Parent Conferences/End of Term Right Around the Corner
CMS Parent Conferences will take place on December 14th and 15th in-person between 1PM and 2:55PM after our 12:30 dismissal on those days. This will be a new event for CMS parents and faculty. Here are a few important things to keep in mind:
- Unlike parent conferences at JOS and DHS where parents meet with one teacher to discuss student progress in various academic areas, at the secondary level a parent will meet with each of their child's teachers separately to discuss progress in that class
- Parent conferences are scheduled to be 10 minutes long so promptness will be important
- During each conference day, a teacher can only hold 10 conferences so only 20 conferences will be scheduled for each teacher
- Scheduling will be organized using an online platform which will be open to parents on December 2. Information about the link and instructions are forthcoming
- As conferences occur after term 1 closes, it is imperative for parents to contact teachers immediately with questions/concerns about current student performance or grades.
- Conferences provide the opportunity to discuss how a parent can support their child or setting goals for continued development. As teachers only have 20 scheduled conferences (but may have 100+ students), it is important to be prepared to use email/phone for communication
- If a child/parent's situation requires a meeting in person, teachers can schedule a meeting outside of conferences. Remember that there will be parents who will not secure a parent conference on 12/14-15 and expecting a teacher to schedule 80-90 in-person meetings it not realistic, practical or timely as it would take months to conduct each meeting. Conferences can provide parents and teachers of struggling students the opportunity to collaborate although not reserved exclusively for these parents.
Sharing Valuable Life Experiences
Among the learning experiences CMS students find in our classrooms, perhaps the most memorable are guest speakers. When students can meet someone whose occupation, travel, skills, or other life experiences connect to what they are learning, the curriculum comes alive. Learning becomes authentic and grounded in the real-world.
The CMS community is rich and made up of individuals with diverse experiences. Teachers would love to invite you to meet their classes to share your knowledge. However, it is difficult to know who is willing to become a guest speaker and who had the experiences that would connect to curriculum.
In order to facilitate this, we ask any parents who have experiences and knowledge to share and are willing to be a guest speaker to fill out and submit this form which will be shared with teachers.
The CMS faculty and students thank parents willing to share their experiences as a guest speaker!
New Issue of Pond St Press is here!
It gives us great pleasure to share the latest edition of the CMS school newspaper, The Pond Street Press. Please click on image or download it below.
The newspaper is staffed by student journalists, editors, artists, and graphic designers under the supportive eye of ELA teacher Mrs. Donna Melia. We are always impressed to read the stories that our students care about and thoughtfully report on—student voice and well-crafted writing. Enjoy!
Checking in with Teachers
How did it get so late so soon.
It’s night before it’s afternoon.
December before it’s June.
My goodness, how the time has flewn.
How did it get so late so soon?
-Dr. Seuss
If Dr. Seuss was a member of the CMS community he might have asked "How did get so late in term 1?" As the end of term 1 rapidly approaches (December 2), it is critical for students to check their progress in Aspen in each class. If a student has concerns or questions about their progress, it is important to reach out to their teachers to discuss why and what they need to do to find greater success. This habit of self-advocacy and communication is a new skill for many students, but developing it in middle school will benefit them throughout their academic and professional lives.
If a parent has not checked their child's progress in Aspen, this is an important time to do so. If there are questions about a student's progress and how the parent can help the child, please reach out to the teacher to discuss. Parents are encouraged to do this now rather than at Parent Conferences (December 14 and 15) as grades will have already closed.
If you are not sure of how to check grades in Aspen, view the linked video below. If you are unable to log in to Aspen and need help with your username/password, please email Mrs. Simmons at dsimmons@cohassetk12.org
Private School Application Process at CMS
Every fall we receive a variety of requests from students and their parents to complete applications and write recommendations for private schools. If you are considering applying to a private school, please follow the guidelines set out below.
