Cougar Connect

Hello Cougar Families!

The weather is turning warmer and we spring the clocks ahead this weekend to give ourselves a little early glimpse of summer and a bit more light. For our 8th grade families as the season starts to turn to more sunlight, the sun is starting to set on your time with us at CMS. This has been a great group of kids and I am so excited to see them being accepted to private schools and magnet schools of their choice - I know they will all do us so proud at the next level. We hope they - and you - remember their time with us fondly and that we have prepared them well for the next step.

Our 8th Grade week events - tentatively - will be as follows:

You will receive the official flyer from your child in the coming weeks. Be on the look-out for the email because we know that even as 8th graders, not everything makes it home to you. :)

Testing season is in full force as our 8th graders will be taking MISA currently and then all of our students will take MCAP in ELA and Math. Our 8th graders will also take MCAP in Social Studies. No matter where your child is going it is very important for them to do their very best as we do send these scores on with them and some schools will use it for placement.

At CMS we are also recalibrating our GT programs as outlined in the letter we sent home in January with your child's scores. We have since taken updated MAP testing and we will have updated MCAP scores in the Spring. We are using all of this combined with grades and CBA performance to consider GT and Math placements for the coming year as we try to make sure we are getting our students exactly what they need to be successful. It is vitally important that your child do their best on all of these assessments to ensure proper placement. As for MAP, we did not get to do make-up sessions due to the county freezing MAP and that will be accounted for - we look more at MAP trend data over a series of years rather than simply looking at one score. The same will be true of CBA and MCAP assessments and grades as well. We really are taking the opportunity to dive into performance over time and ensure our students are where they need to be so we can cultivate their maximum potential and build a successful foundation for them before they get to high school.

I hope everyone has a great beginning of spring and as we count down towards Spring Break, remember, this long stretch of school is vitally important for students to be present, on time, and ready to work as this is where they will see the most gains in achievement if they are putting in the effort.

Thank you all for being an amazing community.

Warmest Regards,

Mr. Carney

• IT IS YOUR CHILD'S RESPONSIBILITY TO HAVE ALL SCHOOL SUPPLIES AND THEIR FULLY CHARGED DEVICE WITH THEM EVERY DAY. Failure to fully charge his or her device in the evening or failure to come without materials will result in a drop in academic performance.
• CALENDAR ADJUSTMENTS IN MARCH:
• Monday, March 31st: Eid al Fitr - Professional Development Day for staff, No School for Students
• Friday, April 4th: End of 3rd Quarter - 3 Hour Early Dismissal
• SPRING SPORTS: Our season begins next week on March 11th with try-outs! Reach out to Mr. Salansky with any questions or issues uploading paperwork or physical forms to FOCUS.
• MISA SCIENCE TESTING: Our MISA Science testing is taking place as we speak and we will begin MCAP right before Spring Break in our other content areas. Remember - even if your child is in 8th grade and going to private school - we send MCAP scores and they CAN have an impact on what classes your child takes depending on what weight a school will give them. it is still very important for your child not to "check out" on testing.
• MAP TESTING: We were able to finish MAP Math testing; however, due to the freeze and the window closing, we were not able to complete make-up sessions. When we make GT considerations for next year all of this will be taken into account. Remember - MAP is one data point, one year - we look at MAP over time.
• FOOD PANTRY: Our Food Pantry will be open from 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM on Thursday, March 20th.
• BCPS JOB FAIRS: Interested in working for BCPS? BCPS Job Fairs will be occurring next week at three different sites by Zone:
• Tuesday, March 11th: East Zone job fair @ Dundalk HS from 5PM - 7PM
• Wednesday, March 12th: West Zone job fair @ Catonsville HS from 5PM - 7PM
• Thursday, March 13th: Central Zone job fair @ Carver Center for Arts & Technology 5PM - 7PM
• MUSIC ADJUDICATION: Our music groups will be going to Adjudication this month - this is essentially our Music team's assessments for the year. Please wish our musicians who are participating luck!
• MORNING GYM: Morning Gym is held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:00 AM - 7:50 AM - please see your child's PE teacher for a permission slip.
• CRC BASEBALL: Please consider signing your child up for CRC Baseball! It's a great way for them to be involved in a sport affiliated directly with CMS through the rec council! Click here to register!
• WALKERS: If your child walks, please be aware that as the weather gets nicer our walkers like to try to linger around campus longer. This is not ok as they should be exiting the building and going immediately home. We will be escorting our walkers off campus who continue to loiter. We also ask you to remember that if your child walks home through the neighborhood they should be respectful of our neighbors and their property. They should not be walking through people's lawns and otherwise loitering on other people's property. They represented us at CMS and we want to make sure they are representing us well.

Here is our Cell Phone, Lateness, and Technology violation protocol. You will receive a message via Talking Points each time your child has a violation this year. Thank you in advance for having your child prepared to comply with our expectations concerning being on time to class, keeping cell phones off and away, and remaining on task when on BCPS devices.

