PTO Board Elections

Board elections were originally scheduled for Spring 2020, however, due to unforeseen circumstances of the COVID19 school closure, we were unable to convene a selection committee or facilitate an election. Due to this, the PTO is opening nominations for the 2020-21 PTO Board via self-nomination to the position you are interested in. Please email Dan Mills PTO and include your name and the position you are interested in serving by Friday, August 21st .

• The board slate will be presented online on Monday, August 24th.  A vote to approve the board slate will be linked, the deadline for voting is Tuesday, September 8th

• In the weeks to come, we will be sharing a volunteer interest form to help shape our committees for the year ahead!  Committees are another great way to be involved and support the school and PTO.  We will plan to have all committees again this year but some may be more active than others due to the current situation, and we will adapt to address the needs of our school community. Descriptions for the below committees can be found here.

  • Hospitality

  • Teacher Needs

  • Communications

  • Family Help

  • Diversity/Engagement

  • Events and Fundraising

  • Enrichment

  • Spirit wear

Remote School Updates

Good afternoon families! Principal Yates here with some updates for all of you as we prepare for Remote Learning.

JUST TODAY, we have created a website to be a “one-stop shop” for information specific to Dan Mills. 

Next week, we will have several important VIRTUAL EVENTS that you will want to attend. The times, details for the event, and links to join TEAMS meetings are available. TEAMS is a site that teachers will be using this year to connect with your students. You may wish to download the TEAMS APP on your phone, I-Pad or computers. 

If by chance you cannot be a part of the live event at the scheduled time, there is no need to worry. The event will be recorded live, so you will be able to access it at your convenience. 

Our weebly page is brand new, so do not expect bells and whistles just yet. We just wanted a platform to share important information with our families as we adapt to our current situation in Nashville.

Please visit https://wearedanmills.weebly.com/, and save it as a favorite! Expect more updates and features to be added to the site in the days and weeks to come. For now, check out the information under the Remote Learning Info tab.

Information continues to be shared from the district in ensuring that we are ready for remote learning to begin August 4th. Please remember, we are still in the planning process for many facets of how remote learning will look for our students. 

I know a big cause for concern is your child’s daily schedule. The schedules we have created for Dan Mills are currently awaiting feedback and approval from the district. Once I have the clearance, I will post them on the Weebly site. For your peace of mind, I will share that the school day will start at 8:00 A.M. and will be completed by 2:15. Students will meet state and district mandates for time required for school. Children will have access to live (synchronous) instruction each day for 2 to 2.5 hours. There will also be opportunities for independent learning. Please note that your child would have scheduled breaks in-between instruction. 

Students will also have a daily opportunity to participate in a Morning Meeting where they will develop social emotional learning skills, which we know are instrumental in promoting self-regulation and academic success. 

If your child receives Exceptional Education services at Dan Mills, please make sure to attend an informational meeting on July 30th from 7:00-8:00. You can find the meeting link on mnps.org/district-calendar.  This would be an opportunity to find out specific details to see the district’s plan to ensure that services continue, even in the virtual space. 

If you have not had a chance to check out the Back to School section on the MNPS page, you are strongly encouraged to do so. I found the FAQ section to be very informative and reassuring to my many questions. 

10 Questions with Dr. Messenger

It’s that time again where we get to celebrate one of our wonderful Dan Mills faculty members who have added so much goodness to our community.

This month, we got to chat with DMES’ favorite food truck entrepreneur extraordinaire (seriously, the best!) the one and only, Dr. Dedrick Messenger! He’s loved teaching art at Dan Mills for nearly 10 years (He was also recognized as a TEA Distinguished Teacher in 2016), and has so many interesting passions beyond what happens in the art room! Read on below to learn what Dr. Messenger’s go-to karaoke song is!

Describe your class/position/job in three words:

I teach art.

When you were in 3rd grade, what was your dream job?

My dream job was to be an artist.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?

Treat people like you want to be treated: Always show love, respect and don't hold grudges, be willing to forgive.

What is your favorite thing about DMES?

I love the students, parents, faculty, and administration. They all show me so much love each day.  

What does a typical Saturday night look like for you?

I usually cater an event with my BBQ business- D & J’s BBQ and Catering.

Fill in the blank: People would be surprised to learn that I ________.

Drive 55 miles one-way to school each day, and I am also a pastor! 

Where do you go when you need some inspiration?

I call my dad.

What is one of your hidden talents?

I restore Hotrod Cars

What's your favorite song to sing karaoke to?

You Got A Right to Party by the Beastie Boys

Who was your favorite teacher when you were in school, and what was it about them that you loved?

