Mill Creek Elementary School

By ANNE SHIFLEY
news@ColumbiaMissourian.com
COLUMBIA — Cougars and dogs are not uncommon sights in the halls of Mill Creek Elementary. Cody the Cougar, the Mill Creek mascot, rallies spirit for the school and Siggy the dog is an avid listener to students’ troubles and storybooks.

Siggy belongs to the Mill Creek counselor.

“He’s named after Sigmund Freud,” Principal Mary Gibson said. “The kids just love him. We have Siggy Readers and Siggy Trainers.”

Siggy Readers are students who read stories to Siggy, and Siggy Trainers help train other students to care for Siggy, such as taking him for a walk outside. Siggy Readers could be students who are having a difficult day and need to calm down or they might just enjoy reading to the lovable canine.

Because Mill Creek is among the largest elementary schools in the district, Gibson said building a tight community within the school is the biggest challenge. Monthly assemblies are one way Gibson can develop a close-knit student body and celebrate positive behavior and student talent.

Another way is by giving students new to Mill Creek a booklet of mock coupons with free passes to meet the principal, assistant principal and nurse; have lunch with the counselor and have an extra recess for his or her entire class, Gibson said. The coupon books help students adjust to the large size of the school.

One of Mill Creek’s larger special activities is Grandparents’ Day, which falls near the date of the national celebration in September. Turnout is high, Gibson said, and grandparents plan trips and fly in from other states for the event. Students greet grandparents with songs and doughnuts in the morning and invite them back for an afternoon visit. Grandparents are encouraged to tour the school and visit the students in their classrooms to see their work.