Posted in High School:

Good evening, CMCSS families,

As a reminder, next Monday, November 23 through Wednesday, November 25 are pre-planned, district-wide remote learning days for traditional students. With remote learning, students will not report to the school building as they will access learning via the laptops provided by the district. This week, teachers will communicate with students on how to access lessons. Families who need access to no-cost meals can find information here.

Thanksgiving Break will be Thursday, November 26, and Friday, November 27, and classes will resume on Monday, November 30.

CMCSS students, faculty, staff, and administrators have worked hard to implement the district’s reopening plan and to keep our school buildings open for those families that chose the traditional option. It is going to take the community working together to minimize the spread of COVID-19 in order to keep our buildings open. Please remember, everyone is expected to self-screen prior to entering school property. In addition, students, faculty, and staff should not enter a school building if they are awaiting a COVID-19 test result or if a household member is awaiting a COVID-19 test result unless the household member is being tested routinely for work or surgeries. If you have questions, please review the Back to School/Work Flowchart.

Regarding fan attendance at athletic events, CMCSS is following guidance from TSSAA. All CMCSS facilities have limited seating capacities for all sporting events. Masks are required for all spectators. Families are allowed to sit together, but spectators must remain physically distant whenever possible from all other spectators. CMCSS has the authority to enforce health and safety guidelines for spectators and the right to remove spectators who do not adhere to the guidelines. Additionally, school and district leaders have the authority to prohibit spectators if there are concerns.

The percent of COVID-19 in the community is continuing to rise. Please follow the guidance of our local, state, and national public health experts. Wash your hands frequently, wear a mask when physical distancing cannot be maintained, and stay home if you are sick. The district will continue to do its best to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in our schools, but we need everyone to do their part.

Have a safe, happy, and healthy Thanksgiving holiday!

Col. (retired) Vernon F. Lightner has been named CMCSS’ Director of Army Instruction, replacing Col. (retired) Michael J. Taliento, Jr. who is retiring. Previously, he served as the Senior Army Instructor at Montgomery Central High School. Before teaching JROTC, he served in the U.S. Army for 27 years, retiring as a Colonel.

Col. (retired) Lightner has served in a variety of leadership positions from Platoon Leader to Battalion Commander. He has participated in several operational deployments including Operation Intrinsic Action, Kuwait; Operation Restore Hope, Somalia; and two tours in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan. His awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Combat Action Badge, Parachutist Badge, the Air Assault Badge, the Joint Staff and Army Staff Badge, and various other campaign medals.

He earned his M.S. in National Security and Resource Strategy from the Dwight D. Eisenhower School at National Defense University in Washington, D.C., an M.S. in Public Administration from Central Michigan University, and a B.S. in Business Administration from Livingstone College in Salisbury, N.C. Additionally, he completed the Military Police Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, the Combined Arms Services Staff School, and the Command and General Staff College.

Colonel (retired) Lightner is married to Colonel (retired) Cynthia Lightner, and they have three adult children.

The CMCSS Child Nutrition department will alter its curbside food distribution days the week of Election Day and the week of Thanksgiving. Please see the alternate pick-up dates below. All curbside food distribution will take place at the elementary schools.

Friday, October 30: Distribution from 1 – 2 pm will include eight meals for include Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday meals. (Virtual and Traditional students)

Monday, November 2: No meal distribution. Traditional students will be in a remote learning model and not report to in-person school. 

Wednesday, November 4: Distribution from 1 – 2 pm will include six meals for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. (Virtual students)

Friday, November 6: Distribution from 1 – 2 pm will include four meals for Saturday and Sunday. (Virtual and Traditional students)

The week of November 9 – 13 will operate as normal with Monday and Friday distribution.

The week of November 16 – 20 will operate as normal with Monday and Friday distribution.

Monday, November 23: Distribution from 1 – 2 pm will include fourteen meals to cover Monday – Sunday. (Virtual and Traditional students)

The week of November 30 – December 4 will operate as normal with Monday and Friday distribution.

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (October 7, 2020) – tnAchieves, the local partnering organization for TN Promise, which provides two years of tuition-free attendance at a community or technical college in Tennessee, is looking for both high school applicants and mentors to assist seniors in pursuing higher education. In Clarksville-Montgomery County, both the number of students who have applied for the scholarship and the adult mentors has seen a significant drop in 2020. 

