THE PAW PRINT
VOL. 19 - Winter Break Edition!
NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS!
Winter Break is 12/21 - 1/1!
If you would like to request a schedule change, fill out THIS FORM before the Schedule Change Deadline of January 15.
Winter Break Activity Ideas
If you're looking for some activities to do over winter break, check out this list that we sent to our students in the weekly bulletin!
Here are some open-ended ideas:
- make an art project
- spend time outside
- build something
- write a story (and enter it in a writing contest)
- make music
- choreograph a dance
- research something that interests you
- cook something new
CCMS Students are emailed the weekly bulletin each Wednesday, after their pod classes. The weekly bulletin is available on our website, under the main header.
Calling All PTSA Association Members - Next Meeting is 1/5/21
Our next Association meeting is on Tuesday, January 5 at 7:00pm via Zoom. Find out what we are up to, programs and events your donations are funding, vote on Association business items, hear from Administrators, and meet some fellow parents. At this meeting we will be voting in the members of our PTSA Nominating Committee whose task is to identify fellow parents to join our Executive Board, replacing those who are finishing their term of service. We also have a variety of other non-elected positions for which you can volunteer. We hope you’ll attend to find out more about how to get involved at CCMS. Enjoy your winter holiday!
Culver City Middle School PTSA is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: CCMS PTSA Association Meeting (January)
Time: Jan 5, 2021 07:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82496999550?pwd=d1dhNndvT05pMklnUnYrN2EwdE1kUT09
Meeting ID: 824 9699 9550
Passcode: 288845
Does your student need a way to connect next year? Culver City Parks and Rec offering FREE Link Crew Programs to ALL CCMS Students!
Parent Pod Lessons - Follow up on our Panther Pod Lessons for Health Literacy Month!
Below are the links to the previous lessons for this month, just click on the images to go to the full presentation!
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas to who celebrate! Christmas Eve is on Thursday, December 24, and Christmas Day is on Friday, December 25.
Even though the biblical Christmas story is relatively consistent world-wide, Christmas is celebrated in a variety of different ways, and many families celebrate more than one tradition.
Some fun Christmas Activities can be found here to help stave off winter break boredom (or just for a break from the screens!).
Happy Kwanzaa!
Kwanzaa is from December 26, 2020--January 1, 2021.
Dr. Maulana Karenga, professor and chairman of Black Studies at California State University, Long Beach, created Kwanzaa in 1966. After the Watts riots in Los Angeles, Dr. Karenga searched for ways to bring African Americans together as a community. He founded US, a cultural organization, and started to research African “first fruit” (harvest) celebrations. Karenga combined aspects of several different harvest celebrations, such as those of the Ashanti and those of the Zulu, to form the basis of Kwanzaa.
The name Kwanzaa is derived from the phrase “matunda ya kwanza” which means “first fruits” in Swahili. Each family celebrates Kwanzaa in its own way, but celebrations often include songs and dances, African drums, storytelling, poetry reading, and a large traditional meal. On each of the seven nights, the family gathers and a child lights one of the candles on the Kinara (candleholder), then one of the seven principles is discussed. The principles, called the Nguzo Saba (seven principles in Swahili) are values of African culture which contribute to building and reinforcing community among African-Americans. Kwanzaa also has seven basic symbols which represent values and concepts reflective of African culture. An African feast, called a Karamu, is held on December 31.
Did you know? The seven principles, or Nguzo Saba are a set of ideals created by Dr. Maulana Karenga. Each day of Kwanzaa emphasizes a different principle. The candle-lighting ceremony each evening provides the opportunity to gather and discuss the meaning of Kwanzaa. The first night, the black candle in the center is lit (and the principle of umoja/unity is discussed). One candle is lit each evening and the appropriate principle is discussed.
Check out these other events celebrated during the break!
27 Ways to Say Happy New Year From Around the World!
PREVIOUSLY POSTED ANNOUNCEMENTS
Welcome Our New Intervention Specialist!
Thank you from CCMS PTSA for supporting our Virtual Scholastic Book Fair!
Thank You PTSA For Your Sunshine Boxes For CCMS Staff!
CCUSD Green Tip of the Week!