• 1st Violation: You will receive a text from Talking Points telling you your child has received a violation and that it is a warning.
• 2nd Violation: You will receive a text from Talking Points telling you your child has received a second violation and that it is a warning, but the next will be a lunch detention.
• 3rd Violation: You will be called and told your child has been assigned a lunch detention for frequent lateness, tech, or cell phone violations.
• 4th Violation: A REQUIRED parent conference with an administrator to discuss our expectations. At this time your child will be asked to lock their phone up for the day for the remainder of the quarter if they bring it to school. The next violation will result in removal from any incentive or activity that quarter.
• 5th Violation: Loss of Grade Level Incentive (i.e. Field Day, assembly, basketball game, etc.)
• 6th Violation: You will be called and told your child has been assigned a 1 hour after school detention with an administrator. This is not optional.
• 7th Violation: You will be called and your child will be assigned to our Alternative Learning Center for the day.

We have created a live year-long calendar that families can view to see all things at CMS. We will continue to update as the year goes on. Some dates near the end of the year are tentative, but we will move them around as needed depending on how the school calendar evolves with weather days.

You can click "Live Family Calendar" above to go there or click here.

Principal: Mr. Carney

Assistant Principal: Mr. Dungey (Grade 6, Grade 7 A-L)

Assistant Principal: Mrs. Williams (Grade 8, Grade 7 M-Z)

Greetings to All of our 6th Grade Families:

The 6th grade has a few activities coming up that we want to share with all of you;

1. 3rd quarter incentive - all students who have less than 5 violations (phone, lateness, or tech) and no office referrals are invited to join the incentive day.
2. We are headed to the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore on Thursday April 10th. Students were given their permission slips and had the month of February to turn them in. Thank you to the many families that turned in your slips and money. And, A BIG Thank You to all of the parents who volunteered to chaperone. In order to go, we need your help for the trip to take place. We will be in touch with those parents to finalize volunteer paperwork. Students who do not qualify to go on the trip will attend classes while the other students are out of the building.
3. End of the year Color Wars event. This will be our 4th quarter incentive. Just like the 3rd quarter incentive, all students who have less than 5 violations (phone, lateness, or tech) and no office referrals are invited to join the event. This will be our 4th annual Color Wars and will occur the last week of school. More information will be following in the weeks to come.

Just a few reminders as we get ready for the last quarter of the school year and continue preparing for 7th grade;

Parental involvement and support are keys to student success. Children’s attitudes about school, to a great extent, are determined by what their parents say and do. Make sure your child knows that you…

• believe education is important.
• are interested in your child’s academic progress.
• support the teachers and administrators at your school.
• are available to help your child succeed.

Parents who expect good effort and behavior generally find that their children live up to their expectations. Expect your child to…

• be in school, on time, every day.
• follow the school rules.
• complete all homework assignments.
• take responsibility for his/her grades and behavior.
• let you know if he/she has a problem.

At the beginning of each quarter, help your child set realistic academic goals. Your child will better understand your expectation and having goals will give your child something concrete to work towards. If you would like more information about how to help your child set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Based) academic goals, consider contacting your child’s School Counselor(Mrs. Sueta or/and Mr. Drought). We would love to help!

Hello 7th grade families! As we begin March, we look forward to celebrating those students who have been caught being kind. Students who have been recognized by their teacher for being kind earn a ticket to the Faculty vs. Student basketball game at the end of the quarter. Has your student been caught being kind?

At this point in the marking period, many students need to restock their supplies such as pencils, pens and erasers. This is also a great time to have students clean out their binders and reorganize each section. Ask your student to show you their binder to see what they’ve been working on in class. As always, please reach out to teachers with any questions or concerns you may have.

Hello 8th Grade Parents/Guardians,

The 8th Grade is heading south to Washington DC on April 2, 2025. Thank you to all our parents who have volunteered to chaperone this annual field trip. If you have volunteered to chaperone and have not completed the volunteer application and online training/certificate, please do this ASAP. Students will sign up for groups on March 19th and 20th. If your child is attending this field trip, please look for more information in the next couple of weeks.

Our 2nd Quarter incentive was such a success that we are doing it again for our 3rd Quarter incentive! Teachers volunteered to host events in their classrooms and students were able to sign up for the activity of their choices. The 3rd Quarter incentive will take place on April 4th – the last day of the marking period. Students who have received 4 or less violations for phones, technology usage and lateness to class will be eligible to attend. Ineligible students will participate in a goal setting activity.

