Clipper Currents

We kicked off the year with an outstanding performance at our first Math Meet today! 📐 Our students were brilliant, showing great teamwork and sharp skills.

A huge shout-out to our 6th graders that competed as 7th graders! Olive Pearson, Finn Henderson, and Jasper Pelkey (all 6th graders!) took 1st Place in the 7th Grade competition! Olive Pearson placed first overall for 7th grade.🎉

And a round of applause for our 8th Grade team, who powered their way to 4th Place overall!

We are incredibly proud of all our competitors! Way to go, team!

The holiday season is joyful, but it can also bring extra stress for many families. If your family could use a little support for Thanksgiving or Christmas — or if you’d like to help another family — we are here for you.

Please fill out the confidential form below, and Mrs. McGee will be in touch with more information.

👉 Holiday Assistance Form

Lost & Found is overflowing with clothing and items. Please stop by our lobby to look through. If you see anything you recognize, please let us know!

Heads up! Last year we tried Remote Snow Days for the first time and we had a positive response. The RSU 18 School Board has approved the use of remote days in place of snow days to happen on a limited basis, and no more than three times a year. If winter weather requires us to shift to remote learning, we will announce the Remote Learning Snow Day in advance. This allows everyone to prepare.

What Are the Expectations?

• Grades 6-12 (Middle School):

  • Students must check Google Classroom for assignments posted by each of their teachers.

• Grade 5 (Choice Board):

  • Grade 5 students will be provided with a choice board containing various learning activities for the day.

• Assignment Completion & Attendance:

  • All assignments must be completed within 5 school days of the remote learning day.

Lunch/Meal Option

• We will offer a bagged meal option to all students in the event of a Remote Learning Snow Day.

• Action Required: To ensure your child can receive a meal, please SIGN UP HERE. This must be completed in advance, so please don't wait until the first Remote Snow Day!

We believe fresh air and exercise are vital for our students, so we make every effort to hold recess outdoors. Please help us by ensuring your student comes to school dressed for the cold!

Our Winter Outdoor Policy

• Jacket/Coat Required: If the "Feels Like" temperature is 10°F or above, students will be outside for recess and must have a warm winter jacket or coat. (A sweatshirt/hoodie is not considered a proper winter coat.) If you need assistance with winter gear, please reach out. We're happy to help!

• Snow Play Gear: For safety and comfort, students who wish to play on the snow piles or off the paved areas must be wearing the proper clothing. Students without boots will be asked to remain on the cleared, paved surfaces.

• To play in deep snow or off paved areas, students need a coat, boots, snow pants, and gloves/mittens.

🥫Student Council is excited to share their latest project! They're holding a food drive!

See below for concert notice!

We are now taking orders for yearbooks. It can be paid with cash or a check payable to China Middle School in the amount of $13. See Ms. Armour for order forms. Alternatively, yearbooks can be purchased online until April 17, 2026. Go to https://jostensyearbooks.com/?REF=A07634466

Attention 8th-grade parents/guardians: If you are interested in placing an ad in the yearbook for your child, please go to https://www.jostens.com/apps/jcom/router.mvc?affiliateId=2736385. This link will be available until February 12, 2026.

For Quarter 2, we have a small group of 5th and 6th grade students starting up a school newspaper during Elective time at the end of the week. Next week's addition is attached below. Check out their great work!

Every day counts, and every student matters. This fall, our school has been working hard to build strong attendance habits—and we’re excited to share our progress! When students attend regularly, they build friendships, confidence, and learning momentum.

The Goal: Our school's goal is to ensure every student attends school at least 90% of the time, which is essential for academic success and social-emotional growth.

Our Progress: We are thrilled to share that the rate of student absences has significantly declined over the last three years! The graph below shows our 1st Quarter Absence Rate:

• In the 2023-2024 school year, the rate was approximately 19%.

• This school year (2025-2026), that rate has dropped to 12%.

This 7 percentage point reduction in chronic absence is a huge achievement for our community! Thank you for helping your child show up and shine every day—it truly makes a difference.

Monday 11/24

• Boys Varsity 4:15-5:45 CMS
• Boys JV 4:15-5:45 CPS
• Girls Varsity 2:45-4:15 CMS
• Girls JV 2:45-4:15 CPS
• Cheer 2:45-4 Stage

Tuesday 11/25

• Boys Varsity 4:15-5:45 CMS
• Boys JV no practice
• Girls Varsity 4:15-5:45 CPS
• Girls JV 2:45-4:15 CPS
• Cheer no practice

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Monday, 12/1

Tuesday, 12/2

Wednesday, 12/3

No Practices due to Winter Concert!

