Summer Reading?

I am sure by now all our students have completed reading one book from the summer reading list. But what would really make me happy is if all our students read every book on the list and then some! I honestly don’t think it is too much to ask; daily reading of all kinds of literature should be the norm.

The most important skill that students can acquire is the ability to read critically and for meaning. If we (school and home) want to develop students who are truly college, career and civic ready, then daily reading MUST become a habit; it isn’t an option and schools can’t do it alone!

Fifteen years into the 21st century has produced the first generation of children who are Digital Natives. Our students have more information at the swipe of a finger or the click of the mouse – a positive change – but only if they can navigate through all that text and use it to become more engaged in the world around them. Critical and meaningful reading skills matters more today than they ever have in the past.

Summer reading? It’s just not enough. Here at school we are making some changes to our expectations to create the space for more reading each day. At every grade level the homework in the English department will consist of 20 minutes of reading. The book should be selected by each student – anything they find of interest.

It needs to be scheduled much like dance class, football practice, piano and everything else our active kids are involved with! At the middle level we are challenging each student to read 10 books over the course of the school year. There are no prizes or ribbons. The reward is being a more informed and literate citizen. Students who have a daily study hall will be asked to read if they have finished their homework. We will have classroom libraries available and are working on getting e-readers for access to national magazines and newspapers.

Parents and guardians often ask how they can help at home. Here are some suggestions:

Let your child know what you are reading. It could be something work related or for pleasure. Discuss the main idea or something interesting related to the text. The Common Core Learning Standards even suggests texts such as manuals, legal documents and financial information.

Get a daily newspaper. It is sad fact that our local paper is no longer available on our doorsteps each morning – a fate that has plagued many small town papers. The New York Times is available for daily delivery and a subscription includes digital access as well. Most of the articles are well within the reading level of middle level students. And talk about high interest…just last week there was a big article on the video game industry and a synopsis of the new fall television season.

Is your child interested in sports? The human interest articles in the Sunday edition are excellent. Have a budding scientist? The Science Times section on Tuesdays includes both long and short articles on a whole variety of topics. Pick up a copy the next time you are grocery shopping…you won’t be disappointed.

Get a library card and head on down to one of our local branches. Talk to one of the librarians who are simply the best resources for what book is hot in the young adult genre. They can also make suggestions for book titles that pique your child’s interests. Look here for some excellent resources from Maxwell Library.

Ask questions about what your child is reading. Open ended prompts like: What did that remind you of? Or What was the best part so far? can help get the discussion started.

All of us here at CMS look forward to seeing your children back here next week. And you can be sure we’ll be asking about their summer reading!

We Celebrate Learning!
Beth

June Principal's Message

Dear CMS Families, 

This beautiful heart formation was taken on the back field at CMS two weeks ago. With nothing more than a chalk outline sketched on the grass, our students filled in the shape in less than 3 minutes. It sure was a sight to see and will serve as a reminder of our new school moto; “True blue Wildcats have a heart of gold!” 

Before we know it the last day of school will be upon us, but we aren’t winding down at all! We still have a whole host of activities planned before we say good bye to the 2014-15 school year. Please note the important dates below:

• June 3rd  - 7th/8th grade Band, Orchestra, Chorus Concert 7:00 p.m. @ CMS
• June 16th – Check Point A Examination for grade 8 students taking      French/Spanish  Exam begins at 7:45 a.m. – please arrive to school on time
• June 16th  - 6th grade Brand, Orchestra, Chorus Concert – 7:00 p.m. @ CMS
• June 17th – Common Core Algebra Regents – Grade 8 Algebra students only
• June 17th-18th – Grade 7 French/Spanish Final Examination
• June 22nd – Social Studies Final – Grades 6-8-10:10 a.m. dismissal 
• June 23rd – Science Final – Grade 6 Only – Grade 7/8 attend for science workshop - 10:10 a.m. dismissal
• June 24th – Last day of school for all students – 10:10 a.m. dismissal 
• June 24th – Celebration Dance for Grade 8 students only- 6:00-8:00 p.m.@ CMS

Final report cards will be mailed home on July 3rd.  Our annual Locker Day will be on August 19th from 3:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any questions. I wish you all a wonderful summer! 

