Student & Family Cougar Times
Week of December 5, 2022
Contact Information
Email: bacorpuz@bethelsd.org
Website: www.bethelsd.org/cmms
Location: 5801 260th Street East, Graham, WA, USA
Phone: 253-800-8000
Facebook: facebook.com/cougarmountainms
Twitter: @CMCougs
CMMS Students & Families,
Our first trimester ends on Tuesday, December 6th, and the trimester two begins on Thursday, December 8th. Be sure to check STUDENTVUE & PARENTVUE for any updated schedule changes, be sure you're looking at trimester 2. Tuesday, 12/6, is an early dismissal day for grade prep, and there is no school on Wednesday, 12/7, for staff professional learning. Grades will be posted by the following week and you'll receive a physical report card in the mail. It's important to keep our standards-based grading scale in mind (linked here and below) as it is designed to accurately communicate students' level of proficiency on curricular standards. Please communicate directly with the teachers if you have any questions so we can support our students in ending the trimester STRONG!
** Please be sure to read the EACH IMPORTANT SECTION below so you're fully in the know!**
SHOW YOUR COUGAR PRIDE!
IMPORTANT EACH AND EVERY DAY ...
- Attendance - You must be at school to learn and grow!
- Engagement- You must be actively engaged and reflective in your learning!
- Social-Emotional-Behavioral Health- You must be ready to learn, well-supported, well-connected and truly believe in yourself and others in order to learn and grow!
- Learning is Required!
~ CMMS Admin Team
1st TRIMESTER AWARDS
With our 1st Trimester wrapping up this week, we are prepping our Trimester Awards. The awards assemblies will be next week during advisory from roughly 7:15 - 7:40 am.
- 6th Grade Assembly 12/12
- 7th Grade Assembly 12/13
- 8th Grade Assembly 12/15
Families will be receiving invitations this week to attend if their student will be receiving an award. We look forward to celebrating our Cougars and all that they accomplished during this 1st Trimester!
CULTURAL HOLIDAY DISPLAY
It’s that time of year to celebrate COUGAR HOLIDAY CULTURE! Come and see the display of how our Cougs love to spend the holidays!
COUGAR SPORTS INFORMATION
WINTER I SEASON
Our Winter I season continues with two days of competitions this week:
Monday - Varsity Girls Basketball @ Cedarcrest Middle School - 3:30pm (JV and C-Team to follow)
Friday - Varsity Girls Basketball vs. Frontier Middle School - 3:30 (JV and C-Team to follow), Wrestling @ Frontier MS - 3:30pm
All athletes need to meet their coaches in the cafeteria right after school ends. Wrestling will meet in the small gym, Girls Basketball will meet in the cafeteria.
Practices run from 1:50pm - 4:00pm and are closed to parents/families. Students should be picked up by 4:10 or the activity bus can take them home which leaves at 4:20. The activity bus will be running Monday and Thursday ONLY for this week. Coaches will communicate any practice opportunities to families for Tuesday/Wednesday.
FAN CONDUCT REMINDER
Parents and families, we appreciate your attendance and support at all of our competitions as it creates an awesome, supportive, environment for our athletes! If you have questions or concerns about your player please schedule a time to meet with the coaches via email or phone. Our coaches are busy prepping, coaching, and wrapping up during game days and that is not the appropriate time to try to meet with them. Games are a time to cheer and celebrate our athletes. Any spectator who cannot follow these expectations will be asked to leave. Thank you for supporting our Cougar Mountain Student Atheletes!
Please reach out to Mr. Knudson, pknudson@bethelsd.org or Mrs. Kennedy, dokennedy@bethelsd.org, with any questions.
SUPPORT NEEDED FOR THE HOLIDAYS
If your family or business would like to sponsor CMMS student and families please contact the counseling department at (253) 800-8079 or (253) 800-8078. We have many more families in need than we have had in the past, we know families are going through a lot these days and any support is very much appreciated. THANK YOU!
CANDY GRAM SALE
Announcing an exciting fundraiser for Book Club coming soon..... Holiday Candy Cane Grams - $1 each.
Be listening to the morning announcements and read the weekly newsletter for more information. Thank you for supporting your CMMS Book Club!
ZERO TOLERANCE FOR RACIAL SLURS
Cougar Mountain and the Bethel School District have a zero-tolerance policy regarding the use of any discriminatory slurs while at school. Each incident in which a student is found to have used a discriminatory slur will be handled on an individual basis and addressed appropriately by our administrative team.
- Slurs are the most common form of discrimination.
- A slur is defined as an insulting or disparaging remark or innuendo such as a word, phrase, or joke directed at or to any individual or group(s) which is based on perceived differences within our diverse population.
