Monday, 10/12

School Closed - Columbus Day

Tuesday, 10/13

Soccer & Cross Country - Check the Gamechanger App
Drama Club - Check Remind App
Pickleball (grades 4-8) at Columbine Rd. 3:15-4:00 PM
Homework Club (for enrolled students) in Spanish Room 3:00-4:00 PM
History Club (grades 6-8) in Mr. Mingee's Room 3:00-3:45 PM

Wednesday, 10/14

Soccer & Cross Country - Check the Gamechanger App
Drama Club - Check Remind App
Pickleball (grades 4-8) at Columbine Rd. 3:15-4:00 PM
Homework Club (for enrolled students) in Spanish Room 3:00-4:00 PM
Book Club (grades 4-5) in Mrs. Cleffi's Room 3:00-4:00 PM

Thursday, 10/15

Picture Retakes
Soccer & Cross Country - Check the Gamechanger App
Drama Club - Check Remind App
Pickleball (grades 4-8) at Columbine Rd. 3:15-4:00 PM
Homework Club (for enrolled students) in Spanish Room 3:00-4:00 PM
Sign Language Club (grades 2-3) in the Art Room 3:00-3:45 PM

Friday, 10/16

Soccer & Cross Country - Check the Gamechanger App
Drama Club - Check Remind App

Other Upcoming Dates

Student Council candidates will give their speeches during Period 1 on Monday, Oct. 19th.
September's Student of the Month honorees will be celebrated at a special lunch on Friday, Oct. 23rd
K–3 students will team up with the 8th grade for the Beach Treasure Hunt that Friday, Oct. 23rd
School will dismiss at 1:10 PM on Friday, Oct. 30th for our Halloween Parade & Pumpkins celebration — PreK from 9:00-10:00 AM and K–5 from 10:00-11:30 AM.
School is closed for the NJEA Convention on Thursday, Nov. 5th and Friday, Nov. 6th.
The Drama Club's fall production of Matilda, Jr. takes the stage with a school-day performance on Thursday, Nov. 12th at 10:00 AM, followed by public performances on Friday, Nov. 13th at 7:00 PM and Saturday, Nov. 14th at 1:00 PM.

Next Week's Lunch Menu

Monday, 10/12 — School Closed (Columbus Day)
Tuesday, 10/13: Cheese Pizza Slice or Hot Dog on a Roll, with Carrot Coins and Caesar Salad

Fresh or cupped fruit, 100% fruit juice, and a choice of 1% white, fat-free chocolate, or fat-free strawberry milk are available every day. Lunch is $3.65.
Wednesday, 10/14: General Tso's Chicken over Rice or Bagel, Yogurt & Cheese Stick Meal, with Steamed Broccoli and Cucumber Slices
Thursday, 10/15 (Breakfast for Lunch): French Toast Sticks with Sausage or Ham and Cheese Hoagie, with Hash Brown Patty and Broccoli Bites
Friday, 10/16: Nachos Grande with Tortilla Chips & Toppings or Chicken Caesar Salad, with Steamed Corn and Veggie Patch

PB&J Uncrustable Meal is always a third lunch option.

Helpful Reminders and What’s New at CMS

Long Weekend Ahead: Crest Memorial School is closed on Friday, Oct. 9th for a Teachers' Professional Day and on Monday, Oct. 12th for Columbus Day. We'll see everyone back on Tuesday, Oct. 13th.
Picture Retakes: Picture retakes are Thursday, Oct. 15th. If your child was absent on picture day or you'd like a new photo taken, please make sure they're ready that morning.
Breakfast at CMS: Breakfast is served every school day starting at 7:30 AM for $1.50. Students enter through the blacktop door to the green hallway and café — just look for the "Breakfast" sign.

