Mill Valley Weekly

In celebration of Read Across America Week and our school-wide focus on kindness, our 3rd Grade Student Council members shared a little kindness with Bay Lane Elementary and Lakeview Elementary. They believe that one small act of kindness can change the world! To start a chain reaction of kindness, our Student Council members spent time painting "Kindness Rocks". Each one had a message of encouragement. These rocks are displayed in the library in hope that whenever someone walks by and reads a rock, it makes them smile and remember that they are awesome.

In Partnership,

Allyce Harris

MV Principal

Mrs. Dresden's

4th Grade Class

Third Grade Student Council has started a Recycle Club. Members gave a presentation to each classroom about recycling and placed reminder signs around the school. They take the recycling out once a week. The Golden Recycle Bin winners are selected and announced at Golden Awards by the Student Council members.

Each month, every classroom sets its own behavior goal to work toward together. These goals might include things like: walking quietly and respectfully in the hallways or making good choices about who we sit with during learning and work time.

At the end of the month, classrooms that meet their goal get to participate in a Minute-To-Win-It game during our Golden Awards assembly. Take a look at the fun below!

THANK YOU to all the families who provided OREOs for our MV Family!

Each year, students in kindergarten through fourth grade receive instruction in human growth and development. We recognize that you too are providing one-on-one instruction related to your child’s human development and find it a privilege to partner with you in this endeavor. The purpose of this letter is to inform you of this up-and-coming instruction and to afford you multiple opportunities where you can learn more about the content of these lessons as well as to view the accompanying resources we will be using.

The lessons developed are the result of the efforts of our district’s human growth and development instructional team with the oversight and input of the district’s human growth and development advisory committee.

On the back of this letter, you will find an outline. If you would like to review the materials used for these lessons, you can do so by selecting one of the two options listed on the next page.

Please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s teacher or myself, if you have any additional questions. If you prefer your son/daughter not receive instruction in one of the lessons listed, please contact your child’s teacher in advance so that another accommodation can be made when the lesson is taught.

Sincerely,

Allyce Harris

Principal

Mill Valley Elementary

Mill Valley students continue to work hard to demonstrate their respect, their responsibility, and their kindness. At the end of each month, behavior referral (majors and minors) graphs are shared with the staff and students. We wanted to share data trends with you, as well. When teachers share the graphs with their students, they facilitate important conversations about behavior in regard to trends, noticings, and potential actions to decrease the number of behavior referrals each month.

Below are some noticings and patterns from our staff and students for February:

• Second graders had no majors and minors for the month!!

• Referrals most often happened on the playground followed by the classroom.

• Most of the majors and minors were reported as physical contact or aggression, or disruption.

• Referrals happen least often in the hallway and on the bus.

• Teachers and support staff have been having conferences, using “think sheets” and implementing restorative practices to help students build their skills to resolve conflicts with peers.

In addition, our students have earned 3,327 Paw Prints in the month of February! As a reminder, students earn Paw Prints for being caught being respectful, responsible, or kind.

We appreciate your cooperation in ensuring your student’s success during test days. Testing will occur in the morning. Please refrain from scheduling any appointments (doctor, dentist, orthodontist, etc.) during testing times. Ensure your student(s) get adequate sleep, have a healthy breakfast, and arrive at school on time. Notify your child’s teacher as soon as possible if your child will be absent during the testing window.

From Monday, April 13 to April 17, specials and lunch schedules will be adjusted to provide an uninterrupted morning testing window.

For further questions, please contact your child’s teacher or Allyce Harris.

Thank you in advance!

THANK YOU

Happy Spring! It was such a pleasure to have an opportunity to see some of you at conferences. During our time together, several recurring questions popped up regarding how technology is impacting our students. In this age where technology is essential, we are all navigating this digital landscape together. I want to share some insights on the specific challenges our students face and how we can work as a team to keep them safe and focused.