1. Please complete a signed consent for us to release information to the schools.
- Your child can pick up a copy of the release form in the School Counselor’s office room 231, or the Main Office.
- Please be sure to include on the release the names of the schools for which your child is applying.
- You can either have your child drop the signed form to Ms. Pearce’s office or email it to her directly at Apearce@cohassetk12.org
2. Please have your child pick up a Middle School Brag Sheet in Ms. Pearce’s classroom to complete and return.
Electronic forms for Ravenna, Gateway to Prep, and SSAT
- If you are choosing to use the electronic forms for schools, please send all Transcript Request Forms and Student Conduct Forms to our School Counselor, Allison Pearce. Apearce@cohassetk12.org
- Please send all Counselor/Principal Recommendation Forms to either our School Counselor, Allison Pearce or our Principal, John Mills. Apearce@cohassetk12.org, JMills@cohassetk12.org
- Please send all Teacher Recommendation Forms to your child’s teacher. Please encourage your child to personally ask the teacher to write a recommendation letter before sending the recommendation form.
- Teachers do their best to write specific thoughtfully written recommendations for students but need ample time to do this. Please adhere to the following deadlines for transcript and recommendation requests.
November 15th for all December 1st deadlines
December 15th for all January 1st deadlines
December 22nd for all January 15th deadlines
January 15th for all February and March deadlines
As always, feel free to contact Ms. Pearce at Apearce@cohassetk12.org with any questions regarding this process.
The Nurse's Corner--Student Nutrition and Eating Habits
I encourage all parents to discuss the importance of making healthy choices regarding food and nutrition at school.
- Breakfast: Our cafeteria provides breakfast items in the morning from 7:45 until the bell rings to start school. We understand that the morning can be a harried time as parents and children rush to get out of the house. However, children should be encouraged to eat something before they start the day to help with their focus and energy throughout the morning whether at home or eating at school.
- Break: It is critical for parents to know that students are no longer provided a mid-morning break time. If children skip breakfast they are liable to feel hungry during the morning. Once again, please encourage your child to eat something for breakfast so they do their best all morning.
- Lunch: Our grade 6 and 7 students eat lunch at 11:05 and grade 8 students eat at 11:35. It is critical that children who have not eaten at all have a healthy lunch. Some children choose to purchase a snack lacking in the nutrition of a full lunch entrée. Please encourage your child to make food choices wisely during lunch so they can achieve at a high level all afternoon.
Middle school is time for students to develop autonomy and responsibility, but they still need our guidance at times to make healthy choices.
Thank you,
Nurse Erin
Erin Kalberer, APRN
Cohasset Middle School Nurse
Excessive Student Absence Notification Process
Massachusetts General Law Chapter 76 requires that each school notify parents and guardians if their student has five (5) or more unexcused school absences. Parents and guardians will receive a letter when their child has 5, 10, and/or 15+ days of unexcused absences. The letter will also include the number of unexcused tardies and unexcused early dismissals.
Absences will be excused under the following circumstances:
After a medical appointment documented with a note from the medical office
Illness or quarantine with a note from the appropriate medical office
Observance of a religious holiday
Bereavement or serious illness in family
Court appearance
A child may also be excused for other exceptional reasons with approval of the Principal or designee in accordance with the school committee policy and the regulations set in Chapter 76
Daily attendance is essential to a student's success. Missing a significant number of days of school has a detrimental effect on academic and social development. Therefore, each school will work with individual families to support student attendance.
We call it the CMS Tide because just like we find when we walk along the beach, the tide brings to us treasures from the deep. It helps us picture what is going on just beyond where we stand. The CMS Tide supplies news, images, stories about life at CMS to our families each week,
We hope you enjoy each issue this year!
Cohasset Middle School
Website: https://www.cohassetk12.org/Domain/9
Location: 143 Pond Street, Cohasset, MA, USA
Phone: 781.383.6100
Twitter: @comsprincipal