- Students should be taught to appreciate individual differences and staff should model appropriate behaviors.
- It is appropriate for public schools to teach these values not only as part of the curriculum but also by precluding slurs which demean others.
- Slurs, in the context of a school setting, constitute a disruptive influence and students or staff who make a slur shall be subject to appropriate disciplinary action.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM STUDENT VOICE TEAM
The student voice team meets every other week and is an opportunity for the group of students to share their experiences in the school of what is working well, areas they feel need improvement, and any changes they'd like to recommend. We also hope to empower the students to use their voice to bring further positive change and impact to Cougar Mountain!
Things going well:
- Students feel the school is welcoming, classrooms are welcome, teachers are positive, the December display case is inclusive of ALL students and family by reaching out, teachers help students feel involved and them support, they help students solve mistakes and yet students feel they are allowed to have fun/safe time. Lastly, teachers are seen as human.
Areas in need of improvement:
- Lots of physical contact in the hallways, would like students to stop pushing and shoving their way through, an increase of racist language (hoping advisory discussion will help decrease it), issues on busses (but feel this has improved recently)
Our next meeting will be this Thursday, December 1st.
COUNSELORS & SOCIAL WORKER
ACADEMIC SUPPORT
Academic Support is starting again! Academic Support is a place for students to work on their academic skills in a supportive environment.
Mrs. Vanderwood will be the advisor and can help with supervision of school work completion. She can assist students with general assignment needs, but might not know the content being taught in specific classrooms. She will do her best to serve the needs of each student!
Academic support will be most Wednesdays and students must have a specific task to complete when they sign-up for Academic support.
Students may sign themselves up for support, or their parents, or any staff member. Families will be contacted before a teacher signs them up.
Monday, 12/5
- Cougar Times Review
- WEB Leader Meeting Meeting
Tuesday, 12/6
- Early Release No Advisory
Wednesday, 12/7
- No School
Thursday, 12/8
- 6th Grade - WEB Activity
- 7th Grade - Second Step Lesson 3
- 8th Grade - Community Circle/Community Building
Friday, 12/9
- 6th Grade - Growth Circle
- 7th Grade - Second Step Lesson 4
- 8th Grade - Second Step Lesson 21
KUDOS COUGARS!
We encourage everyone to send in a KUDOS COUGARS message to any staff member, student or community member that is part of our Cougar Mountain community!!! We want to shout them out for all the AMAZINGNESS that happens each and every day in our school community!
Melissa to Kelsie: Thank you for being such a good friend to me.
Devin to all of my true friends: Thank you for being my friend, I absolutely appreciate that you found it worth your time to get to know me and be willing to be my friend. It was really hard to get friends at the beginning of the school year since I am new, but I appreciate that you are my true friends. Thank you for being in my life.
Dani to Ava: Thank you for being my best friend
Tobi to Maya: Thank you for being a wonderful friend! It’s been a amazing year since we’ve met!
Macy to Evalynn: Thank you for sticking with me when I needed you
Zoey to Sophi: You are funny and kind thank you for being a good friend
Angelina to Jaylene: Thank you for being a kind friend and always make me laugh
Angelina to Ms. Blackburn: You are a very kind and funny teacher.
Angelina to Mrs. Schouviller: Thank you for being a nice teacher and funny
22-23 BOOSTER CLUB
CMMS Booster Club Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/CougarMountainBoosters
Morgan Ahmu, President: mahmu@bethelsd.org
Chelsey Miller, Vice President: cmiller@bethelsd.org
Yeyre Reiter, Treasurer: YROMANO21@GMAIL.COM
UPCOMING EVENTS & DATES
UPCOMING EVENTS & DATES
12/5- 3:30 Girls Basketball @ CMS, 1:45 Gamer Guild, 1:45 Winter Play Rehearsal, Science Club at Islandwood
12/6 - 9:40 Early Dismissal Grade Prep (2,3,4) Trimester #1 Ends Today, Science Club at Islandwood
12/7- NO SCHOOL PL #1, Science Club at Islandwood
12/8- Trimester #2 Begins, Winter 1 Photos (Wrestling - Small Gym, Girls Basketball - Main Gym), 7:00 pm Choir Concert (rescheduled)
12/9- 3:30 Wrestling @ FMS, 3:30 Girls Basketball vs. FMS
Upcoming Events:
12/12 - 12/16 Spirit Week (themes in the image above)
12/12 -6th Grade Trimester Awards, 7:15 am
12/13 - 7th Grade Trimester Awards, 7:15 am
12/14 - Late Arrival 8:10 AM
12/13 - Winter Orchestra Concert, 7:00 pm
12/15 - 8th Grade Trimester Awards, 7:15 am
12/15 - Winter Band Concert, 7:00 pm
12/16 - Spirit Assembly, PM Assembly Schedule
CMMS APPAREL STORE IS ALWAYS OPEN!
