School News

December 5, 2021

Dear CMS Community,

This week, we will begin a series of what we are calling Community Days which will occur on at least five Wednesdays between now and the end of the school year. These 45-minute connection opportunities will be led by 8th grade volunteer leaders with support from faculty in small groups. The goal of these Community Days is to provide an opportunity for students to connect, think about what it means to be a good citizen of our school, community and world, promote the necessity of respect for differences and find the common ground that binds us all. We are particularly excited that these opportunities will be generated and led by our student leaders who will model what we all want to see and feel in our schools.

As you know, schools and communities across the country continue to struggle with the impact of the pandemic, a rise in mental health and social interaction concerns, as well as a clear call for social justice and equity. Our Community Days are just one way we hope to bolster students in their connections to the adults and their peers, support social emotional health and interpersonal skills, and foster a safe school community where all students feel they are supported and celebrated. It is no easy task but one we will continue to pursue.

I also want to remind families that picture retake day is on Tuesday (not Monday) due to weather concerns. Directions on how families can order or reorder pictures is contained below.

Wishing everyone a productive and happy week ahead.

Best Regards,

Karla B. Koza, Principal

Important Upcoming Dates

PICTURE RETAKE DAY IS TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7

Hayward Photography will be at Chenery Middle School on TUESDAY, December 7.

• If you would like your child’s picture retaken, please return your original package to school on the retake day and ask your child to give it to our photographer. 
• Please include a note on the envelope detailing the reason for the retake. If your child forgets their original pictures, they may still have a retake, however, we will not print any new pictures until the originals have been returned to our office.
• If your child was absent on the original picture day, he or she may be photographed as well. 
• To preorder your child’s first-time picture, please go to our website www.haywardphotography.com click on PREPAY FOR PHOTO DAY and enter the school code of CMSRD21. If you have any questions, please contact us at info@haywardphotography.com. 

CHENERY MIDDLE SCHOOL GEAR ORDERS DELAYED

Supply chain issues have delayed the timeline for the orders. Hoping the orders will arrive within the next two weeks. Stay tuned for additional communication from Mr. Dyer in two weeks.

BELMONT WELLNESS COALITION PRESENTS IMPORTANT HEALTH DATA

As we continue to find increases in mental health concerns and challenges, we offer families the opportunity to better understand what is happening with the students at BPS. Please join the CMS PTO at our next meeting on Wednesday, January 12, at 7 PM on Zoom. The Belmont Wellness Coalition will be presenting data highlights from the 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS).  The YRBS is given to students in grades 7 - 12, every two years. Shared highlights include data on rates of substance use, causes of stress, and mental health factors, including information on suicide ideation. Time will be allowed for questions and discussion.

CMS FOOD DRIVE

WHEN: Monday, November 29 – Tuesday, December 14

Start putting aside NON-EXPIRED items now. All items donated go to the Belmont Food Pantry, whose mission is to provide food and resources to residents of Belmont. The CMS Food Drive has been one of the biggest food drives for the Belmont Food Pantry the past few years. They depend on the generosity of CMS families to make it happen. 

WHAT TO DONATE

Any nonperishable item – (CHECK DATES – IT CANNOT BE EXPIRED)

Ex. Food: any Canned Foods (Soups, Chili, Stews), Pasta, Rice, Noodles, Juice, Coffee, Tea, Boxed Milk (not refrigerated), Evaporated Milk, Flour, Sugar, Cereal, etc. 

Ex. Household items: Adult Body Wash, Adult Shampoo, Bars of Soap, Deodorant, Dish Detergent, Hand/Body Lotion, Toothpaste, Toothbrushes, etc. The Belmont Food Pantry is especially looking for the following items -

• Shampoo
• Toothpaste
• Body Wash
• Hand/Body Lotion
• Dish Detergent

See website for additional information: Belmont Food Pantry  https://sites.google.com/site/thebelmontfoodpantry/home

COLLECTION PROCESS

Students can drop off items in homeroom. Students and/or Parents can drop off items in the box outside of the school store and/or various locations around Belmont (see list below). Community Drop Off Locations

• 31 Bacon Road, Belmont
• 29 Dalton Road, Belmont
• 24 long Avenue, Belmont
• 24 Weber Road, Belmont
• 259 School Street, Belmont

If you have any questions, please email Mr Dyer at ldyer@belmont.k12.ma.us or Ms Hawkins at chawkins@belmontschools.net

STUDENT HIGHLIGHTS

Students in PE enjoy a little movement as a defense strategy for Jedi Ball.

REOCCURING NEWS & RESOURCES

TWEENS & SOCIAL MEDIA - HOW TO SUPPORT POSITIVE USE

Many of our students are using the Discord App. It has been a chat space where negative interactions are occurring and spilling into the school day. Please CLICK HERE to learn about the App. Click here to learn about the dangers of Discord. 

Click here for an article on understanding TikTok. 

Learn more about how to protect children with settings on Netflix HERE.

How to manage your child’s device remotely, CLICK HERE. 

How to manage your child’s YouTube account, CLICK HERE.

SmartSocial - Free Parent Event on December 2.

25 Dangers Parents Need To Know About TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Fortnite, Netflix, YouTube & More When: December 2, 2021, at 5 PM Pacific, 8 PM Eastern Click here to save your seat.

Can’t attend live on Dec. 2? Register for the event and we’ll send you the replay! Note: This event is not intended for students.

