CJMS Weekly Updates

Good Evening, Cabin John Middle School Families!

This is your Principal, Ms. Snider, with the Sunday announcements for the week of December 11 - 15.

We have a busy week coming up. The annual staff cookie party is scheduled for Thursday, December 14th and we need your help! We need about 100 bakers to have enough cookies for all teachers, staff, and administration. Please click on the sign up genius link below to sign up to bake cookies, purchase cookies, or help set up for the cookie party. Don’t have time to bake? Click on the PayPal link below and we will buy the cookies for you! We need your help to make this event a huge success. We couldn’t do this without our outstanding Cabin John families!

This Friday, December 15th, is our 2nd SWell day. Students will follow an early release schedule and attend all of their classes from 8:15 to 12:30. Following their day of instruction, students will have three activities in the afternoon. These activities will include a grade level activity, a student choice activity, and then an opportunity for physical activity or time to spend with their peers.

The lost and found bins in our cafetera are OVERFLOWING! If your student has lost something since the start of the school year, please check out our lost and found before the winter break.

All the items that remain in the lost and found bins after Friday, December 22nd will be donated to charity.

Two reminders before we end the phone portion of our Sunday message. First, we are noticing an increase in students wearing earbuds at school. A reminder to everyone that cell phones and ear buds are to be off and away from 8:15am to 3:00pm every day here at school.The second reminder is about dismissal. We are seeing an increase in students at the bus loop who do not ride buses home. Once the 3pm bell rings, all students need to follow their designated route. Students who walk home should leave directly and students who are picked up by parents and guardians should report to the pick-up loop. The only students who need to be in the bus loop are those students riding buses. Following these guidelines helps us get everyone home safely. We appreciate you speaking with your students about these expectations.

This week's newsletter has many opportunities happening in the upcoming weeks and also shares the recent release of the 2024-2025 school year calendar.

We look forward to welcoming everyone back tomorrow into our Cabin John community focused on respect, positive relationships, and resilience.

Have a great evening!

Somer Snider

Principal, CJMS

Our digital newsletter can be translated into many different languages and the font can be adjusted so our entire community has access to what is happening in the CJMS community!

To adjust your view of the newsletter, click on the "accessibility" button. The button is a circle with figure in it. Once you click the accessibility button, the menu to choose the language or different font size will appear.

• Thursday, December 14 - PTSA Annual PTSA sponsored cookie buffet for staff
• Friday, December 15 - SWell Day (Student Well-Being Day)
  
• Friday, December 22 - Student/Staff Basketball Game throughout the school day during PE.
  
• Saturday, December 23 - Tuesday, January 2 - Winter Break, No School for Students/Staff
  
• Wednesday, January 10 - Band Concerts @ Wootton HS, students report at 6pm, the concerts start at 7pm
• Wednesday, January 17 - Orchestra Concerts @ Wootton HS, students report at 6pm, the concerts start at 7pm

Please take time to review what students are currently learning in their classes this week at Cabin John Middle School in our weekly assignment summary.

The Cabin John Music Department would like to congratulate all of the musicians who auditioned for 2023 Maryland All State ensembles. Following students are accepted and will be participating in the prestigious all state weekend experience and the concert!

Rohini Kumar - Soprano

Madelyn Lolley- Soprano

Molly Yang - Soprano

Aadya Mani- Alto

Lucas Ebert- Tenor

Raymond Spivak- Tenor

Carolina Gregory - Alto Alternate

Spencer Lan - French Horn

Landon Pearson- Trombone

Ashton Yang - Violin 2

Alessandra Rabitor - Cello

David Kim - Cello

Angela Chen - Percussion Alternate

Please congratulate the students when you see them this week!

This video celebrates Dr. Sheri Massey, the media specialist at Cabin John Middle School, for her winning the title of The 2023 School Librarian of the Year.

The annual staff cookie party is scheduled for Thursday, December 14th and we need your help! We need about 100 bakers to have enough cookies for all teachers, staff, and administration. Please click on the sign up genius link below to sign up to bake cookies, purchase cookies, or help set up for the cookie party. Don’t have time to bake? Click on the PayPal link below and we will buy the cookies for you! We need your help to make this event a huge success. We couldn’t do this without our outstanding Cabin John families!

Sign Up Genius link

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0549AAAD2BA02-staff3

PayPal link

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=83MW6SAQZCGNA

The lost and found bins in our cafetera are OVERFLOWING! If your student lost something since the start of the school year, please check out our lost and found before the winter break.

