Old Mill Elementary School

We’re hiring at Old Mill Elementary!

We are looking for a 4-hour Night Custodian to join our Koala family! If you or someone you know is looking for an evening position and would love to be part of a great school community, we’d love to hear from you!

Please help us spread the word and share!

🧹💙💛 Celebrating Our AMAZING Custodians! 💛💙🧹

Today we’re celebrating the people who work behind the scenes to keep OMES clean, safe, welcoming, and running smoothly!

Thank you for always jumping in to help, taking care of our school, and making sure our Koalas have a place that feels like home. So much of what you do happens behind the scenes, but we see you, we appreciate you, and we are SO thankful for you!

OMES wouldn’t be the same without you! Thank you for taking such great care of our Koala family and helping make Old Mill Elementary such a special place to be! 🐨💙💛

Friendly reminder! Tomorrow is Hat Day at Old Mill! Bring $1 to wear your favorite hat to school and help support our Girls Basketball Team! 💙💛 We can’t wait to see all those hats tomorrow!

There is something pretty special about sitting down with someone and simply listening to their story. ❤️ Our 5th graders recently had visitors from Sanders Ridge as part of their unit, Every Life is a Journey. Students became Oral Historians and Storykeepers, spending time with residents, asking questions, listening closely, and learning about the moments that have shaped their lives. What started as an ELA unit became so much more. Our students practiced being Effective Communicators, Self Directed Navigators, and Community Contributors, but most importantly, they made connections with people in their community. One student shared, “I think we made her happy to be talked to by kids because she likes kids.” 💛 These are the learning experiences we hope our students remember long after they leave our classrooms. Every life has a journey. Every story matters.

🌎🕊️ Exploring Our World in Cultural Exploration! Our kindergarten and first-grade students have been learning about the International Day of Peace in Mrs. B’s Cultural Exploration classes! Students explored how people and countries around the world can work together, solve problems, and promote peace through kindness, cooperation, and respect for others. Even our youngest learners are discovering that they can make a difference in their classroom, school, and world by listening to others, showing empathy, and choosing kindness. 💛

Today we surprised Mr. Wright and wished him well as he wrapped up his last day with us at Old Mill! Mr. Wright has served as our Interim Assistant Principal while Mrs. Thompson has been out, and we are so grateful for the time he spent as part of our Old Mill family. His support, positivity, and care for our students and staff have meant so much to us. He sure will be missed around here! Thank you, Mr. Wright, for jumping right in and being part of Team Old Mill. Once a Koala, always a Koala! 🐨💙💛

🍎✨ Happy Principals Month! ✨🍎

We couldn’t let Principals Month pass without celebrating our amazing principal!

Thank you for leading with heart, supporting our teachers, encouraging our students, and always putting students first. You are constantly working behind the scenes to make Old Mill Elementary the incredible place it is, and we are so grateful for everything you do!

Your leadership, positivity, and dedication make a difference every single day. We are so lucky to have you leading our Koala family!

Thank you for being YOU and for making OMES a place where everyone can grow, learn, and shine!

This week's student spotlight goes out to Cheyenne. Cheyenne reached an exciting milestone by learning how to zip her coat—and she didn't stop there! As soon as she mastered it, she immediately used her new skill to help a classmate zip theirs, too. Way to be an amazing Community Contributor, Cheyenne!

Kona Ice is coming this Friday! Please preorder your child’s treat before Friday. All orders must be placed in advance; no cash will be accepted at school.

Safety and learning made FUN! Our second graders had an awesome day at Safety City! Students learned important real-world skills including pedestrian and bicycle safety, seat belt and booster seat use, fire safety, calling 911, and navigating traffic signs and signals. Then they got to put their learning into action as they explored the miniature city and drove battery-powered cars through the streets! We love opportunities like this that take learning beyond the classroom and help our Koalas become responsible, confident Community Contributors. A fun day filled with learning they can use for a lifetime! Families, keep the learning going at home! Ask your Koala to teach YOU one safety tip they learned today. On your next walk or drive together, challenge them to spot traffic signs, explain safe street-crossing steps, or talk through what they would do in an emergency. Practicing these skills together helps turn today’s field trip into lifelong safe habits. Thank you to Norton Children’s Safety City for such a memorable—and important—experience for our students!