We Celebrate Learning!

Beth

Mark Your Calendars

Spirit Week Returns at CMS – March 23rd-27th

Our favorite week of the year is finally here! CMS Spirit Week is sponsored by our Student Council who determine our theme and prizes. This year students will have an opportunity to purchase raffle tickets for 50 cents each during all lunch periods. On Thursday, March 26^th, one lucky ticket will be drawn and the winner will get to be Principal For The Day! All money collected will be donated to a local charity. Teachers will also be nominating students who they think best exemplify the theme of each day. Those students can win either an iTunes or Destiny gift card. Don’t miss out on the fun! Our theme for each day will be:

                Monday – Twin Day

                Tuesday – Character Day

                Wednesday – Pajama Day

                Thursday – Sports Day

                Friday – Blue and Gold Day

 Our annual spring Scholastic Book Fair will take place on March 24-26^th. Students will attend during their English class and be able to revisit during their lunch period. We have many high-interest, young adult titles, including Insurgent, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, old classics like The Guinness Book of World Records. The books are very reasonably priced with no book marked more than $14.00. This is a great opportunity to buy a book to help your child make progress on our 10 Book Challenge. Research suggests that children should read 20 books as a minimum each school year. Click here for more resources to use at home.

Olweus Class Meeting

Tomorrow, March 20^th, will be a 10:10 a.m. release day for all middle level students so that teachers may engage in professional development. We will use our time that we have students to have our Olweus class meetings to focus on the topic of humanity and community. Thank you to everyone who has donated toiletry items for us to donate to the Samaritan Center. Students will watch a short clip about the center that you can view here. Our class meetings are planned by our teachers with a focus on helping students see the world through another’s eyes and to help build a compassionate and kind character. Please help us to extend this conversation at home by asking your child about the class meeting.

We celebrate learning!

Beth

December Principal's Message

Dear CMS Families~

It seems as though the new trend is for us to have a snow day prior to the winter break or even before the official start of Winter! The break this year is somewhat longer than our usual length; two full weeks! We try to be respectful of the time off and not assign homework or major projects, but we do encourage a daily commitment to reading for a minimum of 20 minutes. We know, not only from the mountains of research, but also from our experience working with children, that the more children read the more they learn to love to read. The hardest part is finding just the right book. Below are my suggestions for some books that might be of interest to your child. All are available on Amazon or your local library.  

Marvel Comics: The Untold Story by Sean Howe – Did you know that in that past 12 years movies based on the Marvel comics have grossed $5 billion in the U.S. alone! The author interviewed over 150 current and former employees at Marvel and tells the history of the genre’s rise in American culture. The New York Times named this book as one of their editor’s picks. You can read their review of the book here.

Zoom: How Everything Moves: From Atoms and Galaxies to Blizzards and Bees by Bob Berman – When you think about it, our world is full of natural motion. Berman examines the “how” of motion starting with the earth’s rotation, to the trajectory of a baseball and everything in between. The Amazon review of this book says the author writes “with an entertaining style and a gift for distilling the wondrous.”

Think Like a Freak by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner – A follow-up to their first book Freakonomics, the authors explain how we make decisions and how to sharpen our thinking skills. The book reads like a great story and is completely accessible for a middle-level student.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott – This is one of the best loved books of all time but one we never seem to read anymore. The story is set during the Civil War and paints a vivid picture of family hardship and the bonds of sisterhood.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens – The classic story of the true meaning of Christmas is well-known to all of us mainly through the many film versions. The book, however, is so much more poignant and moving. Think your children are too old to be read a story? Try this one…the Lozier children all-time favorite. (I love the version illustrated by Roberto Innocencti.)

On behalf of the entire CMS faculty and staff, I wish you and your children a happy and restful holiday season.

We Celebrate Learning!

Beth