CMHS Times
January-February 2026
Monthly Recap & Forecast
Macs of the Month
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 January Macs of the Month below! Congratulations to everyone on the well-deserved recognition!
Classroom Activities
Art
Students earned regional recognition in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Honorable Mentions recognize strong achievement, Silver Keys honor standout regional work, and Gold Keys represent the highest regional award, advancing to national judging. Select Gold Key works were further nominated for the American Vision Award, the region’s highest honor.
To see a full list of CMHS winners and their submissions, click the button below!
CMHS Band
Seven "Big Mac" Band students represented our school district in the Washington County Band and Chorus Festival. The festival was hosted by Wash High and held at Peters Township High School Friday January 23rd and Saturday, January 24th.
Pictured are : John Cambest, Brayden Hickman (Black), Gavin CoCo Manno, Liam Saddler, Parker Vandermark, Elyssa Bridges, Caris Wilson
Club Activities
Bridging the Gap: CM Alumni Return for Inspiring STEM Panel
On Wednesday, January 7, the Canon-McMillan Computer Science, Engineering, and Chemistry Clubs joined forces to host an impactful STEM Alumni Panel in the high school library. This collaborative event brought together 26 CM alumni and 70 current students for a series of dynamic Q&A sessions. Organized diligently by club officers over the past month, the event allowed alumni to "pay it forward" by sharing first hand advice on college preparation and navigating diverse STEM career paths.
To provide a tailored experience, the alumni were organized into five specialized panels based on their academic majors. Students had the opportunity to rotate through their top three choices during the flex activity period and Period 4, engaging directly with mentors in fields that align with their personal interests. This unique mentorship opportunity offered our students invaluable insights into the future of STEM, bridging the gap between high school and professional success.
Student/Parent Information
CMHS Library
This Valentine’s Day, you can go on a blind date in the library. Through the end of February, students can go on a Blind Date with a Book. A selection of books are wrapped in red paper and have a “dating profile” on the front. The profile gives information about the book, including genre, general “vibes,” and a hook. Students can check out the book, read, and then fill out a review of their “date,” which they can turn in to Mrs. Shuman to be entered into a drawing for a Sarris gift basket.
ATTENTION SENIORS
It is with great pleasure that I send to you the Community Scholarship Foundation of Canon-McMillan Dollars for Scholars application. It is NOW OPEN! Click the link below to get started!
Update: Only about 10% of the senior class has completed their Dollars for Scholars application so far! Get those applications in ASAP! The Deadline is March 4th and there will not be an extension.
Peer Tutoring
CMHS's new Academic Ambassador Program provides peer tutoring daily to all students in the library! Please see the flyer below and scan the QR code for the schedule.
If you want tutoring and the schedule does not accommodate your availability, please use this PEER TUTORING REQUEST FORM. Then, check your school email for information once you have been assigned a tutor based on your needs.
If you have any questions in regards to Peer Tutoring, please email Ms. Humbertson, humbertsons@cmsd.k12.pa.us.
Class of 2026
Dear Parent(s) & Guardian(s),
The 2026 Graduation is quickly approaching! Don’t forget to recognize your senior’s hard work and accomplishments by creating a Senior Recognition Ad. All Recognition Ad's can be made online by using the link below. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. White.
Dates to Remember
Counseling Department
Follow our School Counseling Office on Instagram @CMHS_COUNSELING
School Counseling Resources Group
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
The Chill Project
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.
Athletics
CMHS School Nurse Information
Class of 2027
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."
Attention 11th Grade Parents/Guardians
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.
Vaccination Requirements for 11th Grade
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.
Medication Authorization
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.
CMHS Student Affairs
Marijke Lucia
Secretary of Student Affairs
Phone: 724-745-1400 ext. 5009
Fax: 724-745-4490
Student Affairs Forms
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 and Early Dismissal Procedures
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.
CMHS Administration
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