Cougar Connect

Hello Cougar Families!

This has been a great school year, and in 30 days we will bring the year to a close. We hope that your child has learned a great deal this school year in all areas and that we all have a fun and productive summer.

To our 8th grade families and our 8th graders - we will miss them very much. This is an incredible group of 8th graders who are extremely bright and talented. I have no doubt they will go off into the world and exemplify leadership and talent in all facets of their lives and make us proud of the things they do in high school and beyond. It is a truly special group that we will surely miss as they leave us.

As we head into the end of the year, we are fully immersed in testing season. Please make sure your child brings a fully charged version of themselves and their fully charged device and WIRED headphones to school each day for testing. If they are unprepared for testing, we will be contacting you to discuss how we can make sure they are prepared for testing the next day and what we will have to do if they are not a second time. Please make sure your child understands the importance of all MCAP testing - even if they are in 8th grade - so that they can demonstrate grade level proficiency. We do send these scores on to other schools whether they are a BCPS school or not, and they can impact placement.

To our 8th grade families, this is also the time of year that you need to re-verify your residency. Any time you change schools in BCPS, you have to re-verify that you live in the area. Please take the time to do this as soon as the information comes to you as we do not allow your child to participate in 8th grade events, including the EGG, if they have not reverified their residency information. If your child is attending a school outside BCPS or private school, you do not need to re-verify your residency with BCPS. Please make sure you take the time to do this as soon as we put the information out to you.

We are very excited that our 8th graders will be celebrated the second week in June, and that we will be able to have one last great big good-bye for you in the form of our Promotion Parade. This event is always highly regarded and it is a much more intimate way to say good-bye to all of your teachers and have your child celebrated by our entire school.

For our 8th grade families who are receiving a Presidential or Cougar Climber award, we will be sending you a letter shortly inviting you to the Awards Ceremony. Please make sure you save the date!

As always it is truly a pleasure to serve the entire Cockeysville community as the Principal at CMS. I look forward to a great summer and another great year next year with our returning families and our new incoming 6th graders. To our families leaving - please don't be strangers and we wish you well. To our families just temporarily saying goodbye with a new student coming soon, goodbye for now and we will see you again soon.

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 MAY & JUNE:
• Friday, May 16th: 3 Hour Early Dismissal Day
• Monday, May 26th: Memorial Day - Schools & Offices Closed
• Friday, Friday June 13th: 3 Hour Early Dismissal Day
• Monday, June 16th: LAST DAY OF SCHOOL - 3 Hour Early Dismissal Day
• CMS TESTING CALENDAR:
• Tuesday, April 29th: ELA MCAP (All grades)
• Wednesday, April 30th: ELA MCAP (All grades)
• Thursday, May 1st: ELA MCAP (All grades)
• Friday, May 2nd: ELA MCAP (All grades)
• Monday, May 5th: Social Studies MCAP (8th Grade Only)
• Tuesday, May 6th: Social Studies MCAP (8th Grade Only)
• Monday, May 19th: Math MCAP (All grades)
• Tuesday, May 20th: Math MCAP (All grades)
• CMS BOOK FAIR: The Spring Cockeysville Middle School Scholastic Book Fair will be held from Tuesday, May 27th - Friday, May 30th. Students will attend in ELA classes.
• ANNUAL ART SHOW: Our annual CMS Art Show for all students and all grades is on Wednesday, May 7th at 6:00 PM. All families are welcome to come see the amazing art work from this school year on display by our very talented students. All students attending MUST be accompanied by an adult.
• SPRING CONCERT SERIES: Our annual Spring concerts will be held this month! We begin with our beginner ensembles on Wednesday, May 14th, then our Intermediate ensembles will be on Wednesday, May 21st, and finally our elite ensemble "OC" groups will be on Wednesday, May 28th. All concerts start at 7:00 PM - please come join us and enjoy an evening of music. All students attending MUST be accompanied by and seated with an adult.
• GRADE LEVEL FIELD DAYS: Our grade levels will all have a field day to celebrate a great year at CMS. Our 6th Grade Field Day will be held on Thursday, May 29th (Rain Date: May 30th). 7th Grade Field Day will be held on Tuesday, June 3rd (Rain Date: June 4th). Our 8th grade field day will be held during 8th Grade Celebration Week.
• 8TH GRADE CELEBRATION WEEK: Our 8th Grade Celebration Week is going to be a great time to celebrate our 8th graders, but most importantly, for them to celebrate each other before going off their separate ways to various different high school opportunities or continuing their educational journey together for another four years. Our schedule is as follows:
• Monday, June 9th: 8th Grade Sidewalk Signing (in Social Studies classes)
• Tuesday, June 10th: The EGG (Eight Grade Gathering) @ 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM. All students must be picked up promptly at 9:00 PM. More information forthcoming from Mr. Drought very soon.
• Wednesday, June 11th: 8th Grade Field Day beginning at 8:30AM.
• Thursday, June 12th: 8th Grade Farewell & Slideshow (1st Period, Entire School) & 8th Grade Awards (Invitation Only) @ 1:00 PM in Open Space
• Friday, June 13th: 8th Grade Promotion Parade begins at 8:30 AM and will end at 10:30 AM. The Parade Map is attached below. You can begin lining up at 8:00 AM on Greenside Drive.
• 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. A resource for setting "Downtime" on your child's iPhone where they can only access certain apps in school, as well as making it so only certain people can message them, are included below. At the end of this newsletter are several other resources to help you monitor and control your child's cell phone usage in school.