Mr. Jeff McKinney 8th grade - He made all of the boys wear neckties and we were required to use a respectful greeting toward each other when speaking.. He demonstrated to me the true meaning of respect and how to treat people. He was an awesome teacher!

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WANNA HELP THE ART DEPARTMENT?

They always need extra Sharpie markers for the students to use–all colors and black (fine tip) are helpful! To support the art department, just drop off a pack of markers to the main office and let them know to deliver to Dr. Messenger.

10 Questions with Mr. Judd

We are so excited to feature the amazing Mr. Judd for this month’s “10 Questions” series.  He’s originally from Oregon, and moved to Nashville to be close to his wife's family. Over the past seven years, he’s worked in a variety of public and private schools. In his classroom, he places great emphasis on helping his students develop a love for learning and build empathy for others. We love Mr. Judd’s classroom motto: "Everyone is different, and that's a good thing.” Keep reading to learn more about Mr. Judd!

Describe your class/position/job in three words:

1st Grade Teacher

When you were in 3rd grade, what was your dream job?

Not sure, but I loved building things.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?

"Everything is an experiment." I was told this when I was agonizing over tough decisions in my first classroom. 

What is your favorite thing about DMES?

I love the STEAM and mindfulness focus at this school. Also there is a positive staff culture is amazing. 

What does a typical Saturday night look like for you?

Well, my wife is pregnant, so we aren't really going out these days. Maybe dinner and a jigsaw puzzle. :)

Fill in the blank: People would be surprised to learn that I ________.

speak Swahili. My wife and I met in Tanzania. 

Where do you go when you need some inspiration?

For my teaching, I go to my colleagues. For life, I go for a run.

What is one of your hidden talents?

I'm REALLY good at ping pong.

What's your favorite song to sing karaoke to?

I'm terrified of karaoke! 

Who was your favorite teacher when you were in school, and what was it about them that you loved?

So hard to pick one! But I did love my first grade teacher. She gave great hugs.

Please let us know if your classroom has any needs for supplies or volunteers that we could help to notify parents about!

I want to broadcast my gratitude for all the parent volunteers that helped prep our new phonics curriculum materials. We still have two more units to laminate and cut out. Contact laureen.greathouse@mnps.org if you are able to help.

10 Questions with Ms. Carnell from STEAM

We are beginning an exciting new monthly blog series that features of of the many amazing people who work at DMES and make the building and the community so fantastic! We are launching this series with one of Dan Mills’ newest additions, Ms. Carnell from the STEAM class!

Ms. Carnell and Family

Describe your role at DMES:

This is my first year at Dan Mills, and my 3rd year teaching STEM/STEAM.  I think I have the coolest job ever because, as the STEAM teacher, I get to "play" with the students, and watch them use their imagination, as well as figure things out on their own and problem solve.  They really seem to enjoy the class, and that inspires me to make it a better experience for them. 

When you were in 3rd grade, what was your dream job?

I wanted to be a secretary (typewriters were cool!)

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?

Treat others the way you'd like to be treated.

What is your favorite thing about DMES?

Aside from the amazing teachers and students, the parent and community support are like nothing I have ever experienced! 

Ms. Carnell with her grandson

What does a typical Saturday night look like for you?

I am usually hanging out with my 10 year old grandson, doing whatever he wants to do...but every now and then I can be found reading a book or catching up on my DVR! 

Fill in the blank: People would be surprised to learn that I ________.

…am a Level 36 Pokemon Go player!

Where do you go when you need some inspiration?

I LOVE walking the trails around Nashville and Murfreesboro.  Nature can be a real pick-me-up.

What is one of your hidden talents?

I'm a pretty awesome scrabble player.

What's your favorite song to sing karaoke to?

I mostly sing karaoke in the bathroom, but it would probably be anything by Adele.

Who was your favorite teacher when you were in school, and what was it about them that you loved?

My favorite teacher is high school was Vickie Bailey.  She was the Speech/Drama teacher at my high school in Missouri, and she had an amazing way of connecting with students.  She was more of a friend, or someone on our level that we felt comfortable talking to about anything. Ironically, when I moved to Nashville 19 years ago, she was also living here and we ended up teaching at the same school for a few years.  She is one of my dearest friends to this day.

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If you’d like to support Ms. Carnell in the classroom, here are a few items she could put to good use:

-Paper plates
-Coffee filters
-Pipe cleaners
-Electrical tape
-Play-doh
-Markers
-Gently used/Second-hand Tablets (Such as Kindle Fire) to run the apps for the robotics kits.

