Turkey Bowl Shirts/Hoodies on Sale

The second annual Turkey Bowl will occur on Friday, November 20th from 2:00-3:00. Support CMS and this spectacular event by wearing a specialized Turkey Bowl t-shirt or hoodie.

2009 Turkey Bowl Shirt Sale

H1N1 Appointment Line Update

H1N1 Flu Vaccine Appt Line Update 11 04 09

Cash & Gift Card Drive for Families in Need

Help us snow in Mrs. Sherrard! Mrs. Sherrard, our Community Liaison, is currently running a cash and gift card drive to help families in need at Crestwood Middle during the holidays. We are trying to provide large stockings for about 35 children filled with an outfit, small toys, gift cards, candy, etc. In order to make this happen, we need donations from staff and parents. For every $10 donated, a snowflake will be placed on her window. Because of the generosity of our staff, we are off to a great start, and Mrs. Sherrard is under about a foot of snow! Please consider making a donation. Donations will be accepted from now until November 16th, and can be brought directly to Mrs. Sherrard or to the front office. Checks should be made payable to CMS PTA. Receipts are available upon request. Thank you for your support!

Guidance Counselors Offer Mini-Sessions

Crestwood's school counselors will be offering mini groups during TEE time throughout the school year. Students recently completed a survey where they indicated what groups they were interested in joining. In November and December, Ms. Kazio will be facilitating a stress management group, Ms. Boyce will be offering support to those students dealing with divorce, and Mrs. Pierson will offer sessions to help students deal with anger in constructive rather than destructive ways. Some topics that will be dealt with later in the year are organization, self-esteem, friendships, peer pressure and study skills. If you are interested in having your child participate in one of these groups please contact the counseling department at 240-566-9015.

More H1N1 Information

H1N1 Flu Clinic Flyer- English Spanish- 11 2 09

Yearbook Orders Now $30.00 Each

The basic all color yearbook is now currently $30. The price will increase once again after the January 29 deadline. Please note that students have many EXTRA OPTIONS this year including:

* a Hear the Year CD
* Basic Accessories Package
* Deluxe Accessories Package
* 1 or 2 Lines of Personalization
* Choice of Icons
* a Clear Protective Cover
* an EXTRA Autograph Section (a few pages will be provided within the basic book)
* Photo Pockets
* World Beat Mag or
* What's Up Mag

Please note that each of these items are simply OPTIONS for families. You can print the order form from the blog and pay with cash or check (made to CMS) OR you can visit www.jostensyearbooks.com to pay with a credit card online. Contact Mrs. Grossnickle at keri.grossnickle@fcps.org if you have any questions regarding the yearbook.

2nd Offer Yearbook Form PDF

Local H1N1 Presentation

Advisory- H1N1 Presentations- Goddard School

Families Plus Program Information

Families Plus Program

Giant Bonus Bucks

GIANT Parent Letter

Out of Flu Vaccine

Out of Flu Vaccine

View more documents from Keri Grossnickle.

Comic Self-Portraits

Check out some of our student's comic self-portraits.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Turkey Bowl Promo 2009

There's nothing like a little friendly competition between students and staff! Let's get ready for the 2nd annual Turkey Bowl!

Lost & Found Items - October 2009

Check out the latest lost and found items found only at CMS!

Spirit Week Coming Up

Join us for Spirit Week next week

Monday, 10/29 - Wacky Tacky Day
Tuesday, 10/20 - Crazy Hair & Hat Day
Wednesday, 10/21 - Sports Day
Thursday, 10/22 - Twin Day
Friday, 10/23 - Pajama Day

Remember, all school dress code rules still apply during spirit week. The second student council sponsored dance will be on Friday, October 23rd. Be sure to get your permission slip and money in to Mrs. Ritz no later than Wednesday, October 21st. See earlier posts for a copy of the permission slip.

Roy Rogers Fundraiser Total

Our school made $265.19 at the recent Roy Rogers night. This money will go towards the purchase of incentives for our Cavalier raffles. Many thanks to all of the families that participated in our school fundraiser!

"Numbering All the Bones" Student Posters

Mrs. Biddle's 7th graders recently made posters trying to entice their peers to read the novel "Numbering All the Bones." Take a peek at their work.

Food Pantry Donations Needed

Crestwood Middle School is starting its own food pantry to benefit families in need right here at our own school. Mrs. Ritz’s Day 1, 8th Grade Life Skills Class, is organizing a food drive from October 12th-October 30th, to help us stock our pantry. All students are encouraged to bring in non-perishable food items during this time period. The items should be turned in to Mrs. Ritz during home base. Students will receive 10 Cavaliers per item they donate! Suggested items include:

Canned or Jarred Foods: meats, vegetables, fruits, soups, pasta sauces, apple sauce, peanut butter, jellies, etc.

