Mill Creek SOAR'n Updates

Dear Caregivers -

There's no foolin' about it... Spring has Sprung! We are entering the final stretch of the school year! It’s time to buckle down and finish strong. We are so proud of the hard work our students and staffulty have put in, and we appreciate your ongoing support in making this year a success.

As we approach the last few months of school, we have several exciting events and important activities planned. Your help and involvement are crucial in making these events successful. Please keep an eye out for updates and opportunities to volunteer or participate.

Thank you for being a part of our school community. Let’s work together to make this a fantastic finish to the school year!

Sincerely -

Beth McCoy, Principal

emccoy@k12.wv.us

Erin Butler, Assistant Principal

ebutler@k12.wv.us

We are excited to host our annual family dance on April 11 from 5:30-7:30. Our school families have chosen a theme of Let's Rock to the 90's! The last day to RSVP for this dance on April 4. Forms were sent home a few weeks ago. Please have your student stop by the office if you need another one.

In order to keep the cost down for families, we are seeking donations for this event. We also need your help with checking families in, monitoring and handing out snacks. If you would like to volunteer and/or send in snacks, please sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080945A4AF22A6FD0-55922251-dance

Check out this promo video to see the fun you are in store for: https://live.myvrspot.com/iframe?v=YWU1NDA1Y2Q4MmMwOGYyY2ZmZTgzZTQ3Njg3OTQ2N2M&share=1

The Anderson Easter Candy will be delivered next week. We will not be sending home candy on the bus with students.

Candy will be available to be picked up at the school on April 10 from 9-3 and April 11 during the family dance (5:30-7:30).

Thank you to all of the families who sold candy to support our school.

Our SOAR'n Supporters are looking forward to treating our staff during Educator Appreciation Week which is May 5-9. We have planned a special treat for staff for each day. In lieu of asking parents to purchase items and send them in, we have created a link for financial donations and we can do all of the shopping. If you are interested in supporting these treats, please make a financial donation at this link below or scan the QR code. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Link for donations:

https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/prdembd?ref=ZZJORIS99T0Z710_ZZ66HABIV8SMFJL

We will begin our state standardized assessments on April 30. Please see the dates on the attached flyer. We know all of our students will SOAR to success on these assessments.

Please ensure that your student arrives to school on time on test dates. If your student is absent or late to school, they will make up the assessment on another day.

Mrs. Cecil has partnered with YE Creations for our PE Field Day shirts. YE Creations will be making a donation to the PE department for each sale made.

Volunteers from the Air National Guard will be running the stations for our Field Day. If you are a level 1 volunteer and you are also interested in helping, please email Mrs. Cecil at april.cecil@k12.wv.us

PE Field Day will be held on May 23.

https://www.yecreationsbylori.com/product/mill-creek-field-day-t-shirt-2025/494?cp=true&sa=false&sbp=false&q=false&category_id=3

Exciting news! The Student Council will be selling Smencils every Friday until the end of the year! 🎉

Where: Outside Ms. Tetzloff’s room

When: 8:20 AM to 8:50 AM

Cost: Just $1!

Don't miss out on these fun, scented pencils! Grab yours while they last!

Students will be voting for teachers to dress up like bunnies. Students vote by donating $1 for an egg.

The top three teachers with the most eggs will dress up like bunnies on Friday, April 11.

We will be collecting donations from April 7-10. All proceeds go to American Cancer Society.

Below is a list of participating staff:

Pre K: Phillips & Scappini

3rd Grade: Rush, Baker, Stone

4th Grade: Varros, Crable, Jessee, Reardon, Hott, Pittinger, Jeans, Painter

5th Grade: Yates, Mason, Sneathen, Thompson, Tetzloff, Kirchner

We are excited to celebrate our 5th-grade students as they prepare to move on to middle school! Each class will hold a small awards ceremony where students will be recognized with a certificate and a special gift from the school.

To accommodate space limitations, we kindly ask that each student bring no more than two guests to the event. We will be in the school library.

We look forward to honoring our 5th graders and sharing this memorable occasion with them and their families!

May 19

12:30 - 1 - Mr. Sneathen & Ms. Mason

1:30-2 - Mrs. Yates & Ms. Kirchner

May 20

1:30-2 - Ms. Tetzloff

May 28

12:30-1 - Mrs. Thompson & Ms. Clark

1:30-2 - Ms. Grant

We'd love to have you join the Musselman Middle School PTO! Your involvement can make a real difference in our students' educational experience. By becoming a member, you'll have the chance to help plan and run exciting activities that keep our children engaged and eager to learn. Whether you can volunteer your time, share ideas, or provide resources, your contribution will have a meaningful impact on our students' lives. Together, we can build a thriving school community that encourages growth, creativity, and success for every child at Musselman Middle School. We hope you'll consider joining our PTO and helping to shape the future of our school. Your support would be greatly appreciated!

Being on the Board for PTO:

It’s time to nominate PTO officer/board positions for the 2025-2026 school year! Nominate yourself or someone else! Please complete the below Google Form! 🍎

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeHlVMO_l9Cwwb7jJkAqzyWtopGo4Ti1540DhSA6K50q_kN3Q/viewform?pli=1

We want to share an important update regarding our school structure and student transitions for the upcoming school year.

Berkeley County Schools is working to ensure all students attend their home-zoned school to better serve our communities and maintain balanced enrollment across the district. We are also working on creating schools that are either preK-2 or 3-5. As part of this effort, we will be welcoming the third grade program from Bunker Hill Elementary. These students will come to Mill Creek in 3rd grade instead of entering at 4th grade. Our PreK program will be moving to Bunker HIll Elementary.

