Mills Moments

A big part of our success comes from showing up with TROJAN PRIDE:

• P – Driven by Purpose in our daily work

• R – Showing Respect for self and others

• I – Taking Individual responsibility for our choices

• D – Practicing Disciplined behaviors in the classroom, cafeteria, and playground

• E – Striving for Excellence in all we do

When students practice these values they show a true commitment to excellence. Thank you to our parents and guardians for supporting the students at home, and thank you to our students for giving your best effort. Let’s keep this great momentum going!

Congratulations to Elmwood Park Community Unit School District 401's John Mills Elementary School, a 2026 Illinois Governor’s Blue Ribbon School!

Recognized for excellence in closing the achievement gap, John Mills Elementary is helping every student succeed in a diverse and supportive learning environment.

Pictured from L to R: Mr. Timothy Loughnane, Board Member; Ms. Michelle Silver, Board Member; Ms. Jennifer Ranallo, Board Secretary; Mr. Frank Kuzniewski, Principal; Dr. Leah Gauthier, Superintendent; Mr. Frank Parisi, Board President; Mr. Peter Volpe, Board Vice President; Ms. Monica Doyle, Board Member; Mr. Jason Shipinski, Board Member.

We are proud to share highlights from the 2026 Illinois Report Card, which reflects student outcomes and school performance from the 2025-26 school year. There are five overall performance levels assigned by the state based on each school’s data:

Exemplary — Highest levels of performance

Approaching Exemplary — Strong performance

Commendable — Typical or average performance

Developing — Below average performance

Comprehensive — Low performance

Automatic Comprehensive — Exceptionally low performance (lowest 3–5% in the state)

John Mills School received the designation of Exemplary. A highlight on this year's report card is our English Learner Exit Rate at 16%, doubling the state average of 7.9%. You can find the complete report card here.

First Blue Ribbon, then Exemplary Status, next.....Spike for a Cause Champs!? Join us tonight and help Mills continue the winning streak!! Your attendance and participation helps us win!! Together, as a school, we have raised over $1,000!! Great Job Trojans and Onward...to Volleyball Glory!

We had 13 participants in this year's Pumpkin Decorating Competition!! The winner was Mrs. Sultan's "Rare Goldie"!! 2nd Place went to Mrs. Rominski's "Cookie Monster" and 3rd Place went to Ms. Belmonte's "Needoh Pumpkin"!! We loved seeing all of the creativity from everyone!! Nice job Trojans!

Our Diversity Club put on a great display to celebrate Dia De Los Muertos!

At this month's Trojan Assembly, students presented on famous Polish Americans and their contribution to history. Thank you to Oliwia, Matthew, Hubert, Michael, Robert, Mikaela, Lilliana, and Milania for sharing your culture and heritage with your peers!

Watch Part 1 and Part 2 of the presentation.

PreK

B. Hagins - Ms. Morrison

J. Mateo Pimentel - Ms. Barrington

L. Polek - Ms. Barrington

B. Bolda - Ms. Shanahan

A. Delgado - Ms. Shanahan

Kindergarten

J. Nava - Mr. Fiore

B. Casnova - Ms. Black

E. Tabares - Mrs. Ristau

S. Padilla - Mrs. Baratta

Z. Perez - Ms. Anaya

1st Grade

A. Mendez - Ms. Sultan

M. Moreno - Ms. Banuelos

L. Penaranda Rios - Ms. Minelli

E. Alvares - Mrs. Hagstrom

2nd Grade

A. Gallegos - Ms. Belmonte

E. Alvarado - Mrs. Penczek

O. Gebka - Mrs. Rominski

E. Ocampo - Mrs. Guiracocha

3rd Grade

H. Sepiol - Mrs. Schiltz

E. Franceschi - Ms. Fontanetta

S. Regalado - Ms. Gutsmiedl

C. Carter - Mrs. Adame

J. Casanova Duque - Ms. Arroyo

4th Grade

O. Alvarez - Ms. Dennison

L. Esquivel - Ms. Herrera

J. Gutierrez - Mrs. Durkin

D. Escalera - Mrs. Alanis

J. Velez - Mrs. Lynam

5th Grade

A. Palma - Ms. Balleza

H. Wolgemuth - Mrs. Gauthier

R. Rus - Mrs. Murray

J. Villa - Ms. Graf

S. Osika - Mrs. Rickenbrode

Diversity Club members Isabella, Lucy, and Rebecca presented at the October Trojan Assembly on Breast Cancer Awareness.

For students who were absent or not enrolled on September 24th, your child received a flyer from their teacher with all the package information. Please fill this out and have your child bring it to school on November 12th.

For any student that took a picture on September 24th and wants to take a re-take, you must have your child bring back to school the entire purchased package, and they will give that to the photographer when they take their re-take picture. If they do not have the package, they CANNOT take a re-take!

In the event your child is absent, please call the 24-hour Absentee hotline number listed below before 9am. Please leave your child's name, teacher's name, and the reason for the absence. Be as specific as possible so we can keep attendance records accurate. In the event that a reason was not given, your child will be marked "unexcused absent".

