CMS Principal Up Dates

Bullying target

2012-01-27T09:04:00.000-08:00

The bullying target for next week is:

CMS students and staff will target bullying this week by telling someone when they or a friend are being bullied.

CMS will be showing another video next week to help students gain a better understanding of what bullying is and how to address it.

Updated basketball schedule

2012-01-27T07:40:00.000-08:00

Jan. 30 8th grade home/ 7th grade away versus Gladwin
Feb. 1 8th grade away/ 7th grade home versus Houghton Lake
Feb. 6 8th grade away/ 7th grade away versus Harrison
Feb. 8 8th grade away/ 7th grade home versus Farwell
Feb. 9 8th grade away/ 7th grade home versus Meridian
Feb. 13 8th grade away/ 7th grade home versus Beaverton
Feb. 15 8th grade home/ 7th grade away versus Meridian

CMS STUDENTS AND STAFF TARGET BULLYING

2012-01-24T05:47:00.000-08:00

The bullying target for the week, this week is: CMS students and staff will target bullying this week by not calling one another names.

The first lesson has been presented. The first lesson was a discussion of the definition of bullying, and a discussion of the CMS handbook policy on Bullying.

Report Cards

2012-01-24T05:46:00.001-08:00

Report cards will be mailed home to the parents of each student sometime during the week of January 30th through February 3rd. If you have not recieved a report card by the 4th of February please contact the MS office.

Students of the Month

2012-01-19T11:48:00.001-08:00

Congratulations to the December students of the month:

5th grade: Tayvin Backus & Alexandra Czadek

6th grade: Bryce Dangler & Mason Dice

7th grade: Holly Pummell & Gabby Sherwood

8th grade: Molly Merrillat & Alex Dysinger

Congratulations to the January students of the month:

5th grade: Caleb Camp & Aiden Boyd

6th grade: Peyton Hubel & Erin Weeks

7th grade: Hannah Brown & Bailey Hubel

8th grade: Samantha Gray & Josiah Baer

7th and 8th grade basketball

2012-01-17T10:59:00.000-08:00

The 7th and 8th grade boys basketball season has started. Both teams played Farwell last night. The rest of the schedule is as follows:

Jan. 18 8th grade home/ 7th grade away versus Beaverton
Jan. 23 8th grade away/ 7th grade home versus Meridian
Jan. 25 8th grade away/ 7th grade home versus Roscommon
Jan. 30 8th grade home/ 7th grade away versus Gladwin
Feb. 1 8th grade away/ 7th grade home versus Houghton Lake
Feb. 6 8th grade home/ 7th grade away versus Harrison
Feb. 8 8th grade away/ 7th grade home versus Farwell
Feb. 13 8th grade away/ 7th grade home versus Beaverton
Feb. 15 8th grade home/ 7th grade away versus Meridian

All home games are played in the new middle school gym. All game times are 5:00 PM

Bullying Target

2012-01-17T10:53:00.000-08:00

The bullying target for the week, this week is: CMS students and staff will target bullying this week by helping one another out.

Unfortunately due to the two snow days we still have not been able to perform the lesson that has been planned for the students during Pioneer Period. This lesson will occur the day after we return from this snow day, or in the event of another snow day, the day after that one.

Bullying

2012-01-11T09:52:00.000-08:00

Clare Middle School has adopted a belief to help students be more successful and to help students address bullying. Beginning last week, CMS students and staff began targeting bullying. This is not a purchased program, nor is it a special speaker. It is the staff and students linking arms to provide all with the necessary means and tools to address bullying.

Our goal is simple - help students and adults deal with bullying. While we all agree here that bullying is bad and needs to be stopped, we all also agree that this is a challenge that may be more than one school can address. And just like the RTP process, this process is going to help students learn from their choices, deal with situations when they occur, and help them grow into succesful adults and community members.

We started last Friday, by showing all of the students a video that was done by a group of high school students at Farwell. You can access this video on you tube. On Monday of next week, during Pioneer Period, all students and teachers will be going over a lesson plan, which asks students to define what bullying is. We will continue with lesson plans every two weeks, and hopefully have more videos to show as well.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at the school. We received some very good feed back from the students and even some parents regarding the video, and hope that the lesson plans add to an already strong start to this process.

Matt Moore

2011-12-27T10:02:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Matt Moore for putting on an awesome concert for the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students on the 21st of December. It was a great way to kick off the holiday break.

Reflections

2011-12-27T09:53:00.001-08:00

This has been a great school year so far. The students have been doing a great job in school, and everything seems to be going fine.

We have run into some small issues with bullying that we as a staff are working on fixing. We will be starting with a bi-weekly bullying program that students and staff will work on together during their pioneer periods every other week. We are asking for your help as well. Please do not hesitate to contact us if your student reports that they have been bullied. We take these reports and conduct an investigation to see what is happening and then plan on how we will handle the issue. Our goal is to provide for a safe learning environment for students, and are going to take some more steps to insure this.

I was once told that it took a community to raise a child, and together we can give all of the students of CMS a safe, and enjoyable environment to learn and grow in.

Thank you for all of your support, without it, one piece of the community needed to raise a child is missing.

Marking period

2011-12-27T09:52:00.001-08:00

The second marking period and 1st semester ends on January 20th 2012. Report cards will be sent home in the mail the following week.

Calender

2011-12-27T09:51:00.000-08:00

Half day of school for students on January 19th. Students will be released at 11:39 AM. No school for students on January 20th. This is a teacher records day.

School Resumes

2011-12-27T09:50:00.000-08:00

School resumes on January 4th, 2012 at 8:15 AM.

Special Concert

2011-12-16T07:13:00.000-08:00

Local recording artist Matt Moore will once again be performing for the middle school students on December 21st at 2:00 PM. If you would like to come in an listen to a former CMS student perform, you are more than welcome. The performance will be in the CMS auditorium.

Winter Break

2011-12-16T07:12:00.000-08:00

Winter break will officially start on Wednesday December 21st at 3:09. School will resume on Wednesday January 4, at 8:15. Have a wonderful holiday season. See you next year!!!!

Band Concert

2011-12-01T07:25:00.000-08:00

The CMS winter band concert will be next Wednesday, December 7th in the high school gym. The concert will begin at 7:00 PM.

Thank you

2011-11-22T17:08:00.000-08:00

Thank you to all of the parents, students, and staff for making this years parent teacher conferences great. Thank you also parents for taking the time to take the parent survey during conferences. Your help is greatly appreciated.

Parent Teacher Conferences

2011-11-14T11:36:00.000-08:00

Parent teacher conferences are scheduled for Monday November 21st, from 4:30 to 7:30 in the new gym and Tuesday, November 22nd from 12:30 to 3:30 and then again from 4:30 to 7:30 in the new middle school gym.

Report cards are being mailed home this Thursday. Please bring a copy of your students report card with you to conferences if you would like.

No school

2011-11-14T11:29:00.000-08:00

There will be no school on Tuesday November 15th for deer day. There will also be no school on Wednesday, November 23rd. Students will be released from school early on November 22nd for Parent Teacher Conferences. Students will be released at 11:39.

Finally there is a staff professional development day on Monday, December 5th, which means there will be no school for students on that day as well.

Girls Basketball Game

2011-11-10T04:43:00.000-08:00

The 7th grade girls basketball team will play two home games next week. On the 14th of NOvember they will play Meridian, and on the 16th they will play Roscommon. The 8th grade girls basketball team will be away on both dates.

