CMHS Times

Macs of the Month is the high school's initiative to recognize our outstanding students and staff! Each month, a staff member will be recognized, voted on by their colleagues and students. Students will be recognized by their peers and staff in the categories of creative arts, kindness, academic achievement, school pride, athletic achievement, and leadership.

We proudly announce our November Macs of the Month below! Congratulations to everyone on the well-deserved recognition!

Jonathan Balog, a 2015 Canon McMillan graduate, spoke to some first and second year AP Physics as well as CHS Chemistry students on November 19th. Jonathan just completed his Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University, where he was also a Rickover Fellow and earned B.S. in Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering in 2019. He has accepted a position as an Advanced Materials Engineer at the Naval Nuclear Laboratory’s Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania. Jonathan talked about graduate school and showed the students his published dissertation from his doctoral degree. Additionally, Jonathan showed video footage of the Penn State University Breazeale Nuclear Reactor, explaining the reactor's construction, history, and the physics behind an operating nuclear reactor.

Each holiday season, NSS Life collects donations of holiday cards, letters, and drawings to distribute to residents of nursing homes throughout the Greater Pittsburgh area. This year, Canon-McMillan art students were invited to help contribute toward their 2025 goal of collecting 6,000 cards for nursing home residents.

Students from the high school used their creativity to design heartfelt cards featuring cheerful artwork, warm messages, and thoughtful holiday wishes. Their participation reflects the Art Department’s ongoing commitment to community engagement and the belief that arts education can inspire compassion, connection, and service beyond the classroom.

Thank you to all the students for their creativity, generosity, and dedication to spreading kindness. We wish the residents a warm and joyful holiday season, and we encourage others in the community to take part in projects that bring comfort and happiness to others during this time of year.

Students in Ms. Norton's Spanish 2 classes decorated "El Señor Pavo" (Mr. Turkey) with items they were especially thankful for in Spanish before break! Most of them included things like “mi familia, mi mascota (pet), la religión, mi casa.” What a great way to show gratefulness this season!

The CM Esports team traveled to CCAC North Campus on November 17th to compete in an invitational Rocket League tournament. They took home 1st place after an exciting series over Penn Trafford 2-1. Way to go, CM!

The German Club visited the Teutonia Maennerchor German Club on the North Side of Pittsburgh on Friday, November 21st. This club (originally founded as a men's choir for German-speaking immigrants) is located in a historical landmark building built in 1854. We toured the outside grounds with German-themed wall murals and a May Pole and the downstairs "Ratskeller" restaurant as well as the upstairs dance hall. A delicious traditional German buffet lunch was served to us before returning to school. Mrs. Hartmann and the German Club officers would like to thank Ms. Kimberly Gillis for chaperoning our trip.

Metamorphosis: A Life in Stages was a vibrant collaborative mural project that brought together National Art Honor Society students and members of the local senior community. As a continuation of their earlier mixed-media storytelling workshop, the session began with a meaningful moment: the students presented the seniors with the completed storybooks they had created from the personal narratives shared during the previous gathering. The seniors were touched to see their memories brought to life through illustration and collage, and the exchange set a warm, reflective tone for the new project ahead.

Building upon that connection, the intergenerational mural explored the human journey through childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and elderhood. The final installation consisted of four canvases displayed side by side, each representing a distinct stage of life.

Rather than assigning the artwork to individuals, each canvas was entrusted to a small, mixed-age team who worked together to sketch, paint, and share stories. This approach ensured that the imagery on every panel reflected a blend of youthful perspective, lived experience, and collective imagination. Together, the completed mural stood as a visual reminder of how shared stories and creative collaboration can bridge generations.

The Global Travel Scholars Program provides full scholarships to selected current sophomores and juniors (age 16+ as of February 1, 2026) with financial need to participate in a summer program abroad through World Learning’s The Experiment in International Living.

To be considered, students must complete a TWO-PART application process by Tuesday, January 6, 2026:

– PART 1: Complete the Global Travel Scholars Application Form
Note: Questions 20-22 must be completed in consultation with a parent/ guardian.

– PART 2: Application for Admission through The Experiment portal
Note: Answer Yes to the question on the first Program Selection page, Were you nominated by your sponsoring organization? Then, choose the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh from the drop-down list provided.

