Cougar Connect

Hello Cougar Families,

It seems like we have raced through 1st quarter! Teachers are busy entering grades and Report Cards will be posted to FOCUS on November 12th. Please be advised that we will not be printing and sending a physical copy of your child's report card home. We will be giving our Honor Roll and Principal's Honor Roll students certificates and a limited edition sticker for being on Honor Roll. Be on the look-out!

November means American Education Week, and CMS will open our doors for families on Monday, November 16th from 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM. Unfortunately given some circumstances outside our control and our 3 days of 7th grade JA Finance Park trips, we are unable to accommodate families for a larger window. You will, however, get to come in and listen to our students tell the story of CMS and get to see some CMS classes in action during our 2nd block on Monday. We will also be having an event Wednesday evening exclusively for 5th grade families who want to learn more about CMS.

The state's ESSA ratings have come out for this year, and we are proud to say we once again have improved as we have every year for the last 4 years by that metric. We are creeping closer to the 4th star and currently have the #6 overall rating of BCPS middle schools. We saw big gains in Math this year with our students which we are looking to build on moving forward. We want to thank all of our families for all they do to help us keep our students focused on school.

We will also hold expectations talks once again with all grade levels to review our expectations with all of our students regarding cell phones, lateness to class, preparedness to class, and behavior. We are looking for students to be in Player Mode when they are in school which means they are showing up, powering up, teaming up, stepping up, and leveling up. We are recognizing several students each week for exhibiting these traits with a phone call home and a certificate.

This is also a reminder for our families that, much like the wisdom of Uncle Ben in Spider Man, in middle school with greater freedom comes greater responsibility and accountability. We as a CMS administrative team will hold your child accountable for his or her actions and that can include disciplinary consequences that may be different, and likely harsher, than what you are used to in elementary school. We are always going to enforce our rules, policies, procedures, and expectations to protect our students and our academic environment.

Thank you all for being an outstanding community.

Mr. Carney

• CALENDAR ADJUSTMENTS IN NOVEMBER:
• TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3RD: ELECTION DAY - SCHOOLS & OFFICES CLOSED
• WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25TH: 3 HOUR EARLY DISMISSAL (Thanksgiving Holiday)
• THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26TH & FRIDAY NOVEMBER 27TH: SCHOOLS & OFFICES CLOSED FOR THANKSGIVING
• SUPPLIES: Please make sure your child has all of his or her school supplies EVERY DAY. Prepared for School Violations will begin the second week of school and we will be contacting parents to let you know your child is not coming ready to learn each day.
• FOOD PANTRY: Food Pantry distribution will be on Thursday, November 19th from 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM. Please DO NOT ARRIVE prior to 1:00 PM to line up. It is disruptive to our school day.
• FALL PICTURE DAY: Wednesday, November 4th & Thursday, November 5th - by your child's SCIENCE class. B day Science classes will be on 11/4 and A day on 11/5.
• DULANEY HS VISIT: All 8th graders will visit Dulaney HS on Friday, November 6th. We know all of our families are not zoned for Dulaney, but we take all of our students anyway.
• DISCOVER DULANEY NIGHT: Thursday, November 12th at 6:30 PM go to Dulaney HS and discover why it is a great place to learn and grow. Success starts at Dulaney! See the flyer below.
• PTA MEETING: Monday, November 16th on Zoom @ 7PM
• 7TH GRADE JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT TRIP: 7th graders will go to Junior Achievement on Wednesday, November 18th, Thursday, November 19th, and Friday, November 20th.
• DRILLS:
• Monday, November 2nd: Fire Drill 8:50 AM
• Monday, November 9th: Fire Drill 8:15 AM with Fire Department
• Monday, November 23rd: Scenario Drill (Enhanced Lockdown) 10:00 AM
• AMERICAN EDUCATION WEEK: A flyer is posted below with a form for you to register to attend.
• WALKERS: If your child walks, please be aware that some of our walkers like to try to linger around campus longer. This is not ok as they should be exiting the building and going immediately home. We will be escorting our walkers off campus who continue to loiter. We also ask you to remember that if your child walks home through the neighborhood they should be respectful of our neighbors and their property. They should not be walking through people's lawns and otherwise loitering on other people's property. They represent all of us at CMS as well as you - their parents - and we want to make sure they are representing us all well.

