CMS Parent Newsletter
May 1, 2017
Dear Parents,
Upcoming Seahawk Events
May 1 - Teacher Appreciation Week
May 1 - GMAS - Alg. 1
May 1 - Soccer vs. STEM at Brooks; Team 2 vs. Savannah Classical at Jennifer Ross
May 2 - GMAS - Physical Science
May 2 - Choral Concert
May 2 - Student Council Meeting 3:00 - 3:30
May 2 - Baseball vs. Oglethorpe at Paulson
May 3 - 6th Grade Field Day
May 4 - 7th Grade Field Day
May 5 - School Council Meeting
May 11 - NJHS Induction Ceremony 6:00 p.m.
May 12 - Spirit Wear - Proceeds benefit the Art Club
May 15 - GMAS ELA part 1 retake for 8th grade
May 16 - GMAS ELA part 2 retake for 8th grade
May 17 - GMAS Math part 1 retake for 8th grade
May 18 - GMAS Math part 2 retake for 8th grade
May 18 - 7th Grade Award Ceremony at 8:00 a.m.
May 18 - 8th Grade Bridging Ceremony at 6:00 p.m.
May 19 - 6th Grade Awards Ceremony at 8:00 a.m.
May 19 - Last day of school.
PTSA Teacher & Staff Appreciation Luncheon
Coastal MS PTSA will honor our teachers, administrators, and staff with a lunch on Wednesday, May 3.
PTSA will provide a taco bar, sodas, and chips and dips. Donations of desserts and other items are needed. Help us show our teachers how much we appreciate their dedication to our students by clicking on the link below to sign up to help with this event.
Drama Club Performs Peter Pan with Pizazz
The drama club, under the direction of Ms. Harvey, performed the play Peter Pan, inciting much applause and constant laughter from the audience. The artistic talent of our students is amazing, and we look forward to many more top-notch performances. We also want to extend a huge thank you to Principal Kerry Coursey from Islands High School for allowing us to use their new performance hall.
Instructional Support Person of the Year
Congratulations to the face of Coastal's front office, Amy Carlson, who was recognized last Thursday evening for being selected Coastal Middle School's Instructional Support Person of the Year.
Bracelet Challenge
Just how positive of a person are you? Do you want to be even more positive? We challenged our students and adults to join us in doing the following, and would like to invite your entire family to participate.
· Adults – Wear a bracelet on your left arm for 2 weeks. Every time you catch yourself saying something negative or grumbling, move the bracelet to the other arm. See how many times you move it back and forth during a day. Soon you will find yourself stopping before you speak.
· Students – Do the same thing, but move the bracelet every time you say something less than kind or supportive of another.
GMAS Growth Reports
Students will bring home 2015-2016 GMAS “Growth Reports” Monday. They brought home the standard report earlier this year. This report will let you see how much your student grew compared to his or her “academic peers.” Academic peers are students in Georgia who performed at a level similar to your child on the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 tests. For example, if your child scored 589 on the Science test in the 5th grade, his or her performance on the 6th grade test will be compared to students in George who scored close to 589 in 5th grade like your child. We would like to see that your student scored as having “typical” or “high” growth.
Teacher of the Year - Suzanna Shiver
A huge shout out to Mrs. Suzanna Shiver, who will be our next Coastal Middle School Teacher of the Year. Selected by her peers for her dedication and always positive demeanor, Mrs. Shiver will represent the Coastal teachers, serving as a liaison between the faculty and the district. We are blessed to have Mrs. Shiver as part of our Seahawk family and look forward to supporting her in her new leadership role.
Family Engagement Day-
The Coastal Seahawks participated in a fun-filled, informative day sponsored by the SCCPSS. Our Career and Technical Education (CTAE) organizations, FCCLA sponsored by Mrs. Shiver and TSA sponsored by Mr. Glenn, both offered students and their families a chance to do hands-on activities such as metal-detecting and taste-testing. This carnival-type event covered a spectrum of useful knowledge, from summer break programs to navigating your way through the often tedious process of applying for financial aid during high school. Thank you to all of the staff and families who came out to support the Seahawks.
