I hope this message finds you well and warmly bundled up during this unexpected snow day! As we transition back from the holiday break, I wanted to take a moment to connect with you and share some important updates regarding our school community.

First, I would like to extend a heartfelt welcome back to all our students, families, and staffulty. I trust that everyone had a restful and joyous holiday season. As we embrace the winter months, please be assured that the safety and well-being of our students remain our top priority, especially as weather conditions continue to fluctuate. If your family is in need of any basic needs, please email us so that we can connect you to community resources.

In this edition of our newsletter, you will find details about exciting upcoming events scheduled for the next month, as well as crucial information about our potential remote learning plans for future snow days. We are committed to ensuring that learning continues seamlessly, regardless of the weather.

Please keep an eye out for more detailed communications from your child’s teachers regarding specific remote learning schedules and assignments. These details will be posted on your teacher's homeroom page in Schoology when they return to work. As always, I encourage you to reach out to your child's teacher or our school office with any questions or concerns you may have.

Thank you for your continued support and collaboration as we navigate this winter season together. Stay safe, stay warm, and enjoy the snow day!

Sincerely -

Beth McCoy, Principal

emccoy@k12.wv.us

Erin Butler, Assistant Principal

ebutler@k12.wv.us

Berkeley County Schools has a total of 5 snow days built into their school calendar. On the 6th snow day or more, our students will participate in Remote Learning Days. Below will be the schedule your student will follow if we would have a Remote Learning Day:

Mill Creek Intermediate Schedule for Remote Days:

9:00 – 10:00 Check In Morning Meeting & ELA Instruction (Students must log in at 9am. Teachers will be logged in for the entire hour.)

10:00-11:00 - Students work independently

11:00 -11:30 – 4th Grade Unified Arts

***Students will only log on for the unified arts that they were scheduled to have that day. All other classes will work on independent work assigned by homeroom teachers.

11:30- 12:00pm - 5th Grade Unified Arts

***Students will only log on for the unified arts that they were scheduled to have that day. All other classes will work on independent work assigned by homeroom teachers.

12:00-1:00 - Lunch

1:00 – 1:30- 3rd Grade Unified Arts

***Students will only log on for the unified arts that they were scheduled to have that day. All other classes will work on independent work assigned by homeroom teachers.

1:30-2:00 - Adaptive Unified Arts

*** Students will only log on for the unified arts that they were scheduled to have that day. All other classes will work on independent work assigned by homeroom teachers.

2:00 – 3:00 - Math Instruction (Students must log in at 2pm. Teachers will be logged in for the entire hour.)

***Microsoft Teams links will be posted on each teacher's Homeroom page under Updates on Schoology. Unified arts links are posted on each teacher's page in Schoology.

***Special education teachers will join in with homeroom teachers and/or reach out to students individually.

In preparation for an unplanned Remote Learning Day, students will be asked to transport iPads to and from home daily. Please make sure your student returns their iPad daily. School-issued iPads have monitoring technology and will alert school personnel if it is being used for anything other than schoolwork. It is important that only the student uses their own iPad. Students will be held accountable for content on their iPad.

It is important to note that the work assigned on these days is part of the instructional program and students will be required to complete these tasks.

As we embark on 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.

We will begin selling ice cream on Wednesdays, starting Jan. 15. Each product will be $1. 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 will be starting our PASS program at Mill Creek beginning the 2nd semester. If you are interested in volunteering 30 mins a week to mentor a student, please email Mr. Allen at dominic.allen@k12.wv.us

Luminarias help us CELEBRATE survivors and REMEMBER loved ones lost. Luminarias can be purchased at 50% off during this campaign. Each bag and candle costs $5 (usually $10). (50% sale price is only honored for RFL of Berkeley County School Teams during this competition). We will be selling them Jan. 13-17 at Mill Creek Intermediate. Luminaria will be displayed at the Relay For Life of Berkeley County on Saturday, June 7

Click here to access the form: https://live.myvrspot.com/file?v=NTc2OWJjYjI5MTM0ZTI1YjFlMDVlYjQ5YTU2OTBlOGY.pdf&option=view

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

We still have families that have not updated their Annual Emergency Information. It is VERY IMPORTANT that you update your emergency information annually with the school, even if you have not had any changes. If you do not have our annual information updated, we cannot allow your student to go on field trips. If we would have an emergency, we need to know how to get in touch with you. Please click the link below to get started if you have not already completed this information.

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.

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 Class Dojo for updates. All meetings will be held in the Mill Creek Library.

Meeting Dates:

• Jan. 30, 2025

• Mar. 27, 2025

Jan. 10 - SOAR Pep Rally @ MMS

Jan. 13-17 - Relay for Life Luminaries sale

Jan. 17 - Report Cards

Jan. 20 - No School

Jan. 23 - Mr. Hott's Class Field Trip to Sumner Ramer Museum

Jan. 30 - LSIC/SOAR'n Supporters Meeting - 4pm

Feb. 6 - Intermediate Parent/Teacher Conferences 5-7pm

Feb. 12 - Chuck E Cheese Fundraiser Night (145 E Tevis Street, Winchester, Va 22601)