PTC & 8th Grade Parent News

PTC Costume Dance - Friday, October 23rd from 5:30-7pm: The PTC is hosting a costume dance for students in grades PreK- 5. Cost is $10 per student for entry to the dance and pizza!. All students must be accompanied by an adult. We do not have enough volunteers to manage unattended children. Ticket order forms will be sent home in the Thursday folders and will be available in the school lobby. Advance ticket purchase is highly encouraged to help us order food and snacks appropriately.
8th Grade Fundraisers: The 8th grade class is selling Boo Grams from October 8th through October 23rd. For $1 students can surprise a friend, favorite teacher or staff member with a Halloween Treat. Treats will be delivered on Friday October 30th. The order form will be in take home folders today and extra forms will be available in the school lobby.
Reminder: 8th grade Mum sale runs through Saturday, October 17th. The CMS 8th grade class is partnering with Ellie & Wild Bills for this beautiful fundraiser. Flyers are available in the lobby outside of the Main Office. Tickets can be purchased through any 8th grade parent or by emailing Steph Benson at sbenson@crestmem.edu or Venmo to @Denise-Murroni. All proceeds go toward activities for the CMS class of 2027. Thank you for your support!
PTC Meeting: The next meeting will be Tuesday, October 29th at 6pm in the school cafeteria.
PTC Membership Drive: Last call for the PTC Membership Drive. We are accepting donations and sign-up forms through Friday October 9th. Don’t forget the grade with the highest percentage of sign-ups/donations will win a pizza party!

This Week's CMS Difference Maker is — Officer Trayvon Young

If you've walked the halls of CMS lately, chances are Officer Young has already greeted you with a smile. He makes a point of knowing our students by name and taking the time to talk with them, not just as the officer in the building but as someone who truly cares how their day is going. Don't be surprised to find him jumping into a gym class or joining in at playtime. He knows that the best way to build trust with kids is to show up and be part of their world. That steady, friendly presence happens every single day, and it's made him a familiar and welcome face from Preschool to Middle School. For making a difference in every hallway of our school, thank you Officer Young. If you know someone making a difference in the CMS community, please help us recognize their efforts by completing the following form: https://forms.gle/nxU6guDtB3aDy3wT8

Week of Respect Gave Them the Words — Now Comes the Practice

Last week, CMS celebrated the Week of Respect and the building was full of reminders about treating one another well. The spirit days are fun, and they matter. But the real test comes this week, when when we're asking our students to put the theory into practice. In How to Raise Kind Kids, developmental psychologist Dr. Thomas Lickona, professor emeritus at SUNY Cortland, makes a simple argument: kindness is not a personality trait some children have and others don't. It's a habit, built through repetition, and families are where the repetitions happen. Lickona points out that children learn far more from what we notice and name than from what we lecture about. If we only comment on behavior when it goes wrong, kids learn that unkindness gets attention and kindness is invisible. Here are three things you can try this week:

Catch it and name it. When you see your child do something kind, even something tiny, say what you saw. "You let your brother pick the show. That was generous." Keep it short and specific. Lickona's research on character development suggests that naming the act helps children see themselves as the kind of person who does that
Ask the "kindness question" at dinner. Instead of "How was your day?", try "Who did something kind for you today?" or "Did you get a chance to help anyone?" The first few nights you may get a shrug. Keep asking. Kids start looking for the answer during the day once they know the question is coming.
Repair, don't just punish. When your child is unkind, and every child is sometimes, the goal is to make it right, not just to feel bad. "What could you do to fix this?" teaches more than a time-out alone. A quick apology, a kind note, or redoing the moment the right way turns a mistake into practice.

Question of the Week: When was the last time you saw your child do something kind without being asked and did you tell them you noticed?

Parents, we'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Share your perspective by going to: https://forms.gle/HDqEiGeikPjt5ahd8

CMS Launch Points

Crest Memorial School's Weekly Newsletter

Next Week's Lunch Menu

Helpful Reminders and What’s New at CMS

PTC & 8th Grade Parent News

This Week's CMS Difference Maker is — Officer Trayvon Young

Week of Respect Gave Them the Words — Now Comes the Practice

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