Mill Hall Elementary
Keystone Central School District
Message From the Principal: Dr. Breon
Mill Hall Elementary has seen an increase in the number of student absences this school year. Please know your child is missed every day that they are not in school, and they miss key instructional opportunities that when accumulated can have a detrimental impact on their growth as a learner. While we recognize occasional absences are necessary for illnesses and appointments, we encourage you to help us continue to grow your child(ren) through regular attendance. The Attendance Regulations from our Keystone Central Elementary Student Handbooks is copied below:
ATTENDANCE REGULATIONS
There is a direct and positive correlation between regular school attendance and achievement. Students and families are encouraged to avoid any unnecessary absence from school.
Examples of excused absences include: illness, death in the family, medical or dental appointments, required court appearance, unavoidable family emergencies, or other ‘urgent’ reasons such as impassable roads.
Funeral absences: local funeral = 1 day excused; out of town funeral = up to 3 days excused; exception includes immediate family member = 5 days excused absence
Examples of unexcused absences include oversleeping, car issues, missing bus, hunting, shopping.
Excuses can be emailed to:
Mill Hall Elem mhattendance@kcsd.us
When a student is tardy to school, they will be expected to turn in a note. Their tardy absences will be marked as unlawful/unexcused if there is no excuse turned in to the attendance office by the third (3rd) day following the absences. For example, if your student is absent on Monday, you MUST send in an excuse for that absence by Thursday of that week or it will be marked as an unlawful/unexcused absence. Excuses may be questioned or refused if not signed by the parent, legal guardian, or physician.
You will receive a letter when your child has 3 unlawful days. The letter will contain information about a School Attendance Improvement Conference (SAIC) to assist with regular school attendance. The school counselor will contact Children and Youth’s truancy outreach worker and the KCSD attendance officer will be notified.
When your child has 6 unlawful days, the KCSD attendance officer may file a citation with the magisterial district judge and your student will be formally referred to Children and Youth.
After your child is absent for 10 days (parental excuse days) you will receive a letter informing you that your child has reached 10 days. After this, you MUST turn in a physician’s excuse for every absence for the rest of the school year.
100 Second Post-It Challenge
Electricity Safety Assembly
PBIS Board Games Award
100 Marble Challenge
Pop-Tarts with the Principal
Welcoming our Class of 2037!
Upcoming Activities
March 8: Act 80 Day - No school for students
March 11: In-Service Day (AM Parent Conferences as requested) - No school for students
March 18-22: Spring Scholastic Book Fair
March 20: Family Book Fair Shopping 4:00-6:30 and PTO Meeting at 6:30
March 22: PBIS Popcorn Fundraiser
March 28: 3 hr. Early Dismissal (PM In-Service)
March 29 - April 1: Spring Break
April 4: Spring Pictures
Messages and Updates through Class Dojo
KCSD has moved back to ClassDojo as our messaging app. Please be sure to connect (or reconnect) so you don't miss any important information from your child's school or teachers.
Stay informed about:
- School events and activities
- Important deadlines and assignments
- Emergency alerts and school delays/dismissals/closures
Federal Programs
Winter Federal Programs Updates
On February 8, 2024 we held a Stakeholder Committee meeting to review the following information:
Federal fund usage requires transparency and stakeholder input
We shared-
How we monitor important aspects of our staffing and use of funds
How we use data to determine needs and how the funds are used to address needs
How we are preparing to write the 2024-2025 grants and are seeking your input
We are always looking for community members who want to be involved in reviewing our data and our plans and want to have input. If you are interested in joining our team, please complete this form to help us maintain a communication list of willing Stakeholders to turn to when we need input.
Title I funds follow the students. When our students attend a nonpublic school, our school funds are allocated on a per pupil basis to the nonpublic school to support any students who have an academic need who would have attended a KCSD school. We work with our nonpublic schools to help support our students, because no matter where they attend, students who reside within the boundaries of KCSD are our students.
Title II funds are designed to support the teachers. We use Title II funds for professional development in areas such as mathematics, English/Language Arts, and social-emotional learning.
At all school levels, we use Title IV federal funds to purchase incentives for PBIS (our positive school-wide behavior supports) rewards, and we emphasize the goal of following school rules in all schools.
Required documents for families:
Right to Request Qualifications of Teachers (see Annual Notices and Policy Review button above) - if you wish to request a paper copy, please contact rmurty@kcsd.k12.pa.us .
Note: If your child is taught for four or more weeks by a teacher who is instructing in a content area for which they are not currently certified, the district must notify you. Four-week notification letters will be added here if that becomes necessary.
Non-Discrimination Statement (see Annual Notices and Policy Review button above) - if you wish to request a paper copy, please contact rmurty@kcsd.k12.pa.us.
