CMS Parent Newsletter
November 21 & 28, 2016
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This Thanksgiving season, please know that our Seahawk staff is thankful for YOU – wonderful parents who are the reason that our school is so amazing. Thank you for all you do, every day, to raise respectful, thoughtful, kind children. Thank you for sharing them with us. It is an honor and a true privilege to work at such a magical school and to serve our community. All of our success since the birth of our school is a direct result of your hard work and dedication to CMS being a place of learning and "excellence without limits." Thank you for sending us the finest children in the world.
Upcoming Seahawk Events
November 21 – School in session
November 22 – School in session and Dress for Success Day
November 23-25 – Thanksgiving Break
November 28 – Volleyball at Coastal 4:30 p.m.
November 29 – Winter SRI and Math Testing Begin
November 29 – PTSA 6:00 p.m.
November 30 – Volleyball at Hubert
November 30 – Family Homework Pass Night – Read a favorite picture book together.
December 1 – Spirit Night at Rio Bravo
December 2 – Spirit Wear – Empty Stocking Fund
December 7 – Championship Swim Meet
GMAS - Georgia Milestone's Assessment System
PTSA Meeting and 3 x 3 Basketball Tournament
PTSA General Meeting - November 29 at 6:00 p.m.
Please join us Tuesday, November 29th for a brief PTSA meeting in the cafeteria to be immediately followed by a student / parent 3x3 basketball tournament in the gym. Pizza slice and drink combos will be sold for $1. There will be twelve teams, each consisting of two students and one parent or teacher. The tournament will be single elimination consisting of 4 minute, half court games with standard pick-up rules. Complete rules will be provided to all participants prior to the tournament. Sign up for teams using the following link: CMS PTSA 3x3 basketball tournament
Attendance
We will soon recognize and reward our students who missed no more than one day of school during the first marking period. Thank you for all you do to keep your child healthy and in school.
Proud Moment
Every day our children make our hearts burst with pride. At last Wednesday’s volleyball game, players and student fans were chanting something during warm-up that we adults had a hard time deciphering. As we listened, we realized they were chanting, “Hard work…Pays off,” a mantra from our talk with Adrian Peterson. It is so…rewarding to see our children applying and encouraging each other with the lessons we present them. We simply have THE BEST STUDENTS in the world.
Safety First
We often have practice drills to prepare for fire and severe weather events. Soon we will have a drill to prepare for an intruder or active shooter. Students will have two responsibilities – be silent and do exactly what their teacher tells them to do.
Pancake Dinner
Due to lack of participation, we are cancelling our Pancake Dinner and will refund those who already purchased tickets.
Reading - Keep It Up
Please be sure that your child continues to read from a great book over the Thanksgiving holiday. Students who are avid readers have extensive vocabulary skills and are often excellent writers. Consider a good high-interest book for your student when making the holiday gift list!
Career Awareness Week
November is Career Awareness Month. As middle schooler’s your student should begin thinking now about the path they want to take later in life. As a fun way to illustrate our dreams, Tuesday will be “Dress for Success” Day at Coastal Middle School. Students are allowed to dress how they would in their future career choice! This is a great conversation starter to talk with your students now about their dreams, goals and future career options.
Parent Access
30% of our parents have progress reports sent to them through Parent Access. Almost half of our parents are using Parent Access. This is an amazing tool that will allow you to not only to see your child’s average, but all the grades he or she made on each assignment posted. Please stop by the office to sign-up if you are not using this tool already. Simply bring in your picture ID to get started using this great communication piece.
Caring and Sharing Seahawks
FoodFinderGA is a free smartphone app developed by a Georgia public school graduate. It is available on the Apple App Store or Google Play right now (search: foodfinderga) The app creates a 100% anonymous, direct connection between students who need food with their closest free food provider. Both the FoodFinderGA app and the website - www.foodfinderga.org - are year-round resources, but data shows a dramatic increase in use when school is out of session, and the need for food is greatest. Please download the app today and tell others about it before the Holiday breaks.
IB - Two Profiles
Principled: As an IB school, our goal is to help learners act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness, justice, and respect for the dignity of the individual, groups, and communities. We help them understand the importance of taking responsibility for their own actions and the consequences that accompany them.
Open-Minded: As members of a diverse world, and an increasingly-diverse community, we recognize the need to understand and appreciate the differences we see around us, as well as the common bonds that we all share. The IB Learner profile sets the goal that learners understand and appreciate their own cultures and personal histories, and are open to the perspectives, values, and traditions of other individuals and communities. They are
accustomed to seeking and evaluating a range of points of view and are willing to grow from the experience.
Community News
Free Bicycle Helmets The Brown Firm and Safe Kids Savannah will give away free bicycle helmets to kids from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., Saturday, December 3, at Lake Mayer Community Park. Come get your free helmet, meet members of the Savannah Chatham Metropolitan Police Department K-9 unit and bicycle units, and more! This fun, free event is presented by The Brown Firm and Safe Kids Savannah in partnership.
Gingerbread Villages - Bring your kids to the annual Gingerbread Village at The Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa. The 2016 Savannah Harbor Gingerbread Village theme is: “A Christmas Classic” The Gingerbread Village will be on display in the Westin Savannah lobby from Nov. 25 – Dec. 30, 2016. Make the trip to see the Gingerbread Village (Nov. 25-Dec. 30) even more special by catching the free ferry from River Street to the Westin. Free and open to the public. For more information call 912.201.2062 or email gingerbreadvillage@westin.com
Tybee Lights Lights on for Tybee Celebration: Dec 2, 2016, 6:30PM. Gather on Tybrisa Street at the Strand for the annual lighting of the Tybee Christmas Tree. Enjoy the choirs and dance student performances.
Tybee Island Christmas Parade Dec. 3, 2016, 1PM. The parade begins at 1PM from the 14th Street parking lot (behind Hotel Tybee) and travels up Tybrisa to Butler Avenue then to the Tybee Gym where children will have photo time with Santa! The Tybee YMCA will have surprises for all to enjoy at the gym. All are welcome to be in the parade.
Repeats and Reminders
Yearbook
Little Mermaid and Georgia Renaissance Festival
Little Mermaid and Georgia Renaissance Festival – Would you and/or your child like to see the Little Mermaid at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta on January 14th, 2017 (Saturday)? The cost is $199. Or, for $119 would you like for your child to go to the Georgia Renaissance Festival on April 18th? Please contact Kelly Tours or Alicia Harvey (Alicia.harvey@sccpss.com) for more information.
Free Digital Textbook Resources Available Through the GA Department of Education
Please be aware that you and your child can access free, interactive digital textbooks through the Georgia Department of Education's website. The textbooks can be accessed by visiting www.gavirtuallearning.org/Resources. Texts are currently available for middle and high school courses.
SRI & MAP
The following target scores have been set as part of the district’s factors considered for promotion.
SRI
6th - 835
7th - 890
8th - 955
MAP
6th - 219
7th - 223
8th - 227