Mill Creek Academy Gives Waukesha Another Community Building Block

As Mill Creek Academy establishes itself in the Waukesha community, one of its own will be leading the way.

Founding Principal Joe Sellenheim was born and raised in Waukesha and has more than 15 years of experience as an educator. He is excited for students and parents to work with the staff to create the foundation of a school where children flourish.

“It’s the opportunity to really get things right the first time,” he said. “A lot of times as a school leader, when you take things over, you’re inheriting practices. This is a chance to really say, ‘this is something new. This is something exciting, and we're all exploring this opportunity because we're looking for something different. Let's make it great and let's make it what we want it to be.’”

The school gets its name from the body of water adjacent to the school property. Much like the stream that flows into Pebble Brook and empties into the Fox River, Mill Creek Academy will be the foundation of a larger, growing community of Waukesha.

And that’s only the beginning.

As Mill Creek prepares for its first school year this fall, Sellenheim has been making the rounds in the community, participating in read-alouds and connecting with local businesses. Each Mill Creek Academy student will be prepared to better the community in some shape or form, and it starts this fall.

“We want children to solve problems today and grow into adults that seek out new solutions for tomorrow,” Sellenheim said.