Click here to see the school hours for next school year:

St. Johns County 2025-2026 School Hours

Attention We Need Your Help!!

Thank you to everyone who has expressed interest in proctoring for our upcoming PM 3 Testing Season. We are still in NEED of many proctors, even if you already signed up with your student’s teacher or grade level, please use the following link to choose a day and grade you can proctor. You are welcome to sign up for multiple days. As a reminder, you will not be able to proctor in your own student or family member’s class. We appreciate any days you can help! 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0F4EABA82CA4FA7-55991858-testing

Time is almost up to Pre-Order this Years Yearbook so please don't delay and go to buytheyearbook.com to purchase yours today.

SPRING IS ALMOST HERE!

How “Unplugging” Benefits Our Children and Teens

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry reports that children and adolescents spend a lot of time watching screens, including smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, TVs, and computers. On average, children ages 8-12 in the United States spend 4-6 hours a day watching or using screens, and teens spend up to 9 hours. While screens can entertain, teach, and keep children occupied, too much use may lead to problems.

Here is a great link with information and guideline recommendation for parents:

https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/Children-And-Watching-TV-054.aspx#:~:text=Children and adolescents spend a,use may lead to problems.

Nature for Everyone

Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children form Nature Deficit Disorder, a book by Richard Louv discusses children’s increasing lack of exposure to Nature and the physical, mental, and social ramifications.

Since 2005 over 1000 research studies have been conducted on the beneficial impact that spending time in Nature has on children, adolescents, and adults.

The National Park Service has identified ParkRX as a promising practice. Here is information from ParkRx.org:

Since the Pandemic, while adults’ time spent outdoors has increased, for children it has decreased.

Nature is everywhere and children don’t have to travel far to find and interact with it. Most opportunities to create Nature experiences don’t require travel, specialized equipment, or money!

Here are some ideas to get children to “unplug” and get outdoors:

-Have meals outdoors

-Get help from the kids spotting weeds!

-Go on a walk and inventory trees, shrubs, and flowering plants on your street or community

-Collect a small Nature sample (twig, stone, leaf, etc.) to add to an indoor Nature Bowl or create art with!

-Bring the outdoors in with easy to care for plants

-Plant a pollinator garden

-Open the blinds – especially is there is something Green to see outside!

-Build a frog raft

-Have plenty of sticks/branches laying around

-Go outside after it rains to find worms

-Make mud and play with it

-Go barefoot on different surfaces

-Install a rope swing

-Set out a play sprinkler

-Keep tree logs to observe or convert into stepping logs

-Identify butterflies

-Have old bed sheets on hand and 1 X 2 boards for kids to build forts with

-Go pole fishing

-Go to the beach

-Spot reptiles

-Take reading outdoors

-Be still and use your senses (wind, temperature, sound, texture, smell)

-Identify birds by the sounds they make

-Visit the Florida Audubon Society for ideas and information:

Florida Audubon Society

-Plant a garden on the ground, above ground, or in a pot! You can’t go wrong with Basil or Rosemary

-Join others to Green up your street or neighborhood

-Create pesticide/chemical free zones for children – Nature is wild!

-Visit the St Johns County Parks and Recreation website for a list of parks:

Parks in St Johns County

-Join the St Johns County Parks and Recreation newsletter:

Parks and Recreation Newsletter

-Visit a Florida State Park:

Florida State Parks

Let’s Go Outdoors MCA!

Florida Prepaid Open Enrollment Begins with Plan Prices Starting at Just $29/Month

Focused on encouraging families to save as early and affordably as possible, our partner Florida Prepaid College Savings Plans has reduced Prepaid Plan monthly prices for newborns and infants to the lowest in more than a decade.

Prepaid Plans allow families to lock in the cost of college with fixed monthly payments. A risk-free 1-year University Plan now starts at just $29/month for the Prepaid Plan Open Enrollment period from February 1 - April 30, 2025. The reduced prices result in savings of up to $850 per plan for a 1-Year University Plan – up to $3,400 in savings for four years.

Prepaid Plans are made to fit growing families:

• Use in-state or nationwide at public, private, trade and technical schools
• Complements scholarships and financial aid
• Transfer to another student or cancel anytime
• Earnings grow tax-free

Every child deserves higher education. Florida Prepaid’s goal is to make it possible for every Florida family to save simply and affordably. Learn more at https://bit.ly/41o9M4M

PM3 FAST Testing Schedule

Due to limited space: 8th grade students will receive two guest tickets for 8th grade Promotion Ceremony.

Attention Parents of Rising 8th Graders

We are starting to plan for the 8th grade trip to Washington DC and want to include parents in the process!

Please join us on April 3 - virtually - at 7pm.

This will be a quick meeting - no more than 30 minutes.

Use the link below and we look forward to collaborating with you!

Microsoft Teams Need help?

Join the meeting now

Meeting ID: 290 989 602 633

Passcode: Xt9Tg6fG

Dial in by phone

+1 904-420-0831,,459089163# United States, Jacksonville

Find a local number

Phone conference ID: 459 089 163#

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/281JZJONF9EY9?ref_=wl_share

PTA NEWS

PTA Meeting

MCA Families,

Monthly PTA Meeting and Annual Elections – April 1st at 4:00 p.m.

We invite all PTA members to join us for our monthly meeting on April 1st at 4:00 p.m. in the Media Center. This meeting is especially significant as it includes our annual elections for PTA officer positions.

Eligibility to Vote or Run for Office

To participate in the PTA elections- either by voting or running for a position- you must be a registered PTA member for at least 30 days prior to the election. 

Nominating Committee and Candidate Selection

Our nominating committee has been diligently working to identify qualified candidates for each officer position. Their role is crucial in shaping the future leadership of our PTA. For more information on the nominating process, please refer to the Florida PTA's guidelines. floridapta.org

Importance of Participation

Your involvement is vital to the success of our PTA and, by extension, the enrichment of our students' educational experiences. We encourage all members to attend, cast their votes, and consider taking on leadership roles. We look forward to your participation on April 1st!



Note: Please review our bylaws and standing rules to familiarize yourself with election procedures and officer responsibilities.

Want to help? Want to get more involved at your child's school. There are tons of opportunities!!!



NEW OPPORTUNITY!!! Media Center: Media teachers need help managing students during their resource, shelving books, etc.

If you would like to help in the media center sign up here: Mill Creek Academy: Library Helper

Cafe Help: Opening packages, hand out supplies, etc. If you would like to help in the cafe sign up here: https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/10C0E4BADAF22A2FEC07-54062019-lunch

Helping Hands: Meet on cafe stage to help laminate, cut, staple etc for teachers. Sign up here to help: https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/10C0E4BADAF22A2FEC07-54061810-helping