TNPromise Applicants

The deadline for high school seniors submitting a TN Promise application is November 2, 2020. Due to disruptions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, most Tennessee high schools are significantly behind last year’s TN Promise application rate. High school seniors who are interested should complete the TN Promise application, submit a FAFSA, and apply to a college.

Tennessee high school seniors can submit a TN Promise application by visiting www.TNPromise.gov and applying online.

As indicated, the scholarship will provide two years of tuition-free attendance at a community or technical college in Tennessee. Tennessee Promise is a last-dollar scholarship, meaning it will cover the cost of tuition and mandatory fees not met by Pell, Hope, or the Tennessee Student Assistance Award. As part of the program, students will be paired with a partnering organization, provided with a mentor who will support them during the college application process and complete the community service requirement. 

Mentor a High School Senior

tnAchieves, the local partnering organization for TN Promise, needs volunteers to serve as mentors for the Class of 2021. tnAchieves mentors will serve their community virtually, working with local students to offer support throughout the college-going process.

TN Promise allows any graduating high school senior the opportunity to attend a community or technical college tuition and mandatory fee-free. Many of the students will be the first in their family to attend college and may also need some additional, non-financial support. tnAchieves provides this support by pairing each scholarship applicant with a volunteer mentor. The program needs more than 9,000 mentors across the state!

tnAchieves mentors spend about one hour per month working with a group of students to help them achieve their college-going goals. In 2021, mentors will serve their students using tnAchieves CONNECT. tnAchieves CONNECT is a new virtual mentoring tool that allows mentors to remain connected to their students in a safe, online environment. It will also enable mentors to serve from their home and on their schedule!

Mentors remind students of important deadlines, serve as a trusted college resource and, most importantly, encourage students to reach their full potential. While the time commitment is small, the impact on the students can be life-changing. To learn more and apply, you can visit www.tnachieves.org/mentors/apply or contact Tyler Ford at [email protected] or (309) 945-3446

As a reminder, the USDA approved for CMCSS to continue serving free breakfast and lunch meals to all children 18 and under, as the district has since March. The USDA stated that these free meals will be available through December 2020, or until funds run out. No information has been made available beyond December 2020. 

 Meals are available for all children 18 and under in Montgomery County, including students in CMCSS K-12 Virtual, students enrolled in traditional, and children not enrolled in CMCSS schools.

Traditional students may receive a free breakfast and lunch each school day, inside their school building, as part of their regular day. 

CMCSS K-12 Virtual students and children not enrolled in a CMCSS school may pick up meals curbside. All curbside meals will be available at the closest elementary school beginning Friday, September 18. Curbside meals will no longer be available for pick-up at any middle or high school locations. Families with multiple children can pick-up all meals in one location. 

Weekday meals are available Mondays from 1 – 2 p.m. for CMCSS K-12 Virtual and non-enrolled children, 18-years-old and under, at all CMCSS elementary schools. 

Weekend meals are available Fridays from 1 – 2 p.m. for CMCSS K-12 Virtual, traditional students, and non-enrolled children, 18-years-old and under, at all CMCSS elementary schools. 

Children are not required to be present for curbside pick-up. The person picking up meals will need to provide the name of the child(ren) not present. 

Although pre-payment for meals will not be needed, if a student wants to purchase any items available outside of the free meal served in the cafeteria, funds will need to be applied to his/her account. Parents/guardians can preload funds on a student’s account at www.schoolcafe.com. This is the preferred and fastest way to add funds. Or, families may mail a check in advance to the cafeteria at their student’s enrolled school. No payments will be accepted curbside. Funds already applied to a student’s account can remain on the account for use when this program ends.

It is currently expected that the breakfast and lunch meals will be provided to students free of charge through December of 2020, this could potentially end earlier if funding for the free meals from the Federal Government runs out prior to the end of December 2020. Once the free meal program ends, each student’s meal eligibility status will take effect at that time, and a cost will be associated with each meal purchased unless the student receives an approved free meal eligibility status. A student’s eligibility status will change to paid status if an approved application is not on file and approved by Wednesday, October 21, 2020, at 4:30 pm. Please remember that parents or guardians are responsible for charge balances on their student’s account. 

