Chestnut Ridge School District News

CRMS PTO Hoss’s Night

2012-04-06T17:18:00.001-04:00

We are excited to once again team up with Hoss's Steak and Sea House to raise money for a very worthy cause – our middle school students. Please consider visiting the Hoss's location listed below on 4/27/2012 to aid us in raising money for field trips, assemblies, and other educational activities.

Print this notice and present it on 4/27/2012 at Hoss's in Bedford. Hoss's will then donate 20% of your total check paid to Chestnut Ridge Middle School PTO. Thank you for your support!

Group #16279

CRMS PTO

2012-04-06T17:15:00.002-04:00

The next meeting of the CRMS PTO will be on Monday, April 30^th at 7 p.m. in the library. We will be holding elections for officers and discussing fundraising for next school year. Hope to see you there!

Evening School Social

2012-02-14T16:31:00.001-05:00

The PTO of CRMS in conjunction with our faculty will be sponsoring an evening school social on Thursday Feb. 16th from 6:30-8:30 p.m. All students who attend CRMS are invited to attend. There will be a $3.00 admission fee that will be collected at the front door. All students will be required to sign in upon entry, and sign out along with having their parents notified if they leave the social before 8:30 p.m. Students from other schools, including CRHS will not be admitted to the social. Activities include a movie, dancing, games, etc…. There will be refreshments including pizza, snacks, soda, and water available for sale in the lobby.

CRMS PTO Meeting Time Change

2012-01-03T10:03:00.004-05:00

CRMS January PTO meeting will be held on January 9th in the middle school library. Please note that the time will be 3:30 pm instead of 7:00 pm. Hope to see you there!

Middle School Hoss's Night on November 26th!

2011-11-22T08:59:00.004-05:00

We are excited to team up with Hoss's Steak and Sea House to raise money for our amazing middle school students. We decided to have our Hoss's fundraiser on the Saturday following Thanksgiving. Instead of turkey leftovers for supper join us for a delicious steak or seafood meal. YUM! While you are there, pick-up some gift cards for holiday gift giving. 20% of all meal receipts and gift card sales will benefit Chestnut Ridge Middle School students. Hope to see you there!

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Print this notice and present it on 11/26/2011 at Hoss's in Bedford.

Group #14669

Please print and present this when ordering.

Middle School PTO Meeting

2011-11-01T08:34:00.001-04:00

We will be meeting in the middle school media center on Monday, November 7th at 7 pm. Field trips, fundraisers, and other exciting topics will be on our agenda. We hope that you can join us!

Middle School PTO Meeting

2011-09-26T10:01:00.003-04:00

Middle School PTO Meeting October 3rd: Join us for our second PTO meeting of the school year. We will be meeting in the school's library at 7 PM to continue our discussion on field trips, elect a new president and vice president, discuss the possibility of a couple of afternoon meetings, and to get an update on our magazine and book fair fundraisers. We hope to see you there!

PTO Meeting

2011-08-31T10:27:00.002-04:00

Chestnut Ridge Middle School will be having its first PTO meeting of the new school year on Monday, September 12th at 7 pm in the middle school library. Join us in making the best middle school in the county even better for our students - your children! Questions? Please contact Tammy Snow at tsnow@crsd.k12.pa.us.

Summer School Registrations

2011-04-29T11:38:00.003-04:00

Summer school registrations are now open for interested students. Summer school will begin Monday, June 6, 2011, and will conclude Friday, July 1, 2011. For more information, please read the attached Program Guidelines. Completed Registration Forms may be returned with payment to district guidance counselors. Registration deadline is Wednesday, June 1, 2011. If you have questions, please call Tammy Miller at 839.4195 x 3343 or email tmiller@crsd.k12.pa.us.

Middle School Talent Show

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

The MS Talent Show will be held on Thursday, March 24th in the MS Auditorium
from 6:00-7:30.

Practice dates are Monday, March 21st and Tuesday March 22 from 6-8.

All MS students are welcome to participate and need to fill out a registration form. Click here for more information.

Finding Time

2011-02-23T16:00:00.000-05:00

Need to find more time in your day? Are you finding it difficult to find time to devote to your middle level child? Some people seem to fit more things into a day than others. Did you ever wonder how they do it? Here are a few tips that may help you be more efficient in using your time:

Set priorities: Create a list of what is truly important to you. Odds are that your kids are at the top of the list. From the list you generated, decide how to spend your time. Make sure your decisions reflect what matters the most. When confronted with choices about the use of your time, refer to the list you created where you have prioritized what is most important. Given a choice between cooking a fancy dinner or talking with your child about school…order a pizza and talk!
Spend time one-on-one: “Quality time” is a deceptive myth. What your child really needs is “quantity time” with a parent or parents. They need time to talk and time to see and hear how you would apply your experience and values to the problems they are encountering. There is nothing more special for a child than a parent spending time alone with them, regardless of their age. Try to set a time aside to spend alone with your child each week. Listen, listen and allow the conversation to flow toward what your child wants to talk about. Treat the time as important as you would an important business meeting. You will find using a portion of your time in this way will pay huge dividends.
Use the “off” button: Use the off button you actually have more time than you think but its being stolen from you and your student because of electronics. Here are some things to “turn off” that will help!

