CJMS Weekly Updates

Good Evening, Cabin John Middle School Families!

This is your Principal, Ms. Snider with the Sunday announcements for the week of September 4 - 8. Thank you to our whole community for a fantastic first week of school! It was wonderful meeting so many families at Back to School Night this past Wednesday. We are also looking forward to seeing everyone for the PTSA Back to School Picnic and Parent Social this Thursday, September 7th from 4 - 7 PM.

Remember, there will be NO SCHOOL Monday, September 4th in observance of Labor Day.

Updated morning bus routes have been shared by MCPS Transportation. The route supervisors have been examining all the stops to make sure that no buses are too crowded. Remember, our bus routes are on the website. The parent drop off loop has been running very smoothly. Thank you for remembering to pull up as far as possible to keep the flow of traffic moving. Students enter through the doors by the cafeteria, so it is more beneficial to pull up further anyway. The main office doors are only used by our students in special programs.

This year we are shifting to a Chromebook cart model where students will still carry around their Chromebook through the school day, but then leave it in their 8th period class to charge overnight. This change will really help ensure all students have charged Chromebooks and don't lose their chargers or forget them at home. Even though students will no longer bring the Chromebook home every night, all online homework and assignments can be accessed from any Internet connected device. If your child does not have access to an Internet connected device at home and needs a device, please complete this form.

Students in 7th and 8th grade will be switching to our new cart model this week. Starting on September 5th, please bring your Chromebooks and chargers to school every day. Students’ chargers and Chromebooks will be placed in a cart in their 8th period one day next week. At that point, they will begin leaving your Chromebook at school every night.

CJ does not have any more Lenovo chargers. If you lost your charger, you must buy one online or at your local electronics store. The type of charger you will need to buy is a 45W Type-C USB-C Charger AC Replacement Power Adapter for Lenovo.

The 2023-2024 Household Application for Free and Reduced-price Meals is available on our website. If your student(s) received this service in the past, please complete this year’s application.

Remember to update your child’s information in the ParentVue portal. Parents have access to their child’s information and we ask that you verify that it is accurate and update any changes, such as Emergency contact, cell phone numbers, or care providers.

We look forward to welcoming everyone for week two 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.

• Monday, September 5 - Labor Day Holiday, All MCPS Schools and Office Closed

• Thursday, September 7 - Rain or Shine is the PTSA Back to School Picnic & Parent Social at 4:00 - 7:00pm

• Tuesday, September 12 - MAP-R Testing

• Thursday, September 14 - MAP-M Testing

• Friday, September 22 - Early Dismissal Day, school dismisses after lunch at 12:30pm

• Monday, September 25 - No School for Students and Teachers

• Friday, September 30 - Early Dismissal Day, school dismisses after lunch at 12:30pm

• Monday, October 2 - Friday, October 8 - Mental Health Awareness Week

• October 2-3 - Grade 7 Field Trip to Finance Park

• October 3 - 4 - Grade 8 Field Trip to Bar-T

• Monday, October 18 - Students Individual Picture Day

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.

Based on feedback from students, families, and staff, CJMS is incorporating a whole school PRIDE on Wednesday afternoons and including more time to see teachers during daily PRIDEs. Our advisory PRIDE lessons will take place on Friday in the advisory before student lunches while the whole school PRIDE, with a return to PRIDE-letics, will happen on Wednesday afternoons.

For the full bell schedule document, click here.

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]

ParentVUE Annual Verification is required annually for all accounts. Please refer to the directions below.

• How to complete the annual verification of information through Online Registration. Required every year.

• ParentVUE Online Registration for Annual Verification of Information (video)

Translated Guides: Español / 中文 / français / tiếng Việt / 한국어 / አማርኛ

Churchill High School is working collaboratively with the Mia Fontana Foundation to do a screening of the film Angst. This informative event will be held at Churchill High School on 9/20/23 from 7:00-8:30 p.m.

The registration link for the event can be found here. Dr. Julia Goolsby from the Potomac Anxiety Center will join in as a local expert to field questions about the signs & symptoms students and parents should be looking for and when it’s best to enlist further help/resources.

Students in 7th and 8th grade will be switching to the cart model this week. Starting on September 5th, please bring your Chromebooks and chargers to school every day. Students’ chargers and Chromebooks will be placed in a cart in their 8th period one day next week. At that point, they will begin leaving your Chromebook at school every night.

If your child does not have access to an Internet connected device at home and needs a device, please complete this form.

CJ does not have any more Lenovo chargers. If your child lost their charger, you must buy one online or at your local electronics store. The type of charger you will need to buy is a 45W Type-C USB-C Charger AC Replacement Power Adapter for Lenovo.

On October 2 and 3, the 7th grade will be going to the MCPS Finance Park financial literacy simulation. And, we need volunteers to help make it run!

On the day of the field trip, volunteers for this activity drive themselves to the Thomas Edison High School of Technology, engage in a quick volunteer training, and then run a "store front" as students cycle through. The total time commitment is estimated to be 5.5 hours.

What: Finance Park field trip at MCPS’ Edison Center

When: Oct 2 for Mr. McCutcheon’s classes ←→ Oct 3 for Mr. Barnhouse’s classes

Read the Finance Park Volunteer Letter and Access to learn more.

For more information on Finance Park, watch this video.

The fall athletics season is upon us and below is all the information about registration and tryouts. In the Fall, MCPS offers Boys and Girls Softball, as well as, Co-Ed Cross Country for 7th and 8th graders.

Fall 2023 interscholastic athletics online registration for softball and cross country will be submitted through the ParentVUE Portal, it is OPEN now and the portal will close on Sept. 12, 2023.

Both the ParentVUE portal registration and supporting documents (SR-8 Doctors Physical and Medical Clearance) must be completed prior to the 1st tryout.

Tryouts for both Softball and Cross country will begin on Sept. 12th from 3:15 PM - 4:20 PM.

All athletics practices and contests are held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays when it is a full day of school. Practices are 3:15-4:20 and all contests start promptly at 3:30.

A detailed walkthrough of the registration process can be found at the following link if needed.

https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/cabinjohnms/clubs/athletics/

Any questions regarding the registration process or athletics can be directed to our Athletic Coordinator, Mr. Blumenthal, at David_J_Blumenthal@mcpsmd.org.

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

Families and students can stay engaged throughout the school year with Parent Academy TO GO, a series of webinars for families to watch at home.

The webinars are available on the Parent Academy website. Registration is available here.

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