Mill Creek Principal Update

Dear Mill Creek families,

October is such a fun month at Mill Creek! The weather is cooler and kids are working hard in their classrooms. The routines of October also cause us to pause and think about the important work of educators. Not only are students reading, writing, and calculating, they are also learning to be good humans. Several of our classrooms have established the goal of greeting fellow students and adults in the building each morning. There are lots of happy faces when people feel recognized!

By now you know that the Cougar Fun Fest will be next week. We have our Pumpkin Drop during school the day before the Fest. We have a very special Silent Auction which serves as our main fundraiser for the year. Finally, the Fun Fest itself will take place Friday, October 9 from 5-8 pm. We are still in need of parent support for games. Please consider signing up at this link if you can work a shift: Games Shifts Signup High school students are welcome to sign up, as well! We can't wait for this amazing event. We want to thank all of our parents and teachers who have already dedicated time to preparing our Fun Fest. Big thanks to Beth Dixon for being our head organizer!

Parent-Teacher Conferences will take place at the end of October. You will hear from your child's teacher regarding your scheduled conference time soon. We strive for 100% attendance at conferences, so please reach out if the date no longer works for you.

On Thursday, October 29, we will have our Fall Celebration with Books. Students are welcome to wear a costume to school that represents their favorite book character. Please no masks, makeup, weapons, or props that day. We always enjoy seeing the creative ideas our kids come up with for their costumes!

Let's all wear our black and gold tomorrow for MIzzou Spirit Day. Go Tigers!

Go Cougars!

Amy Rogers & Kurtis Jensen

October 2 - Mizzou Spirit Day - Wear your black and gold!

October 4-8 - Silent Auction open

October 9 - Cougar Fun Fest! - 5-8 pm

October 16 - Teacher Workday - No school

October 26-29 - Parent-Teacher Conferences

October 26-29 - Scholastic Book Fair

October 29 - Fall Celebration with Books

October 30 - Teacher Workday - No school

Voluntary Action Center Holiday Program

Families who wish to receive a basket for the holidays…

Sign-ups continue until Oct. 9 at noon. Extended hours for sign-ups are Tuesday, Oct. 6th 4:30 – 6:30. Call for more information: 573.874.2273 option #2. OR https://www.vacmo.org/resource-center/programs/holiday/participants/

Families who would like to sponsor a basket for a family or senior in need:

Please visit https://www.vacmo.org/resource-center/programs/holiday/

Your Mill Creek Counselors have information about parent and family supports available in our community. Please visit our bulletin board in the Commons or contact Meredith (mbiener@cpsk12.org) or Terry (thbaker@cpsk12.org) for more information.

Our Fall 2026 Book Fair is coming up soon. It will be a Scholastic Book Fair held at the end of the month in conjunction with Parent-Teacher Conferences. Look for more information via email after the Fun Fest.

We have lots happening at Mill Creek, and we wanted to share a few important PTA updates and reminders with our families!

JOIN THE MCE PTA BOARD!
We are currently looking to fill our VP of Committees position. Please see the attached information for details about this role.

We are also looking ahead to next school year, when we anticipate several board transitions and openings, including Treasurer, VP of Membership, Secretary (possibly), and President.

Important: To be eligible to serve as PTA President next year, you must serve on the PTA Board this year. If you have ever thought about getting more involved, this is a great year to jump in, learn the ropes, and help make a difference at Mill Creek!

Interested or want to learn more? Email us at mceptaboard@gmail.com.

PTA MEETING MINUTES
Please see the attached minutes from our most recent PTA meeting to catch up on what we've been working on! Preview attachment 09.08.26 Meeting - PTA General Meeting Minutes.pdfPreview attachment 09.08.26 Meeting - PTA General Meeting Minutes.pdf09.08.26 Meeting - PTA General Meeting Minutes.pdf226 KB

COUGAR FUN FEST NEWS!

Our Online Silent Auction kicks off Sunday, October 4 and closes Thursday, October 8 at 10:00 PM! The auction is ONLINE ONLY there will not be an in-person auction walk-through this year.

Register now so you're ready when bidding begins! https://givebutter.com/c/cougar-fun-fest-2026/auction

You don't have to wait until October 4 to join the fun! Several raffles and ticketed experiences are available to purchase NOW, including Mr. Gerhart's Fun Fest Creation, a chance to win $100 in Scratch-Off Lottery Tickets, Premier Parking Spot #1, Mill Creek Elementary's 3rd Annual Movie Event (limited to 100 tickets and 20 are already sold!), and Mill Creek Mixer: Mahjong & More.

Simply visit the site and click the blue "Donate & Tickets" button to see all the options and purchase yours! https://givebutter.com/c/cougar-fun-fest-2026

If you would like to sign up to donate baked goods to our Cake Walk, please use this link: https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/30E094CABA628AAFC1-funfest1

In accordance with Missouri Senate Bill 68, CPS does not allow the use of Personal Electronic Devices, such as cell phones, at any school at any time during the instructional day.

What will that mean?

• The act defines an "electronic personal communications device" as a portable device that is used to initiate, receive, store, or view communication, information, images, or data electronically.

• Phone and personal electronic devices must be on silent and put away from the beginning of the day to the end of the day, including, but not limited to, during instructional time, meal times, breaks, time between classes and study halls.

• Exceptions are allowed during emergency situations or when authorized under federal law for health or special education purposes.

Please support our teachers and have conversations about this with your students at home. You are always able to call our front office should you need to get a message to your child during the day. Our top priority has always been providing impactful learning opportunities for our students.

Website: www.cpsk12.org/mce
Location: 2200 West Nifong Boulevard, Columbia, MO, USA
Phone: 573.214.3280