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Upcoming Dates to Remember
- Monday, January 15 - No School - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- Monday, January 15 - Electives Registration closes for current 6th and 7th graders
- Tuesday, January 16 - Winter MAP-M Testing - Revised Schedule
- Thursday, January 11 - High School Teachers come to CJMS to meet with Grade 8 students
- Wednesday, January 17 - Orchestra Concerts @ Wootton HS, students report at 6pm, the concerts start at 7pm
- Thursday, January 18 - Incoming 6th Grade Parent Night (for current 5th grade families) at CJMS from 7:00pm to 8:30pm
- Monday, January 15 to Friday, January 26 - Electives registration for rising grade 6 students
- Friday, January 26 - Last Day of Semester 1/Quarter 2
- Monday, January 29 - No School for Students/Planning & Grading Day for Staff
- Thursday, February 1 - MSP hosts Cultural Cafe in CJMS Cafeteria @ 5:00pm
- Monday, February 19 - No School for Students & Staff in Observance of President's Day
- Friday, February 23 - Annual Black History Heritage Celebration @ 7:00pm in the CJMS Cafeteria
Weekly Assignment Summary for January 15 to January 19
One of our families recently lost all of their belongings when a car crashed into their apartment on New Years Eve. The family has 4 students in MCPS. They lost everything in their apartment.
The family has been relocated to a different apartment within the same complex and is in need of some support.
Our staff has been donating items and also created an Amazon wishlist so donations could be sent directly to the family's apartment. Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated!
If you have any questions, please reach out to our Resource Counselor, Ms. Jennifer Poole (Jennifer_A_Poole@mcpsmd.org)
Round House Theatre is coming to Cabin John for the spring musical Finding Nemo! an adaptation of the beloved 2003 Pixar movie Finding Nemo featuring Nemo, Marlin, Crush, and all their friends.
Auditions were held after school on Thursday, January 11th.
Students interested in crew should attend a mtg Thursday January 18th. Rehearsals will be afterschool on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and the performances will be the weekend of May 10th. Students can sign up by going to https://bit.ly/CabinJohn24
Calling all Cabin John Cougars, MSP is hosting their first ever Cultural Cafe!
The event will be held on February 1st, 2024 at 5:00 pm in the school cafeteria. We would love for you to come and bring a dish that represents your culture, we welcome you to bring as many people in your family foods. There will be a sign-up sheet available next week.
Take advantage of virtual Parent Academy sessions this winter to stay informed and empowered as a partner and advocate for your student’s education. Parent Academy TO GO workshops provide families with useful information and resources to support their children's academic and emotional well-being, as well as help them to be college and career ready.
Upcoming sessions and topics this month:
Managing Morning Mayhem and Bedtime Battles: Jan. 17, 6-7 p.m.
Online Safety Tips for Kids and Teens: Jan. 24, 6-7 p.m.
Visit the parent academy website for a full schedule and to register.
On Jan. 23, MCPS, in partnership with the Asian American Health Initiative and the Montgomery County Government, will have a screening of the documentary film, “Silent War: Asian American Reckonings with Mental Health,” followed by reflection from one of the individuals in the film and a moderated panel discussion.
Transportation, snacks and prizes will be provided. Be sure to register by the January 16 deadline.
MCPS, in partnership with the NAACP Parents’ Council and Johns Hopkins University, will also host a Junior Day college event for rising minority seniors to learn about scholarships, financial aid, interviews and more.
Buses, breakfast and lunch will be provided.
Every year, thousands of school districts in over 40 states participate in local and state-level competitions to select artwork that depicts school bus safety-related themes and encourages and promotes school bus safety. The winning posters are used to promote safer school transportation for everyone. State winners advance to the national poster contest.
Submissions for the contest must be received by the Office of Pupil Transportation/Emergency Management by March 15, 2024.
For questions, please contact Gabriel Rose, Director, Office of Pupil Transportation/Emergency Management at gabriel.rose1@maryland.gov or 410-767-0209.
Winston Churchill High School Booster Club - Girls Varsity Basketball Team
The Winston Churchill High School Booster Club would like to invite all of our wonderful future Bulldog families to come out and help cheer on on Girls Varsity Basketball Team!
The team will play Northwest HS next Tuesday, January 16th at 5:30pm in the Winston Churchill HS Gymnasium. There is free admission for all of our cluster students who attend and our concessions will be open so please come hungry! Looking forward to seeing many of you there!