There are areas regarding technology use that are significantly impacting school performance, the first being social and emotional health. In the classroom, we see students struggle with the weight of constant comparison; they are often measuring their lives against the curated reels of influencers or older students. This environment is further complicated by cyberbullying. The anonymity and physical distance of the internet can make children feel emboldened to say things to their peers that they would never dream of saying in person. A specific concern that surfaced in several conferences is the role of gaming platforms like Roblox in student relationships. While these games can be creative, they are often a source of significant strife between friends. Because the platform relies on virtual status, we are seeing "digital cliques" form where students are excluded based on their in-game items or "Robux" (virtual currency). This creates a hierarchy that spills over into the playground and hallways, leading to hurt feelings and broken friendships. Additionally, "griefing"—where one player intentionally destroys another’s work—can lead to intense real-world arguments between children who were best friends just minutes before.

Beyond the social aspect, technology is physically changing how students function. We are seeing a marked increase in students who have difficulty sleeping due to blue light interference, as devices used late at night suppress melatonin and trick the brain into staying awake. Furthermore, the consumption of short-form video clips and fast-paced games is impacting the reticular activating system (RAS). This system is responsible for filtering information and maintaining focus; when it is overstimulated by rapid-fire digital content, students find it increasingly difficult to sustain attention during "slower" school tasks like reading or listening to a lesson.

By setting boundaries at home, such as keeping devices out of bedrooms and encouraging "unplugged" playdates, we can help reset these systems and ensure our students come to class with their friendships and focus intact.

If you have any questions about this, or any other social or behavioral challenges that your student is experiencing, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Dr. S.

We are excited to continue our Summer Learning Academy for Summer 2026! The course guidebook is in the process of being finalized and will be able to be viewed on our District website soon. We are looking forward to continuing to expand the varied course experiences for our students.

Location of Summer Learning Academy: Bay Lane Elementary

Registration Opens: Wednesday, April 8, 2026 (8 am)

Registration Closes: Friday, April 10, 2026 (4 pm)

Late Registration/Waiting List Opens: Friday, May 1, 2026 (4 pm)

Confirmation of Student Schedules Available in Infinite Campus: Friday, May 1, 2026 (4 pm)

SLA Open House: Tuesday, June 16, 2026, 2 pm – 6 pm.

Families are encouraged to visit and map out room locations. (Teachers will not be available).

K - 8 Summer Learning Academy Schedule

June 22-25 (Monday - Thursday)

June 29 - July 2 (OFF)

July 6-9 (Monday - Thursday)

July 13-16 (Monday - Thursday)

July 20-23 (Monday - Thursday)

Please share information with anyone living outside our community who is interested in joining our schools and becoming 1Warrior! Use the following links for more information; DPI Open Enrollment Muskego-Norway Open Enrollment

Time: 5:30pm

Location: Mill Valley Library

Special Guests: 3rd Grade Team

Mill Valley PTO is looking for enthusiastic parents to join committees for the upcoming spring events. If you are interested in lending your time and skills to help plan and organize these community-building events and meet other parents, please sign up HERE!

Upcoming Events Include:

• Spring Fundraiser

• Dance

• Staff Appreciation

• Art Night

Join us for the spring session of After School Theater Classes at Mill Valley, where students will work on a mini-script of the beloved Disney-Pixar film, TOY STORY! We’ll explore the wonderful world of theater while learning how to build a character onstage. In addition to rehearsing and performing the script, students will play theater games and learn a song and dance from the movie, all while having a lot of fun!

The spring session at Mill Valley runs Wednesdays, 3:50-4:50 pm, March 18 - June 3 (11 weeks, no class 4/1). New and returning students are welcome; no experience necessary. Parents are invited to a special performance on the last day of class! Visit our website for more info or to register.

Tickets for Lake Denoon's Performances of "THE SpongeBob MUSICAL" are now on sale to the general public! Get yours while they are still available.

Click HERE to order tickets for FRIDAY, MARCH 6th

Click HERE to order tickets for SATURDAY, MARCH 7th

You won't want to miss this one!

Click here for the Parents United website and click here for the 2025-26 brochure of all events. Below are flyers for the next five exciting upcoming events:

• February 26 (Ferrari Brain with Bicycle Brakes)

• March 9 (Supporting Student Attendance)

• April 21 (Supporting Children’s Success with Self-Determination)

• May 20 (ROUTINES RULE!)

To view current support staff job vacancies, click HERE

Email: allyce.harris@muskegonorway.org
Website: muskegonorway.org
Location: W191 S6445 Hillendale Dr, Muskego Wi, 53150
Phone: 262-971-1830
Facebook: facebook.com/millvalleyelementary