2024-2025 CJMS Back to School

Hello Cabin John Family! Happy Sunday and happy first week of school. Our staff has been preparing last week to welcome all of our returning and new Cabin John cougars back tomorrow morning. We are all looking forward to our first day of school tomorrow, August 26th.

This week's newsletter will be mostly the same as what has been sent out this month, but there are a few updates. This year, for clarity, I am going to identify any updated or new items in the newsletter in the title of the section. You will see "updated" and "new" in the titles and on the table of contents so you can find and review those sections more easily.

Tomorrow morning will be an exciting time and we wanted to review some items so everyone feels prepared for school in the morning. First, you may have read the message from transportation last Thursday, but in case you missed it you can find it in the digital newsletter. They have created a transportation hotline for anyone experiencing a challenge. If your bus isn't there right away, please wait a few minutes before you make a call as the first day transportation will need to work out some kinks in order to best serve our students. You can find the updated bus routes for Cabin John in the digital newsletter as well as on our website.

If you are dropping off students at Cabin John, please make sure you do so safely in the parent drop-off loop. Students should not exit their cars before they are up against the school wall. We do not want any students to have to walk through the parking lot to come into the building. Also, please pull your car up as far as possible to make the line move along as quickly as possible. Students who are dropped off need to enter through the doors by the cafeteria, as we save the main entrance for our students in special programs. Pulling up as far forward as possible actually gets them closer to our cafeteria doors.

Tomorrow morning when students arrive 6th graders will report directly to the cafeteria and 7th and 8th grade will report directly to their homeroom classrooms. Please don't stress as there will be lots of signs in the hallways and plenty of staff helping you find the homerooms that are alphabetically assigned. Students will receive a paper copy of their schedule and their new Cabin John agenda book at this time.

Remember, our Back to School Night and PTSA Back to School Fair is this upcoming Wednesday. The PTSA Fair will be from 5:30pm to 7:00pm. Food will be available as well as some informational tables. From 7:00pm to 8:30pm families are invited to come into the building and walk their students schedules, meet their teachers and learn about their classes, as well as check out where their lockers are located. More information can be found in the digital newsletter. Please remember, you can come and visit anytime between 7:00pm and 8:30pm. You will have the ability to explore the building and meet your child's teachers at your own pace. We look forward to seeing everyone on Wednesday evening, but please don't worry if you are unable to make it on this evening as all the teachers will share information about their classes and their welcome video on their classroom page.

We are very excited to welcome all of students back to school tomorrow morning! This year we are continuing to focus on Respect, Relationships, and Resiliency! Get a good night's rest and we will see everyone in the morning!

Sincerely,
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.

FIRST Day of School

When: Monday, August 26th from 8:15 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Who: All CJMS

What: Staff will assist students in locating their classrooms. All students will receive their schedules on the first day of school. Grade level counselors will be available to answer student scheduling questions.

• All 6th grade students will report to the cafeteria.

• All 7th & 8th grade students will report to posted homeroom assignments located in the 7th & 8th Grade PODs.

• Students in our special education programs will report to their designated classroom teachers.

Back to School Night Open House & 1st PTSA Meeting*

When: Wednesday, August 28th

Who: All CJMS

What: Please join us at 5:30 p.m. for the PTSA sponsored Back to School Fair:

• 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Optional - PTSA meet & greet in the activity lobby; food trucks and games outside on the side walks (weather depending)

• 6:00 p.m. - Room 1301 - Optional - Health Materials Review for 7th and 8th grade parents only

• 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. - The entire building is open for parents to explore. CJMS staff will be in their classrooms and spaces so parents and guardians have the opportunity to walk their students schedules and meet all of their teachers. Families can also check out where their students locker is located or check out some informational tables we will have set up in and near the Media Center. We will send out more information of what is available by the end of this week!

Your children will bring home their daily class schedule, or a schedule can be obtained in the school’s Media Center. Families can also find student schedules in StudentVue or ParentVue.