End of Marking Period

2011-10-25T07:23:00.000-07:00

The end of the marking period is Friday, November 4th. Please check your students grades on power school to see how they are doing. If you do not have a power school log in and password, you can obtain one from the Clare Middle School office.

Report cards will be handed out at parent teacher conferences which will be held on November 21st and 22 in the new middle school gym.

MEAP testing

2011-10-19T06:40:00.000-07:00

Finally MEAP testing is over. Five long days of testing have taken it's toll on the students and the staff at CMS. Now everyone can get back to a normal schedule and move forward with the rest of the year.

Reminder that the first marking period ends on November 4th. Report cards will be available for parents to pick up at parent teacher conferences which are scheduled for Novemeber 21st and 22nd.

6th grade camp is Wednesday October 26th through Friday October 28th.

Feed My Starving Children

2011-10-19T06:38:00.000-07:00

200 students will be leaving school for 2 hours in two shifts on Friday October 21st to pack meals for the Feed My Starving Children program. Once again this goes to show the kind of students we have here at Clare Middle School. Their willingness to help others in need is a great example of the job parents have done in educating the son or daughter and is a testament to the community of Clare. I am very proud of each and every one of these kids, they will do a great job.

MEAP

2011-10-04T07:16:00.000-07:00

MEAP testing begins next week. The first day of testing for all students will be October 11th. We are offering all students free breakfast in the cafeteria all week to help students do their best on the MEAP test.

We will also be challenging the students again by offering them the opportunity to Crush the MEAP. Any student who earns all 1's or 2's on all of their MEAP test will receive a reward for their efforts. Last year students were given a t - shirt and a free pizza.

Help your son or daughter do their best by making sure they get a good night sleep, and letting them know you support them and their efforts on the test.

Homecoming

2011-09-30T07:31:00.000-07:00

I have been asked on several occasions why the middle school does not participate more during homecoming week.

My answer is simple. Homecoming is a high school/ community event. I believe if the middle school were to have spirit week, etc. like the high school we would be taking away from some of the fun students can look forward to when they get to high school.

We do celebrate homecoming on Friday with a spirit day in which students can wear green and white clothes and show their spirit at the parade and at the game. We do prohibit students from painting their faces or dying their hair on school grounds, and would prefer that they not wear Mardi Gras beads, as the meaning of Mardi Gras beads is not one we choose to support.

I appreciate your understanding and consideration of these philosophies.

Football game behavior

2011-09-30T07:28:00.000-07:00

Students are expected to be seated in the bleachers during all home football games. Students who are not in the bleachers and are rough housing, playing football, or causing problems will be asked to go back to the bleachers or be asked to leave the game with their parents.

Lap tops for sale

2011-09-23T11:12:00.001-07:00

The technology department of Clare Public Schools is currently selling lap top computers for 100 dollars. These computers are HP Compaq NX 9010 laptops with 256 K ram, 40 gig hard drive, open office suite, a lap top bag and a power cord. Contact Terry Bond at Clare High School, 386 - 7789.

Thank you

2011-09-21T11:48:00.001-07:00

A big thank you to all of the parents who attended the Dr. Mike parent meeting last night. Dr. Mike put on a great show and there were many good points those in attendance got from his stories and lessons. Remember the point he made last night, kids are going to make choices, both good and poor, our job is not to place blame or shoulder the burden, but to teach them and help them learn from their choices. Once again, thank you to everyone who attended.

Dr. Mike Presentation

2011-09-16T07:19:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, September 20th, all students of CMS will participate in an assembly with Dr. Mike Thompson. Dr. Mike will be sharing with all of the students character education information to help them with being successful in school and in life. There will also be a free presentation in the evening with Dr. Mike for all parents. The presentation will be at 7:00 PM in the Clare Middle School auditorium. Dr. Mike will be presenting his parenting tips on how to save your sanity as a parent. For a educational and entertaining time, please plan on attending Tuesday night.

3.0 School

2011-09-08T11:43:00.000-07:00

Clare Middle School is proud to announce a partnership with the Detroit Redwings in supporting educational excellence in the classroom. The partnership is the Red Wings 3.0 club. All students who earn a B or better in all of their classes will become members of the club. Membership includes a certificate, the opportunity to receive ONE COMPLIMENTARY ticket with the purchase of at least one ticket for select Red Wings games, the chance to win prizes including Red Wings autographed items and merchandise (drawings will take place periodically throughout the school year), the chance for a student to sit in the pre game penalty box, and the chance to be part of the Red Wings High Five Tunnel. Students will begin recieving information after the first marking period has been completed. Certificates will be presented to the students along with information for them to take home and share with their parents.

Lunch Money

2011-09-08T07:47:00.000-07:00

Here are the directions for using the online account for the hot lunch program at Clare Public Schools.

Before you begin, you must acquire each of your children’s student numbers from the school they are attending at Clare.

1. Parents go to: http://www.sendmoneytoschool.com
2. Create a new account
3. Select a password
a. Passwords must be at least 6 characters and must contain at least two of: upper case, lower case, numbers and/or symbols
4. Agree to the terms. By agreeing to the terms, you are agreeing to pay $2.00 for each credit card transaction in addition to any other terms of your card. You do not have to add money to the accounts. You can just create an account to monitor your student’s activity and balances. You may still send money to the school directly to be added to the account.
5. You will then get a confirmation email from Meal Magic and you will follow the link to confirm your account.
6. Next you will be prompted to “begin by typing the city, school name, or zip code”. Start typing the School name (Clare) and you should be able to select Clare Public Schools.
7. Click the“Add a student to your account” button. Then type in the student number provided by the school.
8. You will then be prompted to type in their first name, last name and birthday of your child.
9. You are now able to administer this account – add money, check balances, view activity to the account or add another student.

Thank you

2011-09-08T07:46:00.000-07:00

A huge thank you to every who attended the CMS open house last night. Your attendance and participation helped make last nights open house one of the most successful in my seven years as principal here at CMS.

Open House

2011-09-06T07:43:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that the Clare Middle School open house is scheduled for Wednesday night, beginning at 7:00 PM in the auditorium. Hope to see you there.

CMS open House

2011-08-23T10:24:00.000-07:00

Welcome back open house for Clare Middle School will be held on Wednesday, September 7th, in the auditorium. The open house will begin at 7:00 PM. All parents new to Clare Middle School should plan on attending the open house. The open house will run for about one hour.

Home room/ Classroom lists

2011-08-16T10:32:00.000-07:00

Student class lists and homeroom location will be posted on the front sign of the middle school by 4:00 PM, Thursday September 1st.

Important Dates for 2011 - 2012

2011-08-10T11:01:00.000-07:00

Here are some important dates in regards to the 2011 - 2012 school year.

Sept. 6, half day for all students. Student will be released at 11:39
Sept. 7, first full day of school.
Oct. 4, Picture Day
Oct. 11,12,13,18,19, MEAP testing days
Nov. 4, first marking period ends
Nov. 15, no school deer day
Parent Teacher Conferences Nov. 21 and 22
Nov. 23,24,25 No school for Thanksgiving
Dec. 5 no school for students, teacher professional development day
Dec. 22 - Jan. 3 no school for winter break
Jan. 19, half day for students and end of second marking period and first semester
Jan. 20, no school for students
Feb. 17, no school for students, teacher professional development day
Mar. 6, no school for students, teacher professional development day
Mar. 23, end of third marking period
Apr. 2 - 6, no school for spring break
May 31, half day for students and end of fourth marking period and 2nd semester.

