Crabapple MS Staff-Update
Feb. 23
February 25-School Governance Council Meeting 9am
March 4- AP Meeting (NLC)
March 2- Track & Field Tryouts 5:30pm
March 5-Band Pre-LGPE Concert in the gym 6-7pm
March 10-Medical Drill (School Safety Team Members Only)
March 16-No School: District PD Day for staff
March 18-Rising 9th grade tours at Roswell HS
March 19- 8th Grade Career Day
Leadership Application Window Open
We are finalizing our Leadership Team for next year and will have some openings. If you would like to be considered for a leadership position, please complete the application below and submit it to Stephanie by March 6.
CMS Leadership Application 26-27.docx
Staff Swag
In researching about the staff jackets, I learned that our PTA does have a swag store. I think this is news to many. We are currently working with PTA to see if we can offer a 1 item discount for staff members. More info. to come. In the meantime, take a look and see if there is anything you like.
Crabapple Middle School | Squadlocker
Now Hiring: ELA & Math Instructional Leaders/Coaches
We are excited to announce that we are seeking two Instructional Leaders/Coaches, one for ELA and one for Math, to join our team and support our continued focus on high-quality instruction.
We are looking for educators who are strong in their content area, demonstrate exceptional leadership skills, and have the ability to collaborate effectively with others. Ideal candidates are organized, reflective, and clear communicators who are passionate about supporting both students and staff.
In this role, the Instructional Leader/Coach will work closely with our MTSS Coordinator to ensure all students receive the support they need. Responsibilities include:
- Working with students in small-group instructional settings
- Attending and supporting PLCs
- Providing professional development
- Coaching and mentoring new teachers
If you are interested in being considered for this role, please send your resume to Stephanie by March 2nd.
We look forward to seeing the amazing talent within our building step forward!
New MTSS Coordinator
We are excited to share that Lindsey Stephenson will serve as our MTSS Coordinator next school year. Lindsey’s strong leadership, positive relationships with students, and exceptional organization and initiative give us full confidence that she will excel in this position. Congratulations Lindsey!
- READ ACROSS AMERICA WEEK: March 2-6: Let’s celebrate reading in all of our classrooms!! During PLC this week, see if there is a way to work in reading to your lesson plans during Read Across America Week. See below for some ideas/suggestions:
- Picture Books: bring in and read aloud (or find a read aloud video on YouTube) a picture book related to your content area
- Write Stories: have students write their own stories related to the content you are learning about
- Articles: have students read articles related to the content you are learning about (See Mrs. Salvatore if you need help finding one)
- Biographies: read about famous people in the field of your content area or related to the content
- Read Images: find a painting, picture, image related to your content that you can project and have students “read” quietly for a few minutes and then share their thoughts and observations
- Independent Reading Time: Give students time to read their own books. Make sure they also have time to share a little about what they read or have a written response time.
- Poetry: Read or write poetry related to your content area
- Device Update: We are still waiting on replacement devices right now due to low inventory within the district. They have been trickling in, but we still have students waiting on new devices. Thanks for your patience with the situation and support of these students in the meantime.
- February Media Center Programming:
- Contest for Students and Teachers: DesignYourOwnOlympicMedal.pdf
Dear CMS Staff: March is the National " Music in our Schools Month" (MIOSM) set form by the National Association of Music Education (NAME). This year the CMS Music Department is officially going to celebrate with thousands of other schools across our country! We will have a spirit week with 'spirit attire' each day along with some other recognitions throughout the week.
Please look in your mailbox for a MIOSM Teacher Guide on Monday, March 2nd which will list spirit week attire and a fun activity for your students.
Thank you for helping us celebrate Music Education.
Quick Reference Spirit Days
- Music Monday: 3/3 Decades Day
- Black Out Tuesday: 3/4 All Black Attire
- We Wear Pink Wednesday: 3/5 Pink Attire
- Thursday Feels: A Color or Clothing Item that connects to a songs emotional vibe
- Band Inspired Friday: Wear your favorite band or musician tee shirt
https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:58eb6839-c40c-4339-a5aa-5bbeaec65787
Here is the Weekly Staff Points Report for the first 6 Weeks of 2nd Semester (ending on 2/19 at 3:00pm). Please check your PLC and make sure that you have around the same number of points. If you don't - what can you do as a PLC to support each other? What best practices will help your PLC have consistent PBIS points to prioritize your relationships with your students through this platform?
