Student & Family Cougar Times
Week of September 27, 2021
Contact Information
Email: bacorpuz@bethelsd.org
Website: www.bethelsd.org/cmms
Location: 5108 260th Street East, Graham, WA, USA
Phone: 253-800-8000
Facebook: facebook.com/cougarmountainms
Twitter: @CMCougs
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
CMMS Students and Families,
It was so great to see our students and families at our virtual open house last week, thank you for attending! If you missed our virtual open house, no worries! Here are THE MOST AMAZING VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSE SLIDESHOW EXPERIENCE EVER! Click through the slides and get all the important information, meet the staff and hear from students at Cougar Mountain!
COVID UPDATES:
The impact of COVID on our students, staff and communities is significant! As of 9/27/21 we will have 91 students that are out of the building due to one or more of the following: having symptoms and awaiting test results, exposed and are not vaccinated, or have tested positive. We have 11 positive student cases, but we have NOT had any transmission at school thus far.
It's important to know the following:
- If your student tests positive or is showing symptoms, please contact our office at 253-800-8093, this will then initiate our contact tracing protocols.
- If your student has been exposed at school you will either be contacted directly by office staff, or you will receive an automated call. Automated calls are only used when there are multiple students affected, this is simply due to time and staff constraints. Please answer the calls and check your emails, also please make sure your contact information is up to date in ParentVUE!
- Office staff will give you next step guidance in terms of testing options and potential quarantine requirements.
- If your student must be out of school for an extended period of time you should expect that the student will access their learning materials in CANVAS. All courses will have a module in CANVAS that is specifically for this. Considering the amount of students out at any given time, we cannot sustainably expect students and families to receive individual communication from teachers. That is why we set up the system so that all students start their learning in CANVAS and can follow their teacher's guidance from there.
- If your student has to be out and has not completed their STAR testing in math or reading they may do so at home. If they have to be out during SBA/WCAS testing, they may not test at home. We will test them at school when they return.
- If your student is vaccinated, it would be very helpful for you to email a picture of their vaccination card to our health clerk at ngoldsberr@bethelsd.org so if your child is exposed at school we can very quickly see that information and get them back to class.
SCHEDULE CHANGES:
There have been a few schedule changes this week, please have your student check StudentVUE for any potential changes such as a different teacher, different class. If students have any schedule change questions please start by asking the teacher, and then if further discussion is needed they can scan the counselor QR code and they'll connect with them when available.
OPEN POSITIONS @ CMMS:
We currently have three open classified positions at Cougar Mountain.
- 1:1 Para-Educator
- Special Education Para-Educator
- New position due to COVID for supervision and clerk/data entry/contact tracing, this position is posted so that it could be two separate positions, or it could be one full time position.
Popcorn Is Coming!
The smell of popcorn will start filling the hallways soon!! On Friday, October 1st, your ASB officers will be selling fresh popped popcorn during all three lunches.
Three sizes available!
Small: .25
Medium .50
Large: $1.00
Thank you for supporting your ASB!
Lunch Hangout in the Library is BACK
The library will be open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays starting September 28th during lunches. Finish your lunch and come on in for a relaxing, fun place to hangout!
FALL ATHLETICS UPDATES
Fall Sports Season
Our fall sports season (Baseball, Fastpitch, and Track) is underway! Activity buses will continue to run daily from 4:15 pm through Thursday. We completed our first week of games with a great showing from our athletes and coaches! There are more competitions this week so feel free to check out the schedules below and come out and support our Cougars!
Athletic Gear Order Update
If you ordered gear for baseball/fastpitch, the orders should be in the week of the 4th. The orders for Track should be in the following week, that of October 11th.
Sport Grade Reports
The first set of grade reports will be run Monday, October 4th so make sure you've completed all assignments and given your best effort so you're passing your classes and eligible to play!
Cancellations
With ever-changing eligibility, Covid cases, and exposures it is possible that games and matches will be canceled due to a shortage of players. In the event of a cancellation, families will be notified by coaches or their students as soon as possible. Practices will still be held on that day in place of the competition.
**Reminder**
Practices are CLOSED to all outsiders, parents, and families due to district safety protocols.
Sports Mask Protocol
For outdoor sports, masks are only required for student-athletes when they are in close proximity such as standing on sidelines, team huddles, or in the dugout. If they are not actively wearing their mask it should still be on their persons at all times. Masks are required for spectators.
Transportation
This year, on match days, parents/guardians may transport their students directly from Cougar Mountain to the contest site instead of riding on the district-provided transportation. Parents/Guardians you are asked to not leave your students at the site until a coach is present.
Sports Schedules
Middle School Baseball and Fastpitch
Reminder to complete payments for sports.
Pay to Participate (PTP) and ASB card purchases are available on the CMMS website (Payments & Purchases). PTP and ASB is waived for students/families who qualify for free and reduced lunch.
