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Greetings Mill Creek Families!
Happy October!
The start of the new school year has been filled with excitement and positive energy. During these past three full weeks of school, we’ve been focused on establishing high expectations for behavior, creating routines that lend order, consistency and predictability to the school day experience and building student agency: that sense of confidence that students demonstrate when they believe they ‘have what it takes’ to be successful learners and people. It’s our goal that every child feels seen, heard, welcomed and valued here at Mill Creek, each and every day. Teachers have been working hard to help students learn and follow the daily academic routines during their math and reading blocks and have launched their first units in math, reading, SEL and more. Every Friday teachers have been meeting as grade level teams to align their instruction and their assessment practices. Most students have either completed the fall i-Ready diagnostic or will complete it shortly. These results will inform us about each child’s current understanding of math/reading so that we can tailor instruction accordingly. Yesterday we had our “Back to School” welcome assembly that featured a photo slideshow of all classrooms, celebrated Summer Reading, introduced Cosmo our Cougar Mascot and shared in our school song singalong.
As we move into October, here’s what we’d like you to know:
- Daily On-time attendance is critical to student learning and success. Please make every effort to plan your morning routine so that your child is on campus by 9:10 each morning, when our 1st bell rings. Classroom instruction begins at 9:15, when the 2nd bell rings
- If your child is sick or needs to miss school for a day or any part of it, please send an email to: mceattendance@everettsd.org stating the reason and duration of the absence. Without this information, the absence is recorded as ‘unexcused.’ Each month, our attendance team reviews attendance and as needed, contacts families of children who have had 3 or more unexcused absences. If your family is experiencing an issue that is preventing consistent daily attendance, we can help! Please contact your child’s teacher, Mrs. Bray/General Secretary, Mrs. Donnelly/Counselor or Mrs. Foster & Mrs. Dickert/Administrators.
- Prearranged Absences for Vacations or Travel: Families should not schedule vacations or travel while school is in session. If a family vacation or travel must occur while school is in session, it must be prearranged prior to the absence and approved by the principal. The principal may excuse up to five (5) school days for a prearranged absence per student each school year. Families may request a prearranged absence by completing this form, located on our school website: https://3fxCjzC
- WA state law requires many things of schools, but only requires one thing of students: attend school. If a student does not attend school, state law requires schools to take action. We follow School Board Policy 3122 and Procedure 3122P with regard to excused and unexcused absences.
PTA Thanks and News
Our PTA has worked hard to get the year off to a great start! Here are a few of the things our community has enjoyed as a result: Kindergarten families were invited to a first day of school coffee event! Cougar Movers is up and running! Garden Club has met! The first “Tropical” Spirit Day took place today! After school programs have started! The MCE Spirit Wear Sale has taken place! The Reflections Art Contest is underway! The PTA’s Diverse Book Drive has started collecting books for Latinx Heritage Month! A well-attended 1st general PTA meeting took place! And… most importantly: The Cougar Craze fundraiser was launched with a kick-off Ice Cream Social event! Families have until next Friday, October 7 to make donations to this one and only fundraiser, in which 100% of money raised goes directly back to our school for events and programs that all children benefit from. Thanks to our PTA for all their hard work and thanks to all our families for supporting the PTA Cougar Craze fundraiser. Have you joined the PTA yet? Join MCEPTA now!
Recess/Lunch PTA Meeting Discussion and Follow up: At the PTA General Meeting, the change from a 15 to a 10 minute 2nd recess was discussed as well as the 20 minute time allotted for lunch and lunch recess each day. In response, the following information is being shared:
Lunch/Lunch Recess: There has been no change to our lunch and recess schedule as students have always been scheduled for a 20 minute lunch and a 20 minute recess. All the surrounding EPS elementary schools do this as well. At the beginning of a new school year, the length of the lunch period often does surface, because it takes some time for everyone to learn the routines of lunch, recess and the flow between the two. With continued monitoring and fine tuning, we're getting more and more efficient as students learn expectations for such things as how to line up, the traffic patterns, how to move through the lunch line, how to dispose of garbage, moving the classroom lunch carts, etc. It's a lot of little details that just take time to teach and learn, for each grade level of students.
2nd Daily Recess: (AM or PM) Our school's move from a 15 minute recess to a 10 minute recess in the afternoon has brought us into alignment with the time allocated for the 2nd recess at all EPS elementary schools in our region: Silver Firs, Penny Creek, Forest View, Cedar Wood, Woodside and Tambark Elementary. While we all agree on the benefits of fresh air, play and movement for children, there are many things that need to fit into our short school day and it seems that there is never enough time to fit everything in. The 5 minute reduction to recess has allowed for other instructional priorities to be better realized. Time is the limited resource that we work hard to schedule effectively but the schedule will never be perfect or please everyone. We regret not communicating this 5 minute change as we did not foresee it as being problematic. Teachers may take their students out for recess and/or provide movement breaks in the classroom at their discretion, as the schedule allows.
