PANTHER PROWL
CIMARRON MIDDLE SCHOOL February 2018
PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Welcome to February! Groundhog Day is tomorrow and I’m not sure what he will say… maybe six more weeks of winter?! If winter means 75-degree (spring-like) weather, six more weeks it is! With that being said, I will “spring” into this month’s newsletter!
If your house is like mine, you might have experienced the flu. I told our doctor that I was a giver and he corrected me and said I must mean a carrier! If you have the flu strike (which I hope you don’t!), be sure to bring in a doctor’s note when you return. Those absences are medically excused and Mrs. Byrne will enter them for you.
Toward the end of this month, Cimarron will have our Common Thread Week. Common Thread Week is a week all of the Edmond middle schools raise money for a local charity. Since Cimarron feeds into Edmond Memorial High School, they will match our raised amount and provide resources for great organizations and people! It is a wonderful opportunity to give. Plus, if the students raise enough money, I may end up sleeping on the roof! Be on the lookout for more information about this exciting week.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us at 340-2935 or via e-mail. With the spring semester winding up, please continue to work collaboratively with your child’s teacher. Your continued partnership is greatly appreciated!
It is truly an honor to be the principal of Cimarron,
Mr. Ehrich
Stem Club
Engineering
Challenge
MEDIA CENTER NEWS
Book Donations Needed!
Donations for our Used Book Sale will be accepted April 2-13! We will be collecting books of all levels - baby through adult. Please consider cleaning out those bookshelves, closets, cabinets, and attics, and we'll turn your gently used books into brand new books for our library!
Save the Date! Used Book Sale coming to the Cimarron library April 20-25!
2017-18 EPS PARENT UNIVERSITY
EPS Parent University is an opportunity for our families to collaborate with the schools and community partners as we seek to fulfill our district's mission: "Empowering all students to succeed in a changing society."
Monday, February 12, 6-8 pm
1001 W. Danforth Road
EPS District Board Rooms
Online registration available at https://goo.gl/forms/77yd5eWM4sK81xdg2
Sessions will be closed once a maximum enrollment is reached. Don't wait! Sign up today!
FRESHMAN ENROLLMENT IMPORTANT DATES
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
Pre-Enrollment Assembly for 8th-grade students at Cimarron! Enrollment packets go home to be completed and are DUE BACK TO CIMARRON ON FEBRUARY 16!
Monday, March 5, 2018 (last name A - L) 4:45 to 7:00 pm
Wednesday, March 7, 2018 (last name M - Z) 4:45 to 7:00 pm
Parent and Student Pre-Enrollment Conferences at Edmond Memorial - Freshman Academy
Freshman advisors meet individually with each student and their parents to approve and INPUT course requests. Advisors will answer individual questions regarding electives and graduation requirements. Families will be served on a first-come, first-served basis. Please bring your parent portal username and password to speed this process along. This is an important step in the enrollment process so please plan to attend
Exciting times for our 8th Grade Panthers!
#classof2022 #wearepanthers #pantherstobulldog
8TH GRADE GRADUATION DATES TO REMEMBER
Monday, May 21 - Yearbook signing and clean out lockers
Tuesday, May 22 - 8th Grade Dance, 6:00 pm, Cimarron Cafeteria
Wednesday, May 23 - Last Day of School and 8th Grade Graduation, 10:30 am First Baptist Church - Students will be released for the day following graduation. Must have a parent/guardian signature.
Watch for more details in the coming months!
INTERESTED IN POM OR CHEER AT EMHS?
**In order to tryout, both student AND parent MUST attend one of the meetings.**
Pick up a flyer in the Cimarron office with more details.
UNLOCK THE KEY MYSTERY
KEYS KEYS KEYS
An assortment of keys, fobs, and other assorted items have been found around the school. Any of these look familiar? Stop by the Cimarron office and claim your keys!
CPTO NEWS
Panther Parents,
Recently Mr. Ehrich spoke to parents about Digital Citizenship at Home. Here are highlights from the presentation:
Our students must be prepared for the ever-increasing digital world. Many of the careers our youngsters will have do not even exist yet. Times have changed so much over the past 20 years.