As a reminder, the grace period for the Free and Reduced Meal Program will end on Wednesday, October 21. If you feel that your child qualifies for free and reduced meal benefits, and you have not filled out a free/reduced application for this school year, or you have not received a letter stating that your child is on the program for this school year, you will need to fill out an application. For a quicker application method, you can go to the online application at www.schoolcafe.com. If you choose to have a paper application, they are available at your child’s school or at Central Office.

For questions regarding Free and Reduced Meal Applications, contact [email protected]. 

As a reminder, the USDA approved for CMCSS to continue serving free breakfast and lunch meals to all children 18 and under, as the district has since March. The USDA stated that these free meals will be available through December 2020, or until funds run out. No information has been made available beyond December 2020. 

 Meals are available for all children 18 and under in Montgomery County, including students in CMCSS K-12 Virtual, students enrolled in traditional, and children not enrolled in CMCSS schools.

Traditional students may receive a free breakfast and lunch each school day, inside their school building, as part of their regular day. 

CMCSS K-12 Virtual students and children not enrolled in a CMCSS school may pick up meals curbside. All curbside meals will be available at the closest elementary school beginning Friday, September 18. Curbside meals will no longer be available for pick-up at any middle or high school locations. Families with multiple children can pick-up all meals in one location. 

Weekday meals are available Mondays from 1 – 2 p.m. for CMCSS K-12 Virtual and non-enrolled children, 18-years-old and under, at all CMCSS elementary schools. 

Weekend meals are available Fridays from 1 – 2 p.m. for CMCSS K-12 Virtual, traditional students, and non-enrolled children, 18-years-old and under, at all CMCSS elementary schools. 

Children are not required to be present for curbside pick-up. The person picking up meals will need to provide the name of the child(ren) not present. 

Although pre-payment for meals will not be needed, if a student wants to purchase any items available outside of the free meal served in the cafeteria, funds will need to be applied to his/her account. Parents/guardians can preload funds on a student’s account at www.schoolcafe.com. This is the preferred and fastest way to add funds. Or, families may mail a check in advance to the cafeteria at their student’s enrolled school. No payments will be accepted curbside. Funds already applied to a student’s account can remain on the account for use when this program ends.

It is currently expected that the breakfast and lunch meals will be provided to students free of charge through December of 2020, this could potentially end earlier if funding for the free meals from the Federal Government runs out prior to the end of December 2020. Once the free meal program ends, each student’s meal eligibility status will take effect at that time, and a cost will be associated with each meal purchased unless the student receives an approved free meal eligibility status. A student’s eligibility status will change to paid status if an approved application is not on file and approved by Wednesday, October 21, 2020, at 4:30 pm. Please remember that parents or guardians are responsible for charge balances on their student’s account. 

As a reminder, the grace period for the Free and Reduced Meal Program will end on Wednesday, October 21. If you feel that your child qualifies for free and reduced meal benefits, and you have not filled out a free/reduced application for this school year, or you have not received a letter stating that your child is on the program for this school year, you will need to fill out an application. For a quicker application method, you can go to the online application at www.schoolcafe.com. If you choose to have a paper application, they are available at your child’s school or at Central Office.

For questions regarding Free and Reduced Meal Applications, contact [email protected]. 

CMCSS K-12 Virtual Families:
If you have not yet completed Learning Mentor training, please be sure to complete that no later than September 1, 2020.

Traditional Families: 
If you would like to understand how the online learning platforms work, some of this information may be useful to understand. Not all requirements will be applicable to traditional students.

Learning Mentor training and a Learning Mentor website is available for mentors and parents! It is important for all Learning Mentors and parents/guardians of CMCSS K-12 Virtual students to complete the training by clicking the link below.  At the end of the training, you will be asked to complete an acknowledgment form. This will include verification that you have completed the training as well as a request to read, review, and provide a signature for the CMCSS Privacy Release, Consent, and Agreement for Virtual Classes/Groups.

REMINDER:

As soon as possible, please have your student turn on his or her computer and make sure it is working and they are able to login with the username and password.  This will help you make sure you are ready for Monday! If you have experienced technical problems, read through the troubleshooting guide here.

CMCSS K-12 VIRTUAL FAMILY REQUIREMENTS:

• One form is to be completed for each student.
• Learning Mentor training is to be completed by September 1, 2020.