Dried Foods: pasta, rice, cereal, beans, mashed potato flakes, powdered milk, baby formula, baby cereal, etc.

Convenience Foods: Hamburger Helper, Betty Crocker “Complete Meals”, Chef Boyardee, Mac n Cheese, etc.

All donations are appreciated and will go to a family in need at Crestwood Middle. Thank you!

Bike Rodeo Video

Some of Ms. Vogtman's students created a bike safety video promoting Crestwood's upcoming Bike Rodeo on Thursday, October 22nd from 4:30-7:30. Check it out!

October Student Council Sponsored Dance

The next student council sponsored dance is coming up! Print the permission slip below and send it in with $5.00 to Mrs. Ritz by Wednesday, October 21st. Absolutely NO slips and money will be accepted after the deadline, as proper preparations need to be made in advance. Questions? Contact Mrs. Ritz at jennifer.ritz@fcps.org.

October Dance Slip

Got Pictures?

Do you have pictures you'd like to contribute to this year's CMS Yearbook? The link below will lead CMS families to a site where pictures can be uploaded and CONSIDERED for submission to the 2009-2010 yearbook. All pictures must only contain CMS students. All uploads require contact information from the person uploading the picture.

The User ID is: 400003616 and the password is: cavalier.
Click the link for more details.

https://images.jostens.com/login?user=400003616&pw=cavalier

PTA Needs Your Help

Our first teacher dinner will be for parent teacher conferences on October 13th.
We will have an October Fest theme and we are looking for people to provide:

Sauerkraut and bratwurst (cooked)
Potato salad
Cheese and sausage trays
Bread
Potato soup
Applesauce
Apple cider
Bottled water
German chocolate cake
Blake Forest cake

We need to serve 80+ teachers and staff. Please let us know what you would be willing to help with.

Thank You,
Kim Sexton
CMS Hospitality Chair
301-663-5912

Planning for the Future - Life After Middle School

Click on the "more" button for print options.

Middle School Postcard

School Mental Health Resources

The School Mental Health Connection is providing schools with important resources regarding children’s mental health issues. When more people associated with the school--parents, educators, students, and clinicians--understand and work together to address children's mental health needs, the more success students can have in school.

Families are the experts on their children. Families are their own best advocates. With this in mind, the School Mental Health Connection is assisting not only school staff regarding children’s mental heath, but providing information for parents/caregivers as well.

By providing this information and resources, families and school staff can better work together to give each child the services he/she needs to have success in school. Use this website to educate yourself so that you will be an informed advocate for the health of your child and his/her school.

http://www.schoolmentalhealth.org/Resources/Fam/ResFam.html

College Savings Plans of Maryland

A parent information night is coming up for the College Savings Plan of Maryland. Click the "more" button for print options.

2009-10 Crestwood Ballenger Creek Middle

PTA Fundraiser - Last Call (Really)!

Our wonderful PTA is making a last call for all fundraising packets. Please turn them in to the office by Wednesday, September 30th. Thanks again to all of the families who have supported our fundraising efforts!

It's a Girl!

Congratulations to CMS 8th grade science teacher, Mrs. Patterson, and her husband! She gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Katelyn. Both mom and baby are doing well! We can't wait to see more pictures!

Parent-Teacher Conference Survey

What do you think about our parent-teacher conferences schedule? The FCPS Family-School Partnership Committee has launched a survey to gather your feedback about the conferences, held in the fall and early spring of each school year.
FCPS will compile responses to the quick 10-question survey with information supplied by the local PTA County Council and FCPS teachers. The committee will present findings to the Board of Education later this fall.
Parents are our most important partners in education. It’s important for FCPS to hear what you think of the current schedule and also learn more about other ways parents typically communicate with their children’s teacher(s).
Thank you to all who go to this link and tell FCPS what you think: http://tinyurl.com/PTConferences. The survey closes October 16.

Christmas Assistance

The Salvation Army will begin accepting applications for Christmas Assistance for children birth through 12 years old, on Monday, September 28th. The deadline to apply is October 9th. For details, please contact Morissa Travers at the Salvation Army, at (301) 662-2311.

International Baccalaureate Information

There will be an International Baccalaureate Program information meeting on Thursday, October 1, at 6:30 p.m. in the Urbana High School Media Center. Please contact the IB Coordinator, Helen Golibart, at 240-236-7748 for more information.

