Mill Street Parent Newsletter

Our Mill Street Grows remaining materials needed to finish our project, totaling nearly $15,000.00, has been fully covered through Title 1 Funds and thus we will begin planning for the opening of our garden, outdoor classroom, and sensory space this spring! We look forward to partnering with Recycle Design and Mayneland Farms as we furnish our outdoor spaces and begin planting our garden.

Special thanks to our committee members and to those who have donated funds and purchased engraved pavers, all of which has brought this dream and new learning opportunities to fruition!

We will be reaching out in the spring to add volunteers to our committee to help with "sweat equity" projects throughout the summer. If you have a love of gardening and outdoors, please consider joining us!

Our student council members were provided the opportunity to make final equipment selections for our new small playground area which will be updated this spring/summer. The final plans are below. We look forward to this new configuration and the wonderful play opportunities it will provide our students!

It goes without saying that we are more than thrilled to have welcomed back students to in-person learning these past two weeks. While it has taken some time to acclimate to the new routine of AM and PM sessions, it appears that we have transitioned smoothly.

An important procedure to note as we live in Stage 3 is that the commitment to in person learning is just that. Families may not move between in-person and online for sake of convenience ie; to accommodate vacations, illness, appointments, missed alarms etc...

When a child is called in sick, they will not be allowed to enter live streaming on that date and will be marked absent. That student will be encouraged to complete assigned asynchronous work and join the class in person when feeling able to come to school. The exception to this protocol are in-person students who are under quarantine due to Covid-19. Those students will be allowed to move from in-person to live streaming during the duration of their quarantine.

A reminder of district mask requirements...masks with valves and or neck gaiter mask types are not approved. If your student enters the building with the wrong type of mask, they will be directed to the health office and provided with a district approved mask.

Overall our students have done an outstanding job of bringing, managing and wearing their masks while in the building. Thank you for your partnership in following this safety protocol!

Please check your email for communication from the district and from Mill Street via Talk 203, regarding upcoming NWEA MAP testing. Mill Street students in grades K-5 will participate in this testing between Feb. 24th and March 12th. This assessment is required by the State of Illinois and provides evidence of students' understanding of grade level standards in the areas of English/Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics. Each grade level will have four 1.5 hour testing sessions scheduled on four consecutive days. The general schedule for grades 3-5 and K-2 are provided below. Classroom teachers will be sharing this information as well as materials needed for testing that includes charged Chromebooks/iPads and working headphones.

Parents of online only students will receive a separate Talk 203 message from Mill Street outlining the procedure we will follow to include our online only learners in this important assessment. Testing is required for all students, however a virtual testing option is not available. Online only students will be invited in to test on the same dates their in-person peers will be testing. The letter outlines the procedures and safety measures we will take to ensure students are following district guidelines as they come to the building to complete these assessments.

Please reach out with any questions once that communication is received.

Parents are encouraged to participate in the Illinois 5Essentials Survey as mandated by the Illinois State Board of Education. The district is required to complete the administration of this survey by April 2, 2021.

The district and schools use information from this survey to enhance our understanding of our family and student experiences in Naperville 203. Students in grades 4-12, staff and parents participate in the survey. In order to get valid information we are seeking at least a 30% parent participation rate.

Individual responses to this survey remain confidential; results will be published online in conjunction with the annual Illinois Report Card in the fall of 2021. The survey takes approximately 30 minutes to complete and will be administered online.

Thank you for your continued support and participation toward improving our schools by completing this survey!

http://survey.5essentials.org/illinois/survey/parent/

Spring Parent Teacher Conferences will occur on the evening of February 22nd and the morning of February 23rd. To schedule conferences, District 203 uses an online application called PTC Wizard. The process is not lengthy, and the PTC Wizard Parent Guide (PTC Wizard Guía para los Padres) will help you navigate the system. You will access the PTC Wizard website at: https://naperville203.ptcwizard.com and login using your Infinite Campus portal username and password. Conference sign up closes on February 12th.

Classroom teachers will be reaching out to parents to complete a conference survey and to verify your preference for a phone conference or Zoom conference. Conference requests prior to the Feb. 22/23rd conference dates can not be accommodated so please make arrangements to speak either by phone or via Zoom with your classroom teachers during the conference timeframes.

What is the purpose of the Optimistic School Community series?

• The Optimistic School Community provides invaluable tools and techniques to assist us in focusing on wellness during these unprecedented times. The series focuses on:

  • Developing a resilient and positive mindset
  • The impact of social connections on positivity and rational optimism for wellbeing
  • Building individual and family happiness habits for self-care
  • Raising the levels of happiness of yourself, family, staff, and students
  • Creating a positive and adaptive mindset

  What is the Optimistic School Community Series?

  • A set of six interactive modules that includes 5-15 minute videos with accompanying activities and resources designed to build a positive mindset and foster social-emotional well-being for our students.
  • All six modules are self-paced and can be completed at your own leisure.
  • The series begins on Monday, February 1, with two modules being released each week. (Click HERE to view the series calendar)
  • There will also be three interactive live virtual sessions from 7:00p.m. - 8:00p.m. in the evening that will highlight the themes of each week. (Click HERE to register for the live sessions)

• 2/15 No School- President's Day
• 2/22 Teacher Institute No in-person or online learning
• 2/22 Parent Teacher Conferences (virtual) 5:00pm-8:30pm
• 2/23 Parent Teacher Conferences (virtual) 8:00am-12:00pm
• 2/24 3-5 Map Testing
• 2/25 3-5 Map Testing
• 2/25 Grading window opens
• 2/26 County Wide Institute No in-person or online learning
• 3/8 K preview presentation and info sent to parents in place of in-person K preview
• 3/2-3/3 Map Testing Grades 3-5
• 3/4/-3/5 Map Testing Grades K-1
• 3/9 Student Council Meeting w/Ms. Carrico and Mr. Reynoso (virtual)
• 3/9-3/10 Map Testing K-2
• 3/11-3/12 Make ups for MAP Testing
• 3/11 Tri 2 Ends
• 3/16 Tri 2 Grading Window Closes
• 3/29-4/5 Spring Break
• 4/6 Teacher Institute- No in-person or online learning
• 4/7 Students return from spring break