LINKS:

• CMCSS K-12 Learning Mentor Training
• CMCSS K-12 Learning Mentor Website

If you need assistance, you can visit one of our Live Assistance Zoom Rooms by clicking one of the links below.  If you do not have access to the internet, you may call our helpline at 931-920-7779.  Our help hours are Monday-Friday, 8:00-11:30, and 12:30-4:00.

LIVE ASSISTANCE:

• K-2 Assistance
• 3-5 Assistance
• 6-8 Assistance
• 9-12 Assistance

Every CMCSS K-12 student will have a laptop assigned for the 2020-2021 school year, which starts Monday, August 31. The following information will assist with login information and general troubleshooting.  Please review the information below prior to the start of the school year.

Password Retrieval and Login Information

Information for your student’s login can be found through the link provided in your email. Each link is specific to your student.  This link will expire shortly after the start of the school year, so please retain this login information in a secure spot for future reference.

QuickCards

Quick Cards are a scan card that includes a QR code unique to your student. These cards are only provided for Kindergarten through second-grade. This should have been taped to your student’s laptop or included in their materials during laptop pick up. If you did not receive a QuickCard you must contact your student’s enrolled school. Third grade and above should use the password retrieval process indicated above.

Required Updates

If your CMCSS K-12 Virtual School student was issued a laptop last year and kept that laptop over the summer, they will need to have updates installed prior to the first day of school.  This will allow connectivity to the CMCSS network and access to required online resources.  This process takes only a few minutes, but must be done while near a CMCSS school building to ensure the computer can connect to the school’s network.

For details be sure to read the instructions here:

Please visit https://www.cmcss.net/installing-required-updates-on-your-cmcss-student-laptop/ which includes the necessary steps for these updates to be installed.   We would recommend these steps be followed prior to the afternoon of Friday, August 28, so that the student can contact the CMCSS Support Network for further assistance at https://sites.google.com/cmcss.net/cmcssk-12virtualstudents/live-assistance.

Traditional Students are welcome to follow these same steps in advance of the first day of school, or wait until the first day of school when they return to the classroom.

Troubleshooting Internet Connection Issues

Please have your CMCSS K-12 Virtual student attempt to log in prior to the first day of school.  If he or she can sign in successfully but cannot access the internet, a fix is available to address this issue.  This process takes only a few minutes, but must be done while near a CMCSS school building to ensure the computer can connect to the school’s network. For details be sure to read the instructions here.  Please visit https://www.cmcss.net/installing-required-updates-on-your-cmcss-student-laptop/ to view the necessary steps for this update to be installed.  Traditional Students are welcome to follow these same steps in advance of the first day of school, or wait until the first day of school when they return to the classroom.  We would recommend these steps be followed prior to Friday afternoon, so that the student can contact the CMCSS Support Network for further assistance at https://sites.google.com/cmcss.net/cmcssk-12virtualstudents/live-assistance.

Traditional Students are welcome to follow these same steps in advance of the first day of school, or wait until the first day of school when they return to the classroom.

Continued Laptop and Hotspot Distribution

Students who have not yet received their laptop should watch from communication from their enrolled school. The district will be communicating directly to families who have not yet received their device.

Attendance Concerns Regarding Laptop Connection Issues

CMCSS K-12 Virtual students who are still experiencing known connection issues, and have a work order submitted, that limits them from accessing their computer on August 31 will not be considered absent. The Technology Department is actively working to resolve connection issues. All CMCSS K-12 Virtual families are strongly encouraged to try the troubleshooting techniques above prior to submitting a work order. Traditional students should bring their device to school on August 31 to confirm all technology concerns are addressed while in the school’s network.

Additional Laptop or Hotspot Assistance

If your student needs additional assistance with their student laptop or hotspot, please have them submit a work order at http://techhelp.cmcss.net/secure/Dashboard.jspa or call (931) 920-7779.  Instructions on submitting a technology work order can be found at http://ior.ad/74bR

Please see below for several reopening updates for all students with sections below for CMCSS K-12 Virtual and traditional-specific updates.

Updates for ALL students:

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Laptops for K-12

The Clarksville-Montgomery County School System will provide all K-12 students, both traditional and virtual, with a laptop for the 2020-21 academic year. CMCSS district leaders are committed to providing all students access to instruction no matter the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CMCSS Technology Department reallocated resources making it possible for kindergarten and first-grade students who chose the traditional model to now be assigned a device.