Carpooling is encouraged, but overflow parking will be available at Bells Mill Elementary School, one block from our building, on Bells Mill Road.

Message from MCPS Transportation Department:

Dear Families and Caregivers,

As our entire region adjusts to a return to school, MCPS wishes to remind families of the usual impact on traffic and the expectation of typical, but very few, bus route delays on some of our runs. This may be particularly true in areas affected by the Purple Line rail system construction. Due to the size and interconnectedness of our transportation system, we anticipate that the impact may be felt beyond just the immediate schools near the construction. Although delays are the exception, we know that traffic in our area can sometimes be challenging.

Need Help?

To address any concerns or issues with bus delays, we want to introduce the MCPS Transportation Hotline. This service will begin Monday, August 26, starting at 6:00 am to 5:00 pm, and will be available during the first week of school. MCPS transportation staff will be able to support families if questions, concerns or problems with a bus or bus stop need to be addressed. To access this service, call 240-740-7790.

Read the full message from 8/22/24 here: https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/publicinfo/community/school-year-2024-2025/Community-message-20240822.html

Bus Routes

• Safety tips and reminders about the Maryland School Bus Laws for students, families, and motorists.
  

• MCPS Transportation - Bus Routes - as soon as transportation shares the routes they will be available here!

• 2024-2025 Bus Routes for Cabin John Middle School - General Education

• Arrivals

• Departures

Parents should use their ParentVue portal to update their student’s emergency information online. Please complete this annual verification using ParentVue by Friday, September 6th. Directions are below:

You may click here to view the ParentVue Guide (Student Information: How do I see student information?) for directions on how to do so. This is the best way to update your student’s information. However, if you cannot provide this information electronically, please request a pre-printed copy of this form from the main office and they will send one home with your student. Please update all family contact information as this is our only means to contact family members in the event of an emergency. This information is not shared outside of the school system. It is essential that the annual verification be completed by Friday, September 6th.

Please note that students will only be released to the parent/guardian and emergency contact person(s) identified on the Student Emergency Information form.

CJMS staff and students practice fire evacuation and emergency drills regularly. The school’s safety and crisis preparedness plan is based on a national model and is supported by central office safety and security staff. The school’s On-Site Emergency Team (OSET) is comprised of administrators, counselors, health room staff, teachers, building service personnel and other staff members. The team meets regularly to ensure the safety of the school building and our ability to respond to potential safety concerns and/or emergencies.

Our school has 40+ security cameras in public areas of the building. There are no cameras in classrooms, restrooms or locker rooms. Security cameras provide critical information should security issues or emergencies occur.

In the event of a school emergency, the school or school system will contact parents/guardians through public service announcements and through the use of the Connect-Ed phone message system. (Please make sure that phone numbers and emails are kept up to date.) As we respond to any emergency, our first priority is the safety of all staff and students on our campus. Driveways and parking lot access must be available for emergency response teams and their vehicles, and may be blocked for any other access. If you need to come to the school, please remember to follow the directions of emergency and/or school staff. Parent reunification sites will be set up in the main office atrium and cafeteria. Any parent or adult picking up students must have a valid form of identification and the name of the authorized adult must be on the student’s emergency information form. Students will not be released to anyone other than those documented on this form.

Cabin John has always made clear communication a priority. We will continue to prioritize communication and tell the story of Cabin John Middle School through multiple venues. Please expect the following from us:

• Weekly Sunday night Connect Ed phone call @ 6:00pm from administration with detailed information on activities and upcoming happenings at CJMS.

• Weekly Smore newsletter from administration with detailed information on activities and upcoming happenings at CJMS.

• Staff members will also be utilizing Remind, as our texting communication app.

• All updates and links will be found on the Cabin John Middle School website.

• Weekly Assignment Summary (a document briefly listing all class assignments for the week) will be included in the weekly Smore newsletter as well as posted on the CJMS website.

