The CMS Tide Weekly Newsletter

CMS faculty and staff are looking forward to Open House next Thursday (9/29) as a great opportunity to meet our parents.

Parents will begin the evening in their child’s period one classroom and then will following their schedule, in numeric order, ending the evening in period seven. Students will write out their schedules during Wednesday’s utility and bring it home for parents. If this schedule is misplaced, students can write out their schedules from memory or check Aspen. Below is a downloadable copy of the blank schedule form in case your student misplaces the schedule.

For parents, Open House is not only a night to meet teachers, it also provides a valuable opportunity to learn how to support your child in each class. Teachers will share important details about the class such as email contact information, how frequently homework is assigned, and how students will record assignments, and how the class materials are organized so that parents can help a child stay organized and successful in each class.

See you at Open House!

After an exciting and memorable inaugural season, the CMS Cross-Country will hold an informational meeting on Wednesday (September 28) in the Learning Commons (3-3:30PM) for students who want to participate this season. Middle-school cross country is a fun sport for all whether hoping to learn about running and begin a life-long activity, stay in shape for winter sports, or just to go out and make new friends. Cross-country team members will participate in (and host) meets against middle schools in the area. The season ends with the South Shore Middle School Cross-Country League meet where all schools are invited and hundreds of runners traverse the 1 - 1.5 mile course.

Interested students: please plan on attending the meeting to learn more!

Massachusetts General Law Chapter 76 requires that each school notify parents and guardians if their student has five (5) or more unexcused school absences. Parents and guardians will receive a letter when their child has 5, 10, and/or 15+ days of unexcused absences. The letter will also include the number of unexcused tardies and unexcused early dismissals.

Absences will be excused under the following circumstances:

• After a medical appointment documented with a note from the medical office

• Illness or quarantine with a note from the appropriate medical office

• Observance of a religious holiday

• Bereavement or serious illness in family

• Court appearance

• A child may also be excused for other exceptional reasons with approval of the Principal or designee in accordance with the school committee policy and the regulations set in Chapter 76

Daily attendance is essential to a student's success. Missing a significant number of days of school has a detrimental effect on academic and social development. Therefore, each school will work with individual families to support student attendance.

Thursday's heavy rains, and thunder and lightning meant that students could not go outside after lunch for fresh air and movement. However, the rains did not was away fun during lunch. Dr. Salas hosted an impromptu Karaoke Lunch. Students volunteered to come up and serenade their peers during lunch with their favorite Disney songs. (Pictures by Mr. Ayer)

Students flocked to Visual/Performing Arts bulletin board to see assignment of parts for the CMS fall musical, Moana Jr. (Photo by Mr. Ayer)

Welcome back!

It is great to see all the smiling familiar and new faces this year. I have returned full-time this year, so please direct all questions/concerns to my attention.

Please remind your children that I am located upstairs in Room 223 if they have any medical needs during the day.

I have received many Confidential Health Forms for the year, but please send one in if you have not yet done so. I will need a new form every year. Download the form below.

The main purpose of the form is to provide parent/guardian permission for me to administer over-the-counter medication to your children if indicated, and the form needs to be completed annually.

Thank you,

Nurse Erin

Erin Kalberer, APRN

Cohasset Middle School Nurse

Dear CMS Parent/Guardian,

Cohasset Middle School is committed to bringing unique learning opportunities to our students. CMS has curated a collection of digital eBooks and audiobooks for our students in Sora, the Student Reading App. The school community can discover new titles in Sora throughout the year, including school vacations!

Why Sora?

The collection of titles in Sora is an extension of our physical library at the CMHS Library Learning Commons, only it is in an app with 24/7 access to ebooks and audiobooks. It is convenient for students to check out titles at home, on the weekends or during school breaks with no worry about misplacing a book, and these digital titles automatically return at the end of the lending period!

Sora can help students of all ages read more and improve comprehension. Struggling or reluctant readers, second language learners, and gifted readers can all benefit from this service. Using Sora can:

• Enrich vocabulary and improve comprehension and pronunciation
• Introduce students to books above their reading level
• Teach critical listening
• Help busy kids find time to read
• Incentivize reading with fun avatars and achievements
• Allow easy access to Pratt Library’s collection as well! In the Sora menu select: +Add a library to add Pratt Library. (Note: You will need a Pratt Library card number.)

How can my student access Sora?

1. Download the free Sora app from the Apple App story, Google Play Store, or visit: https://soraapp.com/library/masslibma

2. Find Cohasset Middle/High School in the drop-down menu

3. Sign in with school Google account.

4. Enjoy anytime, anywhere on a computer, tablet, or smartphone.

Whether a student’s interest lies in classics for required reading, the latest popular juvenile or young adult fiction, or non-fiction for research projects, they can find it all in Sora!

Where can I find more information?

• Sora Help: https://help.soraapp.com/

• Sora How-To Videos: https://resources.overdrive.com/k-12-schools/how-to-videos/sora/

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me at kcerruti@cohassetk12.org or 781-383- 6100 x2170.

Sincerely,

Kathleen Rose Cerruti

CMHS Librarian/Media Specialist

Open Coalition Meeting

October 4, 2022

11-1230PM

Community Room of Cohasset Public Schools

Parent Coffee Hour

October 18, 2022

1-2PM

Meeting Room of Paul Pratt Memorial Library

Phase two of the field replacement will begin in the fall. During this time, NO ONE IS ALLOWED WITHIN THE FIELD GATES FOR ANY REASON. Families will receive a communication from the Athletic Director regarding the specific timeline.

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