Eagle's Eye News

Challenger Middle School Families,

I hope you all are having a great weekend.

It is hard to believe we are in the last week of January. The semester is going by quickly. We will turn around twice, and it will be ACAP testing and then the end of the year. Please take note of our ACAP testing dates. It is very important for all students to be in the building for testing. Students do much better when testing with their peers. Please do not schedule appointments during our testing. Testing will last from 8:00-11:00 on the scheduled dates. We appreciate your support.

CMS 2025 ACAP Dates

• Wednesday, March 26 - ACAP Science - 6th and 8th grade only
• Tuesday, April 1 - ACAP ELA Day 1
• Wednesday, April 2 - ACAP ELA Day 2
• Wednesday, April 9 - ACAP Math

Have a great week!

#WingsUp

#EagleUp

Sincerely,

Bo Coln

Principal

Challenger Middle School

james.coln@hsv-k12.org

February

10 - Progress Reports and MOY i-Ready Reports go home

11 - PTSA General Meeting #3 at 5:30

14 - Black History Month Program at 9:00

14 - Half Day - 12:00 Dismissal

Teachers select each grade level’s student of the week. Students earn student of the week by making it to class on time, being prepared, completing all assignments, being respectful to their peers and adults, having at least a C average, and being kind and helpful to everyone. Our students of the week exhibit SOAR behavior – Show Respect, Own Your Actions, Arrive Ready, and Reach Higher.

Our most recent guidance lesson introduced the important, yet often ignored, issue of Mental Health. Mental Health refers to our psychological and emotional well-being; its scope is far reaching. Many factors can lead to varying forms of mental illness, including genetics, physical illness or injury, and traumatic life experiences. The focus of this lesson was on understanding stress, anxiety, and depression. We discussed definitions, risk factors, and referral tips. Many people do not seek treatment for mental illness due to the associated stigma; therefore, we wanted them to know that more people are speaking out about their efforts to overcome a variety of issues. Overall, our goal is to promote awareness and prevention by teaching them resiliency and positive coping skills. Because some teens report being afraid to talk to their parents about their mental health because they are afraid of being misunderstood or creating more burden for their parents, we stressed to them that reaching out to loved ones is a critical and necessary part of healing. We wanted you to know about this lesson so that you could open the door for that dialogue.

Teens often share their feelings first with other teens either in person or via technology. The most common outlet for sharing their distressed feelings is social media, which is ironic given that excessive social media use may disrupt activities and increase depression. We have a variety of services on campus including counseling and NOVA services, trusted faculty, and Peer Helpers who are part of the CMS family. We encourage families to be a part of the helping process by encouraging open discussion, utilizing parental control apps, and being aware of their social connections and emotional state. The best news is that people are talking about mental health now more than ever before. There is hope, and we must work together for our children.

Mrs. Moak, School Counselor

megan.moak@hsv-k12.org

The Challenger Care Closet offers clothing, toiletries, and other basic necessities to our elementary and middle school students and their families; making sure our students know they are cared for and can go to school with confidence. If you need to access our care closet, use the links below or reach out to the guidance counselors.

• Donate and drop off hygiene items (deodorant, brushes, soap, shampoo, new kids/adult socks, new kids/adult underwear)
• Donate gently used kid/adult shoes and clothes
• Donate money to the Challenger Care Closet by a check made out to "CMS PTSA" or "CES PTA" or donate online
• https://challenger.givebacks.com/store/items/1059153

Students can enter the building starting at 7:30am. School starts at 8:00am.

Bus Riders - exit the bus, enter through the main lobby doors, and go to the cafeteria or sit in their designated grade-level hallway

Walkers/Car Riders - enter through the main lobby doors, and go to the cafeteria or sit in their designated grade-level hallway

Breakfast is served in the cafeteria from 7:30-8:00. Students that choose to eat school breakfast will remain in the cafeteria until dismissed to homeroom. Students that do not wish to eat school breakfast will report to the designated grade-level hallway. Students that report to the hallways will remain in the hallways until released to homeroom.

Students are not allowed to enter the building with outside food. Any outside food needs to be thrown away before entering the building. Example - Students will not be allowed to bring in Starbucks and Chick-Fil-A food and drink.

All students are dismissed at 3:00.

• Bus riders will report to the cafeteria.
• Walkers will exit out the band/choir doors (South exit)
• Car Riders will exit through the main lobby doors.

Unless students are involved in a school sponsored after school event, all students need to leave campus at 3:00.

• We will use the first several days to educate students on best practices, school/classroom procedures, and expectations.
• Students are encouraged to bring a water bottle to school. Only water is allowed in the water bottles.
• Restrooms usage will be limited during transition times. Students will use the E-Hall Pass when leaving class and/or visiting the restroom during class time.
• Transitions time for students is 3 minutes between class periods. Students can visit their locker between classes. We expect all students to get to class on time.
• Student lockers are available for $10. Students can purchase a locker during homeroom starting Thursday, August 1. We will take cash or check. Checks should be made out to Challenger Middle School. Lockers will be assigned when students pay their homeroom teacher for their locker.
• Parents cannot bring in outside food for an entire class unless organized and initiated by the teacher.
• Students are not allowed to order food to be delivered to the school.
• Parents/Guardians must check out their child to eat any restaurant food brought into the school.
• Enjoying school or homemade lunch in the cafeteria with your child is welcomed!
• Outside drinks (Starbucks, Chick-Fil-A, Sonic, etc.) should be thrown away before entering the building. This applies when school doors open at 7:30am.