May 31 is scheduled to be the last student day. However this is subject to change due to snow days, and delay starts that occur during the school year.

Back to School Supplies

2011-08-02T09:10:00.000-07:00

As you get ready to begin the process of preparing for a new school year, one of the questions I get most frequently is what supplies will my son/ daughter need for school. Here is a list of those items that will aid in the success of your student this school year. This is not an all inclusive list but is a good start.

Flash/ Thumb Drive 1g or more
Pencils
Paper
Ink Pens (not the gel type)
Three Ring Binder, or some other type of folder to hold all of the papers and items of importance.
Back Pack
Colored Pencils
Markers?
Erasers
Calculator ( the following are recommended and will provide the students with a calculator they can use through middle school, high school and into college) Texas Instruments calculators - TI - 84, TI - 83, or TI - 89. You can obtain these at a reasonable price on line.

Many of these, if not all of these items can be obtained from the First Choice Office Supply store across from Walgreens here in Clare or at Walgreens, or any big box store in Mt. Pleasant.

As stated earlier this is not an all inclusive list, however should get your student off to the right start. Your child's teachers will provide more information during the first day of school and through out the school year.

Final Discipline Post

2011-07-25T11:47:00.000-07:00

Extreme Misconduct (very serious):

Extreme infractions are those that involve the most pressing discipline issues. The following are just examples and are not all inclusive:

 Arson or attempted arson
 Assault and/or battery
 Bulling – either physical or psychological
 Bomb threats, false fire alarms, abuse of fire extinguishers and false police reports
 Breaking and entering: unauthorized entry into school property, including but not limited to school buildings and school vehicles
 Computer tampering, unauthorized access, modification or destruction of private files.
 Use or possession of explosives
 Extortion, blackmail or coercion: obtaining money or property by violence or force
 Use, possession, transfer or under the influence of illegal drugs, unauthorized prescription drugs, look alike drugs and any abusable chemical substance.
 Theft, including aiding and abetting
 Interference or intimidation of school staff which include force or verbal threats
 Malicious mischief – property damage
 Other violations of federal, state or local ordinances
 Obscene, vulgar or profane language toward a staff member
 Disrupting the school environment in any way while suspended from school
 Disrupting the school environment in any way during fire drills, tornado drills, or lockdown drills

Any criminal acts taking place at or related to the school will be reported to law enforcement officials as well as disciplined by the school. It is not considered double jeopardy (being tried twice for the same crime), when school rules and laws are violated. Any student who is a participant/accessory to misconduct, or hinders/interferes with an investigation will be subject to disciplinary action.

Procedures and penalties for extreme misconduct offense: The principal or his/her designee will:

1. Investigate the offense and allow the students to defend him/herself
2. Notify the police when appropriate
3. Notify the parents of those involved
4. Notify the office of the superintendent

Penalty: One or more of the following may apply as determined by the principal or his/her designee:

1. Suspension (OSS) – one to ten days
2. Suspension of more that ten days
3. Recommendation for expulsion
4. Restitution of property (if applicable)

Plagiarism is using another person’s words, ideas, or work without giving credit to that person. It includes:

 Paraphrasing information from a source without referencing the source.
 Copying and pasting Internet information, graphics or media into your work with out the source.
 Using someone else’s homework, paper, or research you did not do and turning it in as if you had done the work yourself.
 Not placing quotation marks around parts of sources you copy exactly.

When a citation for each source used is not included in the paper, speech, project, etc., the student has committed plagiarism.

2nd discipline procedure post

2011-07-19T10:54:00.001-07:00

Severe Misconduct:

The Clare Middle School code of conduct is in effect anytime that a student is on the school property or at a district sponsored event. This code is not exhaustive and the principal reserves the right to utilize alternative penalties other than those stated below.

 Fighting involving bodily contact and/or statements or actions which directly provoke aggressive actions by another student.
 Forgery or falsifying school documents
 Insubordination, suggesting others defy reasonable instructions or refusing to identify oneself.
 Obscene, lewd or vulgar language.
 Misuse of books, materials, computer hardware or software and equipment
 Harassment of any nature
 Stealing or willfully accepting, using or possessing stolen property.
 Unsafe and disorderly behavior which includes running in the halls, throwing objects, undue noise in the halls during class time, bringing screw top bottles to school, consuming food or beverages outside of the lunchroom, possession of lighters or matches, etc. **
 Use or possession of alcohol/tobacco products.
 Public displays of affection which include holding hands or other forms of inappropriate body contact such as kissing. **
 Leaving school grounds without permission. **
 Plagiarism (most, if not all of the work has been copied from another source)**
 RTC referrals in excess of 20.

Penalties for Severe Misconduct Offense:

1. First Violation – Up to three (3) days of OSS from school including a contact of parents, and authorities if appropriate. Zero on assignment for plagiarism offense.*
a. First Violation – Those items with two asterisks after them Up to three (3) days of in school suspension including a contact of parents, and authorities if appropriate. Zero on assignment for plagiarism offense
2. Second Violation – Four (4) to six (6) days of OSS from school including a contact of parents, and authorities if appropriate. Zero on assignment for plagiarism offense.*
3. Third Violation – Seven (7) to nine (9) days of OSS from school including a contact of parents, and authorities if appropriate. Failing grade for the marking period for plagiarism offense.*
4. Fourth Violation – Long term suspension from Clare Middle School of no less than ten (10) days and/or a recommendation for expulsion, a contact of parents and authorities if appropriate. Failing grade for the marking period for plagiarism offense.*

Alternative discipline may be chosen when appropriate – such as referral to RTC.

Discipline Policy

2011-07-13T07:56:00.000-07:00

Over the next three weeks I will be placing the discipline policy as it is written in the school handbook on the blog. This is the first posting of this part of the handbook.

General Misconduct:

Any behavior which disrupts, interferes with, or detracts from learning. Examples of such prohibited behaviors include, but are not limited to:

 Talking in class without permission
 Not having a pencil or other materials
 Walking around the classroom
 Throwing things in the classroom
 Sleeping in class
 Tipping back in chair
 Running in the hallway
 Chewing gum inappropriately
 Arriving late to class
 Tapping pencil
 Slamming books on desk
 Looking out the window
 Shouting out in class
 Physical contact that could result in possible injury or harm. (including wrestling/ horseplay/ etc.)
 Dress code violation
 Academic dishonesty/ Cheating
 Technology/Acceptable Use Policy violation

Responsible Thinking Process:
1st disruption – The student is always asked the RTP questions.
2nd disruption – The student has chosen to go to the RTC.
*Grade reduction for plagiarism/cheating

The student writes a plan in the RTC and returns to class after negotiating his/her return with the teacher. This should take place without any further disruptions to the classroom.

CMS Dress Code

2011-07-06T11:14:00.000-07:00

Here is the CMS dress code as it is written in the student handbook for the 2011 - 2012 school year.

Dress Code

Clothing or grooming will be considered unacceptable if it endangers the health or safety of other students and staff or it creates a disruptive influence on the educational process. Specific religious customs which appear to be contrary to the dress code may be accommodated at the discretion of the principal. Additional health and safety standards may be required of students enrolled in special classes. (For example: physical education, science, wood shop, technology, or computers.)

