Cunha Intermediate School

We hope everyone had a restful and rejuvenating break! We've hit the ground running this week with an incredible Challenge Day that brought our community closer together.

Our student participants shared some powerful feedback about the experience. Many said they believe their peers will be more understanding and compassionate toward one another now that they've had the chance to connect on a deeper level. It's exactly the kind of growth we love to see!

A huge thank you goes out to our amazing adult volunteers who dedicated their entire day to supporting and uplifting our students. We're especially grateful to the many volunteers from the Half Moon Bay Rotary Club whose commitment to our young people made this event possible. Your time and energy mean the world to our school community.

While Challenge Day itself was just one day, the lessons from that experience are meant to extend far beyond it. We encourage students who participated to share what they learned with friends who couldn't attend and to practice these principles in their everyday lives.

One of the key concepts introduced during Challenge Day is the idea of "emotional balloons." We all have a place inside us where we store unexpressed emotions and feelings. When students don't learn healthy ways to release these emotions, those feelings can start to leak out in unhealthy ways like teasing, yelling, violence, or avoidance behaviors. That's why it's so important to create time and space for students to talk about their experiences and express what they're feeling. When young people have healthy outlets for emotional expression and regularly empty their emotional balloons, the benefits are clear: they feel better, build stronger relationships, think more clearly, and learn more easily.

Peer Helpers is a new club that will be starting at lunchtime. It's a space where students will be able to "empty their balloons" and help others to do the same. Students should pay close attention to the morning announcements for more information if they are interested in joining.

The Cunha winter dance is in one week on Friday, December 12 from 6:30-8:30 pm. Please sign up to chaperone and help stock the treat table.

Chaperone Sign-Up

Snack Table Sign-Up

There is no December PTO meeting. Enjoy the holiday season and join us in January.

Sports Fees Reminder

A quick reminder for our amazing Cunha families: the Boosters membership fee is separate from each season's sports fee. If your student is participating in a sport this winter, please make sure their season fee has been paid so we can continue supporting our teams with uniforms, equipment, officials, and more. Thank you for helping keep Cunha athletics strong!

Basketball Highlights

It was also an awesome week of basketball for our 7th and 8th graders. Great energy, great hustle, and great Cub pride out on the court.

And don't forget: if you can't make it to a home game, you can still cheer on our Cubs live on Hudl Fan. Games are streamed in real time, and recordings are available to watch later so you never miss the action.

Find out how to register for each sport, watch games via Hudl Fan, buy merch and more here! https://www.cunhaathleticboosters.org

Share Your Photos & Videos

We’d love to feature our athletes! Please text scores, highlights and/or pictures to Breanna at 831-682-1398.

Fall Sports Pictures Still Available!
Don’t forget to grab your fall sports photos taken by Pete Collum!
Visit my.photoday.com and enter Gallery code and Passcode: Cunhafall2025 to view and purchase your pictures.

Show Your Cunha Pride!
Cunha swag and individual sports gear are available now! Check out the full selection at cunhaathleticboosters.org/shop and show your Cub spirit on and off the field!

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @CunhaAthleticBooster

Go Cubs!

Monday, December 8

• Homework Help and Tutoring at 3:30 in Library

Wednesday, December 10

• Homework Help and Tutoring at 3:30 in Library

Thursday, December 11

• Homework Help and Tutoring at 2:30 in Library
• Board Meeting at 6pm in the Library

Friday, December 12

• Grinchmas Dance 6:30-8:30 in the Gym

Lip Sync Week + Reindeer Run

Monday, December 15

• Homework Help and Tutoring at 3:30 in Library

Wednesday, December 17th

• Homework Help and Tutoring at 3:30 in Library

Thursday, December 18

• Homework Help and Tutoring at 2:30 in Library

Friday, December 19

• Early Release/Extended Lunch

In honor of the season of giving, Treering will match up to thirty yearbook donations per school account. From Tuesday, December 2, 2025 through Wednesday, December 31, 2025, one community book donation equals one Treering book donation.

Buy a yearbook: https://bit.ly/cunhayearbook. Passcode: 1016935141791594

Parents, if you have awesome pictures of Cunha students, please share them here: https://bit.ly/cunhapictures. Photos submitted may be used in future newsletters and/or the yearbook.

Don't forget that each purchase of a yearbook comes with two free pages that you can customize. Custom pages are only printed in your child's yearbook.

We know that students learn best when they feel best. According to the National Center for Education Statistics: 70% of public schools say more students are seeking mental health services.

This school year, we’re proud to offer all students with $0 access to online therapy and counseling services, through our partnership with Hazel Health. Services are 100% safe and confidential.

Your student can speak 1-on-1 with a licensed therapist from the convenience of school or home, with your consent. Hazel Health provides high-quality care for all students — no matter their insurance or immigration status.

Hazel Health’s licensed therapists can help students build the tools and skills they need to succeed in and out of the classroom:

• Improve communication and confidence

• Build healthy friendships and relationships

• Develop coping skills to manage emotions

• Navigate academic stress and pressure

Hazel’s short-term online therapy program has been proven to reduce symptoms of common mental health concerns — and gives kids tools to cope with challenges they face at school and beyond. Students cannot receive care without your consent, so please take 5 minutes to sign up today at hazel.co.

The Say Something-Anonymous Reporting System (ARS) program empowers students to be Upstanders and say something to a Trusted Adult when they recognize warning signs and threats. The Tip Line allows you to submit secure, anonymous safety concerns to help someone who may hurt themselves or others.

To submit a tip, click the picture below, call 1-844-572-9669 or text 79775.

Please check out the Frequently Asked Questions for Parents here: https://bit.ly/cunhasaysomethingfaq