Mills Middle School Newsletter
December 2021
Dear Mustang Families:
December is here and semester 1 is coming to a close. Final grades are due Friday, December 17th. Please remind your students that their prompt behavior is important! Many students are losing merits and missing out on fun opportunities on campus due to lates throughout the day. A few reminders: masks are required when indoors on campus. This also means masks are required in the GYM for student athletic events. Please assist us with following district guidelines.
Interested in speaking with a teacher, counselor or administrator? Please contact the staff member directly via phone or email to schedule an appointment. We are not able to accommodate walk in requests due to schedules and meetings. Please see our staff contact information HERE.
Lastly, supervision on campus begins a 8:00am (gates open and breakfast is available) and ends at 3:15pm. Parents/Guardians can check their student's grades and attendance using the PowerSchool application. Need information on how to create a PowerSchool Parent account? Click HERE.
Stay safe and healthy,
Mills Administration Team
Dana Carrigan, Principal
Molly Griffin, Assistant Principal
Keith Shields, Assistant Principal
From the Front Office
- Please send a note or call ahead for an early dismissal. This will help us have your student ready and waiting for you upon dismissal. We are not able to have students dismissed from PE due to staffing needs and access to the locker room.
- Please send your student with a water bottle, charged chromebook and a mask each day. We have a limited supply of chromebooks, chargers and masks for students who forget each day.
- It is important to call ahead or clear your student's absence. Please call us at (916) 294-9045 to clear your student's unexcused absence or to report them absent for the day.
- Walk in requests for meetings with staff members are not able to be accommodated due to schedules and meetings. Please contact the staff member to set up an appointment to meet.
- The office is open daily from 8:00am - 3:30pm.
Parking Lot Reminders
- Please drive slowly in the parking lot. Safety is of the upmost importance. Please be vigilant, drive slowly and keep your eyes open. Please encourage your students to only cross at the crosswalks.
- Handicap spots are only for those who have a handicap placard.
- Please do not drop off/pick up your student in the bus loop. The bus loop is for buses only.
- Please do not drop off/pick up your student off of Coloma Road. This causes a backup with traffic on Coloma Road and is a safety concern for our students.
November Review
- Flextime: Students have been actively participating in Advisory lessons from Second Step, our character education curriculum. Students have also been using Advisory time as FLEX. Flex is an opportunity for students to attend intervention lessons in all subject areas as well as amplification, enrichment and study halls
- Mega Mills Raffle: Mega Mills is a raffle where students can enter with the Mills Bills they earn from teachers and staff. Mills Bills are given out when students demonstrate the 5 P's: Prompt, Polite, Productive, Positive and Prepared. Our Mega Mills Raffle baskets were: Overwatch Basket, Snuggle Up Basket, and an Art Basket. Congratulations to our winners!
- Fun Friday Rewards: In November, students with 96 or more merits were treated to hot apple cider to go! Over 600 students were able to participate!
December
Coming up in December, students will continue to attend FLEX on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Ask your student what FLEX's they have attended. Students get to use this time for additional help or intervention, for amplification or extension of current lessons, or for study hall and merit recovery. Our PBIS school-wide incentives continue with students earning Mills Bills to use at the Student Store or for the Mega Mills raffles. Upcoming Fun Friday events for our students with 96 or more merits include winter treats: Ring Pop Friday and Hot Chocolate To Go! We will also have a final Semester 1 Mega Mills raffle!
Winter sports are about to be underway with Girls Basketball and Wrestling. See the Athletics section for more information.
Reminder No School For Winter Break: December 20th - 30th
The Merit System and Merit Recovery
Mills has a Merit System to recognize and reward positive student behavior. All students start the school year with 100 merits (see pg. 3 in the Student Handbook). Students must maintain 96 or more merits to participate in school activities. Students may lose merits for various reasons but always have the opportunity to earn merits back in the form of merit recovery. Merit recovery can happen in a variety of ways.
Every Monday in Advisory, students are shown their current merits (Using student ID numbers). Students who have less than 96 merits are encouraged to participate in Merit Recovery, which they can do before school, after school, lunch time, or during Flex time. Merit Recovery forms are available in the office and any classroom.
REASONS FOR LOSING A MERIT:
Lates (After 5 lates)
Cuts
Dress Code/Not dressing out for PE
Push In
Chromebook Loan (After 3)
Mask Loan (After 3)
Class Suspension
On Site Suspension
Off Site Suspension
Administrative Discretion
REWARDS/CONSEQUENCES:
96-100 Merits: Student is free to participate in merit rewards & school sponsored activities
95 and Below: Student will not participate in monthly merit rewards & school sponsored activities (Dances, Field Trips, Assemblies, Triple AAA/Mills Scholars, Fun Fridays, Athletic Events, Blacktop, End of Year Activities)
MERIT RECOVERY ACTIVITIES:
Campus Cleanup
Flex Merit Recovery
1 RC Lunch
1 RC Thursday
Restorative Conversation or Peer Mediation
Written Letter of Apology
1 After School Tutoring Session
Other (See Ms. Syl or a Teacher)
Athletics
Congratulations to our Boys Basketball Varsity and JV teams on stellar seasons!
- Varsity Boys Basketball had a great season but were ultimately defeated in the playoffs by Bradshaw.
- JV Boys Basketball has made it to the championships but were ultimately defeated by Capital.
Girls Basketball tryouts begin Monday, December 6th - Wednesday, December 8th.
Wrestling is open to all students and practice begins January 3rd. There will be a Wrestling team meeting on Friday, December 10th after school in the Multi.
Weekly COVID-19 testing is required to participate in both Wrestling and Girls Basketball. Testing will take place weekly, Tuesdays after practice in Room 8. Students must be registered online for the testing administration. Click HERE to register your student.
If your student is interested in trying out or joining a sport, a sports physical is required. Additionally, you will need to complete the information for Athletic Clearance. Both athletic clearance and sports physical are due by Monday, December 6th.
For more information or questions, please contact Athletic Directors:
Allison Renth arenth@fcusd.org
Julie Stump jstump@fcusd.org
Library News
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Please be sure to check your emails on the evening of December 10th to see if your student has overdue books and/or materials to return. The email will have the subject, "Mills Overdue - December 2021." They are encouraged to turn in all overdue materials before the winter break begins.
If your student has lost a book, they can pay the fine for the book or they can bring in a copy of the same book (Amazon prices are often lower than the fine.)
Questions? Please contact Library Technician Elle Tanner at (916) 294-9045 ext 710173 or by email at etanner@fcusd.org.
FCUSD COVID-19 DASHBOARD
Mills Wellness Place
Counselor's Corner
Registration for the 2022-2023 school year will begin in January. Students will complete an Elective Choice Form to choose their elective. 8th Graders will meet with Cordova High School counselors on January 18th and again on January 25th to register for classes. Interested in completing a School Choice form? Choice forms are due by January 28th.
Ms. Janice Shippy
Last Names A - L
Mr. Eric Mejia
Last Names M - Z
Mills Middle School
Email: dcarriga@fcusd.org
Website: https://www.fcusd.org/mills
Location: 10439 Coloma Road, Rancho Cordova, CA, USA
Phone: (916)294-9045
Facebook: facebook.com/millsmiddleschool
Twitter: @ourschool