Our October newsletter is packed with great information, important reminders, and lots of exciting things happening at Old Mill! Be sure to check it out and stay connected with everything coming up this month. We have a great October ahead, Koalas!

https://bcps-newsletter.edurooms.com/newsletters/old-mill-elementary/newsletters/old-mill-october-2026

Check out Mrs. O’Bryan in the news! We’re so proud to see her recognized for the incredible work she does with our Koalas every day. Read the Pioneer News feature!

https://www.pmg-ky1.com/pioneer_news/features/omes-teacher-obryan-recognized-at-state-level/article_a186dc5d-55a0-56fd-b285-6c86933e2b51.html

This week's staff spotlight goes out to Mrs. Russ. She does an amazing job giving students a fresh start whenever they make an unsafe or unkind choice. She creates a safe, judgment-free space for students to reset, reflect, and make better choices moving forward. Thank you for modeling "Service Before Self" every day, Mrs. Russ!

This September, we’re celebrating our Koalas of the Month for celebrating the success of others! These students cheer on their classmates, notice when someone does something well, and help others feel proud of their accomplishments.

We loved celebrating them with cheers, games, and chocolate milkshakes! Thank you for showing us how much it means to lift each other up. 💙💛

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT: Chick-fil-A Preston

We can’t let the school year go by without giving a HUGE shoutout to Chick-fil-A Preston for supporting our All Pro Dad program!

Their generous sponsorship helps provide meals throughout the school year, making it possible for our All Pro Dad program to be even more special for our students and families.

We are so thankful for community partners who believe in the importance of family, connection, and creating meaningful experiences for our students. Your support helps us bring families together and make memories at OMES! 💙💛

Thank you, Chick-fil-A Preston, for being such an amazing part of our OMES family! We appreciate you more than you know! 🐨❤️

Teacher Assistant Appreciation

We couldn’t let the weekend go by without celebrating our AMAZING Teacher Assistants! 💙💛

Our TAs are such an important part of our OMES family. They support our students, lend a helping hand, bring so much joy to our classrooms, and make a difference every single day! 🥰

Thank you for all you do for our students and staff! We appreciate you more than you know! 💙💛

Happy Teacher Assistant Appreciation Day! 🎉✨

What a weekend for our Old Mill runners! Congratulations to our 2nd grade team for earning 1st place overall, and a special shoutout to Remmie E. for finishing 2nd with a time of 9:03! We are also so proud of our 3rd–5th grade runners: * Arya R. — 12th place * Haddie E. — 19th place * Marianne W. — 69th place * Evan B. — 33rd place * Nathan R. — 50th place Our Koalas continue to challenge themselves, celebrate success, and represent Old Mill so well. Way to go, runners! 💙💛🐨

Second grade was putting their math skills to work in Mrs. Welch’s class! Students took their place value knowledge and applied it to a real-world challenge: helping Mr. Jeff create a new ice cream flavor! They selected ingredients, added the costs together, and used subtraction to make sure they stayed within their budget. We love seeing our Koalas take what they’ve learned and use it to solve authentic problems. These Mastery Learners and Innovative Problem Solvers were thinking, calculating, and making decisions with a purpose!

We are so excited to celebrate Mrs. Compton, who has been nominated for the 2026 KSTA Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award! Mrs. Compton brings science, innovation, creativity, and hands-on learning to life for our Koalas every single day. She creates opportunities for students to wonder, explore, problem-solve, and see themselves as scientists and innovators. This nomination is such a wonderful recognition of the passion and heart she pours into our students and our school. We are incredibly proud to have Mrs. Compton representing Old Mill! Congratulations, Mrs. Compton! Our Koala family is cheering you on! 💙💛🐨

We hope everyone has a great weekend!

https://youtube.com/shorts/vgAAydBMc00?si=WIJ6CJKoodQYBPbV