Magic Messages
Mill Creek News and Updates from Mr. Ortman and Mrs. Carter
2013 - 2014 Classroom Placement Procedures
The purpose of this article is to help you understand the process we will be using at Mill Creek Elementary School to decide your child’s placement for the next school year. Obviously this process is an important and challenging task.
The professional staff is involved in placement decisions for our students. Classroom teachers are asked to summarize the academic and social growth of the students in their classes in preparation for classroom placement decisions. The entire grade level team cooperates with the Student Support Counselors, Reading Specialists, Dean, and me to determine each individual child’s placement. The whole team takes part in creating combinations of children to form balanced classrooms. The classes are designed to be heterogeneous with a wide range of characteristics, needs, and abilities (academic, social and emotional). We carefully examine the strengths, needs, and personalities within each homeroom group. The grade level team reviews each child’s needs in relation to the classroom groups created. Once we believe the classrooms are well balanced, the teachers have completed their part of the process.
Following the completion of the professional staff phases, Mrs. Carter and I will review the class groupings again, but from a school-wide perspective. It is our responsibility to match the class with a specific teacher.
Parents and students will find out their 2013/2014 teacher assignments on June 17th, Move-Up Day. On that day the students will visit with their new teachers, get to know their classmates, and be given a teacher assignment notice that they will deliver to their parents when they get home. The objective of that day is to reduce students' anxiety over their teacher and classmates prior to the summer break.
If you have information about your child’s learning style that you feel is important for the Mill Creek placement team to have prior to placement, please write a letter or send an e-mail to me that includes that information on or before May 3rd. Although we value any information you provide and will give it careful consideration, there is no guarantee about specific placement requests.
Please do not request a teacher or request that specific students be placed with your child.
We conduct Back to School nights during the month of September for parents to meet and discuss the classroom and grade level programs for the year.
Thank you for your continued support and cooperation.
Sincerely,
Shawn M. Ortman
Principal
District Art Show
Save the date! The opening night of the District Art Show 2013 is on May 17th from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at Mill Creek Elementary. Every year, many of our Mill Creek students are featured. Why not gather your family and check out the incredible talents of students across the district?
Central Bucks School District School Board Briefs - April 9, 2013
At the April 9, 2013 School Board Meeting, the Central Bucks School District School Board:
1. Heard the Lenape Jazz Ensemble performance before the school board meeting and via video, the Pledge of Allegiance was led by Mrs. Egan’s 4th grade Warwick class.
2. Heard the Academic Spotlight about Google Science Fair which is a new way for students to showcase their work for a global audience. Dr. George Mehler presented the program and showcased some student work.
3. Heard the Superintendent’s Report, Communications, Curriculum, Finance, Operations, IU Board, and MBIT Committee Reports. Also, an After School World Language Program report from Mr. Brian Caughie and Ms. Stacy Gray.
4. Approved School Board Minutes – March 12 and 19, 2013.
5. Approved the 403(b) and 457(b) Investment Program, construction contracts for Unami renovations, and the MBIT 2013-2014 General Fund Budget.
6. Tabled School Board Policy 902-1 – Cable Television so that proposed policy can be posted on the CBSD website.
7. Approved various personnel items, student trips, tuition students, and staff workshops.
8. Discussed the 2013-2014 budget. Mr. Matyas provided the Board with an update of the 2013-2014 budget process since the preliminary budget was adopted in January. He highlighted several proposed adjustments which would eliminate the need for a millage increase for the 2013-2014 school year. The proposed adjustments would not affect the normal CB program.
9. Discussed the proposed CB East Stadium project. Dr. Green stated that approximately 500 people attended the March 19 public hearing to hear about the proposed CB East Stadium project. Thirty-five community members spoke during the public hearing. The project will cost between $5.1M to $5.6M. The design of the proposed stadium will take approximately six months and will take approximately twelve months to complete. Board members talked about the particulars of the proposed stadium. The CB East Stadium project will be discussed at the next Operations Committee meeting.
10. Received Sabbatical Leaves of Absence and the Board Calendar as information items.
Contact Us
Email: millcreek@cbsd.org
Website: www.cbsd.org
Location: 638 Bellflower Boulevard, Warrington, PA
Phone: (267) 893-3600