Dear Cedar Drive Students and Families,

We hope this letter finds you and your family doing well and enjoying the last weeks of a beautiful summer. Whether you were relaxing poolside, vacationing on sandy beaches, or taking a few fun road trips, the summer months provide us with special opportunities to come together with family and friends. Following a well-deserved break, we hope that you are rested, recharged, and ready to maximize your CDMS experience!

We are thrilled to extend a warm greeting to both our returning students and those who are joining our school community for the first time. The CDMS staff is busy making final preparations to the building in anticipation of students’ arrival on Thursday, September 5th. We would like to give a huge “shout-out” to our buildings and grounds crew, custodial staff, and technology team for all of their hard work throughout the hot summer months. From major upgrades to the HVAC system to deep-cleaning classrooms, polishing/waxing floors to configuring new chromebooks/software, their dedication to our school community is truly appreciated!

This year marks a significant milestone for Cedar Drive Middle School - CDMS’s 60th anniversary! As we prepare to kick off the 2024 school year, we look forward to celebrating and honoring Cedar Drive’s rich history by continuing to provide high quality learning experiences that make our school distinct and unique. Stay tuned for information about a "CDMS Turns 60" event in the spring.

We are excited to partner with you and work together to create an engaging and meaningful learning experience for your child. We hope you enjoy the last few weeks of summer and we look forward to an amazing 60th year at Cedar Drive Middle School!

See you on September 5th!

Sincerely,

Colin Rigby and Jeremy Mercer

On Monday, August 26th, the Genesis Parent Portal will be open for parents/students to see their homeroom teacher and bus route information. When students arrive to school on September 5th, they should go to their homeroom where they will meet their teacher and receive their full schedules.

To access the Genesis online portal, click HERE. In the event you are unable to access the Genesis System, please contact Mr. Phil Capasso at capasso@coltsneckschools.org for assistance.

We are thrilled to introduce two new staff members who will be joining our Cedar Drive family. Please join us in welcoming:

Jessica DeLisa: Dr. DeLisa joins the 6th grade team and will be teaching Accelerated Math, Advanced Math, and Math 6. Dr. DeLisa brings knowledge, experience, and passion for teaching and learning to her instruction and we are confident that she will make an immediate impact here at Cedar Drive.

Katarina Trench: Mrs. Trench will be teaching Pre-Algebra and Algebra on the 8th grade team. We look forward to her sharing her knowledge of middle school students and student-centered instructional practices with our school community.

• September 5: First Day of School...Welcome Back CDMS
• September 23: Picture Day
• September 26: Back-to-School Night from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
• October 3-4: School Closed...Rosh Hashanah
• October 14: No School for Students...Columbus Day
• October 16-18: 7th Grade Stokes Trip...Stokes State Forest, NJ

THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 1:00 p.m.

We are very excited to welcome all of our new students and families to the Colts Neck Township School District! New student orientation is scheduled for Thursday, August 29th at 1:00 p.m. at Cedar Drive.

Student drop-off will begin at 7:35 a.m. on Thursday, September 5th. This is a full day for students and staff and dismissal will be at 2:23 p.m.

If you are interested in playing a fall sport for the upcoming 2024/2025 season, please click HERE to complete the proper paperwork prior to the start of the season.

All students will be assigned a locker for the 2024-2025 school year.

Students will receive their locker assignment on the first day of school during Homeroom. They should bring a lock from home, which can either have a dial/combination or a 4 digit code. We have found that the traditional combination lock has been most conducive to our lockers.

We know this is the first year that our 6th grade students have used a locker. Administrators, faculty, and staff will be patient with our students as we help them to learn how to navigate the use of lockers.

If you have already purchased a combination lock at home, please have them practice it so they are more prepared for school. During the first few weeks of school, we will help your student to learn how to use the combination lock.

The Colts Neck PTO is a valuable partner to the Colts Neck School District. We appreciate their ongoing support of our students, staff, and programs. Please consider joining the PTO in support of our school community.

Email: rigby@coltsneckschools.org

Website: coltsneckschools.org

Location: 73 Cedar Drive Colts Neck, NJ 07722

Phone: (732) 946-0055

Facebook: Colts Neck Township Schools

X/Twitter: @CedarDriveMS