The 16th Annual Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) College Fair will be held on Friday, February 16, 2024, from 6:00–8:30 p.m. The in-person event will take place at The Universities at Shady Grove for students in Grades 8–12 and their families to meet with representatives from over 50 historically black colleges and universities.
The HBCU College Fair will include the following:
- Workshops on financial aid, assistance with completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and scholarship opportunities.
- A panel discussion on college life with representatives from the Montgomery County National Pan-Hellenic Council Fraternities and Sororities.
- Workshops that include scholarship information from the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and an overview of HBCUs and how to find your best-fit HBCU.
During the fair, students and parents can interact with college admission representatives and attend workshops, including a separate workshop and activities for middle school students. Registration for the college fair will open on Friday, January 19, 2024, and can be found at the HBCU Fair website.
All students and parents/guardians must register to attend. Students may earn 3 SSL hours for attending at least 2 workshop sessions during the fair and completing an SSL Google Form that will be provided to participants after the event.
Vaping Awareness Alert & Resources
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.
Note from the CJMS Nurse:
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
Are you interested in becoming a Best Buddy?
Go to the CJMS website today and fill out your membership application to join!
ActiveMONTGOMERY Winter Registration Dates
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.
NEW COMPUTER FUNDING FOR LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS
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.
COVID-19 Outbreak Measures and Vaccine News
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.
Earn SSL Hours and Fulfill Graduation Requirement
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).
Kids Ride Free
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.
Out-of-School Programs with Many Types of Activities Available from Montgomery Recreation
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.
Out-of-School Time Activities Available For All Students for Jan. 29 & April 10
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.
How to Find Mental Health Resources and Supports in MCPS
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.
Common Sense Media Provides Resources for Families to Manage Screen Time
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.
How to Talk with Kids About Violence, Crime, and War
Special Education Family Support Center
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.
Tech Support for ParentVue
A Note from MCPS Transportation
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!
Bus Routes for Cabin John Middle School - General Education
Cougar Planners Arrived!
Additional information on the MCPS middle school program is available here.
Cell Phone Policy
Cell phones may not be used at school during the instructional day (8:15AM – 3:00PM). Cell phones, and electronic devices, including earbuds and headphones, must be turned off and stored in students’ lockers during the school day.
Students may use their cell phones before 8:15AM and after 3:00PM. Emergency calls may be made in the main office.
Student Backpacks in Lockers
Students are also welcome to use their Chromebook carrying case throughout the day, but will not be allowed to have their backpacks, or large purses that serve as backpacks, with them throughout the day.
Please Join our CJMS PTSA!
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!
Community Messages from MCPS
Read all the MCPS Community Messages in multiple languages here.
Cafeteria News & Secondary School Meals Information
Starting on the first day of school, full breakfasts will cost $1.30, full lunches will cost $2.80, and various ala carte items will be available ranging from $1 to $2.
When students go through the meal line, they will enter their student ID numbers to access their lunch accounts. Funds can be added to student lunch accounts using MySchoolBucks or payments can be made directly to our cafeteria using cash or a check. We will share a link to the monthly menu and specific ala carte offerings during the third week of August, 2023.
No student will be denied a meal if funds are not available on their account. In the event that a lunch account has insufficient funds, the student will still receive the meal and the price will be recorded as a credit which can be repaid at a later date.
It is important to complete the Free and Reduced Meals (FARMS) form if you have previously, or believe you will qualify for free or reduced meals. If your family qualifies for any level of FARMS support, all meals are free. Apply online at www.MySchoolApps.com
Maryland State Immunization Requirements for Students
School Immunizations—The Maryland Department of Health released updated school vaccine requirements for the 2023-2024 school year.
Families of incoming kindergarten students, new students, and 7th and 8th graders may need additional vaccines to start the school year.
For students whose required vaccines are incomplete, updated vaccine records must be submitted by the first day of school; proof of exemption or a vaccination visit must be submitted within 20 days. School staff are reviewing records and contacting families of students with incomplete vaccination records. Not sure if your student is up to date? Contact your child’s health care provider or access their immunization records online. Students 18 years old and younger eligible for the Vaccines for Children program may obtain free vaccines through the county’s Immunization Program.
Check out Student's Canvas Courses
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!
Procedures for Parent and Community Volunteers
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.
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.
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.
Cabin John Middle School
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