8th Grade IB Students Recognized at the United Way Volunteers Luncheon
As part of the MYP IB programme, 8th grade students complete a community service project to spread kindness and share a common bond with humanity. This past week, Mrs. Hoffman and several students represented Coastal at the 38th Annual United Way Volunteer Awards Luncheon. The students completed thousands of hours of volunteer service to hundreds of organizations. Thank you for teaching your children to be such giving young people in a world that is not always so caring. We are so proud of our Seahawks, their teachers, sponsors and parents who made this event possible.
Coastal Technology Students Immerse Themselves in Learning Math and Science-
A group of students from Coastal’s Engineering and technology classes went on a unique excursion last week that meshed science, technology, engineering and math into a hands-on applicable career or hobby. Under the instruction of Dive master Brandon, students were able to put on full diving gear, breathe underwater and even go down to the mysterious “pool cave.” Students loved the experience and many vowed to one day become certified divers. A lot of learning took place, and the students reported that everyone had a splashing good time!
Community Opportunities
Wee-Folks at Oatland Island
Bring the kids to Oatland Island Wildlife Center for a day of enchantment on Saturday May 6th from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. This family-themed festival is all about the “wee folk” getting up close with the natural world and encouraging imaginative outdoor play. There will be a scavenger hunt, costume contest, crafts, and games. All ages are encouraged to participate in the annual gnome and fairy home building contest. Homes can be built at the festival by using natural materials from Oatland’s forest. Bring your whole family to stroll Oatland’s magical trails and maybe you will catch a glimpse of a fairy or gnome looking for a place to call home. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for military, seniors and children and free for children less than 3 years of age. For more information please call 912-395-1517
Doggie Carnival
The Humane Society for Greater Savannah will host its 17th annual Doggie Carnival on Sunday, May 7 2017, 12 p.m. - 4 p.m. at Forsyth Park. Admission to the carnival is free, but there are fees for some activities. All proceeds benefit the Humane Society for Greater Savannah.
Summer Opportunities
Post-Secondary Readiness through Intervention, Mentoring and Exposure (P.R.I.M.E.) is a summer college readiness workshop and tour that will be facilitated by SCCPSS Counselors. This free summer opportunity is being funded by the NACAC Imagine Grant and will be held at Beach High School; June 5-8, 2017 for students ages 13-19. Workshop topics will include test prep, colleges and majors, High School Transcripts 101 and will conclude with a tour of East GA State College, Ogeechee Tech and Georgia Southern University. Preference will be given to students who meet one or more criteria: free/reduced lunch status, first generation college student, and/or minimal opportunity to participate in a college tour. The deadline to return completed applications via email to iepartners03@gmail.com is Wednesday, May 10, 2017. For more information, please contact your student’s high school guidance counselor.
Repeats and Reminders
Yearbook
Orders are no longer being taken online. Only 25 yearbooks left to sell in our front office for $35 CASH OR MONEY ORDER.
SRI and MAP
The target scores below represent that while a child is not proficient with reading or mathematics, he or she possesses the necessary skills to be successful, with extra support, at the subsequent grade level. The scores needed to be considered proficient are actually much higher. SRI and MAP scores are one of many factors which are considered when deciding if a child is ready to be promoted to the next higher grade.
SRI
6th - 835
7th - 890
8th - 955
MAP
6th - 219
7th - 223
8th - 227
Late Work
All work should be submitted on the date it is due. Teachers will accept no more than 2 late assignments, with parent signature, within 3 days of the date the assignment is posted, for no more than 70% credit.
Free Digital Resources
Please be aware that you and your child can access free, interactive digital textbooks through the Georgia Department of Education's website. The textbooks can be accessed by visiting www.gavirtuallearning.org/Resources. Texts are currently available for middle and high school courses.