Cowboy Parent Courier
January 10, 2020
Stay Connected to CMS
Website: http://cockrillms.com
Location: 1351 Hardin Boulevard, McKinney, TX, United States
Phone: 469-302-7900
Facebook: www.facebook.com/cockrillms
Twitter: @cockrillcowboys
I hope everyone had a great transition back to school this week. It was nice getting back into a routine, but I am sure the students are ready for a weekend.
Quarter 2 report cards will be available in HAC on Monday, January 13th.
There is no school Monday, January 20th.
Be sure to read below for upcoming dates and events.
Thank you!
Dr. E
STAAR Dates
As you plan appointments in the upcoming weeks, please keep these dates in mind. The STAAR schedule looks a bit different than it has in past years so we wanted to get this out now.
Tuesday, April 7th-7th Writing/8th Math
Wednesday, April 8th-8th Reading
Thursday, April 9th-Make Up tests
Friday, April 10th-Bad Weather Day
Tuesday, May 5th-Algebra
Thursday, May 7th-8th Science
Friday, May 8th-Social Studies
Tuesday, 12th-6th/7th Math test, 8th grade math retest
Wednesday, May 13th-6th/7th Reading test, 8th grade reading retest
Email Issue
We are getting reports that Hotmail is not allowing emails from McKinney ISD through. There may be others such as Outlook.com or Yahoo doing the same. We are receiving this bounce back message to some emails, but not consistently: "Your message wasn't delivered due to a permission or security issue. It may have been rejected by a moderator, the address may only accept email from certain senders, or another restriction may be preventing delivery."
If you have not received an expected email response or feel you have missed a group email from a teacher, this is probably the issue. You may need contact your provider.
A note from the nurse
The State of Texas changed the spinal screening guidelines this year to consider the most recent, nationally-accepted, peer-reviewed recommendations for the appropriate age to conduct mandatory spinal screening.
In compliance with Health and Safety Code, Chapter 37, all children shall undergo screening for abnormal spinal curvature in accordance with the following schedule:
Girls will be screened two times, once at age 10 and again at age 12. (regardless of grade level)
Boys will be screened one time at age 13 or 14. (regardless of grade level)
In McKinney ISD, we will consider a student to be 10, 12 or 13 if the student is already this age or turns this age between May 1, 2019 and April 30, 2020.
The procedure for screening is simple. Your child will be examined while he/she stands and then leans forward, observed from the front, back, and side. For this examination, boys and girls will be screened separately. Boys will wear their pants or gym shorts and only remove their shirts. Girls will need to wear a halter-top, sports bra or a two-piece swimsuit with pants, shorts, or skirt.
Full High School Registration Timeline for Current 8th Graders
8th Grade Registration Timeline
If you were unable to attend the parent meeting prior to Winter break, you can find the presentation HERE.
January 13 MNHS Showcase 6:00 PM -8 PM
6:00 – 6:30 – MNHS Academic Planning (Auditorium)
6:45 – 7:30 – Collin College – Dual Credit Opportunities (Cafeteria)
January 15 MBHS Showcase 6:00 PM -7:30 PM
8th grade parent meeting 6:45 PM
January 15 MHS overall 5:30 PM-7:30 PM
8th grade meeting 6:30 PM
Weighted Course Meeting 5:45 PM -6:15 PM
January 22-February 7 Parent Q&A at the HS
MBHS: January 22: 9:30-11:00 AM
MNHS: January 23: 10:00-11:00 AM
MHS: February 3-7 8:00 AM -2:30 PM (drop in, no appointment needed)
CMS Specific Information regarding course selection sheets and due dates:
Middle school counselors will meet with 8th graders through History classes:
January 13th - Crawford
January 14th - Trenhaile/Harbor
January 15th - Bell
Course cards and 4-year plans due to History teachers by January 22nd. PLEASE help us with this!
Counselors will meet with 8th graders to verify their selections: January 23rd and 24th.
(If you plan on meeting with a high school counselor on January 22nd, 23rd, or the week of February 3rd, please still turn in the course selection cards, and we can make changes based on your meeting if needed.
8th Grade Parents of GT Students
Open House and Course Selection Meetings-February 20th
CMS Open House will be from 5:30-6:45pm.
If you wish to attend the course selection informational meeting for parents of current 6th and 7th graders, join us in the cafeteria at 6:00pm.
We will meet with parents of incoming 6th graders that same evening at 7:15pm in the cafeteria.
Cheer Try-Out Meeting
Congrats to our Coder Z Club
The Engineering classes participated in the Coder Z Tournament this past nine weeks. All five McKinney, ISD schools competed in the Midwest Region against 11 other states in a simulation of virtual 3D Robots that perform complex tasks and missions. Students practiced their problem solving and programming skills using Java. There were three in school phases leading up to the final which included Boot Camp, Competition, and Qualifier. Cockrill earned 2nd place for all three phases competing against 46 other schools in the Midwest Region.
Six CMS students were invited to compete in the Coder Z Finals on December 14 in Rockwall, TX. Though the teams didn’t place as high as they hoped, they were recognized at the Finals as being in the 100 Club. Less than 1% of all students in the Midwest Region were part of the 100 Club by completing all 102 missions during the three in-school phases. CMS didn’t bring home a trophy, but McKinney, ISD was represented well by Evans winning 2nd place and Dowell winning 3rd place. Many life skills were gained during the in school phases and the Final competition. Congratulations to all the Engineering students for an awesome job competing in Coder Z 2019.
Snack Shack
Students LOVE the snack shack, and I love that our PTO is committed to opening it each week. Our SNACK SHACK is always in need of volunteers. It is a fast and fun way to be involved. Thanks for all the support.
Lunch for Students
Due to a variety of safety concerns related to food allergies and campus safety and security, McKinney ISD does not allow students to utilize food delivery services at school. This includes services such as Uber Eats, Doordash and direct restaurant delivery. However, parents/guardians will still be permitted to drop food off for their children.
This rule does not apply to deliveries organized by McKinney ISD faculty or a teacher serving as a sponsor of a student organization. We appreciate your cooperation in our efforts to create a safe and secure environment for students.
Parents may only deliver food for your own child. We can't accept group deliveries.
Want to Volunteer?
If you would like to volunteer at CMS, please complete the Volunteer Background Check. If you have been approved in the past, you have until September to update your application for the new school year. You must complete a new form each year. Please note that if you do not complete the proper paperwork, you cannot help chaperone field trips or help with the school in any way. We need and want your help, so please fill out the forms now.