Mill Creek Magic Messages

Mill Creek Incorporates Lots of Holiday/Seasonal Fun During the Week Heading into Winter Break!

Winter Break and the Holidays that surround it can be loads of fun, and we managed to incorporate a great deal of that fun at school this past week. Among the highlights… we held a Holiday/Seasonal Music Concert (including 5th/6th Grade Orchestra, Mill Creek Choir, and 6th Grade Band)! We also held a whole school Holiday/Seasonal Sing - just imagine the energy produced by a whole school singing Here Comes Santa Claus and The Dreidel Song! And we held Holiday/Seasonal Classroom Celebrations complete with Holiday/Seasonal-themed games, food, and activities. Additionally, we had Holiday/Winter-themed spirit days throughout the week, encouraging our students and teachers/staff to wear their best (and sometimes unique… think Holiday/Winter sweater) to represent the Winter Holiday they celebrate or just the season itself. Finally, we held an epic door decorating contest (you can see some of our entries in the photos below).

All in all, it was an incredible week during which the amazing learning that happens was complimented with Winter and Holiday fun!

Important Dates

Friday, December 23-Monday, January 2 - Winter Break (no school)
Friday, January 6 - Creekers' Code Friday!
Monday, January 16 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service (no school)
Friday, January 20 - Spirit Day - Color Challenge (Wear Your Grade Level's Assigned Color!)

Kindergarten - Yellow

1st Grade - Blue

2nd Grade - Green

3rd Grade - Red

4th Grade - Orange

5th Grade - Purple

6th - Rainbow

Home and School Association News and Flyers

FROM MR. ORTMAN and MR. MURTHA

We made it, Mill Creek! After an exciting month of learning and Winter Holiday/Seasonal fun, Winter Break is upon us. We so much enjoyed sharing the Season through lessons that incorporated Winter Holiday/Seasonal themes (e.g. winter art scenes; writing about our families and the Holidays/Season), Holiday/Seasonal Sings, Holiday/Seasonal events (e.g. “Snowball Challenge”), a Winter Holiday/Seasonal Spirit Week leading into Winter Break, and Holiday/Seasonal Classroom Celebrations!

It is hard to believe that 4 months of the 2022-2023 school year are “in the books!” Our students have been learning so much, such as honing their writing skills, becoming more advanced readers, and building upon foundational math skills by adding even more math knowledge and know how. Many thanks to our teachers and staff for all the work they put into planning and preparing amazing learning experiences for our students, many thanks to our students for their focus and hard work, and many thanks to our families for the ongoing support you offer at home!

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwaanza, a combination of Winter Holidays, or just the Season itself, we wish you a wonderful Winter Break as you get some well-deserved time with those you love most!

Enjoy the break, and we look forward to seeing our students return in 2023!

Shawn Ortman

Principal

John C. Murtha

Assistant Principal

Instructional Spotlight - Mr. Hartigan, 1st Grade

December brings a slew of Winter Holidays and traditions, and 1st Grade students have been learning about different Winter Holidays and Winter Holiday traditions from around the world (the other 1st Grade teachers and classrooms joined in the fun and global learning, too!). During a classroom visit earlier this week, Mr. Hartigan was working with Ms. Walmsley's students (the students rotated 1st Grade classrooms to learn about different Winter Holidays), who were working on their passports, so they could travel to different locations around the world and chronicle information and traditions associated with a variety of unique and diverse Winter Holidays. If you have a student in any 1st Grade class, but sure to ask them about their "travels" and what they learned this past week!

REQUIRED HEALTH EXAMINATIONS FOR THE 2022-2023 SCHOOL YEAR:

The State of Pennsylvania mandates the following health examinations:

- Students entering Kindergarten and all students new to the district-- Dental Exam and Physical Exam

- Students entering Grades 3 and 7--Dental Exam

- Students entering Grade 6 and 11-- Physical Exam

DENTAL EXAM FORM---https://www.cbsd.org/cms/lib/PA01916442/Centricity/Domain/403/Forms/dentalexam_formH514027.pdf

PHYSICAL EXAM FORM-- https://www.cbsd.org/cms/lib/PA01916442/Centricity/Domain/403/PHYSICAL%20EXAM%20form%202012.pdf

Parents are urged to have physical and dental examinations completed by their family physician or dentist. Exams may be completed any time after September 1, 2021 The completed health forms are due to the health office no later than October 15, 2022. Please keep a copy of the health form for your records.

For Qualifying Families, Apply for Free and Reduced Lunch - It's Easy!

Please take a moment to view some informational videos about Free and Reduced Lunch, how to apply, and some other available assistance to support our CB families!

English: https://vimeo.com/748146211

Espanol: https://vimeo.com/748143109

Dear Mill Creek Families,

Please see the link below to a form that allows Free and Reduced Lunch families to share their information with other programs and ease the burden of having to sign up for support for each one individually.

Form - Sharing Information with Other Programs

Thank you, and have a great day!

Estimadas familias de Mill Creek,

Consulte el siguiente enlace a un formulario que permite a las familias de almuerzo gratuito y reducido compartir su información con otros programas y aliviar la carga de tener que inscribirse para recibir apoyo para cada uno individualmente.

Form - Sharing Information with Other Programs

¡Gracias, y que tengas un gran día!

Student Laptop Expectations

Central Bucks Technology & Innovation Department is asking us to stress the importance of laptop case use for students (grades 3-6) when they transport their laptops and when laptops are not in use for extended periods of time. At school, we will be stressing the importance and reminding students of the need to put their laptop in its case during these times (e.g. when taking a laptop from their classroom to specials class). We ask that you stress these practices at home, too. Thank you for your support!

Additionally, if your child loses or misplaces their laptop case, please reach out to the Mill Creek Main Office.

District Laptop and iPad Care

Central Bucks Innovation and Technology Department has asked us to communicate the following regarding District-issued laptop and iPad care...

Please encourage your children to use their laptop/iPad bags for carrying devices in school, at home, and to and from each location.
Please encourage your children to report issues/problems with their devices, so they can be properly address and fixed as soon as possible.
The laptop/iPad payment fee covers accidental damage. Intentional damage may result in a family being billed for the damage.

Schools will be communicating these messages in school as well.

We appreciate your support!

Inclement Weather Procedures for Car Riders - Dismissal

We ask that, on inclement weather days, car riders post a placard with the student(s) family last name, so we can call in names for quicker dismissal. We will do our best to send a message out earlier in the day if we believe inclement weather dismissal is necessary for car riders. Feel free to use the placard template below if you find it helpful.