Colonia Middle School Families,
The Genesis Parent Portal will be going live on Tuesday, August 27th at 12 noon.
Welcome Letter from Principal Short:
https://5il.co/2uhcr
CMS Families,
As a reminder, if your child is planning on or even not sure they are going to try out for a sport (cheer included), they will need an approved sports physical before tryouts. The approval will need to be done by the township doctor after you have handed in your physical. That means that it will need to be handed into the nurse 3-4 weeks before tryouts to be sent to the township doctor for approval. The Deadline for Fall Sports is August 15th, 2024. I can not guarantee approval will be done in time after this date. If it is flagged for further evaluations (cardiac clearance, vision, etc.) it may take longer. All the forms can be found on my site under the "Sports Physicals". There is a parent letter to read for instructions.
There are sports physical packets available for pick up in the main office as well. You can drop off completed Medical Eligibility Form in the main office during the summer. If you have any questions, I can be reached via email as I am not in the office all Summer but am happy to help via email if needed. Please include a good number and time to call if you require a call back.
My site can be found at:
https://sites.google.com/wtsdnj.com/staceycacchionern/home
Have a healthy and safe Summer!
Mrs. Stacey Cacchione BSN, RN, CSN
School Nurse
Colonia Middle School
732-396-7010
stacey.cacchione@woodbridge.k12.nj.us
Check out the "bELieve Youth Football Camp". This is a great opportunity for the youth to learn the game of football in a controlled, fun environment. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Eric Legrand's Foundation. This is intended for all students from 1st-8th grade.
Dates & times : July 22,23,24,25 : 7:00PM - 9:00 PM
Location : Colonia HS Football Field
Register for the "bELieve Football Camp" here: https://bit.ly/3VVhDmF
Dear Colonia Middle School Incoming Grade 6 Students and Parents/Guardians:
Welcome to Colonia Middle School. We will be holding our 6th Grade Orientation Meeting & Locker Camp on the following date:
Thursday, August 29th:
Session #1 – 10:00 AM,
Session #2 – 2:00 PM.
Students and parents/guardians are invited to attend either session. Please attend ONLY one session of your choice. You will report to Door #11. After the informational session in the cafeteria, students will then proceed up to the 6th grade wing to practice opening lockers. NJHS volunteers and staff members will be present to assist. Students can decorate the inside of their lockers. They may attach items to their locker using magnets only. Students are not permitted to use anything that has an adhesive that might leave a residue.
To be prepared for the start of school, 6th grade students are encouraged to have the following general supplies:
4 Composition notebooks,
Three ring binder with dividers,
Pencils/pens,
Colored pencils,
Folders (one for each subject),
Glue sticks,
Highlighters,
Post-it notes,
Earbuds or headphones.
Once classes begin, individual teachers may request additional items.
The start of middle school is an exciting time and we will be here every step of the way in helping all students find success here at CMS. We are all looking forward to an outstanding 2024-2025 school year.
Sincerely,
Joseph A. Short
Principal, Colonia Middle School
CMS Families: Thank you for an outstanding year! Enjoy your summer and best of luck to our 8th grade class in high school. Best wishes, Joseph A. Short, Principal, Colonia Middle School
All Woodbridge Township schools will be closed Tuesday, June 4, 2024, for Primary Election Day.
CMS Families: 1) REMINDER – School is closed on Tuesday, June 4, 2024 for the Primary Election Day. 2) The CMS PTO and PBIS Committee will be hosting our end of the year “Fun Day” on Wednesday, June 5th, featuring the GO BIG BMX Air Show. In addition, there will be a special appearance by the ice cream truck later in the week to provide a free item to all students. This is courtesy of our PTO. 3) The purpose of this “Fun Day” is to celebrate the accomplishments of the PBIS program that CMS implements in order to increase positive behavior throughout the building. CMS wants to acknowledge the positive behaviors exhibited by our students throughout the course of this school year.
CMS 8th Grade Families: We will be holding our promotion ceremony on Monday, June 17, 2024 at 10:30 AM. The ceremony will take place on the turf softball field on the side of the building. Please bring your own chair to the event. Please sit in the outfield behind the student chairs. Please do not sit on the warning track or on any of the brown areas, as students will process here. There is no limit on the number of spectators that can attend. Should we have inclement weather, we will move the ceremony indoors to the gym and each student will be issued two tickets to the event. Immediately following the ceremony, parents may take their child home. 8th grade students will need to arrive at school by 9:15 AM, in preparation for the ceremony. Students should dress nicely to ensure a dignified atmosphere for the ceremony. Young men should wear pants, collared shirt, and shoes. Young ladies should wear an appropriate dress or skirt/pants with an appropriate shirt and shoes. High heels should not be worn on the turf field. Any student in violation of the dress code will not be permitted to participate. Promotion practice will be held on Friday, June 14, 2024, during the regularly scheduled school day. We require that every student who is going to be promoted attend this rehearsal. The 8th Grade Breakfast & Yearbook distribution will take place on Thursday, June 13, 2024. Our PTO has purchased a yearbook for ALL 8th grade students. Promotion practice will take place in the afternoon. We look forward to celebrating the CMS Promotion Class of 2024!
On Monday, May 20th we will be hosting our Band and Art Show. The art displays will be available for viewing in the Gym beginning at 5:30 PM. The Band performance will begin promptly at 6:05 PM in the Cafeteria. Please enter Door #11. On Tuesday, May 21st we will be hosting our Chorus and Dance Show. The performances will begin promptly at 6:00 PM in the Cafeteria. Please enter Door #11. Thank you for your continued support.
