CINNAMINSON MIDDLE SCHOOL Monthly Parent Bulletin February 2016 312 North Forklanding Road Cinnaminson, NJ 08077 (856) 786-8012 FAX (856) 786-1860 Web Address: www.cinnaminson.com/cms Frank Goulburn, Principal Hamm Kolev, Assistant Principal Important Dates February 1st—3rd MP Begins February 5th—Dance 7-10PM February 9th 7PM—8th Grade Course Selection Night @CHS February 10th 5PM—Unity Club “Souper Supper” February 12th— Report Cards Available; No School for Students (Curriculum Day) February 15th—No School Presidents’ Day February 17th & 24th—2:40PM Boys’ and Girls’ Spring Sports’ Physicals CMS Drama Club Production of “The Little Mermaid, Jr.”-- February 19th and 20th at 8PM, 21st at 2PM, 26th at 8PM, and 27th at 2PM and 8PM January Students of the Month Each month, Cinnaminson Middle School recognizes three individuals as our Students of the Month. These students are nominated by their teachers for their academic achievement and positive attitude. Additionally, each month students will be nominated who adhere to the core character values of our school. For the month of January, the focus was on Friendship. 6th Grade: Croix Horsley 7th Grade: Connor O’Brien 8th Grade: Kaitlyn Cozzer Congratulations to all! Faculty Member of the Month: In addition to honoring students of the month, CMS also recognizes one staff member each month for his/her contributions to our school. If you would like to nominate a staff member as our “Faculty Member of the Month”, visit the CMS homepage and complete a nomination form. January Honoree: Mrs. Beth Green, 7/8 Grade Reading Teacher Special thanks to our Home & School Association for providing gifts to our student/staff honorees.
Web Address: www.cinnaminson.com/cms Frank Goulburn, Principal
Hamm Kolev, Assistant Principal
Important Dates
February 1st—3rd MP Begins
February 5th—Dance 7-10PM
February 9th 7PM—8th Grade Course Selection Night @CHS
February 10th 5PM—Unity Club “Souper Supper”
February 12th— Report Cards Available; No School for Students (Curriculum Day)
February 15th—No School Presidents’ Day
February 17th & 24th—2:40PM Boys’ and Girls’ Spring Sports’ Physicals
CMS Drama Club Production of “The Little Mermaid, Jr.”--February 19th and 20th at 8PM, 21st at 2PM, 26th at 8PM, and 27th at 2PM and 8PM
January Students of the Month
Each month, Cinnaminson Middle School recognizes three individuals as our Students of the Month. These students are nominated by their teachers for their academic achievement and positive attitude. Additionally, each month students will be nominated who adhere to the core character values of our school. For the month of January, the focus was on Friendship.
6th Grade: Croix Horsley
7th Grade: Connor O’Brien
8th Grade: Kaitlyn Cozzer
Congratulations to all!
Faculty Member of the Month:
In addition to honoring students of the month, CMS also recognizes one staff member each month for his/her contributions to our school. If you would like to nominate a staff member as our “Faculty Member of the Month”, visit the CMS homepage and complete a nomination form.
January Honoree:
Mrs. Beth Green, 7/8 Grade Reading Teacher
Special thanks to our Home & School
Association for providing gifts to our
student/staff honorees.
The Little Mermaid
The Cinnaminson Middle School Drama Club Presents “The Little Mermaid, Jr.” Show times are as follows:
Friday February 19 8PM
Saturday February 20 8PM
Sunday February 21 2PM
Friday February 26 8PM
Saturday February 27 2PM & 8PM
Admission is $8 for adults $5 for students
and seniors citizens are free. The cost of
admission for the Matinee show on
February 21st can also be a
food donation.
Spring Sports
We are pleased to announce that our Athletic Director,
Mr. Liddell, is back at school overseeing our athletic
programs.
Spring sports sign-ups are going on at this time. Should
your child be interested in participating this spring, he/she
should see Mr. Liddell during advisory.
Boys Baseball (7/8) Girls Softball (6-8)
Boys and Girls Track & Field (6-8) Girls Lacrosse (6-8)
Sports physical forms & information packets can be
downloaded from our website. Forms signed by the par-
ent must be submitted to the nurse by Feb 11th.
