CJMS Weekly Updates

Good Evening, Cabin John Middle School Families!

This is your Principal, Ms. Snider, with the Sunday announcements for the week of March 17 to March 21. Happy St. Patrick's Day to everyone!

This week The No Place for Hate committee is sponsoring a spirit week to raise awareness about the importance of kindness and acceptance! This Spirit Week will also have a bit of competition. Participants will be counted during each first period and the highest number of participants in respective first periods will win doughnuts during the first week in April. There will be one first period winner from each grade level. Students who have first period at Churchill are their own “class,” so they may participate as well. Monday starts us off with wear green day to honor mental health awareness and celebrate St. Patrick's Day. The rest of the spirit days are listed in the digital newsletter!

You can also find information on Cabin John's International Night schedule for April 3rd. This has always been a great event for us, showcasing the rich diversity in our community. We need your help to make it happen this year. In the digital newsletter, you will find a QR code to sign up to sponsor a table and share your family culture with our community. Please sign up so we can still run this amazing event!

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

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.

• Monday, March 17 to Friday, March 21 - No Place for Hate Spirit Week (see days below)
• Thursday, March 27 - 8th Grade Panoramic Picture Day
• Monday, March 31 - Last Day of Quarter 3
• Thursday, April 3 - MD Student Survey
• Monday, April 14 to Monday, April 21 - Spring Break, No School for Students or Teachers

The No Place for Hate committee is sponsoring a spirit week to raise awareness about the importance of kindness and acceptance!

Spirit Week Competition: This Spirit Week will also have a bit of competition. Participants will be counted during each first period and the highest number of participants in respective first periods will win doughnuts during the first week in April. There will be one first period winner from each grade level. Students who have first period at Churchill are their own “class,” so they may participate as well.

Spirit Week Days:

Monday - Wear green!

• Green is the official color for mental health awareness and it just happens this year to coincide with St. Patrick's Day!

Tuesday - we all belong to many cultures–wear yours!

• Wear a shirt or button or something with your friends who share the same culture like being in the band/orchestra/chorus; being on the same or routing for the same sports team; many of you share a love of anime, music, art, fashion and so much more. Show that love off today!

Wednesday - Walk in Someone Else’s Shoes!

• Before you can truly understand a person, you have to experience what they experience to truly understand them so today, “walk in their shoes”. Find someone and trade a shoe or shoes for the day!

Thursday – Bring Anything but a Backpack!

• To help take a load off your shoulders, bring something else to carry your load! Nothing alive or stolen please; be clever and creative but do so within the boundaries of what is appropriate!

Friday - Wear Words of Kindness!

• Wear something with kind, encouraging words on it. A shirt, button, necklace, bracelet, on a lanyard or sticky or even on some tape will work.

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.

🗓 Date: Thursday, April 3, 2025

🕒 Time: 6:30-8:30
📍 Location: Cabin John Middle School All-Purpose room

Come and enjoy:
🌐 Cultural Performances – Dance, music, and art from various cultures
🍽 International Food Stations – Taste authentic dishes from across the globe
🎨 Interactive Activities – Fun games and crafts for all ages
🎁 Cultural Exhibits – Explore art, traditions, and history from different countries

Bring your family and friends to celebrate unity, diversity, and inclusion!

Let’s make this a night to remember! ✨

Interested in sharing your culture? Use this link or the QR code above to sign up.

In the coming weeks, all students will be taking the Maryland Survey. State law requires that all public schools in Maryland survey students about school climate. The purpose of the survey is to gain valuable information about the quality and character of each school’s learning environment so that schools can promote a climate that supports student learning.

More information will be conveyed via the linked letter (for parents/caregivers), and via Advisory classes (for students).

The Montgomery County Commission for Women is excited to invite students to participate in the 8th annual “Girl Power Contest," which will run from March 1 to March 31! This annual contest is open to all Montgomery County residents ages five and up and encourages young people to use their creativity to explore themes of confidence, ambition, and self-worth.

