Dear Mill Creek Families,
Welcome to Mill Creek Elementary! Here at Mill Creek, our team works hard to design challenging and engaging work that ensures learning for all and to guide students as they grow and develop into life-long learners and responsible citizens. We treasure your involvement as an important part of our team and are pleased to welcome parents back into the building this year!
Communicating and working with parents is an important aspect of my role as Principal. Please share your ideas, questions, and concerns with me as we strive together to provide the best education possible for all students. I look forward to a fantastic year of learning for your child. Thank you for your support!
Sincerely,
Julie D. Sparrow, Principal

Mill Creek Elementary will, through combined effort of all staff, parents, students, and community, cultivate a love of collaborative learning, model respectful actions, and provide opportunities for service on our campus and throughout our diverse community.

Chargers Take Charge:

• of our learning
• of our actions
• of our environment

Julie Sparrow, Principal

Drew Perry, Assistant Principal

Beth Kolwyck, Music

Kelley Sieja, Student Support Services

Candi Bowen, 5th Grade

Julie Phillips, 4th Grade

Adam Danner, 3rd Grade

Caitlin Gore, 2nd Grade

Paige Davis, 1st Grade

Pam Ellis, Kindergarten

Laura Stone, PTO President

Parents should e-mail Pamela Needham, school secretary at pamela.needham@wcs.edu to report a student’s absence; this will serve as an excuse note. If this communication is not received the students must bring a note to the teacher with the following information: (1) Child’s Name; (2) Teacher’s Name; (3) Date Absent; (4) Reason for Absence; (5) Parent’s Signature Notes are kept on file for the school year. If the school does not receive a note within 3 days of absence, the absence will not be excused.

Consistent attendance and punctuality is a cornerstone of student progress and success. If students repeatedly miss school or are often tardy, it puts them at risk for misunderstanding concepts that are taught and reinforced while they are not present. Additionally, student attendance is one of the categories the federal and state governments use to evaluate schools and assess whether they are making adequate yearly progress. Consistent attendance is a priority at Mill Creek.

The first eight absences will be excused with a parent note or email. Absences after eight must be accompanied by a doctor’s note or excused by the principal.
The same guideline is used for tardies and early dismissals. Excessive unexcused absences/tardies/early dismissals may result in a letter to the parents, parent conferences, or filing an unruly petition with Juvenile Services.

Student attendance will be taken daily, even while learning remotely. If your child is ill or otherwise is unable to attend a scheduled learning session, please contact your child’s teacher. Teachers will be posting daily classroom materials and activities to their Google Classroom.

Tardies and Early Dismissals (before 3:45)
Students may be dropped off at school starting at 8:40 a.m. As arrival processes may take longer to include screenings, principals will be more flexible this year on tardies. A student is considered present for the day if they arrive before 12:20. If you need childcare prior to this time, please contact our SACC program.

Late arrival and early dismissal may be excused for the following reasons: (1) illness, (2) death in the family, (3) recognized religious holiday, (4) doctor or dentist appointment, or (5) Principal approved emergency or exceptional circumstances.

The parent must sign the student out in the office at dismissal time stating time and reason, and office personnel will call the student to the office when the parent arrives to pick up the student. A student is considered absent for the day if they are picked up prior to 12:20 PM. Students will not be dismissed early after 3:15 (except in an emergency) due to safety issues and the interruption of instructional classes. The instructional time at the end of the day is an extremely valuable time to reflect on the day’s learning and to prepare homework assignments and materials. Whenever a student is dismissed early, the entire class is interrupted.

Parents should use the dismissal app to make the dismissal change before the cut off time.

The parent must sign the student out in the office at dismissal time stating the time and reason, and office personnel will call the student for dismissal.

Dismissal changes that results in someone other than the parent or guardian picking up the child must be done in writing, not via phone or email.

Excused absences include: (1) illness, (2) death in the family, (3) recognized religious holiday, (4) doctor or dentist appointment, or (5) Principal approved emergency or exceptional circumstances.

The Williamson County School Board Policy 6.200 requires written parental or medical documentation for all absences, tardies, and early dismissals. This documentation ensures that school personnel are fully and accurately informed about your child. All absences are considered “unexcused” until a note is sent, preferably within 48 hours of the student’s return to school. 

Families are discouraged from planning trips when school is in session. Family trips should be scheduled during regularly planned breaks. Family trips will not be excused except for principal approved emergencies or in exceptional circumstances.

Williamson County Students participate in both formative and summative assessments. Formative assessments are ongoing classroom assessments utilized to inform instruction. Examples include exit tickets, discussion boards, observations/conversations, and benchmark assessments. Summative assessments typically take place at the end of a unit. They are utilized to guide the school on overall approaches and strategies for instruction. Performance on an assessment informs a teacher on student progress toward a standard. It is imperative that a student does his/her own work.
Students in grades K-5 will participate in the district-wide reading and math AIMSweb screener. Students in grades 3-5 will participate in state and district assessments. During assessment windows we ask that parents make every attempt to have students at school on time. No absences will be excused for family trips.