Once you are in MySchoolFees follow these steps:

1) Sign-In as guest

2) Select Challenger Middle School from the dropdown menu

3) Select the item you wish to purchase from the dropdown menu

• Yearbooks
• T-Shirts
• P.E. Uniforms

Please review the dress code with your student(s). We have been out of school for a bit and our students will need a refresher on acceptable school attire. Ex: length of shorts and shirts, holes in pants, leggings, and appropriate tops, no caps, etc.

Shorts

• Mid-Thigh/Finger-tip length ​

Head coverings​

• No more than 4 inches wide; must be able to see their hair​
• No bandanas of any color​

NO Pajama Pants, no house slippers ​
No hoods​ will be worn in the building
Jeans​

• No holes above mid-thigh/finger-tip length

Halter and spaghetti straps are not permitted unless covered

All undergarments must be completely covered

CMS students will not use cell phones during the school day. Please ask your child to turn off their phone and put it in their locker or backpack. In the event your child has their phone out during the school day, our teachers will follow our cell phone policy.

Nurse Poe will continue to operate out of the clinic near the front office. If you have questions regarding medication, please call 256-428-7620, select Ms. Poe (Nurse), or email, Julie.Poe@hsv-k12.org . We ask that you monitor your student at home for illness. Students who are not feeling well should stay home and seek medical care as you see fit. Students with a fever or who have been throwing up may not return to the building until they are symptom-free for 24 hours.

Welcome to Challenger Middle School Athletics! We are so excited that you decided to jump on board and allow your son/daughter to participate in our sports teams here at Challenger. Below is some information and forms you will need in order for your child to participate.

First, the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) allows for any student to participate in recognized school athletics beginning in 7th grade. Our district and school has the following recognized school sports for middle schools:

Fall Sports

• Football
• Volleyball
• Cheer

Winter Sports

• Boys Basketball
• Girls Basketball
• Cheer
• Boys Soccer
• Girls Soccer

Spring Sports

• Boys Track
• Girls Track

Additional sports not listed above are available at the high school level. Students in middle school are allowed to participate in those sports at their feeder high school (Grissom High School for us). If interested in this option, please reach out to the Athletic Director for Challenger, Coach Neeley via email at william.neeley@hsv-k12.org , for more information.

Next, the AHSAA requires ALL student-athletes to have certain paperwork completed by either a doctor/physician or a parent, depending on the form. As a way of keeping up with these forms, the AHSAA has partnered with DragonFly, a web-based company that allows for the upload or completion and storage of the required paperwork. Attached is a flyer on how to create an account for your child and yourself. Below is a list of required paperwork/documents needed in order to participate on a school team sport.

- Up to Date Physical Form (Back side must be completed and signed by a Doctor/Physician. IT CANNOT BE COMPLETED BY A NURSE PRACTITIONER!)

- Parent Release Form

- Concussion Form

- Copy of Birth Certificate

- Sportsmanship Course Certificate (Course completed through nfhslearn.com)

Finally, below is a list of our Athletic Coaching Staff and their email addresses so that you can contact them with questions you may have relating to their sports. Please keep in mind that these coaches are teachers in addition to their coaching duties, so they can be very busy. They will make every effort to respond in a timely manner, but sometimes it may be a little longer, especially during their given season.

- Athletic Director- William Neeley (william.neeley@hsv-k12.org)

- Head Football Coach- Curtis Graves (curtis.graves@hsv-k12.org)

- Head Volleyball Coach- Amelia Daniels (amelia.daniels@hsv-k12.org)

- Head Cheer Coach- Makenzie Hill (makenzie.hill@hsv-k12.org)

- Head Boys Basketball Coach- Lorenzo Jones (breds2004@yahoo.com)

- Head Girls Basketball Coach- Rich Goodson richard.goodson@hsv-k12.org)

- Head Boys Track Coach- David Rosenberger (david.rosenberger@hsv-k12.org)

- Head Girls Track Coach- Ryan Hagen (ryan.hagen@hsv-k12.org)

- Head Boys Soccer Coach- Patrick Greene (Patrick.Greene@hsv-k12.org)

- Head Girls Soccer Coach- William Neeley (william.neeley@hsv-k12.org)

Going forward, the following sports will have livestreaming capabilities at all home games (and away games at Milton Frank Stadium for football) ‐ Boys and Girls Basketball (7th and 8th grade games), football, and volleyball. More could be added soon. So, can't make it to a game but still want to see it? Now, you can! These games will cost money to watch, but there will be a per game, per season, and per year subscription option for you to choose from. If you are interested in seeing what this is about, we have set up to livestream for FREE our upcoming Student vs. Teacher Volleyball Match on Friday, Nov. 8th at 12:30pm. Follow the link below to check it out. This link will also be your hub for locating future livestreams.

http://fan.hudl.com/cmseagles

Thank you, National Defense Industrial Association, Tennessee Valley Chapter (NDIA-TVC) and Space and Missile Defense Working Group (SMDWG) for your $10,000 contribution to Challenger Middle School (CMS). With this generous donation, we will continue to have a Math Interventionist for the 2nd semester of the school year. Ms. Regina Carter, retired CMS math teacher, will continue as our Interventionist. She will provide intensive math support to a select group of CMS students. We are excited about this on-going partnership and expect to see great math growth from our students.

HOME OF THE EAGLES

Location: 13555 Chaney Thompson Road

Huntsville, AL 35803
Phone: 256-428-7620