Grade level science classes have been given permission slips for our annual spring canoe field trip to Dundee Creek/Days Cove. These trips will take place in May. The permission slip and money ($22) are due to Mrs. Youngblood, Mrs. Grim or Mrs. Lynch by April 11. Parents may use the following link to pay for this trip.

https://osp.osmsinc.com/BaltimoreCountyMD/BVModules/CategoryTemplates/Detailed%20List%20with%20Properties/Category.aspx?categoryid=EI722

Our 8th grade team has finalized the dates for our 8th Grade Celebration. This is such a fun time for us to celebrate our 8th graders! A handout will be coming home soon with your child outlining the events in June. For your planning purposes, here is our tentative schedule of events:

• Thursday, 4/3: 8th Grade Washington DC Trip
• Monday, 6/9: 8th Grade Sidewalk Signing (8th Graders sign the sidewalks in front of CMS in a tradition that helps decorate the front of CMS for their final week)
• Tuesday, 6/10: 8th Grade Gathering or EGG (This will be a dance in the evening and more information will be sent as we approach the big night)
• Wednesday, 6/11: 8th Grade Field Day (Field Day and food outside with some time to hang out with friends - traditionally students receive yearbooks and have the chance to have them signed during this event as well)
• Thursday, 6/12: 8th Grade Award Assembly in the AM - invitation only and parents will be invited sometime in May at the latest. We will also do our 8th Grade Farewell and Slideshow during Advisory. (This is our rain date for Field Day as well)
• Friday, 6/13: 8th Grade Promotion Parade (we will have our families decorate your cars and celebrate our 8th graders with music and the entire school cheering them on as they roll through on their way out of CMS - 8th graders are encouraged to remain with their parents on this early dismissal day, but can certainly hang out in the lawn and take photos and cheer on their friends as they come through as well - all festivities, families, and students will need to be clear of the bus loop at 11:00 AM so we can prepare for our dismissal)

Thank you for all your support this school year. If you have any specific grade level questions, please email Jennifer Youngblood – jyoungblood@bcps.org

As we enter allergy season, please be mindful that these symptoms can often mimic colds and or flu.

If your child wakes up with runny/stuffy nose and sore throat, please check their temperature before giving medication and sending them to school.

A temperature of 100.0 or higher would indicate your child is sick and unable to come to school. The student needs to be fever free (without medication) for 24 hours prior to returning to school.

We are still in the throws of cold and flu season and are sending students home throughout the day with fever.

Thank you for your help as we work together to keep Cockeysville Middle healthy.

School Counseling & Social Work News

Mrs. Blackert, School Social Worker – sblackert@bcps.org

Mrs. Sueta, 6th Grade School Counselor – nsueta@bcps.org

Mrs. Schlenoff, 7th Grade School Counselor – nthompson2@bcps.org

Mrs. Evert-Brown, 8th Grade School Counselor – jevertbrown@bcps.org

Cockeysville MS Food Pantry

The CMS Food Pantry will be open on Thursday, 03/20/25 from 1pm - 2pm. We welcome CMS families and other members of the Cockeysville community. Please arrive by 1:45pm. You can fill two bags per visit. For more information, please email Mrs. Blackert, School Social Worker, at sblackert@bcps.org

Mind Over Matters: Annual Youth Mental Health Fair

Saturday, March 15th, 2025 from 10am – 1:30pm

Location: George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology

Cost: Free

BCPS invites all students, parents, and caregivers to the annual Youth Mental Health Fair! Please join us for workshops and visit vendors to learn more about children’s mental health and substance use prevention. Supporting students' mental health is more important than ever, and Mind Over Matters is here to help! This initiative focuses on fostering resilience, emotional well-being, and mindfulness in schools, equipping students with the tools they need to navigate challenges.

Parent University: Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

Wednesday, March 19th, 2025 at 12:30pm

Location: Virtual

Cost: Free

2.7 million children in the United States are being raised by grandparents. Learn about the challenges faced by grandparents raising grandchildren, discuss strategies for building a home-school partnership and access resources to support learning at home. For registration, click here!

Camp Kangaroo – Seasons Hospice Foundation

August 8th – 10th, 2025

Location: Jemicy – Upper School Campus (11202 Garrison Forest Rd., Owings Mills, 21117)

Cost: Free

6TH GRADE ELA: In 6th Grade we continue to read a variety of texts to consider our unit's essential question "Is technology helpful or harmful in our lives?" So far, students have read an argument writing piece that asserts how technology is negatively impacting our youth. We have also read a Science Fiction short story that takes a twist on the old classic tale of Cinderella. Students are currently investigating the topic of biometrics and whether or not the use of biometrics is beneficial or damaging to the human race. This month we will be working in collaborative peer learning groups to extend our knowledge on the use of technology. As students continue to collect information regarding the impact of technology on humans, they will eventually formulate their own argument answering the unit's essential question. We have also started our newest novel The Lightning Thief. We will continue to read this text together in class throughout the quarter. Be sure to ask your student about the exciting adventures that our main character Percy Jackson endures!

