Dear Millville Families,

Happy New Year and welcome back for the second half of this year. Please continue to have your children at school each day by 7:30 a.m. so they can have breakfast with us and start school on time. Tardies can add up quickly and as well as missing valuable instruction any student that has been absent 20 days or more is in danger of being retained this year!

Report cards go home Jan. 12 so it will be time to have another conference with your child’s teacher. We encourage all of our parents to have a conference first semester and then again second semester. If you have not had a conference all year, please make an appointment with your child’s teacher for a time to meet during this month. Make sure you sign the parent/teacher compact so that you have a learning plan in place for your child.

FAMILY READING NIGHT
January 22nd, 2009
5:30 – Chili Supper
6:00-7:30 READ, READ, READ

If you were able to attend our last Family Reading Night in December, you were able to spend time with your child reading and able to better understand the progress your child is making or needs to make. It was a fun night as well with Santa available for pictures and everyone receiving free books. If you had pictures made and you did not receive them yet, please contact us. For those who could not come in December, you will not want to miss another one. Clear your calendars for January 22nd (Thursday). We will have a chili supper at 5:30 and begin the Family Reading Night at 6:00 to end at 7:30. We have extended the time to give you more opportunities to read and take AR tests with your child. The AR tests taken that night and passed will once again earn the student double AR points! This means more points to spend in the AR shop.

Jan. 12th Report cards go home
Jan. 14th SAC Meeting
Jan. 16th Awards Day
Jan. 19th ML King birthday-Holiday for all
Jan. 20th DIBELS testing begins
Jan. 22nd Family Reading Night & Chili Supper
5:30-7:30 pm
Jan 29th FCAT Fact & Fiction (5th grade parents)
Feb. 4th
Statewide Tornado Drill

Feb. 5th 4th/5th Grade Program 6:00 p.m.

Feb. 10-11th FCAT Writes! 4th Grade

January 16, 2009
Please join us as we celebrate the accomplishments of your children:

Kindergarten @ 8:15 a.m.
1st/2nd @ 8:50 a.m.
3rd-5th @ 9:30 a.m.
In the Multi-Purpose Room

DIBELS TESTING: We test our students three times a year with DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic early Literacy Skills). There are 5 different tests that are used with different grade levels that help us to identify students that have needs and to measure growth throughout the year. This is a State-Required Assessment.
Parent Center News
- A complete and detailed copy of the Parent Involvement Plan is available at the front desk for preview along with the School Improvement Plan.
- You should have received a brochure containing an outline of the Parent Involvement Plan (please make sure that you signed the red insert and returned it to your child’s teacher).
- Don’t miss the SAC (School Advisory Council) meeting scheduled for Wednesday, January 14th at 2:15 in the Media Center. All parents, guardians, and caregivers are encouraged to come – we value your input.
- Look for upcoming Parent Workshops in the next months.
- Please continue to visit our Parent Center and check-out materials that you can use at home with your children to enhance their education. Please don’t forget to return them after you are through so others can check them out as well. Notes From Our Nurse
Judy Dusseault, RN, BSN, NCSN

Don’t Let the Flu Get You!!

The symptoms of the flu, which usually start suddenly, include a fever ( usually high), headache, extreme tiredness, a dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle aches and sometimes stomach symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea can occur—but this is more common in children than adults.

The flu spreads as a virus by being coughed or sneezed on by someone with the flu, or touching something that a person with the flu touched (such as door handles, shopping carts, light switches etc.). That is why it is important to wash your hands frequently and clean your house frequently when someone is sick. Also encourage the sick person to blow their nose with tissue and then throw it out, and also to cover a cough or sneeze with their shoulder or hand. Children and adults need to stay home until they are completely well so it won’t spread to others.

The main way to prevent the flu is to get vaccinated. The vaccine is available for anyone 6 months or older. It is VERY important for people with chronic health problems such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease or a compromised immune system to get the vaccine. The very old and very young are also more susceptible to the flu and its complications. Complications can include pneumonia, ear infections, sinus infections, dehydration and worsening of chronic health problems.

The vaccine is usually available at your doctor’s office. The Bay County Health Dept will vaccinate your children at no cost, if they have the vaccine available. Adults can also get the flu vaccine at the Health Department, but they have to pay $27. The flu vaccine is available at the Bay County Health Department by appointment only—their phone number is 872-4455.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Ms. Kim's 3rd grade class all reached their reading goals for December and even did so in just 3 weeks!

The editorial staff of the Mighty Marlin Newsletter would like to apologize to Ian Masiclat. His name was inadvertently left off as Citizen of the Month for September in Mrs. Hick’s class. CONGRATULATIONS
IAN for being an Outstanding Citizen.

First Baptist Church Clothes Closet

The Clothes Closet offers clothing, shoes, and accessories for every member of the family. It is located at 740 Grace Avenue (use the rear entrance). The hours of operation are Tuesday’s and Thursday’s from 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. There is no cost. First Baptist Church continues to Partnership with Millville Elementary School and continues to provide your children with many different opportunities.

ATTENTION 5th GRADE PARENTS!

Our 5th grade teachers, Mrs. Lane and Ms. Morgan, will be offering a FCAT Fact and Fiction Night on January 29th from 6:00-7:00. All 5th grade students will be invited to attend with their parents, but babysitting will be provided for younger siblings. Look for more information to come home concerning this valuable opportunity. Parents will be given information concerning FCAT, 5th grade promotion requirements, and other important facts to help their children achieve their goals.

Reading your Mighty Marlin Newsletter is not only informative, but can be profitable as well. Congratulations to Denina Pettis (parent of Kaylee Pettis) who won the Oct/Nov newsletter drawing and to Tracy McCroan (parent of Bethany McCroan) who won the December newsletter drawing. Both families received a gift certificate to Walmart! Be sure that you take the time to read and answer the newsletter question and turn it in before the deadline to have your name in the next drawing!

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QUESTION: What even happened in December and is happening again on January 22nd? (Hint: This time we are going to have a Chili Supper as well! _______________________
____________________________________________________________________________
I have read the newsletter, answered the question, and would like to be included in the drawing for the gift certificate.
Parent/Guardian’s signature: __________________________________________
Working Contact Number: ___________________________________________
Child’s Name: _____________________________________________________
Child’s Teacher ____________________________________________________