Turn off the TV. Record any programs that are “can’t miss” and watch them when it is convenient.
Turn off phones. Let voice mail or the answering machine catch calls for you and your child for a couple hours each night. This eliminates a lot of distractions and interruptions.
Turn off the computer. Set limits on the amount of computer time are permitted for you and your child each night. You will be surprised how much time you lose in searching the internet, emailing and texting. Use the media free time to help with homework, to read together , or to just talk.

MS Talent Show, Practices Postponed

2011-02-23T15:58:00.002-05:00

Middle School Talent Show and Practices Postponed Feb 24th & Feb 28th MS practice #1 & Skills For Life Parent Session will be rescheduled March 1st Middle School Talent Show will be rescheduled.

Chorus Trip Date Change

2011-02-23T15:57:00.000-05:00

The date of the 7th & 8th grade chorus trip to Hershey Park has been changed to Tuesday, June 7 because of a conflict with graduation. Anyone interested in being a chaperon should contact Mrs. Wagner.

Did you know?

2011-02-08T16:41:00.000-05:00

Worth quoting:
“The rules for parents are but three...love, limit, and let them be.” - Elaine M. Ward

Did you know?

More teens are overweight now than at any time in American history. Across the country about one in three middle and high school students are considered obese or overweight. According to 2009 data, approximately 36.5% of CRMS students were overweight or at risk of being overweight. At CRMS we have provided students the opportunity to spend a portion of their lunch being active by offering unstructured play time outside or by walking in the gym. Help your child by encouraging more exercise, eating more sensible portions, and avoiding high-sugar and high-fat foods. The next time your middle school aged son or daughter asks for a soda, try to steer them to healthier alternatives such as low-fat milk or water. Most soda contains at least 10 teaspoons of sugar per can. Water is the best drink throughout the day. It has no sugar or calories and is low cost. Encourage the use of water bottles in the car and to athletic events and practices. Try serving water at meals. Add a slice of lemon for flavor! Creating healthy habits early will have a long term positive impact with your child.

CRMS S.A.F.E. Forms

2011-02-01T13:28:00.002-05:00

To address specific incidents of bullying or bullying behaviors that have occurred over a period of time, students who are not comfortable reporting these incidents to an adult can go to the guidance office or the main office and pick up a yellow CRMS S.A.F.E. form. These forms can be filled out by the student who was being targeted by a bully, or who is just having a problem with another student or students. Once these forms are returned to the main office, the administration investigates and attempts to resolve the issues as quickly as possible. Our experiences have found this process prevents a lot of smaller problems from escalating into bigger issues.

ATTENTION: STUDENTS 6-12 GRADE: WEB SHOW COMING

2011-01-24T08:53:00.003-05:00

Do you want to help with a web show? That's right! Chestnut Ridge is developing ishare, our own web show through the After 3 program. Click here for more information!

Meet Lionel the Lost and Found Lion.

I'm Lionel, in charge of Lost and Found (until I get a better gig!) Hey, is any of this stuff yours? Come get it!

Dealing with Bullies

2011-01-18T09:40:00.000-05:00

Parents often find it very challenging and frustrating to know how to react when their child comes home from school and reports a bullying incident to them. Bullying is another name for harassment. Bullying can be physical with one or more students hurting another. More often, bullying is verbal and includes persistent threatening behavior, teasing, ridicule, or gossiping. Children find it pretty tough to stop bullying without some support.

At CRMS all our students are exposed to the Olweus Bullying Prevention program that is handled through our advisory program that meets every Thursday am. Our school rules for bullying are:

We will not bully others.
We will try to help others who are bullied.
We will try to include students who are left out.
If we know that someone is being bullied, we will tell an adult at school and an adult at home.

What should parents do when their child is being bullied:

Focus on your child. Do not ignore the bullying or tell your child to ignore it.
Don’t blame your child for the bullying. Nobody deserves to be bullied.
Listen carefully to what your child tells you about the bullying. Attempt to get details about the incident that include with who, when, and where the incident occurred, and if there were any witnesses.
Stress to your child that bullying is wrong and not their fault. Applaud your child for having the courage to report the incident. Explain what you are going to do to help him or her.
If you disagree with how your child handled the bullying, do not criticize him or her.
Do not tell your child to fight back. This could make the matter worse and lead to discipline issues at school.
Control your emotions. Let some time elapse before deciding what to do.
Talk to your child’s teacher or contact the MS office at 839-4195 to report incidents of bullying to Mr. Black or Mr. Shoemaker.

