CMS Cougar Newsletter
February 23, 2026
A Letter from the Principal - Week of March 2nd & March 9th
One Team. One Track. One Goal: Excellence for Every Student!
A Letter from the Principal
Dear Cougar Families,
The past two weeks have certainly been a bit unusual for all of us. While the snow days and delays can certainly bring a change of pace, they can also make it challenging for students and staff to stay in a consistent rhythm. With the recent sunshine and signs of spring beginning to appear, we are excited to return to our regular routines here at Covington Middle School. Over the coming days, our focus will be on helping students settle back into a consistent schedule that provides the structure, stability, and support they need to be successful.
Even though it was a short six days of school over the past two weeks, it was certainly a meaningful time at Covington Middle School filled with celebration, reflection, and continued growth.
As we wrapped up Black History Month, Kindness Month, and Career & Technical Education (CTE) Month, we want to extend our sincere appreciation to the many staff members who helped make these recognitions impactful for our students. From organizing special programs and learning experiences to modeling kindness each day in our classrooms and hallways, our team continues to work on creating a positive and engaging school environment.
We are especially grateful to Mrs. Catherine Williams, who helped coordinate our schoolwide program honoring Black leaders in our community. So many staff were integral in helping to pull this program together - It was a special opportunity for our students to learn, reflect, and celebrate together.
We also had the pleasure of welcoming Eric Rhoades from CTLG, who spent two days working alongside our administrative team and Science staff. His insight and collaboration provided valuable support as we continue strengthening the high-quality instructional work happening daily at CMS. We appreciate our staff’s commitment to growth and continuous improvement for the benefit of our students.
Tutoring will begin this week and will run every Tuesday and Thursday, except for the dates noted on the tutoring permission form. Please be sure to complete the permission form and send it in so that your student can begin participating. Our staff will be working hard to accelerate learning opportunities and provide targeted support in the areas where students need it most.
Thank you for your continued support of Covington Middle School. We are proud of the work happening here each day and grateful for the partnership we share with our families and community.
With gratitude,
Lori Mattson
Interim Principal
Covington Middle School
Student Service Spotlight:
During the month of February, students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade at Covington Middle School participated in a donation drive to support our local community. Students collected canned goods and food items for the Clifton Forge Food Pantry as well as pet supplies and animal care items for the Alleghany Humane Society. This effort helped highlight Career & Technical Education Month while also encouraging students to give back to those in need.
Eighth grade student and aspiring veterinarian, Memphis Markham, assisted with delivering the donations. The Alleghany Humane Society, Inc. graciously accepted the contributions, with Lucas Skiff receiving the donations on their behalf. CMS is proud of our students for demonstrating compassion, leadership, and community spirit through this meaningful service project.
At Covington Middle School, we are committed to ensuring every student has the support they need to succeed. Our After-School Tutoring Program provides students with additional time and targeted instruction to strengthen key academic skills and close learning gaps.
During these sessions, teachers will work with students in small groups to identify and address specific areas where students may need extra support, while also reinforcing important concepts currently being taught in class. This focused time allows teachers to accelerate learning, target skill deficits, and help students build confidence in their academic abilities.
Students will have the opportunity to receive individualized guidance, additional practice, and support with current assignments, all within a structured and encouraging learning environment. Our goal is to ensure students are well prepared for upcoming assessments and continue progressing toward academic success.
Tutoring sessions will take place Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:45–6:00 PM, beginning March 10 and continuing through April 30, with a special session on May 5.
We encourage families to partner with us in taking advantage of this opportunity to help students strengthen their skills, build confidence, and continue growing as learners.
Permission forms will go home Monday, March 9th.
Our 7th grade students are getting ready for an exciting day of career exploration! On Tuesday, March 31, students from Covington Middle School will visit Mountain Gateway Community College for Roadrunner Day.
During this interactive field trip, students will tour the campus and experience hands-on learning opportunities while exploring careers in healthcare, advanced manufacturing, agriculture, computer and information technology, and many other fields. This event helps students begin thinking about their future while seeing how classroom learning connects to real-world careers.
Experiences like this are incredibly valuable for our middle school students as they begin discovering their interests, talents, and the many pathways available to them after graduation. We are excited for our students to learn, explore, and be inspired!
📝 Permission forms were sent home, please have your student return the completed permission form by Friday, March 13th.
Physical Education and Health Update
Our middle school students practiced and strengthened their skills through the classic playground favorite, 4-Square. The fast-paced game challenged students to improve their coordination, agility, reaction time, and strategic thinking while staying active and engaged. Throughout the activity, teachers emphasized sportsmanship, fair play, and encouraging one another. It has been great to see our students having fun, staying active, and building skills that support lifelong fitness.