Cougar Cash
STAFF, STUDENTS & COMMUNITY KUDOS COUGARS
We LOVE when students and families want to celebrate our students, staff and community members! Please complete the simple google form below if you want to give a shout out to a student, staff member, or community member that is doing something you feel they should be commended for! It could be something school-related, or it could be anything outside of school too. We want to CELEBRATE and RECOGNIZE as much as we can!!! We will use this for social media shout outs, morning announcements, newsletters and reader-board messages. Very exciting!
Fun Friday!!
The criteria to participate in this Fun Friday is students who have been modeling our expectations and Cougar Pride characteristic along with following our mask policy. Students who have not been meeting that criteria will unfortunately be unable to participate in the fun and instead will engage in some reteaching of expectations lessons and activities in the cafeteria.
ADVISORY NEWS
September 27 - October 1
Monday, September 27
- Panorama Survey OR Community Circle
Tuesday, September 28
- Pride Time
Wednesday, September 29
- Late Start - No Advisory
Thursday, September 30
- Pride Time
- Fun Friday! (Fun Friday Bell Schedule!)
PANORAMA SURVEY
Student well-being is a priority to the Bethel School District and CMMS. We want to foster and promote healthy social-emotional skills for all our students so they can learn and thrive.
We will be asking for your child’s feedback using the Panorama Social Emotional Learning Survey in these next weeks. Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is a process through which individuals build awareness and skills in managing emotions, setting goals, establishing relationships, and making responsible decisions that support success in school and in life. Students in 3rd through 12th grade will be asked to complete the Panorama SEL online survey during September. The survey will ask students to self-reflect on their own social and emotional skills. The questions students will answer are available by request.
The data we get back will inform our educational practices and help us continue to identify opportunities for growth and development with our students. The survey should take approximately 15 minutes to complete. As with all screeners and assessments, student data will remain confidential and secure.
Please notify us if you desire clarification or wish to discuss any concerns. We appreciate your partnership in supporting students in Bethel.
Important Upcoming Dates
9/27 - Happy Monday
9/28 - Baseball/Fastpitch Games @ CMS 3:30 Varsity JV immediately following
9/29 - Track Meet vs. FMS/BMS 3:30-6:30 Art Crate Field
9/30 - Happy Thursday
10/1 - Baseball/Fastpitch Gaes @ FMS 3:30 Varsity JV immediately following
10/4-10/8 - SBA/WCAS Testing
10/6 - 1 Hour Late Arrival, 8:10 Start
BSD Stories of the Week
Bethel Hope Early Learning Center
We’re so excited to finally welcome students to our new Bethel Hope Early Learning Center! More than 220 of our youngest learners are attending transitional kindergarten and preschool at the new center. https://youtu.be/EREyeBkUaaQ
Challenger High School Phase II
The second phase of Challenger High School’s renovation and expansion is underway! Foundation work is already in progress for the 31,000-square foot project. The new building will add more classroom space, as well as more parking and a practice field. The completed school is scheduled to open to students in the fall of 2022. https://youtu.be/uant5-GK2gg
Busing
Due to the national bus driver shortage we need to hire more drivers to help limit disruptions in bus service this year. Our drivers do an amazing job day in and day out making sure students get safely to and from school. If you or someone you know is interested in driving for Team Bethel, please visit jobs.bethelsd.org. You don’t need to have your CDL to apply, in fact, we’ll train you AND pay you to get your CDL. Thank you for your patience as we work through this together.
Focus on Mental Health
In a district that serves more than 20,000 students, there is a wide variety of social, emotional, behavioral, and academic challenges that kids are working to overcome each and every day. And they can’t do it alone. Our newly-formed MTSS team is set on making sure that ALL kids are receiving the social, emotional support that they need to be the best they can.
https://bethelsd.medium.com/like-adjusting-the-timing-on-an-engine-e7b0de14ccd6
Masks required at varsity football games
On September 3, 2021, the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department issued an outdoor mask mandate. Effective September 7, 20201, everyone 5 years and older in Pierce County must wear a face covering at any outdoor event with 500 or more people in attendance, regardless of their vaccination status. This mandate impacts all varsity football games because more than 500 people attend them. Additionally, with rising COVID cases, concession stands will not be operating at this time. We will re-evaluate opening concession stands in the future. Finally, students are not permitted to bring backpacks to football games. Thank you for adhering to these policies so our students can continue to compete this season.
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-K:
Carrie Berglund cberglund@bethelsd.org
Counselor Last Names L-Z:
Kaytlin Peterman kpeterman@bethelsd.org
Social Worker:
Corie Hooker cmhooker@bethelsd.org
Roberta Paulsen, Military Family Counselor:
rpaulsen@bethelsd.org or 253-290-0657