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 16 - 20. This week is Safety Week here at Cabin John. During Safety Week students will participate in a series of essential drills, including fire drills, evacuation procedures, severe weather responses, shelter-in-place protocols, and lockdown procedure reviews. These drills are crucial in teaching students how to act quickly and calmly in various scenarios. We appreciate your support as we work together to keep our school community safe and secure! Please reach out to Mr. Lee, our safety team coordinator, with any questions!

Last week we had MAP-R testing on Tuesday morning and MAP-M testing on Thursday morning. We know many students were out sick last week, so we will be running make-ups this week for any students who need to take or finish the assessments.

Finance Park starts this Friday. Thank you to everyone who is coming to help with Finance Park! We are fully staffed for Friday, September 20th, but we still need about 10 people for both the 23rd and the 24th. If you are able to volunteer and help us out, please reach out to Mr. McCutcheon or Mr. Dyson ASAP.

The activity buses started up again last Tuesday and run every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Cabin John extra-curricular activities are also starting up soon. In the digital newsletter you will find a link to an informational packet of what activities we and PTSA offer here at Cabin John. Also, if there is a club you don't see but are interested in, please speak to Mr. Siddons. As long as we can find a teacher to sponsor the club we can incorporate it into the rest of our activities.

CJMS SGA is one of the student organizations starting up soon. Ms. Pun, our 6th grade counselor, is sponsoring SGA this year. Students, if you are interested in running for an officer position please check out the digital newsletter for more information.

Please remember the phone message just highlights some of the information you can find in our digital newsletter that arrives through email. This year I am marking anything that is new to the newsletter as "New!" in the title. I'm hoping this make it more convenient for families as they read the newsletter. Any items in the digital newsletter that have been updated or revised for this edition will have "Revised" in the title as well. Please take a look for more opportunities for our students as not everything can be called out in the phone message.

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

Have a great evening!

Ms. 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.

In an effort to keep our weekly newsletter shorter and more concise, I am not going to add the resources that appear every week. Instead, I will link our BTS newsletter here so you have easy access to that information.

• Monday, September 16 - Friday, September 20 - Safety Week at CJMS
• Friday, September 20 - Finance Park, Mr. McCutcheon Pd. 1-4
• Monday, September 23 - Finance Park, Mr. Barnhouse Pd. 1-4
• Tuesday, September 24 - Finance Park, Ms. Mihailidis Pd 3, Mr. McCutcheon Pd 8, Mr. Barnhouse Pd. 8
• Thursday, September 26 - Fall Picture Day - more details will come home soon!
• Friday, September 27 - Early Release Day, Students Dismissed at 12:30pm
• Thursday, October 3 - No School for Staff and Students
• Wednesday, October 9 - 8th Grade Field Trip to AFI Theatre
• Thursday, October 17 - 6th Grade Principal's Tea/Outdoor Education Information Night
• Friday, October 18 - No School for Students, PD Day for Teachers
• Thursday, October 31 - Last Day of Marking Period 1

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.

CJMS students: registration will be opening soon for extra curricular activities!

Visit the ECA Information Packet on the CJMS website to learn more about each club before you register your preferences. All clubs and activities rely on an adult sponsor. After reading the options, sign up for activities here!

Do you want to start your own club? Talk to Mr. Siddons and find a teacher to sponsor your activity! ECA Information Packet

SGA is starting back up again, and Ms. Pun is this year’s sponsor! Our first SGA meeting is October 17th.

If you are interested in joining the CJMS SGA (Student Government Association) and in running for an officer position, check out the links below for information about the club and how to run for office! If running for office, please be sure to read all important documents and complete the Google Form to become a candidate. The candidate SGA Leadership Profile Google Form must be completed no later than September 24th. There was an optional elections information session for any students interested in running on Friday, September 13th during advisory in the Media Center. See Ms. Pun in the counseling office for more details if you missed it or if you have any questions!

• What is SGA?
• SGA Officer Elections Info Sheet 24-25
• SGA Leadership Profile Google Form

Important Dates

• First SGA Meeting: Thursday, October 17th 3:15-4:25pm

Election Candidates Dates:

• SGA Leadership Profile Google Form & Letter from Sponsor - Tuesday, September 24th
• Speech/Video Submission - Friday, September 27th
• Campaigning (must be reviewed, approved, and signed by sponsor) - begins Tuesday, October 1st
• Officer Election Day - Wednesday, October 9th

Meetings begin in October and we will be meeting twice a month on Thursdays from 3:15-4:25pm. Location TBD. The first meeting is on October 17th and all students who are interested in joining SGA are welcome to attend! Any and every student can become involved with SGA at any time. Elected officers are required to attend. We will be organizing upcoming fun events for the 2024-2025 school year.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to Ms. Pun (pamela_z_pun@mcpsmd.org) with any questions.