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)

Hello To all of Our 6th Grade Families,

May and June will be very busy months at CMS! While the final weeks of the school year are very exciting for our students, it is crucial that our expectations remain high for everyone at CMS. We hold our students responsible for their academic achievement, their demonstration of high character, and their overall contributions to the school. Upcoming events include our annual field day on May 29th and are looking for parent volunteers to help out. More information will be sent in a separate email.

On behalf of the 6th grade team, I can say that this is a great group of students to work with every day. We look forward to closing the year and we look forward to the transition of moving you and your children to 7th grade.

Parents and students should be advised that we have several end of the year activities that are privileges to our kids. Exhibiting responsible behavior remains a priority at CMS through the end of the school year. That being said, students who choose not to follow CMS expectations through the end of the year may be subject to exclusion from certain end of the year activities. As always, Thank you for your support from home. We couldn’t do it without you!

Hello 7th grade families! Now that spring break is behind us; we turn our focus to MCAP and working at our fullest potential until the last day of school. Your students have worked hard all year and it’s their time to shine during MCAP. Let’s send them prepared every day with a fully charged device and headphones that plug into their device. It is the expectation that students are arriving to school on time every day and once here arriving to classes on time. Our cell phone, lateness and technology policies are in place until June 16. We appreciate your support with these policies. If you have questions or concerns, please reach out.

Dear 8th Grade Parents and Guardians,

As of this newsletter, we have just under six weeks left of school. For your children, that translates to just 30+ days left of this journey we call middle school. It will soon be celebrated by so many coveted moments such as signing the CMS sidewalk, the 8th grade field day/extended recess, the Eighth Grade Gathering (EGG), the slideshow, awards assembly and ultimately the 8th Grade Promotion Parade. While the students are certainly focused on those events, we must also help them keep focused on their daily studies and academic responsibilities. Every missed assignment and every lateness to school or class takes away from the positivity that keeps us motivated to the end of the school year. Information regarding the 8th Grade Promotion Parade has been shared with parents and students.

Please encourage your students to remain steadfast in their dedication to school; it will make all of those final celebrations so much more meaningful!

Spring is here. Allergies are amongst us! If your child suffers from allergy symptoms, please consider “non-drowsy” allergy medicine before school. This tremendously helps manage their symptoms during the day.

Attention 6th Grade Parents:

Before Spring Break, we mailed out letters to the parents/guardians of 6th grade students who need the Meningococcal and Tdap vaccines for 7th grade. Many of the students have had these vaccines, but the school has not been updated. Please contact the pediatrician for the necessary documentation to submit to the school. If there is no record of your child having these vaccines, schedule an appointment and then submit the paperwork to me. These are mandatory 7th grade vaccines, and we must receive the documentation for your student to be in compliance with Maryland state law.