Here is our Cell Phone and Lateness violation protocol. You will receive a message via Talking Points each time your child has a violation this year. A resource for setting "Downtime" on your child's iPhone where they can only access certain apps in school, as well as making it so only certain people can message them, are included below. Please help us by restricting your child's phone settings if they have trouble with managing their distractions themselves.

Thank you in advance for having your child prepared to comply with our expectations concerning being on time to class and keeping cell phones off and away.

• 1st Violation: You will receive a text from Talking Points telling you your child has received a violation.
• 2nd Violation: You will receive a text from Talking Points telling you your child has received a second violation and the next violation will result in a lunch detention.
• 3rd Violation: Grade level Team Leader will assign your child a lunch detention.
• 4th Violation: Team Leader will call you to discuss your child's phone usage/lateness and your child will receive a second lunch detention.
• 5th Violation: An Assistant Principal will call you. Your child will need to turn their phone in at the beginning of the school day and may pick it up at dismissal. They are no longer allowed to have their phone in school.
• 6th Violation: Assigned seat at lunch, loss of outside time.
• 7th Violation: Social Suspension - your child may not participate in clubs, teams, or activities at CMS for the remainder of the quarter.
• 8th Violation: Assigned ALC. Further consequences will be applied for insubordination and failure to follow school rules as outlined in the Student Behavior Handbook.

Being prepared for school is vital for your child's success. Students who do not come prepared for school are demonstrating a disinterest in their education for the day and are not prepared to learn. Please ensure your child has all required supplies and come prepared each day with their CMS Binder, pens/pencils/highlighters, paper, and their Agenda book.

Thank you in advance for having your child prepared to comply with our expectations concerning being prepared for school.

• 1st Violation: You will receive a text from Talking Points telling you your child was unprepared for school.
• 2nd Violation: You will receive a text from Talking Poitns telling you your child was unprepared for school.
• 3rd Violation: Child will receive a lunch detention with a reflection form to be filled out.
• 4th Violation: Grade Level Counselor will call you to talk to family about supplies and support. Student will receive a second lunch detention.
• 5th Violation: An Assistant Principal will call home to discuss the importance of coming to school prepared.
• 6th Violation: Assigned seat at lunch, loss of outside time.
• 7th Violation: Social Suspension - your child may not participate in clubs, teams, or activities at CMS for the remainder of the quarter.
• 8th Violation: Assigned ALC. Required parent conference with an administrator. Further violations will result in further consequences aligned with the BCPS Student Handbook.

We have created a live year-long calendar that families can view to see all things at CMS. We will continue to update as the year goes on. Some dates near the end of the year are tentative, but we will move them around as needed depending on how the school calendar evolves with weather days.

You can click "Live Family Calendar" above to go there or click here.

Principal: Mr. Carney

Assistant Principal: Mr. Dungey (Grade 8, Grade 7 A-L)

Assistant Principal: Mr. Martin (Grade 6, Grade 7 M-Z)

We are so excited to work with your children as they continue the journey of middle school. While it is year of transition to a new school, new teachers, and new friends, I am confident that it will also be a year of personal and educational growth. As the students are starting to settle in and become more comfortable, please encourage your child(ren) to get involved. From Chess Club to Badminton to Basketball to SADD Club, there are numerous opportunities to make the most out of their first year of middle school. You can check them all out on the school webpage;

https://cockeysvillems.bcps.org/students/clubs_and_activities

Please know that parents are a key component of our success. We welcome you to call, email, or visit whenever you have concerns. Even more so, keep lines of communication open on a regular basis just to check in. Our conference nights and other evening events are a great time to catch up on academic success. With the BCPS One System, you have unlimited access to your child(ren)s grades. Please remember that teachers are expected to enter their grades every two weeks. Therefore, grades are not always 100% up to the minute, but it is still a great tool for home-school communication. As we progress through the year, we will keep you up to date about major assessments, school-related events, and opportunities for parent involvement.

