Montgomery City Elementary

Jill Jacob, Principal

Laura Allen, Assistant Principal

Dear MCE Families,

As we head into November, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude for our MCE community. From the learning happening in our classrooms to the opportunities we have to celebrate together, our students, staff, and families give us so much to be thankful for.

Thank you for attending parent-teacher conferences and partnering with us to support your child’s learning. These conversations are an important opportunity to celebrate progress, discuss concerns, and work together on next steps. Please take a few minutes to complete the parent-teacher conference survey linked in this newsletter. Your feedback will help us make informed decisions about future conferences and how we share information about your child’s academic progress.

As we move into the second quarter, we will continue helping each student grow in reading and math while building the habits that support success at school. Regular attendance, reading together at home, and staying in touch with your child’s teacher all help support that growth.

November also brings opportunities to recognize our students and connect as a school community. Please review the dates and reminders in this newsletter, including information about our upcoming Veterans Day celebration.

Thank you for trusting us with your children and for the many ways you support MCE. Together, we bring our mission to life: Developing lifelong learners through positive collaboration.

With gratitude,

Dr. Jacob
Principal, Montgomery City Elementary

📅 School Is in Session Monday, November 23!

Please remember that MCE will have school on Monday, November 23. Students will follow their Wednesday specials schedule that day. Thanksgiving Break begins Wednesday, November 25, and continues through Monday, November 30.

🚌 School Bus Safety

For the safety of our youngest Wildcats, please be especially cautious when driving through the upper parking lot while our early childhood bus is loading and unloading students. Do not drive past a school bus when its stop sign is extended. Stopping is not only important for student safety—it is the law!

🍎 Cafeteria Microwave Use

Cafeteria microwaves are reserved for adults and students with special dietary needs. When packing your child's lunch, please choose foods that can be enjoyed without reheating. Thank you for helping us keep lunchtime running smoothly!

🤒 Student Illness & When to Stay Home

As we enter cold and flu season, we want to remind families of our student illness policy found on page 22 of the MCE Student Handbook.

Students should remain home if they are experiencing vomiting, diarrhea, or a fever over 100°F. Students exhibiting these symptoms at school will be sent home and must be symptom-free for 24 hours before returning to school.

Other symptoms that may require students to stay home or be sent home include persistent sore throat, awaiting strep test results, persistent cough or congestion, red or draining eyes, and suspicious rashes.

If your child becomes ill or injured at school, we will contact a parent, guardian, or designated emergency contact. Please make sure your contact information is current so we can reach you when needed.

Thank you for helping us keep our Wildcats healthy!

📚 Attendance & Reporting Absences

Regular attendance is important to your child's success! As a reminder, our student handbook outlines the following expectations when students are absent:

• Call the MCE office at 573-564-3711 before 9:00 a.m. to report your child's absence.

• Send a follow-up note when your child returns to school, including the date(s) and reason for the absence.

• Notify the school in advance if your child will be absent for travel or other preplanned family events. Students will be given adequate time to make up missed work.

Thank you for partnering with us to support consistent attendance and student learning!

Each month, MCE teachers select one student from each classroom who demonstrates outstanding character, kindness, and leadership. Through our partnership with the Montgomery County Kiwanis, these students are recognized with a certificate, bumper sticker, and pencil.

Congratulations to our October Terrific Kids! Thank you for being positive role models and helping make MCE a great place to learn and grow! 💙⭐

Front Row: Jade Martin, Shelby Schreiner, Leroy Wright, Lucy Naughton, Jensen Tenney, Harper Talley, Lincoln Barry

Back Row: Willow Hamilton, Liam Talbot, Aubree Craig, Jaylynn Conder, Lilly Curtis, Noah Barklage, Charlie Deering

Front Row: Mary Wren, Lincoln Barry, Annabelle Holman, Fox Condray-Lay

Back Row: Alayna Galloway, Deputy Chase, Raelyn Lindemann

Each month, MCE teachers nominate students who demonstrate our featured character trait. October's character trait was Safety! From those classroom nominees, one Junior Deputy is randomly selected from each grade level.

