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About MELA

Dear MELA Families,


Welcome Back!

I hope that you are enjoying the end of summer and are looking forward to the start of another great school year!  I am so excited to welcome all of our new families and to welcome back our Millwood veterans to a year of exciting learning.  I am thrilled to be a part of a district and a school that is dedicated to achieving great things and bringing out the champion in every child.  


New Staff

Each year brings positive change and this often includes some changes in our staff.  We are delighted to welcome Dava Albert to Pre-K, Chiquita Friday and Emily Arthurlee to our kindergarten team, Deborah Scobey, to second grade, Kameron Berkley and Nathiel Crawford in fifth grade ELA and math respectively and finally, Alex Johnson-Chase in support of project based learning and media.  There have also been some grade level reassignments. Mrs. Lyons will be supporting the first grade team, Mr. Morgan will be supporting in our early grades and Mr. Harrison will be moving from 5th grade to 2nd. 


Facilities Update

If you have driven by the school you may have noticed the construction trucks and equipment, indicating that our 2019-20 renovation is now in full swing.  The construction throughout the building will be ongoing throughout the year in order to update and improve the flooring, lighting, bathrooms and the classroom spaces.  As always, our priority to create a rigorous, safe and nurturing learning environment will not change even amidst the daily sounds of construction. It is likely that your child’s classroom location will change during the school year due to the construction, but all of our teachers are prepared to provide excellent instruction from any location.  We anticipate that challenges may periodically occur but we are confident that if we all remain flexible we will have a successful and productive school year. Construction updates will become part of our ongoing communication, so that every family will know what is happening and can keep track of our progress. Thank you in advance for your cooperation, support and commitment to being a positive partner in our progress!


Student Placement

A great deal of time, thought and effort has gone into the process of student placement for the 2019-20 school year.  Careful consideration was given to input from staff as well as student learning styles and instructional needs. Classrooms have been balanced academically and socially, and are structured to provide the most equitable class size in each grade and classroom.  It is our commitment to provide a consistently high level of instruction in every classroom through the implementation of research-based instructional programs and on-going teacher development.  Please join us for Back to School Night, at 5:30 on Thursday, August 15th, in order to find out your child’s placement and to meet their teachers.  


It remains an honor and a privilege to serve as your principal.  Together, I know that we will make this school year one of growth and achievement for all the students of the Millwood Elementary Learning Academy.  I look forward to greeting our students and families once again and I hope to see you all at Back to School Night!


Sincerely,


Susan T. Baldwin, Principal


First Days of School:  8/20, 8/21, 8/22:

Our morning drop -off procedures will be a bit different for the first few days of school (8/20-8/22).  

  • All drops offs will take place at the Central Enrollment area of the building.  
  • Pre-K: 
  • Students will meet their teachers and classmates on the Pre-K playground
      • Parents may escort their students to the area and stay until entrance into the building (and later if necessary.  Please try and exit the building by the start of breakfast)
      • Classes will enter the building and report to their classrooms at 8:00
      • Breakfast for Pre-K will begin at approximately 8:30
  • Kindergarten: 
  • Students will meet their teachers and classmates in the front courtyard area
      • Parents may escort their students to the area and stay until entrance into the building.  (If additional time is needed, please try and exit the building upon arrival at the classroom)
      • Classes will enter the building and report to classrooms at 8:00
      • Breakfast for Kinder will begin approximately at 8:30
  • Grades 1-5:
  • Students will meet their teachers and classmates in the cafeteria
      • Parents may escort their child into the cafeteria in order to greet their teacher.  
        • We ask that parents refrain from attempting to engage in in-depth conversations with teachers due to the importance of their attention being focused on student supervision
      • Parents are asked to say their goodbyes in the cafeteria and not accompany their child to the classrooms
      • Classes will exit the cafeteria and report to their rooms at 8:00
      • Breakfast for grades 1-5 will be in the classroom.  
  • Afternoon Procedures (consistent from the first day of school 8/20)
  • The school day ends at 3:30 PM
  • The dismissal process will begin at 3:35 PM
  • No student will be dismissed for early pick-up after 3:15 PM
    • Please do not text your child from the pick-up line.  Students will not be released until their name is called by our dismissal team.  
  • Students who are picked up after 4:00 PM must be signed out from the main office

Morning Procedures  (8/23 and beyond)

  • Doors open for breakfast at 7:25 AM, school begins at 7:55 AM
    • Drop off between 7:25 and 7:55 is at the Central Enrollment door area
  • After 7:55, all students MUST be accompanied by a parent and enter in the main MELA office for tardy sign-in.  Please do not drop your tardy student off into the parking lot or at the Central Enrollment doors.  
  • Tardy students will be signed in on our SAFE STUDENT system.  Tardies at MELA are carefully tracked and excessive lateness may result in administrative action including but not limited to removal of open transfers, reporting to the appropriate state agencies and grade-level retention.  

