CMMS Newsletter
Welcome Back to the 2023-2024 School Year!
Dear Parents and Students,
Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year! The CMMS staff is excited to be working with our students and their families. We hope you all had a safe and restful summer vacation. I wanted to take a moment to share with all of you the new staff members that are joining our team and some of the great things that are happening in our building this school year.
We would like to welcome the following new staff members at CMMS:
- Mrs. Melissa Garcia - Secretary
- Mrs. Caitlin Niederer – 8th grade History Teacher
- Ms. Kellie Kanicki – 6th grade ELA Teacher
- Mrs. Kate Lemuel - 6th/7th grade Math Teacher
- Mrs. Diane Bruder - 8th grade ELA Teacher
- Mrs. Erica LaRocque - Special Education Teacher
- Mr. Chad Bischoff - Band Teacher
- Mr. Aaron Jurek - 7th/8th grade Science Teacher
- Mr. Zachary Jacobs - Student Service Coordinator
- Mrs. Sarah Zajac - Student Service Coordinator
- Mrs. Marcy Chambers - Health Teacher
- Mr. William Mathews-Carter - Hall Monitor
This upcoming school year will be our 9th year in the Leader in Me program where we will continue to reinforce Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Effective People and foster an environment of leadership for our students where they feel connected and have a voice at our school.
The staff at CMMS is looking forward to working with our students and their families. Enjoy the remainder of the summer break and we look forward to seeing all of your smiling faces on August 28th.
Office Staff
- Mrs. Renee Mrozinski, Principal (Ext. 3204)
- Mr. Jeff Albrecht, Assistant Principal (Ext. 3205)
- Mrs. Melissa Garcia, Secretary (Ext. 3201)
- Mrs. Tanya Keysor, Attendance Clerck (3202)
- Athletic Office, 989-684-7510 (Ext. 2202)
**Please understand that the principal or assistant principal will be spending the majority of their time observing teachers, coaching staff, monitoring students, or supervising an area of the building for school safety.
Therefore, we may not always be able to speak with you when you drop in or telephone us. However, we really do value communicating with you. When you want to speak with the building administrators, please contact our secretary, Melissa Garcia, who will schedule a time for us to talk.
Thank you for supporting our school’s focus on student learning and safety.
CMMS is a Leader In Me School
The Leader in Me is a whole school program based on Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. This program develops our students’ 21st century leadership and life skills. At CMMS, every child is encouraged to be a leader! The 7 habits will be taught in flex class and reinforced throughout the entire school year. The habits include the following:
1. Be Proactive
2. Begin with the End in Mind
3. Put First Things First
4. Think Win-Win
5. Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood
6. Synergize
7. Sharpen the Saw
Update Emergency Forms in Skyward - New This School Year
Parents/Guardians will need to update your student's emergency contact information online through Skyward. You will no longer receive the paper copy in the mail to bring to our registration days. Please login to your Skyward parent account to verify and update your student contact information. If you need help accessing your Skyward parent account, please see Skyward Account Information found in this newsletter or call the main office at 989-686-7640.
- When you login to Skyward click on the "Returning Student Registration" button on the left hand side of the page.
- Complete the steps to update your student's information.
- The deadline to update this information is Friday, August 25th.
Below is a link to a brief online tutorial on how to use this feature in Skyward
Skyward
We have a valuable resource for parents and students to get information about their student’s daily assignments, grades, attendance, discipline, messages from school, etc. Skyward offers access to all of these items and more with just the click of a few buttons. It is as simple as setting up your account online.
Look for the “Skyward Access” link in the top right hand corner of the CMMS webpage
Your parent login information is as follows:
- Username: Parent’s last name followed by the first two initials of the first name (no spaces)
- Example: John Smith’s username would be smithjo
- Password: The first time you login your password will be BangorSkyward. You will be asked to change your password upon this initial login.
Your student login information is as follows:
- Username: Students full first name, middle initial, and last name (no spaces)
- Example: John Henry Smith’s username would be johnhsmith
- Password: Student passwords are their student ID number (you will not be able to change this password)
Fall Registration
During registration, students will receive a copy of their schedule, their locker assignment, and a Chromebook (if they are new to our school). Students and their parents may tour the building to find classrooms and practice locker combinations. 7th grade parents will need to bring a copy of their child's immunization record.
6th Grade Registration – Tuesday, August 15th
9:00-11:00am & 1:00-3:00pm
7th & 8th Grade Registration – Wednesday, August 16th
9:00-11:00am & 1:00-3:00pm*
All Grade Levels Registration – Wednesday, August 16th
4:00-6:00pm*
*The Bay County Health Department will be at registration to administer any vaccinations your child may need.
