Mill Creek Magic Messages

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From Mr. Croyle and Mr. Murtha

Mill Creek is such a wonderful place of learning for us, and we feel privileged to work with incredible students and alongside an amazingly supportive Community. Having the opportunity to focus on meaningful and positive work each day, in addition to being important, can also serve as a distraction from some of the more serious and concerning things happening in the world. We are currently in a world situation where two major armed conflicts are in process, and, while the school day can allow our focus to be elsewhere, we also recognize that we have families in our Community that are deeply impacted by these conflicts. Part of our job is to provide our students with a space where they can feel safe, and we will continue to work hard to do that while also understanding that many of our students may come to school, based on how much they understand about world events and/or how much it impacts their respective families, with some unease or even fears. As we work to provide support and a safe space, we will also look forward to peaceful resolutions in our greater world.

With Immense Gratitude,

Matthew D. Croyle

Principal

John C. Murtha

Assistant Principal

Information about W.I.N. Time...

Mill Creek Community,

I certainly hope your children are enjoying their classroom experience this school year. New to Mill Creek this year is an instructional model we are implementing which was discussed at Back To School Night and previously communicated via the Magic Messages. The instructional schedule has a component built into it called “W.I.N”. During this time, students are placed in instructional groupings due to specific data and teacher observations.

Each grade level has their own specific time allocated for this “W.I.N” model. Some students are traveling to different teachers/staff members and others stay within their own homerooms, all depending on the skill being addressed. We have implemented this model for math and are currently discussing its implementation for reading.

I wanted to send out this reminder in case your child has mentioned this instructional approach initiated by the school district.

Respectfully,

-Mr. Croyle

Halloween Information...

Please read the following information about the day's events at school on Halloween... Mill Creek's Halloween Celebrations will occur on the 1/2 day morning of Tuesday, October 31.

Our Halloween Parade will occur early in the school day; start time will be 9:30 a.m. The parade takes place in front of the main school entrance in the bus loading/parking area. A roped-off parade path will be set up. Spectators need to be on the outside of the parade path. The Halloween Parade is weather dependent. If inclement weather occurs on the 31st, we will hold classroom celebrations only.

Costumes worn for our Halloween celebrations should be school appropriate. The following should not be a part of a school Halloween costume:

Hockey sticks, baseball bats, or other items that could be harmful.
Costumes/objects with violent themes.
Weapons used as costume props.

Classroom celebrations will occur after the Halloween Parade. Only scheduled classroom volunteers May enter the building after the parade. Food is permitted for these celebrations, but we would ask that, where possible, community food items be individually packaged (students may still bring in their individual, daily snack for personal consumption in school). Please communicate with your child's classroom teacher if you would prefer your child refrain from eating food items that are part of classroom celebrations.

We look forward fun and spooky day on the 31st!

Help us Honor our Veterans!

A yearly tradition at Mill Creek is that we create and display a wall of miliary veterans for Veterans Day (November 11). If you have a family member (or other loved one) who is/was a military veteran, please consider completing the form in the link directly below and sending the form and a photo of your veteran in with your child, so we can include them in our Veteran's Wall.

Veterans Wall Form

Also, we are writing letters to veterans and would love it if you would share address and other information of a veteran in your life, so we can include them. Please use the link directly below to provide this information.

Saluting Local Heroes

Finally, please use the link directly below here if a veteran in your family would like to attend a breakfast and assembly honoring veterans to be held at Mill Creek on 11/10/2023.

Invitation to a Veteran

Please submit forms not later than 10/31/2023.

Thank you!

Mill Creek 3rd Grade Student Gets Published!

Mill Creek 3rd Grade student Juliet K. received some well-deserved publication recognition, as her poem, Dewdrops, was featured in a recent edition of Highlights magazine! Juliet was very excited to have her poem published, and, in addition to getting some "press," we hope this inspires Juliet to continue with her wonderful poetry writing!

Check out Juliet's entry in the bottom right of the image below.

Congratulations, Juliet!

Important Information...

Please review the "Rules for Using Technology" in school list below with your child(ren). It will help reinforce what we are discussing with students here at school - thank you!
If you make a technology purchase (e.g. laptop charger) in MyPaymentsPlus, the District asks that you also put in a work ticket for it. This allows school building technicians to be aware of the purchase, so they can best support those students. Thank you!
Ms. Kralik is in need of paper towel rolls for her QUEST classroom. If you are willing/able to donate, please send them in with your child. Ms. Kralik will have a container outside of her classroom to collect them!

Important Dates

Monday, October 23-Friday, October 27 - Red Ribbon Spirit Week (see specific themes in flyer directly below) - celebrate being drug-free!
Friday, October 27
6th Grade Pumpkin Carving Contest (bring pumpkins to school)
6th Grade Halloween Howl - 7-9 p.m.
Tuesday, October 31
Halloween Celebrations
Early Dismissal (No AM Kindergarten; PM attends in the AM)
Wednesday, November 1 - Picture Retake Day
Tuesday, November 7 - Election Day (no school)
Friday, November 10 - Honor our Veterans by Wearing Red, White, and Blue!
Monday, November 13-Friday, November 17 - American Education Week (details coming soon!)
Wednesday, November 22 - Friday, November 24 - Thanksgiving Break (no school)

Home and School Association News and Flyers

We will provide more detailed information as the school year begins, but we wanted to share some information about Home and School needs for the upcoming school year...

The District is now insistent that adult visitors to school buildings beyond the main office have their Volunteer Clearances. There is an application process, which only takes a bit of time and is fairly simple. The link below will take you to a page with detailed information about obtaining your Volunteer Clearances.

Human Resources / VOLUNTEER Required Paperwork (cbsd.org)

Thank you, and we look forward to an incredible school year!

This month, Mill Creek’s Diversity Committee will bring awareness to cancer. We know that cancer touches many families of the Mill Creek staff and the Mill Creek community. On October 27th, we invite all staff and students to dress in a color that represents a type of cancer that has touched their lives or a type they would like to bring awareness to. If preferred, any staff or students may also wear Mill Creek apparel. We will also collect donations to the American Cancer Society to give on behalf of the Mill Creek community. If you wish to contribute, please send your child to school on October 27th with a cash donation in an envelope labeled “American Cancer Society.” Thank you in advance!

Instructional Spotlight - Mr. Hartigan, 1st Grade

As part of their science instruction, Mr. Hartigan's 1st Grade students were learning about the human body this past week. Students were excited to get a visual of where our internal organs are located in our bodies when Mr. Hartigan "busted out" the body suit, on which he could velcro various organ models. These 1st Graders were intrigued by the look and shape of various organs and other interesting information about them! Mr. Hartigan may have even inspired some future surgeons!

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

For any family in need of free and reduced lunch for your children, please use the links below to apply. The process is fairly simple and confidential!

Direct link to the application website: MySchoolApps - Home Page
Link to the CBSD page about Free and Reduced Lunch: Food Services / Free & Reduced Lunch Application (cbsd.org)

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!

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