When decorating or looking for gifts for the holidays this year, don't forget to think GREEN!
Everyone loves twinkling lights, shiny ornaments, and fragrant Christmas trees but not all decor is environmentally friendly
Check out some #sustainable tips to reduce your waste & find eco-friendly gift ideas:
http://thegreencities.com/.../6-tips-for-sustainable…/
https://earth911.com/home-garden/how-to-reduce-waste-holidays/
http://www.rethinkrecycling.com/residents/reduce/reduce-waste-during-holidays/
https://www.re-sources.org/2020/11/holiday-waste-tips/
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/gift-ideas/g30188103/eco-friendly-gifts/
https://earthyb.com/blog/eco-gifts/
Join CCUSD Green at our next Environmental Sustainability Committee meeting on Thurs. Dec 17 from 5pm-6.30. Contact sustainability@ccusd.org for zoom details or any questions.
Get a Handle on Holiday Stress
5 Simple, Mindful Reminders from kid-grit to Help You Cope
While the holiday season is a traditionally joyous time for many, it can also be a painful reminder of what’s missing, especially during this crazy year of 2020 and COVID. Whether it’s the loss of a friend or family member, inability to gather in large groups, or other life events, the stress of the holiday season can affect our mental, emotional and physical health.
So, what can you do to cope with this unavoidable holiday stress and take care of yourself?
CONSIDER THESE 5 TIPS
1 - Honor Your Feelings
Acknowledge that the holidays can be uncomfortable or difficult and know that your feelings are valid. It’s okay to express how you are feeling with honesty and vulnerability. From sadness to joy, despair to happiness, heartache to triumph, an emotional expression can feel like a relief in times of stress. Be gentle with yourself!
2 - Give Yourself Permission to Not Attend
Allow yourself to say ‘no’ to events or celebrations that you don’t have the emotional bandwidth or conscious to attend. Is there a family gathering that is on the schedule that may not adhere to the current CDC guidelines? Are you feeling guilty about considering NOT to attend? Put yourself first. If you think it’ll be too difficult, and too unsafe to handle, don’t force yourself to attend. Your family and close friends should understand why you are saying no. And if not, you should give yourself permission to talk about it.
3 - Prepare Yourself with Answers to Questions That May Be Difficult
Anticipate questions about your plans for NOT attending as well as any other questions surrounding this different and difficult holiday season. This way, you can come up with an answer you’re comfortable with sharing instead of feeling caught off guard or making things up on the spot. Or worse, feeling that you are a unloving family member.
4 - Give Back to Others
While it’s easy to focus all of your extra time and attention on holiday stress and current state of the world during this Pandemic, consider helping someone in need. Whether it’s volunteering time, money, other resources, or a simple sympathetic ear safely, lifting the spirits of others often brings contentment to our own lives.
5 - Take Care of Yourself
During the holiday season, it’s easy to get into the “go, go, go” mode and put your routine on hold. Maintaining some level of routine will help you feel less overwhelmed. Don’t stop doing the things that help you feel balanced, like working out, getting enough sleep and eating healthy meals. Prioritize yourself by setting an intentional routine. Try new things. Reflect and think about all the things you always wanted to try or complete at home. Start a new breathing practice, cook new meals, commit to daily stretching, watch new documentaries and commit or recommit to being a life-long learner.
We are feeling the same things within our kid-grit family and believe in the power of group energy and intention.
Self-care is NOT selfish. It is proving to be more essential now than ever to take care of our own mind-health, emotional-health, and physical-health.
Our wellness should be our priority because it is the best gift that you can give to yourself and others in your life!
Spring Semester Schedule Change
Panthers interested in requesting a schedule change for their Spring Elective can start filling out this Google Form. For Spring changes, students can request a different elective or to drop down in levels in Math or ELA. Check out the schedule change policy rules. Changes cannot be made based on teacher preference or period preference. Counselors will begin making schedule changes on December 17th. Panthers have the first 2-weeks in January to make changes to their schedules. All changes must be completed by January 15th. Schedule changes are based on space availability in the course you are requesting! LINK TO FORM: https://forms.gle/yNPm4rWtpxTin5Dh8
Yearbook Updates!
