Mustang Minute
March 25, 2022
Upcoming Dates
March 28-April 1- Spring Break
April 6- Early Release at 1:00
April 7- Lil- Fish Reading Program Ends
April 14th- KingFish Ticket Order forms are due
Thank you all for bringing in your pop top tabs. So far this year we have collected about 45 lbs of pop top tabs. This is about 120,000 pop tabs. Please keep sending them in for the Ronald McDonald House.
Topics
- MES Staff Shout Out (Updated)
- Mitigation Changes (NEW)
- Student Placements 22/23 (NEW)
- Lil' Fish Reading Program (NEW)
- What is Bullying? (NEW)
- Kindergarten Enrollment 2022-2023
- Lost and Found
- D24 Employment Openings (Updated)
- Warren Referendum
EPIC News (NEW)
Virtual Backpack (Updated)
New Shout Outs
Miss Missy is the absolute best bus driver! She treats the students on her bus as if they were her own. She always welcomes the kids with a smile and truly cares about their well being. We are so grateful for her!
Mitigation Changes
- Desks within the classroom can be moved into groups or into other arrangements as the teacher sees fit.
- Volunteers are allowed into the building.
- Snack time no longer needs to be staggered
- Locker use no longer needs to be staggered
- Materials/manipulatives can be shared between students. Hand sanitizer is always encouraged between uses
- We will be maintaining our two locations for lunches (Cafeteria and East Gym). Moving all lunches to the cafeteria would require a scheduling change and we do not want to do that with only two months left for the school year. However, we will be looking at different seating arrangements for both locations.
Student Placements 22/23
The upcoming next school year is only a few months away, now is when we begin the process of student placement for the upcoming year. We do not randomly place students into classes at Millburn Elementary. The academic, social, and emotional make up of each child is taken into account when making these placements. Every child is placed with great care and supporting rationale. You will find a brief explanation of how this process works in the following paragraphs.
Around this time, each team of teachers, including the resource teachers for that grade level, starts the process of assigning students to their next homeroom grouping. First, students are placed into homerooms to make sure that an equal number of skill levels are maintained. Each class should have the same number of differing academic levels. The team of teachers will then look at what students are prone to not getting along with each other so this can be avoided. A gender balance of boys and girls in each homeroom is also important. The resource teacher works in conjunction with the grade level teachers to help ensure that each homeroom is appropriately balanced and scheduling parameters can be met.
After this initial process is complete, we will have our preliminary class lists. The next step is to determine what homeroom group matches best to the teachers in the next grade level. The team of teachers will try to match the homeroom groups with the appropriate teacher based on learning style, personalities, and academic needs and strengths.
Please understand that this entire process takes time and there are many checks and balances along the way. The lists are reviewed and adjusted often. The teachers are very conscientious and have always taken this process seriously. Parents and teachers alike know the importance of good matches.
Over the summer, the lists are checked for accuracy. Each summer the lists are adjusted for one reason or another. This may be due to students moving in or out. Or perhaps a teacher moves creating space for a new staff member. For these reasons, the lists are reviewed and adjusted over the summer. I will consult with the team of teachers on any adjustments I make to student placements.
Oftentimes, parents feel they need to make a request for a specific teacher they have heard to be fantastic. It is unfortunate that we cannot take parent requests for student placement. Requests like this would clearly add too many parameters to an already difficult and time-consuming process. Please do not ask your child’s teacher to recommend next year’s teacher or ask for a particular teacher. Requests like this will put the teacher in an uncomfortable situation since they are not in the position to grant such requests. Making student placements is a team process that one teacher alone cannot control.
Also please note that it is our practice to separate twins/triplets within the grade level. During the last two years, we have placed them together as a mitigation measure to limit any spread of COVID-19. Now that we are starting to return to normal, we will be going back to our previous practice. If there is a situation that the teacher or myself needs to be aware of that we should consider, please reach out.
If you feel it necessary, you may write a letter to me indicating the qualities you would like your child’s teacher to possess by the end of April. As always, if you have any questions, you can always call me at (847) 245-2800, or email me at bwalshire@millburn24.net.