Please reach out with any questions. Thank you!
-Ami Carrier, RN
-Rose Jankiewicz, CNA/CMT

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

School Social Work Services

We have two food pantry distributions left in the school year - Thursday, May 22nd 1-2pm and Wednesday, June 11th 1-2pm. We would not have been able to serve the community in the way we have without so many incredible volunteers. We are so grateful to everyone who has donated items or their time to the school pantry this year. Community is so important to create a sense of belonging, connection, and can be the very thing that carries us through the most challenging times. So, take a moment to meet a new neighbor, call an old friend, volunteer at your local outreach program, or check on the folks in your life with a lot on their shoulders. That connection may be more meaningful than you know.

-Mrs. Blackert, School Social Worker

School Counseling

6th Grade

Well, here we are in the last quarter of 6th grade!! Take time to sit down with your child and review their 3rd Quarter report card. Where did they do well or show improvement? Praise your child for any improvement! If a grade or two isn’t so good, then ask your child what they can do to improve the grade for the 4th quarter. Remind your child that teachers don’t give grades - students earn grades. Set goals, develop a plan, and remind your child that perseverance pays off.

Here is a website for Strategies for a Successful Summer Break. It includes tips for managing your child’s downtime to help make it more relaxing for everyone.

I wish everyone a healthy and happy summer break. See you in August when your child is a 7th grader!

-Mrs. Sueta, 6th Grade School Counselor

7th Grade

When speaking with our 7th graders during their Roadmap to Ready sessions, most of them agree that this school year has flown by! They are looking forward to Field Day (Tuesday, June 3rd) and summer break. They are also excitedly looking ahead to their 8th grade school year!

This school year, students have engaged in classroom and individual discussions with me about their goals for the future. Many of our 7th graders are interested in applying to BCPS Magnet High School Programs and/or Private Schools. During the Fall of their 8th Grade school year, students will receive additional information about High School opportunities. In the meantime, please consider learning more about Magnet Programs by visiting this website.

Wishing you and your family a wonderful summer break!

-Mrs. Schlenoff, 7th Grade School Counselor

8th Grade

I am as shocked as you are that three years have passed so quickly, and your child is about to say goodbye to middle school. It is a bittersweet moment because I absolutely love being with my students for those three years, but I truly dread when they must leave. They come to us with bright eyes, feeling nervous, quiet (mostly), unsure, hopeful, and ready to embrace middle school. Generally, when they walk through our doors in August of their 6th grade year, they still have some of their elementary characteristics. However, by the time they leave in June of their 8th grade year, they have transformed into completely different individuals.

When asked how I survive working with middle schoolers, I always respond that there is nowhere else I would rather be. Thank you for sending your child to CMS and allowing me to be their School Counselor. I am grateful for every moment we have shared. Good luck on this next adventure, and please keep in touch!

Looking for Summer Enrichment Ideas? Loyola University’s School of Education is offering programs designed to help students become confident and skilled readers. Programs for students entering 9th grade are specifically developed to set them up for success in high school. Students will work on increasing their comprehension and focusing on both fiction and nonfiction texts. The program also aims to develop effective study skills and test-taking strategies. For more information or to register, please contact Loyola University at 1.800.499.8557. The programs meet either on the Baltimore campus of Loyola University or in Towson at Ascension Lutheran Church.

-Mrs. Evert-Brown, 8th Grade School Counselor

GRADE 7 ELA

GRADE 7 GT

GRADE 8 ELA

GRADE 8 GT

ESOL 1

ESOL 2

MATH 1

MATH 2

This year in our CMS mathematics classrooms students have learned how to problem solve inside and outside the classroom. Students worked collaboratively, demonstrated their understanding both collectively and individually, students articulated and explained their thinking, and persevered through challenging tasks. These experiences have allowed students to think collectively, learn together and construct knowledge and understanding.

6th grade science has begun our last unit, Ecosystem Interactions. We are spending lots of time outside in our school yard and are focused on the driving question “How can we support the native wildlife species in our area?”

7th grade scientists will begin building their paper roller coasters this week. This is the culminating event for the Awaken the Force unit. Our last unit of the year is Making Waves. We are looking forward to learning about light and sound waves. Our final dissection of the year will take place at the end of this unit.