The Social Studies team is hosting a series of Curriculum Night webinars for families to learn more about how social studies is taught in MCPS and how its curricula in kindergarten through 11th grade incorporate the history of various ethnic and cultural groups. The webinars will be held from 6:30–7:30 p.m. on the following dates:

• Thursday, Sept. 12–Black and African American History
• Thursday, Sept. 26–Asian History
• Thursday, Oct. 10–Hispanic History
• Thursday, Oct. 24–Arab History
• Thursday, Nov. 7–Indigenous History of the United States
• Thursday, Dec. 5–LGBTQ+ History (Middle and High School Only)
• Thursday, Dec. 12–Jewish History

To attend, families must register at the above links and a link to attend the webinar will be sent to them.

The safety of our MCPS community is critical, and being able to communicate with students, staff, and families during severe weather or other emergencies is of the utmost importance.

Use this link to find all the ways you can connect with MCPS to receive emergency operational information from the school system. The current operating status options for the school district appear on the MCPS website and on individual school websites.

In the event of a change in operational status, this link will provide more information about the MCPS Operating Status options.

Update: Thank you to everyone who is coming to help with Finance Park! We are fully staffed for Friday, September 20th, but we still need about 10 people for both the 23rd and the 24th. If you are able to volunteer and help us out, please reach out to Mr. McCutcheon or Mr. Dyson ASAP.

On September 20, 23, and 24, 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:

• Friday, September 20 - Mr. McCutcheon Pd. 1-4
• Monday, September 23 - Mr. Barnhouse Pd. 1-4
• Tuesday, September 24 - Ms. Mihailidis Pd 3, Mr. McCutcheon Pd 8, Mr. Barnhouse Pd. 8

What does it mean to be a volunteer at JA Finance Park?

The total time commitment is 5.5 hours, including a 1-hour training the morning of your scheduled volunteer day.

• You will help guide students through different phases of the day, which simulate real-world budgeting decisions, spending research, and bill payment

• Then you will share your own life experiences and help them walk a day in your shoes. You bring the program to life!

Sign up to volunteer for this unique experience at: https://www.myja.org/caregivers/montgomery

JA VolunteerHub Parent Access & Instructions

Logging In for the First Time:

1. Navigate to https://www.myja.org/caregivers/montgomery and click the blue “Sign Up to Volunteer” button.

2. At the bottom of the page, click on “Create New Account.”

3. Choose a username and password that you will be able to remember, and click “Next.”

4. Fill out your profile, completing all boxes that are indicated as required by the asterisks.

5. On the confirmation page, click “Next” to view available slots for upcoming dates.

Finding and Registering For Your School:

1. In the top right corner, click the magnifying glass to open the search bar.

2. Enter the name of your student’s school - Cabin John MS

3. Identify which date your student will be visiting JA Finance Park

2024 video created by JA Finance Park: What to expect as a Parent

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6LjiXGWPSg

The due date for submitting SSL forms for service completed after June 1, 2024, is September 27, 2024. Please turn in their SSL forms to the main office, counseling office, google form, or via email to Ms. Poole!

All SSL forms received by September 27, 2024, will be reviewed and processed by the end of the first quarter.

Resources for SSL:

• SSL forms, resources, and guidelines
• September SSL Opportunities
• SSL opportunities -September and Montgomery County Volunteer Center
• SSL program overview
• Step-by-step directions for viewing student SSL record on StudentVUE
• Introduction to SSL Handout: English | Español| 中文 | Français | tiếng Việt | 한국어 | አማርኛ | Portuguêse

Model United Nations (or Model UN) is an authentic simulation of the United Nations General Assembly in which students act as country delegates and engage in acts of diplomacy, negotiation, and decision making.

The program is offered through Global Minds, LLC, founded in 2021 by former Bells Mill ES/Cabin John MS parents, Audré Park and Shreelata Durbhakula.

Global Minds offers three 8-week instructional sessions (Fall, Winter and Spring) throughout the year, and serves as administrators to register students in local Model UN conferences at the U.S. Department of State, universities, high schools and middle schools throughout the DMV area.