All the items that remain in the lost and found bins after Friday, December 22nd will be donated to charity.

Vaping has become increasingly prevalent among young individuals, often without the knowledge of parents or guardians. This trend is not only alarming but also poses serious health risks.

Why is this a concern?

• Health Risks: Vaping may seem harmless, but it can lead to severe health issues, including lung damage and addiction to nicotine.
• Underestimating Dangers: Many young individuals are unaware of the potential dangers associated with vaping products, assuming they are harmless.

It's crucial for us as a community to tackle this issue together:

• Open Dialogue: Parents, let's engage in open conversations with your kids about the risks of vaping. Encourage an environment where they feel safe to share their concerns.
• Education and Awareness: Students, inform yourselves about the real dangers of vaping. It's important to understand the risks before experimenting with such products.

Here are some resources to learn more about the dangers of vaping:

• CDC: What you can do to protect youth from the harms of vaping
• Surgeon General: Know the Risks - E-Cigarettes and Young People
• MCPS: E-Cigarette Information Page

We aim to create a safe and healthy environment for everyone in our community. We can work together to address this growing concern and ensure the well-being of our students by educating the community.

If you have any questions or need support, please don't hesitate to reach out. Let's stand united in promoting a healthier lifestyle for our young generation.

The MCPS Board of Education approved the 2024-2025 Traditional Schools Calendar. Highlights for traditional schools like CJMS include:

• First day of school for students is Monday, August 26, 2024 and the last day of school is Friday, June 13, 2025.

• District-wide professional days include Friday, October 18, 2024 and Friday, June 6, 2025.

• There will be five scheduled early release days for Traditional Calendar schools. They include: September 27, 2024, November 25-26, 2024 (designated for student conferences), February 28, 2025, and June 13, 2025.

• Winter break begins on Saturday, December 21, 2024 and ends on Wednesday, January 1, 2025.

• Spring break begins on Saturday, April 12, 2025, and ends on Monday, April 21, 2025.

As we move into the winter weather season, MCPS aims to ensure you are kept up-to-date with timely and accurate information about weather-related delays, closures and early dismissals.

MCPS has six operational status options, which are reported by easy-to-understand, color-coded messages on the main page of the MCPS website, and this information is linked to each school website. Read more.

The School Profiles Dashboard will replace the Schools at a Glance report and will provide a clearer understanding of district and school-level data, in alignment with the Antiracist System Action Plan.

TechneCS, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping middle and high school students explore the field of computer science and empowering them to use that information to create projects that have a positive impact on their community.

In December, TechneCS is hosting a guest speaker program. This will be a valuable opportunity to connect with industry professionals in a variety of fields and topics within computer science. Attendees will get the chance to discover cutting-edge technologies, and learn to navigate education and career in this space.

The program aims to inspire creativity, critical thinking, and innovation by exposing students to the forefront of technological advancements. By participating in the TechneCS Guest Speaker Program, students will not only gain exposure to the latest trends in computer science but also be empowered to channel that knowledge into impactful projects and real-world applications.

To register or learn more about the TechneCS Guest Speaker Program, please visit our website at technecs.org. If you have any questions or require further information, feel free to contact us at technecs101@gmail.com .

I wanted to send a reminder to parents that this time of year is when we start to see more respiratory and GI viruses, so remember that your child should stay home if they have a fever over 100.4 F, vomiting, excessive coughing, fatigue, body aches or reports that do not feel well. It is also advisable that they wear a mask if they are coughing/sneezing at all and wash their hands frequently.

Healthy and Happy! 🙂

Your Middle Schooler is still growing and developing and they need more sleep than adults do. Sleep and good nutrition are the number one way to keep your children healthy and happy. Children 11 -14 years of age need 9-10 hours of sleep. If they wake up at 6:30am, that means bedtime - without phones or electronic devices - at 8:30 or 9:30pm.

They also need good nutrition. It is important for them to have an adult to supervise them in the morning and make sure that they have breakfast and lunch from home or the cafeteria. Please ask your child what they are eating for lunch if they buy lunch at school. You may be surprised. While we do have free breakfast and lunch at school, they have a very limited time to eat in the morning, so eating at home or packing a small breakfast bar for them is important for their brain function as well as their growing bodies.

In addition, they need to have water and the school has numerous water refill stations and water fountains, so please ask your child if they are drinking water and make sure that they have a refillable water bottle for school. Finally, please also make sure they have money in their account or help supervise them in packing their own lunch so that they have nutritious food to eat at school.

