Mill Creek Magic Messages
News and Updates from Mr. Ortman & Mrs. Dowd - April 6 - 10
Important Dates
Monday, April 6th:
- Phase 2 of Distance Learning begins
Thursday, April 9th:
- No Online Learning - Teacher Flex Day
Friday, April 10th:
- No Online Learning - Good Friday
Home and School Association News and Flyers
Upcoming HSA Events
- The Magic Miles 5K is being postponed until the fall. The committee will contact registrants who have already submitted their payments.
Other HSA News
- WE ARE STILL GOING TO HAVE A YEARBOOK!! Orders are due on Friday, April 10th. Reminder: 6th grade students do not need to purchase yearbooks. They are provided as a gift from HSA.
- We have collected about $400 worth of box tops so far this year. Our goal for the end of the year is $1000. Don't forget to send in your box tops or scan your receipts into the box tops app! See the flyer for more information.
Principal's Post - A Weekly Note From Mr. Ortman
Happy Friday!
Our teachers have been diligently preparing for Phase 2 of our Distance Learning Plan (DLP). By now, you have received several communications from the district about this new plan. Some important components are outlined below:
- Teachers are transitioning to new learning and will be instructing students on key concepts and skills via mostly prerecorded lessons. Instruction will be delivered using a team approach; your child may have lessons from all of the teachers in the grade level!
- By the end of the day today, your child's teacher will have posted daily expectations and his/her schedule to the class website.
- Teachers will offer two class "check-ins" per week and 30 minutes of office hours twice daily. These will be facilitated by your child's teacher.
- Most of the learning will be asynchronous, meaning that they will not be required to log on at a specific time.
- If your child receives instruction from a special education teacher or reading specialist, they should refer to their websites for instruction in those subject areas.
- Assessment will be formative, with a goal of monitoring student learning and providing frequent feedback, rather than summative (quizzes and tests).
- Participation in phase 2 is required.
We are very appreciative of your patience and flexibility as we make this transition. Thank you for helping us provide continuity of learning for your children!
Have a great weekend!
Sincerely,
Shawn M. Ortman
Principal
From the Desk of Mrs. Dowd
Hi Creeker Families!
As you continue to navigate distance learning, I'd like to remind you about some resources that are available:
- Check out Mr. Chapman's newsletters and Mrs. Brown's wellness and fun activities (click their names to visit their sites). They will be posting social and emotional wellness activities and instruction on Fridays.
- Visit the district Special Education distance learning site to access parent videos on various topics, such as increasing student engagement and managing daily schedules.
- Mrs. Jansen has instructions on her website for many of the programs your students are/will be using, like Office365, Teams, and Seesaw.
- Lunch pickup for students enrolled in the free and reduced lunch program is at CB South on Mondays and Thursdays each week from 10:30 to 12:30. If your family has a need, you can apply for this program at any time by clicking here.
I hope you are doing well!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Lauren Dowd
Assistant Principal
Information for Families Who Borrowed Laptops and iPads
See below for help with some frequently asked questions from our Technology & Innovation Department:
- SeeSaw App for K-2: Students attempting to use Seesaw on a district iPad may run into issues because the Seesaw app we have installed is for in-school use. To use “at-home QR codes”, the app needs to be updated. Here are the steps for updating the app: 1. Open the “Self-service” app on the iPad. 2. Reinstall the Seesaw app from self-service. This will update the app and allow for at-home login.
- Logging in to the Laptop: Students will use their FULL CB email address(lastname.firstinitial###@student.cbsd.org) & password to log into the laptop. Your classroom teacher can help you with the log-in information. You can also email our support team.
- Updating Devices: To allow your computer to be completely up to date after the handout, CBSD will be sending updates to the computers that could cause a random restart. Please make sure to have autosave turned on by creating new documents through Office 365 on the web so you do not lose work.
- Device Having Issues: Restarting your computer will solve many computer issues. Please restart twice before reaching out for tech support.
- Support: Visit https://www.cbsd.org/covid and select “Technology Support”.
- For technical support, parents or students (grades 4-6 & 12th) can email techsupport@cbsd.org.
- Please follow general problem-solving strategies prior to entering a ticket & provide as much information as possible to expedite a resolution. Note: We are working with over 20,000 people and trying to support many issues. Your patience is appreciated.
- Broken Hardware: We will attempt to have frequent drive through hardware support for our staff and students. In the event that device peripherals (pens, chargers, batteries, etc.) stop working or need replacement, families and staff do not need to purchase them through MyPaymentsPlus at this time. These devices can be bought directly from Amazon or a retailer of your choosing. A list of supplies can be found here: https://www.cbsd.org/Page/51509
- Return of Devices: These devices and chargers MUST be returned to the student’s school when distance learning is over. You will receive more information from the school office at a later date.
Thank you so much for all of your support and understanding!
Building Closure Reminders
CREEKERS' Code Winners
You can submit a CREEKERS' Code by clicking here.
K: Emma S.
1st Grade: Shreya K.
2nd Grade: Anushka A.
3rd Grade: Maci R.
4th Grade: Chase S.
5th Grade: Amy H.
6th Grade: Kelly D.
Distance Learning in Action!
Yearbook Ordering
Box Tops Information
District Information
Kindergarten Registration
Kindergarten registration is now open! Families of new students who are eligible to enroll in kindergarten in the 2020-2021 school year are invited to begin the registration process. Get the details on eligibility, what documents to gather, and how to navigate the online registration process at www.cbsd.org/registration. We look forward to welcoming the class of 2032!
Contact Information
Mr. Shawn Ortman
Principal
267-893-3600
Mrs. Lauren Dowd
Assistant Principal
267-893-3600
Mill Creek Elementary School
Email: sortman@cbsd.org
Website: http://www.cbsd.org/Domain/19
Location: 638 Bellflower Boulevard, Warrington, PA, United States
Phone: 267-893-3600
Twitter: @CBMillCreek