CMS Cougar Newsletter

A Letter from the Principal

Dear Cougar Families,

What an incredible week it has been here at Covington Middle School! Our students and staff continue to make us proud through their energy, effort, and Cougar pride in all that they do.

This week, we wrapped up Red Ribbon Week, a time to focus on making healthy and positive choices. While this campaign lasts only a week, its message lasts a lifetime: making smart, safe, and responsible choices every day.

We were also fortunate to welcome Coach Brandon Johnson, an inspiring motivational speaker, thanks to the generous support of the Covington Moose Lodge. Mr. Johnson encouraged our students to believe in themselves, be kind, and make choices that reflect strong character and leadership.

Our 6th and 8th graders enjoyed an unforgettable experience at StoryFest 2025 at the Masonic Theatre. They represented CMS with outstanding behavior, enthusiasm, and respect. We received wonderful compliments from event organizers, and we couldn’t be prouder of how our students continue to shine wherever they go. A huge thank you to the Masonic Theatre! Our students had a great time!

We also concluded our October Attendance Competition, and we’re excited to announce that our Sixth Grade class came out on top! 🎉 To celebrate their dedication to being present and engaged, our sixth graders will enjoy an Ice Cream Sundae Party on Friday, November 7th! Our next challenge starts on Monday, November 3rd...the top three first-period classes with the highest attendance for November will win donuts for their entire class. Remember, Attendance Matters!

As we celebrate these moments, our hard work continues. At CMS, we remain steadfast in our commitment to academic excellence for every student. We want each child to not only learn but to take ownership of their learning—to understand that with persistence, effort, and a positive attitude, they can achieve anything. Learning is not always easy, but it is always worth it. Every challenge our students face is an opportunity to grow stronger, think deeper, and believe more fully in their own potential.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support. Together, we are building a school where every student is known, valued, and inspired to be their best, both in and out of the classroom.

With Cougar Pride,

Lori Mattson

Interim Principal

Covington Middle School

OCTOBER 2025: ANTI BULLYING MONTH AND RED RIBBON WEEK🐾

As we move forward, let’s remember that the lessons from this week don’t end when the decorations come down or the spirit days are over. The real impact comes from the choices we make every single day - to be kind, to include others, to make safe and healthy decisions, and to stand up for what’s right even when it’s hard. When each of us commits to living these values daily, we build a culture where respect, compassion, and pride aren’t just themes for a week - they become the heart of who we are as Cougars.

💻 Chromebook Reminder 💻

Now that we’re well underway in the second quarter, it’s a great time to remind every Cougar to come to school each day with their Chromebook fully charged and ready to learn. Having a charged device helps students stay engaged in lessons, complete assignments smoothly, and take full advantage of all the learning opportunities this quarter has to offer.

Families, thank you for continuing to remind students to charge their Chromebooks each night. Your support keeps our classrooms running efficiently and ensures our Cougars are always prepared for success!

This week, our students had two incredible opportunities to learn and grow beyond the classroom!

Through the generous support of the Covington Moose Lodge, we welcomed Coach Brandon Johnson, Head Football Coach for the Bassett High School Bengals in Henry County, VA. Coach Johnson inspired our students with a powerful message about kindness, making good decisions, working hard, and believing in yourself. His words reminded our Cougars that character and effort are key ingredients to success both in school and in life.

And a special thank you to Mrs. Amy Jackson, who worked hard on every detail to make this a huge learning opportunity for our students! THANK YOU, MRS. JACKSON!!!

In addition, our 6th and 8th grade students attended the Alleghany Highlands Storyfest 2025 at the historic Masonic Theatre, where they were captivated by the talents of storytellers Adam Booth and Elizabeth Rose. It was a fantastic experience that brought stories to life and celebrated the power of imagination and creativity.

We are so thankful to both the Covington Moose Lodge and the Masonic Theatre for providing our students with these meaningful opportunities to learn outside the classroom. Experiences like these help our Cougars see that learning truly happens everywhere!

One of the most important skills your child will ever develop is the ability to read—and read well. At Covington Middle School, we see every day how hard our students and teachers are working to strengthen this essential skill. But we also see the challenge ahead: too many of our students are not yet reading at the level they need to thrive in middle school, high school, and beyond.

This is not a challenge our school can solve alone. We need our entire Cougar community—families, teachers, and students—working together to make reading a priority both in and out of school.

At CMS, we are making important shifts in how we teach reading, grounded in the Science of Reading and the latest best practices. Yet research is clear: the greatest gains happen when schools and families partner to support reading growth. When you make reading a regular part of your home routine, you are doing something that changes the trajectory of your child’s future.

Here are a few powerful ways to help at home:
📚 Make reading a daily habit. Just 15–20 minutes each night builds stamina, fluency, and confidence.
💬 Talk about what your child is reading. Ask questions, share reactions, and make reading a conversation.
👀 Model the love of reading. Let your child see you reading—books, magazines, even recipes count!
🗣️ Build language through conversation. Dinner, car rides, or bedtime talks strengthen vocabulary and comprehension.
🤝 Stay connected. Reach out to your child’s Language Arts teacher if you need ideas or support.