6TH GRADE ELA GT: In 6th Grade we continue to read a variety of texts to consider our unit's essential question "Is technology helpful or harmful in our lives?" So far, students have read an argument writing piece that asserts how technology is negatively impacting our youth. We have also read a Science Fiction short story that takes a twist on the old classic tale of Cinderella. Students then participated in a narrative retelling in which they reimagined a fairy tale and incorporated a futuristic science fiction setting and some form of technology. Be sure to ask your budding writer to share their story with you! Currently, students are investigating the topic of biometrics and whether or not the use of biometrics is beneficial or damaging to the human race. This month we will be working in collaborative peer learning groups to extend our knowledge on the use of technology. As students continue to collect information regarding the impact of technology on humans, they will eventually formulate their own argument answering the unit's essential question. We have also started our newest novel The Lightning Thief. We will continue to read this text throughout the quarter. Students have access to the book in Schoology, and they haven been given the opportunity to check out a hard copy as well. There is a calendar with the due dates for each chapter also on Schoology. Students are to complete a brief assignment in Schoology after they finish each chapter in order to be prepared for a class discussion. There will also be periodic quizzes to make sure they are keeping up with their reading and that they understand the events in the novel. Be sure to ask your student about the exciting adventures that our main character Percy Jackson endures!

7TH GRADE ELA: This month is all about Peer Group Learning as students explore poetry, non-fiction and a variety of short stories to explore how characters transform. Students will synthesize what they learned about characters and figures in our texts to compose an explanatory essay in response to the question, "Can people really change?"

7TH GRADE ELA GT: GT 7 is getting their boots muddy at Manor Farm, as they explore the allegory and classic novel Animal Farm. Students will be reading outside of class and using the novel to supplement our Unit on Transformations. Can people or in our case animals really change? Students will use both the novel and shorter texts to answer that question in their second explanatory essay of the quarter.

8TH GRADE ELA: In like a lion, out like a lamb, right? In March, ELA is really cooking as they'll be completing both their PBA and CBA (the big project and the big test) this month! The unit topic continues to be rhetoric, and the PBA is an argumentative essay, so we apologize if they're appealing having to do their chores with relevant, persuasive evidence!

8TH GRADE ELA GT:In like a lion, out like a lamb, right? In March, ELA is really cooking as they'll be completing both their PBA and CBA (the big project and the big test) this month! The unit topic continues to be rhetoric, and the PBA is an argumentative essay, so we apologize if they're appealing having to do their chores with relevant, persuasive evidence! In addition, GT is finishing up their (graphic) novel for the unit with They Called Us Enemy by George Takei. Oh my!

ELD SHELTERED ELA 1: Students are continuing their work through Unit 3: Living with Technology. Students are continuing to learn about how technology impacts people. They are considering concepts relating to how technology has benefited people and considering criticisms about how it has changed our relationships to one another. Students will complete an array of performance tasks, with a focus on argumentative writing, as they work through the unit, building confidence in their ability to share insights through individual and collaborative tasks.

ELD SHELTERED ELA 2: Students are currently continuing their study of transformations by writing an expository essay analyzing Mr. Scrooge's transformation during the story A Christmas Carol. Students will start the next month with Peer Group Learning as students explore drama, non-fiction and a short story to explore how other characters transform. Students will synthesize what they learned about character transformation in our texts to compose another explanatory essay in response to the question, "Can people really change?"

ESOL 1: Students will soon begin Unit 6: My Family. Students will work to connect this Unit's theme to Grammar, Phonics, Language, Communication and Reading.

ESOL 2 :Students will soon begin Unit 6: My Community. Students will work to connect this Unit's theme to Oral Language, Before, During and After Reading Strategies, Grammar, and Language Arts.

ESOL 3: Students will soon begin Unit 6: Making Change Happen. Students will work to connect this Unit's theme to Oral Language, Before, During and After Reading Strategies, Grammar, and Language Arts.

ESOL 4: Students will soon begin Unit 6: Resilience. Students will work to connect this Unit's theme to Oral Language, Before, During and After Reading Strategies, Grammar, and Language Arts.

MATH 1: Students have begun the Unit 6: Geometry. Students are working and will continue to work on identifying shapes, lines, and angles. They will then use their knowledge to calculate the area and perimeter of these shapes.

MATH 2: Students are finishing Unit 6: Expressions and Equations. In Unit 6, students are identifying expressions in order to solve equations with variables. After Unit 6, students will begin Unit 7: Rational numbers, where students will differentiate between positive and negative numbers.

There are 8 best practices for effective math teaching. Our math department incorporates these best practices daily in our math lessons.