20 years ago: Moms were telling their children to not sit too close to the TV. It’s bad for eyes. 20 years later: the virtual reality headset came out to create an experience up close and personal. We even have them at Cimarron (stop by the Art room and give them a try!)
Technology has and must be embraced and included in the base of teaching students. Teaching has moved from Digitized learning to Digital learning. Example of digitized learning: Read pages on an online textbook, write answers on a document file, create a slideshow that lists ten facts, submit work in the online drop box. Example of digital learning: Review a variety of multimedia content about an issue, reflect on that information to develop a stance on that issue, create a project that defends your ideas based on evidence, share your presentation with the class for feedback, make revisions and publish your project.
Mr. Ehrich was very clear that students do NOT “need” a phone for their educational experience. IF your child does have a phone, please know there is district-wide web security in place at the school. However, you’ll want to have security in place at home, too.
He recommends parents have all access codes for your children’s social media accounts. This allows you access to log-in as them and monitor at any time. There are also apps to shut off their devices at certain times. You, as the parent, can set “no technology zones” like the dinner table and Mr. Ehrich strongly suggests getting your child an alarm clock and to NOT use their devices/phones/ipads for an alarm purpose. He strongly discourages having technology in children’s bedrooms at bedtime.
Technology can be scary for parents! With all the unknowns and all the dangers, parents MUST stay in conversations with their children about responsible use of technology. You can also Google resources online for at home protection and suggestions.
Having regular, relaxed, and respectful conversations with your child is the best way to help your child make good decisions about online behavior. You could talk about creating digital content, using social media responsibly, cyber bullying, sexting and avoiding online pornography.
The big point to make with your son/daughter is if they have social media: Anything you post is like a tattoo on your forehead! It doesn’t go away (even Snap Chat can be screenshot and retrieved) and it does matter for their future. Students must be mindful that colleges and employers do look at individuals’ social media posts! One suggestion was to “google” your name and your student’s name and see what comes up for fun.
Here are a couple of additional resources to check out:
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/cyberbullying/what-should-i-teach-my-kid-about-safe-online-behavior
Sample Family contract:
http://www.safekids.com/family-contract-for-online-safety/
Join us for our next CPTO meeting, Tuesday, February 13 at 8:45 am in the Media Center. Snacks are always provided and everyone is invited to attend!
Hope to see you there!
Lori Briggs, CPTO Co-Chair
Jennifer Fett, CPTO Co-Chair
CIMARRON RESTAURANT NIGHTS!
Mark your calendars for upcoming Cimarron restaurant nights and support your Cimarron Panthers!
Monday, March 5 - The Garage, 601 S. Bryant in Edmond
It's Good to Know
- In the event of a school emergency/situation, Mr. Ehrich will communicate quickly to parents through the SchoolWay app. If you have a smartphone, please download this app: www.myschoolway.com, select Cimarron and set up your device for push notifications.
- Panther Pals are parent volunteers helping on a weekly basis in the workroom. Contact the CPTO to sign up!
- Pizza Day is a monthly event during lunch hosted by the CPTO. The money raised benefits Cimarron! The circle of…pizza! $1 per slice / $10 per box, $1 - Drinks
- Fun Food Friday is a twice a month sweet treat fundraiser for students. Everything is $1
- Panther Grill is a monthly luncheon for students who are nominated by their teachers for displaying a recognizable positive character trait.
- The Golden Paw/AOK Award Assembly is a monthly grade level assembly to recognize and commend students for exceptional qualities.
- Please continue to collect Box Tops. They all add up to benefit Cimarron Panthers!
- This Panther Prowl newsletter is produced monthly by Cimarron Middle School. If you have submissions, photos or suggestions, please contact Mr. Ehrich’s secretary, Robbi Kinnaird at robbi.kinnaird@edmondschools.net. We would love to hear from you.
CIMARRON MIDDLE SCHOOL
Principal Cordell Ehrich
Assistant Principal Carrie Higdon
Assistant Principal Link Lowe
School Hours - 7:50 AM - 2:40 PM
Office Hours - 7:15 AM - 3:15 PM.
Email: robbi.kinnaird@edmondschools.net
Website: cimarron.edmondschools.net
Location: 3701 South Bryant Avenue, Edmond, OK, United States
Phone: 405.340.2935
Facebook: facebook.com/cimarron.panthers