• Cabin John Twitter account will continue to be utilized to communicate messages and share news and events with our community. (@CabinJohnMS)

We are continuing our work to be more “green” and share as much information as possible with parents electronically. We will notify you with Connect Ed updates when we add or update with new information. But, if you cannot find what you need in this newsletter or on our webpage, please contact the main office and we will be happy to help you!

Last year, we shifted to a hybrid model where students left their assigned Chromebooks at school, but kept it throughout the school day. We still saw significant damages to the Chromebooks and challenges with getting them fixed. This year, we will be transitioning back to a cart model. Teachers will be assigned a Chromebook cart and students will use the Chromebooks in each classroom when they are needed for instruction. Chromebooks will not be signed out to individual students and students will not be taking them from class to class.

Just like last year, students will no longer bring the Chromebook home every night but 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 the form linked below.

Based on feedback from students, families, and staff, CJMS is incorporating a whole school PRIDE every day this year between periods 3 and 4. Students will see it on their schedules when they return to school as "Advisory."

During grade level lunches, we will no longer be reporting to Advisory first. Students will report directly to lunch and then have Wellness time for the last 15 minutes of their lunch period. Grade level administrators, counselors, and team leaders are working on what activities will be available during Wellness time, but students can expect recess outside, courtyard time, board games, and movies. More to come soon!

For the full bell schedule document, click here.

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 in mid-September 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.

There have been questions about the PE uniforms. Students can wear any materials they are comfortable in with some stipulations the PE team will share with them the first few days of school. They are not required to wear Cabin John spirit gear - even though we love when they do!

We will open the CJMS PE sponsored spirit shop back up on August 26th. This link will be available in the next newsletter.

More information coming soon from the incoming PTSA President! They will be voting in new members of the PTSA Board at the August 28th meeting.

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!

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) students working toward a Maryland High School Diploma are required to complete 75 student service learning (SSL) hours in addition to other graduation requirements. Students may earn SSL hours beginning the summer after grade 5 and continue to accrue hours through high school. SSL hours are also awarded to middle school students who successfully pass grade 6 science, grade 7 English, and grade 8 social studies and complete all SSL activities included in these courses. Hours may be earned in school-sponsored clubs and organizations that have a service focus and through involvement with pre-approved, official nonprofit tax exempt organizations in unpaid activities that address needs in the greater community. MCPS is highly aware of the potential for growth that can occur for students involved in the preparation, action, and reflection phases of quality SSL experiences.

The SSL hours earned while enrolled in an MCPS middle school accompany the student to high school. The SSL record of Cabin John Middle School students will be maintained by Ms. Jennifer Poole, SSL coordinator. Progress toward this diploma requirement is reflected on quarterly report cards and in the MCPS Parent Portal. Students and parents should monitor this record and keep copies of all SSL documents. Documentation of any school year or summer service for which SSL hours are desired can be turned into Ms. Poole through email or may be turned into the Cabin John Main Office.

Further SSL information is available at the MCPS Student Service Learning website. All necessary SSL forms can be found on the homepage of the Student Service Learning website. The Superintendent’s SSL Award will be given to students who meet the high school graduation requirements by the 1st Friday in April of a middle school year. Support your child’s involvement in meeting this graduation requirement by helping them choose meaningful service-learning opportunities, follow program guidelines, and keep accurate records of participation.

Here is a step-by-step breakdown of how they can find opportunities on the Montgomery County Volunteer Center's website: https://mcpsmd.info/4dcN2rO.

Montgomery County Public Schools requires school volunteers and partnership agencies to complete certain compliance measures in order to volunteer within our school district. Specific instructions can be found on the Parent/Guardian and Community Volunteer Form.

• Online Recognizing Child Abuse and Neglect Training via their myMCPS Classroom/Canvas account
• Background check (dependent upon the type of volunteer service, per the Volunteers regulation and FAQ)

MCPS has created a step-by-step User-Guide (with pictures) on how to access create and access their myMCPS Classroom/Canvas account to complete the Online Recognizing Child Abuse and Neglect Training module AND upload the Certificate of COVID-19 Vaccination from the state Department of Health.

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