Mills High School Parent eNews
10/9/17
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Mills PTO Meetings

Date:  3rd Wed

Time:  7pm

Location: Faculty Lounge
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Schedule of Key Events for 2017-18

Week of 10/9/17
  • Monday, October 9, No School, Teacher Professional Development Day
  • Monday, October 9, Drama Guild Meeting, 6:30-7:30 pm (Faculty Lounge)
  • Tuesday, October 10, Parent Project, 5:30-9:00 pm (Faculty Lounge
  • Wednesday, October 11, PSAT Day, minimum schedule (see Counselors' Connection)
  • Wednesday, October 11, Latino Parents Meeting, 6:30-8:00 pm (Library)
  • Thursday, October 12, 8th Grade Shadowing
  • Friday, October 13, 8th Grade Shadowing

Week of 10/16/17
  • Monday, October 16, Annual Fund Donation Day
  • Monday, October 16, College Fair, 6:30-8:30 pm, Mills High School.  See the flyer!
  • Tuesday, October 17, Parent Project, 5:30-9:00 pm (Faculty Lounge
  • Friday, October 20, Homecoming Rally, Rally Bell Schedule
  • Saturday, October 21, Homecoming Dance, 7 pm

PTO President's Message

Dear Mills Families,

I think anyone can give a status report on the PTO or provide bullet points on school initiatives.  I chose the President's Corner as a place to thank parents, encourage volunteers, and very consciously share pieces of my life and feelings as a way to connect with parents.  I think it's hard for most of us, who are either too busy, too involved in our family lives, who are new immigrants or transplants to our neighborhood (perhaps a combination of the above), to find connections as adults.  I know it is for me.  So knowing someone understands or someone may be in a similar boat doesn't make things feel as strange or frightening.  

We had our Freshmen Parent Night a few weeks ago and Ms. Vasquez, one of our counselors, said something which stuck with me ~ it's important that we, as parents, take care of ourselves as well.  It was a simple, common sense statement.  But she followed it up with the fact that our mental well being is extremely important ~ and it is.  We worry about our kids and their SAT prep classes, getting into colleges, or deeper still ~ threats to school, talking to them (again) about mass shootings, or perhaps personal issues at home (because we all have them).  All these things affect them  and  us.  For anyone somehow affected by the events in Las Vegas, my heart goes out to you.  For our Mills Community, know that your student has support and if they need it, please have them reach out to their counselor first.  For all of us, may we continue to create avenues for our children so we allow them to change this world into a much better one.  But in that process, may we understand that it's okay to take time for us and let things go a little (I have to be reminded of this ALL THE TIME).

Sincerely,

Joy Pasamonte Henry
Mills PTO President

Annual Fund Donation Days - Monday, October 16th

THANK YOU  to our Mills' families who donated last week to the Annual Fund.  We collected  $80,000  in donations during our donation days.  While this was a solid start, we still have a ways to go to meet our goal of $ 140,000.   Therefore, we will be holding an additional donation day on Monday, October 16, and these dollar amounts will go towards class prizes.  We strongly encourage all of our Mills' families to participate and give what you can - the suggested contribution is $500 per student - but any amount is appreciated and will directly benefit our students.        
 
We are hoping to get 100% from all families ~ please note our drive continues throughout the school year.  So if you cannot contribute today, we will continue to accept donations later (please note that the Family Passes only last for the school year and if you are looking for a tax deduction, you will need to make that by the end of the calendar year).  

Parents who need the donation form can find it here:  Annual Fund Donation Form

Please give generously to support our students at Mills High School and help us reach our goal of $140,000. All donations are tax deductible.  

We highly encourage anyone who has a corporate matching program to take advantage of it when making any contributions to the Annual Fund.

Volunteers Still Needed:

Count and Tally Donations for Annual Fund:  Mon, 10/16/17, 12:30-3:00 pm.

To sign up, click on this  l ink:   Sign Up Mills Mania  

Counselors' Connection 

Oct. 11th - Challenge Success, PSAT & YouScience

Please mark your calendars for the following activities on Wed., 10/11:

  • 9th Grade (9:20AM-12:15PM): The organization Challenge Success will present to freshmen about developing balance and well-being in high school. Afterward, students will take the Healthy Kids Survey.
  • 10th & 11th Grades (8AM-12:15PM): Sophomores & juniors will take the PSAT, a practice college entrance exam.
  • 12th Grade (9:20AM-12:15PM): Seniors will take the YouScience Profile, a research-based career aptitude tool that matches students to potential careers.

Please note that  all  students are expected to attend school and participate. For details, visit the Mills website.

Challenge Success Parent Event

On Oct. 20th at Stanford University, Challenge Success is hosting a parent event:  Fostering Resilience in Children & Teens, and Why it Matters.  Come learn how parents can best support mentally and physically healthy kids who are engaged with learning. For more info & to purchase tickets, go online to  Challenge Success .

Volunteer Recognition

THANK YOU MILLS PARENT VOLUNTEERS!

Thank you SO much to our parents who volunteered to count and tally the Annual Fund donations on donation days! We appreciate you and your time.

Annual Fund Donation Days Volunteers:

Sue Wong, Helen Pon, Marie-France Eskandarian, Erin Chang, Kanako Funaki, Alanna Cheung, Irene Wong, Reina Newby, Maricela Adkins, Tami Matsuno, Rebecca Evans, Janice Zowasky, Priscilla Yee, Irene Wong, Roxanne Susoeff.

Special thanks to our Annual Fund co- chairs, Lisa Abbott and Kaisa Smith, who are working to secure additional funds and help us reach our goal.  To Mills Mania Co-chair Carol Meyer , who even after Mills Mania, continues to manage the social media for the Annual Fund and help coordinate volunteers; and also to our M ills Mania Fund Co-Chair Pam Chang , who is responsible for the Tally Days.  We would also like to thank our Alumni Co-Chair Priscilla Yee , who no longer has a student at Mills, for filling in for Pam on one of the Tally Days.  Thank you to our School Accountant, Kathy Landa , for the work she will take over (which typically goes to a foundation which our PTO does not have the manpower to either create or sustain).  Thank you to all our volunteers who came in to help.

**Please send us a note if there are any errors or omissions to the names above.

Freshmen Parent Night

Thank you to our wonderful panelists who took time out of their evening to join us for Freshmen Parent Night:

Principal Pam Duszynski, Michael Duer, Steven Wang, Kalani Vasquez, Kelly Hensley, Senior Parent Carol Meyer & Student Leader Celeste Henry

Thank you to  Melissa Irish for sharing a presentation on WASC with us.

Thank you to all the Freshmen parents who came out!!  We even got 8th grade parents that evening!!

Community Corner - Millbrae Lions Fundraiser

Millbrae Lion's Crab Feed Fundraiser
Saturday, October 21, St. Dunstan's Hall
5:30 pm cocktails, 7 pm dinner

Come join the fun on Saturday, October 21, for a fabulous marinated crab dinner!  This fundraiser will raise funds to benefit the Millbrae Community.  A portion of the ticket price may be tax deductible.
See flyer for more information.  

This newsletter is produced by the Mills High School PTO.  To include information in future weekly editions, please submit your school related news by Wednesday 8 PM the week prior to publication by filling out a Newsletter Submission Request Form.

 

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