Want to know more about STEAM/STEM? Try these websites out for fun at home projects the whole family will love!

Easy Simple STEM Activities

STEM Activities for Kids

5 Helpful Questions You Should Ask Your Child’s Teacher at Conferences

Studies show that nurturing a life-long learner begins with the child’s family involvement with their school life, but sometimes it’s hard to know exactly where to start, or what to expect from your child’s teacher. Conferences in particular can be intimidating, because parents might feel unprepared or not know what to expect.

With Parent-Teacher conferences coming up on November 8th, we wanted to give you 5 helpful questions to ask your child’s teacher, and a jumping off point to empower you to become more invested in your child’s education, and open the lines of communication between your home and school. When we work together, doors of opportunity swing open wide for our children to build the confidence and enthusiasm they need to succeed. 

1. What is my child expected to learn this year?
   Your child’s teacher should offer you a set of standards and markers that will indicate that your child is learning according to their appropriate grade level.

2. What are my child’s strengths and weaknesses in the classroom?
   If your child is struggling with a specific subject or social behavior, or shining bright in a specific area, this is the question where you will be able to launch the topic for conversation.

3. Does my child seem happy at school?
   Your child’s teacher spends 30 or more hours per week with them in the classroom and can offer great insight into what is going on with your student when you aren’t around.

4. How is my child participating in class discussions and activities?
   This is an opportunity to see how your student is interacting within the structure of group work, and a chance for them to build confidence and share their ideas. Sometimes teachers have great stories about how your child solved a problem for the class, or made a funny observation about a book they were reading together.

5. How can I better support my child’s academic progress at home?
   This is a question teachers love to hear. They will always welcome any additional support you can offer for your student outside of the classroom. Just like you, your child’s teacher wants your student to reach their full potential, develop a deep love of learning, and find success in their educational career. 

Image via Etsy

It truly does take a village, and when we unite with the school administrators and teachers for the betterment of our community, we are that village. You will get out of it what you put into it.

P.S. We are looking for volunteers who can assist our Spanish speaking parents and ensure all of our community has productive Parent Teacher Conferences!  

If you are bilingual in Spanish and English you can help us greatly on November 8th, Parent Teacher Conference Day, by providing translation services in one of Dan Mills' five English Learner classrooms!  Our goal is to provide an interpreter to all families that would like one as we strive to provide the best possible communication between our teachers and parents.
Click here to sign up!

It's That Time Again. Time for ... Dragon Dash!!

Dragon Dash fundraising kicked off on Friday, September 13. The PTO hosted a fun and entertaining pep rally at the school for students and teachers (watch our InstaStory from the pep rally), and race packets were sent home with every child. Make sure to check out the Dragon Dash section of the website for how to get started.

Our total school goal is $38,000. If every student raises $75 we can meet that. Better yet, we can surpass our goal if you raise more! Our school reach goal is $48,000, and, to put that in perspective, last year we raised $45,000 so we KNOW we can do it!

Proceeds are benefiting teachers in their classrooms, purchasing new curriculum, supporting mindfulness in the classrooms and funding other projects around school. And we get to raise the money all while promoting a healthy lifestyle. Everybody can win! 

To make it even more fun, we are offering all kinds of individual goal incentives, daily raffle prizes for students bringing in donations and team rewards. The very TOP earner in the school will even win an Amazon Kindle AND a $25 Amazon gift card! Check out more of our awesome incentives here.

We have all kinds of fun prizes in store for the students … learn more here.

Special thanks to this year’s Dragon Dash sponsors: Cumberland Cooling; Alive Nashville; Chris Billingslea, Realtor; FAST SIGNS of Hendersonvile; and Nashville Dance Cooperative.

Voting Open for Proposed Amendments to PTO By-Laws

We posted last month about a few proposed amendments to the Dan Mills Elementary PTO By-Laws. You can read that post here. In that post, we also have a link to the full document of the PTO By-Laws for your reading pleasure.

We now need to conduct a vote for those amendments. Please vote for all three amendments. Voting will close on Monday, September 2.

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Get Involved in the PTO! Check Out These Needs for the 2019-20 School Year.

We have several open PTO positions for the 2019-2020 school year! If you’re wanting a way to get involved, meet new people or devote just a little time to help our wonderful school, please consider volunteering in one of these ways. We promise it will be rewarding and you’ll have help and support!

Happy Cart Coordinator: Once a month, volunteers wheel around a cart of goodies for teachers. The coordinator would be in charge of setting up the cart and notifying the PTO when more supplies are needed. Time commitment: approximately 1-2 hours per month.