Certain extracurricular activities have specific and reasonable dress requirements. Since participation is voluntary, it is expected that students dress in compliance with the rules established by the organization, its sponsors and advisors.

The following clothing and items are unacceptable at school:

• Spandex, tight, or short shorts and miniskirts (rule of thumb, use the width of a dollar bill from the top of the knee, not the length) (( One dollar bill width from the top of the knee is as high as the shorts/ skirts may go.)
• Any clothing judged by school officials to be immodest
• Tank, tube tops, and/or tops that reveal the midriff
• Sleeveless tee-shirts or sweatshirts that are revealing.
• Hats, caps, or bandanas

• Clothing which is excessively dirty, torn, or worn. Jeans with tears/holes/ frays above the knees are not permitted. Jeans with holes must be patched from the outside, not inside.
• Pants or shorts which are excessively baggy which expose any underwear or skin below the waist at any time**
• Clothing, accessories, or other items which have logos, text, or pictures which are:**
• Crude, obscene, threatening, or suggestive
• Related to tobacco, alcohol, or drug use
• Sexually suggestive in any way
• Related in any way to gang involvement
• Chains of any sort
• Pajama bottoms and/or pajama tops

Coats are not to be worn in the classrooms and must be stored in coat rooms or lockers during the school day.

All dress code rules also apply to items such as book bags, backpacks, and any other item brought to school.
Items marked with a ** above may not be worn at school activities or on school property at any time (not just during the school day). Decisions about the appropriateness of a student’s dress will be made by the sponsor, teacher, and/or principal.

When a student violates the dress code, school issued sweat pants, t-shirts, or sweat shirts will be provided to the student to wear for the remainder of the day. Parents will be contacted immediately upon the discovery of a dress code violation.

Home work

2011-06-29T07:20:00.000-07:00

One thing that continually comes up in discussion each year is the amount of home work your child can expect.

For starters please keep this much in mind, it would be considered normal for students to have somewhere between 30 min and one hour of homework each night.

Sometimes this may be different. For instance if there is a big project being done in a class, the time may increase. Or if there was an assembly or some kind of disruption to the school day there may be less.

The length of homework will also depend on how well the student uses the class time they are given in each class. Often when a student has an excess of homework, it is discovered that they were given an opportunity in class to get a majority of the work done, however they did not use their time for that purpose, thus were left with more work to take home.

I hope this helps some. There is no set criteria for home work. Students can always bring home books to read, matertials to review etc. Planning one hour of homework every night except for Friday and Saturday night would be a good plan on both parents and students parts.

Make Up work Policy

2011-06-29T07:19:00.001-07:00

Here is the policy in regards to students who are absent from school.

Make Up Work

Students have the right and responsibility to make up their school work when absent for any reason. Students have one day for each day they were absent to make up missed assignments. Work assigned and provided during an absence which is turned in complete and on time will receive full earned credit. Any assignments not turned in complete and on time will receive a grade of zero. If a student requires assistance on any work assigned, it is that student’s responsibility to contact the appropriate teachers either before or after school, BEFORE the work is due, and ask for help.

Parents are urged to utilize the technology sources available to contact teachers, via e – mail to collect missing work in the event of an absence. If this method of communication is not available parents may contact the office to request the student’s assignments for absences of more than one day. The office will attempt to gather all the needed materials for pick up at the end of the school day. The work provided by the teacher should be completed by the time the student returns to school. *See suspension and due process.

CMS Hanbook Tardy Policy

2011-06-21T12:34:00.000-07:00

Here is a copy of the tardy policy out of the 2011-2012 handbook.

Tardiness

1) 1st Tardy to Class – Student is asked the RTP questions and marked tardy on the attendance.

2) 2nd Tardy to Class – Student is asked the 2nd set of RTP questions, they are marked tardy on the attendance, and then they have chosen to report to the RTC room to write a plan to address this issue.

3) 3rd Tardy to Class – Student is marked tardy on the attendance, student is asked the RTP questions again.

4) 4th Tardy to Class – Student is asked the 2nd set of RTP questions, they are marked tardy on the attendance, and then they have chosen to report to the RTC room to write a plan to address this issue.

5) 5th Tardy to Class – A parent, liaison officer, RTC teacher, staff member, and administrator intervention meeting will occur to address this issue and develop a plan.

6) Every Tardy beyond 5 – Will result in the student having to serve one full day of in school suspension and will be recorded on the students discipline records.

First Hour Tardy: Students arriving late to school will earn a tardy. Upon earning a third tardy to school students will be sent directly to the RTC, where they will complete a plan. Once the plan has been completed they will negotiate the plan with the administration, and bring the plan home for a signature by a parent. Students who are referred to the RTC room for their third tardy, and for every tardy after that will remain in the RTC until second hour. The work from their first hour class will be obtained to prevent the student from missing the work that was done in class. This will prevent a disruption to the learning environment and will help maintain the learning occurring in Clare Middle School. Students who arrive to school later than 8:25 AM will be marked as absent, and will be referred to the RTC. They will report to their second hour class upon completion of first hour.

Tardies are recorded on a per semester basis.

CMS Attendance Policy

2011-06-16T10:07:00.000-07:00

This Blog entry will be just about absences from school. The tardy policy will be shared on a different week.

Attendance Policy and Procedure

Michigan has compulsory school attendance laws which place the responsibility for a student’s attendance with the parents or legal guardian.

Absences and tardies may be excused or unexcused. Excused absences are those wherein the parent contacts the school prior to the absence or within two school days after the absence. Unexcused absences (truancies) are those wherein parental notification is not received prior to or within two school days after the absence. After two school days, the student will be marked unexcused.

In cases of excessive tardiness or absences, school personnel may require written documentation from either medical or professional personnel of the reasons for the absences. Excessive absences may also be referred to the appropriate law enforcement agency for enforcement of the compulsory school attendance laws.

Parents/guardians may call the school at 386-9979 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to report their child’s absence. If a telephone contact has not been made, it is imperative that the parent/guardian sends a note with their child which must be brought to the office immediately upon the student’s return. If a phone call or note has not been received at the office by 12:00 p.m. the day following your child’s absence, an automated call will go out to the home to remind the parent/guardian to call the school office. For your convenience you may also send an e-mail to the principal, secretary, or secretary clerk. Their e-mail addresses can be found at our website: www.clare.k12.mi.us/middle. After two school days, if an absence has not been excused by a parent/guardian, the student’s absence will remain unexcused and a disciplinary sanction will be issued. Late documentation will not be accepted as “excused.”

Students absent during the school day may not attend any after-school or evening school activities on that day.

Pre-Arranged Absence

Students must have parents and teachers complete a prearranged absence form for any planned absences other than medical.

Summer Posts

2011-06-16T10:03:00.000-07:00

One of the ideas that I came up with during the school year, was to make sure I share parts of the handbook with parents via the blog, hopefully on a weekly basis over the summer.

Beginning today and hopefully once a week I will post a portion of the handbook for you to look over and get familiar with over the summer. If after reviewing the portion of the handbook you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. You can email me at snewkirk@clare.k12.mi.us or you can call the school. I will be here for a majority of the summer. You can call me at 386 - 1205. Or you can post a response to the blog for everyone to see.

My goal is to help everyone have a great 2011 - 2012 school and get as much information out to everyone prior to the start of the school year. I wish you a great summer, and thank you for an awesome school year last year.

