March 2024 Newsletter
Bronc and Filly Flyer
The Principal's Message
Dear Cody Middle School Community,
It is hard to imagine that this week we turn the page on February and welcome in March. Our staff and students have had a lot to celebrate over the past month, and I want to highlight some of their remarkable accomplishments. Just this past week, our students participated in, and won, the regional Challenge of the Books competition. These incredible students prepared by reading several different books and then went head to head, pitting their knowledge of books against teams from other area middle schools. I am proud to say that our group of Fillies were crowned champions! On the hardcourt, our Cody Middle School Broncs won their 8th Grade Basketball Conference, defeating teams from across the Basin. Also this past month, seven of our twelve Nordic Skiers placed in the top ten at their state race in Casper. To cap things off, we also had fourteen student-musicians receive the highest rating of superior at the Northwest College Showalter Band Event. Our students continue to excel in all of their endeavors, and we as a community should be proud of them. Cody Middle School students do hard things!
As we move forward into March our Cody Middle School Broncs and Fillies will continue to work hard inside and outside of the classroom. Our dedicated staff will continue to expect great things from our students, and our students will meet the challenge head on. It is truly a great time to be a part of our Cody Middle School community.
There are a few important events taking place in March that I want to emphasize and bring to everyone's attention. We will begin our Summative Spring WYTOPP Assessments this month. Our 7th graders will set the bar high and complete the writing portion of WYTOPP next week on Tuesday, March 5th. Please encourage your student(s) to perform up to their potential and do their best! The WYTOPP Spring Summative Assessments are used in the Wyoming Department of Education's Accountability Model, and we want to continue Cody Middle School's stellar record of consistently meeting expectations and performing above the state average. We appreciate your support and commitment to our students’ academic success.
Also in March, our 8th grade families will be welcomed to Cody High School for an information night in the CHS Mall. This event will take place on the evening of Tuesday, March 5th, from 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm. If you, or your student, have any questions about the transition from CMS to CHS, this event will be one that you will not want to miss. In addition, the Cody Middle School and Cody High School counselors will run a five-day mini unit in all 8th grade social studies classes the week of March 11 - March 15. During this week, 8th graders will learn everything there is to know about Wyoming's Hathaway Scholarship, as well as Cody High School's course offerings. Students will be reviewing their 4-year plans, and putting in class requests that week, so please make every effort to ensure that your student does not miss those important days. For all other events, please review the calendar in this newsletter.
Lastly, I want to close this month’s newsletter by saying thank you! Each day I have the privilege of serving as the Principal of Cody Middle School, I am amazed by the incredible accomplishments of our staff, students, and families. When we work together and support each other, we as a school community and school family are capable of a great many things. When we work cooperatively, we empower our students to achieve more than they ever thought possible.
One of our unofficial mantras at Cody Middle School is, “Cody Middle School students do hard things.” Today’s middle school students are dealing with a lot - skyrocketing mental health issues, ever-present stresses from peer relationships, emerging technology and social media trends, and changing family, social, and societal dynamics.
Every child deserves a champion - an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection, and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be. We know that for a great many of our students at Cody Middle School that champion is a parent or a family member. We also know that for a great many of our students that champion is a teacher, a para, or an educator. Thank you for being a champion for our students, and thank you for providing us with the opportunity to also be a champion for the students within Cody Middle School and our Cody community.
As always please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly if you ever have any concerns or questions. It is my privilege to serve the staff, students, and families of Cody Middle School. Cody Middle School is, and will remain, a great place to be! Go Broncs and Fillies!
Sincerely,
Jacob R. Gogan
Principal
Cody Middle School
At-A-Glance Important Upcoming Dates
Tuesday, March 5 - 8:15 - 10:30 | WYTOPP Writing Summative (7th Grade Only)
Tuesday, March 5 - 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm | 8th Grade Parent/Guardian Information Night
Friday, March 8 - 2:30 - 3:30 | Kids First (CMS Parent Group) Meeting @ CMS
Monday, March 11 to Friday, March 15 All Day | 8th Grade Hathaway and Forecasting in Social Studies Classes
Monday, March 18 - 4:30 pm | PCSD6 Literacy Night @ Buffalo Bill Center of the West
Tuesday, March 19 - 6:00 pm | School Board Meeting
Wednesday, March 20 - All Day | End of Quarter 3
Thursday, March 21 - 6:00 pm | CHS/CMS Band Concert at Wynona Auditorium
Friday, March 22 - 12:35 pm | CMS Assembly & Rally
Monday, March 25 - Friday, March 29 | PCSD6 Spring Break (No School)
Cody Middle School gears up to take the Wyoming Test of Proficiency and Progress (WY-TOPP)!
Cody Middle School students will take the Spring Summative WYTOPP on Tuesday, March 5, for Writing (7th grade only), Thursday, April 25 for ELA, Tuesday, April 30 for Math, and Thursday, May 2 for Science (8th grade only).
