Principal's Welcome

Principal Message

Mill Hill Elementary School is nestled in the beautiful harbor community of Southport, Connecticut. We are a school of just over 350 students. We pride ourselves in our rare accomplishment of being named a National PTA School of Excellence for two successive nominations; 2015-2017 and 2018-2020. This honor is the embodiment of our dedication to our students, families, and community. The award speaks to our core value and philosophy of placing children first. We ensure this through a strong foundational partnership between parents, school, and community.

We critique our practices on a regular basis in a relentless pursuit of continual school improvement. We have a strong curricular framework and we closely monitor the progress of all students, adapting instruction to their needs, and securing appropriate rates of growth.

We are excited to announce that we have begun work to renovate our school building. Our work with the Mill Hill Building Committee is progressing nicely. A renovation to a 441 capacity school has been approved by Town bodies, and we are in the planning stages. An architect and contractor had already been selected and filing the necessary documentation with the State of Connecticut is in process. A design has been established, and we have even begun to talk about furniture, fixtures, and equipment for our newly-constructed and renovated space! Much of the work, though, will remain behind the scenes, and we are not expected to break ground until the summer of 2020.

- Kevin Chase, Principal

Principal Mission Statement

We at Mill Hill strive to be champions of education, champions of children. We believe that we can reach higher levels of performance, academically and social emotionally. A constant cycle of reflection lends itself to a close examination and analysis of past and current practice to lead to continuous improvement. Each child is an individual in their own right and thus growth is commensurate to their individual needs and abilities.

More specifically, we collaborate in teams throughout our entire organization. We believe that inherent in the power of collaboration is that collectively we are smarter than any individual in the collective. Through this philosophy we will improve the capacity of administrators, teachers, and other key stakeholders to improve both the overall learning environment for our students and in turn their academic achievement and personal growth. 

We are constantly examining student achievement outcomes, growth, and overall well-being. This close examination leads to focused reflection to identify improved practice that produces positive student outcomes. In short, if we are responsive to student needs, we will always be a safe, secure, and fun learning environment.

This structure has clearly defined components that allow for a system of checks and balances that illuminate areas to both replicate and revise. This clear vision, communication of this vision, along with a transparent and well-articulated structure that is aligned in its documentation, tasks, and functioning throughout the organization is the backbone of our success. We strive to nurture the growth of the whole child. We will always work to follow our motto; “Mill Hill is a Home for the Mind and Heart.” Keep your heart in mind.