CJMS Weekly Updates

Good Evening, Cabin John Middle School Families!

This is your Principal, Ms. Snider, with the Sunday announcements for the week of January 6 to January 10. Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a wonderful winter break and enjoyed time to relax and spend time with loved ones.

I want to remind everyone that I record this message the Friday before the Sunday evening you receive it - so I know we are forecasted for snow Sunday into Monday, but I also know that report could have changed since I recorded this message! Please make sure you check the MCPS website for the latest information on the MCPS Operating Status. I included some information in the digital newsletter and well as links to that specific information on the MCPS website.

This week we are scheduled to complete our winter MAP-R and MAP-M Tuesday and Thursday. We are also excited for the Winter Orchestra concert on Wednesday, January 8th at 7:00pm at Wootton High School. Please come out and support our music program.

We have an update on how weekly messages will be sent to you. Beginning at the end of this month, January 2025, Connect Ed, the platform I use to send the weekly messages will be shut down as MCPS transitions to full use of ParentSquare. You should have already be receiving messages from MCPS on ParentSquare. You should not have to do anything during this transition to keep receiving messages. Next week, you will receive messages through both platforms as we prepare for the switch. We hope this transition will make accessing our messages more convenient across computers and other digital devices. All of our communications, and the most up to date information, will also be shared on the Cabin John website.

Remember to check out additional events and information in the digital version of our newsletter! 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

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.

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.

• Tuesday, January 7 - Schoolwide MAP-R Testing - Testing Bell Schedule
• Wednesday, January 8 - CJMS Orchestra Concert at Wootton HS @ 7pm
• Thursday, January 9 - Schoolwide MAP-M Testing - Testing Bell Schedule
• Thursday, January 9 - CJMS Incoming 6th Grade (for current 5th graders) Parent Night @ 7pm
• Monday, January 6 - Monday, January 13 - Course Registration for current CJMS 6th & 7th Grade is Open
• Wednesday, January 15 - High School Counselors visit CJMS 8th Grade Students
• Wednesday, January 15 - CJMS Band Concert at Wootton HS @ 7pm
• Thursday, January 16 - Churchill & Wootton Incoming 9th Grade Parent Nights (for current 8th graders) @ 7pm
• Thursday, January 16 - High School Content Specialists visit CJMS 8th Grade Students
• Monday, January 20 - No School for Students and Staff
• Tuesday, January 28 - Last Day of Marking Period 2
• Wednesday, January 29 - No School for Students/Grading Day for Staff

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.

Please join the PTSA and gain access to the directory here:

https://cabinjohnptsa.membershiptoolkit.com/membership

Regarding membership or open PTSA leadership positions, please contact pres.cjms@gmail.com

NAACP Parent/Guardian Delegate

Membership Chair

Attention all students! Are you interested in participating in the Cabin John Spring Musical?

Coming to Cabin John, we have a brand-new show that just launched recently. Beetlejuice Junior! We are looking for all aspiring actors & actresses, stage & sound crew, volunteers to help design & build, etc. If you have a special talent or just want to help, be a part of the CJMS production, please sign up today by scanning the QR code or entering the link inside your browser using your MCPS account. The official meeting will take place on Tuesday, January 7th in the cafeteria. Mark your calendars! Hope to see you there! Please contact Mrs. Kumar Kamini_Kumar@mcpsmd.org or Mrs. Hardy Tamara_A_Hardy@mcpsmd.org for additional information.

Attention Cabin John Parents! We are in need of parent assistance to help with the upcoming Spring musical production of Beetle Juice Jr Musical. We are asking for donations to support our students in the spring musical and your donation would go toward purchasing items for the production.

We are asking for you to consider donating your time, snacks, beverages, monetary donations, customs, etc. If you are interested in helping, please contact Mrs. Kumar Kamini_Kumar@mcpsmd.org or Mrs. Hardy Tamara_A_Hardy@mcpsmd.org.

Acer Chromebook Collection and Decommissioning

MCPS has disabled and needs to collect older Acer model Chromebooks because they have reached end-of-life and should no longer be in use. The models being retired include the Acer C720, C740, C738, and C771. Students who need a device for home use can submit a request for a new device by completing the Home Use form. All Lenovo devices will continue to work as expected.

Students currently using an Acer model at home should have received communication about this information and how to request a device for home use if needed. These students should return their loaner Acer to the Media Center and will need to complete a new Home Use form.

Are you interested in joining the Career Advising Student Advisory Council?

It’s a great way to earn up to 10 SSL hours and help plan awesome career exploration activities, like bringing in working professionals and planning fun events to help explore your interests! Other schools have lunch parties and lots of exciting events—we can do that too!

If you're interested, please email Ms. Poole or Mr. Adams, or stop by the counseling office to learn more. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Due to an increase in respiratory illnesses in the community, we want to remind parents that they should pay attention to their child's symptoms. If they are exhibiting excessive coughing, along with fatigue, shortness of breath or fever, they really do need to go to the doctor as they need to be monitored and treated if necessary. Respiratory viruses can lead to secondary infections that cause bacterial pneumonia which can be very serious and be spread to other members of the community that are more vulnerable such as the elderly or the very young. Students also need to stay home until they are feeling better and are less contagious.

In the interest of reducing the spread of respiratory illnesses, when students come to the health room with excessive coughing, we will give students a mask to wear and will be calling parents and requesting that they go home if they seem to be extremely fatigued, have a fever or are not feeling well. We appreciate your assistance in keeping the community safe and healthy. Please contact me if you have any questions. Thank you so much for your continued support.

As always, we are here to help your child to thrive while at school! Please feel free to contact me (Brienne_B_Merritt@mcpsmd.org) if you have any questions or if we can be of assistance.

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

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.

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.

Principal: Ms. Somer Snider

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

Assistant Principal (7th Grade): Mr. Andy Lee

Assistant School Administrator (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