Prudential Spirit of Community Award

The search is on to find our top CMS youth volunteer. See details below. Click on the "more" button for print options.

Prudential Spirit of Community Awards

"Families Plus" Information

Click on the "more" button for print options.

Oct 09 Programs

Anti-Bullying Lessons

6th grade guidance counselor, Mrs. Pierson, is visiting 6th grade science & social studies classes to discuss Crestwood’s Anti-bullying policy. Students are learning that Crestwood’s staff takes bully seriously; no student should have to tolerate bullying in school. Further information about FCPS bullying policies is found in this brochure. Click the "more" button for print options.

Bully Brochure May 08 Eng

Fundraiser Forms Due

All fundraiser packets/forms are due today. If you missed the deadline, please send it in tomorrow. Thanks to all of the families that participated in our fundraising event.

Pinnacle Parent Tips

We have received many questions about the new Pinnacle grading system. Here are a few helpful tips for parents/guardians:

· To access Pinnacle, go to www.fcps.org and click on the link on the left side of the page.
· The students were provided with a letter which included their student ID number and their new password. The password is generated randomly and is NO LONGER their ID number. If you did not receive this letter or have misplaced the password, please call the office, and we will get a new letter to your child.
· The password is case sensitive. Be sure to capitalize the letters in the password.
· Be sure that you select Crestwood Middle School.
· If you used the email alert system last year, you will need to set it up again this year. Each year, Pinnacle resets the accounts. You will need to enter in your preferences.
· The student summary page looks a little different. At the top of the page you will see red exclamation points. These are assignments which are either missing or the teacher has not entered a grade. Sometimes teachers will list the assignments before they have been assigned and/or graded. Please do not panic! If you click on each class, you will see what your child may or may not be missing.
· A “Z” means that the assignment is missing and can still be turned in for credit.
· An “X” means that your child has been excused from the assignment.
· If you have any questions, please call your child’s counselor.

PTA Fundraising Information

Why do we fundraise? Where does the money go? What happens if we don't fundraise at all?

Often these are questions that PTA's hear when asking parents to support a fundraiser. Like many other non-profit organizations, the CMS PTA survives from the generosity of others; be it donations of money, time, talent, or selling goods to raise funds. It is the goal of the the Crestwood PTA to participate in fundraisers that will provide funds for the benefit of children and families within the school. Funds raised by school-sponsored fundraisers will be used to enhance, promote and support the education of students within Crestwood.

This year, CMS PTA is excited to be working with the Red Apple Group to try and raise funds. Little Caesars Pizza Kits, Otis Spunkmeyer Cookies and Perfect Presents Gift Wrap Catalog are on sale now! Information about the sale went home on September 2nd with students. Please consider ordering something from one of the catalogs to support the PTA. Students selling at least 10 items will be able to participate in a "big blast party" as a treat, with games and prizes and fun!

Orders and payment money are due on Monday, September 21st. Delivery of items will be on Tuesday, November 3rd from 3-7 PM at the school.

Prefer to order online? Just go to www.ezfundraising.com and enter school ID # 79137and password #292933 to place an order. Students who set up an account will have their own ID number and password and can have items ordered by family and friends count toward their prize amount. Online orders require credit card payment and will be shipped directly to online customer’s homes.

Questions? Please contact any PTA officer for help or for more information.

Here's to a successful fundraising campaign! We appreciate your support!

Recycling for Schools

Blue bins—nearly 2,000 of them—are springing up in classrooms across Frederick County and at our school as we ramp up to single-stream recycling. Look for expanded mixed-paper recycling that now includes empty bottles, cans, plastics and more, with no sorting required.
Students are learning which items they can place in the big blue bins…and which they can’t recycle. Parents and family members can help: Recycle your household waste to set a good example, and teach children what goes in the recycle bins. While the above-mentioned items can go in the blue bins along with spiral notebooks and empty school milk cartons, here’s what cannot: used tissues and soiled paper towels, anything with food waste, light bulbs, Styrofoam, microwavable trays, clamshell containers and electronics.
County-waived tipping fees and Allied Waste Services’ donation of 1,800 18-gallon containers are making our commingled recycling affordable.
“This is a great start and will cover all schools and at least half of the school system’s classrooms and offices,” says FCPS Energy/Recycling Coordinator Charlie Dalphon. “We hope to add about 300 32-gallon containers for cafeteria and stadium use,” he says. “Allied will weigh the waste quarterly so FCPS can analyze the program’s effectiveness.”
For more about recycling in schools: www.fcps.org/recycling.