Each Junior Deputy receives a certificate and candy bar and will join the other Junior Deputies for a special ice cream party at the end of the quarter! 🍦

We are proud of all students nominated for demonstrating Safety and helping make MCE a safe and welcoming place to learn!

Congratulations to our October Junior Deputies and all of our Safety award recipients! 💙⭐

Our MCE Storybook Pumpkin Patch was filled with creativity, imagination, and some amazing book-inspired pumpkins! Our Wildcats brought their favorite stories and characters to life, and we loved seeing all the wonderful entries!

Congratulations to our 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners from each grade level! Each winner received a gift card to spend at our upcoming Book Fair. We also recognized two special Staff Picks, who each received a $50 Book Fair gift card.

A special congratulations to Mrs. Moore's class, which had the most students participate and earned $100 to spend at the Book Fair! 📚

Thank you to every student and family who participated and to Mrs. Polston for organizing such a fun celebration of reading. With so many fantastic pumpkins, every participant deserves recognition!

Keep reading, imagining, and creating, Wildcats! 💙🐾

Our MCE Student Council sponsors Hat Day on the first and third Wednesday of each month! Students can bring $1 to wear a hat to school on November 4 and November 18.

Even better, our Wildcats are making a difference! Money collected through Hat Days is donated to charitable organizations selected by Student Council. It's a fun way for students to give back and make a positive impact in our community! 💙🐾

We are looking forward to honoring the veterans connected to our MCE students and families on Wednesday, November 11!

Our Veterans Day celebration will begin with cookies and coffee for veterans at 1:30 PM, followed by a student-led ceremony at 2:00 PM in the MCE gymnasium.

As a reminder, please return your Veteran RSVP & Story Card by Tuesday, November 3. We encourage families to share their veteran's story and optional photos, even if their veteran cannot attend. These stories will help us recognize the special people who have served our country.

We look forward to celebrating our veterans and sharing The Stories Behind the Uniform! ❤️🤍💙

Our MCE Holiday Shop is coming December 8–11, and we need your help to make this special experience possible for our Wildcats!

During the Holiday Shop, students will have the opportunity to purchase affordable gifts ($1–$6) for family members and loved ones. Each gift will be wrapped and tagged, giving students the excitement of choosing a surprise for someone special!

We are looking for volunteers to help during the following shifts:

• Morning: 7:30–11:30 AM

• Afternoon: 11:30 AM–3:15 PM

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If you are available to help, please contact Taylor Cowden at tcowden@mc-wildcats.org or Tara Polston at tpolston@mc-wildcats.org.

Thank you for helping us spread a little holiday cheer at MCE! ❤️💚

Capture the memories of the 2026–27 school year! MCE yearbooks are available to order, with prices starting at $20.60.

Visit WagnerPortraitGroup.com to find our school's yearbook store and place your order.

Order deadline: March 24, 2027.

Don't miss the opportunity to celebrate a year of Wildcat memories! 💙🐾

Our MCE PTO continues to create wonderful opportunities for our Wildcats and their families to connect, have fun, and support our school!

🏰 Family Bounce House Day — Saturday, November 7

Bring the whole family to Montgomery County Middle School from 11:00 AM–3:00 PM for a FREE afternoon of jumping, laughter, and family fun! Concessions will be available for purchase.

📅 PTO Meeting — Thursday, November 12

Join us at 6:00 PM in the MCE cafeteria or on Facebook Live! All MCE families are welcome to participate, share ideas, and learn about ways to get involved.

Thank you to our PTO and the many families who give their time and energy to make special experiences possible for our Wildcats! 💙🐾

We love welcoming our Wildcat families to MCE! Be sure to save the dates for our upcoming family involvement activities and special events.

🎄 Looking Ahead to December: Christmas Concert

We are looking forward to celebrating the holiday season with our MCE families! Our Christmas Concert date and time are still being determined. We will share additional information as soon as plans are finalized.

Please remember that event dates and times are subject to change. Watch for updates throughout the school year! 💙🐾