Mills High School Parent Newsletter

Tuesday, November 28, Parent Project, 5:30-9:00 pm (Faculty Lounge
Thursday, November 30, Freshmen Parent Mixer, 7:30 pm, Bacchus Wine & Spirits. For more info and to RSVP, click here
Saturday, December 2, Make-up Winter Sports Mandatory Meeting, 9:00-9:30 am (Cafeteria)

Week of 12/4/17

Tuesday, December 5, Parent Project, 5:30-9:00 pm (Faculty Lounge
Thursday, December 7, VAPA Showcase, 7:00-9:30 pm (Auditorium)

PTO President's Message

Dear Mills Families,

I hope that you all had a wonderful, restful Thanksgiving weekend. I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for being a part of the Mills Community and a part of my life these past few years. Every volunteer opportunity I have been a part of has helped me grow in some way and I have met some wonderful people along the way ~ Mills has definitely been a wonderful "home" for me. For the time I am here, I will continue to advocate for a stronger community, and increased parent participation (both through volunteer activity and the Annual Fund).

This coming Thursday, we will host a Freshmen Parent Mixer at the Bacchus Wine Shop ~ we hope all Freshmen parents that are new to Mills (and even those who just want to meet new people) will join us (please see RSVP details below).

And as we shop for family and friends during this Holiday Season, please remember that most corporations are wrapping up their donation matches for the year by mid-December. We hope you consider donating to the Annual Fund if you have not already done so. You can now pay by credit card online: https://squareup.com/store/san-mateo-union-high-school-district . If you would like a donation form, please click here .

Thank you again for your time, dedication, and support of our students, staff, and community.

Sincerely,

Joy Pasamonte Henry

PTO President

Annual Fund: Sponsor and Class Recognition

A sincere thank you to our latest Annual Fund sponsor:

Peninsula Chinese Business Association

We appreciate your support and generosity!!!

Also, congratulations to the winners of the Annual Fund class competition for highest contributions collected and highest participation:

Mr. Williams - 4th period AP Stats class
Ms. Wang - 4th period Chinese class
Mr. von Euw - 4th period Chemistry class

Each class will receive a pizza lunch and each teacher will receive a VISA gift card.

Strength in Viking Numbers!

Annual Fund - Donate Online Now

New Online Donation Option Now Available

There is a new online donation option available for parents that wish to donate to the Mills Annual Fund. We have collected $97,000 in donations so far and still hope to reach our goal of $140,000 by the end of the school year. 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. Click here to donate to the Annual Fund online, or go to the Mills website homepage under "Annual Fund" for the donation link.

Strength in Viking Numbers!

Counselors' Connection

Apply for Financial Aid

Parents of college-bound seniors should apply now for financial aid! To do so, complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) online:

If you haven't already, create an FSA ID -- one each for parent & student.
Complete the FAFSA application using 2016 income tax information.
Recommended: Within the FAFSA, use the IRS Retrieval Tool to transfer data from your federal income tax returns.

Students applying to private colleges may also need to complete the CSS Profile application -- check each college's financial aid website for requirements and deadlines. Undocumented students should complete the California Dream Act application. Need help? Contact Ms. Murtagh or your student's counselor.

Mills PTO Freshmen Parent Mixer

Attention all Freshmen Parents!

Are you interested in meeting other freshmen parents while enjoying some great wine tasting? The Mills PTO will host a FREE wine tasting and hors d'oeuvres evening to connect freshmen parents with each other. This fun event will take place on Thursday, November 30, 7:30 pm at Bacchus Wine & Spirits (owned by Quinton Jay) in Millbrae. Freshmen parent, Claudia Choy, is not only chairing this event, but DONATING it so it is FREE for attendees ~ THANK YOU!!

Please RSVP by Monday, November 27, by registering here. We look forward to seeing you at the mixer!

Volunteer Opportunity: Cookies & Cram
Cookies & Cram is BACK! The PTO hosted "Cookies & Cram" last year ~ an opportunity for our students to study at the library during exam time with the PTO providing (semi) healthy snacks in between breaks at the Career Center. We are currently finalizing days and times for this event and we are in desperate need of parent volunteers to help hand out snacks and drinks. Please sign up here.

Student Showcase: Visual and Performing Arts

Community Corner: Used Eye Glass Drive

Used Eye Glass Drive ~ in Support of the Millbrae Lions Club

Most of us are fortunate enough to have health plans which allow us to swap out our eye glasses at least every two years. So some folks may have an extra pair (or two) of unneeded prescription glasses at homes. If you do, and they are in good condition, please send them to school with your student and drop them off at the Main Office. We are supporting the Millbrae Lions Club in their effort to help those less fortunate in our neighborhood who cannot purchase prescription glasses. Thank you in advance!

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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