Mill Creek Principal Update

Dear Mill Creek families,

Thank you for an amazing turnout at last Thursday's Open House. We loved seeing so many of our Cougars and their families in attendance. We hope you enjoyed touring your child's classroom and learning about what our students are currently learning.

This Friday is our annual Cougar Fun Fest. This event is our largest fundraiser of the school year. Plan to come out from 5-8 pm for games, food, and lots of fun! Our online Silent Auction is currently open but will close this Thursday. Don't miss out on some truly unique items!

We want to provide you with the latest information regarding our students' attendance. As of September 30, Mill Creek's attendance was 92.7%. Our goal is to raise our attendance from 92% last year to 94% this school year. We can do this with your help. Please be sure your students are at school on time each day.

We will close out October with our Fall Celebration With Books on Friday, October 31. Please see below for more information. This is always a fun day. We absolutely love the creativity that students show with their costumes.

Please make sure you send your students with jackets once the weather finally starts to cool off. We hope you all have a fantastic month!

Go Cougars!

Amy Rogers & Kurtis Jensen

September 26 - October 2 - Silent Auction open online

October 3 - Cougar Fun Fest, 5-8 pm

October 9 - Early Release Day, dismissal at 12:50 pm

October 9 - Diaper Drive for City of Refuge ends

October 10 - No School - Teacher Workday

October 15 - Parent Conference forms due back to teacher

October 31 - Fall Celebration with Books

🎉 Don't Miss Out on the Silent Auction! 🎉

Our Silent Auction is now live – and it's packed with amazing items up for grabs! But remember:

🚨 There will be NO in-person silent auction at Fun Fest – bidding is online only and closes on Thursday, October 2nd at 10:00 PM.

📌 You do not need to be present to win, so feel free to share the auction link with grandparents, family, friends, and neighbors – everyone is welcome to bid!

🔗 Place your bids here:

https://givebutter.com/c/CougarFunFest2025/auction

🎪 Join Us for Fun Fest – October 3rd, 5–8 PM!

Get ready for an evening full of family fun, food, and festivities at Mill Creek's Cougar Fun Fest!

🕔 Doors open at 5:00 PM

🎟 Wristbands and raffle tickets will be available for purchase in the Commons

🌭 Food options include:

Chick-fil-A meals

Hot dog meals

Multiple food trucks – check them out on our Facebook page!

📲 See our food truck vendors here:

Mill Creek Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/groups/170302353043192

Hello Mill Creek families!

I've got some new and some repeat information from the health room this week! As you may already be aware, due to budget cuts the health department is unable to provide our school-based flu clinics this year. Attached to this email you will find a list of some of the locations nearby that have flu shots available, including upcoming flu shot clinics. To go along with this, I've also included the district's illness and medication policies for you to review.

I've also attached information on our School Market. This is a program sponsored by the Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri to provide food for students and families. Please reach out with any questions.

Molly Matter, RN

We are continuing our diaper and wipes drive for our friends at the City of Refuge. They are in need of large size diapers (4, 5, 6) and wipes, in particular. There is a box located in the Commons where these donations can be dropped off. The drive ends Thursday, October 9. Thank you for considering!

On Friday, October 31, we will have our Fall Celebration with Books. If you have not participated in this fun event before, this is an opportunity for students to dress up like their favorite book character. No masks, weapons, face paint, or props are permitted. Students will spend the day participating in a variety of reading activities in their classroom. Teachers will send specific details closer to the date.

Voluntary Action Center began registering families for their annual Holiday Basket Program in September. Watch their website for updates: https://www.vacmo.org/programs/holiday/ Sign-ups close on October 10!

An important update is coming to CPS schools that will impact the day-to-day experience for all students and staff starting this year.

On August 19, 2025 in accordance with Missouri Senate Bill 68, CPS will 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?

• All changes are consistent with Senate Bill 68 .

• 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.

• From the beginning of the day to the end of the day, phone and personal electronic devices must be on silent and put away from the beginning until the end of the school 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.

How does this differ from 2024-25 procedure?

• Missouri Senate Bill 68 includes K-5 students who were not included in previous district procedure.

• This year students are not allowed to use personal electronic devices during any part of the day. This is a change from last year when secondary students in some schools were allowed to use personal electronic devices during non-instructional time, such as passing time and during lunch.

We wanted to share this information before the start of the 2025-26 school year so that students, families, and staff are aware of the updates of our Personal Electronic Device procedures.

We also invite our CPS families to join us in our efforts to minimize the use of Personal Electronic Devices by supporting our teachers and having conversations about this with their students at home. Our top priority has always been providing impactful learning opportunities for our students. In CPS, we believe part of that process includes more consistent and strict monitoring of cell phone and mobile device use.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your building principal. Questions may also be shared by calling the Executive Director of Elementary Education, Dr. Ryan Day, or the Executive Director of Secondary Education, Mr. Josh Johnson, or at the CPS District Office: 573-214-3400.

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