All students enrolled in a Wyoming Public School must participate in the WYTOPP.
Attendance Reminder
Cody Middle School requires attendance for purposes of successfully completing and satisfactorily earning a grade in any class or course. Any student missing more than 10 days of school in a given semester will receive written notification, and face potential consequences including, but not limited to, a mandatory conference with administration, the development of an attendance plan, agreement to an attendance contract, and/or referral to the county attorney for poor attendance (W.S. 21-4-104).
It is the parents'/guardians’ responsibility to see that their child(ren) attend school regularly
and to inform the school when their child is absent. Excused absences shall require the parent/guardian to notify the school within 48 hours of the following: a death or serious illness in the student's family; illness; injury; or the health care needs of the student. All other absences shall be considered unexcused unless approved by the administration.
Required Student ID Update
If your student rides any bus, please make sure they have their Student ID. Beginning in January, PCSD6 Transportation will begin strictly enforcing the use of Student IDs on all buses, including in-town field trips. PCSD6 wants to make sure all students are safe and accounted for as well as be able to identify when and where they get on and off the bus. If your student requires a new Student ID, please let the Cody Middle School Front Office know and we will provide you with a replacement card form that you can return to us along with a $5 ID replacement fee. If you have questions, please call the PCSD6 Transportation Department at 307-587-2851.
Bridger Class
Felicity Bell
Christian Kosmann
Taytem Allshouse
Stanley McKenzie
Danielle Foote
Canvas
Canvas Online Learning Portal
Canvas is the course management system / online learning platform of Park County School District 6. Canvas is used throughout PCSD6 Schools to enhance the traditional classroom education that students receive. Canvas allows for staff and students to utilize a hybrid or blended model of learning. It allows teachers to post assessments, assignments, information, and grades online. Canvas offers discussion boards for asynchronous discussions, chat rooms for live discussions, and it provides students with a password-protected online classroom in which they can submit work and communicate with their teacher and classmates. Cody Middle School encourages students and parents/guardians to become familiar with the Canvas environment and its tools in order to succeed in their coursework. Students should check Canvas daily.
Powerschool
PowerSchool
PowerSchool is a tool provided by the district to improve communication related to student attendance, academic progress, and grades. Parents and students each receive a username and password to access the PowerSchool Portal. If you need access, please contact the CMS Student Services Office for support. Teachers are required to update grades weekly. Attendance and grades can be checked at any time through the PowerSchool Parent Portal. It is highly encouraged for all parents/guardians to utilize this tool in order to monitor their student’s attendance, grades, and work completion.
March Breakfast Menu
March Lunch Menu
CMS School Nutrition
The PCSD6 School Nutrition Department would like to ensure that all students who want breakfast or lunch receive that meal. In order to receive meals all students will need to present their Student Identification (ID) Card, to the nutrition supervisor upon request. Students who fail to present their ID may be served last. The PCSD6 School Nutrition Department does not want to take food away from or deny any student in the serving line. However, excessive negative balances in students’ accounts necessitate the protocols listed below.
Account Balance Information
Low balance (3 meals remaining) equal to or up to a $5 negative balance
The Food Service Supervisor will tell the student that they need money in their account and they will notify the parent/guardian when there is a negative balance.
A negative balance equal to or greater than $10
School Office Staff may call and will mail letter #1, signed by the principal, along with a Free & Reduced Meals application to the student's home.
A negative balance equal to or greater than $15
School Office Staff will mail letter #2 signed by the principal to the student's home. The Principal and/or School Counselor will conference with the family to seek out solutions.
A negative balance equal to or greater than $25
School Office Staff will mail letter #3 signed by the principal to the student's home; no further meals are served. The Principal and/or School Counselor will conference with the family to seek out solutions.
Cody Regional Health and Cody Middle School Partnership
Did you know?
Cody Middle School offers a number of unique enrichment class opportunities for students in relevant and local career fields. We currently have partnerships with Cody Regional Health, the Cody Police Department, the Cody Public Library, and many other organizations where students get to have fun and experience first-hand what it is like to work in these industries.
Cody Regional Health
Building Bright Futures! We're proud to collaborate with Adam and Justin in our Classroom To Careers Flagship Pilot program. Together, we're opening doors to young talents eager to explore the healthcare world.
Cody Regional Health
Shaping Future Healthcare Heroes with Park County School District 6! Our heartfelt thanks go out to Adam and Justin for enlightening our middle school students about CPR and Stop the Bleed. With every lesson, we're nurturing potential healthcare professionals and instilling life-saving knowledge.
Cody Regional Health
The CRH Emergency Department is proud to partner with CMS Middle School students! Huge shoutout to their amazing ER Team for mentoring and sharing the exciting world of emergency healthcare with our future leaders. Thank you for your dedication and commitment to shaping the next generation!