Spring sports physicals will be Wednesday, February
17th, and Wednesday, February 24th, for boys and girls
starting at 2:40pm in the nurse’s office.
Practices will begin mid to late March,
weather permitting.
Looking Ahead…
March 10th— Staff vs Student Basketball game
March 19th— Craft Bazaar
March 21st—Yoko’s Visit
March 24th—Curriculum Day No Students
March 25th—April 1 Spring Break
April 4th —Return from Break
CINNAMINSON’S 31ST ANNUAL INVENTION CONVENTION:
Now is the time to start thinking about
inventing! What can you think of that will make work easier, safer, get done better or faster? Think of ideas to help the elderly, improve your car, create a better tool, house-hold gadget, something for your pet, something for a baby, something for snow removal, something for your computer, cell phone or Ipad, etc. Cinnaminson’s 31st Annual Invention Convention will take place on Wednesday, April 6, 2016.
This exciting inventing experience is open to Cinnaminson students in Kindergarten through Grade 12 and there is no fee to participate. Invention assemblies will be held in each building in February. Inventors and Parents are invited to come to an Inventor/Parent meeting on Thursday evening, February 25, 2016.
Judges and volunteers are needed. Contact Mrs. Mendelow at 609-313-0188 or [email protected], to volunteer, suggest a judge or obtain more information!
FEBRUARY DAY CALENDAR
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6
1 2
3 4 5 8 9 10
11 16 17 18 19 22
23 24 25 26 29
If school is closed for any reason, the day schedule will resume at the point of the last day.
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 Day 5 Home & School Mtg.-7PM 3rd MP Begins
2 Day 6 3 Day 1 4 Day 2 5 Day 3 Dance 7-10PM
6
7 8 Day 4 9 Day 5 Course Selection Night @CHS 7PM
10 Day 6 Unity Club “Souper Supper” 5PM
11 Day 1 Stump the Staff 2PM
12 No Students Curriculum Day REPORT CARDS AVAILABLE
13
14 Valentine’s Day
15 No School Presidents’ Day
16 Day 2 BOE Meeting 7:30PM
17 Day 3 Spring Sports Physicals Boys and Girls 2:45PM
18 Day 4 19 Day 5 “The Little Mermaid, Jr.” 8PM
20 “The Little Mermaid, JR.” 8PM
21 “The Little Mermaid, Jr.” 2PM
22 Day 6 23 Day 1 24 Day 2 Spring Sports Physicals Boys and Girls 2:45PM
Danielle joined the swim team because she likes to swim and wants to see what she’s capable of. Her motivation comes from within. This intrinsic motiva-tion will help her do her best—not only in swim-ming but also in whatever she puts her mind to. Help your middle grader develop that kind of motivation with these tips.
Choose wisely Maybe you hoped your child would
try out for the math team, but she wants to be on the student council. She’ll be more naturally motivated if you allow her to choose what matters to her. Also, giving her a say in how she pursues her interests will spark her enthusiasm. For instance, let her decide whether to run for office or be a committee member.
Challenge yourself The more your tween sees her skills
improve, the more encouraged she will be to push further. Suggest she ask teachers and coaches what she can do to reach the next level. Her volleyball coach might say she should practice
Think on your feet Improv comedy can pro-vide fun with friends or
family and challenge your tween’s creativity. Have a group form a circle. One person steps in the middle and starts acting out a scene, such as a monkey swinging in the jungle. Then, the others join in the acting, perhaps throwing the monkey a banana.
In order Organizing information in a sequence will give your middle schooler prac-tice with critical thinking—and another way to review material when she studies. She might put historical events in order from least to most important, for example. Or she could plot character development in a book from the most life-changing actions to the least.
Driver-in-training It’s still a few years before your child will be behind the wheel of a car, but it’s not too early to start “pre-driver’s ed.” Point out ways that you drive safely and stay calm in stressful situa-tions. If it’s raining, you might say, “I’m driving more slowly because the roads are slick.”
