CMS November 2026 Newsletter
November 2026
Dear Cody Middle School Families,
There is much to celebrate at Cody Middle School! This month, I want to highlight both our students’ accomplishments and the work behind the scenes that helps make CMS one of Wyoming’s best middle schools.
The Wyoming Department of Education (WDE) released last year’s WYTOPP results, and we can finally report that CMS has again met statewide expectations for a third year in a row! We met our statewide performance goals and earned high marks in the areas of achievement and growth. Our recent WYTOPP results included statewide top-10 finishes in sixth- and seventh-grade math and a top-five finish in sixth-grade ELA. Since WYTOPP was adopted in 2016, Cody Middle School has outperformed the state average on 52 out of 55 state assessments! These accomplishments reflect our students’ hard work, our teachers’ commitment, and the support of our families.
While assessment results give us reasons to celebrate, they tell only part of our story. Every day, our staff works hard to ensure students are known, connected, challenged, and supported here at CMS!
Through our BARR framework, teachers meet as grade-level teams each week to review student grades, discuss individual strengths, consider students’ connections to our school, and determine how we can best support them. These conversations go beyond identifying missing assignments or academic concerns. Our teachers share what is working, recognize growth, and consider which relationships and supports will help each student move forward.
Much of this work happens outside the view of families and our broader community. It takes place in team meetings, check-ins, phone calls home, postcards sent, and thoughtful follow-through by teams of educators working together. This work is central to one of our core beliefs: high expectations and high support. We expect our students to work hard, take responsibility, and grow, and we recognize our shared responsibility to provide the encouragement, relationships, teaching, and timely help that will prepare students to chart their own course through learning experiences that equip them with the knowledge, skills, and resilience to discover their unique path to success.
This month, please join us for a Parent Education Night on Digital Safety & Awareness on Tuesday, November 17, from 5:30–6:30 p.m. at Wynona Thompson Auditorium. Wyoming ICAC presenters, in partnership with the Cody Police Department, will share practical online safety guidance for parents and caregivers. CMS students will receive a similar age-appropriate presentation on the afternoon of Tuesday, November 17 during a schoolwide assembly.
Finally, as colder weather arrives, please help your student come prepared with appropriate layers, coats, hats, gloves, and footwear. Dressing for the conditions helps students stay comfortable and ready for the day, including time spent outdoors. If your student needs assistance obtaining winter clothing, please contact our school so we can help.
Thank you for partnering with us and trusting us with your student. We are proud of their achievements, their growth, and the many ways they contribute to our school. Together, we will continue to build a Cody Middle School community where every student is known, challenged, and supported.
Sincerely,
Jacob R. Gogan
Principal
Cody Middle School
November Save the Date & At-A-Glance Calendar
🗓️ Tuesday, November 3- 5:30 pm | PCSD6 Board Work Session Meeting
🎺 Thursday, November 5- 6:30 pm | CMS/CHS Band Concert @ WTA
🇺🇲 Tuesday, November 11- 9:30 am | Veterans K-12 Program
🗓️ Wednesday, November 11- 7:30 pm | CMS Parents Group Meeting
💲 Thursday, November 12- Lunchtime | Student Store
🔕 Friday, November 13 | NO SCHOOL!!
🗓️ Monday, November 16- 6 pm | PCSD6 Board Meeting
🎓 Friday, November 20 | Quarter 2 Midterm
🦃 🔕Thursday, November 25- Sunday November 29 | Thanksgiving Break- NO SCHOOL!!
What is BARR & I-Time at Cody Middle School?
BARR — Building Assets, Reducing Risks — is an evidence-based system that provides our school with a strength-based, comprehensive approach to meeting the academic and non-academic needs of every student. Through BARR, we work to harness the power of relationships and data to focus on students’ strengths and ensure that all students are supported.
At Cody Middle, all core content teachers are grouped into grade-level teams. These teacher teams meet throughout the week to monitor student progress, identify strengths, and consider ways to support and challenge all students on their team. Each week, our administrators and counselors meet with our teacher teams to offer additional support for students and provide recognition for students' unique strengths and talents.
BARR is the framework that provides us the opportunity to get to know each student's strengths and interests. As educators, we leverage the knowledge we gain through relationship building and I-Time lessons to better engage and challenge our students.
What are these I-Time lessons my student talks about?
Once a week, teachers facilitate an I-Time lesson. The goal of I-Time is to strengthen student-to-student and staff-to-student relationships and to build classroom community. Important topics explored together include: building community, goal setting, stress management, bullying, and communication skills.
How does BARR benefit my student?
BARR educators focus on your child as more than just a learner – we work to understand them as a whole student. They are trained to use strength-based techniques to build positive relationships and support each student toward success in the classroom and beyond. Staff are provided with ongoing professional development on the BARR system.
The BARR system has a 20-year track record of student success and has been proven to drive significant improvements in school climate measures and standardized test scores. BARR has shown decreases in behavior referrals and absenteeism.
If you have questions or want more information about BARR or the I-Time Lessons at Cody Middle School, please contact either of our BARR Coordinators Brittany Wenke (brittanywenke@park6.org) and Taylor Hensen (taylorhensen@park6.org)
Required Student ID
If your student rides any bus, please make sure they have their Student ID. PCSD6 Transportation will begin strictly enforcing the use of Student IDs on all buses, including in-town field trips. PCSD6 wants to make sure all students are safe and accounted for as well as be able to identify when and where they get on and off the bus.
If your student requires a new Student ID, please let the Cody Middle School Front Office know and we will provide you with a replacement card form that you can return to us along with a $5 ID replacement fee.
If you have questions, please call the PCSD6 Transportation Department at 307-587-2851.