Summer School

2011-05-10T11:55:00.000-07:00

Summer school will once again be available for students in Clare Middle School grades 5 - 7. The summer school dates are June 20 through July 14. If you are interested in more information regarding summer school, please contact the middle school office at 386 - 9979 for more information and to enroll your student in summer school.

CMS Bands

2011-05-09T10:03:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the 7th and 8th grade CMS bands. Both bands participated in the state festival this past Friday. The 7th grade band earned a 1 for their performance, while the 8th grade earned a 2. Great job to both bands.

Important Dates

2011-05-04T07:27:00.001-07:00

Spring dance for all 8th and 7th grade students will be May 31st, beginning at 6:00 PM and ending at 8:30 PM, in the new middle school gym.

8th grade graduation will be June 2 beginning at 7:30 PM in the new middle school gym.

Survey Results

2011-04-15T07:24:00.000-07:00

One of the areas that did not recieve a positive tally on the survey was that school leaders clearly communicate to parents about school rules and learning expectations. This question received more poor votes than other votes. So, if this is the case, my question to everyone who reads this post is this, what and/ or how would you believe would be the best way to communicate these things. Currently we offer a web site, a twitter account, a blog, sent home learning expectations for all parents at the beginning of the year, and have included the rules and expectations in the your students planner. Is there an area that has been over looked? This is an area that needs to be improved, so I am asking for your help in taking this step to improve this communication. Thank you in advance for your help.

8th Grade Graduation

2011-04-14T11:37:00.000-07:00

8th grade graduation will be held on Thursday June 2, 2011, at 7:00 PM in the Clare Middle School gymnasium.

Thank you

2011-04-08T11:53:00.001-07:00

Thank you to everyone who took a couple of minutes to complete the CMS survey. We received over 60 surveys. This will help us complete our school improvement report and will give us information to help us improve.

Report cards will be sent home with your student on Friday, April 15.

CMS Survey

2011-04-04T06:06:00.000-07:00

CMS is in the process of collecting information for our School Improvement report. Please click on the following link and take the short survey attached. The survey is anonymous and will take only 5 minutes. The information obtained from this survey will help the staff complete the school improvement report, and will also provide us with information regarding improvements we can make to better serve the students, parents, and community of Clare. This survey will close on Friday, April 8th at 3:30 PM. Thank you for your help and support. (If you would like a paper copy of the survey please stop by the CMS office to obtain a paper copy and an opportunity to submit your responses in written form)http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/36KXNSL

Third Marking Period

2011-03-24T08:16:00.000-07:00

Due to the two snow days at the end of the marking period, the third marking period is being extended. The final day of the third marking period will now be April 5th. Students will have two days to finish up any work that needs to be completed, and turn it in for credit, to be applied to the third marking period when they return from break. Report cards will be given to the students during the week of April 11 - April 15.

CMS Spelling Bee

2011-03-22T07:29:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Brendan Gregory. He is the CMS spelling bee champion. He will be participating in the regional spelling bee, representing Clare Middle School. Congratulations to Tiffanie Kole. Tiffany was the runner up in the Clare Middle School spelling bee.

Science Olympiad Team takes Third Place

2011-03-21T07:50:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the CMS Science Olympiad team. The team competed this past Saturday and earned third place honors. Great job team.

CMS Band Success

2011-03-17T05:38:00.001-07:00

Last weekend, both the 7th and 8th grade bands traveled to Roscommon High School to perform at District Band festival. Both bands received a straight I rating, which is the highest possible rating. This qualifies both bands for State competition. This is the second year in a row that both bands have received straight I ratings at district festival! Congratulations, band members!

Victory

2011-03-14T07:45:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to the Clare Middle School junk yard war team. The team traveled to MMCC on Friday and brought home first place honors. Job well done team.

7th and 8th grade track

2011-03-03T11:00:00.000-08:00

7th and 8th grade students will have an opportunity to participate in track this spring. There have been sign up sheets in the 7th and 8th grade hallway for the past week. Track season will begin with the first practice, after school, on Monday March 14. Students will need to have a physical on file for them to be able to participate. The track coaches this year are Mrs. Rzepecki, and Ms. Halverson. If you have any questions please contact them, myself, or Mike Schubert at the high school.

No School

2011-02-17T07:30:00.000-08:00

Just a reminder that there will be no school for the students on the following days:

February 18
March 1
March 25 through April 3

Report Cards

2011-01-26T04:40:00.000-08:00

Report cards with the 1st and 2nd makring periods, as well as semester exam grades, and the final semester grades will be mailed home to all parents the week of January 31. If you have not recieved your child's report card by the end of the week, please contact the school and let us know so that we are able to get you one as soon as possible.

Help for students

2011-01-13T07:35:00.000-08:00

There is a very good website that contains over 35,000,000 you tube video clips, that can help your child understand math and science. I would strongly recommend parents visit this web site to get an idea of what is available for their child to get help, especially if they are struggling with their work, especially in math and science.

The web site is http://www.khanacademy.org/

Students can watch video clips that will help explain the material and will allow them to view the clips as many times as needed to gain an understanding of the material.

Hope this helps.

January 21st

2010-12-20T07:39:00.000-08:00

Due to a scheduling error, students will not have the entire day off on January 21st. Instead they will have a half day of school on the 21st. Students will be released at 11:30.

Holiday Break

2010-12-14T07:05:00.001-08:00

There will be no school beginning on December 22 through January 2. School will resume on January 3, 2011.

Girls Basketball Game

2010-12-14T06:36:00.000-08:00

The girls basketball game that was scheduled for last night against Beaverton will not be re-scheduled.

Internet Saftey

2010-12-03T11:40:00.001-08:00

On December 1st, Sergeant Josh Lator from the Michigan State Police was here to give his presentation on Internet safety to all students in grades 5 - 8. His presentation lasted for about one hour and was grade level specific and taught the students how to protect themselves from Internet predators and to insure their safety when using the Internet.

In this post I have included a link to a web site for the Michigan State police. This web site will allow you the opportunity to report an Internet crime to the Michigan State police. If you feel that your child has been the victim of an Internet crime, click on this link and follow the directions to file a report.

www.michiganicac.com

After School Tutoring

2010-11-29T07:41:00.000-08:00

Clare Middle School will be once again offering after school tutoring. After school tutoring will begin on December 7th, and will be held every Tuesday and Thursday night for the remainder of the year. The program will begin at 3:15 and will end at 4:15. If you are interested in signing your child up for after school tutoring forms are available in the middle school office for you to fill out and turn back in. There will be two highly qualified teachers running the after school tutoring program. Space is limited so sign up now.

Congratulations

2010-11-17T11:58:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Mabel Krause for winning the Stremicks soy milk competition. Mable created a design that will be used on the new line of soy milk. For her efforts and time she has won a 1,000 gift card for the art department at Clare Middle School to use towards the purchase of art supplies. Thank you Mabel and congratulations on a job well done.

Parent Teacher Conferences

2010-11-17T10:24:00.000-08:00

Parent Teacher conferences will be held on November 22nd and 23rd. Report cards will be handed out at conferences, and can be picked up in the new gym. Grades 6 though 8 will be held in the new gymnasium, and grade 5 will be held in the teachers classrooms. Conference times are as follows:

Mon. November 22nd - 4:30 to 7:30
Tue. November 23rd - 12:30 - 3:30 and 4:30 to 7:30

Each parent that attends conferences will receive one free slice of pizza at the conferences.