1. Establish mathematics goals to focus learning. In each of the lessons, in the student’s workbook/online is a learning target that focuses the lesson for students.
2. Implement tasks that promote reasoning and problem solving. Illustrative mathematics’ curriculum is based on problem-solving tasks.
3. Use and connect mathematical representations. In Illustrative students use multiple representations to deepen their understanding of concepts and procedures.
4. Facilitate meaningful mathematical discourse. Using our illustrative tasks, students are able to analyze and compare students’ approaches and arguments.
5. Pose purposeful questions. Teachers consistently ask questions that are meaningful and purposeful to help students advance their reasoning and make sense about important ideas and relationships.
6. Build procedural fluency from conceptual understanding. Teachers are teaching to understand conceptually so that over time, students become skillful in using procedures flexibly.
7. Support productive struggle in learning mathematics. It is so important for students to engage in productive struggles as they grapple with mathematical ideas and relationships. The struggle builds an experience in which they are learning.
8. Elicit and use evidence of student thinking. As teachers are posing purposeful questioning and students are having mathematical discourse, teachers continually use this thinking as evidence to assess and adjust they ways we support and extend learning for our students.

https://www.nctm.org/Conferences-and-Professional-Development/Principles-to-Actions-Toolkit/Resources/7-EffectiveMathematicsTeachingPractices/

In 6th grade science, we have begun our Earth Systems Unit. We started reviewing the earth layers and the theory of continental drift. We are then learning about convection currents and how these drive the movement of the tectonic plates. We will then explore how these movements cause changes at the plate boundaries and form landforms like earthquakes, volcanoes, mountain ranges, and seafloor spreading. We will then focus on how the energy within the Earth's interior changes the Earth's exterior and learn about weathering and erosion. Finally, we will explore different types of rocks and see how rocks change with the rock cycle. Thank you for supporting your children with charged devices, pencils, and science notebooks.

7th grade scientists will be wrapping up Chemical Magic in the next week with our AVID one-pager culminating event project. Our fourth unit is Awaken the Force. Learning Cycle 1 focuses on contact and noncontact forces, electricity and magnetism, electric and magnetic fields and electromagnets. Learning Cycle 2 focuses on relationship between mass, distance, gravitational potential energy and kinetic energy. There are three major grades for the unit: two tests and one culminating project. We are looking forward to teaching your students about physics.

8th graders have practiced and prepped and are ready to take MISA. The test is made up of 4 40-minute sessions and students will be testing over the next 2 weeks during their science classes. Please encourage your child to charge their device each night, eat a good breakfast and lunch, get a good night’s sleep, and most of all to TRY! After MISA we will pick up where we left off, learning about natural selection and how it drives evolution. Students in standard science classes should return their canoe trip permission slip and $22 by April 11th.

March is a month of transition in our social studies classes. All three of our grade levels will be finishing Unit 3 and starting our final units of the school year.

Grade 6 is finishing their in-depth study of ancient Indian society and preparing for their next topic, Greece.

Grade 7 just began their study of the Mongolian Empire. Grade 8 will be starting their analysis of social reform movements in the United States. During ASA all three of our grade levels are working on skills. Sixth and seventh grade classes are practicing close-reading, successful highlighting, and test-taking skills.

Our 8th grade students are starting to do MCAP practice tests for their assessment in the spring.

8th grade health students are learning safety and injury prevention before we start our Changes in Me unit.

7th grade health students are learning safety and violence prevention and will then move into their Changes in Me unit.

6th graders are learning about safety and injury prevention before their final unit, substance use prevention, in which they will complete their advocacy project.

In the month of March, students will be participating in a Handball Unit. We will be working on passing, catching, and teamwork during Handball. As the weather gets warmer classes will start to go outside. We ask that students dress appropriately for the weather! Please remember that students need tennis shoes and a Cockeysville PE shirt in order to participate in class.

Welcome to the second half of the school year. There are SO many fun things planned at CMS in the second half of the year. This email contains relevant activities for students in the performing arts:

Fundraisers

Tuesday, February 4th - Chipotle, York Rd. 4-8pm. See attached flyer.

January 21-February 28th - Claire's Gourmet. Delivery Date: March 27, 3:30-6:00pm (must pickup!) See the Attached Information Page.

3/24-4/7 Domino's Pizza Program (more information coming soon)

Music Boosters

The next meeting of the CMS Music Boosters is Wednesday, February 19th at 7pm. It will be both in-person AND on google meet. Email Carol Ann at cockeysvillemsmusicboosters@gmail.com for more information. This general meeting is open to everyone, and we are looking a few members to add to our team for next year. If your child is in band, chorus, or orchestra, please consider attending!

Upcoming Concerts

Monday, May 5th - WOC at Dulaney Area Festival (7pm)

Tuesday, May 6th - SOC at Dulaney Area Festival (7pm)

Wednesday, May 14th - Beginner Band, Chorus, and Orchestra (7pm)

Wednesday, May 21st - Intermediate Band, Chorus, and Orchestra (7pm)

Wednesday, May 28th - SOC, VOC, WOC (7pm)

Saturday, May 31st - SOC, VOC, WOC Music in the Parks Competition in Hershey Park (permission slips are coming soon!)