Upcoming PBIS District Walkthrough in MARCH: It's that time of year! The District will be sending a representative to complete a Walkthrough to see our consistent implementation of PBIS! While this is not a test, it is a fidelity check, and it does impact our school ratings a bit. Please click HERE to see what the district is looking for on their walkthrough!
If you looked at the Walkthrough Document linked above, you saw the section that said "If Classroom Systems Trained" - Yes, CMS is Classroom Systems Trained 🙂 Here is the PBIS Classroom Practice (Best Practices) that we have been working on recently through the Newsletter:
Relationships Best Practices Reminder: Clear Communication (Be Respectful) Give students explicit notice when they are doing the right thing. Communicate your appreciation and tell them explicitly what you admire about their choices! Even tell them what PBIS expectation/point (Be Respectful, Be Engaged, Be Prepared) that you are noticing! This communication gives positive reinforcement to the whole class and honors the students who are quietly doing the right thing.
I have been reflecting on the district’s level of readiness to respond to a major crisis and have concluded we still have work to do. I have tasked district leaders with improving processes for preparation, response, and communication.
I expect that we all wear our Centegix Alert Badge and Employee ID while on school district property. Every employee is expected to wear their Centegix and ID badge on a lanyard or positioned above the waist, so it is visible and immediately accessible at all times. School-purchased lanyards are permissible. District-purchased lanyards are available if needed.
In addition, we must reduce the frequency of accidental alerts and unjustified hard lockdowns as they negatively impact responsiveness. As a reminder, pressing the button three times is appropriate for urgent situations such as medical emergencies or altercations. Pressing the button repeatedly is only to be used when a hard lockdown is needed. A hard lockdown will result in significant district and law enforcement engagement.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! 🎉
Ms. Cong - February 25th
Ms. Selma - March 1st
Information shared in previous staff newsletters.
We would like to begin offering after school detention, but we need a staff member or two to run it. We would offer detention 2-3 afternoons per week. The staff member(s) would know what days students will attend by Friday of the week prior. If there are days you are unavailable, we can accommodate if we know in advance. The hours for students would be 4:10-5:30pm. The pay for teachers is $31 per hour outside of your contract hours. Please email Stephanie if you are interested in serving in this role.
In an effort to best support implementation of focused note-taking schoolwide, please complete this 5 question survey. There are no right or wrong answers. Please be honest and don’t feel pressured to respond how you think you “should.” This is not a gotcha but feedback for support. Thank you! Crabapple Middle School Focused Notetaking Feedback – Fill out form
Admin expectation is that each teacher will use focused note-taking at least once between now and the end of March and then one more time during Q4. Please submit 1 student work sample from Q3 and Q4 to your grade level AVID site team member.
6th: Merritt/Stephenson/Sandreuter/Jennings
7th: Harlow/Merritt/Ashman/Fluet
8th: Mimbs/Plantenys
Connections: Nelms
MATH GMAS PREP
From February 23rd through April 17th, the Math Department will be using homeroom time to support a select group of students who are on the cusp of reaching the next achievement level on the 2026 Milestones assessment. Students will attend two sessions per week for seven weeks and will check in with their homeroom teacher before heading to their review session. Please take a moment to look over the document below and note any students from your homeroom who will be participating. If you have any questions, please reach out to Ms. Ess. Thank you!
March Staff Meeting Date Change
We are going to move the March 18 staff meeting to March 25. This will be the Georgia Milestones proctor training and all certified staff need to be present unless you are out for the day. The change has been made on the master calendar, but please adjust your personal calendars as well.
Roswell Woman’s Club Applications are open. Deadline to apply is 3/6/2026. https://roswellwomansclub.org/grant-applications-educators-2026-open/
The Roswell Woman’s Club continues its longtime support of education in the community. Professional Educator Grants are awarded based upon a number of criteria including need, purpose, and overall impact of the funding. Professional Educator Grants are awarded to teachers in Fulton County schools north of the Chattahoochee River, at all levels of education, from elementary through high school. In 2025, Roswell Woman’s Club distributed 38 educational grants benefiting teachers and students in 23 Fulton County schools north of the Chattahoochee River.