There is no school on Wednesday November 24th.

Bullying Concerns

2010-10-27T07:27:00.000-07:00

Over the past couple of weeks we have been made aware of some bullying issues that are occurring in the school. Please understand that we do not tolerate bullying and once we have discovered them, will take immediate action. Let me share some information with you that might help you understand how we deal with these incidents.

1) Once we are made aware of the bullying, we begin calling students to the RTC and have them fill out a student statement report. We continue calling students down until we have called all of the witnesses and those students who are directly involved and gotten statements from everyone.

2) I then take the statements and begin comparing similarities in the statements. At this time if necessary we call students back down to the office or RTC to meet with myself and the RTC coordinator.

3) Once we have gathered all of the information, then the RTC coordinator and I make a decision on how we are going to proceed based on the information we have. Sometimes we opt for a conflict resolution. This is where we get all the students who have been involved together and have them discuss the issues and help them resolve the problem. This alleviates the need for suspension and helps the students learn how to work through issues like this together. Other times we will move directly to a suspension.

In closing, most of what we are learning is beginning on Facebook, and outside of school. If this is the case I will make a recommendation to the parents to take their concern to the local police agency to get their assistance with the issue as well as deal with it here at school. I also take the time to share with parents that dealing with it at school sometimes has the opposite impact the parents were hoping would occur. The bullying has on occasion gotten worse instead of better.

Finally, I wish I had a magic wand or potion to make this stop. However no such item exists. Kids are going to make decisions, and my job/ our job is to help them learn from their choices, and help them learn to make better choices. The best thing a parent can do to help their child is to contact the school, and make sure the student knows that it is ok to go and talk to the RTC coordinator, and fill out a student statement sheet.

MEAP Testing

2010-10-06T05:47:00.001-07:00

Here are the MEAP testing dates. Please make every effort to insure that your child gets a good nights sleep and a breakfast on these dates to help give them every chance to do well on the test.

Tuesday Oct. 12, Reading Test part 1 (all grades)
Wednesday Oct. 13, Reading test part 2 (all grades)
Thursday Oct. 14, Writing test part 1 (7th grade only)
Tuesday Oct. 19 Math (all grades)
Wednesday Oct. 20, Writing test part 2 (7th grade only), science test (5th and 8th grade only), social studies test (6th grade only)

Picture Packets

2010-09-29T07:20:00.000-07:00

Your child will be receiving their picture packet from their Pioneer Period teacher this Friday. They should bring this form home to you for you to look over. Please send it back to school with them on Tuesday, October 5th, filled out and with money. Thank you.

Office Hours

2010-09-14T05:32:00.000-07:00

The middle school office is open from 7:30 in the morning, until 4:00 in the afternoon. There are some days in which it may be open a little longer, or close a little earlier. If you are in need of contacting the office you can call 386 - 9979 between these hours, or send an email to the contacts, which can be found in this blog, or on the Middle School Web Page.

Attendance

2010-09-09T06:35:00.000-07:00

It is important that your child is in school every day. There will be occasions when they are sick, or just not able to make it to school. On those days in which they can not make it to school, it is very important that you contact the school and let us know that they are not going to be here. There are a couple of ways in which this can be done:

1) Call the school - 386-9979
2) Send a note to school with your child on the day they return to school after they have been absent.
3) Email us. I have included the emails in which you can use to let us know that your child will not be in school.

snewkirk@clare.k12.mi.us
Kkushmaul@clare.k12.mi.us
Dzinser@clare.k12.mi.us
Brendab@clare.k12.mi.us

Please help us help you by letting us know when your child will not be in attendance in school. This will prevent any problems and phone calls coming to you from the school

All of us here appreciate the help you provide the school in regards to attendance.

Student Schedules

2010-08-25T07:09:00.000-07:00

Home room lists will be posted on the sign in front of the middle school on September 2nd. Your student will report to their home room class on the list on the first day of school. From their your student will recive their schedule, planner, and other necessary items for the school year. Make sure you check the sign in front of the school to find out where your child should go first thing on Sept. 7th.

Back to School Open House

2010-08-10T10:56:00.001-07:00

We will once again be hosting our back to school, meet and great night to get the school year started off on the right note. This night is scheduled for September 8th, which is a Wednesday, at 7:00 PM in the middle school auditorium. Hope to see everyone there.

This will be the only open house held this fall until parent teacher conferences. We have attempted to schedule it earlier/ before school starts however have found that we have run into limited availability by parents, students, and staff.

Follow us on Twitter

2010-08-09T11:06:00.000-07:00

You can now follow Clare Middle School on Twitter. You will find us under the heading of claremiddle. We will be tweeting information regarding events, cancellations, etc. to keep everyone posted to the best of our ability.

Back to School Supplies

2010-08-09T08:27:00.000-07:00

Back to School

2010-07-27T07:25:00.000-07:00

We are a short six weeks until school starts for the 2010 - 2011 school year. As you prepare for the upcoming school year, and start purchasing items for back to school, I would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone of the dress code for the 2010 - 2011 school year. I will type it here as it is printed in the student hand book for CMS.

Dress Code

Clothing or grooming will be considered unacceptable if it endangers the health or safety of other students and staff or it creates a disruptive influence on the educational process. Specific religious customs which appear to be contrary to the dress code may be accommodated at the discretion of the principal. Additional health and safety standards may be required of students enrolled in special classes. (For example: physical education, science, wood shop, technology, or computers.)

Certain extracurricular activities have specific and reasonable dress requirements. Since participation is voluntary, it is expected that students dress in compliance with the rules established by the organization, its sponsors and advisors.

The following clothing and items are unacceptable at school:

• Spandex, tights, or short shorts and miniskirts (rule of thumb, use the width of a dollar bill from the top of the knee, not the length) (( One dollar bill width from the top of the knee is as high as the shorts/ skirts may go.)
• Any clothing judged by school officials to be immodest
• Tank, tube tops, and/or tops that reveal the midriff
• Sleeveless tee-shirts or sweatshirts that are revealing.
• Hats, caps, or bandanas

• Clothing which is excessively dirty, torn, or worn. Jeans with tears/holes/ frays above the knees are not permitted. Jeans with holes must be patched from the outside, not inside.
• Pants or shorts which are excessively baggy which expose any underwear or skin below the waist at any time**
• Clothing, accessories, or other items which have logos, text, or pictures which are:**
• Crude, obscene, threatening, or suggestive
• Related to tobacco, alcohol, or drug use
• Sexually suggestive in any way
• Related in any way to gang involvement
• Chains of any sort
• Pajama bottoms and/or pajama tops

Coats are not to be worn in the classrooms and must be stored in coat rooms or lockers during the school day.

All dress code rules also apply to items such as book bags, backpacks, and any other item brought to school.
Items marked with a ** above may not be worn at school activities or on school property at any time (not just during the school day). Decisions about the appropriateness of a student’s dress will be made by the sponsor, teacher, and/or principal.

When a student violates the dress code, school issued sweat pants, t-shirts, or sweat shirts will be provided to the student to wear for the remainder of the day. Parents will be contacted immediately upon the discovery of a dress code violation.

2010 - 2011 Calender

2010-07-12T07:53:00.000-07:00

Here is a tentative calender for the 2010 - 2011 school year. There is some chance that some of the dates may change but this will give you a general idea of what the school year is going to look like for next year. If you have any questions please contact me. If any changes occur I will post them on the blog.