Music Assessments (Field trips!)

Monday, March 17th - WOC

Thursday, March 20th - SOC

Tuesday, March 25th - VOC

BCPS Solo and Ensemble Festival

Is your child studying privately? The BCPS Solo and Ensemble Festival is a great opportunity for them to get valuable feedback from an adjudicator on a piece they are learning. The festival is open to all band, chorus, and orchestra students in grades 5-12. Registration closes on February 14th. The festival is Saturday, March 1st. Ask your child's music teacher for more information if you'd like to get your child involved (it looks GREAT on a high school application!).

SAVE THE DATE!

BCPS Summer Music Camp will be held June 25, 26, 30 and July 1-3. See the attached flyer for more information!

Cockeysville Middle School Artist, Tanya N. will have her artwork featured at the Baltimore Museum of Art for the month of March. The reception will be held at the Baltimore Museum of Art on March 23, 2025, from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. This reception is free and open to the public. Congratulations to Tayna and her wonderful artwork!

Congratulations to Emma W. on her first submission and showing at an Art Gallery in Maryland. Emma submitted artwork to the AnnMarie Sculpture Garden and Arts Center for the Let Them Cook: Teen Art Exhibition. 'Let Them Cook: Teen Art Exhibition' is a showcase of teen creativity, celebrating the bold and fresh perspectives of young artists aged 13 to 19. This exhibition invites teens to express themselves through their artwork, no matter the artistic medium. Discover artworks that reflect the passions, struggles, and dreams of the up-and-coming generation of artists. Join us to support and explore the incredible skill of young artists—because when teens create, they cook up something extraordinary. This exhibit will be open to the public in the Main Gallery from March 7 - 30, 2025.

FRENCH B: Novice B French students are continuing to explore topics related to School such as activities related to classes and places in school in preparation for a school-themed project and to be able to identify and use various components of a sentence such as subjects and verbs.

SPANISH A: Our novice A students will be beginning their very first Spanish language novel! We will read a story titled, "Capibara con botas". This is an entertaining, silly story about a capybara who is not a very good swimmer and needs to learn to accept his uniqueness! As students read this novel they will be expanding their vocabulary as well as their reading and listening proficiencies greatly!

SPANISH B: Spanish B students continue to work on their Spanish language novel, El Chico Global. This story will follow a boy as he travels the world on a mysterious mission to save his father. Students will be exposed to lots of culture and linguistic experiences throughout the novel. Students will continue to grow and improve their proficiency approaching the intermediate low level.

INTERMEDIATE SPANISH: Students will continue with our second book, 48 Horas. Student will continue to analyze the book using multiple tenses and cite details from the text in order to improve their proficiency.

BRILLA: Students continue with our second book of the year, El Armario. Students will analyze text, cite supporting details and focus on making connections to the theme of the novel while strengthening their biliteracy.

AVID 7 applications for 2025/2026 have closed. Interviews will take place on March 12. Students can find the interview questions posted in their ELA classes, AVID 6 Schoology course or outside room 31.

February marked a great month for AVID as we danced the winter away at the annual Snowball in collaboration with NJHS and BRILLA. Students also helped collect books for the book drive for Padonia International Elementary School which allowed ALL students to select books for their home libraries and also provided books for teacher classroom libraries.

This coming month, students will be refining their WICOR (Writing Inquiry Collaboration Organization Reading) skills in their AVID Elective 6, 7, & 8 Classes as they prepare to tackle state assessments. AVID 7 is working on Academic Language and how to use questioning and vocabulary in a variety of academic settings including AVID Tutorials. AVID 8 is wrapping up a Research Module in which students practice researching and citing credible sources in MLA format, integrating evidence into writing and persuading an audience in both Philosophical Chair Debates and Argumentative writing.

• General school information: Call 443-809-7626 and someone can answer your question or find someone who can - you can also email me at acarney@bcps.org any time.
  
• Scheduling Questions & Information: Mrs. Kara Williams, Assistant Principal
• Transportation Issues: Any transportation issue should be directed to Assistant Principal Taylor Dungey. If there is an immediate concern - bus missed stop, no crossing guard at Greenspring Ave, or other issue you can contact our Main Office at 443-809-7626. This includes BusWhere Access.
• Grade Level Questions: 6th Grade - Mr. Drought, 7th Grade - Mrs. Sheggrud, 8th Grade - Mrs. Youngblood
  
• Counseling/504 Plan Questions: Mrs. Nicole Sueta for 6th Grade, Mrs. Nancy Schlenoff for 7th Grade, and Mrs. Jennifer Evert Brown for 8th Grade. Mrs. Kara Williams runs our Student Support Team and you should reach out to her via email with those questions.
  
• IEP Questions or Information: Reach out to Mrs. Cheryl Newberry who is our IEP Facilitator.