Please consider joining and contributing to our PTA. Their organization and efforts help provide a lot of great opportunities for our students and families. Go to http://cockeysvillemiddlepta.org to find out more.

Be sure to check out the school website for more details on school events!

http://cockeysvillems.bcps.org/

Hot off the Press for Parents;

Please remind your students of the importance of arriving to school on time each and every day. We have seen an increase in the past week of students late to school. If your child is not feeling well in the morning, thus the cause for delayed arrival, please be sure to send a note. We aim to start the day on the right foot!

Please remember that cars are not permitted in the bus loop between the hours of 7:15 and 7:50 in the morning, as well as 2:15-3:00 in the afternoon. Cars driving through when buses are loading or unloading is a safety concern. Thanks for helping to keep everyone safe!

Hello 7th grade cougar families! As we move into the second quarter, this is a great time to help your student reorganize their school supplies. This may include cleaning out their backpack and going through their binder. Doing it together makes it more manageable for the student and as a parent, gives you time to ask questions about what they have been learning, what is working and what has been a struggle. The beginning of a new quarter offers a fresh start on both violations and grades. It gives students an opportunity to refocus their goals and make a plan for success. 7th grade JA Finance Field trip will be on November 18th and 19th. More details will be shared as we get closer to the date. As always, if you have questions or concerns, please reach out to your student’s teachers or to me at aprudente@bcps.org. We are looking forward to a great second quarter!

On Friday, November 6th, our 8th graders will have the opportunity to visit Dulaney High School! This will be a great day for students to learn more about high school life, including academics, sports, clubs, and the many opportunities available to them as they prepare for the next chapter of their educational journey. Although our visit will be brief, it is a wonderful opportunity for students to become familiar with their future high school, explore what Dulaney has to offer, and begin looking ahead to their high school experience. We are excited for our students to take this important step toward their future!

Thank you to everyone who purchased an 8th-grade T-shirt! Orders have been placed, and we are excited to share that shirts will be delivered to school in the next couple of weeks. We appreciate your support and look forward to seeing our 8th graders showing off their class spirit!

With nine weeks of learning behind us, our first quarter has officially come to an end! As we begin the second quarter, we continue to have high expectations for our 8th graders both academically and behaviorally. Students are expected to come to class prepared each day with their materials, arrive on time, participate actively in lessons, complete assignments, and demonstrate respect for their teachers and classmates. We encourage students to take ownership of their learning, stay organized, and continue building the habits that will help them be successful as they prepare for high school. Thank you for your continued support as we work together to make this a successful year for our 8th graders!

School Counseling and Social Work News

Mrs. Schlenoff, Grade 6 School Counselor and Counseling Dept. Chair

Email: nthompson2@bcps.org

Phone: (443) 809-4997

During the first 2 weeks of October, I met with 6th grade students during their Language Arts classes. Students learned about my role here at CMS and explored Xello, our college and career readiness web portal. Ask your 6th grader about the Matchmaker activity in Xello! They were excited to learn about careers, colleges, and how their interests impacted their career matches and post-secondary goals.

As the year progresses, I will be meeting with 6th graders individually to discuss their unique interests and aspirations. We will also discuss some of the exciting opportunities that lie ahead, like High School Magnet Programs and much more!

Mrs. Evert-Brown, Grade 7 School Counselor

Email: jevertbrown@bcps.org

Phone: (443) 809-4996

Wow, the first quarter of 7th grade is officially in the books! This year is going to fly by. People often talk about 7th grade being the most difficult and tumultuous year of middle school. Well, I have technically been in middle school longer than I haven't...that being said, I have a great tip for you.