Worth quoting“There is something delicious about writing the first words of a story. You never quite know where they’ll take you.” Beatrix Potter
Just for fun
Q: What never asks questions but is often answered?
A: A doorbell.
Motivated from the inside
returning serves to become more consis-tent. Then, she could set a goal for her practice sessions—and aim for more successful returns during games.
Find a purposeHave your youngster look for reasons
why school subjects or after-school activities are relevant to her life. That will make them more appealing and increase her motivation to tackle them. For instance, she might think about careers that interest her and how she would use the information she’s learning. Example: A nail salon owner uses math to set prices and order nail polish.
ShortStops
Parents (still) wanted! Research shows that tweens want to spend
more time with their parents, even though they may act the opposite way. Consider these ideas for enjoying time together:
■ Look for activities to do side by side. You might try out new recipes in the kitchen, do Sudoku puzzles, or play chess or checkers.
■ Build in daily “solo time”—just you and your tween. Perhaps take a nightly walk together after dinner, or go into his room for a chat at bedtime.
■ Make a date. Once a month or so, go to a movie, a museum exhibit, or anything else that appeals to the two of you.
Cinnaminson Middle SchoolCounselors - Mrs. Colella, Mrs. Luecke & Mr. Sinn
Listen, then repeat. Ask him to repeat the important points when you give him directions (like what to do after school if it’s different from his usual routine). That will help him practice listening for crucial details. And it has the added benefit of letting you know he got the message!
Watch, then highlight. Have your child summarize a political debate or sporting event he’s watching on television. He can take notes during the broadcast and then pretend to be a news analyst or sportscaster. His “on the air” updates should highlight the most important happenings of the debate or game.
Follow the clues
Does your middle grader enjoy read-ing mysteries or watching detective shows? With this idea, you can set up an imaginary “whodunit” and let your child use real-world forensic science skills to crack the case.
1. Have each fam-ily member press her right thumb to a sepa-rate glass. Place one of those glasses at the “crime scene.”
2. Lift the fingerprint from that glass by sprinkling on cocoa powder and gently dusting with a brush. Press clear tape to the print, lift, and press onto an index card. Label this, “Evidence.”
3. With a pencil, shade in a square of paper for each family member. Have each person press her right thumb on a square. Use tape to lift the prints, press onto separate index cards, and label each card with the person’s name.
4. Compare the fingerprints to the one left at the scene. Who is the culprit?
Summing things up
Summarizing is a skill your middle schooler needs when taking notes during class, doing reading assignments, and researching papers. Suggest strategies like these.
Read, then tell. Encourage your youngster to tell you about a biography he read by giving you three main facts. Tip: To keep his summary short and to the point, he could jot key words on a sticky note while reading.
When my son’s Spanish teacher called to say Carl
was disrupting class by talking too much, I was not happy. Mrs. Anderson said she had moved Carl’s seat and made sure he doesn’t sit near his good friends, but she wanted me to be aware of the problem so we could work together.
I thanked her for letting me know and asked how I could help. She suggested that I mention to Carl that we had
No more self-putdowns ■Q My daughter used to be so confident. But lately I keep overhearing her put herself down.
What should I do?
■A It’s normal for kids to become more critical of them-selves as they approach the teen years. But there are strat-egies you can use to keep this from becoming a habit.
First, be sure you’re kind to yourself in front of your daughter. Try to avoid making negative comments about your appearance (“I look fat in this”) or abilities (“I’m not good with numbers”). Instead, let her overhear confident, self-motivating statements, such as “I’m going to have a great workout” or “I know I can figure out this spreadsheet formula.”
Then, ask her to pay attention to how she talks to herself—out loud and in her head. Together, you could come up with “code words” to use if you hear a self-putdown. Examples: “I don’t think so!” or “We need a redo!”
Working with teachers spoken. Also, she said if things didn’t improve, she would want to meet with both of us.
I told Carl I was disappointed to get the call. And I made sure he knew he was being disrespectful to both his
teacher and his class-mates. Carl knows that I’m going to follow up with Mrs. Anderson—and I’m hoping that our teamwork will encourage him to stop interrupting in class.