Students need sleep and proper nutrition to grow and thrive and as we know, Middle Schoolers still need adults to help them make good decisions.

Wishing you and your family a healthy holiday!

Brienne Merritt, RN, BSN
brienne_b_merritt@mcpsmd.org
240-406-1571

The AMC-8 Competition will be held on Tuesday, January 23 during periods 7-8 in the cafeteria. The AMC 8 is a 25-question, 40-minute, multiple choice test on middle school level mathematics. Any student in grade 6-8 may attend. To register, students should complete the form at this link: bit.ly/AMC8_2024

Wednesday, December 13th is the deadline for requesting to participate by completing this form. Email Mrs. Litzinger at katy_a_litzinger@mcpsmd.org with any questions.

The Wootton High School Poms will be holding a Pee Wee Pom Clinic on Friday, January 12th which will be followed by a girls basketball game later that evening. The clinic will be from 5:00-7:00pm in the Wootton High School cafeteria.

Participants will learn an age-appropriate poms dance routine and have the opportunity to perform alongside the Wootton Pom squad during halftime at approximately 8:00pm in the main gym. The game starts at 7:15pm. The cost is $50 per participant and includes a Pee Wee Pom t-shirt, a set of mini-poms, and free admission to the game.

All are welcome; no dance or poms experience needed! For more information or to register, please email the coach at Mia_Krawczel@mcpsmd.org.

Please note that you must register to attend by filling out the registration Google form or emailing Mia_Krawczel@mcpsmd.org no later than Friday, December 29th. Registration Form

Best Buddies is a club which gives you the chance to get to know new friends and hang out with students who are often left out, because they have disabilities. The mission of Best Buddies is to enhance the lives of people with intellectual disabilities by providing opportunities for one-to-one friendships.

Go to the CJMS website today and fill out your membership application to join!

It is time to think about s'mores, sledding and winter registration. The lineup for winter programs from Montgomery:

• Monday, Nov. 13, registration opens for Recreation (County residents only) and Parks winter programs and activities beginning at 6:30 a.m. Registration for Recreation's Bone Builders will open at 9 a.m.

• Wednesday, Nov. 15, registration opens for non-County residents for Recreation programs.

• Tuesday, Dec. 19, registration opens for Ice/Tennis Winter Term I, beginning at 6:30 a.m.

• Friday, Feb. 16, registration opens for Ice/Tennis Winter Term II, beginning at 6:30 a.m.

Visit ActiveMONTGOMERY.org for program registration.

ORDER THE 2023-2024 YEARBOOK TODAY!

The yearbook staff is working diligently on this year’s yearbook.

Be sure to remember to order by 1/26 to guarantee your yearbook this year.

Order your yearbook at www.jostens.com or CLICK HERE or call 1-877-767-5217.

Eligible residents must have an email address and a library card to make an appointment online at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/computer when the computer distribution program opens in November.

If a resident needs assistance to make an appointment, they should call the Marylander Online Help Hotline at 301-405-9810, from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday to Friday or from 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. on Saturday. Help is available in English and Spanish and in other languages upon request.

Residents also can visit any Montgomery County Public Library in person to receive a library card or apply for one online. Click here for full details.

As new cases of COVID-19 increase locally, we have seen outbreaks occurring in multiple schools across the county. Temporary outbreak precautions for individual classrooms where COVID-19 is spreading rapidly helps prevent spread to vulnerable individuals and to the rest of school.

Check out the FAQ page for more information about how outbreaks are managed.

The newly approved COVID-19 updated vaccine will be available in our area in the next few weeks. For information about COVID-19, influenza and RSV vaccine availability, refer to Vaccines.Gov.

All Montgomery County Public Schools students must earn 75 Student Service Learning (SSL) hours to graduate from high school. Middle school and high school students should continue earning SSL hours towards this state graduation requirement by engaging in SSL opportunities during the 2023-2024 school year, including traditional in-person opportunities and select virtual/remote opportunities that follow the SSL guidelines posted on the MCPS SSL webpage

CJMS SSL Coordinator is Ms. Jennifer Poole (Jennifer_A_Poole@mcpsmd.org).

The Youth Cruiser card is a SmarTrip card that provides free rides, on all MCDOT buses and most Metrobuses within the County, to Montgomery County residents under 19 years old. Value can be added to the card for use on Metrorail, Metrobuses outside the County, and other transit systems in the metropolitan area.

Get your card now at any MCPS middle or high school location or any Montgomery County Public library.

Learn more at http://ow.ly/sagl50JOBsh.

