Upcoming Events
Monday, 5/12
State testing grades 3-8
Sign Language Club (grades 2-4) in Mrs. Ennis’s room from 3:00-3:45 PM
CMS Choir (grades 4-8) in Mrs. Aristizabal’s room from 3:00-3:45 PM
Baseball & Softball events see Remind App
No Homework Club due to testing
Tuesday, 5/13
State testing grades 3-8
2nd Grade Pen Pal trip to Middle Township Elementary School
STEM Club (grade 3) in Mr. Rauenzahn’s room from 3:00-3:45 PM
Baseball and Softball events see Remind App
No Homework Club due to testing
Wednesday, 5/14
State testing grades 3-8
5th Grade trip to Citizens Bank Park
Running Club (grades 3-8) at Rambler Road from 3:30-4:15 PM
Baseball and Softball events see Remind App
No Homework Club due to testing
Thursday, 5/15
State testing grades 3-8
Mrs. Kurkowski’s Girls/Boys Empowerment Assemblies (grades 5-8) at 1:10 PM
History Club (grades 6-8) in Mr. Mingee’s room from 3:00-4:00 PM
Running Club (grades 3-8) at Rambler Road from 3:30-4:15 PM
Girls Night Out (grades 5-8) in the Gym from 3:00-5:00 PM
Baseball and Softball events see Remind App
No Homework Club due to testing
Friday, 5/16
State testing grades 3-8
Baseball and Softball events see Remind App
No Homework Club
Reminders and What’s New at CMS
State Testing will be held next week. It is important for students to arrive at school on time and ready to begin testing. Also, students who get a good night’s rest and eat breakfast before school tend to perform better on testing.
Our students' artwork will be on display at the Wildwood Crest Arts Pavilion Opening Exhibit on Sunday, May 18th from 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM. The Art Show is open to the public with free art classes, live music, art vendors and an art contest inspired by local artists. The Pavilion is located at 6301 Ocean Avenue in Wildwood Crest.
Baseball and Softball schedules are available in the lobby outside of the Main Office.
PTC & 8th Grade Parent News
SPAGHETTI DINNER AT CARINIS: on Sunday, May 18th from 12:00-8:00 PM. Dine in or take out. For $20 you get an amazing meal that includes pasta, salad, bread, one meatball or sausage, and a mini cannoli. Ten dollars from each dinner goes back to CMS students.
We will reward the school’s top three ticket sellers (student or staff) with lunch. Winners can order lunch from WaWa and the PTC will deliver it to school.
Payments (cash or check) must be submitted with ticket requests.
Tickets will be sent home with your child. Plan to distribute to your buyers before Sunday, May 18th.
Questions? Please reach out to one of our PTC Members: Erin Morey, Melissa Stocker, Carmen Cusella or Denise Bannon.
This Week’s CMS Difference Maker is — Aly Cusella
Aly is an eighth grade student who is hard working, kind and loves to work with the younger students at CMS. If there’s a special activity or holiday event in our blue wing, you can bet Aly will be there helping to make sure that our youngest students are having a good time. She is also the eighth grade class president and a great role model for her peers. For making a difference in our school community, thank you Aly. If you know another student, staff member, parent or community member who is also making a difference in the CMS community, please help us recognize their efforts by following this link: https://forms.gle/c3FCHCD7HK5BE48Z6
Helping Kids Recover from Pandemic Learning Loss
This week's perspective comes from Emily Oster's book The Family Firm. In this excerpt, Oster highlights how the pandemic created unprecedented learning disruptions that continue to affect students years later. Parents remain concerned about helping their children catch up academically without adding undue pressure. Some important considerations include:
Learning loss is real but not uniform. Some students fell significantly behind in core subjects like reading and math, while others maintained progress or even accelerated in certain areas.
Recovery requires accurate assessment. Before implementing solutions, parents should work with teachers to identify specific skill gaps rather than making assumptions based on grade level.
Targeted support works better than general remediation. If a child struggles with multiplication but excels at reading comprehension, focus your energy on math skills rather than broadly extending study time.
Tutoring shows the strongest evidence for accelerating learning recovery. Even just 2-3 sessions per week with a qualified tutor can significantly improve outcomes in problem areas.
Avoid the temptation to push too hard too fast. Cramming rarely leads to lasting knowledge, and excessive pressure can create anxiety that further impedes learning.
Prioritize foundational skills first. Reading fluency, number sense, and writing mechanics form the basis for more advanced learning. Without these fundamentals, students will continue to struggle.
Remember that social-emotional wellbeing impacts academic performance. Children who feel anxious, disconnected, or overwhelmed will have difficulty focusing in school.
Question of the Week: What specific academic skills does your child need to strengthen, and what resources are available to help address these areas?
Parents, we’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Share your perspective by going to: https://forms.gle/vm1mWZnFse8gGXRZ7