This year, take time to truly listen to your child. Listening is so powerful. The power of listening is easy because silence can be more beneficial than words. Allowing your child to release their feelings, in a safe place, without having to hear advice or judgement is beneficial in creating room for future discussions. This means, listen first, hold your thoughts and allow your child to express theirs. We don't have all the answers, but we can give our undivided attention to create a nonjudgmental space to focus on our children's feelings. Listen carefully for your child's real message. Is your child feeling scared, angry, embarrassed? Before you speak, take a moment to think about the feelings that were shared. Count to three or even four before you respond, you might be surprised, your pause might elicit additional reflection from your 7th grader. Reflecting their feelings by putting what they have said into your own words helps clarify and gives them the opportunity to clarify and expand. For example, you could say, "Sounds like you are feeling really angry about this."

Mrs. Sueta, Grade 8 School Counselor

Email: nsueta@bcps.org

Phone: (443) 809-4998

Last month, 8th grade students did a great job exploring their personal interests and identifying post-secondary pathways and goals using the Roadmap to Ready Survey and Xello Matchmaker Quiz. Mr. Muffoletto, Career Coach, and I will be meeting with each student individually to go over their results during a one-on-one meeting. Ask your child what careers their personality matched with on the quiz.

Having a conversation with your child about their interests and possible career options is very important. Students are unaware of all the various career options that are available. This often leads to bigger conversations such as post-secondary options and other pathways. Xello has many surveys they can take on their own to continue this exploration. If you have any questions about how to access Xello, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Magnet Programs

Magnet Assessment Guidelines: If your student applied to a magnet program, remember that they must complete a magnet assessment for most magnet schools. Information regarding these assessments is posted.

Check out the information available online through the BCPS Magnet Programs website.

Private School Application Process

Please provide the following to Mrs. Watson, Counseling and Records Secretary, who will process the application(s) and email the documents directly to the school.

· Signed Transcript Release Form (usually found on the school’s website)

· If requesting teacher recommendations, please email a copy of the form to Mrs. Watson at lwatson2@bcps.org, along with the names of the teachers selected to complete them.

***Please do not give recommendation forms, etc., directly to the teachers.***

• If applying to more than one school, please follow the directions above FOR EACH SCHOOL.
• Many private schools use something called the COMMON REFERRAL FORM, which can be used to apply to multiple private schools.
• Private schools require you to take the same admissions test, like the ISEE – results can be used to apply to multiple private schools.

If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Watson in the Counseling Office at 443-809-7630.

ELA 7

ELA 8

ELD

Debate

AVID 7&8

In our math classes, our teachers and students have been collaborating in our learner-centered, student owned deep mathematical thinking and learning classrooms. We also want to shift the thinking with regards to homework to “check your understanding”. “We’ve seen that if the purpose of homework is to get marks and/or if it is done for the teacher (or parents), it loses its potential to achieve what teachers really want it to achieve – for homework to be a safe place for students to make mistakes as they check their understanding.” Questions that may or may not be coming home should be treated as a safe place for your child to make mistakes. If you feel your child needs more, you can find ample practice on our IM curriculum website https://im.kendallhunt.com/ , or Khan academy, or other internet sites. You can also find videos, extra practice, and resources in your child’s Schoology math course.

As the quarter closes, it’s time to reflect on what went well 1st quarter and what can be improved upon 2nd quarter. The science interactive notebook is your child’s most important tool in science class. All of the work is written, drawn, or glued into the notebook. Please ask you child to see their notebook and discuss the work they are doing in science class. 6th graders are in their last learning cycle of Chemistry and are learning about synthetic materials. Lessons included distinguishing between natural and synthetic materials, debating the usefulness of plastic, and researching other synthetic materials used in our everyday lives. 7th graders ended S’more energy by testing their s’more cooker’s ability to maximize the transfer of thermal energy, that was a yummy lesson! Now they have started to study living things and cells in their 2nd unit, Form Follows Function. 8th graders have been studying the factors that affect climate in places around the world and in Maryland. Next, they will investigates the causes, effects, and solutions to climate change.