Sept. 7 first day of school for students. Half day students dismissed at 11:39
Oct. 12, 14, 19, 21 - MEAP testing for all students.
Nov. 15 no school, deer day
Nov. 22 Parent teacher conferences - evening only.
Nov. 23 Parent teacher conferences - afternoon and evening. Students dismissed at 11:39
Nov. 24 - 26 no school.
Dec. 6 no school for students, teacher in service day.
Dec. 23 - 31 no school, Christmas break
Jan. 20 students dismissed at 11:39
Jan. 21 no school for students, teachers records day.
Feb. 18 no school for students, teacher in service day.
Mar. 8 no school for students, teacher in service day.
Mar. 28 - Apr. 1 - spring break, no school
Apr. 22 no school, Good Friday
May 30 no school Memorial Day
June 3 last day of school, students dismissed at 11:39

Youth Police Academy Opportunity

2010-06-02T05:56:00.001-07:00

The City of Clare Police Department is proud to announce the dates for its
annual Youth Police Academy. This 2 week academy starts July 12th and
concludes with Graduation on July 22nd. The classes will be Monday through
Thursday starting at 9:00am and ending at 3:00pm Lunch will be provided.
The cost of this year's academy is only $5.00. Students starting 5th grade
through 8th grade as of this fall are encouraged to participate. Classes
will include, first aid, K9 procedures, Crime Scene Investigation and many
more law enforcement duties will be taught. Don't miss out.
Contact the Clare Police Department for further information. Monday through
Friday 8am to 4pm. 386-2121,

Graduation

2010-05-17T05:57:00.000-07:00

8th Grade Graduation will be June 2nd, beginning at 8:00 PM in the new gym. Please note the time change from the original start time of 7:00 PM.

CMS Band

2010-04-26T09:52:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to both the 7th and 8th grade bands. Both performed at the state festival this past Friday. The 7th grade performed so well that they earned straight ones! Way to go!!!

Spring Dance Change

2010-04-07T09:53:00.000-07:00

Due to a scheduling conflict with a middle school track meet, the spring dance has been moved to the evening of June 1, from 6:30 to 9:00 pm in the new middle school gym. An attempt was made to maintain a Friday evening for the dance, however, due to middle school track meets, a high school track meet, and the 8th grade Mackinac Island trip, a Friday night was not available to reschedule the dance. After meeting and discussing the situation with Mr. Hales, we had an idea of holding the dance on June 1st, the night before 8th grade graduation. Our hopes were this, the students would not have to worry about homework that night, as exams were the week before, and once we set the gym up for the dance, it could remain set up for graduation the next night, not to mention there was a DJ available for the evening of June 1. I hope this answers some of the questions that may exist out there, as to why the dance had to be moved. If you have further questions please do not hesitate to contact me at the school. Thanks for taking the time to read this post and please share this information with others.

Schedule of Events

2010-04-06T07:11:00.001-07:00

Here is a schedule of activities and events for the remainder of the school year.

April 13, CMS track at Beaverton
April 15, CMS track home Houghton Lake/ Roscommon
April 20, CMS track at Sanford
April 22, CMS track home Gladwin
April 23, staff inservice day, no school for students.
April 27 CMS track home Sanford
May 4, CMS Track home Roscommon
May 7, CMS track at Ithaca Relays
May 11, CMS track at Houghton Lake
May 14, CMS track at Farwell
May 20, CMS Band Concert
May 24, 5th grade track and field day.
May 28, 8th grade Mackinac Island Field Trip
No school May 31
Spring Dance for 7th and 8th grade students June 1, 6:30 - 9:00
8th Grade Graduation June 2, 7:00 PM
Students dismissed for summer break June 3rd, at 11:39

I may have missed some things but this is the list to the best of my knowledge at this point and time. If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me at any time, and I will do my best to answer your questions or listen to your concerns.

March 19

2010-03-18T04:42:00.000-07:00

The dance that was scheduled for this Friday night has been canceled. The student council representatives were in charge of getting everything ready for the dance for the past couple of weeks. Unfortunately they did not get the job done, so a decision was made and supported to cancel the dance. Mr. Hales was not going to perform their duties for them and I support his decision. This is one of those instances where we were hoping that the students would be responsible in getting the tasks they agreed to perform done, however the chose to not perform their duties.

Response to post

2010-03-05T11:15:00.000-08:00

In response to the comment, it's a little too late to start enforcing the policy, which child upset you, here are my thoughts.
1) I guess if giving kids the benefit of the doubt and trusting them to make the right decision is the wrong thing, then I am guilty.
2) The dress code from here on out will be enforced strictly from the first day of school and for the remainder of the year.
3) It was not one child, and they did not upset me, they violated the policy, and when any policy is violated then the rules are applied.

I appreciate the people that have called me or taken the time to meet with me face to face. While we may not have agreed, we were able to discuss it openly and get the issue resolved. They were also able to learn that there is a lot more to this issue than just the holes in the pants. If anyone would like to come and meet with me, please do not hesitate to contact me. My door is always open and you are more than welcome to come in and meet with me.

Response

2010-03-03T05:34:00.001-08:00

I have been asked and posted by an anonymous poster to answer some questions regarding the dress code. Here are the answers to the questions.

1) This is not a new rule, it has been a rule at CMS for this year, and years past. The rule has been posted in every child's planner on page 13. Every child received a free planner at the beginning of the year with the handbook in it.

2) There has been a need to enforce this rule, due to the problem we have been experiencing with holes in the jeans in places there should be no holes, tears, or frays. Because of this we have had to begin enforcing the policy a little stricter. We also adhere to the same policy that the high school does in regards to this matter.

3) To be consistent and fair the rule is no holes, or tears above the knee. If there are they need to be patched on the outside. The reason behind this is simple, equity. Every student who chooses to wear jeans with holes in them, whether patched or not patched would have to be judged as to whether or not it is consistent with the hand book. This could lead to some kids getting the nod and others having to change. Which then could be perceived as favorites are being played, and that is not what is wanted at Clare Middle School.

4) I apologize for any inconvenience that this may have caused some parents and students. I realize and understand that this is the current style/ trend, however I am also very aware that this style is generally sold in the mall and at stores. After doing some extensive research on the Internet, looking up stores such as walmart, meijers, JC. Penny, Gap, Buckle, Aeropostle, and Abercrombie, I was able to find jeans being sold by these stores that did not have the holes in them for kids.

5) This is an issue that we have let slide, and have now had to enforce because of two incidences involving students here at Clare Middle School. While I am certain, based on the number of phone calls and concerns I have received that there are some frustrations with this, please remember this, our goal is to provide a quality education in a very safe environment for kids that are between the ages of 9 and 14. Thank you to the person who posted on this website for raising this question, and I hope this answers yours and anyone elses questions about this issue.

Dress Code

2010-03-01T12:39:00.000-08:00

It is that time of the year when the weather starts to warm up and the students need to be reminded of the dress code. Here is the CMS dress code:

The following items are not permitted:

Spandex, tight, or short shorts and min skirts.
Any clothing judged by school staff to be immodest.
Tank tops, tube tops, and/ or tops that reveal the midriff.
Sleeveless t-shirts or sweat shirts that are revealing.
Hats, caps, or bandannas.
Clothing which is excessively dirty, torn, or worn. Jeans with tears/ holes, or worn marks above the knees are not permitted. (If the student chooses to wear leggings under the holey jeans, they are still not permitted, even with the leggings)
Pants or shorts which are excessively baggy which expose any underwear or skin below the waist at any time.
Clothing, accessories, or other items which have logos, text, or pictures that are crude, obscene, threatening, suggestive, related to tobacco, alcohol, or drug use, sexually suggestive in any way, or are related in any way to gang involvement.
Chains of any sort.
Pajama bottoms and/or pajama tops.

