on the 20th! You’ll be very glad that you did!
Have a great month, and stay warm! Don’t forget about our Snowman Contest! I look forward to seeing many of you at the classroom Valen(ne’s Day par(es at 1:00 on Friday, February 14th. It’s so nice to have a holiday to focus our minds and hearts and saying kind things to others.
As always, thanks so much for sharing your beau(ful children with us! They enrich our lives each day!
Kindest regards,
Paul L. VickersPrincipal
Congratulations to Mill Run’s January Super Citizens!!Each month teachers select one student from their class who has demonstrated character traits that are
consistent with creating a respectful and caring school climate.
Jaden Keltz
Brady Luhring
Irie Cobean
Brayden Howard
Ahyan Baqar
McKenna Schauss
Aarna Kakarlapudi
Amit Damaraju
Zach Greenlund
Keven Segovia
Olivia Robertson
Katelyn Weaver
Gabby Anderson
Jasmine Bryant
Cody Shughart
Tia Chen
Tai Solis
Campbell Taylor
Keller Bice
Luis Collantes-‐Gasco
Skylar Conner
Emma Turner
Rabia Farooq
Anna Viglione
Zachary Turbyfill
Blake Penbone
Neso Mere
Isabelle Quadt
Anshul Samant
Michael Hargenrater
Brycen Bohmer
Sage Sowell
Audrey Veloce
Ann Marie Cargill
Olivia Edwards
Kiki Tarble
Ryan Rodriguez
Caroline Godwin
Reagan Russell
Cornely’s Conversation
As we inch closer to the 5th grade SOL Wri(ng assessment, I want to take this opportunity to revisit our tes(ng window, along with the dates and corresponding classrooms to par(cipate. All tes(ng dates will be shared on the Mill Run calendar, as well.
Students will be administered the Mul(ple Choice sec(on of the SOL English test during the March 17 – 21 window. The dates and classrooms tes(ng are as follows:
• March 18th: Ms. Johnston, Ms. Page, and Ms. Posey’s classes• March 19th: Ms. LaFrankie and Mr. Wolslayer’s classes• March 20th: Ms. Putnick and Mr. Vinson’s classes
Students will be administered the short paper, or Essay, sec(on of the SOL English test during the March 24-‐28 window. The dates and classrooms tes(ng are as follows:
• March 24th: Ms. Page• March 25th: Ms. Johnston and Ms. Posey’s classes• March 26th: Ms. LaFrankie and Mr. Wolslayer’s classes• March 27th: Ms. Page and Mr. Vinson’s classes
You can help your children prepare for this assessment by exploring the online tools and format here. On this page, you will want to explore:
• “Wri(ng Prompts” (located toward the middle of the page), and• “Wri(ng Prac(ce” (located toward the boAom of the page) to use the prac(ce tool to become
beAer accustomed with this format.
To View LCPS Proposed Budgets, please visit these links:
FY 2015 (school year 2014-2015) Operating Budget Facts
FY 15 Superintendent's Proposed Operating Budgets Executive Summary
FY 15 Superintendent's Proposed Operating Budget
Absentee Phone Line
If your child is absent for any reason, please make sure to call the Mill Run Absentee Phone Line, (571) 252-2162, on the day or days your child is not in school. When possible, we would
like to receive your call before our work day begins at 7:30 am. Also, please call the absentee number if your child will be tardy that day to prevent a phone call having to be made home. The absentee phone line is available for your use 24 hours a
day, everyday. You can also save time and email us about your child’s absence - [email protected]
Veltri’s Vision
By: Marisa Veltri, Administrative Intern
As I am si!ing her in my office, I am wonde#ng if $ mon% of February & going to
be warmer %an January was….brrrrrr! Wi% all of %& snow, I hope %at (r )udents had
fun playing (tside, and %at (r families had a li!le more time to +end wi% each o%er, as
family time & such a p#celess gi,.
February & Af#can Ame#can H&tory mon% and Mill Run & going to celebrate in
many ways! Our )udents will be doing -fferent activities %r(gh(t $ mon% to recognize
%e work of notable Af#can Ame#cans.
Please remember to continue looking inside of y(r child(s) yellow /ursday folder,
as well as checking $ Calendar of Events on Mill Run’s webpa0 for more information.
Staying connected & a very impo1ant pa1 of y(r child(s) education! /ank y( for being
a pa1 of %at!
Sincerely,
Ma#sa
!
Y! are cor"ally invited to come to !r 9$ Annual Tales by
Twilight Literary Night on &ursday, February 20 from
6:30 – 8:30 pm. We will be offe(ng sessions to hear
y!r favo(te teachers read some of $eir favo(te books! )
Cornely, * Damewood and ) Wojick are ju+ a few
who will be rea"ng! Each school a,d child will also receive
a free book $anks to 360 Degrees A-er School Program!
&e evening will end wi$ a +ory read by ) Vickers. So
come !t wi$ y!r jammies on for +o(es and fun!!