Who’s Eligible? In order to be eligible for the Global Travel Scholars program, students must:

– Be a current sophomore or junior in high school (16+ as of Feb 1, 2026)
– Live in the Pittsburgh area or be an active member of a Global Minds Chapter
– Have not traveled outside of the United States or Canada, except in the case of immigrants or refugees to the United States who have lived abroad
– Would not be able to travel without a full scholarship

SENIOR PHOTO REQUIREMENTS

Attention Class of 2026: The yearbook staff wanted to provide information regarding your senior photos for the 25-26 school year! Canon-McMillan seniors are required to submit a formal ‘Head and Shoulders’ portrait photo. We recommend all formal ‘Head and Shoulder’ portraits be taken using a neutral background, without any props.

Senior Photo Submissions

1. All senior portraits will need to be taken and submitted to the yearbook staff prior to winter break (December 19, 2025).
2. If M & M Photography takes the senior portrait, they will submit the photo directly to the yearbook staff.
3. All other senior portraits will need to be emailed by parents, students, or photographers to yearbook@cmsd.k12.pa.us. When submitting the photo, please ensure the image is high resolution and the email contains the senior’s first and last name.

M & M Photography Senior Photo Options

1. (Payment required) Call and Schedule a paid senior portrait session at the M & M Photography Studio. Pricing available on https://mm-photography.net.

If you have any questions regarding senior portraits, please contact the yearbook staff at yearbook@cmsd.k12.pa.us. Thank you!

SENIOR QUOTES ARE ALSO DUE BY DECEMBER 19TH! Use this link to submit your senior quote.

December 3: Progress Reports

December 3-17: Winter Keystone Exams

December 22-January 2: Winter Break

January 16: End of 2nd Marking Period

January 19: No School; Martin Luther King Jr. Day

January 20: No School; Clerical Day

Follow our School Counseling Office on Instagram @CMHS_COUNSELING

Every high school student is encouraged to join the School Counseling Resources group in Schoology! Resources including academic development, career development, employment, community service opportunities, scholarships and more can be found there! Students can join the group by using the following access code: DB7QW-K4WWP

Each month, the Chill Project will provide the community an evidence-based coping skill that is being reinforced at school.

We look forward to a strong partnership, and if you have any questions about the Chill room or the Chill Project, please reach out to the Chill room Facilitator, Mr. Dan Harshman, harshmand@cmsd.k12.pa.us, or Mrs. Kelsey Oberly, Special Education Coordinator, oberlyk@cmsd.k12.pa.us.

Kristen Speer, School Nurse

Email: speerk@cmsd.k12.pa.us

Phone: 724-745-1400 ext. 5013

We will be giving away 1 free parking pass for the 2026-2027 school year. The drawing will be held on May 1, 2026. To enter, all you need to do is turn in your completed 11th grade physical and immunizations turned into the nurse's office before May 1st, 2026.

All 11th graders are required to turn in a physical assessment completed by a physician. To fulfill this requirement, please complete one of the following options:

• If you wish to have your student seen by the school physician in March of 2026, pelase complete the following Physical Examination Google Form.
• If you wish to have the exam done by your family physician, you may do so at your own expense. Please have the physician complete the Physical Exam Form and return it to the school nurse.

If you have any questions, please contact Kristen Speer at speerk@cmsd.k12.pa.us or by phone at (724)-745-1400 x 5013.

To start the 12th grade, a second dose of the Meningitis A,C, W, Y vaccine is required.

Please provide the nurse with a copy of your immunization records either in person or via email at: speerk@cmsd.k12.pa.us

If you have any questions, please contact Kristen Speer at speerk@cmsd.k12.pa.us or by phone at (724)-745-1400 x 5013.

If your student needs to take a daily medication or needs to have an as needed medication available at school please use the following form . It must be completed by a doctor and signed by the parent/guardian. The medication must be brought in the original pharmacy container or unopened over the counter container that matches the paperwork.

The medication authorization form must be completed each school year by the physician and turned in to the school nurse for the new school year.

If you have any questions you can contact the nurse.

