CMS Launch Points

Monday, 10/26

• Soccer (grades 6-8) & Cross Country (grades 5-8) - Check the Gamechanger App
• Drama Club (grades 5-8) - Check Remind App
• CMS Choir (grades 4-8) in the Music Room from 3:00-3:45 PM
• Pickleball (grades 4-8) at Columbine Rd. 3:15-4:00 PM
• Homework Club (for enrolled students) in Spanish Room 3:00-4:00 PM

Tuesday, 10/27

• Soccer (grades 6-8) & Cross Country (grades 5-8) - Check the Gamechanger App
• Drama Club (grades 5-8) - Check Remind App
• STEM Club (grades 4-5) in the Library 3:00-3:45 PM
• Pickleball (grades 4-8) at Columbine Rd. 3:15-4:00 PM
• Homework Club (for enrolled students) in Spanish Room 3:00-4:00 PM

Wednesday, 10/28

• No after school activities

Thursday, 10/29

• Soccer (grades 6-8) & Cross Country (grades 5-8) - Check the Gamechanger App
• Drama Club (grades 5-8) - Check Remind App
• Pickleball (grades 4-8) at Columbine Rd. 3:15-4:00 PM
• Homework Club (for enrolled students) in Spanish Room 3:00-4:00 PM

Friday, 10/30

• Halloween Parade & Pumpkin Decorating: Preschool 9:00-10:00 AM, Grades K-5 10:00-11:30 AM. Parents are welcome to attend.
• 1:10 PM Dismissal

Other Upcoming Dates

• School is closed Thursday, Nov. 5th and Friday, Nov. 6th for the NJEA Convention.
• Our fall production of Matilda, Jr. takes the stage on Friday, Nov. 13th at 7:00 PM and Saturday, Nov. 14th at 1:00 PM. Tickets for the public shows go on sale the first week in November. Cost is $10 for adults and $5 for students.
• Students will be dismissed at 1:10 PM on Wednesday, Nov. 25th, and school is closed Thursday, Nov. 26th and Friday, Nov. 27th for Thanksgiving Break.

• Monday, 10/26: Chicken Nuggets with a Roll or Corn Dog, with Tater Tots and Baby Carrots
• Tuesday, 10/27: Cheese Pizza Slice or Turkey and Cheese Hoagie, with Seasoned Green Beans and Caesar Salad
• Wednesday, 10/28: Chicken Patty on a Bun or Bagel, Yogurt & Cheese Stick Meal, with Vegetarian Baked Beans and Cucumber Slices
• Thursday, 10/29: Beef Hot Dog on a Roll or Bacon Cheeseburger on a Bun, with Carrot Coins and Broccoli Bites
• Friday, 10/30 (Breakfast for Lunch): French Toast Sticks with Sausage or Chicken Caesar Salad, with Hash Brown Patty and Veggie Patch

PB&J Uncrustable Meal is always a third lunch option.

• Membership Drive Winner: We are happy to announce the winner of the PTC Membership Drive: The grade with the most sign-ups was Pre-K 4, with 44% of families signing up. You have earned a pizza party just for your grade.

• Stocks Pound Cake Fundraiser: We have only 7 more days to sell our Stocks Pound Cake. This is one of our biggest fundraisers of the year, and we need your help! Please ask your family, friends, and neighbors if they would like to make a purchase. Delicious cakes are $20 each and will be delivered before Thanksgiving. All orders must be submitted by Thursday, Oct. 29th.

• Order Forms and Details: Check out the Crest Memorial PTC Parents Facebook page for more details, or stop by the school lobby to pick up an order form.
  
  

Ask a third or fourth grader about math this year and you’ll likely hear about Mr. Zimmerman. As CMS transitions to our new enVision math program, he has been a big part of what has made that change successful, learning a new program alongside his students and keeping math class steady and positive while so much is new. His commitment doesn’t end when the bell rings, either. CMS is Mr. Zimmerman’s home away from home, and his day rarely ends at 3:02 PM because he coaches cross country, basketball, and baseball. The same teacher guiding students through math in the morning is leading them on the course, the court, and the field in the afternoon. For always taking on new challenges to improve the experience of every CMS student, thank you, Mr. Zimmerman. 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

Parent/Teacher Conferences are three weeks away (Nov. 18th–20th), which makes this a good moment to think about how to get the most out of a short meeting. In The Learning Habit by Stephanie Donaldson-Pressman, Rebecca Jackson, and Dr. Robert Pressman, the authors draw on a national study of tens of thousands of families. They make a simple case: a child’s success in school rests less on any one grade and more on everyday habits. Those habits are built at home and at school together. That’s the right lens for a conference. It isn’t a report card review. It’s a chance to compare notes on the same child from two different seats.

Start with your child, not the teacher. The most useful conference prep happens at your own kitchen table. The authors found that children who could talk about their own learning: what’s going well, what’s hard, what they’d change, had stronger routines and more confidence. A few days before your conference, try three questions:

• What’s one thing you’re proud of in school right now?
• What’s one thing that’s been harder than you expected?
• If your teacher and I talk about one thing, what do you want it to be?

Then ask the teacher what only the teacher can see. Teachers spend six hours a day with your child in a room full of other children. They notice things a report card can’t capture. Five questions worth your limited minutes:

1. What does my child do when the work gets hard?
2. Who does my child work well with, and when do they seem most engaged?
3. What’s one habit, not a skill, that would help my child most this year?
4. What are you seeing that I might not see at home?
5. What’s the best way to reach you if I have a question in December?

Notice what’s not on the list: “Is my child behind?” That’s a fair worry, but it tends to close the conversation rather than open it. The questions above get you the same information with a lot more context.

Parents, we'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Share your perspective by going to: 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.