PTA Membership

If you sign up for a PTA Membership before September 30th , your name will be entered in a drawing for a "Family Fun" gift basket, included in the basket is gift certificates for a "Night Out" to dinner & a movie and for a "Night In" there are 4 family DVDs, popcorn, soda & candy for some family fun.

CMS PTA REG.

PTA Needs Volunteers

Click the "more" button to print this form.

Help Wanted Crestwood

Roadway Improvement Surrounding CMS

Please be aware of an upcoming roadway improvement project adjacent to Crestwood Middle School, that may affect the school buses and pedestrians. Starting on or about Monday, September 21, 2009, the County’s contractor, C. J. Miller LLC, will begin the construction of intersection improvements on Crestwood Boulevard and New Design Road. The contractor is limited to working between the hours of 9:00 am and 3:30 pm, to accommodate school buses and commuters. We anticipate that this work will take up to 60 days. There will be lane closures on each of the roads, that will be controlled by temporary traffic control signs and flagmen.

The work that will be performed includes the following:

• Install left turn lanes in both directions on Crestwood Boulevard at Burning Bush Drive/Crabapple Drive
• Install left turn lanes in both directions on Crestwood Boulevard at Burning Bush Drive/Tamarack Avenue
• Install a new left turn lane and lengthen the existing left turn lane on Crestwood Boulevard at New Design Road
• Install left turn lanes in both directions on New Design Road at Foxcroft Drive
• Widen the south side of Foxcroft Drive on the west side of New Design Road to allow for 2 exit lanes (at Crestwood Middle School)
• Modify sidewalks and handicap ramps at each intersection to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• Install new pavement markings at each intersection.


Thank you for your assistance.

Sexual Harassment Lessons

Mrs. Kazio will be teaching a lesson on Sexual Harassment in all Language Arts classes. This is part of the School Counseling curriculum. FCPS produces a pamphlet on Sexual Harassment. The pamphlet can be downloaded from www.fcps.org . To find the pamphlet, go to: Departments, Secondary. Then click on Counseling and School Support. From there, click on Resources then Sexual Assault. If you have any further questions about the lesson, please feel free to contact Mrs. Kazio at 240-566-9024.

Dance Permission Slip - 9/18/09

The first student council sponsored dance will be held next Friday, September 18th. All permission slips and money are due no later than Wednesday, September 16th so that proper arrangements can be made. Click the "more" button for print options.

Dance Perm Slip Sept 2009

School-wide Health Issues

Parent Welcome Back Letter

Flu Clinic Flyer

Flu Clinic Flyer- English & Spanish- 8.31.09

Proper Handwashing Technique

Cafe Prepay Information

Families using CafePrepay.com: Avoid
multiple $2.50 transaction fees by
putting all the family’s payment in one
child’s account, then instructing your
FCPS Food Service Complex manager
how you want the funds distributed.
FCPS will refund fees to a child’s
account for transactions $75 or more.

In order to comply with Federal regulations, VISA, Master Card, Discover and American Express are required to revise the fee structure for CaféPrepay.com payments. The structure will change to a flat rate of $2.50 per student per transaction. This change means that if you have 2 or more children and you enter money on each child’s account you will be charged $2.50 for each payment. Since $2.50 will be charged for each individual payment, FCPS Food Service is recommending that families make one individual payment for all the family’s children, and enter the payment onto one child’s account. This will result in only one fee of $2.50.

To have that payment distributed between the other child/children’s accounts, the family must contact the school Complex Manager by email at laurel.johnson@fcps.org or by other written instructions on how the payment should be divided. Once the Complex Manager receives the written instructions, the payment will be distributed to the other child/children’s accounts per the family’s request.

Because of the revision in the fee structure, FCPS has also revised the requirements for refunding fees. Fees will be refunded by Food Service, for individual transactions of $75.00 or more. Fees will not be refunded if the individual transaction is less than $75.00. The refund will be added to one child’s account.

Flu Fact Sheet

Flu Fact Sheet

Tardy Policy

Tardy Policy

Improved Ethnicity and Race Options

Improved Ethnicity and Race Options

Flu Preparedness Information

Flu Preparedness Communication

Family Life Preview Night

Family Life preview night is coming up!

What - Family Life Preview Night
Who - 7th and 8th grade parents
When - Thursday, September 10th, 2009 at 5:30 pm

Where - CMS in room C127

Why - To provide an opportunity for parents to review worksheets, videos, and other assignments used during the family life unit. The health education curriculum can be accessed by visiting: http://www.fcpsteach.org/ Select the Health curriculum option on the left side of the page.

There is only ONE PREVIEW for the entire school year regardless of which term students are enrolled in Health class.