This Year’s Theme:

The media we consume plays a powerful role in shaping confidence, ambition, and self-worth, especially for young girls and women, by providing representation, positive role models, and stories that challenge stereotypes. What kind of media (TV shows, social media content, YouTube series, movies, books, etc.) would you create to inspire, uplift, and empower girls and women in the community?

Students can submit short stories, poems, drawings, or any other creative work that reflects their vision by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, March 31.

This is a great opportunity for students to express themselves, develop their creative skills, and be part of important conversations regarding representation and empowerment.

Winners will be chosen in four categories: elementary, middle, high school and adult. They will be featured on the CFW’s social media platforms, invited to a recognition ceremony and receive a certificate and Girl Power swag bag. Winners will be announced in early May.

For more details or questions, please contact cfwinfo@montgomerycountymd.gov or call 240-777-8300.

The Bethesda Big Train Summer Camp offers a fun and educational environment where young athletes can learn the fundamentals of baseball and improve their skills, all while building friendships and enjoying a supportive team atmosphere. Our camp is designed for students of all skill levels, from beginners to more experienced players.

Additionally, we are excited to offer a Youth Volunteer Program for middle and high school students who are interested in earning SSL (Student Service Learning) hours this summer. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to gain valuable experience while helping with our gameday operations, customer service experience and more!

Hello Bulldog Nation,

This is Coach Blumenthal from Winston Churchill Boys Basketball. We are excited to announce our session dates for the 2025 Potomac Bulldogs Basketball Camp.

We will have Three week long sessions available this summer:

• June 23-27
• July 7-11
• July 21-25

Below is the link to our website which has more information on camp and how to register.

The Registration window to hold spots is now open. Payments will not start being collected until May 1st. https://potomacbulldogs.godaddysites.com/ Should you have any questions at all please do not hesitate to reach out.

We are looking forward to another great 3 weeks of camp this year and hope your child can join in on the fun this year! Coach Blumenthal

Congratulations to our CJMS Science Bowl team who won the Maryland-DC Regional Science Bowl for Middle School. The competition, which happened on Saturday, March 1st, 2025, ended in an absolutely spectacular manner, with the Cabin John Middle School Team securing a victory in the finals and having the opportunity to succeed to the Nationals Competition, which will be hosted in DC from April 25-29.

Thank you to Subhan Tahir and Albert Gao for coaching the establishing the CJMS team. The hard work of the coaches and the team led them to success! Eric Xie, the Team Captain worked greatly with his team members Kiana Ayazi, Adi Jacobson, Ayesha Tahir, and Adrij Yadav who all performed outstandingly in every match played.

The Science Bowl coaches would like to thank the following people:

• First off, Ayesha Tahir, for helping me initiate the idea of starting a Science Bowl Club in Cabin John by using her connections to secure a sponsor, ensuring that the club could be officially established.
• I am deeply grateful to my fellow coach, Albert Gao, who took time out of his busy Senior Schedule to help coach the team and share his Science Bowl expertise.
• I also appreciate Ms. McGehee--the Winston Churchill High School Science Bowl Club Sponsor--for working with our High School club and inspiring me to extend our influence to other feeder schools. Finally, I would love to thank Ms. McCutcheon. If it weren't for her actually choosing to become a sponsor for our Club, it would be very possible the idea of a Science Bowl Club in Cabin John would cease to exist, which is why I give my heartfelt gratitude for her taking time out of her schedule and helping out by playing such a tremendous role in the existence of the club.

This was also Cabin John's first year participating in Science Bowl. We are all blown away by the results and we all look forward to amazing results in the Middle School Science Bowl Nationals!

Lollipop Labs engages and excites young innovators to change the world by incentivizing them to use their innovative solutions to address critical problems with using their STEAM skills. We have various impactful programs and are excited to announce our newest one.

We have partnered with Red Lobster to ask middle school students nationwide to think big and identify solutions to problems facing our oceans today (and remember that local lakes, rivers, and streams all impact our oceans!) By using their STEAM skills, teams of 1-5 students from the same school will tackle real-world problems and explore how small actions can create big changes for the health of our world. Learn more at https://www.redlobsterblueocean.com/.