• Social Worker: Kelsey Blackert is our School Social Worker and can help with all kinds of concerns and also runs our food pantry.

  Residency Issues/Questions/Concerns: Lesley Smith is our Pupil Personnel Worker who can work through any issues with you.

• Excused Absence Notes: Please have your child bring the note to the Front Office - you can also reach out to Nancy Wortman via email with any absences within a week of your child's absence. Remember - it is the teacher's discretion whether they give make up work for unexcused absences.
• Early Dismissal: Please have your child bring a note to the office. Only someone on a child's FOCUS information will be allowed to sign a child out unless you provide written documentation giving someone else permission to sign your child out. You can also contact MacKenzie Bailey or Nancy Wortman directly via email.
• Enrollment or Withdrawl: Contact our Counseling Secretary Lisa Watson via email or at 443-809-7630.
  
• Device or Technology Issues: Contact our Technology Liaisons Mr. Drought or Mrs. Salemi via email.
• FOCUS/Schoology/BCPS Communication Parent Issues: Contact our Main Office at 443-809-7626 or you can also contact MacKenzie Bailey or Nancy Wortman directly via email.
• Health Questions/Concerns: Contact our school nurse Mrs. Carrier. You can reach her via email or by phone by calling the Main Office at 443-809-7626.
• School-based Emergency: We will send out a School Messenger and Talking Points message as soon as we are able. Bear in mind that if we have any kind of school emergency, all hands will be on deck assisting with managing and navigating the emergency. We will always send out communication as quickly as possible. It is highly unlikely we will be able to answer the phone in the event of an emergency so please be patient and make sure you check your messages via email, phone, and text for an update. Please do not always believe what your student is telling you via text message as their information is very spotty and likely inaccurate.
• Bullying/Safety Issues: Please contact your child's grade level Administrator - Mr. Taylor Dungey for 6th grade and 7th graders A-L, Mrs. Kara Williams for 8th graders and 7th graders M-Z. You can also fill out a Bullying & Harassment Form in FOCUS if you are concerned with a bullying incident.
• Your Child Forgot Something At School or At Home: Whether it's an instrument, PE uniform, their lunch, a device, a backpack you can always call the Main Office at 443-809-7626 and we can try to figure it out. If no one answers, you can email Mr. Carney directly and he can try to facilitate a pick up. If you need to deliver something, please come to the Main Office and drop it off. We will call them down ASAP to pick it up.
• Financial Assistance with School Items or Other Needs: Please contact your child's School Counselor. Mrs. Nicole Sueta for 6th Grade, Mrs. Nancy Schlenoff for 7th Grade, and Mrs. Jennifer Evert Brown for 8th Grade.
• Student Item Lost or Possibly Stolen At School or On the Bus: Contact our Main Office at 443-809-7626 or you can also contact MacKenzie Bailey or Nancy Wortman directly via email.
• Magnet School Application Process: Mrs. Jennifer Evert Brown is our magnet coordinator this year and our 8th grade counselor. She can answer any and all questions concerning this process and deadlines.
• Private School Application Support: Mrs. Jennifer Evert Brown our 8th grade counselor and our Counseling Secretary Lisa Watson can support you with this process. We send many students to all area private schools and can generally walk you through the process if you need support.
• BCPS Online Volunteer Training: Contact our Main Office at 443-809-7626 or you can also contact MacKenzie Bailey or Nancy Wortman directly via email.

MARCH UPDATE FROM CMS PTA

We’re so grateful for the many ways our families and staff support our students and school! With end-of-year activities being planned, your contributions make an enormous difference…PTA funding supports field trips, 8th grade farewell activities, staff appreciation, additional Cougar Communicator folders for new students, and much more. Your very generous response to the Tissue Drive is keeping classrooms stocked for students. At the end of March, we’ll have a Breakfast Food Drive for the April CMS Food Pantry to help families with food for spring break. Keep the Cougar spirit strong – check out our spring spiritwear sale coming soon. We hope to see you at our Mar. 10th PTA meeting. Thank you!

MARCH 10TH CMS PTA MONTHLY MEETING

Our next CMS PTA monthly meeting will be Monday, March 10th, 7:00-8:00pm, in the CMS Library and virtual*. These meetings are open to all CMS parents/guardians and staff - your perspectives and feedback are appreciated! Principal Carney usually participates (when available) and has a Q&A with families. Spanish interpretation will be provided in the CMS Library.

* Join CMS PTA Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89278246054?pwd=ymScDCFBajWVoU9w7dvXlHx7xuWEcI.1

Meeting ID: 892 7824 6054 – Passcode: 21030

One tap mobile: +13017158592,,89278246054#,,,,*21030# US (Washington DC)

Dial by your location: +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)

TEACHER & STAFF APPRECIATION WEEK

We are starting to prepare now for Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week (May 5-9). If you would like to help plan this, or if you have a business that would consider sponsoring or donating items to this event, please contact Whitney Leber – wepleber@comcast.net / 410-456-7913. We’ll share a signup soon and appreciate donations, food contributions, and more from families – thank you!

