✨ Stronger Together: Session 1 ✨
Tonight marked the launch of our Stronger Together initiative, and it was such a powerful start. 💛
In partnership with Bullitt County Pediatrics and expert guests from Spalding University, we came together to address concerns our families have shared around screen time, anxiety, and emotional regulation.
Some key takeaways we discussed:
• Screen time isn’t inherently bad—but balance matters
• Not all screen time is the same
• Screens are very reinforcing for developing brains
• We don’t just take screens away—we replace them with connection, movement, reading, and calming strategies
• Helping children manage big feelings takes patience, consistency, and support
What made tonight so special was the shared commitment to working together—school, families, medical professionals, and higher education—to positively impact our kids and our community.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for meaningful conversation and learning. This is just the beginning. 💫
Today our Kindness Club worked on an act of kindness for Ronald McDonald House!
We stuffed treat bags and made Valentines for the 56 guest families who may stay with RMH of Kentuckiana.
We also had a guest speaker, Tracy Waldridge, who shared with us “Five Lessons I’ve Learned about Kindness” based on his work with a team building homes in Honduras. He also shared about recent service his team at G.E. Appliances by preparing meals for Ronald McDonald House!
🌟 Teacher Spotlight: Mrs. Ellis 🌟
“I love the passion and confidence Mrs. Ellis has when teaching her curriculum to her students. The students walk out of her class every day with some amazing project or craft that she has used to connect to a lesson and the culture she is teaching about. She is amazing!”
— Mrs. Mason
Mrs. Ellis brings learning to life through hands-on projects and meaningful connections that celebrate culture and creativity. Her classroom is a place where students feel inspired, engaged, and proud of their work. Through her dedication and enthusiasm, she truly exemplifies our Students Matter Most core value by putting student learning, voice, and experience at the heart of everything she does.
Thank you, Mrs. Ellis, for the incredible impact you make every day! 💛✨
“I love the passion and confidence Mrs. Ellis has when teaching her curriculum to her students. The students walk out of her class every day with some amazing project or craft that she has used to connect to a lesson and the culture she is teaching about. She is amazing!”
— Mrs. Mason
Mrs. Ellis brings learning to life through hands-on projects and meaningful connections that celebrate culture and creativity. Her classroom is a place where students feel inspired, engaged, and proud of their work. Through her dedication and enthusiasm, she truly exemplifies our Students Matter Most core value by putting student learning, voice, and experience at the heart of everything she does.
Thank you, Mrs. Ellis, for the incredible impact you make every day! 💛✨
📣 Reminder: Family Wellness Night at OMES!
We’re excited to partner with Pediatrics of Bullitt County and guest expert Dr. King from Spalding University to support our families in navigating anxiety and screen time.
✔ Practical tools
✔ Expert insight
✔ Time for questions
✔ Strategies you can use immediately
🗓 Tuesday, January 13 | 6:00 PM
📍 Old Mill Elementary Cafeteria
Report Cards Are Available!
Families can now access 2nd 9 Weeks report cards in Infinite Campus (IC). Hard copies will also come home tomorrow in Tuesday folders.
If you have any questions or need help accessing IC, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Thank you for your continued partnership! 💙
Families can now access 2nd 9 Weeks report cards in Infinite Campus (IC). Hard copies will also come home tomorrow in Tuesday folders.
If you have any questions or need help accessing IC, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Thank you for your continued partnership! 💙
📚✨ BCPS Library Shout-Out! ✨📚
A huge thank-you to the BCPS Library / Mt. Washington Public Library for joining our kindergarten classes for the opening event of their upcoming Project-Based Learning (PBL) unit! Your visit helped launch our learning in such a meaningful way by introducing students to the power of stories, empathy, and curiosity. Our kindergarteners were so engaged as they explored new vocabulary, shared their thinking, and began wondering how storytellers can use empathy to better understand misunderstood characters. We are so grateful for your partnership and for helping set the stage for an exciting and thoughtful PBL journey! 💛📖
A huge thank-you to the BCPS Library / Mt. Washington Public Library for joining our kindergarten classes for the opening event of their upcoming Project-Based Learning (PBL) unit! Your visit helped launch our learning in such a meaningful way by introducing students to the power of stories, empathy, and curiosity. Our kindergarteners were so engaged as they explored new vocabulary, shared their thinking, and began wondering how storytellers can use empathy to better understand misunderstood characters. We are so grateful for your partnership and for helping set the stage for an exciting and thoughtful PBL journey! 💛📖
🎨 ATTENTION OLD MILL ARTISTS! 📚
We are thrilled to announce our FIRST EVER Bookmark Design Competition! We want to see your creativity shine as you show us: "What does reading mean to me?"