Thursday, 12/4

Boys Varsity 2:45-4:15 CMS

Boys JV 4:15-5:45 CMS

GIrls JV 2:45-4:15 CPS

Cheer 2:45-4 STAGE

Friday, 12/5

Boys Varsity 2:45-4:15 CMS

Girls Varsity 4:15-5:45 CMS

Josh Brooks

B.S. Sport Management
Athletic Director

(jbrooks@rsu18.org)

Monday 11/24 2:45 pm to 3:45 pm.

No meeting Thanksgiving week.

News from the China Schools PTO!

Next meeting is Thursday, November 13 at 6pm on Google Meet!

Basketball tickets: Maine Celtics - November 15th @ 7pm

https://www.gofevo.com/event/ChinaSchoolsPTO

The Maine Celtics are excited to host China Schools PTO on November 15 at 7 PM as we take on the Long Island Nets at the Portland Expo! All tickets purchased through this special ticket offer will include a FREE Maine Celtics Hat! * $4 from every ticket purchased will be donated back to China Schools PTO! You will receive an order confirmation email from letsgo@fevo.com immediately after your purchase. All tickets are mobile. All sales are final. You will receive an email before the game with instructions on how to pick up your free hats at the game.

Hockey tickets: Maine Mariners - January 3rd @ 6pm

https://www.gofevo.com/event/ChinaSchoolsPTOJan3rd

China Schools PTO at Maine Mariners’ Under the Sea Night!

Join China Schools PTO at Maine Mariners during the winter break for Under the Sea Night! $5 from every ticket sold goes back to PTO to raise funds for school projects!

Event Highlights:

Foam Trident Giveaway – The first 500 fans through the doors will receive a Foam Trident Giveaway!

Group Shoutout – Your school will get a special shoutout during the game, so bring your energy and pride!

Discounted Tickets – Take advantage of exclusive group pricing for China Schools Students. (Same seat is roughly $40 on Ticketmaster)

TO PURCHASE TICKETS:

1.) Click GET TICKETS

2.) Choose your section, row, and seat locations

3.) Hit REVIEW ORDER & CONTINUE TO PAYMENT

4.) Enter information and check out

China Maine Craft Show: November 7th - you won’t want to miss this! Get your holiday shopping done from local crafters and support our schools! Follow here:

https://facebook.com/events/s/2025-china-maine-craft-show/551476090732519/

Want to stay in the know? Add the PTO public calendar to your phone! It has all the important school dates and events for CPS and CMS, and PTO happenings.

Google calendar app users, use this one: https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0?cid=M2U5YjY0N2RlM2U0YWZjOTA5NjNlYmYxZTRlNDZiZGFjYTQ1Zjk0ZWY5NzEwMzg0ZmY0YjVkMmQ2MWE1MjBkZkBncm91cC5jYWxlbmRhci5nb29nbGUuY29t

iOS calendar users: copy this link. Go to your calendar app - add a calendar - pick subscription and paste the link. https://calendar.google.com/calendar/ical/3e9b647de3e4afc90963ebf1e4e46bdaca45f94ef9710384ff4b5d2d61a520df%40group.calendar.google.com/public/basic.ics

*Special note* these are the same calendars as last year, so you don’t need to do anything if you did this last year

If you haven’t already, join our Facebook group to stay in the know: https://facebook.com/groups/chinaschoolspto/ And we are always here at chinaschoolspto@gmail.com!

TICKET DELIVERY:

You will receive an email from FEVO (noreply@fevo-enterprise.com) to access to your tickets through Account Manager

We believe in creating a safe and engaging learning environment where we nurture student well-being and empower every student to achieve their fullest potential.

CMS is a place where every student feels they belong, students are challenged to meet rigorous academic goals, and they contribute positively to our community.

Serving students grades 5 – 8 in the town of China, Maine.

China Middle School is located near scenic China Lake in Central Maine. The school serves the children, families, and residents in the town of China. Our middle school has students in grades 5 – 8. We are part of RSU 18, which encompasses the towns of Oakland, Belgrade, Sidney, China and Rome.

Website: https://cms.rsu18.org/
Location: 773 Lakeview Drive, China, ME 04358
Phone: (207) 445-1500