Our social studies classes are moving into Quarter 2 with excitement. We have all completed our Unit 1 Assessments and are thrilled to start our second set of concepts. Sixth Grade students are studying the ancient world this year and will be starting to learn about the Foundational Civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia. Seventh Grade students are studying the medieval world this year and will be starting to learn about Medieval Europe. During advisory, our seventh graders are learning about personal finance and will be going on a field trip with their history teacher in November. Our Eighth-Grade students are studying American History and will begin their work on the principles of government and our Early capital.

Health

6th grade heath students are learning about safety and injury prevention, and will finish out the quarter with the substance use prevention unit, in which they will complete their advocacy project and earn service learning hours.

7th grade health students are learning about safety and violence prevention, and will finish out the quarter with the changes in me and healthy eating units.

8th grade health students finished their advocacy projects and are learning about safety and violence prevention. They will finish the quarter with the changes in me and disease control and prevention units.

PE

Mr. Ricucci’s PE classes are working in their cross country unit.

Mrs. Green’s students have begun a 3-week flag football unit. Students will be learning basic skills associated with the game and be playing modified, small-sided games. This unit will take place outside on the field. Students are encouraged to wear sneakers that can get dirty, along with clothing that is appropriate for the activity. Water bottles are also permitted and encouraged.

Later this month, we will participate in the Annual Zombie Run. This is a themed, large scale tag game that promotes fun and fitness!

Health classes in the second quarter rotation are starting the Health and Wellness unit. We will be reviewing the Health standards and skills that we will be learning this quarter, as well as learning about the dimensions of wellness and what we can do to improve in each area.

And just like that, our concert season is upon us! We have been working hard to prepare for our upcoming performances! Please make sure that you have the following dates on your calendars:

Advanced Concert: Wednesday, December 2nd

Intermediate Concert: Wednesday, December 9th

Beginner Concert: Wednesday, December 16th

As in the past, we have allotted space in our program for parents to advertise their businesses! This is a great opportunity for you to get your business in front of literally over 1000 people, as our concerts are the most well-attended events of the school year by folks in our local community. Support a great cause, and help us help YOU 🙂

Here are some specific details:

We have saved 4 pages in the program, which is enough room for 12 ads taking up 1/3 of a page.
Ad would need to be in .jpg or .png format

Price breakdown:

1/3 page Ad: $20
1/2 page Ad: $35
Full page Ad: $50

Last day to send Ads in is November 10th
First come first served

Send Ad interest to the CMS Music Boosters email - cockeysvillemsmusicboosters@gmail.com

Payment should be in the form of cash or a check made out to the Cockeysville Middle School Music Boosters.

Thank you for supporting our CMS Music students and we'll see you in December!

Students in all Art classes have been exploring the concept of "Seeing vs Knowing" when they draw. Most assignments have been concentrating on Observational Drawing and building a drawing from the inside. Looking at basic shapes and adding details. Students have also started lessons on Value and Gradation.

Students interested in Carver for Visual Arts should see Mr. Georgieff. We are starting portfolio requirements this week. A reminder that Applications are due by October 20th.

• General school information: Call 443-809-7626 and someone can answer your question or find someone who can - you can also email me at acarney@bcps.org any time.
  
• Scheduling Questions & Information: Mr. Dungey, Assistant Principal
• Transportation Issues: Any transportation issue should be directed to Assistant Principal Mr. Dungey. If there is an immediate concern - bus missed stop, no crossing guard at Greenspring Ave, or other issue you can contact our Main Office at 443-809-7626. This includes BusWhere Access.
• Grade Level Questions: 6th Grade - Mr. Drought, 7th Grade - Mrs. Prudente, 8th Grade - Mrs. Youngblood
  
• Counseling/504 Plan Questions: Mrs. Sueta for 8th Grade, Mrs. Evert Brown for 7th Grade, and Mrs. Schlenoff for 6th Grade. Mr. Dungey runs our Student Support Team and you should reach out to her via email with those questions.
  
