CMCSI Warrior Word

December 2024

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NEWS FROM THE FRONT OFFICE

Warrior Families,

November has been a month strongly focused on service at CMCSI! We held our annual canned food drive and honored our Veterans and First Responders at Patriotic Day.

This time of year is busy for everyone so be sure you are receiving our CMCSI Remind Messages with important dates and information and also checking your child's Monday folder each week. Sign up for CMCSI Remind messages here or text @hc-cmcsi to: 81010

We are looking forward to our holiday lunches next week and our homeroom holiday parties the week of December 16th! Additional information regarding both holiday lunches and class parties can be found below and specific details about class parties will come from your child's teacher.

Once we return from Thanksgiving Break, we will have three weeks until Winter Break, so students and teachers will be working hard to wrap up a terrific first semester as well as have a little fun. As always, we appreciate your continued support for our staff and school. We're so blessed to be a part of this amazing CMCSI family!

We hope you have a wonderful December and holiday season. Feel free to contact us if you ever need anything.

Mrs. Dana Walker, Principal dana.walker@hallco.org

Mr. Richard Bass, Assistant Principal richard.bass@hallco.org

Upcoming Dates

December 2nd-Pictures with Santa

December 3rd-Holiday lunches for 3rd and 4th grade

December 4th-Holiday lunches for 1st and 2nd grade

December 5th-Holiday lunches for Kindergarten and 5th grade

December 6th-Atlanta Falcons Spirit Day

December 12th-Chorus Christmas Performance at 6PM in the gym

December 17th-19th-Holiday Class Parties

December 23rd-January 6th-Winter Break

January 7th-Students return

January 20th-Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday-No school

January 23rd-Spirit Night at Chick-fil-A in Braselton

Pictures with Santa

We will be offering pictures with Santa on Monday, December 2nd. Please use the order form linked here if you're interested in purchasing pictures of your child with Santa. Pictures MUST be purchased in advance in order for students to visit Santa. Pay in advance at www.strawbridge.net and enter code: FM444079 or complete & return order form and payment.

Holiday Lunches begin December 3rd!

CMCSI will be hosting Holiday Lunches for our Warrior families on December 3rd (3rd & 4th grade ), December 4th (1st grade & 2nd grade), and December 5th (Kindergarten & 5th grade). Please see our Holiday Lunch Schedule with your child's lunch time.

Each student can host a maximum of 2 visitors to eat with them for their Holiday Lunch (due to limited seating). Lunch is $5.00 per visitor. Cash only (exact change is appreciated). Visitors will pay upon arrival (please do not send money in advance).

All visitors must bring state-issued I.D. and sign in at the office to eat lunch at CMCSI, so please arrive a few minutes early to check-in and purchase your lunch ticket(s). Siblings from other grade levels cannot eat together for Holiday Lunches, due to limited seating. Parents will join their students in the hallway on the way to the cafeteria. We will not have other lunch visitors for students on December 3rd-5th, unless it is your child's assigned Holiday Lunch day.

Please help our cafeteria plan by making reservations for our Holiday Lunch here. Please do a separate form for each child.

We can't wait to see our Warrior families for this special time at CMCSI!

Volunteers Needed

PTO is in need of Volunteers for our CMCSI holiday lunches on December 3rd, 4th, and 5th Please check out the sign up here and consider helping for one or more of the shifts. If you can't work an entire shift, that's okay! Many parents will already be there eating with your child(ren) so consider helping before/after your child's lunch. Any and all help is appreciated!

Be sure you have completed the Volunteer Requirements here. Contact cmcsipto@gmail.com with questions!

Book Character ornaments

Warriors can create a Book Character ornament for the Learning Commons, and they will receive a FREE book from Mrs. Thomas. Just have your child make an ornament based on a Book Character, and take it to the Learning Commons tree. Please be sure students are using their creativity to make ornaments (not coloring sheets) to decorate our tree. Don't miss out on this holiday fun that supports literacy with our students!

Coming soon...Student Showcase Nights

We’re looking forward to our first Student Showcase of the year on February 6th for 4th & 5th Grade Students and families!