-- Registration will take place in the middle school cafeteria –
Student Chromebooks
6th graders and new students will be given a district Chromebook to use throughout the school year. The 7th and 8th graders were given a district Chromebook last school year and will be expected to use the same device this school year. Bangor Township School has purchased insurance for all district issued Chromebooks. If you have any issues with your device, please contact our tech personal at 686-7510, Ext. 2222. Please make sure your child is being responsible with their Chromebooks by making sure they are charged every night and brought to school on a daily basis.
Students will use their Bangor email address as their username (first name, middle initial, last name @bangorschools.org) and their password will start with cmms and then their student ID number with no spaces (ex: cmms12345).
Parking Lot Procedures
Dear CMMS Family,
We are in need of your help and cooperation to make our parking lot as safe as possible for not only our students, but our staff members as well. We wanted to pass along a few reminders in regards to our parking lot to help ensure a safe environment for all of our students and staff.
Drop Off in the Morning:
- When dropping of your student(s) in the morning, please use the designated drop off area on the east side of the building and in front of the building.
- Please pull up as far as possible and drop off all along the sidewalk in this area. Please do not wait until you are in front of the doors to drop off. This interrupts the flow of vehicles into the lot and causes traffic congestion.
- When exiting the lot after your student(s) have been dropped off, please do not travel at a high rate of speed through the rest of the lot.
- When exiting, please be cautious of and stop for staff members that are entering the building.
Pick Up in the Afternoon:
- Please park in the designated spaces in the lot and do not park in the “no parking” zones at the end of each lane.
- Please stay in a parking spot until your student enters your vehicle. Do not pull up and park along the sidewalk on the north end of the lot.
- Do not park or pick up your child in the driveway closest to the building. This is a bus only area for pick up.
- Please be aware of any students making their way through the parking lot upon exiting in the afternoon.
- We appreciate your cooperation with our parking lot procedures –
Free and Reduce Lunch
We are excited to share that all students may eat breakfast and lunch for FREE.
Students may bring their lunch from home as well. We ask that you please do not send soda/pop as a beverage for lunch. Our Food Service program is a federally funded program and food or drinks from fast food restaurants are not permitted.
The free and reduced lunch application can be filled out online at
We strongly encourage ALL of our families to complete this application even if you think you may not qualify for free or reduced meals.
Daily Schedule/Procedures
The first day of school is Monday, August 28th. School hours are as follows:
- 7:25 – Warning Bell
- 7:30 to 2:20 – School is in Session
- 2:20 – Students are Dismissed
The building will open to students each day at 7:00 AM. Students who choose to eat breakfast in the morning can drop off their things to their locker and then go directly to the commons. When done eating, students can choose to do the following:
- Go to their lockers to get organized for the day and be ready for their first class of the day
- Go to the library to quietly visit with their friends, read, or work on homework/missing work
- Sit with friends at the high top tables in the foyer area
- Use hallway expectations (Walk on the right side of the hallway and keep hands/feet to yourself) to walk laps with friends (8 laps is 1 mile)
** The students can begin to go into classrooms at 7:20.
Student Support Services at CMMS
Our Student Support Team is here to assist your child with conflict resolution, anxiety, organizational skills, attendance, and academic concerns. Even if your child is having a bad morning and needs some additional support to start their day, our dedicated staff is here to help your child! At this time, we are in the process of hiring a Student Service Coordinate to support our students. Below is the contact information for Brenda Goulette, our counselor.
Brenda Goulette, Counselor
gouletteb@bangorschools.org, 989-686-7640 x3206
Phone Policy
“3 Strikes” Policy -
Over the past couple of school years, we have seen an increase in the number of students using their electronic devices inappropriately during the school day. While we recognize that the latest technology and devices offer quick and easy forms of communication, we want to be sure that these devices do not interfere with the teaching and learning taking place in the building. As a result, CMMS has a “3 strike policy” when it comes to the inappropriate use of electronic devices.
Students are permitted to bring and use their electronic devices (cell phones, tablets, laptops, etc.), however there are a few building guidelines that are listed below:
- Students may use their device before school (7:00 to 7:25) and during their lunch
- If they choose to use their device at these times they can only do the following:
- Read a book
- Play school appropriate games
- Listen to school appropriate music with only one ear bud or one headphone on (safety)
- All teachers have a traffic light poster in their classroom that indicates the appropriate use of electronic devices within their individual classroom. Policies and procedures for classroom use of electronic devices will be discussed with students by each teacher during the first week of school.