"A Barnyard Moosical" by Michael and Jill Gallina, will be performed by the 2nd graders on the evening of Tuesday, April 8th, at 6:30 pm in the evening. The dress rehearsal for the students will be that morning at 8:30 am. Parents and
guests are welcome to attend the morning dress rehearsal. If you have a child in 2nd grade, please mark your calendar. We would like to have
every 2nd grader at Mill Run participate in this musical performance.
Counselor’s Corner
Please Label Jackets
Now that the weather is getting a bit cooler, please make sure to write your children’s names inside their jackets. You would be surprised how many
jackets are left at school each year and never reclaimed. At the end of each year, we wash our lost and found items and give them to charity. We always
check for identification labels and return them to the appropriate children first.Please remember that you can find our Lost and Found in the two wardrobe
cabinets outside of the school cafeteria.
The “Character Word” for the month of February is Caring. Guidance lessons in the classroom will focus on caring in the three major developmental skill areas: academic, social and career. Academically, students will understand how caring applies to doing our best work. Socially, the students will understand the concept of caring as it applies to using kind and caring words and behaviors when working together and during conflict resolution. Career objectives include applying the concept of caring by completing work on time and taking the time to do their best work.
This month’s Mountain Lion Pride Citizenship Breakfast will be held on Wednesday, February 12th. When you receive a letter about the Mountain Lion’s Pride Citizenship Breakfast during the winter months, a letter will be attached outlining the plan for winter weather adjustments to the breakfast schedule—just in case.
In the January Newsletter we had informed you of Mrs. Fulkerson’s long-term sub. There has been a change and the Counselor now subbing is Mrs. Sara Millikin. Please help us in giving her a warm Mill Run Welcome.
For Fifth Grade Students and their Parents:Middle School Alert!
Parent Information Night at Eagle Ridge Middle School will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 12th at 6:30 pm in the Auditorium (parents only to attend).
Look Ahead: On Thursday, April 3rd we will hold our annual Career Day for 4th and 5th gr. students. Please be on the lookout for a flyer to be coming home requesting parent volunteers to present their careers. This is assured to be fun for all!!
Maureen Fulkerson/Sara Millikin (Grades K-2)Michele Kovach (Grades 3-5)
Library News
Birthday Book Club 2013-‐2014
We would like to thank the following students for dona(ng a new book to the Mill Run Elementary library to celebrate a birthday.If you are interested in dona(ng a Birthday Book, informa(on can be found on the Library Web Page.
November 2013
R. Kelly…Saige Paints the Sky
December 2013
N. Levy…A Big Guy Took My Ball!G. Levy…Happiness is a warm blanket, Charlie Brown
Library News
Thank you to all the students and families for dona(ng book(s) to our 1st Book Swap, to be held in the library during students’ scheduled library the week of January 28th-‐February 3rd –weather perminng. Each student will pick one book to keep and read. It is an important school-‐wide reading incen(ve event. Thank you again for all your support.
Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) will hold Gifted Information Night presentations during January and February.These one-hour sessions will present an overview of the gifted education program LCPS offers and the eligibility process for these programs.The same information will be presented at each of these meetings, so it is not necessary to attend more than one.The schedule for the meetings is as follows:
• Farmwell Station Middle School, 7 to 8 p.m. Monday, February 10th
• Leesburg Elementary School, 9 to 10 a.m. Thursday, February 20th
• Harmony Middle School, 7 to 8 p.m. Monday, February 24th
• Creighton’s Corner Elementary School, 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, February 26th
Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. for the evening programs and 8:45 a.m. for the morning program.
PTO NEWSWelcome back, Mill Run Families! I hope everyone is back from the New Year rested and healthy! The month of January has already flown by. We had a couple of events this month and of course many people to thank for their Dme and efforts. BINGO was so much fun and we hope you won! I heard lots of laughter and smiling faces as the numbers were called. A big thank you goes out to Mellany Weaver and Susan Harsell for organizing and planning the event. A moment for me that will stand out for a long Dme was aNer the event ended. I walked into the gym and saw parents stacking chairs, folding tables and walking out with bundles of paper under their arms. Clean up is always a necessary evil when we plan events. To see the community come together to help the PTO and our Custodial staff was simply awesome. So, thank you for that.
Our Winter 2014 ANer School AcDviDes are BACK! RegistraDon will be held on Monday, February 3rd at 6:30 pm in the Mill Run Library. To see the catalog, click here. It is highly recommended that you come in person to register your child for classes that have a small class size and maximum enrollment, as they fill up fast. Those items will be indicated in the catalog. RegistraDons for classes that have NO maximum enrollment can be sent in with your child. Classes will begin Monday, February 24th. We have added some fun classes to the roster to include just about any sport you can think of; tennis by Luis Rosado, various Arts and CraNs classes and looming and Music classes for all ages. All classes are instructed by teachers and outside vendors. Full and complete class catalogues will be sent in Thursday folders in plenty of Dme for your children to make their choices! We look forward to a fun and successful 6 weeks of variety for Mill Run students.