COMMUNITY SERVICE OPTIONS FOR STUDENTS

There are several virtual options for students to complete community service. All in person events follow social distancing guidelines and recommendations.  Please check the websites of the organization you may want to volunteer with as some of these opportunities may not be available at this time. CLICK HERE for information.

All questions about these volunteer opportunities should be directed to the Community Service Representative listed as the contact. Students in grades 6-8 who are interested in earning the Presidential Award (President’s Volunteer Service Awards) the hours are: 50-74 = bronze, 75-99 = silver, 100+ = gold

The hours for the Chenery Service Award (Herbies) are 25-49 hours. All community service/volunteer hours can be reported on THIS FORM. Remember to direct all questions regarding deadlines to submit community service hours for awards to your current Social Studies, World Geo, or Civics teacher.

CMS STUDENT COUNCIL NEWS

Click here for CMS Student Council Calendar of Events 21-22

CMS IS UNDERSTAFFED - YOUR HELP NEEDED

We continue to experience a shortage of professional aides, building substitutes and cafeteria staff. This impacts students directly in meeting educational needs, having needed support in large classes, having to pull professional aides to cover classes when teachers are absent, and students needing to wait longer to get lunch. If you or someone you know is interested in working in our school I encourage you to apply. CLICK HERE to learn more.

PLUSPORTALS TUTORIAL

Need a refresher on where to find information on Portals? Want to know what our daily announcements are at CMS? Click HERE for a video tutorial on how to navigate our student information system.

CMS YEARBOOK

The Chenery Middle School 2021-2022 Yearbook is available for sale! The yearbook is a 150+ page hardcover record of the 2021-22 school year. It will document student life, activities, student portraits, staff photos, events, grade eight farewell ads, and much more. The yearbooks will be given out to students during homeroom before the end of the school year (no later than June 17, 2022).

Start by clicking this link for the 2021-2022 CMS YEARBOOK

After clicking the link above, you’ll be able to -

• Order a Yearbook - $25.Deadline to order - March 31, 2022
• Order a Grade 8 Farewell Ad - Full Page - $75, 1/2 Page - $50, 1/4 Page - $40 You design and layout on the Jostens Yearbook website. Yearbook theme (colors and formatting) will be applied to your design. Examples of Grade 8 Farewell Ads Deadline to order - February 4, 2022

Upload Yearbook Photos

• The Photo Upload Portal is the place to upload any and all photos for the 2021-2022 yearbook.
• Deadline to upload photos - March 31, 2022
• Please consider uploading any photos you have. Photos you took at a game, celebration, outing, concert, dance, CMS Staff photos, out of school, groups, event, trip, etc.

Don’t delay, order a yearbook today!

BPS Health Protocols

There are updated guidelines and protocols that are important for families to review to understand what happens when a student presents symptoms of COVID, tests positive for COVID, or is determined to be a close contact. Please check the BPS Nursing Page on a regular basis. Details on the Test and Stay protocol can be found HERE.

It is critically important to review and complete a symptom checker (found HERE) if your child is exhibiting any COVID19 symptoms. Please do not send your child to school sick..

Please encourage your child to bring a water bottle each day. We have filling stations but not access to traditional bubblers.

How to Sign Up For CMS Email

To receive the communications sent out on the Chenery Middle School listserv, click HERE.

Helpful District and School Documents

• CMS Days of the Cycle Calendar

• CMS Weekly Schedule

• CMS Term Dates 

• BPS District Calendar

HOW TO CONTACT CMS SCHOOL LEADERSHIP

PRINCIPAL KARLA B. KOZA

@KarlaBKoza

Please contact me in any of the ways below.

Chenery Middle School
95 Washington Street
Belmont, MA 02748

kkoza@belmont.k12.ma.us 

617-993-5805

belmont.k12.ma.us/bps/cms/

Lower School (5 & 6) Assistant Principal Nicolette Foundas email: nfoundas@belmont.k12.ma.us and voice mail: 617-993-5820

Upper School (7 & 8) Assistant Principal Mark DiStefano email: mdistefano@belmont.k12.ma.us and voice mail: 617-993-5831

ENCORE & Student Programming Assistant Principal Ryan Holland email: rholland@belmont.k12.ma.us and voice mail: 617-993-5801

Lisa Hurtubise, ELA Reading Director email: lhurtubise@belmont.k12.ma.us and voice mail: 617 993-5945

Elizabeth Baker, Director of Science email: ebaker@belmont.k12.ma.us and voice mail: 617-993-5970

Jonathan Golden, Director of Mathematics email: jgolden@belmont.k12.ma.us and voice mail: 617-993-5805

Deborah McDevitt, Director of Social Studies email: DMcDevitt@belmont.k12.ma.us and voice mail: 617-993-5980

Vicky D'Annunzio, Interim Director of World Language email: vdunnuzio@belmont.k12.ma.us and voice mail: 617-993-5950

Arto Asadoorian, Director of Fine and Performing Arts email: aasadoorian@belmont.k12.ma.us and voice mail: 617-993-5990

Lindsey Rinder, Director of English Language Education email: lrinder@belmont.k12.ma.us and voice mail: 617-993-1044

Jonathan Libby, Assistant Director of Student Services email: jlibby@belmont.k12.ma.us

Rosa Inniss, METCO Director email: rinniss@belmont.k12.ma.us