1 December 2019 CMS Panther Press CMS Office Hours Dear Panther Families, Monday - Friday Our weather has turned chilly and wet, roads are slick and people 7:30AM - 4:00PM are in a hurry. Please take the time to be mindful of others while out (650) 851-1777 and about. We are so fortunate to live in such a beautiful area with 12/10: Wildfire Prep Parent so many opportunities to enjoy nature. For instance, the week Meeting @ 6pm before Thanksgiving break, our 7th graders left for the traditional trek to Yosemite. They were on a quest to identify the keys to 12/13: Movie Night @ CMS building strong and healthy relationships, developing teamwork 6:15pm to 8pm (Cloudy with a skills and enjoying the beauty of Yosemite, one of our national Chance of Meatballs 2) treasures. Hiking trails, a campfire, a cave adventure and many 12/20: Early Dismissal, 12:15pm conversations with friends cemented bonds and created new memories. Thanks to the generosity of our community, all students 12/23- 1/3: Winter Break were able to participate in this lifetime event. Thank you to the staff 1/6: Back to school who also volunteered to spend time with our 7th-graders. (Kudos to Ms. Horgan, Mr. Flahaven, Miss Scigliano, Ms. Shima and Mrs. Saperstein are intrepid campers!) As we prepare for the Winter Break (December 20 to January 3) ​ please be sure to inform the office and your pupil’s teachers if you will be out of school prior to or following the break. We recognize the importance of spending time with friends and family, yet want to support student learning at all times. Students who miss school are missing out on social interaction and learning opportunities. Thanks to Google Classroom, academics can be given proper attention. Hour of Code Hour of Code is scheduled for next week. Students will participate in a variety of coding activities, one example is a one-hour introduction to computer science on Code.org, designed to ​ ​ demystify coding and show that anyone can learn the basics. It is a global movement reaching tens of millions of students in 180+ Handmade garlands from our 8th GRD countries. Miss Sarrie will be offering a variety of coding activities in Service Learning Class 2 the Maker Space as well as working with several classes to support learning coding skills. I encourage you to sit with your child and explore the language of coding. CMS MORNING/AFTERNOON COVERAGE A reminder that students should not be on campus before 7:30 am. The CMS library opens at 7:30 am so students need to go to the library if they are here at this time. Students may not sit and hang out in the office. Staff supervision starts at 7:45 am in the hallways/ courtyards. In addition, all students need to be off campus by 4 pm. Parent “Like” Movie Presentation. The library and office close at 4 pm and students cannot be standing outside unsupervised after this time. Please make sure to make arrangements to have your child off campus by this time. The PV library is open later and students can take the SamTrans bus to the PV library as well so this is another option. MINIMUM DAY 12/20 The last day of school before winter break is Friday 12/20. School is out at 12:15 pm and the CMS library and office will be closed by 1:30 pm. Please be sure to make arrangements to have your child off campus by this time. There will be no SamTrans bus, but the Student “Like” Movie Presentation. yellow bus will leave at 12:20. Have a great holiday break! Ms. Maijala A lot of fun things happening at CMS. Come check out our board outside the MUR. 7th Grade Yosemite Photos below. Make sure to take a look! 3 A Message From Assistant Principal Kristen Shima Private School Recommendation Letters If your child is applying to a private school for the next school year, please make sure to communicate ​ this to Susan Outland, CMS office manager, by Friday, December 6th. She keeps track of where ​ students are applying and sends the transcripts, report cards, test scores, etc. to the schools. Students that we know are applying to private schools are given a “Bio Sheet” to fill out detailing their in school ​ ​ and out of school activities and achievements to help the admin and counseling staff write their letters of recommendation. These Bio sheets are due back to Ashlie by Thursday, December 12th. Be aware, ​ there is a $25.00 processing charge per “family” of schools to process the application. Checks need to be made out to PVSD and given to Susan before your paperwork can be processed and sent. Please make sure your child also writes a personal email/ communicates with the ​ teacher/administrator/counselor if they are wanting them to write a letter of recommendation so that we make sure we get the request- sometimes Ravenna forms will go to our SPAM. 