Box Top Co-coordinator: Dan Mills collects Box Tops which bring in several hundred dollars to our school each year. Jenny Schafer has graciously headed this up for the past several years, and she would like another volunteer to help her with this. Time commitment: Approximately 1-2 hours per month and can be done outside of school hours.

Unicycle Coordinator: UniCycle is a school uniform recycling program, and Dan Mills is part of this effort. Typically a sign up is created and volunteers come in on a regular basis to sort the donations. The coordinator would oversee this effort. Time Commitment: 1-2 hours per month and can be done outside of school hours.

Communication Committee Member: The PTO is in need of some volunteers to help with communications. This includes social media posts, emails, and paper communications...if you have a particular area of strength or interest that falls within these areas, please let us know exactly how you might be willing to help. Time commitment: 1-3 hours per month and can easily be done outside of school hours.

If you are interested in any of these positions or want to learn more, please contact us at ptodanmills@gmail.com.

If you don’t want to take on any of these open positions, that’s ok. But we still want your involvement! So be sure to fill out our PTO Volunteer Interest Form!

Notice of Proposed Amendments to Dan Mills PTO Bylaws

We hope you’ve been enjoying your summer. While all of us on the Dan Mills PTO have been taking a nice break, we’ve also spent some time planning the upcoming 2019-20 school year. Part of our board meeting in June included the Board discussing making a few amendments to the bylaws. As per our bylaws, the PTO is required to give notice to all members (that means you, the parents!) of our proposed changes. At our PTO Live! meeting in August, we plan to take a vote. If you cannot be at the meeting, we also plan to open up voting on our Facebook page.

And now for the proposed amendments. Read below for the edits the PTO Board would like to make to the current Bylaws. The button under these proposed changes is the link to the full Bylaws document.

• ARTICLE V
  SECTION 6. Officers shall serve for a term of one year or until their successors are elected. No officer shall be eligible to the same office for more than two consecutive terms unless there is a named successor. In the case of a named successor, a person is allowed to serve three consecutive terms in the same office with the purpose of training the successor throughout the course of the third and final term. No officer may hold more than one elected office. Officers shall assume their duties on the last day of school, with the exception of Treasurer who will have restrictive duties until the financial records have been closed out. A person who has served in an office for more than six months of a full term shall be deemed to have served a full term in such office.

• ARTICLE VI
  SECTION 4
  d. DELETED*
  * The current financial institution we use does not provide checks with two signature lines.

• ARTICLE XI
  SECTION 1. The fiscal year of this PTO shall begin July 1stand end June 30th.

It Was a Great 2018-19 School Year. Thank You!

It’s been a wonderful year at Dan Mills, and we want to thank YOU for your part in that! Whether you volunteered, signed your Dragon up for the Dragon Dash, read with your child, attended Dragon Jubilee, thanked a teacher, bought a school t-shirt, baked some treats for the happy cart or bake sale, or won an auction item, you were an integral part of that success. Plans are already being made for a fantastic 2019-2020 school year. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your amazing support!

Sincerely,
The Dan Mills PTO Board

Items of note that the PTO was able to provide or support:

• Library Redesign, Phase I

• Picnic Tables for the front field

• 10 New computers for the Computer Lab

• Over $4,500 in Professional Development for teachers

• Over $10,000 allocated to teachers to use in their classrooms

• Educational programs to support curriculum

• Monthly Happy Cart for teachers

• Over $12,000 in Classroom supplies, equipment, and literacy supplies

• Mindfulness Supplies for teachers and classrooms

• $3900 for field trips and achievement incentives (including the in-school Adventure Science Center event)

Here are just a few pictures from the school year:

We want to share some of the sentiments from the teachers because these kind words are meant for ALL of the Dan Mills parents:

“I’m very appreciative of the support shown toward my classroom from the Dan Mills PTO this school year! PTO provided us a classroom rug! This rug is the staple of our classroom and serves as our meeting place for morning meeting and mini lessons. Students enjoy getting cozy on the rug to read books.

With Dragon Dash funds, I was able to purchase six wobble stools. These stools help promote flexible seating in the classroom by giving students choice and a chance to “wiggle” while they work. Thank you Dan Mills PTO for your support! I greatly appreciate it!”

— Ms. Jones

“I am so thankful for the intentionality and immense efforts our PTO gives toward helping our staff and students. Whether it’s a smiling friendly face, a happy cart of morning pick-me-ups, or financial support, the PTO’s investment in teachers and in our school at large have been so wonderful and impactful.

