Weekly Mill Creek SOAR'n Updates

Dear Caregivers,

We hope this newsletter finds you all warm and safe. We also hope that our students have been able to enjoy these snow days. Since we are now off tomorrow, Jan. 28, we would have used 3 snow days. At the 6th snow day, we will transition to remote learning days. Please check out that schedule below.

Mrs. Beth McCoy, Principal

emccoy@k12.wv.us

Mrs. Erin Butler, Assistant Principal

ebutler@k12.wv.us

• SNOW DAY # 1

Tuesday - Jan. 27

• SNOW DAY # 2

Wednesday - Jan. 28

• SNOW DAY # 3

Friday - Jan. 30

We are pleased to share that we were able to complete our GSA Benchmark Assessments last week. These assessments are used to gauge student progress and to see what standards need to be retaught.

We are pleased to share that our students scored higher than the state average on each of these assessments. This is a testament to the high level of accountability our teacher put forth and the hard work that our students do each day. We are proud of them!

As a caregiver, we encourage you to familiarize yourself with this assessment so that you can see the standards and platform that your student will be assessed on. This is the same platform that students will be taking the GSA on in the spring. You can log in as a GUEST and view assessments here: https://login9.cambiumtds.com/student_core/V282/Pages/LoginShell.aspx?c=WestVirginia_PT&a=Student

We will be celebrating the 100th Day of School on Feb. 5. Students are invited to dress like they are 100 years old.

We will be celebrating the 101st Day of School on Feb. 6. Students are invited to dress like a character from the 101 Dalmatians.

100 days of learning is worth celebrating! Let's have some fun with our dress-up days. We will keep these dates the same, even if we would happen to have more snow days.

Student Council will be selling Smencils every Friday. All items will be $2. They will be sold every Friday throughout the school year.

https://infogram.com/transportation-user-dashboard-original-1h7z2l81d5gmx6o

Would you like to nominate someone for a Staffulty or Supporter of the Month?

Staffulty:https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=S7AZ4AwzekaLrgn7FzdNajt39ZIVcItDknuBWxdncppUOVJDRVJVUkUxNlgwTU9BQ05IQVVBMDRSTS4u

Supporters: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=S7AZ4AwzekaLrgn7FzdNajt39ZIVcItDknuBWxdncppUNzlONExWQ1I1WEJaOTVGTU9LQjI4TEdaTy4u

All Berkeley County menus can be found here: https://berkeleycountyschools.nutrislice.com/

You can download the Nutrislice app on your phone or view the images below for this week's menus.

***While we offer two lunch choices each day, please note that limited quantities may mean students do not always receive their first choice. Rest assured, all meals served meet federal nutritional guidelines and provide a balanced, healthy option for every student.

This is an EXCELLENT, FREE resource. The Cook Center provides support on topics like mental health, physical health, digital safety, relationships, and so much more. BCS highly recommends this resource and it's confidential.

At Mill Creek Intermediate, we believe that students' success begins with taking ownership of their learning. When students develop responsibility by staying on top of their assignments, they not only build valuable life skills but also set themselves up for academic success.

To help foster this accountability, students will have two opportunities to complete any missed assignments. After these two chances, any remaining incomplete work will receive a zero. This policy is in place to encourage students to stay engaged with their work and take responsibility for their education.

Please know that our teachers are here to support every student. We are committed to working together to ensure all students succeed, but we also want to encourage the growth of independence and responsibility that will serve them well throughout their lives.

We appreciate your support as we guide our students in becoming accountable learners! You can help us support your student by monitoring grades and assignments in Schoology. If you need help with Schoology, please call the school and we will help support you.

Do you want to volunteer at MCI? You must be a Level 1 approved volunteer. Meghan's Law video must be done annually. Secure Volunteer is good for 2 calendar years. Complete these ASAP to volunteer. (Completing applications is not a guarantee that you will be selected as a chaperone.).

Click here for directions: https://www.berkeleycountyschools.org/o/bcs/page/volunteers-chaperones

***Look for more information to come on the below Relay for Life Fundraising events.
November: Feather the nest & See them Dressed: Students vote for their favorite teacher by donating money. The top 3 teachers who have the most turkey feathers have to dress up like a turkey for a day.

December: Elf Day - For a $1 donation, students and staff will dress like an elf!

January: Jump-a-thon

February: Luminaria Challenge

Schools’ vs Cancer - Luminaria Competition for HOPE! 50% off Sale get yours today for a $5.00 donation per white bag. (50% sale price is only honored for RFL of Berkeley County School Teams during this competition)

March: Fill the basket with eggs - where students donate in donations and the top 3 staffulty raising the most money will dress up as a bunny

April: Pizza Oven Spirit Night

May: Pie a staff member

We have partnered with our business partner, Jefferson Security Bank, to provide students with the opportunity to learn the importance of financial literacy and saving money. Parents can complete the below form for someone from Jefferson Security Bank to reach out about opening a Youth Savings or Youth Checking account for your student. You may also stop by their Inwood branch for more information. Students will be able to make monthly deposits into their accounts at school or they can go by the bank at anytime. Jefferson Security is donating $5 per each account opened to be the first deposit! The forms are attached below or you can email Mrs. McCoy for a form to be sent home.

Banking Deposit Days at Mill Creek:

Oct. 21

Nov. 18

Dec. 16

Jan. 13

Feb. 10

Mar. 10

A goal of Berkeley County Schools’ Department of Attendance is to ensure every student attends school every day. School attendance has a huge impact on a student’s academic success starting in kindergarten and continuing through high school. Even as children grow older and more independent, families play a key role in making sure students get to school safely every day and understand why attendance is important for success in school and in life.

