Teacher Appreciation Week
We’ve moved teacher appreciation week from the crazy time that is the spring, to a quieter time during winter. And it’s during the week of Valentine’s Day! This is a week where we take some time each day to do something special for our teachers - like bringing in coffee, treats, flowers, handmade notes from the kids, etc. The PTO will also have a few other things planned for the teachers during the week - more details to come.
The week’s schedule:
Monday Feb 10 - Potluck breakfast for the teachers, Sign-up to bring a tasty treat
Tuesday Feb 11 - Happy Cart will be going around with yummy snacks, coffee and tea
Wednesday Feb 12 - PTO will be sponsoring a catered lunch for the teachers
Thursday Feb 13 - Java Breeze food truck for the teachers in the morning
Movie Night on the Lawn
Come join your fellow Dan Mills Dragons for a Movie Night on the Lawn. In addition to the movie, there will be booths by our amazing parents who make local goods and crafts, food trucks, a bake sale, a pie in the face booth for Ms. Covington, and our PTO President Jen McCarter and spirit wear sales. The book fair will also be open during this event!
This is event is FREE but please remember to bring cash if you'd like to purchase something from one of the wonderful vendors!
Walk to School Day
Join Dan Mills Elementary in national Walk to School Day! Meet up with your teachers, fellow students, other parents and Dan Mills' administration by 7:40am at the Riverwood Church of Christ (1904 McGavock Pike). We'll all walk together down McAlpine Avenue to Dan Mills Elementary. Metro police will be escorting us.
We would love to have 100% participation so hope to see you all there!
Open House
We hope you can attend the Dan Mills Elementary Open House! This is an opportunity to hear your child's teacher discuss their expectations and to share important information for the upcoming school year. There will be two sessions held, one from 5:30 - 6:00 pm and a second from 6:15 - 6:45pm.
Food trucks will be out front for your dining convenience. Dan Mills PTO will also be on hand to talk about after-school clubs and committee involvement. And you’ll be able to purchase new spirit wear!
Kindergarten Parents Boo Hoo Breakfast
Incoming kindergarten parents are invited to join the Dan Mills staff and PTO for the annual Boo Hoo Breakfast. Your child starting kindergarten is a time to celebrate ... and the transition can also be a time of high emotions - for both parents and kids alike! Come let Dan Mills offer some solace, support and helpful information for you as you parent your child through this big event in both of your lives.
First Day of School!
All students report for the first day of school on Monday, August 5 at 8:00 am.
Meet the Teacher Night (PK, 1st - 4th Grades)
Incoming Pre-K students, 1st - 4th graders and their families are invited to come meet their teacher on Wednesday, July 31 at 5:30pm.
Kindergarten Meet the Teacher (Last Name N-Z)
This year kindergarten students and families have a special meet the teacher time. If your last name begins with an N-Z, come visit Dan Mills Elementary on Wednesday, July 31 to meet the kindergarten teachers and have your student assessed for the coming school year. All kindergarten families will be receiving special information in the mail about the kindergarten meet the teacher events.
Kindergarten Meetup #2
All incoming Dan Mills kindergarten families are invited to gather, mingle and play on the playground in the front yard of Dan Mills Elementary. Come meet your fellow classmates and families! Members of the PTO Board will be there to answer any questions you might have and to distribute popsicles.
Go to our Facebook page to let us know you're coming!
Kindergarten Meet the Teacher (Last Name A-M)
This year kindergarten students and families have a special meet the teacher time. If your last name begins with an A-M, come visit Dan Mills Elementary on Monday, July 29 to meet the kindergarten teachers and have your student assessed for the coming school year. All kindergarten families will be receiving special information in the mail about the kindergarten meet the teacher events.
Kindergarten Meetup #1
All incoming Dan Mills kindergarten families are invited to gather, mingle and play on the playground in the front yard of Dan Mills Elementary. Come meet your fellow classmates and families! Members of the PTO Board will be there to answer any questions you might have and to distribute popsicles.
Go to our Facebook page to let us know you're coming!
If you can't make this one, no worries. There is another meetup scheduled for Monday, July 29.
TCAP Testing - Proctors Needed
TCAP testing will begin April 16 for 3rd and 4th grades and we need proctors. Proctoring TCAP is easy! You're another set of eyes in the classroom and will help the teacher if he or she needs assistance during the test. Sign up online.
TCAP Testing - Proctors Needed
TCAP testing will begin April 16 for 3rd and 4th grades and we need proctors. Proctoring TCAP is easy! You're another set of eyes in the classroom and will help the teacher if he or she needs assistance during the test. Sign up online.
Parent Work Day
Come be a part of a service project at our school! We are ready to start installing the library design update and we need your help. Families are invited to sign up for a shift where we plan to:
Install carpet tiles
Paint
Arrange any furniture that has arrived at this time
There are two shifts: 9am-12pm and 1pm-4pm. Please only sign-up for the number of adult volunteers.
Children are welcome and may be able to participate, however please keep in mind the type of work we'll be doing may not be suitable for young children. In this case, we will have an area where children can play and we will designate a parent or two to watch after them. Kids are welcome to bring basketballs and/or games.
Read Across America Week
Dan Mills will be participating in Read Across America week in honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday. We need parent volunteers to help with the Dr. Seuss Cafe on Monday 2/25. This is when students come hear their choice of book read by parent volunteers. Sign up online to read.
