Prior to regular business, the board heard a presentation from Mill Hall Elementary School Principal Rebecca Michaels about the impact the students and staff are having at their building.

Michaels noted this is her first year at the school and her first year with the district, having been hired in September.

“I’m so proud to sit here and be able to essentially brag about what we do and what we’re most proud of at Mill Hall Elementary,” Michaels told the board.

The presentation focused on the motto “Seen, Heard and Loved” and how this mentality is being fostered in the building.

PHOTO PROVIDED Pictured are examples of Staffulty shoutouts made by families of Mill Hall Elementary students to foster positivity.

Michaels noted she could feel all of these things from her first day thanks to the students and staff/faculty (staffulty).

“It wasn’t just a phrase. It wasn’t just something we put on our merchandise or on our walls. It is felt. That’s something you can’t teach. You either do it or you don’t, and this building does it,” she said.

Michaels showcased a variety of examples of how they are fostering a positive environment for the students at Mill Hall Elementary.

This included how staff take time to connect with students, the various initiatives in place to foster positive behavior and the PBIS and Student 2 Student programs.

In highlighting the staff, Michaels expressed her sincere appreciation and thanks to all the building’s members and even those district-wide who helped the building when a pipe burst and the sprinkler system leaked into classrooms on Tuesday.

PHOTO PROVIDED Third graders are pictured with their Student to Student mentees in kindergarten, first or second grade during S2S time at Mill Hall Elementary School. The program looks to build community and encourage positive behavior within the school.

“We had a little incident on Tuesday where a pipe burst and the sprinklers were expelling copious amounts of water at Mill Hall Elementary. No one can prepare for that. But every single person in that building acted out of safety, out of respect and kindness,” Michaels said.

She emphasized how each person acted swiftly and ensured the students felt safe and loved.

She noted the custodial staff and maintenance staff acted quickly to clean up roughly an inch of water in classrooms. The IT department was able to replace chargers and ensure no class disruptions while first grade classes were taught in alternative areas. And she noted how teachers remained calm and composed so students weren’t panicked.

“We got kids back in their classrooms that afternoon and it’s because every person acted in a positive way to make that happen,” Michaels said.

The topic of the elementary school’s sudden water situation carried into public comment when kindergarten teacher Jinell Krout spoke during public comment.

PHOTO PROVIDED Mill Hall Elementary School Principal Rebecca Michaels is pictured during her presentation to the Keystone Central School District Board of Directors’ voting session on Feb. 12.

“It had never been more apparent that our staffulty at Mill Hall is 100 percent all in for our students,” Krout said of the incident earlier in the week.

Krout noted the first grade teachers were able to redirect their entire day to help students.

“They pushed through and taught in alternative locations, adjusted on the fly and never skipped a beat,” she said. “Their flexibility and commitment was extraordinary.”

Krout spoke on the rapid response of the district’s custodial team from multiple locations.

“Their immediate action, teamwork and willingness to jump in without hesitation to clear classrooms, clean and dry floors and teaching materials, shampoo carpets and return everything to its original position ensured that our building was functional as quickly as possible that day,” she said.

PHOTO PROVIDED Mill Hall Elementary School Kindergarten teacher Jinell Krout speaks during public comment about the showcase of teamwork and care staff at the school showed during a sprinkler malfunction last week. Krout also commended Principal Rebecca Michaels, pictured back at right, for presenting a calm and encouraging demeanor throughout the sudden water crisis.

The maintenance and IT staff responded with remarkable speed and precision, she said.

“Their expertise and dedication allowed instruction to continue and brought a sense of normalcy back to our day,” Krout said.

She also commended non-classroom teachers and the district’s facilitators for springing into actions, relocating students, moving furniture and assisting wherever needed.

“Their flexibility and teamwork to do whatever was necessary truly exemplifies what it means to be all in in our school community,” she said.

Krout further expressed her admiration for classroom teachers who handled the emergency evacuations with “calm confidence and seamless organization.”

She noted the cafeteria staff also were able to power through issues with the internet and manually recorded over 300 lunches that day.

However, she felt there was another person who deserved kudos — Michaels.

“She completely took the reins. She jumped in immediately, she contacted the right people. She put her sneakers on, she pulled her hair up and she got right to work in the thick of it,” Krout said. “She put our students and staffulty first while simultaneously managing the water and internet issues behind the scenes. She powered through from the very first moment to the very last.”

To show their appreciation, Krout said the staff purchased Michaels a “snazzy” new pair of shoes, much to Michaels surprise.

Michaels’s presentation to the board included the following information:

PBIS programs

Michaels invited fourth grader teacher Jenna Pakech and kindergarten teacher Jobeth Carnahan to speak about one of the PBIS initiatives they enacted to foster connection between their grade levels.

“Mrs. Pakech did something she didn’t have to this week, but it demonstrates her character and what she’s instilling in her students just because of the good it does,” Michaels noted.

Pakech told the board she and her students watched a video about being seen, heard and loved and began talking about how they could showcase kindness to their PBIS friends — Carnahan’s class. She pitched to them the idea of creating hearts for each student with their names and filling them with kind words and encouragement.

“The kids loved it. They were all in about this,” she said. “So I made hearts… and my kids wrote little notes and their names.”

Pakech said the class delivered the hearts to their kindergarten friends who were excited about the gesture.

Carnahan noted after Pakech’s class left, her students requested she read some of the notes.

“We took about five to eight minutes and sat down,” she said. “Everybody was so excited. They were just beaming from ear to ear.”

Pakech said she’s working to show her students that “kindness doesn’t have to cost anything.”

Student to Student

Similar to a presentation made by Robb Elementary School, Michaels showcased the Student to Student (S2S) program that has been implemented at Mill Hall by Instructional & Behavioral Support Facilitators Brad McCloskey and Keri Popadines.

“The addition of our two facilitators has been very beneficial. They do a lot of things with behavioral intervention so that teachers can teach and students can learn,” Michaels explained. “They’ve used a lot of data to help with some interventions behaviourally. But they have also made it a priority to find different ways to make kiddos feel seen, heard and loved.”

McCloskey explained the S2S program pairs third graders with a kindergarten, first or second grader.

Every morning, 35 third graders meet their buddy in the hallways to talk and help ensure they’re feeling seen, heard and loved, he said.

“We have 70 students in the hallways and it’s one of the best things to see,” McCloskey said.

Four students were invited to share with the board what they love about the S2S program.

One student said it’s, “making the kids that we see feel brighter and making their day feel brighter.”

Another said it makes “every kid and grown up feel seen, heard and loved.”

One kindergarten student said they enjoy going into the hallways to meet their buddy in the third grade.

Following these students, McCloskey emphasized how this program helps them become confident.

“These kiddos are absolutely rocking it,” he said.

Popadines noted their work doesn’t end with helping the students. They’re also aiming to make sure the staff feel seen, heard and loved.

“We reached out to Mill Hall families and asked them to fill out a quick Google form to shout out a staffulty member,” she said. “That just makes them feel appreciated and they’re going to be happy employees at the building, and that’s going to turn into happy children ready to learn.”

At the end of her presentation, Michaels noted that no matter who the student or staff member is, they’ll feel seen, heard and loved when they come to Mill Hall Elementary.