The Rules:
Student-Powered Only: We want to see your unique art! Please, no help from parents or adults on the drawing.
Due Date: Turn in your masterpiece during the week of January 26–30.
The Grand Prize: The winner will receive a $50 Book Fair certificate! Plus, your winning design will be professionally reproduced and handed out to every single student in the library! 🏆
Winners will be announced in February. We can’t wait to see what reading looks like through your eyes!
Congratulations to our archery team for walking away with 4th place at their first tournament! Great job, Koalas!
🎯 Shout Out to Our OMES Archery Team! 🎯
Good luck to our amazing OMES Archery team as they compete in their first tournament of the season today! We are so proud of your hard work, focus, and dedication. Aim high and have a great time representing OMES! 🏹💙
🪿💛 Goldie Goose Winner! 💛🪿
Congratulations to Mrs. Bray’s class for earning Goldie Goose with the highest attendance last month! Our Koalas Celebrate Success when students show up every day ready to learn!
Who will have Goldie next month?! 👀✨
Check out this month's newsletter for all the upcoming information!
https://bcps-newsletter.edurooms.com/engage/old-mill-elementary/newsletters/omes-january-2026
https://bcps-newsletter.edurooms.com/engage/old-mill-elementary/newsletters/omes-january-2026
This weeks student spotlight goes outs to Avery. She came back to school ready to work and shows what it means to be a mastery learner every day. She works hard, stays positive, and never gives up when learning gets challenging. Her determination and smile make our school a better place! 🌟
✔️🐨 Introducing our Koalas of the Month for Accountability! 🐨✔️
These Koalas take ownership of their choices, hold themselves to high expectations, and respectfully encourage others to do the right thing too. Their leadership and honesty help make our school a stronger, more responsible community! 💙💛
✔️🐨 Introducing our Koalas of the Month for Accountability! 🐨✔️
These Koalas take ownership of their choices, hold themselves to high expectations, and respectfully encourage others to do the right thing too. Their leadership and honesty help make our school a stronger, more responsible community! 💙💛
💛 The best sound is back—student voices filling our halls!
Today was our first day back, and our hearts are full. We loved welcoming our students back to Old Mill and jumping right back into learning together. Here’s to a great rest of the year! 🐨✨
Shout-out to Ms. Clements for her incredible dedication and heart for students! She is one of the hardest workers around and consistently puts students first in everything she does. Ms. Clements is a true team player who brings innovation into her practice to ensure all learners succeed. We are so grateful for the care, creativity, and commitment she brings to our school every day! 💙
Today our staff hit the ground running as we prepared to welcome our students back! 🎉
We celebrated successes, dug into data to identify next steps, and grounded our work in purpose with a mission-focused message from our superintendent, Dr. Bacon.
The day continued with district leadership and teacher leaders sharing new and innovative instructional tools designed to help us plan more intentionally and meet the needs of every learner. It was a powerful, forward-thinking day and now we’re just ready to hear the halls filled with laughter and learning again tomorrow! 💛📚
💙 Welcome Back, Old Mill Family! 💙
We hope everyone had a restful winter break filled with warmth, laughter, and special moments. Our halls have felt a little quieter without our students and we have missed them so much!
We are excited to open our doors, reconnect, and jump back into learning together tomorrow! See everyone bright and early!
✨ New Year’s Reflection | Old Mill Family ✨
As we welcome a new year, we’re taking a moment to reflect on the moments that mattered most. 💙
📸 We’d love to see YOUR reflection:
Drop a picture from the past year that made you smile, feel proud, or reminded you why you love being part of the Old Mill community.
It could be:
• A favorite school moment
• A family memory
• A moment of growth or celebration
• Something that brought joy
Thank you for being part of our story. We can’t wait to see what this new year brings. 🌟🐨