In the event that a school may move to the remote learning model under the Continuum of Learning, traditional kindergarten and first-grade students will now be able to access online learning platforms from their school assigned laptops. 

Technology Distribution Days

Families can pick up devices during specified Technology Distribution Days, beginning on August 20. CMCSS parents and guardians will receive electronic communication, to include the Technology Usage Agreement and Protection Plan, in the coming days. These documents must be reviewed, signed, and returned electronically prior to the student receiving his/her laptop. 

Technology distribution will occur at your student’s enrolled school. All traditional and CMCSS K-12 Virtual students can pick up their device on the following days: 

August 20, 21, 24 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. 

August 25 from 1 p.m. – 7 p.m. 

Parents should have a photo ID and their child(ren)’s name(s) and grade level(s). Students who still have textbooks, library books, or a technology device that CMCSS has indicated must be returned should bring all items to the Technology Distribution Day. Laptops will not be distributed to students who have not returned necessary items. 

Students who already have a district-issued laptop and have not been instructed to return the device do not need to attend the Technology Distribution Days. 

CMCSS K-12 Virtual students who already have a laptop MAY still need to report to school on those days to get textbooks or other materials. More information to come.

Free and Reduced Lunch 

Parents/guardians who feel their household may be eligible for free or reduced meal benefits should apply online at SchoolCafé. The online application allows for a contact-free, secure application environment. Free and reduced meals are available for eligible students choosing either traditional or CMCSS K-12 Virtual.

Even if families do not intend for their child(ren) to receive school meals, parents/guardians should complete the free/reduced meal application if they feel their household may be eligible as the information is used for other important applications.  

Updates for CMCSS K-12 Virtual students only:

Adults serving as Learning Mentors for students in CMCSS K-12 Virtual are required to complete training. This pre-recorded training will be available online from Mon., Aug. 24 through Tue., Sep. 1. Learning Mentors will be able to complete this training at their convenience during that timeframe. More information will be sent directly to Learning Mentors in the coming days and weeks.

Updates for Traditional students only:

Walking Children to Class on the First Half Day

Out of an abundance of caution and due to current health and safety protocols, parents/guardians will not be permitted to walk students to their classrooms on the first half day of school. 

The district especially understands that parents/guardians of kindergarten students experience a mix of emotions as their children begin school. Schools will reach out to families to provide more information about how faculty, staff, and administrators will make this transition as smooth as possible during the pandemic. Please click here for a video the district has developed to serve as an online 2020 Kindergarten Kickoff.

REMINDER: Continuum of Learning – Moving from Traditional to Remote

At any point during the academic year, CMCSS may need to switch the entire district, or individual schools, into or out of traditional (in-school) and remote (out-of-school) models based on the current conditions surrounding the pandemic. Due to the ever-changing circumstances of the pandemic, parents and guardians should make preparations throughout the year in the event that school buildings are closed and remote learning must take place.

CMCSS and the Montgomery County Health Department on a daily basis are reviewing the following metrics in Montgomery County: 

• Total positive cases out of total tested
• Number of new positives out of the number of new tests
• New active cases per population (per 100,000 and per 50,000)
• Percent of COVID-19 spread in the community following the Tennessee Department of Health guidance for Low Spread, Medium Spread, and High Spread and a common scale of interpretation:
  • Normal Operations: 0 positive COVID-19 cases in Montgomery County
  • Low Spread: less than 0.5% positive COVID-19 active cases in Montgomery County
  • Medium Spread: 0.5% to 1% positive COVID-19 active cases in Montgomery County
  • High Spread: Greater than 1% positive COVID-19 active cases in Montgomery County

While all metrics will be considered throughout the academic year, if Montgomery County reaches medium COVID-19 spread in the community, CMCSS and MCHD will consider additional health and safety protocols for the traditional model or consider transitioning all students to remote learning as deemed necessary. If Montgomery County reaches high COVID-19 spread, CMCSS and MCHD will transition all students to remote learning.

Click here for the current COVID-19 local data that is reviewed by CMCSS and MCHD on a daily basis. This data is provided by the Tennessee Department of Health.

The CMCSS Communicable Disease Team (CDT) comprised of leaders from CMCSS and the Montgomery County Health Department meet regularly to review the latest guidance from the CDC and make recommendations for the health and safety of students, employees and the community. (more…)