Title I District Parent Policy - Policy 918
Family Connections
ESL
Math: Learning Together at Home
Math is everywhere! When you measure an ingredient for a recipe, tell time, pay a bill, or look at the daily temperature, you are using math. These activities offer ideas on how to make math fun at home and start building some math skills that kids will use as they get older. Click to learn more!
Video (Spanish Only)
#KeystoneCares - Music in our Schools
ATTENDANCE MATTERS
Help us reach our Attendance Goal of 94.1%.
For the month of February, our students showed up 90.8% of the time.
As of March 1st, there are only 66 school days left. We want to see you all 66 days!!
Remember: Excuses need to be turned in within 3 days of an absence. Use your school's attendance email to make sure that the excuse notes get turned in on time.
Wildcats on the Prowl: AttendanceMatters Now!
Counseling Connection
SAP
If you are concerned about a student for any reason, you can make a SAP referral. The SAP referral can potentially lead to any needed services and/or supports the student may need to be successful.
Click on the picture to make a referral!
Mill Hall Elementary School Counseling
Building confidence can be difficult for anyone to do. To help your Little Wildcat with their confidence, consider doing positive self-talk every day with some daily affirmations. I recommend picking 3 or 4 affirmations and using the same ones every day. Below are some examples:
- I am smart.
- I am strong.
- I am enough.
- I am creative.
- I am brave.
- I am loved.
- I am worth it.
- I am courageous.
- I am talented.
- I am kind.
- I am unique and special.
I also wanted to give a spotlight to a great book about confidence. "Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon" by Patty Lovell is a wonderful story of a girl named Molly Lou Melon who builds confidence with the help of her grandmother. Her grandmother encourages Molly Lou to embrace each of her unique qualities.
bsmith@kcsd.us or 570-893-4900 ext. 2969.
Hillarie Reese: School Social Worker
Phone: 570-893-4900 x3000
Email: hreese@kcsd.us
Healthy Mind, Healthy Home, Healthy YOU!
VOLUNTEER INFORMATION
The link in the button above/QR Code should take you to our Volunteer Application.
You need to apply on-line at https://www.applitrack.com/kcsd/onlineapp/ instead of using a paper form.
Clearances and Mandated Reporter training are also required. Here are the links:
· Clearances
· (Act 34) PA State Policehttps://epatch.pa.gov/home
· (Act 151) PA Child Abuse https://www.compass.state.pa.us/cwis/public/home
· (Act 114) FBI https://www.identogo.com/locations/pennsylvania
Use service code to receive the correct clearance: 1KG6XN
Mandated Report Training http://www.reportabusepa.pitt.edu/
Elizabeth Nace is our Personnel Secretary & Volunteer Specialist, you can use the information below to contact her, and she said she is happy to help you and answer questions!
570-893-4900 x 2319
https://www.kcsd.k12.pa.us/en-US/human-resources-32e72bfe
86 Administration Drive, Mill Hall, PA 17751
Translation Services
If your family speaks a language other than English, the district has access to translators and interpreters that can accompany you in meetings with teachers and school members. If you would like to be connected with a translator or interpreter please reach out to your child’s teacher or the school guidance counselor. The accessibility features in the top right corner of this Smore allow you to translate this page.
ATHLETICS & ACTIVITIES
Check out our School websites for CMHS Athletics
Safety & Security
Safety & Security
Officer Scott VanGorder - Central Mountain High School
Officer Cory Beaver - Bucktail High School & Renovo Elementary
Officer Luke Motter - Central Mountain Middle School
Officer Mike Fetzer - Elementary district-wide and District Attendance Officer
Officer Todd Brian - District-wide
Keeping Up With Keystone
Keystone Central Career & Technical Center
Data & Performance
Upcoming Assessments
Save the Date for State Assessments!
Spring PSSA- All students in grades 3-8 ELA and Math, Science Grades 4 and 8
ELA: Window April 22-26
ELA District Testing April 22, 23, 24
4th & 8th Grade Science District Testing- May 1 & 2
Math/Science/Make ups: Window April 29-May 10
Math District Testing-April 29,30
Local District Assessments
All students in grades K-8 will be participating in our upcoming local district assessments which will be administered in the Fall, Winter and Spring. Students in K-2 will be tested using the Acadience assessment and students in grades 3-8 will be tested using NWEA MAP assessment. These assessments are administered in the Fall, Winter and Spring and will provide you as well as their teacher valuable information on academic growth. To learn more about our assessment please click the links below. The final Testing Window will be May 13-17.
Quick Links
Most Up-to-Date Elementary Lunch Menu
Mill Hall Elementary School Contact Information
Elementary Principal: Dr. Breon- abreon@kcsd.k12.pa.us
School Counselor: Mrs. Smith- bsmith@kcsd.k12.pa.us
School Secretary: Mrs. Collins- gcollins@kcsd.k12.pa.us
School Phone: 570-893-2900 ext. 2910