We realize some absences are unavoidable due to health problems or other circumstances. But, we also know that when students miss too much school— regardless of the reason – it can cause them to fall behind academically.

• Families are encourages to STRIVE FOR 5! Miss less than 5 days per semester of school.
• Caregivers must send in a note for everyday their student is absent. When possible, please get a doctor's note. By policy, you are only allowed 10 parents notes per year. After those 10 are used, you will be required to obtain a doctor's note for absences to be excused.
• Berkeley County Schools no longer accepts a leave of educational value for excused absences. These absences may count toward the 10 parent notes.

BCS Attendance Verification form: https://www.berkeleycountyschools.org/o/bcs/page/absencenote

TutorWV offers every West Virginian no-cost access to personalized tutoring and drop-off review services, test prep and self-paced resources, and job search assistance. Click the link above from any device, and you’ll get connected to a live expert tutor and resources!

Schoology will be our main platform for daily communication. We will not be using Class Dojo this school year. Please note that you should not send time sensitive information through online platforms or email. Teachers may not get these notes while they are teaching. If you have information that is an emergency, please call the front office or send in a written note to your child's teacher.

It is vital that you set up your parent account. All parents will receive an individualized code to set up your student's account if you aren't already connected. YOU MUST LOG IN WITH YOUR PARENT ACCOUNT TO SEE TEACHER MESSAGES. YOU CANNOT USE YOUR CHILD'S ACCOUNT.

Schoology is also where you can stay involved with your child's academics. You will be able to see your child's grades, missing assignments and assignments that are due.

Link to SOAR'n Newsletter about Schoology: https://secure.smore.com/n/tuazj

For the safety of our students, we ask that you follow these procedures:

• Buses Arrive: 8:20
• Parent Drop Off: South End Lot 8:20 -8:35. Please do not drop students off until a staff member is on duty. You will drive the loop and drop students off at the sidewalk. Please be cautious and look for staff directing you. There will also be buses in this loop.
• Students Tardy: 8:46 (***Students arriving after 8:35 must be signed in by an adult in the office)
• Dismissal Begins: 3:25 -- If you need to change the way your student normally goes home, please send in a note to your child ’s teacher. We discourage you from calling the office to change information at the last minute. If your child is riding home on a bus with another student, BOTH students must have notes.
• Parent Pick Up: PLEASE REMAIN IN YOUR CAR UNTIL 3:25. For the safety of our students, we need to have the sidewalk clear. Please park in a parking spot and not in the fire lane. We ask that families who pick up on a regular basis to please fill out the pick -up form below. Parents will park in the south end lot and come to the music room door to sign student out. Please be prepared to show ID every day. IF YOU NEEED A PARENT PICK UP FORM, PLEASE CLICK BELOW OR EMAIL MRS. MCCOY FOR A FORM.
• Students Leaving Early: To prevent congestion in the office at dismissal time, students will not be allowed to be signed out between 3-3:25. If you have an appointment, please sign your student out before 3pm. When arriving to pick up your student, please report to the front office and be prepared to show your ID.

The Jostens Renaissance Program is a framework of culture where teachers love their job and students thrive in school. It is built on common core values and expectations. At Mill Creek, our Renaissance program is built around the core values of Safety, Ownership, Achievement and Respect. Students and staffulty will receive recognition and rewards when following these core values. Each day, our students will have the opportunity to earn a SOAR point based on these values. You can find the guidelines on the back of their daily folders.

We have partnered with YE Creations again for our school spirit wear. You order online and she will deliver to the school free of charge. Just mark 'pick up' when you check out. Click here to see the newest creations: Mill Creek Intermediate Spirit Wear 2025

The LSIC is a committee that is meant to assist the school and school system in ensuring that parent, family, business, and community involvement is embedded in all aspects of the school and county strategic improvement plans. It will help to develop and promote the school and school system vision for excellence by being catalysts for innovation and it will represent the voice of the community’s education stakeholders.

At Mill Creek, the LSIC will be working collaboratively with the SOAR'n Supporters (PTO) to plan and implement family involvement activities. We invite all caregivers who would like to help with these activities to attend our quarterly LSIC meetings.

All LSIC meetings are open to the public and will start at 4pm, unless otherwise noted. Dates are subject to change. Please follow Mill Creek's NTouch Messaging and Schoology for updates. All meetings will be held in the Mill Creek Library.

Meeting Dates:

• Sept. 10, 2025 - Election of officers meeting

• Sept. 24, 2025 - Organizational Meeting

• Oct. 22, 2025 - Organizational Meeting to review WV Balanced Scorecard Data

• Nov. 19, 2025 - CANCELLED - Will be Rescheduled

• Jan. 28, 2025 - RESCHEDULED DUE TO SNOW DAY

• Apr. 15, 2025

January

• 19 - No School
• 20 - 2hr Delay - Prep day
• 21-23 - Cambium Benchmark Assessments

February

• 3 - 7:20 - Student Council
• 3 - Dental Clinic
• 4 - 2hr delay - Faculty Senate
• 5 - 100th Day of School
• 5 - Dental Clinic
• 6 - 101st Day of School
• 6 - Interims
• 9-12 - Valentine Candy Gram Sales
• 12 - Parent Teacher Conferences 5-7pm
• 13 - Homeroom Valentine Parties
• 18 - Talent Show @ MMS
• 21 - County SS Fair
• 25 - 2hr Delay