CMS Launch Points

Monday, 11/16

• Homework Club (for enrolled students) in Spanish Room 3:00-4:00 PM
• CMS Choir (grades 4-8) in the Music Room from 3:00-3:45 PM

Tuesday, 11/17

• STEM Club (grade 1) in the Library 3:00-3:45 PM
• Cre8 Club (grades 6-8) in the Art Room 3:00-3:45 PM

Wednesday, 11/18

• 1:10 PM Early Dismissal - Parent/Teacher Conferences (Day Conferences: 1:30-2:50 PM)

Thursday, 11/19

• Last Day of the Annual Food Drive
• 1:10 PM Early Dismissal - Parent/Teacher Conferences (Night Conferences: 6:00-7:50 PM)

Friday, 11/20

• 1:10 PM Early Dismissal - Parent/Teacher Conferences (Day Conferences: 1:30-2:50 PM)

Other Upcoming Dates

• School will be dismissed at 1:10 PM on Wednesday, Nov. 25th, and closed for Thanksgiving Break on Thursday, Nov. 26th and Friday, Nov. 27th.
  
  

• Monday, 11/16: Regular or Spicy Chicken Tenders with a Roll or Garden Salad with Cheese; French Fries and Baby Carrots
• Tuesday, 11/17: Cheese or Pepperoni Pizza Slice or Garden Salad with Cheese; Seasoned Green Beans and Caesar Salad
• Wednesday, 11/18: Chicken & Cheese Quesadillas or Garden Salad with Cheese; Refried Beans and Cucumber Slices
• Thursday, 11/19: Toasted Cheese Sandwich (vegetarian) or Garden Salad with Cheese; Tomato Soup and Garden Salad
• Friday, 11/20: Hot Ham & Cheese on a Pretzel Bun or Garden Salad with Cheese; Sweet Potato Fries and Veggie Patch
  
  

• CMS Power Up Practice: We’ve launched CMS Power Up Practice website for students in grades 3-8. The website that gives each child leveled Math and English Language Arts work built from the testing information we already have (MAP, NJSLA, and a brief quarterly check-in). Every week, students have two optional ELA and Math assignments that they can work on at home to improve their test-taking abilities.For more information, reach out to your child's teachers or Dr. Lhulier at llhulier@crestmem.edu.
• Stay Connected: Choir families can text @aariati to 81010 and Band families can text @aariat to 81010 to join the Remind groups for rehearsal and performance updates. 8th grade families should join the Class of 2027 Remind with code @fb348a.
  
  

• Pumpkin Fairies: Many thanks to our Pumpkin Fairies — Lauren Cross, Tami Swetsky, Emma Sciarra, and Denise Bannon — who cleaned and prepped over 100 pumpkins for decorating at our Halloween parties. Your behind-the-scenes work made the day for our students!
• Stock’s Pound Cake Fundraiser: A huge thank you to everyone who purchased, sold, or shared our Stock’s Pound Cake Fundraiser — we had our best year of sales yet! Order pickup is today, Thursday, Nov. 12th, from 3:00-4:00 PM in the school cafeteria. Please do not come through the office or main building; instead, park on the Pacific Ave. side of the school and come around back to the cafeteria door. Remember to bring your own bags.
• Paint Party: The PTC is hosting a Paint Party on Friday, Dec. 4th right after school. The cost is $25 per student, and all grades are welcome. Check your child’s folder for the sign-up form.
• 8th Grade Parents — Volunteers Needed: Help is needed to sell 50/50 tickets and run the Candy Gram table at this weekend’s performances of Matilda, Jr. If you’re available Friday night, Nov. 13th, or Saturday, Nov. 14th, please contact Carmen at 337-654-8564. Thank you for supporting the Class of 2027!
  
  

Mr. Rauenzahn, our Librarian and STEAM Teacher, is the kind of educator who makes CMS a better place for every student who walks through the library doors. As students got settled into school this year, our newly renovated library was ready to go thanks in large part to Mr. Rauenzahn’s work to have the space set up and welcoming for our students. Beyond the library, he is a skilled mentor who meets with students in weekly conferences, helping them appreciate their own strengths and maintain positive relationships within the CMS community. He is also our resident AI expert, using this technology to expand opportunities for CMS students and open doors to new ways of learning. For your innovative approach to teaching and the individualized attention you give our students, thank you Mr. Rauenzahn! If you know someone making a difference in the CMS community, please help us recognize their efforts by completing the following form: https://forms.gle/nxU6guDtB3aDy3wT8

In How to Raise an Adult, Julie Lythcott-Haims, former Dean of Freshmen at Stanford University, describes what she saw year after year: bright, capable students who struggled the moment an adult wasn’t there to steer them. Her conclusion was simple: when we step in too quickly, children learn that hard problems are someone else’s job. When we step back, they learn they can handle them. That lesson is on our minds at CMS this week as Power Up Practice gets going at home. The two optional assignments are short, about 15 minutes each, and they’re built for your child’s level — challenging but reachable. The value isn’t in getting every problem right. It’s in your child doing their own thinking. Teachers receive a weekly report showing exactly where each student got stuck, and that’s what lets us plan the next week’s instruction. A perfect assignment with a parent’s fingerprints on it tells us nothing. A messy one tells us everything. So what does “helping” look like without solving?

• Sit close, hands off. Read the directions together, then move to the other side of the table. Your presence says the work matters. Your distance says it’s theirs.
• Ask before you tell. When your child says “I don’t get it,” try: “What part do you understand so far?” or “What have you already tried?” Nine times out of ten, they know more than they think. The question gives them a place to start.
• Let the stuck moment last. This is the hardest one. Count to ten before you say anything. Productive struggle is where learning happens. The discomfort you feel watching it is normal and worth tolerating.
• Name the effort, not the answer. “You stayed with that one” lands differently than “You’re so smart.” The Power Up card celebrates consistency for the same reason. Effort is something your child controls.
• Know when to stop. If 15 minutes has turned into 40 and tears, close the laptop. Jot a note to the teacher: “She got stuck on #3.” That’s useful information, not a failure.

Question of the Week: Think about the last time your child got stuck on something at home. What did you do and what do you wish you’d done?

Parents, we'd love to get your take on this topic. Share your thoughts here: https://forms.gle/HDqEiGeikPjt5ahd8

CMS’s weekly newsletter is focused on providing families with a list of upcoming events, a brief article on how to support student success and an opportunity for parents to share perspective on student support articles.