All of this information can be found on page 13 of your child's planner.

Students who violate the hand book policy will receive one warning, after that each violation will result in a referral to the RTC.

Students will be given an option to call a parent to obtain an appropriate clothing item, or wear one of the clothing items that was left at CMS over the past 5 years in the lost and found. These items have been washed and cleaned in the event they are needed.

Interent Safety

2010-02-19T06:58:00.000-08:00

In the past week, the staff at Clare Middle School has learned that there are a number of students who now have face book pages on the web site and are using this as an avenue to bully students in our school and possibly others. After looking into a couple of situations we discovered that for a student to obtain a face book page, they have to be 13 or older. Which led us to this discovery, many of the students who have a face book page, and attend Clare Middle School are lying about their age to obtain an account.

Please be aware that this is the exact kind of thing that online predators are looking for. Young kids who are lying about their age, and posting things for the general public to see and read. I do not and will not have a face book page. I know that some people believe it is a good thing, and I agree, however it is my opinion that young children having their stuff out on display on the Internet could be inviting problems for them in the long run. If your child has a face book page, you might want to ask them how they got it and take a look at the contents of it, to see what they are doing with out your knowledge.

I hope this helps you, help your child to be safe on the internet.

Upcoming events

2010-02-08T07:49:00.000-08:00

Feb. 11th - 7th and 8th grade dance in the new gym. 3:30 PM to 6:00 PM
Feb. 12th - no school for students
Mar. 2nd - Middle School band concert at 7:00 PM in the high school gym
Mar. 9th - no school for students
Mar. 19th - 7th and 8th grade dance in the new gym. 3:30 PM to 6:00 PM
Mar. 26th - end of 3rd marking period
Mar. 29th through Apr. 2nd - Spring Break

Report Cards

2010-01-29T12:00:00.000-08:00

Report cards will mailed home during the week of February 1st. If you have not received your child's report card by the 8th of February, please contact us and we will get you one immediately.

Funny Note

2010-01-29T11:53:00.000-08:00

I was brought an interesting syllabus produced by a teacher in another district. In the teachers letter to the parent they made the following statement:

I promise I will not believe everything your child tells me about life outside of school if you promise me to not believe everything you hear from them about life in school.

I had to laugh at this, first because it was a pretty straight forward statement, but second because there is a lot of truth to this. Think back to when we were kids. We may have stretched the truth a bit when we got home from school, you know, it was not our fault we got a bad grade or got into trouble. It was the teachers, or the schools, just like it was not our fault we did not get our homework done, it was the dogs, or my moms or, well you get the picture.

The point I am trying to make is this, if you have any doubts about what you are hearing from your child, please do not hesitate to contact us at anytime. I personally am here most everyday from 7:15 in the morning to 4:30 every night. We would love the opportunity to work with you to help prepare your child for a very successful future at Clare Middle School and Clare High School. It takes all of us to educate these kids and with our combined efforts we can insure that they are ready for all of the challenges ahead of them.

After School Tutoring Program

2010-01-06T11:58:00.000-08:00

Every Tuesday and Thursday, beginning on January 12th, Clare Middle School will be offering after school tutoring from 3:15 to 4:00 in room 310. If you or your child are interested, or in need of tutoring, forms can be obtained from the middle school office or from Mr. Koch. Students will need to fill out a form with a parent and turn it in before beginning the tutoring sessions.

If you have an honor roll student who would like to help tutor, they may also sign up. They will also need to pick up, fill out, and return a form that can be obtained from the middle school office, or from Mr. Koch.

If you have any questions, please contact Jason Koch or my self at the middle school and we will do our best to answer you.

Happy New Year

2009-12-30T09:50:00.000-08:00

Welcome back to all students and staff on January 4.

Just a reminder that the marking period/ first semester will end on January 21st.

January 21st will be a half of a day of school for the students. They will be dismissed at 11:39.

January 22nd will be a teacher work day, and there will be no school for all students.

Mark these dates in your calenders and make sure you are checking your child's grades on line!

December is here

2009-12-03T07:18:00.000-08:00

Wow, things have been happening so fast, I had completely forgotten about updating the blog. I looked at the calender and went, what!!! it is December. Here are some reminders of events for the month of December:

1) The last day of school is December 18th. Students will return to school on the 4th of January, 2010.
2) The middle school band concert is December 15th, at 7:00 PM in the high school gym.
3) There will be 7th and 8th grade dance on December 4th, from 3:30 to 6:00 PM in the new gym.

Reminder that in the event school needs to be canceled due to weather, an automated call will go out to all parents, and will also be posted on TV 9 and 10, as well as the local radio stations.

Please make sure you contact the middle school office in the event your child is absent from school.

I wish everyone a happy holiday season, and want to thank you for your continued support of Clare Middle School.

Report Cards

2009-11-11T06:45:00.000-08:00

Report cards will be handed out to parents at parent teacher conferences. Conferences are November 23rd (4:30 to 7:30) and November 24th (12:30 to 3:30 and 4:30 to 7:30). This is a great opportunity to meet with the teachers, get your child's report card, and get the log in and password information for your student to check their grades on line and keep up with their progress. We hope to see everyone at conferences.

1st Marking period

2009-10-29T05:25:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe but the first quarter of the school year ends next Friday, November 6th. It is a good idea to check your child's grades on line to see how they are doing, in preparation for the end of the 1st marking period.

Parent Teacher conferences are scheduled for November 23rd - from 4:30 to 7:30 in the new gym and November 24th from 12:30 to 3:30 and 4:30 to 7:30 also in the new gym. There will not be any school for students or teachers on the 25th of November. Please begin making plans now to see your students teachers to discuss the progress in school so far.

Illness

2009-10-20T11:20:00.000-07:00

The latest scare in schools and every where is the flu, and more importantly H1N1. It is very important that you share with your child, the importance of washing hands, coughing in the elbow of their arm, and staying home if ill. If your child is running a fever it is important that they remain home for at least 24 hours after the fever has broke. Please make sure to call the middle school office if your student does stay home. We are trying our best to make sure your student is taken care of. The nurse is staying in contact with the health department to insure that we are doing everything in our power to make sure that school remains a safe place for your son and /or daughter to come and learn. Thank you in advance for your help.

Answers to Questions

2009-10-12T07:38:00.000-07:00

The following questions were sent to me:

*Is there a reason the MEAP dates aren't posted on the calendar? For new people to the district, how would we have been able to know about the dates?*

The MEAP dates were posted on the blog, and were sent home last week in a news letter. I am not certain which calender is being referenced in this question. If the question is referencing the district calender, I would have to guess that they are not there because Clare Middle School is the only school, in it's entirety that is giving the MEAP at every grade level. Clare Primary gives the MEAP at 3rd and 4th grade, and the 9th grade at the high school takes one part of the MEAP.

Any idea on when the October menu will be posted?

I will check on the the October menu, and if it is not posted will see that it is.