Using Student Agendas

2011-01-11T08:45:00.002-05:00

At the beginning of each school year, students are provided an agenda that can be used to help them stay organized. Proper use of the agenda on a daily basis is an excellent habit in helping to develop organization skills with students. Many teachers at CRMS remind students on a regular basis to post their assignments and upcoming tests/quizzes in their planners To further encourage regular use of the agendas, restroom and hall pass privileges are granted to students through presentation of their agendas. Agendas can also be helpful for students in managing their time as practices, games, work schedules, social activities, appointments and other events can be entered. Doing so often results in students recognizing they must use and plan their time after school very wisely. Regular use of an agenda isn’t hard, but it is a skill that needs to be developed and practiced. Parents are wise to encourage their children to use their agendas as it will help them in becoming more organized, and result in better school performance!

Staying Involved, Worth Quoting, & Organizational Tips

2011-01-04T16:38:00.002-05:00

Staying Involved: (1/3/11)

Middle aged children may act as though they would like their parents to disappear at times. But when it comes to school success, middle school students still need their parents around. When parents are involved in their child’s learning, student achievement soars. Children score higher on tests, turn in better projects, and participate more in class if they know their parents care and take an interest in their education.
Staying involved in your child’s learning can occur at anytime during the day. Talk about homework while preparing dinner, or watch an educational TV program or documentary together at night. Visit a historical site on the weekend, or participate in any activity with your child that involves acquisition of new knowledge. By doing so you are modeling the importance of learning.

Teachers will welcome your commitment and interest, whether you volunteer at school events, or just take an active role in your child’s studies by providing support with homework and test preparation. Call or email your child’s teacher’s to see what you can do …in or out of school… to help your child be successful!

Worth quoting: (1/3/11)

This month to honor the celebration of the life of Martin Luther King Jr. on January 17th, a quote is being provided that would apply to us all.

“The time is always right to do what is right” - Martin Luther King Jr.

Organization Tips: (1/3/11)

If your son or daughter is like a lot of students in their “middle year”, organization can be a challenge. Here a few tips that you may find of value to support your child in becoming more organized.

Use time at school wisely. Most teachers provide class time to get a start on homework. Making efficient use of time at school reduces what needs to be done at home.
Develop routines. Routines can help get students more organized and get items completed more efficiently. Assist in establishing routines in the morning that include getting up allowing plenty of time to get ready as well as sufficient time for breakfast. Before your child goes to bed each night, assist in getting everything ready for the next day of school. Place backpacks, binders, books, homework, and other items in the same place each night. If there is something that is needed in the morning, leave a note so it won’t be forgotten.
Make “To-Do” Lists. Each day help develop a habit with your child of making a list of things that need to be completed. Place the most important things at the top. Creating a “to-do” list and attacking one thing at a time helps prevent kids from feeling overwhelmed.
Create a Study Plan. Establish a study plan with your son or daughter allowing them choice in when, where, and what needs to be studied. Be flexible with the plan, knowing there will be conflicts, but stick to an agreed upon time period each day. Making this as a part of a child’s after school routine develops consistency and creates good habits.

Community Service Projects

2010-12-22T15:02:00.000-05:00

In the spirit of the Christmas season of giving, several worthy community service projects are being held at CRMS. These include:

The Secret Agents under the direction of Mrs. Cindy Clark, adopted a six year old girl through the district’s Secret Santa program. Students donated clothing, shoes, toys, and art supplies that will help the girl’s family have a more enjoyable Christmas.
More than 50 students in Secret Agent program also made Christmas tree ornaments in preparation for their annual trip on Tuesday December 21st to Pennknoll Village where they will decorate the tree in the community room. Homemade Christmas cards will be distributed and the students will interact with the residents by playing BINGO.
More than $900.00 was donated by the Middle school staff for a needy Secret Santa family. The money will be used by the family for purchasing heating oil and for repairs to the family car.
The money collected by our 6th grade advisory group from “wear your hat in school day” last week was used to purchase books and gas cards for Your Safe Haven and families staying at shelter.

On Thursday Dec. 9th, our 6th grade sponsored and organized “wear your hat for the day” as their community service project. For a $1.00 contribution, staff and students could wear a hat of their choice in classes. Fliers, announcements, and collection procedures were organized by students under Mrs. Grabill’s guidance. A total of $160.00 was collected with the money being used to purchase children’s books and gas cards that will be donated to Your Safe Haven.

As part of our ongoing efforts to combat bullying in our school and in collaboration with Highmark and the Windber Research Institute, information for parents to complete a short optional survey was sent home with students on Thursday Dec. 9th. Parent feedback is important to learn of their perceptions and experiences involving their child and bullying at school. The information helps ensure our program fits the needs of students, staff, and parents. The parent survey must be completed by Dec.31, 2010. The link to complete the survey online is: http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22BF8WCN245