Every time you read together, talk about a book, or encourage your child to keep going when it gets hard, you are helping them build a skill that opens doors for life.

Together, we can build a community where every Cougar becomes a confident, capable reader. Your partnership matters. Your involvement matters. And most of all—our students’ futures matter too much to do anything less than our very best.

📚 CMS Read-A-Thon Results!

Covington Middle School Library extends a heartfelt THANK YOU to our school community! We are incredibly proud of our readers and grateful for your support, which made our Read-A-Thon a success. Our students had a wonderful time reading. We can't wait to have another reading challenge in the spring.

We want to recognize a few of our students at the top of the list for reading minutes and for donations:

READING MINUTES: DONATIONS:

First Place: Clara Crawford - 555 minutes read First Place: Hayleigh Dotson - $400 in donations

Second Place: Lorelei Walton - 370 minutes read Second Place: Sadie Hinkle - $225 in donations

Third Place: Sawyer Bland - 165 minutes read Third Place: Clara Crawford - $150 in donations

THANK YOU COUGARS!!!!!

🔢 Math Update

MATH STARS of the WEEK!!

6th Grade – Keagan Tucker

7th Grade – Dean Stegall

8th Grade – Emeri Brown

Algebra – Miranda Broughman

These students have been recognized by their teacher for excelling in class; due to qualities like strong work ethic, kindness, perseverance, or academic achievement. They have been demonstrating a great attitude, asking thoughtful questions, or consistently putting in extra effort.

We are so proud of our students' growth in math class! We have been focusing on building a growth mindset, celebrating when students explain their thinking clearly, even if their answer isn't quite right yet. Instead of saying 'Your answer is wrong,' we're learning to say, 'Your thinking is fantastic, but let's check your calculations.' Keep up the great work!"

Ready for a fun brain teaser? How many different ways can you arrange the letters in the word 'MATH'? Try it with your family and see what you come up with! This is a great way to practice your problem-solving skills. Share your answer with us next time you're in the classroom.

Reminder – 6th and 7th grade math classes need to complete 30 minutes of ZEARN weekly.

🗺️ History Department Update

8th Grade - Civics & Economics:
This week in Civics and Economics, we closed out CE 3 on State Government structure and power. This coming week, students will test on CE 3, then they will move into learning about Local Government structure and power in CE 4. Students will also analyze election results from Election Day next week. We are excited to continue educating our students on important topics in government.

Physical Education and Heath Update

During Halloween week, our students had a spooktacular time enjoying Halloween-themed games! Activities included Zombie Tag, Haunted House Dodgeball, Ghostbusters Tag, and - according to Mr. Akers - we “tricked instead of treated” our students daily with fun jokes and plenty of laughs.

To make time for the festivities, we paused our Soccer unit for the week. This week, we will finish up our Soccer unit, and Mr. Akers will continue Life Skills Training during Health class, helping our Cougars grow both on and off the field.

🎶 The Weekly Beat 🎶

Choir Highlights/Updates

• This week, we finalized work on the all-district choir prepared piece, “Beautiful Dreamer.”
• All grades will take a singing test on “Beautiful Dreamer” in class on Monday and/or Tuesday. Students auditioning for All-District Choir can complete the singing test for extra credit.
• Next week we will prioritize Holiday Music during rehearsals.
• All-District Choir Auditions will take place after school on 11/4 at AHS for those who signed up to audition. Students will ride a first wave bus to AHS and can be picked up when their audition is completed or ride the activity bus home.

Band Highlights/Updates

• All-Area band preparations are going great with committed students working hard on their audition material!
• 6th grade has made amazing progress on ties and dotted rhythms

Reminders for Families

• Any parents interested in being a part of the Performing Arts Boosters should consider attending our next meeting November 24 @ Alleghany High School at 6:00 PM in the Cafeteria.

Special Opportunities

Tri-M

• Recital Practice 11/5 in Curfman from 4-6pm
• Fall Tri-M Small Recital - 11/10 in Curfman Hall @ 5PM - Free Admission for All
• Next Regular Meeting 11/20 from 4-5pm in the Band Room.

Spring Musical:

• Spring Musical audition info for cast and applications for crew are available with Mr. Snedegar in Curfman Hall. This is open to all students at CMS! This year’s show will be Aladdin Jr.

🔬 Science Update

6th Grade - Students tested on their properties of water unit. They also began their weathering, erosion, and deposition unit. We are eager to continue this unit, and talk about examples in our area.

7th Grade - Students tested on cell processes. They also turned in their cell projects. ALL SEVENTH GRADERS CAME ON TIME WITH A PROJECT ON FRIDAY! We are so proud of them, and their participation!

8th Grade - Students had a quiz this week, and handed in really awesome “adopt an element” projects!

Covington Middle School

Asst. 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