On Thursday, 2/28 Dan Mills will host they family read night, affectionately known as “Camp Read S’more,” from 6:00-7:15pm.
Here’s the schedule of dress-up days:
Monday 2/25 - Yertle the Turtle, Students may dress up like royalty.
Tuesday 2/26 - Fox in Socks, Students may wear crazy socks and a mismatched or backwards outfit.
Wednesday 2/27 - Oh, the Places You’ll Go, Students may dress up as their future career.
Thursday, 2/28 - The Cat in the Hat, Students may wear red, white or black and a hat.
Friday, 3/1 - Happy Birthday to You!, Students dress as their favorite book character.
Teacher Appreciation Week
We’ve moved teacher appreciation week from the crazy time that is the spring, to a quieter time during winter. And it’s during the week of Valentine’s Day! This is a week where we take some time each day to do something special for our teachers - like bringing in coffee, treats, flowers, handmade notes from the kids, etc. The PTO also has a few other things planned for the teachers this week - see the list below.
Monday, February 11 - Breakfast for the teachers provided by PTO and Bake Sale team. If you wish to help provide a breakfast item for the teachers, see our SignUpGenius here.
Tuesday, February 12 - The PTO “Happy Cart” will be wheeled around. This is a cart stocked with coffee, baked goods and other snacks.
Wednesday, February 13 - Catered lunch courtesy of the PTO.
Parent Informational Meeting - MAP Testing
Dan Mills will hold a parent informational meeting about the MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) testing, which is given 3 times a year for grades 2-4. Parents will learn more about this important assessment and how results are used to determine individual areas of strength, as well as areas that need to be strengthened for each student. All parents are welcome to attend as this is an assessment that we will continue to use to in the district to precisely measure student growth and performance of students.
The PTO will try to Facebook Live this meeting as well. Visit us on Facebook to watch.
3rd Grade Music Concert - Everyday Heroes
The third grade students will perform a music concert called “Everyday Heroes” under the direction of Dan Mills’ music teacher, Ms. Folsom. Parents, please join us in the gymnasium on Monday, November 5 for the program.
In preparation, Ms. Folsom would like parents to answer the following questions:
Dragon Jubilee
Our favorite, annual fall festival, the Dragon Jubilee, will be held on Friday, October 26 from 5-7pm. Bring the entire family and go room-to-room to play games and win fun prizes. Pick up dinner from one of the several food trucks in the front drive. And buy some dessert from the Bake Sale team. It’s a family-friendly event!
Tickets will be $10 per child, not to exceed $40 per family, and will be going on sale soon. Check back soon for more details!
Volunteers are also needed to help this fun event run smoothly. Consider helping out with parking, selling admission, stamping hands and selling bake sale items.
The house with the most parent volunteer turnout will be awarded extra house points!
Food trucks include Daddy’s Dogs, Steaming Goat and D’s & J BBQ (Dr. Messenger’s famous barbecue).
Scholastic Book Fair
We will welcome the Scholastic Book Fair to our school when we return from Fall Break. Come shop the book fair the week of October 22 and support the love of reading. A portion of the proceeds goes back to Dan Mills Elementary too!
Last year was our most successful book fair yet, due in large part to our volunteers! It takes a lot of helpers to make the fair run smoothly. As a way of saying thank you to our volunteers, anyone working one hour or more will receive a discount on all purchases! Please go to tinyurl.com/dmesbookfair or contact Mrs. Criswell at catherine.criswell@mnps.org to sign up.
Walk to School Day
Join Dan Mills Elementary in national Walk to School Day! Meet up with your teachers, fellow students, other parents and Dan Mills' administration by 7:40am at the Riverwood Church of Christ (1904 McGavock Pike). We'll all walk together down McAlpine Avenue to Dan Mills Elementary. Metro police will be escorting us.
We would love to have 100% participation so hope to see you all there!
Picture Day!
Mark your calendars for school picture day on Tuesday, September 11. Students should dress to impress - and it doesn't have to be SSA!
Don't want to forget? Sign-up for picture day notifications from Interstate Studios!
You can also order your student's photos online at https://inter-state.com/FlyerEntry/30288QF.
Open House
We hope you can attend the Dan Mills Elementary Open House! This is an opportunity to hear your child's teacher discuss their expectations and to share important information for the upcoming school year.
Kindergarten Parents Boo Hoo Breakfast
Incoming kindergarten parents are invited to join the Dan Mills staff and PTO for the annual Boo Hoo Breakfast. Your child starting kindergarten is a time to celebrate ... and the transition can also be a time of high emotions - for both parents and kids alike! Come let Dan Mills offer some solace, support and helpful information for you as you parent your child through this big event in both of your lives.
Meet the Teacher Night
Come meet and greet your child's teacher for the 2018-19 school year. Feel free to drop by anytime during the event.
Field Day
Our annual Dan Mills Field Day will be on Friday, May 11! As usual, Field Day t-shirts will be provided to students.
In case of inclement weather, Field Day makeup day is May 14.
Teacher Appreciation Week
Each year we like to shower our teachers with love for Teacher Appreciation Week! Stay tuned for more details to come and be sure to look for an email from your room parent(s) regarding activities for your child's teacher.
Career Day
Mrs. Hoge, Dan Mill's guidance counselor, is working on a fantastic Career Day event for Friday, April 27! It'll showcase "Careers on Wheels" and introduce students to different kinds of careers. More details to come.