August 15, 2020

LEADING THE CHARGE OF LIFELONG LEARNING!

Dear Mill Creek Friends and Family,

Mustangs this week, you will find information regarding district expectations for those students that registered for school based distant learning. Included in the videos are learning expectations, what students/parents can expect, and an overview of the guidance that has been given to schools to structure school based distant learning.

Please view the grade appropriate video in the Distance Learner section of the newsletter below.

Additionally, we have finalized our Meet and Greet schedules for Friday, August 28. It is expected that all students, both those registered to come back as brick & mortar, and school based distance learners use Schoology as the main Learning Management System(LMS) this year.

On August 23, all families will receive specific information regarding how to access their student(s) Schoology page for the 20-21 school year. This information will be needed to access Meet and Greet on August, 28, which will take place virtually through the conferencing feature on Schoology.

For students new to MCA and any returning student to MCA that does not know their Schoology username and password, below is the link for parents to register for HAC. This would be the parent sign in only.

In the meantime, I believe it is good planning to know when Meet and Greet is scheduled for our students.

ALL elementary/middle school teacher will be "live" at the beginning of each session/period time below. This time is meant to do a quick meet and greet, see each others faces and ask a few questions. We will have Curriculum Chat Night in mid-September.

Elementary Times Each session will be less than 15 minutes. Teachers will disseminate important beginning of the year information. Please choose ONE(1) session time as all sessions will be the same. This allows our families with multiple students an opportunity to visit all their teachers. Directions on how to access the conferences will come from classroom/homeroom teachers the week of August 24.

Session 1 - 8:30
Session 2 - 9:30
Session 3 - 10:30
Session 4 - 11:15

Middle School Students(6-8) - Students will follow their schedules. Each period will be less than 15 minutes. Teachers will disseminate important beginning of the year information.
1st period - 8:30-9:00
2nd period - 9:10-9:20
3rd period - 9:30-9:40
4th period - 9:50- 10:00
5th period - 10:10-10:20
6th period - 10:30-10:40
7th period - 10:50-11:00
11:00 - 11:30 – MS content area Q & A via Schoology
Please use the content code below to log in anytime between 11:00 - 11:30 to ask a question regarding a specific content or elective OR as always feel free to email the teacher directly.
Teachers from each grade level and elective course will be available using the same link.
Social Studies: BNK5-2QN2-QCVK4
Science: N5WZ-XXS8-G8PMB
Math: XJ4B-HC2D-FTPGZ
Electives: GWKH-R9MH-GVVXF
ELA: 37SG-GZFS-3RDS6

As you prepare your schedules for Meet and Greet, please be watchful for upcoming communication regarding Schoology access & important paperwork that will be sent via email and need to be returned by students on the 1st day of school.

I hope our new communication tool provides clarity in communication. Communication information about nine(9) grade levels and addresses the important events and moments during these 9 years of schooling is so important to me, but can become very big. It is my goal to provide communication in a way that is user friendly and easy for families to receive information in an efficient way.

Mustangs, as we kick off this school year, please read carefully to make sure you don't miss important information. We are looking forward to a great year and can't be more excited to see all our friends very soon!

Sincerely,

Amanda L. Riedl, Learning Leader

Registration - Going On Now

If you will NOT be returning to Mill Creek, please call 904-547-3720 and let us know immediately, this includes SJVS OR FLVS. We need to make sure that we are staffed correctly for the upcoming year, as you and I both know it is always hard when we have to move students once school starts.

Also, if you have new neighbors or know of new families that need to register, please encourage them to do so ASAP. We know students are more successful when they are ready to start school the first day.

Middle School Information

Class Schedules

Students schedules are NOW AVAILABLE to PREVIEW, Friday, August 14 thru Sunday, August 16. Before and after those dates, HAC will be unavailable for viewing. This opportunity is provided to families to ensure students have been scheduled for academic classes that they were signed up for in April when we sent the course recommendations. Click here to access the letter that was sent on Thursday, August 13 with directions on how to access student schedules.

ALL students (both brick & mortar and school-based virtual) should have a schedule to view in HAC.
Picking up Schedules – All brick & mortar middle school students will have the opportunity to sign up to pick up their schedules here on campus. Teachers will not be on campus; however, this does give our kiddos the option to walk their schedules should they choose! Communication will come by the end of this week!
Sign-up Genius communication - Students should sign up for a scheduled time to pick up schedules. One family member will be able to attend with their student. Stay tuned as that too may change! However, we realize it is important for our students to have the support of their family during these times. Please use the links below to sign-up.