Marijke Lucia

Secretary of Student Affairs

mailto:luciam@cmsd.k12.pa.us

Phone: 724-745-1400 ext. 5009

Fax: 724-745-4490

All forms are linked below. You can also access the forms on the high school's website under School Forms, linked here for your reference.

Attendance:

If a student is not seated in their first period class by 7:45, they will be considered absent (shown as IUn in PowerSchool). Prior to the end of 2nd period, an attendance rollover will take place and those students still marked as absent will be marked absent for all 9 class periods. That evening you will receive both a phone call and an email from our BlackBoard messaging system alerting you of your student's absence.

Please send your student in with an excuse within three (3) days of their last absence. You can either provide us with a parent note, an email, or complete the form, linked below. Parent notes can be placed in the absence excuse bin in the Student Affairs Office.

Each student is allocated 15 absences (for any reason), per school year, before a doctor’s excuse is required. Any absence over 15, that is not accompanied by a medical excuse, will remain unexcused.

Tardies:

If your child is going to be entering the building late, they must first go through the Student Affairs Office to receive a late pass. Please provide your student with an excuse. Acceptable forms are a parent note, doctor's excuse, email or an online form submission found here: Tardiness Form. If they enter with an excuse, their absence will be changed to an excused tardy (TEx.) If they do not have an excuse, they will be entered as tardy unexcused (TUn.) If your child is marked as tardy unexcused, that evening you will receive both a phone call and email from our BlackBoard messaging system alerting you of their tardy. Each student is allocated 4 tardies, per semester (parent note or online submission) before a doctor's excuse is required. Disciplinary action will be taken for excessive tardies. There are no half days at the High School. Students must be present a minimum of 3½ consecutive hours in order to participate in an after school activity or a game or practice for a sport that is in season.

Early Dismissals:

If your student will need to leave the building prior to the end of the school day (2:40pm), you must provide them with an early dismissal note. This can be a parent note, email or online submission found here: Early Dismissal Form. A student is allocated 13 early dismissals per semester. All early dismissals require BOTH written and verbal confirmation. Please call Mrs. Lucia in the Office of Student Affairs (724-745-1400, ext. 5009) to confirm your child’s early dismissal. All early dismissal requests must be made by 9am. If you are requesting an early dismissal after 9am, please allow 20-30 minutes for your request to be processed. Once both forms are received, a pass will be sent to your child and they may leave at the time of their dismissal. If you are picking your student up, they will meet you outside, if they are a driver, they are free to leave and drive themselves. If you choose, you can come into the main office to sign your student out. No student’s will be permitted to leave until both forms of confirmation are received. All early dismissals will be entered as ER in PowerSchool. If your child has medical documentation for their early release, please provide us with this information and we will change their ER to a medical early release (MER.) Medical early releases are not counted in attendance reports. There are no half days at the High School. Students must be present a minimum of 3½ consecutive hours in order to participate in an after school activity or a game or practice for a sport that is in season.

The Student Affairs Office is closed daily from 12:30-1:00. Students may leave during the closure IF their early dismissal request was submitted and confirmed prior to the closure. If you did not submit a request and you need your child to be released during the office closure, please come to the main office to sign them out.

CTC (Western Area & Parkway):

Please note that if your child attends WACTC or Parkway and is absent from school, you must provide 2 excuses (parent note or medical excuse). One will need to be given to Mrs. Lucia in the Student Affairs Office and one will need to be given to WACTC/Parkway. No copies will be made of a student's excuse and forwarded to another location.

Pre-Planned Trips:

The pre-planned trip form, linked below, must be submitted no later than two weeks prior to the start of your trip. Please note that students will only be given one day, for each day they are absent, to make up their work, and they are highly encouraged to make arrangements for their work prior to their trip.

Standing Medical Notes:

If your student has a standing medical note, please note that we will need an updated copy for this school year. Medical notes are only good for one school year and must be updated annually.

Ms. Brittany Taylor - High School Principal

Ms. Jenna Handra - Academic Principal

Mr. Thomas Orr - Assistant Principal

Ms. Jamie Hopkins - Assistant Principal

Follow CMHS on Instagram @canon_mcmillan_high_school