RESTAURANT FUNDRAISERS

Thank you for supporting our students and school as you enjoy a meal!

• Wed., March 12th, 4-8pm: CHIPOTLE at the intersection of York Rd. & Padonia Rd. in Cockeysville will donate 25%! Mention CMS PTA in person or order online for pickup using code DV8BE6C - https://locations.chipotle.com/md/cockeysville/york-road
• Tues., April 8th, 11:30am-9pm: COAL FIRE of Hunt Valley Towne Centre will donate 20% - just show our flyer (on paper or phone).
• Tues., May 13th, 11am-10pm: GREENE TURTLE Hunt Valley will donate 20% - just show our flyer (on paper or phone).

REFLECTIONS ARTS CONTEST

Information on the CMS PTA Reflections’ Reception will be coming soon. Watch for your opportunity to see student creativity and talent at CMS! If you have any questions or would like to help, please contact our CMS PTA Reflections chair Kat Brayton at reflections@cockeysvillemiddlepta.org.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:

• CMS FOOD PANTRY: Volunteers needed! Each month CMS receives a food delivery from the Maryland Food Bank and volunteers help unpack the food in preparation for the food pantry event. If you’re interested in volunteering (usually takes about an hour) send your name to Abbie Flanagan abbieflanagan75@gmail.com and she will send you the monthly email with open dates/times. (The next food delivery is Mar. 19th, and the distribution is Mar. 20th.)
• CMS COPY ROOM: Volunteer on your own time! Work in the copy room, assisting with copies, laminating, etc. for teachers. Sign up for a day and then come whatever time works for you! Training will be provided. Email whitneysyork@gmail.com for more information and to schedule training. Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D45AEA72BA5FB6-51004575-cmscopy#/

ANNUAL BCPS VOLUNTEER TRAINING:

Volunteers are greatly appreciated at CMS. The BCPS annual online volunteer training and application should be completed prior to volunteering at CMS (chaperoning field trips, Copy Room, Food Pantry, etc.). Please bring your training certificate and completed application to the CMS office when you arrive the first time to volunteer or email them to Ms. Wortman in the CMS office at nwortman@bcps.org. The online training takes less than 20 minutes. Thank you! BCPS Volunteer Training & Application: https://www.bcps.org/cos/communications/FACE/b_c_p_s_volunteers

Please note: Even BCPS employees need to complete this training if they are volunteering in a school other than their workplace.

Also: Save a copy of your BCPS Volunteer Training certificate for CYC volunteering.

COMING UP:

• Mar. 10th, 7-8pm: CMS PTA Monthly Meeting – CMS Library & Virtual
• Mar. 12th, 4-8pm: Chipotle (Padonia Rd.) fundraiser for CMS PTA
• Mar. 24th to Apr. 9th: Breakfast Food Drive by CMS PTA for CMS Food Pantry
• Apr. 7th, 7-8pm: CMS PTA Monthly Meeting – CMS Library & Virtual
• April 8th, 11:30am-9pm: Coal Fire of Hunt Valley fundraiser for CMS PTA
• May 12th, 7-8pm: CMS PTA Monthly Meeting – CMS Library & Virtual
• May 13th, 11am-10pm: Greene Turtle Hunt Valley fundraiser for CMS PTA
• CMS Family Calendar: click here

MEMBERSHIP & DONATIONS:

Thank you for your incredible support so far with nearly $4500 contributed toward our $6000 Cougar Commitment Campaign goal – donations are still very welcome and will help our students and school all year long. Purchase your annual $8 PTA membership and/or make a Cougar Campaign donation ($50/student suggested – any amount welcome!) here: https://cockeysvillecougars.givebacks.com/

ABOUT CMS PTA:

• Contact: Whitney Leber, President – president@cockeysvillemiddlepta.org
• Website: https://cockeysvillemiddlepta.org/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cockeysvillemspta/
• CMS PTA Givebacks: Join CMS PTA’s GiveBacks website (formerly MemberHub) to add your info to the directory, receive PTA communications, and more. It’s FREE for all CMS families and staff! https://cockeysvillecougars.givebacks.com/join/c93c99

COCKEYSVILLE REC COUNCIL (https://www.cockeysvillereccouncil.org/):

• CYC: These fun events for CMS students are only possible with the help of parent volunteers! The next CYC at CMS is Friday, March 21st, 7-9:30pm, and will be open to Grades 6, 7, & 8. See all CYC info here and sign up to volunteer here.

Email: cockeysvillems@bcps.org
Website: http://cockeysvillems.bcps.org
Location: 10401 Greenside Drive, Cockeysville, MD, USA
Phone: 443-809-7626
Twitter: @CockeysvilleMS