We are absolutely committed to supporting our students. However, when it comes to loaning Chromebooks to students, we are finding limits to our ability to support kids.

As a Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) school, it is imperative that every student have a working and well-charged device with them as they come to school and attend each class. We keep a small number of Chromebooks in the CMS Main Office to help any student who accidentally left his/her device at home or forgot to plug in and recharge at night.

Unfortunately, many students come to the office after arriving at school and ask to borrow a device. Quickly our supply of loaners gets depleted, and we are unable to help out those who brought in a device but found it unusable. Currently we are enabling students to come to school unprepared (without device) leaving us unable to help students who need the help.

To address this inequity, we are initiating a new practice on Monday December 13. When students request a loaner, we will direct them to call a parent/guardian first. Students will ask parents/guardians to bring in the devices they failed to bring to school as requested. We will supply them with a Chromebook loaner until their parent/guardian drops off their personal device.

Please remind your student to bring a device to school every morning to avoid being burdened having to bring the device to school during the day. We hope to cultivate positive attributes of responsibility and accountability among our students and appreciate your help.

Beginning Monday, December 6, CHS students and faculty who have received a COVID vaccination will no longer be required to wear a COVID mask while in school.

This is because CHS and CMS collectively exceeded the 80% vaccination threshold (fully vaccinated staff and students in both schools combined). DESE granted approval for CHS and CMS to lift the mask mandate requirement for fully vaccinated individuals. The School Committee Meeting recently voted that masks will not be required for fully vaccinated individuals at CHS once students and staff in the combined CHS and CMS building reach the 80% vaccination threshold and, DESE approves. It was also decided by vote that vaccinated individuals at CMS will remain masked until January 1, 2022.

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As of this time, all CMS staff and students will continue to wear masks until January 1, 2022.

Importantly, masks will still be required in areas shared by CMS and CHS. Masks will continue to be worn by all individuals at both CHS and CMS in the following locations:

• On the bus (wearing a mask on the bus is a federal mandate)
• In our nurses’ offices (at both CHS and CMS)
• In our shared learning commons
• Masking rules for athletics will follow MIAA guidelines

Masking will be required for all visitors to Cohasset Public Schools until further notice. This requirement includes all families who are attending sporting, theater, and musical events.

Please note that even after the mask requirement is removed, students and staff may certainly choose to continue to wear a mask while in school. Any choice to wear a mask should not be viewed as an indication of one’s vaccination status. As a reminder, if your child’s vaccination status changes from unvaccinated to vaccinated, please contact your child’s school nurse. DESE reserves the right, following consultation with medical experts and state health officials, to re-institute the Department’s mask mandate at the shared building housing Cohasset Middle School and Cohasset High School, if it becomes appropriate based on state and local public health data. Thank you for your collaboration and vigilance regarding the above rules.

Source: The CPS Navigator Newsletter. 12/3/21

Oftentimes when dealing with personal or family issues, we feel overwhelmed because we lack experience and expertise with handling these issues. We want to be sure our families know that they are not alone--there are many resources on the South Shore that can help.

Community Resources

Wellspring Multi Service

Website: wellspringmultiservice.org

Address: 814 Nantasket Ave Hull, MA 02045

Phone: 781-925-3211

Contact: Jenny Gerbis, Community Outreach, ext. 127, jenny@wellspringmultiservice.org

Baystate Community Services

Website: baystatecs.org

Address: 1120 Hancock Street, Quincy, MA 02169

Phone: 617-471-8400

Email: info@baystatecs.org

Cohasset Food Pantry

Address: 129 So. Main Street, Cohasset, MA 02025

Phone: 781-383-0219 ext. 25

Cohasset Rotary Club

Website: cohassetrotary.org

Email: cohassetrotaryclub@gmail.com or pwmcohassetrotary@gmail.com

Interfaith Social Services

Website: interfaithsocialservices.org

Address: 105 Adams Street, Quincy MA 02169

Phone: 617-773-6203

Email: info@interfaithsocialservices.org

Safe Harbor Coalition Cohasset

Website: safeharborcohasset.org

Address: 35 Ripley Road, Cohasset, MA 02025

Phone: 781-783-5293

Contact: Nicole Balaschi, Program Director,

Email: safeharborcohasset@gmail.com

The CMS administration and faculty communicate with our families using many digital and traditional means. Our weekly newsletter, the CMS Tide, will be sent to families and students every weekend. It is also posted on our school website and shared via Twitter (@comsprincipal).

We call it the CMS Tide because just like we find when we walk along the beach, the tide brings to us treasures from the deep. It helps us picture what is going on just beyond where we stand. The CMS Tide supplies news, images, stories about life at CMS to our families each week,

We hope you enjoy each issue this year!

Since July 2014, Safe Harbor Cohasset has been working to promote awareness and implement resources to help make an impact on the substance use in the community. The group has members from across the spectrum in the community, including, but not limited to, Paul Pratt Memorial Library, Cohasset Recreation Department, Cohasset Police Department, Cohasset Public Schools, Second Congregational Church, town leaders, health professionals, parents, youth, fire personnel, and concerned citizens. In September 2017, Safe Harbor was awarded a federal Drug- Free Communities (DFC) Support Program grant, which focuses on preventing substance use among youth ages 12-17.

Since then, the group has worked to foster a strong and inclusive community that allows youth to strive and encourages healthy, educated and responsible choices about drug and alcohol use. The mission is supported by evidenced based, prevention focused, sustainable policies and youth- focused programs, such as Ground Level Café and the Safe Harbor Youth Ambassador Program. To learn more, and to find resources for both parents and teens, visit the Safe Harbor website at safeharborcohasset.org. Keep up to date on the latest news and trends by following Safe Harbor on Facebook at www.facebook.com/safeharborcohasset, on Twitter @cohsafeharbor, and on Instagram @safeharborcohasset.

Chinese philosopher Sun Tzu observed "In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity."

These are certainly difficult times and many parents and families are experiencing great stress. Our ability to cope is regularly challenged and, understandably, there may be times when individuals can no longer manage their emotions. It is important to know where to turn when we reach that point.

To help our families, we share this contact list of support providers--Mental Health and Crisis Contacts These support providers offer great opportunities to help receive help when those we love are struggling to manage.

The Cohasset Middle School is a grade 6-8 school dedicated to the development of the whole child. We are an inclusive, supportive, and safe learning environment committed to excellence and growth. Our community values experiential, collaborative, active learning that is rigorous and relevant, and fosters creative, responsible contributors to a global society.

Website: https://www.cohassetk12.org/Domain/9
Location: 143 Pond Street, Cohasset, MA, USA
Phone: 781.383.6100
Twitter: @comsprincipal

We are very excited to partner with Partnerships in Education and Resilience (PEAR) in order to promote the positive social-emotional development of our students. There is increasing evidence that helping students feel good about themselves, their school and their relationships improves their learning.

We will administer PEAR’s Holistic Student Assessment to students in grades 6-8. As part of this effort, your child will be asked to complete a brief survey about him or herself at the beginning and end of the year.

Designated school staff will have access to these results. This information can help staff tailor teaching and support programming to our student body’s unique strengths and needs.

PEAR will use data from our school for research and educational work. Students' names will never be used as part of this research. If you have any questions about this effort, please contact Principal Mills at jmills@cohassetk12.org