**If you are planning to move out of our district, please contact our office. We are in the process of preparing registration packets for next year.
Lil' Fish Reading Program- March 18th- April 7th
Spring is right around the corner and you know what that means….it’s time for baseball! Millburn Elementary is excited to announce that our school will be partnering with the Kenosha Kingfish baseball team to bring our students the Lil’ Fish Reading Program this year. The Lil’ Fish Reading Program is a fun, baseball themed reading incentive program sponsored by The Kenosha Kingfish in which your child can ‘round the bases of reading and slide into “home plate” to receive 2 free tickets to Millburn Night with the Kenosha Kingfish on May 31st!
Important Dates to Remember
March 18th- Reading Program Begins
April 7th- Completed Reading Logs turned in
April 14th- Ticket Order forms are due- No Execptions; ticket order forms will come home after your child has completed the reading program.
May 31st @ 6:05pm- Millburn Night with the Kenosha Kingfish. Tickets will only be valid for this game.
What is Bullying?
7:180- Prevention of and Response to Bullying, Intimidations, and Harassment
7:20- Harassment of Students Prohibited
Would you like to report an occurrence of Bullying? Click HERE
Anyone missing anything?
We have found many items over the course of the last few months. Stop by the school and see if you find anything that might be yours!!
D24 Employment Opportunities
Warren Referendum
For the Millburn Families within the Warren Township High School District, below are links to information regarding the upcoming referendum.
EPIC News
- Save the Date: EPIC Social
- Family Fun Run
- Spirit Wear
- Millburn District Blood Drive
- Class Liaisons
- Sponsorship - 24 for 24/Amazon Smile
- EPIC Membership - FREE
EPIC Social: Save the date! Tuesday, April 26th at 7:00 join us for an EPIC social gathering at Chances. Mingle with us and see how you might be able to help. We have a number of committee chair positions open and board positions open (elections in May).
Family Fun Run: Registration for the Millburn Family Fun Run scheduled for April 30, 2022 is now open! Grab your running or walking shoes and get moving! The Fun Run has 2 options for participation this year. Choose which works best for you and your family. Click HERE for information on the options available. For more information and to sign up go to MillburnEPIC.com. Race shirts are guaranteed to the first 100 to register. Register soon!
Do you have a business or work for a business that would like to sponsor EPIC? Check out the virtual Backpack or contact our chair at familyfunrun@millburnEPIC.com
Spirit Wear: Our spring spirit wear sale is underway. Check the flyers out in the virtual backpack for more information.
Millburn District Blood Drive
The Millburn Federation of Teachers is teaming up with Millburn EPIC and the Millburn Professional and School Related Personnel to host a blood donation drive.
Date: Tuesday, April 26th
Location: MMS, East Gym
Details on how to schedule an appointment will be forthcoming.
Please tell your friends, family members, and neighbors. Let's have a huge turnout for this event and support the need for blood donations in our community.
Thank you on behalf of the Millburn Federation of Teachers, Millburn EPIC and the Millburn Professional and School Related Personnel.
Class Liaisons: We are looking for volunteers to help share information with each grade level. Liaisons would communicate with teachers from a grade level letting them asking them to share information with that grade level parents about upcoming events or volunteer opportunities. Liaisons would also be able to help teachers share information with EPIC. If you are interested in this great opportunity please contact us at president@millburnEPIC.com
Sponsorship: Attention Families!
Please see the $24 for 24 Donation Form located in the virtual backpack and return to school at your earliest convenience. If you have any questions or concerns please email Jenna Kallianis at corporatefundraising@millburnepic.com
Also, if you are an Amazon shopper and have not yet linked your account with our Amazon Smile account, please do! The directions are located in the virtual backpack! To date we have raised nearly $4,000!
Website and Membership: Register FREE today! www.millburnEPIC.com
• Receive messages about upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, sponsorships and other ways to help Millburn
• Access to our student directory
Many parents and caregivers like to use the directory to make contact for their children. Keep in mind, only families that register will be able to be in the directory as well as be able to view it and the school cannot give any contact information for students. If you would like to have access to our student directory, please be sure to register.
Were you a part of our directory last year? EASY - just update your information with any student related.