Box Tops For Education

Many of you may be familiar with the Box Tops for Education fundraiser that our middle school has just kicked off.  For those who are not, let me give you a brief description.  This fundraiser is unique in that we aren't asking you to purchase anything, donate money, or volunteer your time.  All you need to do is look for a small "Box Tops for Education" coupon on boxes of many products that you probably already use on a regular basis.  Simply cut the coupons out of the box and send them in to school with your child.  For each coupon that is collected, the middle school will receive the amount of money indicated on the coupon.  While 5, 10, or 20 cents at a time may not seem like much, when you consider the collective action of 415 students and their families it is plain to see the tremendous potential this program can deliver. 

You might be asking yourself what the proceeds will be used for.  At this time, our plan is to use money from the boxtops fundraiser to enhance our library collection.  Specifically, our middle school literature and non-fiction collections are in need of an upgrade to best prepare our students for the new Common Core State Standards and to maintain works that our students are interested in reading.  All money from this program will go back into providing these types of resources for our students.

What do you need to do?

• View the list of participating products: http://www.boxtops4education.com/earn/clip/Brands.aspx
• Clip the coupons from the boxes and packaging of any products you use, or have your child do so. 
• Send the coupons into school with your child each week.  Ask your child to give these to his or her first period teacher.

It really is that simple.  We appreciate any and all support with this project.  If you have any questions, please contact our librarian, Mrs. Criste, at jcriste@cencam.org . 

Mid-Term Progress Reports

Mid-term progress reports will be sent home with all middle school students on Thursday, September 27th.  The front will have a listing of current grades from each class, similar to a report card.  The back will have information on setting up an MMS account, our after-school programs, and other information that is valuable to parents.  Please look for your child's progress report next Thursday!

Reading Competition Team

The Central Cambria Middle School Reading Competition team will be traveling to Bellwood Antis High School for the fall reading competition on Tuesday, November 13. Each member is busy reading and preparing for this upcoming event. Team members will read up to 42 books each and then compete with students from other school districts by answering questions related to the books they read. Mrs. Dziack is the team advisor.

School Store

A group of middle school students, under the direction of Mrs. Niebauer, are developing a business plan for a school store.  The targeted date for the store to open is the first week of November.  These students are currently conducting preliminary research prior to opening the store, including:

• Developing a market research survey to determine products and price points that will appeal to our students and school community
• Researching vendors to provide these products
• Conducting cost-benefit analysis of locally-sourced products vs. outside vendors
• Selection of products that will be sold in the store
• Creating a marketing and branding plan
• Naming the store
• Locating the store within the school and determining when and how often it will be open
• Preparing for the "grand opening" in November

If you have ideas or input for any of the steps related to the development of our school store, please contact us by email at hniebauer@cencam.org or csantini@cencam.org .

Bonfire!

The Central Cambria Football Bonfire has been rescheduled for Wednesday, September 26, 2012 at 7:00 p.m.  You are invited to come out and support the team as they prepare to play Bishop Carroll that Friday.  The bonfire will be held on the old football field behind the middle school.  Central Cambria merchandise will be available for purchase, as well as Pink-Out shirts which will be sold for $10 each.

PSSA Score Reports

PSSA score reports are being sent home with your child today.  Please review these, and contact me if you have any questions:  csantini@cencam.org or 472-6505 and ask for Mr. Santini.

Zero to Hero assembly with Mike Hall

The Middle School welcomed speaker Mike Hall on Tuesday, September 11, to encourage positive attitudes with his motivational Zero to Hero presentation.  Mike shared a few of his inspiring life stories while keeping students AND teachers laughing and able to relate to what he had to say.  He recommended the students to, “Design the life that matters, not the life you want.” He revealed a blind fact that the problem dwelling within the hallways of many schools is not just the bullies themselves, but also the good people who often stand around and let the bullying happen.  Some encouraging ideas Mike left the students with were to 1) Surround yourself with people who have it more together than you do because their positive actions or skills could rub off on you, 2) Tune into voices that bring you up & tune out voices that bring you down; choose more encouraging friends, 3) Evaluate yourself before you judge others.  The students and faculty really enjoyed Mike’s visit and were engaged in his heartfelt assembly. More from Mike can be found on his website at www.mikeisspeaking.com, as well as Twitter and Facebook at www.facebook.com/mikeisspeaking.

Thanks to Ms. Minor, CCMS' Americorps worker, for the write-up!

What is the CDT and why is your child taking it?

What is the CDT?

• The CDT (Classroom Diagnostic Tool) is an online test available for students starting in 6th grade.  There are three separate tests:  Mathematics, Science, and Reading/Literature.  The CDT consists of multiple-choice questions of varying difficulty.  The results of the test provide data related to each student's individual strengths and areas for improvement in each of those content areas.  The questions on the CDT are aligned to the content on the PSSA tests and Keystone Exams. 

What do teachers do with CDT data?

• Teachers will use data from the CDT test to determine the educational needs of their classes as a whole, as well as the particular needs for each individual student.
• From here, teachers will adjust their instruction to address areas where individual students and larger groups of students are showing a need for improvement.
• Teachers can provide further enrichment and acceleration related to areas their students are showing strength.

How many times will students take the CDT this school year?

• Students will take the CDT 2 or 3 times this school year.  The first administration starts this week, with the second happening later in the year.

Does the CDT count toward AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress)?

• The CDT does not count toward AYP as the PSSA and Keystone Exams do.  However, it does provide valuable data for our teachers to use to best meet the specific educational needs of your child.

To find out more information: 

http://static.pdesas.org/Content/Documents/CDT_FAQs_FINAL_APPROVED.pdf

Middle School Football - 4:00 p.m. at the stadium

The Central Cambria Middle School football team, comprised of 7th and 8th grade players, will compete today against Somerset at 4:00 p.m. at the football stadium.  Additionally, our middle school cheerleading squad will be in action at the game.  The kids have been working hard, and would appreciate it if you came out to support them today!

Cross Country Dominates at Bear Mountain River Run Invitational

The Central Cambria Middle School Cross Country teams won the Bear Mountain River Run Invitational this past weekend.  The event was held at Lock Haven University and featured 15 teams from around the state.  The boys placed 5 runners in the top 16, while girls placed all 9 runners in the top 13 including each of the first 7 spots.  Congratulations to our runners on their great victory!