Afternoon Procedures (consistent from the first day of school 8/20)

  • The school day ends at 3:30 PM
  • The dismissal process will begin at 3:35 PM
  • No student will be dismissed for early pick-up after 3:15 PM
    • Please do not text your child from the pick-up line.  Students will not be released until their name is called by our dismissal team.  
  • Students who are picked up after 4:00 PM must be signed out from the main office


See reverse side →→→→

Back to School NIght:

    • Date:  Thursday, August 15, 2019
  • Location:  Millwood Field House
  • Time:  5:30-8:00
    • Meet your child’s teacher
    • Fill out and submit needed school forms
    • Meet representatives from our many various partners

School Supplies:  

  • School Supply lists are enclosed with this letter
  • Please clearly label all supplies with your child’s name.  
    • Some supplies (Kleenex, Paper Towels, Hand Sanitizer) will be communal and used by the entire classroom

Transportation:

  • Bus routes are enclosed with this letter

Uniform:

    • Khaki Bottoms (shorts, pants or skirts)
    • Red polo (collared) shirt
    • Optional:
      • Button-up sweater (No color requirements, cannot have a zipper)
      • Shirt worn under the red polo (No color requirements)
  • MELA does not allow students to wear jackets or hooded sweatshirts at any time including dress out days
  • A red non-hooded sweatshirt may be worn over the red polo shirt
  • $1.00 Dress out Wednesdays will begin with the first Wednesday of September (9/4/19)
  • Fridays are Millwood Spirit Days.  Students may wear jeans if they are wearing a Millwood Spirit or athletic shirt.  

Communication:

  • Thursday Folders:
      • This is one of our primary means of communication.  Please check your child's backpack for the weekly Thursday Newsletter
  • Eventually we are hoping to move this communication to a digital format in order to streamline our efforts and save paper...stay tuned and let’s save those trees!
  • Thursday Newsletters will be uploaded to the MELA School Story in Class Dojo.
  • Classroom/grade level newsletter:
      • Will  be sent home on the first Thursday of each month.
      • Posting of the class newsletter will also occur on Class Dojo  
  • Class Dojo:
      • Every teacher will be reaching out in order to enlist your participation in Class Dojo
      • Class Dojo allows every parent to keep track of their child’s progress and engagement in all areas
  • Google Classroom:
      • Information will be coming soon
  • Free Breakfast and Lunch:
      • All MELA students are eligible for free breakfast and lunch.  
  • Lunch forms for every student MUST be completed
      • Forms will be available at Back to School NIght
  • New Parent Coffee with the Principal
    • Thursday, September 5, 2019 from 8:00-9:00
    • Bring your questions and meet the principal
    • Check the Thursday Newsletter for more details

 

 

 

 

MILLWOOD ELEMENTARY LEARNING ACADEMY MISSION

The mission of the Millwood Elementary Learning Academy is to ignite every child's joy in learning by creating experiences that challenge our intellects, engage our passions, peek our curiosities, embrace our identities, empower our voices, inspire our creativity and connect to the world beyond our school and our communities.     

 

 

MILLWOOD ELEMENTARY LEARNING ACADEMY VISION

The vision of the Millwood Elementary Learning Academy is that all children will be educated in an environment that consistently meets their unique academic, social, and emotional needs while providing equitable access to resources, experiences and opportunities that will build the skills necessary for academic and life success. 

 

 

PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN
 
SCHOLARSHIP
WE ARE CONTINUOUS LEARNERS
 
CONNECTEDNESS
WE ARE CONNECTED TO EACH OTHER AND OUR WORLD
 
AUTHENTICITY
WE WORK WITH PURPOSE