Mill Street Parent Newsletter
May Edition
A Message from Mrs. Salness
Mill Street Parents/Guardians,
We have been exploring ways in which to transition successfully to the next school year in terms of our class placement process. As we know, relationships are so very important in education and are key to student success. During this school year our students have experienced many disruptions to typical class groupings which have resulted in lost opportunities for students to develop relationships with peers.
Therefore, as shared during the April general Home & School meeting, we will be implementing a process for next year in which students will loop to their next grade level with their current class group. This is a practice that is utilized each year for all of our Dual Language classes as they progress together through the grade levels. We will be expanding this grouping format to all grade levels for next school year. We anticipate returning to a typical class placement process for the 2022-2023 school year. By implementing this class placement process for next year, we will achieve…
*** Minimizing change and emotional stress/anxiety related to the beginning of the school year. Beginning the new school year with a familiar peer group will provide students with a sense of safety as well as the opportunity to transition to the new year without the unknown of working with new peers. Providing the same class grouping will allow students to continue to deepen current peer relationships which will lead to improved classroom climate. Online students in each classroom will be able to work face to face with peers they have known only virtually throughout this current year.
*** A jump start to instruction and a seamless continuum of service. Since students already have established relationships with each other, the “get to know you” activities that typically occur at the beginning of the year and time spent developing peer relationships will be minimal and academic instruction can begin without delay. Teachers will receive information about current class groupings, successful small group and student partnerships, classroom based strategies and management formats as well as student and class data, which will allow instruction to start in the fall where instruction ended in the spring. This seemingly adds on an additional month of instruction to the learning calendar.
Teacher assignments will be shared through Infinite Campus in early August. Group assignments for teachers at the next grade will be determined through staff and administrative conversations regarding group needs and teacher strengths. Parents who have concerns regarding their child’s continued placement with their current class, are encouraged to contact Mrs. Salness or Mrs. Moores to talk through those issues.
Mrs. Salness
May 3rd - May 7th Show teachers how much they are appreciated!!
Mill Street Grows Project Update
The Google Form will be sent via Talk 203 email. Thank you in advance for your help in getting the garden up and running. Summer opportunities will also be available for watering, weeding and harvesting! Stay tuned!
Safety Updates
As many of you are aware, over the last few weeks we have had the unfortunate need to send several students home as they were deemed to be in close contact of students who tested positive for Covid-19.
- Students are determined to be a "close contact" if they are within 6 feet of a positive student for more than 15 minutes. Opening schools for full, in-person learning does place students between 3ft and 6ft in classrooms as allowed by CDC and district guidelines. Close contacts are determined by examining seating arrangements in homeroom classes, in special classes and by referencing seating charts and bus videos for those students who ride our busses.
- While these recent events are unsettling, I want to put the numbers in perspective for you. Currently we have 4 students who have tested positive and 61 students out on quarantine. Rest assured that we have no evidence of student to student or student to staff spread. Cases continue to originate from home environments. Therefore, it is extremely important that if anyone in your household is experiencing symptoms, please keep any students in close contact with that family member home until they have been tested and you have consulted with our nursing staff.
- Understandably, placing students in quarantine for 14 days is upsetting and disruptive. Teachers continue to shift their instruction to include increasing numbers of online learners. Students in quarantine are expected to join their classes via Zoom each day following teacher provided schedules.
- Students in quarantine at grades 3-5 who miss IAR grade level testing dates will have the opportunity to make up testing depending upon their quarantine period. The IAR testing window closes on May 14th.
- To minimize these types of disruptions moving forward, please do not send your child to school if they are experiencing symptom themselves or if anyone in the household is experiencing symptoms. If you have questions regarding making such a determination, please call our nurse's office and they will be able to guide you through that process. We continue to remind students to wear their masks properly, maintain required social distancing, sanitize their hands often and stay home if they are not feeling well. Our safety mitigation strategies utilized within our building are working to prevent spread and our students are doing a wonderful job of following the guidelines.
- We continue however, to have several students arrive at school without masks or who do not have an additional mask in their backpack as a spare. While we do provide masks for those in need, it is a student/ parent responsibility to arrive to school with a mask. Please ensure your students are coming to school with properly fitting masks and that a spare is available should their primary mask become lost or soiled.
Home & School Events/Reminders
School Supply Kits for 2021-22 School Year
It may seem early to be thinking about school supplies for next year, but it’s not! School Supply kits for next year are available at https://www.carlsonschoolkits.com/ and through paper order forms in the office. Order before June 13th to have them shipped to the school and ready for your student on the first day. Questions? Email millstreetschoolsupply@gmail.com
Science Club
The next meeting of Science Club will discuss: "Chemical Reactions and Elephant's Toothpaste"- on Wednesday May 5th, 7:30am, at school.
Link to Signup Genius:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0f45a9ab2fa0fc1-chemical
We will have an optional activity to do at home: create Elephant's Toothpaste.
Science Club is open to 3rd through 5th graders.
Plant Sale Pick-Up
Plant sale pick up is May 7th from 3:30-5:30 PM For your convenience, we are offering the first ever DRIVE THRU plant sale pick up. Please pull up in front of the school, stay in your car and pop open your trunk for easy loading of your plants. All we'll need is the name that was used to place the order. We'll confirm your purchase and load the car and get you on your way! We are in need of additional help with the process. If you are willing to help unload and support distribution the Plant Sale Committee could use additional support any time from 1:00-5:30. Please email either Susan Czochara at susanczochara@yahoo.com or Chastity Martel at chascordes@gmail.com if you can help!
Online Annual Update Required for all Students
Beginning today, May 3, 2021, all families will be required to update their student’s information through their Campus Parent Account. The Online Annual Update for returning families must be completed by May 31, 2021. If you do not complete your update by May 31, 2021 you will be required to complete the Online Annual Update AND provide proof of residency in order for your student(s) to attend a Naperville 203 school for the 2021-2022 school year.
The following information will assist you in completing each of your student’s Annual Update for the 2021-2022 school year:
- To access the Online Annual Update, you will need your Campus Parent username and password. If you do not have a Campus Parent Account, contact Parent Support at parentsupport@naperville203.org.
If your Online Annual Update reflects a change of address, proof of residency at your new address must be provided. If there is a change in the family structure i.e. divorce, a Parenting/Custody Agreement must be provided for these changes/updates to take effect. Documents may be uploaded for review while completing your Online Update, emailed to Enrollment203edocs@naperville203.org or they may be brought into our Centralized Enrollment Office. Please call 630.416.2834 to make an appointment. Residency and enrollment information can be found on our website at www.naperville203.org/enrollment. If you have any questions regarding your Online Update application, please email Maureen Dvorak, School Services Manager, at mdvorak@naperville203.org.
If you know that your student(s) will not be returning in August, please let the school know as soon as possible.
Important Dates and Events
Week of May 3rd: Running Club begins (Every Tuesday, students who have a last name starting with A-M are welcome to attend. Every Thursday, students who have a last name starting with N-Z are welcome to attend. Run Club is 7:30 am - 8:00 am. At the end of Run Club students can enter the building for the school day. Please see the Run Club Calendar for dates and additional details)
May 7th: Half day of student attendance. Students are dismissed at 11:35.
May 7th: Plant Sale pickup
May 16th: Girls on the Run Final Event Schedule linked HERE
May 17th: Mill Street Night Out at MOD Pizza
May 26th: 5th grade virtual tour of JJHS
May 31st: Memorial Day Holiday
June 4th: Fifth grade celebration Details TBD
June 3,4,7,8: Grade level modified Field Days
June 9th: Last Day of student attendance