All students are expected to adhere to the following school expectations: Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Ready. Individual classroom teachers will establish classroom procedures for meeting these expectations. If a student fails to meet expectations, it may result in a conference with school administration. Administrative consequences will be determined based on behavior and any prior behaviors or interventions. Consequences may include but are not limited to: time in the office, silent lunch, ISS (in school suspension) and possible OSS (out of school suspension). In addition, all Mill Creek students are expected to follow WCS policies, procedures and guidelines concerning discipline for any offenses concerning Zero Tolerance and Zero Tolerance reasoned judgement offenses.
During any time of active COVID cases, teachers will implement routines and procedures to keep students and staff safe. Any intentional behavior that puts another person at risk will be taken seriously and addressed accordingly.

Children need a worry-free environment in order to do their very best in school. Unfortunately, teasing and bullying are facts of life for your students. While these actions are not prevalent, any incident can be discouraging to a child and disruptive to the learning process. The learning of appropriate social skills is a vital part of the educational process.

Bullying can include behaviors initiated by one or more students against a victim that are deliberate and hurtful, and are repeated over time. The key components of bullying are that it is unprovoked and that the physical or psychological intimidation occurs repeatedly over time and creates a pattern of harassment or abuse. Consequences for a student who commits an act of harassment or bullying shall be unique to the individual incident and will vary in method and severity according to the nature of the behavior, the developmental age of the student, and the student’s history of problem behaviors. Actions taken shall be designed to:

• Correct the problem behavior
• Prevent another occurrence of the behavior
• Protect the victim of the act
• Help the student understand how the other person feels

We believe it is imperative for the home and school to work harmoniously in helping students evolve into responsible individuals who can demonstrate good character traits while weighing the rights and interest of others at the same time. This learning related to character developments is as important as academic achievement. Parents, students, teachers, and administrators contribute to a positive environment where children feel safe and have an opportunity to learn. Developing good character traits will allow students to learn empathy and celebrate everyone’s achievements.

If a student needs help resolving a conflict or if a student feels that he/she is being bullied, he/she should communicate with his/her teacher, one of our guidance counselors, or administration.

Reports shall be made to the Principal, Assistant Principal or a teacher. All reports shall be promptly forwarded to either the Principal or an Assistant Principal. Families may also report bullying to the WCS toll free tip line by calling 1-855-284-0669 or by emailing bullying@wcs.edu. Either the Principal or the Assistant Principal shall promptly (within 48 hours) investigate and evaluate the merits of the report. All parties will be interviewed, including any witnesses. Students found guilty of bullying will be subject to disciplinary action. Counseling or support services will be made available to students involved as deemed appropriate.

Throughout the school year bullying prevention education will occur through the life skills curriculum.

The PBIS Expectation Matrix as well as the MCES reactive plan will be a critical part of the action plan that is developed.

Student Meals at No Cost: As part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) meal program, students will receive meals (one breakfast and one lunch) at no cost for the 2021-2022 school year. A complete lunch includes an entrée, bread, vegetable, fruit and milk. Monthly menus are posted on our school website. Breakfast will be offered from 8:25-8:40 and includes two to three items.

A la carte items such as ice cream, chips or other extras are not included as part of free lunch however, students can choose to purchase these items separately for $1.00 each. You can create and add money to your child’s lunch account and check their account balance on-line. Please contact cafeteria manager, Jennifer Caporali with questions or concerns regarding cafeteria purchases. She can be reached by phone at 615-472-5258 or by email at jenniferc1@wcs.edu.

Students can turn in their lunch money to their homeroom teacher. Please send a check for each student separately and include the student and teacher name. Checks should be made payable to the MCES Cafeteria.

Parents are welcome to eat lunch with their child. Visitor lunches are $3.50. Cash will be accepted on a daily basis at the register. To preserve instructional time, parents are asked to meet the students and say their “goodbye” in the cafeteria. Parents who eat with their child will eat in the HUB and will not be able to have additional students join them (parent and their child only). Outside food is not permitted.

Students may not be picked up from car services such as Uber or Lyft. These companies prohibit minors from being transported alone.

We recognize that children like to celebrate their birthdays at school. In an effort to abide by the WCS Wellness Policy as well as address the increasing number of students with food allergies or diabetes, we are asking all parents to follow these simple guidelines when planning for your child’s birthday this year.

• send in a non-edible treat for everyone in the classroom such as pencils, bookmarks, etc
• donate a book in your child’s name to our school library
• donate an educational game or book to your child’s classroom in their honor

Please do not send flowers or balloon deliveries to school or request other treat options including food, balloons or party favors for the classroom or lunchroom.

Individual invitations to private birthday parties may not be distributed during school hours unless there is an invitation for every child in the class or one for every child the same gender as your child (i.e. for your daughter, an invitation for every girl in the class).

There will be two class parties scheduled during the year. The parties will be a time for students to participate in fun activities with their classmates. The room parents and party planners for each classroom will work with the teacher to organize classroom celebrations. As we work to keep our buildings and children safe only the party planners (2 per class) and PTO Board Members will be allowed to attend/facilitate parties.