- Students must report to the office if they are feeling sick and need to call a parent. This is for their safety.
If students choose to violate building or classroom policies regarding the use of their electronic devices, the following consequences will occur:
- 1st Offense: Student puts device in their locker for the remainder of class and receives a formal discipline referral;
- 2nd Offense: Student puts device in their locker for the remainder of class and receives a formal discipline referral (parents/guardians will be notified)
- 3rd Offense: Student puts device in their locker for the remainder of class and receives a formal discipline referral and student is not allowed to bring/use personal devices at school; (parents/guardians will be notified)
Additional Offenses: disciplinary referral.
***Parents/Guardians are advised that the best way to get in touch with their child during the school day is by calling the school office. To maintain a conducive learning environment for all students, please do not text your child while they are at school. Students are allowed to use the student phone or their personal phone in the office if they need to communicate with their parents.
Dress Code Reminders
The start of the school year is generally a time for warm weather and that means that students needs to be sure they are dressed appropriately for school. Some summer clothing that is permissible for home and summer activities may not be appropriate for school. Thank you to the students who advocated for some changes to the dress code policies at CMMS. Your voice matters! Here are a few key changes/ reminders to our dress code:
- All pants must be worn at the waistline
- Hats are to be removed as soon as the student enters the building
- Pants with holes in the buttocks are prohibited
Clothing which reveals undergarments or fails to cover a midriff are inappropriate and not to be worn. Tops with low cut necklines are not permitted.
Clothing that is see through, excessively tight or that is a halter, tube, or one shoulder.
Dresses, shorts and skirts should be an appropriate length or so as a student may sit and be able to maintain the integrity of the garment and so that the garment is not distracting. Again, being respectful of self, others, and the professional /educational setting is the guide.
The CMMS handbook contains additional information regarding appropriate dress for school which can be found on our website. We ask that students and parents please carefully review this section of the handbook with your student.
CMMS Athletics Information
The following is a list of athletic opportunities and start dates for CMMS students for the 2023-2024 school year:
***All athletic families should create a FinalForms account (See flyers below). Physicals can be uploaded once they create their account. Also, we will be sharing these flyers at Fall Registration.
Fall Sports – can begin August 21st. Coaches will communicate actual dates:
Football – any 6th, 7th and 8th graders
Cross Country - any 6th, 7th, and 8th graders
*Girls Basketball – all 6th, 7th, and 8th grade girls (if cuts are made 6th graders are not allowed to tryout) - Starts Aug. 21st.
*Poms – all 6th, 7th, and 8th graders (tryouts held the previous spring)
*Cheer – all 6th, 7th, and 8th graders (tryouts held the previous spring)
Soccer is a private club, not under Bangor Township athletics - for more information contact Coach Page pagej@bangorshcools.org
Winter 1 Sports:
Boys Swimming – all 6th, 7th, and 8th grade boys - Starts Oct. 25
*Volleyball – all 7th, and 8th grade girls
*Cheer – all 6th, 7th, and 8th graders (if cuts are made 6th graders are not allowed to tryout)
Winter 2 Sports:
*Boys Basketball – all 7th, and 8th grade boys
Girls Swimming – all 6th, 7th, and 8th grade girls - Starts Jan. 8th
Wrestling – all 6th, 7th, and 8th graders
Spring Sports:
Boys and Girls Track – all 6th, 7th, and 8th graders
Softball Club – all 6th, 7th and 8th graders
All other information regarding middle school athletics can be found at the following website: http://www.bangorschools.org/o/athletics or on Johnglennathletics Facebook page.
*Denotes a tryout sport or activity where cuts may have to be made. Please make sure to have a conversation with your student prior to tryouts about the potential of not making the team.
Athletic FinalForms Information
Important Dates
- September 1 & 4: No School
- Week of September 11: NWEA ELA testing
- September 6: Picture Day
- September 6: Open House (6:00 - 7:00)
- Week of September 18: NWEA Math testing
- September 12th - 8th Grade Information Parent Meeting about Washington D.C. Trip
- September 21: 6th Grade Trivia Night
- Week of September 25: NWEA Makeups
Christa McAuliffe Middle School
Website: https://www.bangorschools.org/o/cmms
Location: 3281 Kiesel Road, Bay City, MI, USA
Phone: (989) 686-7640
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Christa-McAuliffe-Middle-School-536718526472493/