CJMS Weekly Updates

Good Evening, Cabin John Middle School Families!

This is your Principal, Ms. Snider, with the Sunday announcements for the week of February 17 to February 21. I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day. Remember, tomorrow, February 17th we do not have school in honor of President's Day.

Attention 7th and 8th graders, if you are interested in trying for the CJMS soccer teams, registration is now open through ParentVue. Tryouts begin Tuesday, March 11th. If you have any questions about the registration process, please see our website at https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/cabinjohnms/clubs/athletics/

or email our Athletic Coordinator, Mr. Fritz at Jeffrey_Fritz@mcpsmd.org!

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, February 17 - No School, President's Day
• Thursday, February 20 - Chinese Classes Cultural Field Trip
• Thursday, February 27 - 7th Grade Principal's Tea @7pm in the Cafeteria
• Friday, February 28 - CJMS Black History Heritage Celebration @7pm
• Friday, February 28 - Early Release Day

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.

Attention 7th and 8th graders, if you are interested in trying for the CJMS soccer teams, registration is now open through ParentVue. Tryouts begin Tuesday, March 11th.

If you have any questions about the registration process, please see our website at https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/cabinjohnms/clubs/athletics/

or email our Athletic Coordinator, Mr. Fritz at Jeffrey_Fritz@mcpsmd.org

Our Cabin John Mathcounts club team did an amazing job again in the 2024-2025 Mathcount Chapter Competition held last Saturday, February 8 at University of Maryland. Our CJMS Mathcount team ranked First among the six teams advanced to Maryland State Level. At the Chapter Individual round we had 9 Mathletes from our team make it to the state round.

Our MC Team members - Eric Xie, James Wang, Mila Wang and Edward Ye had a great performance and landed Chapter Team First Place for Cabin John.

We had 4 students make it into the Countdown round (top 16): Eric Xie, Edward Ye, Yuchu Li and Colin Zhao. Eric came 1st at both the Individual round and Countdown round.

Our Model UN Spring Session is here! We invite new and former students to join us for our final 8-week session of the year.

Model United Nations (or Model UN) is an authentic simulation of the United Nations General Assembly in which students act as country delegates and engage in acts of diplomacy, negotiation, and decision making. The program is offered through Global Minds, LLC, founded in 2021 by former Bells Mill/Cabin John parents, Audré Park and Shreelata Durbhakula.

Cabin John Model UN programs are open to 6th - 8th graders.

Students meet with instructors weekly and will have the opportunity to attend five Model UN Conferences. Conferences are hosted by local schools, universities and the U.S. Department of State. We are also excited to announce that our very own Cabin John MS will host their first conference CJMUNC I on May 3!

Dates & Times:

• Model UN Advanced (2+ years), Tuesdays 3:15pm - 4:15pm - February 25 - April 22

• Model UN, Thursdays, 3:15pm - 4:15pm - February 27 - April 24

Cost: $225 (8 weeks)

Siblings enrolled in the same session receive a 5% discount. Registration is risk-free. To cancel registration for a full refund, request a cancellation 24 hours before the second class. (There are additional conference expenses ranging from $20 ~ $60 that are charged by individual conferences. Attending conferences are optional.)

We offer financial assistance for students with financial need. Please contact us at globalmindsmun@gmail.com

For detailed information, visit the website at Global Minds, LLC (https://globalmindsmun.com/) or the flyer here (https://mailchi.mp/316c615ccb0b/cjms-model-un-club-registration-10134337?e=852cf67e03).

Registration deadline: February 25. To register, click here: https://globalmindsmun.com/registration/.

The Heart & Sole curriculum was developed by Girls on the Run International to meet the unique needs of middle school girls with rich themes girls can relate to, addressing the whole girl—body, brain, heart, spirit, and social connection. Heart & Sole is accessible to all girls regardless of athletic ability or fitness level.

How does it work?
Heart & Sole is a 10-week program with a small team size of 8-15 girls so that girls have an opportunity to build strong connections with one another and their coaches. The program teaches life skills such as team-building, creating a support system, boundary setting, making connections & friendships, goal setting, problem-solving, emotional regulation, standing up for themselves and others, self-care, overcoming obstacles, decision making, and asking for and providing help.

The season culminates with the Girls on the Run 5K on Sunday, November 24th at the Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. This celebratory event underscores the confidence, competence, cooperation, and character they’ve been developing in the program and gives them a tangible sense of goal setting and achievement.

When: Teams will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:15 to 4:30 pm, starting March 11th through May 18th.

Cost: The standard program registration fee is $187.50. Families that qualify for reduced meals through the MCPS FARMS program pay a reduced registration fee of $100. Families that qualify for free meals through the MCPS FARMS program and/or have a household income under $40,000 pay a reduced registration fee of $20. Payment plan, military discount, and sibling discount are available. Full financial assistance is available to families experiencing financial hardship.

Each participant receives a program t-shirt, water bottle, entry to the GOTR MoCo 5K, and a finishers medal.

To Register:

Click HERE for the program details/registration link

Registration begins February 11th and closes March 20th @ 5pm. Space is limited.

Come join us as we celebrate Black History Heritage Month. We want to take a moment to acknowledge and honor the countless contributions that Black individuals have made to our society, both past and present.

You’re cordially invited to the Cabin John Middle School Annual Black History Heritage Celebration. This year celebration will be held Friday, February 28, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. in the CJMS cafeteria. Please come out to celebrate, network, and hear some great performances. All are welcome to attend so bring the whole family.

Next week, the Wootton Black Student Union (BSU) is kicking off their Black History Month Events. The highlight of their month-long celebration is the highly anticipated Annual Black History Month Program, with our theme this year: The Bridge Called Our Backs: A Story of Pain and Triumph.

Cabin John Middle School students, staff, and families are invited to the showcase from 6:30pm - 8:30pm on Wednesday, February 19th. There will be acts ranging from dance to fashion performed by high school students, but it won't be complete without the community at the event. Please join us!

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.

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

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