Please see the schedule below. All students will have the opportunity to visit their homeroom classrooms to look at projects and student work from this year. We will have an Art Show where student art work is displayed in our hallways. Students will also have a musical performance in the gym. We look forward to seeing our Warriors and their families at our amazing Student Showcase nights this year!

4th & 5th Grade Student Showcase Schedule:

4th Grade Schedule

5:30-6:00 4th Grade performs in the gym
6:00-6:15 4th Grade will transition to classrooms
6:15-6:45 4th Grade showcase in Homeroom classrooms

5th Grade Schedule

5:45-6:15 5th Grade showcase in Homeroom classrooms
6:15-6:30 5th Grade will transition to the gym
6:30-7:00 5th Grade performs in the gym

Hats off to Great Growth!

Our PTO has graciously purchased hats for all of our students in an effort to support Reading and Math growth. We are excited to distribute these to students to celebrate their reading and math growth this year. Please see the details below.

- On Thursday, January 9th, homeroom teachers will give out hats prior to MARC awards. Students may wear the hats for the remainder of the day and then take them home.
- On March 24th and in May (Friday before the week of final awards), all students will bring their hats to school and wear their hats. Students who have met their reading and/or math goals will receive a button for each subject area to add to their hat. PTO is ordering the buttons and these will be distributed prior to these days mentioned.
- The students are responsible for keeping up with their hats. They will wear them to school on designated days (3 this year).
- Students who lose their hats will have an option to purchase a new hat. They must keep up with them each year.

Volunteer information

We appreciate the support of volunteers at CMCSI! Hall County Schools and CMCSI continue to make the safety of our students a priority. In order to keep our students safe, ALL volunteers must complete an application and training BEFORE volunteering at CMCSI this school year. Once BOTH steps are completed, volunteers will be notified of approval within 2 weeks of submitting their application. Approval must be received BEFORE any volunteer time is approved.

Please visit this link to complete the Checkmate Application AND the Mandated Reporter training (Keyword: HallVolunteers) Be sure to "Apply for New Role" to complete the Application.

Volunteers must have a pre-arranged appointment with teachers or staff to assist at CMCSI. Please sign-up to volunteer for school-wide events (Walk-a-thon, Field Day, etc.) with PTO here.

Volunteers must sign-in at the front office with ID and wear a badge while in the building. ONLY volunteers who have completed the required questionnaire and Mandated Reporter training will have the option to sign-in to volunteer on the kiosk.

Volunteers must follow any required safety procedures in effect at CMCSI, which are subject to change.

Volunteers may not bring siblings, children or other visitors with them into CMCSI.

Volunteers are Mandated Reporters as defined by the State of Georgia. All volunteers are required by state law to report suspected abuse or neglect of children to school administration immediately.

Please email richard.bass@hallco.org with questions about volunteering!

Car Rider Reminders

For the safety of our students and staff, during morning drop-off for car-riders, all parents must remain in their car and go through the car-rider line. There is no walking students into school or to the front door, or sending students across the crosswalk. Parents are ONLY allowed to escort their child into the building if they are new to the school or have medication to drop-off. Please plan accordingly, and arrive early enough to go through the car-rider line.
Our tardy bell rings at 7:45 am each morning.
If students are late, parents will need to use the outdoor camera/call button. Students will be walked in by a staff member after notifying our front office using our intercom system. If no staff is at the drop-off point, parents must exit their vehicle and accompany their child to check them in.
Please have your child exit your car from the PASSENGER SIDE each day, for their safety.

CMCSI's Willing Warrior podcast: Episode 3

Click the link below to listen to Episode 3 of our new Willing Warriors Podcast!

Willing Warrior Podcast Episode

Class Holiday Parties

Our class parties will be held December 17th, 18th, and 19th. See below for your child's party date and time. More information regarding class parties will come from your child's teacher. As always, visitors must bring state-issued I.D. and sign-in at the front office.