All foods for scheduled school wide and classroom celebrations must be pre-packaged with ingredient and nutritional values listed. Food made at home may not be distributed during the school day.

Cell phones, Apple watches and cameras may not be used to take pictures or videos in the school setting. If, as a parent, you feel that it is imperative for your child to have a cell phone/Apple watch at school for after school communication, it is to remain in your child’s backpack, turned off during the school day and during bus transports to and from school. All items in backpacks are the responsibility of the student and the school is not liable for ANY loss or damage incurred. We are working to keep students focused on learning. All electronic games, toys, trading cards, MP3 players, virtual pets, hand held electronic games etc. are not permitted and should not be seen or heard during the school day. If any of these items are seen or heard during the school day they will be taken up and returned only to a parent/guardian. Students take full responsibility for personal digital devices at all times. The school is not responsible for the security of the device.

Character Education is explicitly taught through the school counseling program. As we implement our positive behavior support system this year students will have an opportunity to earn Charger Cash when they are following Charger expectations. Charger Cash can be redeemed for a variety of items.

Chrome books will be provided at the beginning of the school year. Before students are issued a Chromebook, both the child and parent must read and sign the Acceptable Use Policy, the Video Conferencing form and the Authorization District Device form. These forms will be made available in Skyward prior to the start of school for review and acceptance.

Students must act responsibly with their Chromebooks. Teachers will review proper practices with students to maintain good condition. If a student willingly and intentionally damages a Chromebook, the student may be charged for repairs up to the total cost for replacement. Charges will be determined by administration.

Students should take their Chromebook home nightly to charge the device, use the device for any assigned homework, and to be prepared for any transition to Remote Learning. Student issued Chromebook charge cords are not needed at school.

Parents/Guardians should always follow the WCS Illness Guidelines, found on the WCS website. Parents/Guardians should conduct health screening(s) on their children before sending them to school. This includes taking their temperature and assessing for the following COVID-19 symptoms:

• Have you been in close contact with a person with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19?
• Have you had unusual cough or shortness of breath?
• Have you had a sore throat or other flu-like symptoms?
• Have you had a fever of 100F or greater in the past 72-hours?
• Have you had new loss of taste or smell?
• Have you had vomiting or diarrhea in the last 24-hours?

If they answer ‘yes’ to two or more of any of the above questions, or have a temperature of 100F or higher, then please keep them home and seek medical attention, as necessary. Please assist your younger children in how to answer these questions once they get to school.

Staff will report any observed symptoms in students during the day to the school nurse. The school nurse will determine if any symptoms are present and, if so, to contact you to pick-up your child.

We are very fortunate to have a full-time nurse on staff. She is committed to serving all students and staff. If a student becomes ill or injured at school, the teacher will have the student evaluated by the school nurse. Through her examination and in accordance with the district WCS Illness Guidelines, the nurse will determine treatment or if the student does not meet criteria to stay in school. The nurse will notify parents if a student becomes significantly ill or injured. The school is not equipped for prolonged care of your sick child. We ask that you or an emergency contact pick up your child within the hour that you are called. The school nurse may only administer medications that are provided and authorized by the parent/guardian. Please contact Nurse Jenn for more information about medications.

Students will be checked for head lice by the school nurse when demonstrating symptoms of infestation. Parents of students with live lice or an active infestation will be asked to pick up their child as soon as possible to begin the treatment process. The student may return to school only after the hair has been treated appropriately and the parent presents proof of treatment.

When determining whether your child is well enough to attend school, please refer to the Williamson County Schools Illness Guidelines. Please note that your child should not be sent to school until he/she has been fever free for at least 24 hours without taking a fever reducing medication. In addition, if student is absent from school due to illness, he/she may not attend after school activities that same day.

If you have any other questions regarding health services, policies or procedures, please visit the Williamson County Schools Health Services Site.

1.501 Visitors to the Schools

3.500 Food Services Management

4.300 Extracurricular Activities

6.303 Interrogations and Searches

6.400 Promoting Student Welfare

6.405 Medicines

6.709 Student Fees and Fines

Board Policy 6.200 Attendance

6.304 Student Discrimination, Harassment, Bullying, Cyber-Bullying, and Intimidation

6.3041 Title IX & Sexual Harassment

6.309 Zero Tolerance Offenses

6.315 Detention

6.316 Student Suspension/Expulsion

3.400 School Bus Safety/Student Conduct

4.406 Student Access To Electronic Media

6.310 Dress Code

4.600 Report Cards and Grading Systems

4.603 Promotion and Retention

Annual Public Notices including FERPA, Child Advocacy Groups Contact Information, Homeless Education, Rights of Children with Disabilities and Parent Responsibilities, Section 504 Notice, State Statutory Rights of Parents and Students, Teacher Information, and the Williamson County Schools Statement of Non-Discrimination can be found on the Annual Public Notices posted to the WCS website.

Williamson County Schools Statement of Non-Discrimination

Williamson County, in compliance with federal and state law, performs a countywide Child Find. Child Find uses screening to find students in both public school or private school located in the geographic region who may need special education services and supports.