MCPS has developed a new Pathways to College, Career, and Community Readiness

Learn more about the Pathways in these videos: English and Spanish.

Additionally, there are parent resources:

• English: Middle School

• Spanish: Middle School

• Vietnamese: Middle School

• Korean: Middle School

• French: Middle School

• Chinese: Middle School

• Amharic: Middle School

• Portuguese: Middle School

Remind is a messaging platform that will be used to communicate among MCPS schools, teachers, students and parents. School staff, central office staff, students and parents will all have Remind accounts to enable them to send and/or receive messages using a preferred mode of communication, such as text message, email or phone call and in their preferred language.

Parents will receive a text message or email notification from the teacher(s). Parents can log into their Remind account via the web or using the Remind app. Get the Remind app here.

• Remind Parent Quick Guide

• Remind Getting Started for Parents [Video]

Montgomery Recreation’s out-of-school programs are back this fall, providing a safe environment for a variety of activities including sports, arts and crafts, dance, cooking and STEM.

Club Adventure is an after-school program for children from kindergarten through fifth grade. For $75 per month and available at 10 locations, Club Adventure features fun, after-school programming.

Club Friday is a weekly Friday night event for children in third through sixth grades that includes a DJ-led dance party, bingo, raffles and other special events. Register now through Active Montgomery.

Also returning this fall are the youth development after-school programs including Excel Beyond the Bell, RecZone, RecXtra, Soccer4Change, TeenWorks and more. Visit the Montgomery Recreation website to learn more about the programs.

MCPS is offering out-of-school programming for elementary and middle school students throughout the 2023-2024 school year.

Families are invited to take advantage of a host of activities for students on the following days: Jan. 29 and April 10 when schools are closed for students.

Students can participate in person or virtually. The cost is $15 a day. For a list of activities, sign up with the following links for Kids Day Out and Teens Day Out. For additional opportunities, visit the MCPS out-of-school time webpage.

You can easily find valuable district information and community resources for students, staff, and families on the MCPS homepage and at the top of every school website. MCPS is committed to the physical, social, and psychological well-being of its more than 160,000 students and over 24,000 employees.

• Student & Family Support / Mental Health Resources

• Be Well 365 Resources by School

• Mental Health and Crisis Support

• MCPS Stronger Student mobile app

• Apple Store

• Google Play Store

• LGBTQ+ Information

• Other Mental Health and Wellness Resources

Common Sense Media articles provides tips for parents to help their kids manage phone use and find a healthy balance between screen time and other responsibilities.

Consider using the Common Sense Media Family Media Agreement to spark a conversation.

Articles:

How Can I Get My Kids to Put Down Their Phones?

4 Conversations to Have with Older Kids and Teens About Their Screen Time Habits

How to Help Teens Manage the Effects of Social Media on Their Mental Health

The Office of Special Education (OSE) has developed new resources for staff members, students, and families. OSE news now has YouTube videos, flyers/bulletins, Twitter, and events posted on Facebook for our community. The OSE Family Support Center also provides virtual drop-in sessions via Zoom to engage, answer questions, and assist students and their families.

MCPS Special Education News:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063543524256. Our Facebook handle/account is: MCPS Special Education.

• Twitter handle/account: @MCPSMDSpecialEd

• YouTube MCPS Special Education: https://www.youtube.com/@MCPSMDSpecialEd.
  Our channel provides content through videos uploaded monthly from our Special Education Community and Citizens Advisory Committee meetings and other live events.

• Montgomery County Public Schools: Special Education Community Information page.

Still having trouble navigating the student and parent portal? There are a series of published videos to walk families through using the system efficiently.

MCPS Tech Shorts (All videos)

• Navigating the ParentVUE Mobile App

• Accessing Reports Cards with the ParentVUE Mobile App

What Happens When My Bus Is Delayed or Canceled

There is a local and national challenge with recruiting, hiring and retaining bus drivers for school systems and the transportation industry. When a bus driver or attendant is unable to come to work due to illness or unexpected leave, it puts a strain on the system to keep that bus on the road. The MCPS Department of Transportation uses substitute drivers and multiple runs to ensure that it has as many buses as possible on the roads to deliver students to school every day. Canceling a bus route is a last resort.

If your child’s route is delayed or canceled, here is how we let you know:

• Impacted routes are published the day before or the morning of by 6:15 a.m.
• Information published on MCPS website and ConnectEd message is sent to families
• Department of Transportation continues to identify possible drivers for impacted route
• Bus route information dashboard updated every half hour until 9:30 a.m.