The Grand Prize is an all expenses paid VIP trip to Los Angeles, CA where they will meet and learn from leading ocean innovators among other fun activities. There will be four Runner-Up teams who will also receive prizes. The winning school will receive $1,000 in science supplies.

Team Submissions are currently open and closes March 28. There is still plenty of time for your students to dream up that impactful idea. After our panel of subject matter expert judges select to Top 20 submissions, they will go into the crowd-voting phase where anyone nationwide can vote on their favorite idea. A great opportunity to have your school highlighted among the top ideas.

Learn more about us at https://www.lollipoplabs.com/. Follow us on social media for more impactful programs.

CJMS is going to Panama! Come out Thursday, March 20th @ 7PM to the Media Center to hear how you can join us on an amazing trip to Panama and Central America! Use the link to RSVP your attendance: https://bit.ly/4gctGnL

Contact Mr. Siddons for more details.

NOTE: EF Tours are NOT sponsored by MCPS.

Join the Wootton Community for the 10th Annual Sam Williams 5K run/walk on March 22, 2025 at 10am. There will be a shorter fun-run, DJ, field games, face painting, and more opportunities for family fun.

To guarantee your t-shirt, please register by March 1 at https://samwilliamsleadershipfoundation.blogspot.com

As we begin the second half of the school year, we want to remind students and their families of the many resources available to support everyone. These resources also reflect our shared commitment to fostering a safe, respectful and inclusive school community.

Civic Engagement and Civil Discourse
MCPS is committed to fostering civic engagement and civil discourse among our students. These are essential skills and strategies that empower young people to navigate a diverse world with respect and confidence.

• The MCPS Civic Engagement and Civil Discourse Google Site provides centralized resources for staff and is easily accessible via the MCPS Resources tab in Google Chrome. The website provides resources to support creating an environment where students can participate productively, engage safely, and experience uniform rule application across the district.
• Strategies concerning political engagement, including guidelines for students.

Supporting Our Diverse Community
Our diversity is a huge strength for us, and it’s our duty to ensure every individual feels valued and supported. Please keep the following resources in mind:

• Immigration Resources for students and families
• MCPS Immigration webpage with more resources

Addressing Hate-Bias and Antiracism
MCPS tiered protocols are critical for addressing hate and bias incidents, ensuring we respond thoughtfully and effectively when these situations arise.

Procedures for reporting and responding to hate-bias incidents.

The MCPS 2024-2025 Change of School Assignment (COSA) transfer season opens on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025 and ends on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. The COSA process allows families to submit a request for their children to transfer out of their assigned home school.

Important changes for the upcoming COSA transfer process:

• Requests submitted after April 1, 2025, will not be considered unless there was a recent move or an emergency event that could not have been foreseen prior to April 1st.
• All COSA requests will now be submitted online through ParentVue in Synergy. Parents who need support on how to use ParentVue to complete an online COSA request will be encouraged to reach out to the Counseling Secretary & Registrar at their child’s assigned school.
• Detailed information related to the COSA process can be found in the 2025-2026 COSA information booklet, which will be available at the end of January. Hard copies will be available at Cabin John at the end of January.

If you have any questions please contact Mrs. Hardy, Counseling Secretary & Registrar in the Counseling Office at (240) 406-1560.

If your child(ren) will not be returning to CJMS or will not be attending one of our feeder high schools for the 2025-2026 school year, contact Mrs. Hardy, Counseling Secretary & Registrar, Tamara_A_Hardy@mcpsmd.org with the next year’s school’s name and address, your child’s full name, MCPS student ID number, current grade level, and a forwarding address.

Or you may complete and submit these two forms directly to Mrs. Hardy: Verification of Enrollment and Withdrawal Information Form.

This is important planning for class schedules for the upcoming school year. Thank you for your assistance.

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.

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

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.

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