We are so excited to be partnering with Jostens to have a HUGE selection of apparel items for our Cougar Mountain community! There is no "sale window", you have color and design options, and you can decide where you want the logo. We are focusing on our 20th Year anniversary logo, but there are some generic logos as well. When you order, items will be shipped directly to your home in about 10 days. So much goodness! Please use the link or the QR code below. We're excited to see students and families in some new gear!
SUPPORT OPPORTUNITIES
If you would like to communicate with and/or set up a short Zoom meeting with any of our administrators, you can do so by clicking the links below. It will prompt you to set up a meeting during a time that works for you. The system will automatically schedule a meeting with a zoom link, we love technology! If you would like to connect with our counselors or social worker, please send them an email.
Mrs. Corpuz's (Principal) Contact Info:
- Calendly Zoom Support Link: https://calendly.com/bacorpuz/admin-support-meetings
- Email: bacorpuz@bethelsd.org
- Google Voice/Text Number: 971-376-5868
- Office Phone: 253-800-8089
Mrs. Pierce's (Assistant Principal) Contact Info:
- Calendly Zoom Support Link: https://calendly.com/cpierce-7/30min
- Email: cpierce@bethelsd.org
- Google Voice/Text Number: 971-999-1046
- Office Phone: 253-800-8088
Mr. Knudson's (Associate Administrator) Contact Info:
- Calendly Zoom Support Link: https://calendly.com/pknudson/30min
- Email: pknudson@bethelsd.org
- Google Voice/Text Number: 917-206-4527
- Office Phone: 253-800-8085
Counselor Last Names A-L:
Carrie Berglund cberglund@bethelsd.org
Counselor Last Names M-Z:
Kaytlin Peterman kpeterman@bethelsd.org
Social Worker:
Victoria Lerman vlerman@bethelsd.org
Drive Safely!
This is a dark and dangerous time of year for driving. The lack of streetlights and sidewalks in our area increases the risk for our students who walk to and from school. We want to encourage students who walk or bike to school to wear reflective vests and helmets. And we want to remind drivers to give the road their full attention at all times. As we move into the winter weather season, we also want to remind you of what to expect when road conditions impact our normal school day. Please visit: https://www.bethelsd.org/Domain/264 to learn more.
Music Matters!
At a recent School Board meeting, the Spanaway Lake High School band and Spanaway Lake High School choir were awarded grants from the Music Matters License Plate project. A portion of the license fees are set aside to augment school music program funds to enable the purchase of equipment, supplies, and repairs beyond their normal budgeted expenses. To celebrate the grants, Spanaway Lake High School’s Music Company performed at the School Board meeting and were on hand to receive the checks. https://youtu.be/ThLJhjJUiKQ
Podcast Episode 18: It's a POD-knock life!
Oh my goodness, oh my goodness! Conor and Doug finally unite their lockets and take on the hundred year history of Annie! We also take a peek inside the halls of the Pierce County Skills Center and talk with one of our Teacher Librarians about their work with students. New episodes drop every Thursday. Listen and subscribe at www.bethelsd.org/podcast.
Bond Project Update
Winter is just around the corner, but that isn’t stopping our amazing construction teams from making progress on a number of exciting bond projects! https://medium.com/@bethelsd/bond-update-november-2022-ff72b9878d03
Student Transfer Requests for 2023-24
Student transfer requests for the 2023-24 school year may be completed and submitted online from the district’s website beginning on January 4, 2023. All transfer requests will be done electronically. First consideration deadline for accepting student transfer requests for the 2023-24 school year will be March 10, 2023. Approval or denial of transfer requests will be based on established criteria outlined in School Board policies and procedures 3131 and 3141. Parents will provide transportation for students who voluntarily attend a school outside their attendance area. For more information, call Mary Ann Mulloy-White at 253-800-2012 for secondary or Rayna Messer at 253-800-2014 for elementary.
Students who are currently approved for in-district student transfers do not have to complete a new form unless they are changing from elementary to middle school or middle school to high school.
******************************
IMPORTANT REPEATED INFORMATION
CLICK THE LINK BELOW FOR MANY BSD RESOURCES
CLICK THIS LINK TO THE BETHEL SCHOOL DISTRICT WEBSITE for direct access to the following links...
- BUS ROUTES
- FREE & REDUCED MEAL APPLICATION
- PARENTVUE
- SAFE WALKING ZONES
- ENROLLMENT
- MIDDLE SCHOOL FORMS
- HEALTH FORMS
- IPAD FORMS
- STUDENT INSURANCE
- SCHOOL SUPPLY LIST