CFMS BUILDING NEWSLETTER 
March 10, 2018

Dear CFMS Families,

I don't know about you, but I'm ready for spring. Although we were only in session four days this week, we were busy and productive!

Both of our seventh and eighth grade teacher teams have started to put together interdisciplinary units that are sure to be engaging to students at the end of the school year. It's amazing watching our teams work collaboratively. Their work is also a great example for our students to model.

Many of you have enquired about the possibility of a student walkout on March 14th in protest of school shootings across our nation, most recently in Parkland, Florida. Our middle school will not participate in a walkout on March 14th. However, we do believe it is important to give our youth a voice. We will be working as an administrative team in conjunction with student leaders and local law enforcement to plan and facilitate a safe, meaningful experience for our students. As the plan unfolds and comes together I will communicate specific details with each of you. Our tentative date for this event is April 20th.

Finally, as the end of our third quarter draws near, please communicate with your child. Our team will do our best to help! Encourage your student to reach out to their individual teachers and be proactive in seeking help and feedback. It's a phenomenal life skill and goes a long way with our teaching staff.

As always, if you need anything, please feel free to contact me whenever you need.

Proud to be a Tiger!
Curtis Howell
Interim Principal, Chagrin Falls Middle School
342 E. Washington Street
Chagrin Falls, Ohio 44022
(440) 893-7695 x 4301
@Howell_CFMS


INFORMATION FOR FAMILIES

Safer Ohio Tip Line
The single greatest deterrent of an act of violence is identification and intervention with at risk students. All students, parents and staff must feel comfortable expressing concern and alerting the appropriate individual(s) when concerns arise. The state of Ohio has an anonymous tip line that can be reached via text or call with any issue of concern, 1-844-SaferOH  (844-723-3764 ). This line is monitored by analysts at the Ohio Homeland Security Threat Assessment and Prevention Unity at all times.    

7th Graders Field Trip Information
The 7th grade class will end their week of testing in April and travel to Fun -N -Stuff as a class to let off some steam! Permission forms were sent home this week. You may CLICK HERE to access the field trip information and permission form. Forms need to be turned in to their homeroom teacher no later than March 12th.


Frequently Asked Questions for Parents and Guardians as Students Approach MS/HS CLICK HERE


Summer Camp Opportunities
Summer Camp and Workshop Opportunities which may be of interest to our families.  CLICK HERE for details.

Annual Chagrin Classic Friday, March 16
The Chagrin Falls Police and Fire Department in collaboration with Chagrin Falls High School will be hosting the annual Chagrin Classic Basketball Game. This year’s proceeds will from the event will support our very own Julius Lelonis (9th grade) who is battling Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Please join us on March 16th at 7:00 pm in the HS Gym! CLICK HERE for advanced ticket.


Cheerleading Tryout Information
Does your child have school spirit? Is your child interested in becoming a cheerleader? If so then tell them to come to tryouts! Tryouts for MS squads are open to current 6th and 7th graders and HS squads are open to current 8th thru 11th graders. Check the website and flyer central for teaching clinic details.
HOME/SCHOOL CONNECTIONS
Thought Exchange

We need your help! We have launched a platform for our community, parents, and staff to share thoughts on what they think Chagrin Falls Schools is doing well, where the district can improve, and most importantly, how they envision our schools into the future. This platform is called ThoughtExchange and every staff member and parent in the district should have received an email inviting them to participate in the exchange. Additionally, every community member should have received a postcard inviting them into the process. If you have not participated in the conversation, we ask that everyone take a few minutes to enter the exchange. This is your school district and we need your input to move it in the right direction. 

NOTEWORTHY NEWS

Destination Imagination Shows Tiger Spirit

On Saturday March 3, eight Destination Imagination Teams traveled to Beachwood High School to participate in the DI regional competition. There were 6 total teams from the Middle School and 2 Intermediate School Teams. We are so proud of all our Chagrin Falls tigers who participated in the event. A special thanks for all the parent managers who spent the last 6 months helping their teams prepare for this competition. We are excited to share that one Intermediate team and one Middle school team made it to States. States will be held in Mt. Vernon, Ohio on Saturday March 2. Congratulations to all our Destination Imagination students and managers.
SUPPORT GROUP NEWS
HS Volleyball Information Meeting
There will be an informational meeting for parents and players interested in volleyball at the HS next year on Sunday, March 11 at 7pm in the HS Commons. CLICK HERE for more information.

Destination Imagination
Malley's Sweets Sale
Catalog order deadline was March 1st. Pick up is at The Rec Center on March 16th. Online orders continue through March 26th. Check Flyer Central for details.

Art Show Volunteers Needed-One Day Only!

Volunteers are needed to help hang artwork for the Chagrin Falls Schools Spring Art Show, Grades 7-12. This annual curated show will be held on April 19-22 at the beautiful Hamlet Village Atrium. Please come and help to display our students' inspired creations, or take them down at the conclusion of the show.

Set-up: Tuesday, April 17th 8:30-12:00 (lunch provided)    
Take-down: Monday, April 23rd 8:30 - 12:00 (bagels provided)

Please sign up using the link below.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

  • March 12 - Family First Night (no homework, no practices, no events)
  • March 12- DEADLINE to submit permission forms for 7th grade field trip.
  • March 13- MS/HS Classical Choir Concert 7pm in the PAC
  • March 15- HS Speech & Debate Showcase in the PAC
  • March 16- Chagrin Classic Basketball Game 7pm in the HS Gym.
  • March 16- Malley's catalog orders pick up at The Rec noon-6pm
  • March 26- April 2 - Spring Break
  • April 19-22 - Art Show at Hamlet Village Atrium
  • April 23 - May 1 - State testing
  • May 5- 8th Grade Dance 7:00 PM- 9:00 PM in the MS Cafe
  • May 25-7th & 8th Grade End of Year Awards- Performing Arts Center 8:00 AM
  • May 25-8th Grade Photo auction/reception 9:30 AM (Following awards ceremony)
  • May 29, 30, 31- 8th Grade D.C. Trip
  • NOTE: There will not be a Cedar Point Trip for 8th grade students due to the adjustment of our Washington DC trip.

The middle school and high school will be conducting the same state testing schedule for the dates of April 23-27 and April 30-May 1 . We both will be running a 2 hour delayed start schedule in order to test 7:40-9:40 and still attend our normal courses 9:40-2:50.

Specifically for the middle school:
Monday, April 23 - ELA 1
Tuesday, April 24 - ELA 2
Wednesday, April 25 - Math 1 (all levels)
Thursday, April 26 - Math 2 (all levels)
Monday, April 30 - Science 1 (8th Grade only)
Tuesday, May 1 - Science 2 (8th Grade only)
A Message from School Counselor, Mr. Patterson:

Are you seeing excessive signs of stress/anxiety in your child? These may include excessive worrying, loss of sleep, change in eating habits, or change in behavior. If so, please know you are not alone. Stress is one of the most highly reported problems our middle school students face. Encouraging positive ways to cope along with healthy discussions about their stress can be a helpful way for them to put things in perspective and help to manage the stress. 

Be sure to help your child carve out time to do things just for themselves that helps them de-escalate after a long day at school. Be open to talking to your child about how they are managing their stress as well. Even if they do not wish to share, follow up and remind them that you are available to talk if they ever need anything. Encourage times when those discussions could happen, such as eating dinner together or being near them as they work on homework. While they might not always be open, those opportunities lend themselves to your child opening up when they might really need to. As always, please reach out to me or encourage your child to come see me if I can be of any help as well. Talking to someone is key.



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