As we look into February, there are several dates to make note of. Cici’s Pizza will host Restaurant Night on Thursday, February 6th from 4:30-‐9:00 pm. Bring the family, grab a bite aNer sports pracDce or just take advantage of a night off cooking! On February, 20th, Tales By Twilight is a wonderful program to encourage reading and includes readings by teachers and your administraDon. Each child will go home with a new book, made possible by our local Dunkin Donuts and 360 degrees, a former Mill Run family who has started a new aNer school program located on Truro Parish Drive.
Coming up is our biggest event of the year, Mill Run’s 3rd Annual Carnival! Mark your calendars for Friday, March 14th. This is a huge event and we need many volunteers to make it a success! There is something for everyone and every schedule. If you would like to help plan, donate a game or puzzle, help organize raffle baskets within your grade level, or simply sell popcorn, we can find a place for you! Stay tuned for informaDon/Dcket purchases and reminders in Thursday folders and email.
Lastly, the PTO is currently looking for some new volunteers for next year! I know it seems early to menDon, but we will experience a transiDon next year, as many of our Board members have graciously given their Dme and talents for well over the usual 2 year tenure. The PTO works hand in hand with the teachers and administraDon to help support and augment the learning experience for our students at Mill Run. I encourage you to reach out to myself personally, or any board member, with any interest level, we have needs big and small that can work with your schedule. I strongly believe that volunteering should be fun and rewarding. So, if you have an interest, please don’t hesitate to contact me with comments, quesDons or concerns at 703.919.7805
I hope you are all off to a great start for the Year 2014!
Sincerely,
Caroline
Breaking Box Tops News!!
The Box Tops for December have been counted! Below are the first, second and third place winners
1st Place = Wheedleton (472)2nd Place = Posey (316)3rd Place = Vinson (162)
Mill Run Elementary collected 1,839 Box Tops for a value of $183.90 in December!
Just a few notes about Box Tops:* Please check expiration dates before sending them in. We cannot count expired Box Tops. * When cutting, please make sure to have the expiration date visible. * The Box Tops that are worth money will have an expiration date and the 10 cent showing, as well as a dotted border around it; the Box Top logo on its own is not an actual Box Top that earns the school money.* At this time, we are not collecting Labels for Education or Tysons tops.
Visit http://www.boxtops4education.com for more information. Contact Kim Miller [email protected] with any questions!
SAVE THE DATE!!
The 4th annual PTO Carnival – Friday March 14th from 5-8pm
Games, Food, Raffles and Prizes!!
Let’s Go, P-T-O !!
The PTO meetings for the remainder of the school year are as follows:
February 11th * March 11th April 8th * May 13th
Meetings are held on Tuesdays at 2:45 p.m. in the library at Mill Run. All are welcome, including children! We encourage your participation and
feedback.
PTO Email Updates
Please be sure to add our address
[email protected] to your email Safe
Senders List, Address Book or Contact List so that
you can receive our emails!
When Loudoun County experiences inclement weather conditions the safety of our students and staff is the most important consideration. In the event that weather
or other reasons require either closing or delaying the opening of school, plan to receive up to the minute notiMication via e-‐mail, a cell phone call, or text message by registering with
Loudoun Alert. You may register for this free service by accessing the LCPS Closings and Delays page via the “site shortcuts” pull down menu on the Mill Run home page. Parents have shared that often Loudoun Alert reported school closings before TV and radio stations began broadcasting the information. Please plan to use this valuable resource.
Custodian appreciation week is February 24-28th Lets say a big thank you! to
Thomas Avery, Reyna Alvarado, Maria Arevalo, Ernesto Segovia.
Restaurant Night
Let someone else cook for the night! Come enjoy a night out with your Mill Run
friends at CiCis Pizza in Leesburg.
February 6th from 4:30-9:00 pm
Mill Run Spirit Store!Hours: Every Thursday Morning, 7:35-7:50am
Paw Pride Pencil, assorted pastels: $ .50
Paw Clip Bookmarks: $1.00
MRE Swirl Eraser, assorted brights: $1.00
Paw Pride Vinyl Ruler : $1.00
Pawsome Notebook: $2.00
Dual Pencil/Crayon Sharpener: $2.00
Paw Pride Car Magnet $5.00
The Spirit Store is run by parent volunteers. Children of our volunteers are welcome to help also!
If you are interested, please contact Melanie Kelly.
Contact: Melanie Kelly [email protected] with any questions.
MANY THANKS TO OUR COMMUNITY SPONSORS!
MILL RUN SCHOOL MOTTO
Today...
I will do more than I have to,
I will treat others as I want to be treated,
And I will try to become a better person.
If due to a disability, you need assistance to enable you to meaningfully participate in any activities listed in this newsletter, please contact Mr. Vickers in the Mill Run office at (571) 252-2160 at least five working days prior to
the event. if the event is not at Mill Run, he will direct you to the appropriate resource.
Mill Run Elementary is dedicated to continuous school improvement. A formal School Improvement Plan has been developed by staff, parents, and community members. The plan is reviewed on an ongoing basis. A copy is available
in the school office and the school library. You may also call us at (571) 252-2160 to have a copy sent home with your child. We welcome your input!