🔢 Math Update
This week’s Math Students of the Week have shown exceptional focus and determination. Whether working through multi-step problems, collaborating with classmates, or checking their work for accuracy, these students consistently go above and beyond. Their commitment to learning and improving makes them shining examples in our math community!
6th Grade – Ryan Bishop
7th Grade – Luna Knick
8th Grade - Jayden Dawson
Algebra – Jenna Freeman
6th Grade Math – Ratios in Action!
Our 6th grade mathematicians are exploring ratios and learning how to compare quantities in meaningful ways. Students are writing ratios in multiple forms, creating tables, and solving real-world problems involving recipes, speed, and unit rates. They are building strong proportional reasoning skills that will serve as a foundation for future math concepts. Ask your child how they can compare two quantities using a ratio!
7th Grade Math – Discovering Similar Figures
Seventh graders are investigating similar figures and using proportional reasoning to determine missing side lengths and angle measures. Students are identifying corresponding sides and angles, writing similarity statements, and solving proportions to justify whether shapes are similar. This unit strengthens their understanding of scale drawings and geometric relationships. Encourage your child to explain how they know two figures are similar!
8th Grade Math – Understanding Slope
Our 8th grade students are diving into slope as a rate of change. They are learning how to calculate slope from graphs, tables, equations, and real-world situations. Students are connecting slope to proportional relationships and interpreting what positive, negative, zero, and undefined slopes mean in context. These skills are essential as they prepare for high school algebra. Ask your child how they can determine the slope between two points!
Remember to keep completing Zearn 45 minutes weekly!!!!
🔬 Science Department Update
6th Grade:
Our sixth graders continued their Renewable Energy unit, and are gearing up to begin Non-renewable Energy when we return from the break. We had an exciting week discussing incidents such as Chernobyl, and the BP oil spill.
7th Grade:
Our seventh graders continued their Plant Classification unit, and identified some plants they are familiar with. We will be testing on this unit on Wednesday when we return, please make sure your students are studying.
8th Grade:
Our eighth graders are continuing their focus on Newton's Laws. They have been hard at work on their projects! Mrs. Sales and Mrs. Dobbs are looking forward to what they come up with!
🎶 The Weekly Beat 🎶
Choir Updates
- Select students participated in the AHPS Honors Choir last Friday 2/27 and the event turned out to be a huge success! Students performed well and had a great time throughout the day.
- This week we continued working on some selections in the 6th and 7th grade classes to improve on ensemble and choral skills in preparation for Spring concert repertoire, which will be handed out in the coming weeks.
- The 8th Grade Choir continued working on the music they will be performing for the VCDA District Performance Assessment on March 27th as well as focusing on sight reading procedures which will also be assessed.
- We also would like to congratulate Abigail Powell and Penelope Thompson for successfully making it into this year’s All-Virginia Honors Choir which will take place in Richmond in April!
Band Updates
- 8th grade continued to work on their concert music for our joint concert with AHS band and choir on March 17th.
- 7th grade is making great progress on their toughest piece for their concert.
- 6th grade got to use Boomwhackers and play along with their favorite songs.
Students in CTE spent Monday through Wednesday creating and producing merchandise as part of their hands-on learning experience. During this project, students focused on key workplace competencies including quality control and workplace safety while manufacturing their products. Our 6th grade students have been hard at work on their earring collection, which will be completed on Monday. These projects allow students to apply real-world skills while gaining a deeper understanding of the manufacturing process.
Students from all grade levels, in both Mrs. Thomas' and Mrs. Harris' art classes, now have artwork displayed in downtown Covington. Mediums include collage and mixed media, pencil and colored pencil drawings, as well as a variety of paintings that have been completed this year.
Over the next few months, those interested can walk through and view the artwork in the "Alley Gallery" showcases by the Discovery Center building (located at 227 N Maple Ave).
There are even more art pieces still on display in the Alleghany Regional Library until mid-March. Students will also have more art show opportunities in both Clifton Forge and Bath County in the months to come, so stay tuned for those!
Contact Info
Covington Middle School
Principal: Ms. Lori MattsonAsst. Principal: Mr. Marty Wood
Asst. Principal/Athletic Director: Mr. Zach Hamilton
Main Office: 540-965-1410
Attendance Email: Attendance Notes
Website: https://cms.ahps.k12.va.us/
Location: 606 South Lexington Avenue, Covington, VA 24426
Phone: 540-965-1410
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CovingtonMSCougars
Instagram: cmscougars2023