Check out this link for information on NJSLA testing, dress code reminders and our 3rd quarter newsletter https://5il.co/2k0fs
Colonia Middle School Parents & Guardians,
The New Jersey Student Learning Assessment (NJSLA) is the statewide assessment for the 2023-2024 school year. This computer-based assessment covers the areas of Mathematics and English Language Arts/Literacy. There is a Science section for 8th grade students ONLY. Students will be testing during morning sessions based on the schedule below:
Science for Grade 8 ONLY – (4/30, 5/1, 5/2, 5/3)
Math for Grades 6, 7, and 8 – (5/7, 5/8, 5/9)
English Language Arts (ELA) for Grades 6, 7, and 8 – (5/14, 5/15)
Make-Up Testing For All Grades – (5/10, 5/13, 5/16, 5/17, 5/20, 5/21)
Students are permitted and encouraged to use their own wired headphones/earbuds for testing (WIRELESS NOT PERMITTED). Students should bring their wired headphones/earbuds to each testing session. If students do not bring wired headphones/earbuds they will be provided. No student is to be in possession of a cell phone, smartwatch, or any electronic device during a testing session. All students will be testing on their school-issued Chromebook. Please make sure it is fully charged on each testing day. Our goal for this year is to maximize results for both our Math and ELA scores, as well as, achieve our highest possible student participation rate. For schools that fail to achieve 95 percent participation, any student below the 95 percent threshold will therefore be counted as “not proficient” in the calculation of proficiency rates even though they did not take the exam. For this reason, it is imperative that on testing days students come to school rested, be on time, take the test, and give their very best effort.
Thank you for your continued support.
Joseph A. Short
Principal, Colonia Middle School
Colonia Middle School Families,
On behalf of our entire staff, we would like to wish our families a safe and relaxing Spring Break. The students have been working hard and we hope they enjoy their time off. Our school-wide participation in the American Heart Challenge raised $5,141.00 for the American Heart Association. Our entire school community did an outstanding job! School resumes on Monday, April 8, 2024. Thank you for your continued support.
Best regards,
Joseph A. Short
Principal, Colonia Middle School
All schools will follow the scheduled early dismissal plan on Friday, March 29.
High Schools @ 12:10 pm; Middle Schools @ 12:45 pm; Elementary Schools @ 1:10 pm; Full Day PreK @ 1:10 pm; Morning PreK @ 11:30 am; and Afternoon PreK - start @ 10:30 am & dismissed @1:10 pm. WTSD aftercare will be open for those who have pre-registered.
All schools will be closed from Monday, April 1, through and including Friday, April 5.
Classes will resume on Monday, April 8.
Be safe and enjoy your spring break!
All schools will follow the scheduled early dismissal plan on Friday, March 29. High Schools @ 12:10 pm; Middle Schools @ 12:45 pm; Elementary Schools @ 1:10 pm; Full Day PreK @ 1:10 pm; Morning PreK @ 11:30 am; and Afternoon PreK - start @ 10:30 am & dismissed @1:10 pm. WTSD aftercare will be open for those who have pre-registered. All schools will be closed from Monday, April 1, through and including Friday, April 5. Classes will resume on Monday, April 8. Be safe and enjoy your spring break!
Colonia Middle School 8th Grade Families,
We are so proud of the accomplishments of this 8th grade class. As we enter March, I would like to provide our 8th grade families with an update on our scheduled events for the end of the year:
Tuesday, June 11th – 8th Grade Trip to Medieval Times
(Please return your permission slip by 3/8/24)
Wednesday, June 12th – 8th Grade Dance at the Sapphire Grand
(Details will be provided in the coming weeks)
Thursday, June 13th – 8th Grade Breakfast & Yearbook Distribution
REMINDER – Our PTO has purchased a yearbook for ALL 8th grade students
(Promotion practice will take place in the afternoon)
Friday, June 14th – 8th Grade Promotion Practice All Day
Monday, June 17th – 8th Grade Promotion Ceremony at 10:30 AM
(Details will be provided in the coming weeks)
Tuesday, June 18th – Last Day of School
Thank you for your continued support and have a great weekend.
Joseph A. Short
Principal, Colonia Middle School
Due to the impending storm, all schools in the Woodbridge Township School District will be closed on Tuesday, February 13, 2024.
CMS Message from Principal Short - 2.1.24:
Colonia Middle School Families,
As we begin our second semester today, I wanted to express my appreciation to our entire school community. I continue to live by my professional motto, “It is a PRIVILEGE to work at this school.” The meaning is very simple:
-It is a PRIVILEGE to work with your children.
-It is a PRIVILEGE to work with our families.
-It is a PRIVILEGE to work with our dedicated staff.
-It is a PRIVILEGE to work with our Parent Teacher Organization (PTO).
-It is a PRIVILEGE to work with our stakeholders in the community.
I am very proud of what our students have accomplished so far this year and we will continue to work in providing the best possible middle school experience. Here are a few reminders:
-Monday, February 5th – Marking Period 2 Report Cards available on Parent Access at 8 AM.
-We are participating in the township-wide “Have-A-Heart” food drive to support our local food banks. We are encouraging students to bring in non-perishable food items to their Period 1 Classes up until 2/16/24.
Thank you and enjoy your evening.
Joseph A. Short
Principal, Colonia Middle School
Colonia Middle School Families: We are participating in the township-wide "Have-A-Heart" food drive to support our local food banks. We are encouraging students to bring in non-perishable food items to their Period 1 class up until Friday, February 16, 2024. See flyer for more details: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1gUA7jYMdNzkt_gVJaQYLeAK-2-IduKBNksTSddjvitQ/edit?usp=sharing
Thank you in advance. Joseph A. Short, Principal, Colonia Middle School