• IEP Questions or Information: Reach out to Mrs. Newberry who is our IEP Facilitator.

• Social Worker: Mrs. Blackert is our School Social Worker and can help with all kinds of concerns and also runs our food pantry.

  Residency Issues/Questions/Concerns: Mrs. Smith is our Pupil Personnel Worker who can work through any issues with you.

• Excused Absence Notes: Please have your child bring the note to the Front Office - you can also reach out to Mrs. Wortman via email with any absences within a week of your child's absence. Remember - it is the teacher's discretion whether they give make up work for unexcused absences.
• Early Dismissal: Please have your child bring a note to the office. Only someone on a child's FOCUS information will be allowed to sign a child out unless you provide written documentation giving someone else permission to sign your child out. You can also contact Ms. Batlle or Mrs. Wortman directly via email.
• Enrollment or Withdrawl: Contact our Counseling Secretary Mrs. Watson via email or at 443-809-7630.
  
• Device or Technology Issues: Contact our Technology Liaisons Mr. Drought or Mrs. Valentine via email.
• FOCUS/Schoology/BCPS Communication Parent Issues: Contact our Main Office at 443-809-7626 or you can also contact Ms. Batlle or Mrs. Wortman directly via email.
• Health Questions/Concerns: Contact our school nurse Mrs. Carrier. You can reach her via email or by phone by calling the Main Office at 443-809-7626.
• School-based Emergency: We will send out a School Messenger and Talking Points message as soon as we are able. Bear in mind that if we have any kind of school emergency, all hands will be on deck assisting with managing and navigating the emergency. We will always send out communication as quickly as possible. It is highly unlikely we will be able to answer the phone in the event of an emergency so please be patient and make sure you check your messages via email, phone, and text for an update. Please do not always believe what your student is telling you via text message as their information is very spotty and likely inaccurate.
• Bullying/Safety Issues: Please contact your child's grade level Administrator - Mr. Dungey for 8th grade and 7th graders A-L, Mr. Martin for 6th graders and 7th graders M-Z. You can also fill out a Bullying & Harassment Form in FOCUS if you are concerned with a bullying incident.
• Your Child Forgot Something At School or At Home: Whether it's an instrument, PE uniform, their lunch, a device, a backpack you can always call the Main Office at 443-809-7626 and we can try to figure it out. If no one answers, you can email Mr. Carney directly and he can try to facilitate a pick up. If you need to deliver something, please come to the Main Office and drop it off. We will call them down ASAP to pick it up.
• Financial Assistance with School Items or Other Needs: Please contact your child's School Counselor. Mrs. Sueta for 8th Grade, Mrs. Evert Brown for 8th Grade, and Mrs. Schlenoff for 6th Grade.
• Student Item Lost or Possibly Stolen At School or On the Bus: Contact our Main Office at 443-809-7626 or you can also contact Ms. Batlle or Mrs. Wortman directly via email.
• Magnet School Application Process: Mrs. Sueta is our magnet coordinator this year and our 8th grade counselor. She can answer any and all questions concerning this process and deadlines.
• Private School Application Support: Mrs. Sueta our 8th grade counselor and our Counseling Secretary Mrs. Watson can support you with this process. We send many students to all area private schools and can generally walk you through the process if you need support.
• BCPS Online Volunteer Training: Contact our Main Office at 443-809-7626 or you can also contact Ms. Batlle or Mrs. Wortman directly via email.

Email: cockeysvillems@bcps.org
Website: http://cockeysvillems.bcps.org
Location: 10401 Greenside Drive, Cockeysville, MD, USA
Phone: 443-809-7626
Twitter: @CockeysvilleMS