Pre-K: 708-583-6285

K-5: 708-583-6288

Short week = no video! Tune in next week!

Wednesday, November 11th: No School-Veteran's Day

Thursday, November 12th: Fall Picture Day Re-Take

Friday, November 13th: End of Trimester 1

Tuesday, November 24th: Trimester 1 Grades go home

November 25-27: No School-Thanksgiving

There is something special about the energy in our school when we come together as one. We want to harness that energy and start every week with a powerful reminder of who we are. This is why we have Maroon and Gold Mondays!

Starting August 24th, every Monday will be a dedicated day for students, staff, and our entire school community to showcase their Trojan spirit.

This isn’t just for students. We want everyone—parents, guardians, siblings, and grandparents—to join in. Whether you are dropping your child off in the morning, attending a school event, or just out in the community, wear your maroon and gold with pride to show that we can’t hide that Trojan Pride!

Get Your Gear Now! Need to refresh your Trojan wear or get your collection started? Our spirit wear stores are open with options for all ages. We have t-shirts, hoodies, hats, and accessories perfect for students, parents, and even grandparents.

1st Place Spiritwear

BSN Sports

We can’t wait to see a sea of maroon and gold every Monday morning. Let’s start our weeks strong, united, and spirited!

Go Trojans!

• Click into our BSN spirit store below
• Find the item you'd like to purchase
• Choose your design by hitting "Change Designs"
• Pick Blue Ribbon design

Do Better, Be Better, and Aim Higher. Aiming higher starts first thing in the morning! Our school day begins at 8:40am. When students arrive after the bell, it starts a bit of a domino effect. Our main office staff loves seeing your kids, but they have a mountain of more important things to accomplish and would much prefer not to spend their mornings writing out tardy passes. Plus, arriving late means teachers have to pause their instruction, which distracts classmates who are already locked in and learning.

When students arrive to school late, they miss out on the important morning meetings, interventions, relationship-building with peers, and the chance to start their day in a calm, routine-focused way.

Showing up for yourself and for others is a major life skill. Excellent attendance and being on time are habits that set our students up for success far beyond the walls of John Mills. When we show up on time, we show respect for our teachers, our classmates, and our own potential.

Let’s partner together to make "on-time" our new normal. Thank you for your incredible support in helping our students Do Better, Be Better, and Aim Higher every single day! Think of it as this: early is on time, on time is late, and late should be an exception rather than a practice.

We are always looking for ways to make our school a happy, welcoming place where every student feels they belong. We want our students to have fun while they learn and to create wonderful memories of their elementary school years. Every Thursday, we invite all students and staff to participate in a fun dress-up day centered around a specific theme. We encourage students to use things they already have at home; if your student does not wish to participate, that is absolutely fine. They should wear their regular school clothes as usual. No student will ever be excluded or made to feel uncomfortable. At all times, please ensure your student’s outfit is still safe and appropriate for all school activities, including recess and P.E. Footwear must remain safe for running and playing.

November 12th - Red, white, and blue in honor of Veterans Day

November 19th - Plaid/Flannel Day

Our next PTA meeting is Tuesday, November 10, at 6:30 pm. Enter door 6, on 76th CT (kindergarten/Pre-K door) and then use the first stairway to your left to go up to the media center. All are welcomed to join.

The Holiday Shop is coming and we need your help! Please click on this link to sign up to volunteer. Whether it’s an hour or a full day, anything helps. Thank you for your time.

One way you can support the PTA is by participating in our spirit nights! Skip the cooking and help us raise funds for the school. The next spirit night is December 16th at Portillo's in Harwood Heights.

• Communications will be sent via our Givebacks site- Mills PTA, INC.

• Have a question? Comment? Email JohnMillsElemPTA@gmail.com

• 2026-2027 School Supply Lists
• Student Handbook
• District 401 Calendar
• Volunteer Application
• BASEC
• Meal Pricing
• Free and Reduced Price Meal Application
• School Fees
• MySchoolBucks: all school fees are paid through this site
• School Song: sung at every assembly and large gathering
• School Hours for K-5
• 8:40-2:00 on Mondays
• 8:40-3:00 Tuesday-Friday
• School Hours for PK
• Session 1 is 8:15-10:25 and Session 2 is 11:35-1:45 on Mondays
• Session 1 is 8:15-10:50 and Session 2 is 12:10-2:45 Tuesday-Friday.
• School Communications
• ParentSquare is our main communication tool- ensure you have a parent account set up to stay connected.
• ***Any questions to help resolve technical issues should be sent to: support@epcusd401.org***

Phone: 708-452-3560

Email: millsinfo@epcusd401.org

2824 North 76th Avenue, Elmwood Park, IL 60707

School Website

School News & Virtual Backpack

Superintendent of Schools

Call: 1-844-4-SAFEIL

Website: Safe2HelpIL.com

Email: HELP@Safe2HelpIL.com

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