8th Graders August 20, 8:30 – 11:30 AM

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080E4BACAF28A75-8thgrade

6th Graders, August 20, 12:30 – 3:30 PM

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080E4BACAF28A75-6thgrade

7th Graders, August 21, 9:00 AM-1:00 PM

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080E4BACAF28A75-7thgrade

Dropping off homeroom supplies ONLY – Middle school students who attend schedule pick-up day can bring their homeroom supplies to leave outside their homeroom teacher’s door.
Make sure to keep STUDENT SUPPLIES (please see school supply list on MCA webpage for specifics) at home until the first day of school.

Locker Updates

Students will have the opportunity to use hall lockers this year. This is a change from prior communication. All lockers will be sanitized with the 90-day Omni shield protectant and will be wiped daily. Students DO NOT have to use a locker. We are working on a plan to help reduce the books students will need to carry in their backpacks.
If your student would like to use a locker this year, please use the link below to indicate your preference and pay the locker rental fee by Tuesday, August 18 to receive your locker assignment on schedule pick-up day!
Should you miss the deadline for requesting a locker, students will be given another opportunity for locker rental once school begins.
Students that do not receive a locker assignment on schedule pick-up day will not have a locker the first day of school!
Locker Rental Link: https://www.schoolpay.com/pay/for/Middle-School-Academic-Lockers/ScDZwhM

PE Updates

Students will not dress out for PE the first 9 weeks of school. However, we believe this will only be temporary. Those students that have already purchased a uniform will receive the uniform the first week of school from our PE Coaches. When a decision is made regarding dressing out, all families will be given an opportunity to purchase uniforms.

Elementary Information

Class Assignments

The week of August 24, an email will be sent to 1^st- 5^thgrade parents introducing your student’s new teacher for the school year. We are currently working on class placement and are super excited about sharing this information with you soon. BOTH, brick and mortar & school-based distant learning assignments will be sent at the same time. Should you not have access to email please call the front office at 904-547-3720 for assistance.

School-Wide Information

New Family Orientation

Our Administrative Team will host a New Family Orientation on Monday, August 24 at 10:00 AM via Zoom conferencing. Although we will not do a virtual tour of the school, we are very excited to share with our families the vision of MCA and why we believe it is the greatest place for students and staffulty! Please use the link below to sign up! I look forward to meeting our new families. You are going to love it at MCA! Go Mustangs!

New Family Orientation link - https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080E4BACAF28A75-newfamily

Supply Drop Off (Brick & Mortar students ONLY)

We are in the process of planning how our students can drop off supplies that may be too big to bring to school the 1^st day. We believe it is important to connect… Stay tuned for updates, but know we are working on a plan!

Medication Drop Off

Mrs. Carroll and Mrs. Dery, our school nurses, will be available on the following dates and times for you to drop off medication for the upcoming school year.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0A4CAEAB2DA0F58-medication1

School-Based Distance Learning

School-Based Distant Learning Books/Supplies

We know our distance-based learners may need books, manipulatives, etc. while working virtually. Saturday, August 22 will be the Distribution Date for technology, textbooks, etc. – 8:00 am– 3:30 pm. Please use the sign up genius below to schedule a time to pick up technology and othe instructional supplies needed to be a successful school-based distant learner.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050D4AAAA728A13-distance

SBDL Learning Expectations & Videos

Elementary and Secondary Curriculum created videos for the parents of your School-Based Distance Learners to help provide a better understanding of what Distance Learning will look like.

Here is the link to the to the secondary video:

https://youtu.be/BdJvvGtyl-c

Here is the link for the elementary video:

https://youtu.be/KqGmCJ09FtE

School specific letters will be sent the week of August 24 from teachers. These letters will include instructional schedules and what to expect during the learning day. Stay tuned...

On the Horizon

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MCA Healthy & Safe Return to School Plan

MCA Healthy & Safe Return to School Plan can be found by clicking HERE. We hope it is user friendly and can be used in your homes as a quick reference when you have questions. Additionally, we are asking that you review with you student(s) between now and August 31, the practices that will help us return in a “healthy, MCA way!" The success of our students is essential, and we believe that as we teach, model, and practice the “healthy MCA way,” students will embrace and become ambassadors of keeping each other healthy this school year. Thank you in advance for supporting our MCA students!

School Supply Lists

Elementary and Middle School supply lists can be found on the homepage of our website or by clicking the links below.

Elementary Supply List

Middle School Supply List (PE revision 8.4.20)

Middle School Band Supply List

St Johns County School District

For the most recent news from the district, please visit the district's webpage.

School District Webpage

Summer Reading Challenges

Summer Bingo And Resources

Elementary Summer Reading Challenge

Middle School Summer Reading

Mill Creek Academy

3750 International Golf Pkwy

St. Augustine, FL 32092

(904) 547-3720