8th graders are currently in their last unit, Overstepping Our Resources. Throughout the unit students will learn about how resources form, how they are obtained, and how we can preserve our supplies of those resources. The student service learning project will require students to research a resource or a threat, develop an action plan to help, create a display about their topic, and write a letter to our state delegate sharing what they have learned.

Our social studies students are finishing the year strong! Our sixth grade is going to end the year by learning about the Fall of Ancient Rome. This is going to leave them in a perfect place to start seventh grade leaving about the Byzantine Empire. Our seventh grade will end the year learning about the early encounters between the Indigenous people of North and South American and Europeans. This will leave them in the perfect spot to start eighth grade with the French and Indian War. Finally our eighth grade will take their History MCAP on May 5th and 6th. After they are assessed, they will finish the year learning about Reconstruction after the American Civil War. In ninth grade students will continue their study of American History, completing a first quarter curriculum that studies the end of the Civil War through the First World War. Good luck to all of our eighth graders in high school! We will miss you.

Spring has sprung! All Physical Education classes are outdoors, enjoying this fantastic weather! Ms. Brewster's class is currently in a Pickleball Unit, Mr. Epp's class is in Frisbee, Ms. Green's in Softball, and Mr. Salansky is in Soccer.

Students, as always, are reminded to be prepared in their PE day for activity. Sneakers, a CMS shirt, and charged device are requirements of the class.

4th quarter Health students have been learning about the dimensions of wellness, and the skills we need to practice and strengthen to help us improve those areas of wellness. As the year continues, we will cover substance use, healthy relationships, safety, and injury prevention, and changes in our bodies!

IT'S SPRING CONCERT SEASON!

The beginner concert will be on Wednesday, May 14th @ 7pm. Intermediate groups will be on Wednesday, May 21st, @ 7pm. And finally, the OC groups will be on Wednesday, May 28th @ 7pm.

Please be sure to double check all parts of your child's uniform for the concerts, including the following:

Beginner and Intermediate groups:

• CMS Music Polo
• Brown/Tan Khakis
• Closed-toed shoes (no crocs or slippers)

VOC, SOC, and WOC:

• White collared shirt
• Black slacks, or long black skirt
• Dark shoes
• Bowtie/Rosette
• Cummerbund

If your child needs help with any uniform parts, please have them contact their respective music teacher IMMEDIATELY!

And finally, a reminder that your child's spring concert is a grade. Attendance is required. Please refer to your music teacher's syllabus for protocol if your child does not show up for the concert.

We hope to see you all there to support and celebrate the incredible talents of the music students here at Cockeysville Middle School!!!

Please save the date and check our students artwork out at the Hampton Historic Site Exhibition at Towson University! Work from our GT Art students who attended a field trip to the Hampton site and created original artwork will be on display.

Of course we also have our annual Art Show at CMS on Wednesday, May 7th from 6PM - 7:30PM.

Please see flyers below for more information.

INTERMEDIATE SPANISH

BRILLA

AVID 6, 7, 8:

AVID students are preparing to attend their final visit with Padonia International Elementary School for our literacy partnership. Students will create lessons and facilitate them with either first or thrid graders and get to assume the role of teacher. This is a great community partnership that provides leadership experience and community service. Be sure to ask your AVID scholar about their book and lesson as we near the end of May.

AVID 7 & 8:

Students will be preparing for their capstone College & Career Fair. AVID 7 students will highlight colleges that interest them, while AVID 8 will hold a Career Fair spotlighting their dream job and the steps they can begin to take to prepare as they enter high school.

• 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 Vanessa Batlle 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 Vanessa Batlle 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 Vanessa Batlle 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 Vanessa Batlle or Nancy Wortman directly via email.

MAY UPDATE FROM CMS PTA

Thanks to your generous Cougar Campaign donations and support for restaurant nights, spiritwear sales, and more, CMS PTA is happy to be able to assist with many end-of-year CMS activities. These include field trips, field days, Grade 8 Farewell events, Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week, and more. There are many ways to get involved and support our students – President and several other roles are open for next year. If you’d like to learn more, please contact Whitney Leber – wepleber@comcast.net. Wishing our students, staff, and families a great spring!