The Crabapple Middle School Governance Council is offering Impact Grant Opportunities. These grants should support the faculty, students, and staff in achieving EXCELLENCE in all areas of the curriculum. Grant monies are available for qualifying projects, programs, or clubs to help support innovative and creative learning opportunities for the students at our school.
- GRANT APPLICATION: Please complete and return the Grant Application to Amy Schroder. There is NO deadline. The grant window will close in the spring when the funds must be spent or when the funding runs out!
- SGC Funds cannot be used to purchase food or gift cards.
- The SGC will review all applications, and funding will be voted on during our monthly SGC meetings. Funding is determined by the number of students impacted and first come basis. Proposals will be accepted as long as funds are available.
- The amount of student impact should directly correlate to the amount requested.
- All costs must be included in the grant application budget, including those funds which supplement the grant/project from existing funds.
- Include any shipping and handling fees and all taxes in grant monies requested. Grants are awarded for a specific amount, and any costs incurred after the award has been granted will not be covered.
- Applications must be clearly written, detailed, and include specific descriptions.
- Orders must be placed within 30 days.
- Application linked here: 25-26 CMS SGC Grant Application.docx
- If you have any questions, please see Amy Schroder or Emily Mimbs.
Milestones information/action items…
Can you believe preparation for Georgia Milestones 2026 has begun!? This year, Georgia Milestones testing will take place April 20th – May 6th (this includes the makeup testing window). There are several requirements we must complete together prior to testing week beginning. In an effort to scaffold the required completions, I have staggered the due dates so that it is not all sent at once and due within a week.
IMPORTANT: The district has informed me that ALL staff, regardless of your position (i.e., paraprofessional, teacher, administration, front office staff, counselors, custodians, etc.), must attend the training. You will receive an invitation this week to the mandatory staff training.
See below for instructions on accessing the End of Grade (EOG) and End of Course (EOC) Test Examiner Training 2026 module in Canvas. Please bookmark this link as you will reference it often throughout testing season and I will be posting everything to this module.
- Visit: Course Modules: CMS Staff Hub 25-26.
- Click on the ACTION ITEMS: End of Grade (EOG) Examiner Training Steps to get started.
PLEASE NOTE: that the first assignment/requirement is to complete the Georgia DOE Milestones Examiner Course Training through Georgia Learns. There are multiple modules that you must complete so please plan accordingly. While it is absolutely possible to complete all three modules in one sitting, if you need to space it out, you can complete at your convenience. But you must complete the entire course and email me a copy of your completion certificate from Georgia Learns. Due Date: 2/27/2026
2nd Semester
Feb 16-After School Detention and GMAS Staff Training Update
Feb 9- Grades (Progress Reports) and March Staff Meeting Update
Feb 2- Progress Report Grading Reminder and MTSS Position
Jan 26-TKES Mid Year & Student Leadership Update
Jan 19- Five-Step AVID Note Taking Process and School Social Worker Schedule Change
Jan 12- Bookkeeper Update and Mandated Reporter Refresher
Jan 5- AVID Update and New Dismissal Process
1st Semester
December 15- Grades and Staff Digital Accessibility
December 8- Holiday Concerts, POTY/TOTY Nominations, MLK Awards Nominations
December 1- Holiday Countdown Calendar and Underground Spirit Week
November 17- Student Attendance Update and Facilities Reminder
November 10- Building Events Procedure and Grading Reminder
November 3- Bookkeeper News and Veterans Day Reminder
October 27-PBIS Halloween Celebration and 504 Need to Know
October 20-Parent and Student Payment Directions and School Pictures
October 6- PBIS Staff Assessment Survey and Canvas Support Update
September 29- Revised Morning Help Session Process and Q1 Grading Update
September 22- TKES Goals and COPPA Update
September 15- Extended Learning and RTI Update
September 8- TKES Reminder and Student Attendance Update
September 1-Clubs and Teacher Mini Grant Update
August 25- Grading and AM/PM Procedure Update
August 18- PBIS, Centegix Badge, and BOY Media Center Update
August 11- Vanguard, Yearbook, Handling Medical Emergencies Follow-up.
July 30 -Important Dates for the Year, PBIS resources, Staff Handbook, Duty Schedules, Master Schedule, and Substitute Information
July 25 - Summer Need to Know Information