CMS Parent Newsletter
July 15, 2019
Parents,
Welcome to our 6th grade students and new families. We are excited to have you join the Seahawk Family.
We hope you and your family are having a wonderful summer. Below you will find a few reminders as the school year approaches.
Upcoming Seahawk Events
August 2 - Open House
August 5 - First Day of School
August 9 - Spirit Wear. Proceeds to benefit our Student Incentive fund. Students may wear blue jean pants and a CMS Spirit Wear shirt, hat and non-uniform socks for a $1 donation.
August 22 - Class Meetings and PTSA General Meeting
August 23 - Spirit Wear. Proceeds to benefit our "Houses" fund. Students may wear blue jean pants and a CMS Spirit Wear shirt, hat and non-uniform socks for a $1 donation.
August 27 - Spirit Night at Molly McGuire's
Testing Calendar Coming Soon - Please do not schedule trips or appointments during the GMAS.
Open House
Please join us on August 2nd.
Open House is a great time to join PTSA, purchase spirit wear, purchase a school agenda, meet your teachers and connect with friends.
The gym will be opened for sales at 3:30 p.m. (Spirit Wear, agendas, etc.)
New Family Orientation will be in our cafeteria at 4:00.
7th and 8th grade students may visit classrooms at 4:00.
6th grade students may visit after orientation concludes at 4:30.
Sports Physicals Needed
Students must have the Sports Physical and Athletic Packet on file with Coach Sanders, our Athletic Director, prior to participating in tryouts. Sports physicals are valid for one calendar year. Hurry, football and softball tryouts are expected to begin August 12th.
The SCCPSS athletics packets may be found at this link. http://internet.savannah.chatham.k12.ga.us/schools/cms/athletics/Shared%20Documents/2019-2020%20SCCPSS%20Complete%20PPE%20Packet.pdf
Medication Must be Delivered to Nurse Safer by a Guardian
Important Reminder: Students may never bring medication of any type to school - no aspirin, Motrin, vitamins, prescriptions, inhalers, epi-pens, sunscreen, over-the-counter products, etc. All medication and over-the-counter products must be signed in with Nurse Safer by a parent or guardian.
With proper physician orders, inhalers and epi-pens may be issued to students by Nurse Safer to carry on campus. Please have your child's physician sign the form from this link. https://spwww.sccpss.com/District%20Public%20Forms/Authorization%20for%20Self%20Administration.pdf
We Encourage Students to Leave Cell Phones at Home
Don't be fooled. Students do not need to bring cell phones to school. They are not allowed to use them to communicate in any way, including with mom and dad during the school day. We have plenty of technology for students to use if needed. If you want to keep your child safe, keep him/her away from smart phones as much as possible.
The idea that a cell phone is going to help keep a young teen safe is a horrible misconception. We see no other item so likely to cause pain, safety issues, and hurt for our fragile teens. If you feel strongly that your child needs to have a device for safety, talk to your cellular provider about options with limited capabilities, such as the Gizmo Gadget watch or the Wee Go.
Power School - Parent Access - An Absolute Must
Every parent/guardian should monitor his/her child's grades at least once a week. Teachers do not contact parents to alert them of low grades since parents have direct access to each teacher's gradebook. Grades will begin posting after the 10th day of school and will be updated every five days. If you had access last year, your login information and access code remain the same. If you have never had access before, please stop by our school office with your driver's license, or email or Information Specialist, Mrs. Michele Ledbetter, at Michele.ledbetter@sccpss.com.
Students will also be given access so they may monitor their own grades as well.
Attendance
Attendance is very important. Students are expected to attend every class, every day. In the event of an illness, the parent/guardian should send a written excuse to the homeroom teacher the day a student returns from an absence, or the parent may upload the excuse using our homepage by selecting the "Purple Attendance Check."
Students who miss more than seven days for any reason - excused or unexcused - are not clear for promotion to the next grade.
Updated Immunizations Needed for all 7th Grade Students
Team Webpages
Teachers post homework assignments, many assessment notifications and instructional resources on their team's webpage each afternoon. Students are required to write their homework assignments down in their agenda, but the website serves as a great backup for parents. Please take advantage of this great resource.
Please enforce the expectation that your child writes every assignment down in his/her agenda. This is an important life skill that we need to firmly instill in our children.
Peanut Allergy
School Lunch Reminders
SCCPSS families who receive free/reduced lunch must reapply each year to maintain their recipient status. Prior year meal status will expire on September 16, 2019. Parents can reapply to maintain that status beginning July 25th. Paper applications are available at the new School Nutrition Applications Center located at 3609 Hopkins Street in Savannah. The Center will be open each weekday from 8am to 5pm.
Parents may also file an online application. The application is available at https://www.myschoolapps.com.
There will be no change to meal prices this year:
· Breakfast free for all students
· Full Price Lunch - $3
· Reduced Price - $0.40
Parents can prepay lunch for their students by creating an account at www.MySchoolBucks.com. Questions? Call (912) 395-5548
Free Help With Homework
An online tutoring service is already available to all SCCPSS students for free from 3:00 PM to 10:00 PM daily, provided by the Live Oak Public Library. All students need to have to take advantage of this free tutorial is a library card The program is called Tutor.Com.
Tutor.com offers more than 2,000 tutors who work from their home or office from across the country. Tutors include certified teachers, college professors and professional tutors, all with proven subject experience in the fields they tutor. All tutors have passed criminal background checks and comply with the Children’s Online Protection Act and Children’s Internet Protection Act.
Below is a link to more details, followed by a direct link to the Tutor.Com webpage.
https://liveoakpl.org/find/homework
https://lhh.tutor.com/?ProgramGUID=ef264511-30ac-4e56-80e0-7cb0f7a2784e
Comcast Internet Access for Students
Did you know that if your child receives free or reduced lunch your family qualifies to receive Comcast Internet for $9.95 per month? You may apply at internetessentials.com or call 1-855-8-INTERNET.
Summer Work
All Seahawks should complete their Math and Reading summer packets and read a minimum of two chapter books. Additional packets may be obtained from our front office or printed from the shared document on our homepage.
We hope you find the packets helpful. All questions should be an easy review. If your student struggles with any question, assisting him or her now will ensure success throughout the year.
CMS Homework Packets:
http://internet.savannah.chatham.k12.ga.us/schools/cms/default.aspx
SCCPSS Summer Reading Challenge:
Seahawk Uniforms
Please follow this link to find our Uniform Guidelines. http://internet.savannah.chatham.k12.ga.us/schools/cms/Shared%20Documents/Uniforms%2019-20.pdf
We believe in enforcing the little things at CMS. Please pay particular attention to:
Sock color (black, white or navy)
Jackets and sweaters worn inside must be solid navy blue, no pullover hoodies allowed at all indoors.
Undershirts and all items worn under the uniform (white)
Belts (black, brown or navy)
No extreme hair color permitted. Hair should be a natural color.
Repeats and Reminders
Late Work
All work should be submitted on the date it is due. Teachers will accept no more than 1 late assignment, with parent signature, within 3 days of the date the assignment is posted, for no more than 70% credit.
CMS Facebook
Follow CMS School on Facebook. (This page is in addition to our PTSA page you can follow at https://www.facebook.com/CoastalSeahawks/.) Please click the link and like the school's page to be updated on school activities and news. https://www.facebook.com/Coastal-Middle-School-235645453628684/
Free Digital Resources
Please be aware that you and your child can access free, interactive digital textbooks through the Georgia Department of Education's website. The textbooks can be accessed by visiting www.gavirtuallearning.org/Resources. Texts are currently available for middle and high school courses.