MAY 5-9 TEACHER & STAFF APPRECIATION WEEK

CMS Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week is almost here – celebrating our SUNsational team! Contributions and volunteers are appreciated for our May 6th Breakfast, May 8th Lunch, and Gift Basket Drawing. Please see details and sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080D44AAAA2DA02-56502237-cmsteacher#/

Contact: Whitney Leber – wepleber@comcast.net – 410-456-7913. Thank you so much!

MAY 6TH REFLECTIONS ARTS CONTEST RECEPTION

Congratulations to our talented CMS students who participated in the Reflections Arts Contest, including those who advanced to the county, state, and national contests! A reception will be held this Tuesday, May 6th, 7-8pm, in the CMS Library. Participants, their families, and the CMS community are welcome. Contact: CMS PTA Reflections chair Kat Brayton - reflections@cockeysvillemiddlepta.org

MAY 12TH CMS PTA MONTHLY MEETING

Our next CMS PTA monthly meeting will be Monday, May 12th, 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 available in the CMS Library. Our final meeting of the year will be June 2nd, 7-8pm.

• * Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81339149486?pwd=5UMk0YaZE9SDugQalE3kZ8Oxzax42A.1
• Meeting ID: 813 3914 9486 - Passcode: 2103
• One tap mobile: +13017158592,,81339149486#,,,,*21030# US (Washington DC)
• Dial by your location: +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)

MAY 13TH GREENE TURTLE RESTAURANT FUNDRAISER

On Tues., May 13th, 11am-10pm, the Greene Turtle of Hunt Valley will donate 20% of proceeds to CMS PTA - just show our flyer (on paper or phone). Thank you for supporting our students and school as you enjoy a meal!

FOR GRADE 8 FAMILIES FROM DULANEY HIGH SCHOOL PTSA

• Get your Dulaney Lions spirit wear here: https://themascotshop.jostens.com/1066489 (orders ship directly to your home – proceeds support Dulaney HS PTSA)
• Join the DHS Class of 2029 facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1183812143234265
• Check out the Dulaney HS PTSA website & facebook page: https://dulaneyhighschoolptsa.com/ - https://www.facebook.com/PTSADHS

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 final events for this year are: Wednesday, May 21 – unpack delivery; Thursday, May 22 – set up and distribute food; and Wednesday, June 11 – set up and distribute food. (There will be no June delivery to unpack.)
• CMS PTA BOARD: CMS PTA will have several officer and committee chair positions open for the 2025-2026 school year. Please contact Whitney Leber at president@cockeysvillemiddlepta.org or join us at one of our monthly PTA meetings if you’d like to learn more. Election of ’25-’26 officers will take place at our June 2nd meeting. Grade 5 families coming to CMS this fall are also invited to get involved now. This is a great way to get to know the school and other families and to make a difference for students.
• CMS COPY ROOM: Thank you, Copy Room volunteers! Copy Room is finished for the school year. See you in the fall.

SPIRITWEAR SALE

Thanks to all who ordered during our Spring Spiritwear Sale! Orders should ship directly to you by May 2nd from SwagDog, then you should receive them in 1-2 weeks. If there are any questions or issues, please contact jen@swagdog.com and Whitney Leber – wepleber@comcast.net. Our next spiritwear sale will be held this fall.

ANNUAL BCPS VOLUNTEER TRAINING

Volunteers are greatly appreciated at CMS. The BCPS annual online volunteer training and application should be completed prior to your first time volunteering at CMS every school year (chaperoning field trips, Copy Room, Food Pantry, etc.). Please bring your training certificate and completed application to the CMS office when you arrive 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

• May 5th-9th: CMS Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week
• May 6th, 7-8pm: CMS PTA Reflections Reception – CMS Library
• May 12th, 7-8pm: CMS PTA Monthly Meeting – CMS Library & Virtual
• May 13th, 11am-10pm: Greene Turtle Hunt Valley fundraiser for CMS PTA
• June 2nd, 7-8pm: CMS PTA Monthly Meeting & Officer Election – CMS Library & Virtual
• 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, ’24-’25 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 on May 23rd for Grade 8 only: These fun events for CMS students are only possible with the help of parent volunteers! The final CYC this year is for Grade 8 students only and will be held Friday, May 23rd, 7-9:30pm, at CMS. See all CYC info here and sign up to volunteer here.

• MAY 13TH GREENE TURTLE RESTAURANT FUNDRAISER

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