To comply with Meghan's Law, there are some changes to the volunteer interest process. Those wanting to become a volunteer will need to complete the following steps. The BCS website has been updated with this information after the first of the year.

1. Watch Meghan's Law video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jwb-Z9luNVU

2. Complete a quiz related to the video https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=S7AZ4AwzekaLrgn7FzdNahi9Si5xbgBFnyoqPY4QJaRUNTQxMEVaNFdWTzBRN1RFRDZFNVpVNEFRWi4u&route=shorturl

3. After completion, those requesting to be a level1/ unsupervised volunteers will receive a customized message with the background check link in an email

A volunteer must complete the Meghan's Law quiz AND pass a secure background check in order to become a Level 1 Secure Volunteer.

For more information, please see the BCS website: https://www.berkeleycountyschools.org/o/bcs/page/volunteers-chaperones

Our students have enjoyed our ice cream sales. We will continue to sell these items on Wednesdays. While students are only allowed to purchase one item per week, parents are welcome to purchase treats for the class in honor of your child's birthday or any special event. Funds from these sales will go to support student rewards and school awards. We will initially be offering 4 different options: Chocolate Crunch Bar, Strawberry Crunch Bar, Ice Cream Sandwich and a Watermelon Silly Tube Push Up. You can see the nutritional values here: https://www.hersheyicecream.com/products/collections-smart-snacks/

We never want to have a student feel left out due to financial circumstances. Please reach out to your child's teacher if this is a concern for your student.

As we continue into the 2nd semester, it is a good time to evaluate your child's school attendance. State Attendance policies were updated in July 2024. You can review these updates here: https://www.berkeleycountyschools.org/o/bcs/page/attendance

A few quick reminders:

• A full school day is 8:46-3:20
• Strive to miss less than 5 days
• A student cannot have more than 10 parent notes to excuse absences. After the 10 parent notes have been used, doctors notes will be required. So, get a doctor's note when you can.
• Caregivers must let the school know why a child was absent from school so that the absence can be coded appropriately
• A school year is 180 days. If your child misses 10 days a school year, they would have almost missed an entire grade level by the time they graduate school.

Would you like to have a Mill Creek shirt in your pep rally team color? You can order Mill Creek Apparel and cups from YE Creations by Lori. Click here to view her website. If you would like to have your shirt delivered to Mill Creek, choose pick up when checking out. You will not have to pay for shipping.

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.

Berkeley County Schools is excited to partner with the Cook Center for Human Connection and their Mental Health and Wellness Resource Center: ParentGuidance.org. This is a family support library for all families that provides any adult and caretaker in the district with a trusted place to go for qualified answers to the toughest parenting and childcare challenges from the premier therapists, psychologists and psychiatrists in their respective specialties, who offer compassionate, anonymous, and supportive guidance for you and your children.

This FREE resource offers over 50 courses in English and Spanish created and given by licensed clinicians addressing topics like: Anxiety, Depression, Self-Harm, Bullying, Social Media, Substance Abuse, Grief and Loss etc.

Please click the link below for more information.

https://www.berkeleycountyschools.org/page/cook-center-for-human-connection

Tutor WV offers free tutoring services to students in the state of WV. Please click here for more information. https://www.tutor.com/tutorwv

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. All adults will remain in the vehicle. 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 or when door 14 is open. 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.
• 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. You will need an electronic device to scan a QR code for sign-out.

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 and check their progress on the calendar on their folder.

April 7-11 - Relay for Life Fundraiser

April 7 - 11 - Week of the Military Child

• Military Monday – Monday, April 7, 2025
  Wear clothing showing pride in your favorite branch of the military.
• Crazy Camo Day – Tuesday, April 8, 2025
  Wear your favorite camouflaged clothing.
• Red, White, and Blue Day – Wednesday, April 9, 2025
  Wear colors representing our nation’s flag.
• RED Day – Thursday, April 10, 2025
  Wear red to Remember Everyone Deployed.

• “Purple Up” Day – Friday, April 11, 2025

April 9 - 4th grade Watershed Field Trip (Jessee, Crable, Reardon)

April 9 - Optional 5th grade market day

April 10 - 4th grade watershed field trip (Painter, Craig, Varros)

April 11 - 4th grade watershed field trip (Hott, Jeans, Pittinger)

April 11 - Spring Family Dance 5:30-7:30

April 14 - 18- Spring Break

April 21 - Staff Return & Students off

April 22 - Faculty Senate - 2hr delay

April 24-28 - Reading iReady Diagnostic

April 25 - Interims

April 29 & 30 GSA Testing

May 1 - Choir and Strings concert: 6:30 - MMS

May 2 - 5th grade will tour MMS 9-10:30

May 1-2, 5 - Math iready Diagnostic

May 5-9 - Educator Appreciation Week

May 6-8 - GSA Testing

May 12 - incoming Bunker Hill & Valley View students coming for visit 9:30-10:30

May 13-14 - GSA Testing

May 16 - Incoming Inwood students coming 9:30-10:30

May 19-20 - 5th grade step up ceremonies (In Library)

May 19

12:30 - 1 - Mr. Sneathen & Ms. Mason

1:30-2 - Mrs. Yates & Ms. Kirchner

May 20

12:30-1 - Mrs. Thompson & Ms. Clark

1:30-2 - Ms. Tetzloff

May 22 - 4th Nine Weeks SOAR Reward - @ MuHS football field

May 23 - PE Field Day

May 23 - All grades Due

May 27 - Relay for Life at MCI

May 28 - 3rd grade field trip to Orrs

May 28 - PreK Send Off 11-12

May 28 - 5th grade step up ceremonies (In Library)

12:30-1 - Mrs. Thompson & Ms. Clark

1:30-2 - Ms. Grant

May 29 - Last Day for Students