December 17th

8:30- 9:30 First Grade
10:30-11:30 Fourth Grade

December 18th

8:30-9:30 Kindergarten
10:15-11:15 Third Grade

December 19th

8:30-9:30 Second Grade
10:30-11:30 Fifth Grade/McMillan/Oakley/ Wood

Learning over Winter Break

Winter Break is a wonderful time to relax and rejuvenate for our families and students, but it is also an opportunity to offer our Warriors authentic, at-home learning experiences. Here are some ideas to help your child keep up their literacy and math skills over Winter Break:

Read for pleasure. Whether your child is in the mood for The Night Before Christmas or The Polar Express, winter break provides the perfect opportunity to stash schoolbooks and read for fun.
Cook up an easy lesson. Invite your child into the kitchen to help you whip up a special dish — from Christmas cookies to fruitcakes. All of those half-tablespoon and quarter-cup measurements are great practice with fractions.
Write thank-you notes. Penning notes of appreciation to gift-givers teaches gratitude and helps polish writing and spelling skills.
Make the most of car rides. Turn the drive to or from a holiday get-together into an opportunity to practice letters and numbers. You can look for license plates from different states, try to find the alphabet on the license plates, or count the number of red (or white or green) cars you see.
Maintain reasonable bedtimes. With no school to get up for in the morning, it can be tempting to let kids become night owls. A few days before school starts up again, ease back into the regular bedtime schedule so your child can start the year bright-eyed.
Ask for grocery list assistance. Have your child help choose what to buy, decide how much you need, check your supplies to see what you've already got, write or draw pictures on the list, and sort coupons.
Let kids help with online shopping. Need a last-minute gift for Grandma or Uncle Joe? Log onto your favorite shopping sites and let your child help you select presents. This helps children work on their computer and research skills.
Have a family game night. Chances are many of your family's favorite board and card games reinforce skills such as counting, reading, and drawing. Gather the group to play games you usually don't have time for on school nights.

Yearbooks-ON sale now!

Yearbook Sales are happening NOW. We only get a few copies to sell at the end of the year, so GUARANTEE your child's copy by ordering in advance. If you're interested in purchasing a CMCSI yearbook for your child, find information here.

Lunch Visitors

For the safety of all students, please note the following:

For your child's lunch visit, 1 or 2 adults may join; No school-age siblings and younger children must be in lap or stroller (due to limited seats).
Each student may have a visit for lunch 1 time per month to allow ALL students and parents this opportunity.
Restaurant food will be allowed to be brought into CMCSI for students or visitors.
Visitors must sign in at the front office with a state-issued ID (no exceptions).
Lunch visitors should eat in the visitor seating area located in the gym lobby next to the cafeteria. Visitors may not eat in the cafeteria, gym or classroom.
After signing in and getting a sticker, lunch visitors will meet their child in the gym lobby as his/her class enters the cafeteria and sign-out in the main office after the lunch period ends.
Lunch visitors may not return to the classroom, playground, etc. with students.
Lunch visitors may have lunch with your child ONLY. Other students (including friends, relatives, and neighbors) cannot join your lunch visit.
Visitors may purchase lunch in the cafeteria for $5.00 each (cash or check only).
Lunch visitors must be listed on a student's enrollment card prior to coming in for lunch.

Exact lunch times for each homeroom class may be viewed here. Contact CMCSI@hallco.org with questions.

Cafeteria Information

New in the Cafeteria

We will continue to sell Uncrustables throughout the year on Mondays and Wednesdays only.

A La Carte Items for Sale

Our cafeteria will be selling a la carte items (chips, cookies, crackers) for $1. You can send $1 with your child or they can use money from their My Payment Plus account. Students will not be able to charge these items to their account.

December's Breakfast and Lunch Menu

Need to sign up for your child's meal plan account? If so, click here.

(Field Trip fees, Field Day shirts, and other school expenses can be paid through this account, as well!)

Need to apply for Free and Reduced Lunch? If so, click here.

Ways to support CMCSI

Spirit Nights

CMCSI Spirit Nights take place each month! If your family visits the restaurant or drive-thru on our CMCSI Spirit Night, a portion of the sales will be donated to the school! Be sure to tell the restaurant you are there for CMCSI Spirit Night (for CMCSI to get credit!).
- Spirit Night at Chick Fil A in Braselton on January 23rd from 5PM-8PM