8th Grade: Open Enrollment and Address Verification for Public Schools Open Enrollment for the Sequoia Union High School District (SUHSD) is now open and closes on ​ February 1, 2020 at 4pm. If you are trying to transfer to a high school in SUHSD other than your home, ​ assigned high school, you need to complete the forms online. You should have received information about this process in the mail. You also must have address verification completed for this process ​ ​ and you must complete address verification at the SUHSD district office if your child plans on attending public high schools. Please make sure you don’t miss the deadline and contact me if you need help with open enrollment. Remember, if you receive the transfer (to Woodside, M-A, Tide Academy etc), you forfeit your spot at your home high school, so make sure this is the right choice for you and your child. Shadow dates are open for these schools, so sign up for a date so your child can visit! LIKE Movie Update Students, staff, and parents had the opportunity to view the movie LIKE at CMS. This documentary explored the impact of social media on our lives and the effects of technology on the brain. The goal of the film is to inspire and help equip all of us to self-regulate. Attached are some handouts that were ​ ​ passed out at the parent event about helpful tips around social media, cell phones, and monitoring devices and hard copies are available in the front office. Thanks to the PV Foundation for sponsoring this event! CMS TK-8 Movie Night : Friday, December 13th CMS is hosting a movie night on Friday, December 13th from 6:15-8:00pm in the CMS MUR. All current TK- 8th grade students in PVSD are invited to attend. We will be showing Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 and the cost is $10 to enter. All students need a permission slip to attend. We will also be selling pizza, drinks, candy, chips, and cotton candy during the movie while supplies last- so kids can bring extra money for snacks. Students can wear pajamas, bring sleeping bags and blankets to the movie. Proceeds from the movie go towards CMS Student Activities. CMS 4/8 Buddy Activity: Tuesday, December 10th We will be having a 4th/8th grade buddy activity on Tuesday at lunch. Students will be doing a cookie decorating activity with their buddies. Holiday Grams for Sale! CMS Student Council will be selling Holiday Grams during lunch during the month of December- while supplies last. Students can purchase stuffed animals, candy bags, squishies for themselves, friends, or 4 family. Prices range from $1- $3. FLEX Activity: Gingerbread Houses! Students will be participating in a FLEX competition this month: Gingerbread House decorating! The best gingerbread house wins! Middle School Dance: Friday, January 10th All 6/7/8 students are invited to the CMS Middle School Dance on Friday, January 10th from 7-9pm in the CMS MUR. The cost is $10 to enter. The theme is “Winter Semi-Formal” so students are encouraged to dress up for the dance (wear clothes that are a step- up from their normal school attire). Additional Parent Education Opportunity for PV Families Strength Building Parenting with Charlie Appelstein, M.S.W th Wednesday, December 11 ​ 6:30-8:00 PM ​ San Carlos School District, District Office, 1200 Industrial Rd, San Carlos ​ Registration: http://evite.me/5HBJJnbwsd ​ Back by popular demand, Charlie Appelstein, M.S.W. will be sharing his humor and practical strategies ​ ​ to create family environments that are focused on strength-building rather than flaw-fixing. These exceptionally positive and inspiring strategies focus on guiding all children (and especially those with emotional or behavioral challenges) with an approach that focuses on how to help your kids develop positive mindsets; how to create self-management tools in your home; relationship-based limit setting; and the effect of positive emotions on the brain. You're guaranteed to come away with a smile on your face, fresh ideas in your pocket, and a new hope in your heart for dealing with your most challenging parenting situations. M-A PARENT EDUCATION SERIES The Self-Driven Child: The Science and Sense of Giving Your Kids More Control Over Their Lives Dr. William Stixrud & Ned Johnson, Co-Authors Thursday, January 30, 2020, 7:00pm – 8:30pm Menlo-Atherton High School, M-A Performing Arts Center (PAC) 555 Middlefield Road, Atherton Info & Tickets: https://selfdrivenchild2020ma.eventbrite.com ​ The Self-Driven Child offers a combination of cutting-edge brain science, the latest discoveries in ​ behavioral therapy, and case studies of kids and teens co-authors Bill Stixrud, PhD, and Ned Johnson have helped over the years to teach you how to set your child on the real road to success.