Thanks to funds from the PTO, my classroom received several new high-quality nonfiction texts (the National Geographic Kids series…which my students cannot get enough of). These nonfiction books supported our reading and writing units on understanding informational texts, navigating their various features, and creating our own nonfiction texts about animals we were passionate to study. Having so many mentor books for my students to research in and aspire to imitate has been huge. Now every single one of my students can have a rich text like this for him/herself, for reading and rereading. My students don’t just love books, but dive in eagerly to these nonfiction texts to grow their brains and uncover facts they delightedly share with others. There is such a pride and joy they experience in this—and for many students, these books present a thrilling challenge. Similarly, I feel great joy watching their reading opportunities flourish with the addition of these books to my classroom library. Thank you PTO! This is just one of the ways my students have benefitted from your work and generosity.”

— Ms. Whitmore, 1st Grade Teacher

“What an incredible PTO Dan Mills has! We want for nothing.... and we appreciate it more than you all could ever know. We are supported incessantly. The Post Its that were bought for me make it so much more positive for the kids (and me) to give and receive feedback as well as making Anchor Charts much more memorable for students. There are not enough nice words to say about our awesome parents. ”

— Mrs. Jo, 4th Grade Teacher

“Thank you for your support of music education at Dan Mills! This year, through the Dragon Dash funds, all 3rd grade students received a Yamaha recorder! I was also able to attend a spectacular professional development, sponsored by the CMA Foundation and TNMEA (Tennessee Music Educators Association) and learned a wealth of knowledge/techniques that I could immediately bring back to the classroom. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!! I love you guys and am so thankful for you!!”

— Mrs. Folsom, Music Teacher

“I am so grateful for all of the activities provided to our students by our PTO. My class still talks about the Dragon Dash and how much fun it was. We are using new math materials and a light board that were provided to us by the PTO. I am so grateful to be a part of the Dan Mills family. We have the best PTO anywhere!”

— Ms. Wilson, Pre-K Teacher

“Thank you for all your support during the 2018-2019 school year. From lunches and teacher appreciation week, to monthly “happy cart” visits and purchasing items for our classroom, we can always count on you to help and support us. Thank you for all you do for our community school!”

— Mrs. Ashford, Kindergarten Teacher

“Ive been able to use my Dragon Dash funds to purchase new books for my classroom during school book fairs. As we walk around and take a sneak peek of the book fair, I like to notice which books they get excited about so that I can get them for our class. Once the kids see the books in class that they were hoping for they immediately want to find a cozy spot to read! I feel grateful for all of the support we have here at Dan Mills. Without you all, those magical moments wouldn’t always happen. On top of the phenomenal fundraising, the parent support is outstanding. Because of the support from volunteers, I was able to get a new phonics curriculum in my classroom which has helped so many of my students! Thank you for your constant support and hard work!”

— Ms. Roeder, 1st Grade Teacher

Library Design Update Kicks Off!

Last Saturday we hosted our first parent work day to kick-off the library design update project. And oh boy did we get a lot done! A lot of painting that is.

Parent volunteers and Mrs. Criswell spent several hours during two shifts on Saturday painting the walls in the library, as well as transforming the walls in the lobby. The entryway to the library and some interior walls in the library were painted a deep blue color to simulate a kind of camping under a night sky atmosphere, which will be a part of the theme in the story time area of the library.

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Four walls in the lobby - the ones where the house dragon posters hang - were also painted. These walls were transformed to represent the four house colors of Dan Mills. And what an impression they make! Students were so excited on Monday morning to see the fun house colors now adorning their lobby walls. These house colors will also be incorporated in the library design update, so stay tuned for some more fun things happening in that space.

The painting was just the first part of our library design update - the project we’ve been talking about for months - so it’s so exciting to have this project underway! A BIG THANK YOU to Mrs. Criswell, Michelle Godby and all the parents who came out to help make the work day a success. You’ll have to take a visit inside the school to see what the fuss is all about. Or, better yet, sign up to help during our next parent work day on Saturday, April 13!

Shipt and Planet Fundraiser Offer New Fundraising Opportunity for Dan Mills

Do you use Shipt grocery delivery service?? If so, there is a very easy way to give back 3% of what you spend to our PTO!

In your cell phone App Store, search for and download the free Planet Fundraiser app.

Then follow the in-app instructions to register and sign in. Once signed in, select “Add Campaign” and search for and select “Dan Mills Elementary PTO.”

Finally, in order to obtain the 3% reward from Shipt to PTO, go into your email and find the receipt email from Shipt. (This email will have the subject line: “Your Shipt grocery order receipt”. ) Forward this email to submit@planetfundraiser.com

Repeat every time you order Shipt!