That’s it for the month of October and thank you for reading this entire newsletter, chock full of information! Please be sure to read your child’s classroom newsletters for specific classroom news, as well as our PTA’s weekly newsletter. Also, be sure to follow us on Twitter!
In closing, thanks for your partnership and support during the past very important month. We look forward to partnering with you for a great fall season of learning.
Sincerely,
Cindy Foster, Principal cfoster@everettsd.org
Kristin Dickert, Assistant Principal kdickert@everettsd.org
October 3: Curriculum Night
You won’t want to miss this opportunity to learn all about your child’s instructional program this year. All classroom teachers have communicated with their families about this event: Times for classroom/grade level presentations are as follows:
- K-2: 6:00-6:45
- 3-5: 7:00-7:45
October 4: Picture Day:
Get those envelopes returned to order your school pictures!
October 6: Let’s Connect at Heatherwood Middle School: 6pm
You’re invited to this regional event to share your feedback on the start of the school year.
October 7 and 21 - LIF Day (2:15 Release)
October 7: Last day to contribute to PTA’s Cougar Craze Fundraiser
October 14: Non-student Day
All district staff will use this day for professional development, focused on the topic of social-emotional learning
October 28, and week of 10/31-11/5: 1:15 Early Dismissal Days for Student Conferences
Teachers will be sending you information about signing up for your parent/teacher conference later this month.
High School and Beyond: - October 18 - Jackson HS 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
After two years of virtual offerings, Everett Public Schools is celebrating the opportunity to again hold our High School & Beyond Events in-person. The number of college and career representatives available to support our efforts continues to grow, and we are looking forward to providing access to these rich, personalized resources to our students and families.
In an effort to increase access to each unique school community, the three comprehensive high schools have collaborated to provide a customized format on three specific dates in October as follows:
Cascade HS | October 5, 2022 | 6-8 p.m. | Gym
The college and career fair will take place during the curriculum night event
Jackson HS | October 18, 2022 | 5:30-7:30 p.m. | Gym
The college and career fair will be a stand-alone evening event with several break-out session options
Everett HS | October 27, 2022 | 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (families are invited to attend from 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.) | Gym
The college and career fair will take place during the school day
If a family is not able to attend their school’s event on the designated date, they are welcome to attend the HS & Beyond event at one of the other two high schools. Interpreters from prominent languages of each school will be on site.
COUNSELING
Welcome to the MCE Counseling Department! I am excited to be part of the Mill Creek family. Please click on the link to my web page to learn more about the counseling department and the available resources for families.
https://www.everettsd.org/domain/2054
If you need any assistance with acquiring food, clothing, information on behavior, or counseling services, please visit my webpage using the link above. Depending on what you are looking for, you can find these resources by going to the Community Resources, Parent Resources, or Social and Emotional Learning Resources tab. If you want to speak with me directly, you can call at 425-385-6810 or email me at mdonnelly@everettsd.org.
Mary Donnelly
School Counselor
LIBRARY
Welcome to the MCE Library!
We celebrated all our students who participated in Summer Reading at our school-wide Back to School assembly and in their honor are purchasing $500 worth of NEW BOOKS for our library! Reading rocks! Keep reading, Mill Creek Cougars!
GET EXCITED! Book Fair is happening during Conference Week. Click the link below for more information. The library website will have all updates on events happening in the library.
Volunteers are needed in the library Wednesdays from 11:30 - 12:30 and Fridays 11:30 - 12:30. If you are available to help support the library on one of these days, please email Holli Williams hwilliams@everettsd.org
https://www.everettsd.org/domain/1911
Kindly,
Holli Williams
Teacher Librarian
Mill Creek Elementary
(425) 385-6808
PTA GARDEN CLUB
Join Mill Creek Elementary’s Garden Club! We will meet twice a month after school on Fridays by the Gratitude Garden for 45 minutes. Grade level groups are suggestions; MCE siblings are welcome to join either group. Outdoor learning experiences include planting seeds, maintaining garden beds, appreciating and enjoying nature. Please visit the MCE PTA Website for more information!
https://mcepta.org/programsevents/gardenclub/
Dear Families,
I am now the MCE Art/SEL Specialist. I am using the Everett School District Art Curriculum, “The Art of Education”.
The art curriculum has integrated SEL that students can apply to art and to learning.
I will post updates on my website every month! Please visit it monthly to see and hear about art at MCE!
Mrs. Ripley
Art/Social Emotional Learning Specialist