Updates for afternoon routes

• Bus route information dashboard updated by 1:30 p.m.

Updated for 2023-2024 School Year!

• MCPS Transportation - Bus Routes

• Letter from MCPS Bethesda Bus Supervisor

• Bus Routes for Cabin John Middle School - General Education

• Arrivals

• Departures

Check out the letter from our PTSA President, Ms. Yen Wang!

Please be sure to become a member of this important organization. Our PTSA is funded primarily through our memberships and donations.

Membership Information:

• Family Memberships (2 parents) are $50
• Student and Faculty Memberships are $10
• General donations are welcomed.

Ways to join the CJMS PTSA:

**Preferred Method** AtoZConnect (payment can be made with any credit card) @ https://cabinjohnptsa.membershiptoolkit.com/

Mail in an application (send in your membership form with a check;

mail to Cabin John MSPTSA, Attn: Treasurer, 10701 Gainsborough Road, Potomac, MD 20854)

Questions? Send an email to PTSA Membership.

Our first meeting was at the start of Back to School Night on August 30th. Please stay tuned for upcoming dates to hear more about how we can all support our CJMS school community!

The Community Outreach Program runs throughout the school year and is designed to assist any student in emergency need with essential items when other resources are not readily available. Students must attend one of the nine Wootton cluster schools, and they are typically on the Montgomery County Public School’s FARMS Program.

How does this program work?

• School’s guidance counselor or PPW will identify a student that is in need of essential item(s).
• Once identified, contact Jen Eisenfeld, Wootton HS PTSA Community Outreach Liaison, with the needed item(s). Ptsa_community_liaison@tswoottonhs.org or jjeisenfeld@verizon.net.
• Examples of items given in the past ranged from a new pair of shoes, coat, clothing, school supplies, or grocery store gift card – anything a child is in immediate need of to help ensure school success.

Jen will contact donating families, have the item(s) purchased, then contact the guidance counselor letting them know the items are purchased, and arrange to have the item(s)

What can I do?

1. Email List: Parents interested in being notified when a child is in need should contact Jen Eisenfeld at ptsa_community_liaison@tswoottonhs.org.

2. Donate: Gift cards to Target, Amazon, Giant, and Safeway are a great way to support your families. If you are interested in donating a gift card, contact Nikki Bossert at ptsa_treasurer@tswoottonhs.org.

3. Share: Please share this information with families and anyone you know can help or help to spread the word.

Cluster schools, which feed into Wootton High School, include:

Lakewood ES, Fallsmead ES, Travilah ES, DuFief ES, Robert Frost MS, Stone Mill ES, Cold Springs ES, and Cabin John MS shared with Churchill cluster.

Parents and guardians can view their children's Canvas courses as a Parent Observer. Access Canvas / myMCPS Classroom as a Parent Observer via Synergy ParentVUE. Click here to learn more!

1. Volunteer Form

   Complete the MCPS Parent/Guardian and Community Volunteer Form or the MCPS Volunteers in the Virtual Classroom form as appropriate. These forms serve as an introduction of yourself, your interests and availability in volunteering, and some important reminders about volunteers in schools.

   
   

2. Online Training
   

   Complete the mandatory online Recognizing Child Abuse and Neglect Training. This training is required for any volunteer who regularly supports schools, chaperones a field trip, etc. and is available in multiple languages. When the course is completed, a report is created to serve as proof of satisfying the training requirement.

   
   

3. Contact School
   

   Contact the school(s) where you wish to serve and provide them with a copy of the following:

   • Appropriate MCPS Parent/Guardian and Community Volunteer Form or the MCPS Volunteers in the Virtual Classroom Form and
   • Your online course grade sheet that will show 100% for completing the online Recognizing Child Abuse and Neglect Training.

Principal: Ms. Somer Snider

Assistant Principal (6th Grade): Mr. Andrew (Andy) Lee

Assistant School Administrator (7th Grade): Ms. Jennifer Wingate

Assistant Principal (8th Grade): Mr. Casey Siddons

Main Office Phone: 240-406-1600
Fax: 240-740-4403
Guidance Counseling Office: 240-406-1560
Health Room: 240-406-1570

Attendance Office: 240-406-1599 (to leave a VM)

Please call CJMS to notify us of your child's absence.

Email: Somer_Snider@mcpsmd.org
Website: https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/cabinjohnms/
Location: 10701 Gainsborough Road, Potomac, MD, USA
Phone: 240-406-1600
Twitter: @CabinJohnMS