Dear Parents,
My name is Audrey Rothenberg and I am the editor in chief of communications and sales for this year's yearbook. We have some new requests for photos:
- Mask Fashion: please send us photos of your CCMS student in their favorite / coolest mask.
- Gaming: please send us photos of your CCMS student while they are gaming in their downtime.
- 8th Grade Baby Photos. All 8th graders should submit their cutest baby photo for a special section in the yearbook. This is an annual tradition.
- Practicing music if they are in Mr. Witt's class. We really want to feature our CCMS musicians!
- New Hobbies! Many Panthers have taken up new hobbies since covid so we'd love to feature some photos of what they are doing.
Please send the photos to yearbookadvisor@ccusd.org.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Audrey and the 2020-2021 Yearbook Staff
How to Start a Club!
Hello from Venice Arts!
If you aren’t familiar with us, we are a non-profit organization in Venice/Marina Del Rey that provides media arts classes for youth from ages 10-18. We offer beginning to advanced tracks in Filmmaking, Photography, Animation and Comics that include the access to camera equipment and adobe editing programs at no added cost. For low-income qualifying families, the entire program is completely free.
We enjoy connecting with local schools in order to share this opportunity with even more students. Below I am including our pdf flyer for this 2021 Spring Session that you can feel free to post in your class boards, newsletters and other family accessible platforms as well as sharing it with any interested students or fellow staff/school community members.
Registration will be happening at https://www.venicearts.org/after-school-workshops (spanish links available on this page)
We are running a completely in-person model, based on the successful in-person structure we have done for our last 2 sessions since the pandemic began. If you or any parents are interested in learning more regarding safety, feel totally free to call us at 310-392-0846 or email info@venice-arts.org.
Yearbooks are now Available for Pre-Order!
Sales for this year's HISTORIC Yearbook have begun! Our "QuaranTeen" Magazine themed yearbook features articles about this crazy online school-year with images submitted by all CCMS students and staff. We realize times are tough so we will be selling the yearbook for a discounted rate of $29.99 through February 1st. Please consider buying this piece of history before February 1st to get in on the discount.
The direct link to buy is: https://yearbookforever.com/schools/culver_city_middle_school_buy_yearbook_320597/F2m85cYMDkSymo6EWiqBfF1U or go to the CCMS website for a link. We appreciate your support!
Sincere thanks from your Yearbook Staff.
RESOURCES FOR PARENTS
CCMS Tech Help
Name: Josue Sainz
Email: josuesainz@ccusd.org
Office Phone: (310) 842-4200 ext. 5114
Google Cell: (424) 326-3106
New Grab-and-Go Weekend Lunches
Suicide Support & Resources
Our Counselors are always available to provide support, and have offered the following useful resources:
How to Help Someone that May Be Thinking of Suicide: BeThe1To.com
Resources from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
Getting Involved to Support Suicide Prevention: NAMI Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
In Case of Emergency:
- If you or someone you know is in an emergency, call 911 immediately.
- If you are in crisis or are experiencing difficult or suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
- If you’re uncomfortable talking on the phone, you can also text NAMI to 741-741 to be connected to a free, trained crisis counselor on the Crisis Text Line.
Sandy Segal Youth Health Center Services
2020-2021 Backpack Program Sign-Up
Culver City Unified School District (CCUSD) believes that no child in our district should go hungry or have food insecurities, especially on weekends when students don’t have access to school-sponsored breakfast and lunch. The Culver City Council PTA, in conjunction with CCUSD, provides students in need with a backpack filled with non-perishable food and snacks each week to ensure that every child can eat on the weekends.
Please click on the link below to sign up for this program.
Access the Incredible Resources of CCUSD!
List of Resources from the Los Angeles County of Education for Students and Parents
Please access the flyer below for mental health, crisis support, physical health, education, and youth resources.
Visit Our CCMS Store Today!
Follow us!
On Twitter, Instagram and Facebook @CulverCityMS
Culver City Middle School
Website: http://ccms.ccusd.org/
Location: 4601 Elenda Street, Culver City, CA, United States
Phone: 310-842-4200
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CulverCityMS/?hc_ref=SEARCH&fref=nf
Twitter: @culvercityms