Dear Yellow Springs Community,
At Mills Lawn, we believe that learning is most powerful when it is joyful, meaningful, and rooted in connection. As the proud principal of Mills Lawn School, I am honored to welcome you to a school community where curiosity is cultivated, compassion is nurtured, and every learner is empowered to think boldly, care deeply, and advocate courageously.
Our students, our Fearless Thinkers, are encouraged to ask big questions, take brave steps, and grow into thoughtful changemakers. Here, we do not simply prepare students for the next grade level. We prepare them to think critically, engage meaningfully with the world around them, and recognize their own capacity to make a difference.
This year marks an exciting and unique chapter for our campus as we temporarily welcome our 5th through 8th grade Bulldogs into Phase III of the building while their permanent school space is being completed. While we are all Bulldogs and proud members of the Yellow Springs Schools community, we also recognize the importance of creating developmentally appropriate experiences for students at every age. During this temporary shared-campus period, our K–4 and 5–8 programs will operate as two distinct schools under one roof, with intentional plans, routines, spaces, and structures that allow each group to maintain its own identity and meet the unique needs of its students. Once the 5–8 building is complete, those students and staff will transition into their permanent home. In the meantime, we are excited to make the most of this opportunity to strengthen connections across our Bulldog community while preserving the individual identity and needs of each school.
Mills Lawn is a special place, not just because of our commitment to project-based learning and meaningful, authentic learning experiences, but because of the people who bring that work to life every day. Our staff are deeply committed to creating classrooms where children feel seen, heard, valued, and challenged to grow. We believe students learn best when they feel a strong sense of belonging and when they know the adults around them genuinely believe in who they are and who they are becoming.
Our families are trusted partners in this work, and our greater Yellow Springs community wraps around our school with tremendous support. That partnership allows us to create learning experiences that extend beyond the walls of the classroom and help our students understand that their ideas, voices, and actions matter.
At Mills Lawn, we want children to experience the joy of discovery, the courage that comes from trying something difficult, and the confidence that grows when they realize they are capable of more than they imagined. We know that meaningful learning is not always neat or linear. It requires curiosity, collaboration, reflection, persistence, and sometimes the willingness to make mistakes and try again.
Whether you are new to the Bulldog family or have been part of Mills Lawn for years, I hope you feel the joy, purpose, and collective courage that define our school community. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to learn alongside our students, staff, and families and excited for all that we will accomplish together this year.
It is going to be a great year, one where we grow together, think boldly, care deeply, advocate courageously, and continue building a school where every child knows they belong and every learner has the opportunity to become a Fearless Thinker.
Dr. Becca Huber
Principal
Mills Lawn School