CJMS Model UN is open to 6th - 8th graders. Siblings receive a 5% discount. To cancel registration for a full refund, request cancellation 24 hours before the second class.

For detailed information, visit the website at Global Minds, LLC.

Date & Time: Fall Session starts, Thursday, September 19 at 3:15pm - 4:15pm (8 weeks). Ends on Nov. 9 Room location to be announced.

Cost: $225 (There are additional student expenses ranging from $20 ~ $60 that are charged by individual conferences) Registration is open now.

To register, click here. Students requesting financial aid: Please email globalmindsmun@gmail.com

EF Tours - We're Going to Japan! Come out Thursday, September 19th @ 7PM to the Media Center to hear how your student can join us on an amazing trip to Japan!

Use the link to RSVP your attendance: https://bit.ly/4dobG8W

Contact Mr. Siddons for more details.

NOTE: EF Tours are NOT sponsored by MCPS.

Safety is our top priority at Cabin John Middle School, and we are committed to ensuring that our students are prepared for any emergency situation.

During Safety Week, from September 16-20, students will participate in a series of essential drills, including fire drills, evacuation procedures, severe weather responses, shelter-in-place protocols, and lockdown procedure reviews. These drills, mandated by the county, are crucial in teaching students how to act quickly and calmly in various scenarios.

We appreciate your support as we work together to keep our school community safe and secure! Please reach out to Mr. Lee with any questions!

This year we have 15 minutes at the end of each grade level lunch for student wellness time. During this time, students are allowed to go for a walk in the courtyard, play outside for recess (weather permitting), or play games in the cafeteria. Thank you to all the families who donated games to us on Back to School Night! If you have any old board games or activities appropriate for middle school age students, please feel free to donate them! We will put them to good use! All donations can be dropped off in the main office.

PTSA has also created a wellness wish list for us if you would like to purchase an item from the list. All items will be shipped directly to CJMS and used for our students wellness time. Thank you in advance for all of your generosity!

Click here to see a larger pic with the code!

CJMS Mathcounts Club tryout will take place in the school cafeteria on Friday, September 20 from 3:15pm. About 24 students with the highest scores will qualify for the Mathcounts Club. Club members will meet weekly on Sundays 9:30-11:30am for training and testing. The performance in these tests will form the basis for the coaches to select up to 12 Mathcounts Club members to form the CJMS Mathcounts Team.

Mathcounts Competition Series is the nation’s premier middle school math competition consisting of a series of competitions. See https://www.mathcounts.org/programs/competition-rules-faq for more information.

CJMS Mathcounts club aims to foster students' interest in math. Competition schedule for the Mathcounts series can be found at
https://www.mathcounts.org/programs/critical-dates

Please register for the tryout at the link below:

CJMS Mathcounts Club 2024-2025 Tryout

Contact cabinjohnmathcounts@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Welcome to our new CJMS PTSA Board that was voted in during the Back to School Night Welcome Back Fair! We appreciate you!

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 will be at the start of Back to School Night on August 28th. Please join us to hear more about how we can all support our CJMS school community!

Main Office telephone: 240-406-1600

Counseling Office telephone: 240-406-1560

Health Office telephone: 240-406-1570

FAX: 240-740-4403

website: https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/cabinjohnms/

The school day for students is from 8:15 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. It is imperative that students not be dropped off prior to 7:55 a.m. Students being dropped off by parents/guardians at school must enter through the doors by the cafeteria. Parents/guardians, if you are using the student drop-off loop, please make sure to pull as far as possible to the stop sign at the end of the loop - students are not permitted to enter through the main office doors, so it doesn't help to drop them off at that location.

After school activities will start on September 10th and will be on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Students must be picked up from after-school activities by 4:35 p.m. as supervision is not scheduled outside of these hours.

If you have questions about events, schedules or other school-related matters, including reporting the absence of a student, please call us at 240-406-1600.

If you need to report an absence and would like to submit a letter via email, please send an email to our attendance secretary, Ms. Jordan Murek (email: Jordan_Murek@mcpsmd.org). CJMS Attendance policies can be found here.

Principal: Ms. Somer Snider

Assistant Principal (6th Grade): Mr. Casey Siddons

Assistant School Administrator (7th Grade): Mr. Andy Lee

Assistant Principal (8th Grade): Ms. Jen Wingate

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.

CJMS Attendance Office Procedures can be found here.

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