Family Guide to the Start of School (2021-2022 School Year)
July 16, 2021
Please note: This article was originally posted during a previous school year. Information and/or dates from past events
may be not be relevant for the current school year.
Excited for the 2021-2022 school year to start? Here’s what you need to know!
Contents:
Attendance Policy
COVID-19 Health and Safety Protocols
Meet & Greets, Open Houses, Orientation
Staying Connected with the District
New Information Meningococcal and Influenza Information
Safety & Health Protocols
What COVID-19 health and safety protocols are in place?
Please click here for an overview of the health and safety protocols that are currently in place for the 2021-2022 school year. Please note that these protocols are subject to change based on future updates to local, state, or national guidance or mandates.
There is not a universal face-mask requirement for students, employees, and visitors.
Families are encouraged to use their judgment on sending their student(s) to school with a mask and make whatever decision will be best for the health of their child(ren) or other members of their household.
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Before School Begins
How do I register my child?
If your kindergarten through 12th-grade student is new to Clarksville-Montgomery County Schools or is transferring between schools, enroll online by visiting https://parents.cmcss.net.
The Enrollment Center serves as a centralized location for parents and guardians to register their children and gather documents, resources, and support for the enrollment process. Parents and guardians are able to begin the registration process at the Enrollment Center, including the ability to submit important registration documents such as birth certificates, health forms, statement of residence, etc., which will be scanned and sent electronically to the school at which the child is zoned. Parents and guardians still have the option to complete the enrollment process at their child’s zoned school when buildings are open and staff is available. School offices will reopen on July 22.
Visit cmcss.net/registration for more information.
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How do I stay connected with communications from my child’s school and the district?
CMCSS families are encouraged to sign up for PowerSchool and SchoolMessenger notifications. These are the primary means of communication from both school-based administrators and the district. Families will receive everything from inclement weather messages to instruction updates. You can download the PowerSchool Mobile app (free) on any Android or iOS device, including Apple Watch, and sign up for text alerts, too.
CREATING A POWERSCHOOL ACCOUNT: To create a PowerSchool account, visit powerschool.cmcss.net, click the Create Account tab, and complete the form. If you do not know the Access ID for your child(ren), please contact your child(ren)’s school(s).
POWERSCHOOL MOBILE APP: The PowerSchool app is a free and convenient resource for families to review their child’s academic progress. Once you set up an account using the directions above, download the app from the App Store or Google Play. Use CMCSS’ district code P Z Q N when you register.
SCHOOLMESSENGER TEXT ALERTS: Once you’re registered in PowerSchool, text (Y) to (67587) and opt-in to mobile messaging. *Messaging and data rates may apply.
UPDATE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION: Throughout the year, if a parent or guardian needs to update his or her contact information, please visit CMCSS Parent Self-Service and click the “Update Student Information” tile to enter new contact information.
CMCSS ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Follow CMCSS on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @cmcssinfo. Subscribe to the district’s Focus Video YouTube Channel @cmcssfocus.
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What school supplies will my child need?
A great way to start the school year is to have your child prepared. Click here for a list of supplies needed for elementary students. The supplies will be collected and stored for classroom use. Depending upon usage, at some point during the school year, students may need to replenish their supplies. Additionally, sometimes teachers may request other items depending on the curriculum.
Middle and High Schools have more differences in supply lists, so it’s best to wait until students receive the list from their teacher.
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When is Tennessee Tax-Free Weekend?
The state of Tennessee’s annual sales tax holiday is held every year, beginning at 12:01 a.m. on the last Friday in July and ending at 11:59 p.m. the following Sunday night. During this weekend, certain goods may be purchased tax-free. The 2021 tax-free holiday weekend begins at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, July 30, and ends Sunday, Aug. 1 at 11:59 p.m.
Click here for more information about the sales tax holiday from the TN Department of Revenue.
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When is Kindergarten Meet and Greet?
Kindergarten Meet and Greets will take place at schools on Fri., Aug. 6 from 5-6 p.m.
When are Open Houses at the school?
Elementary School Open Houses, or “Back to School Nights,” are Fri., Aug. 6 from 6-7 p.m.
Middle School Open Houses will be on Thurs., Aug. 19 from 5-7 p.m.
High School Open Houses will be on Thurs., Aug. 26 from 5-7 p.m.
When is Freshman Orientation?
Ninth graders will be contacted regarding their orientation. Six of the seven high schools will hold Ninth Grade orientation on Fri., Aug. 6 from 7:30-10:30 a.m. Rossview High School freshmen focus will be Tue., Aug. 3, and Wed., Aug. 4 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
During the School Year
When does school start?
Monday, Aug. 9 is the first half day, and Thursday, Aug. 12 is the first full day.
Aug. 10-11 are Staff Development Days. These are important days for staff to make adjustments to class rosters, schedules, transportation routes, and other logistics after the first half day when many new students will arrive at school who have not pre-registered. Please see below for information on how to register.
Visit cmcss.net/calendars for the 2021-2022 school year calendar. With generous sponsorship from Jostens, the CMCSS Communications Department has brought back a printed calendar for the 2021-2022 school year. These calendars will be arriving soon at the homes of enrolled students!
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How can I find out what my child is being taught throughout the school year?
CMCSS teaches the Tennessee State Standards as approved by the State Board of Education. The CMCSS Instruction & Curriculum Department developed the Parent Academic Resources Hub to share the instructional units, unit pacing guides, and standards with parents and students so they know what is being taught throughout the year.
What is RTI2?
Response to instruction and intervention (RTI2) is the way CMCSS intervenes with students who are struggling academically by focusing on quality core instruction and intervention of specific skill deficits. The purpose of RTI² is to intervene with students quickly in the area of need so skill deficit gaps do not develop as they progress through school. Please click herefor more information.
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Will school breakfast and lunch meals be free again for all students in the 2021-2022 school year?
The USDA has approved CMCSS to continue serving free meals to enrolled students who are physically on campus through June 2022, or until funding runs out. All traditional students will have the ability to receive one breakfast and one lunch meal at no cost in their school buildings during normal meal times each school day.
The first meal serving day of the 2021-2022 school year will be Thu., Aug. 12.
The last curbside meal distribution will be Wed., Aug 4 at all high schools from 10 – 11 a.m.
If you feel that your child(ren) may be eligible for free or reduced meal benefits, create an account and apply for meal benefits at www.schoolcafe.com. Completing this application now will ensure that the proper eligibility is in place when the program ends, ensuring there is no gap in benefits for a family that is approved for free or reduced meals.
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When and where are 2022 graduations?
All ceremonies will take place at Austin Peay State University in the Dunn Center.
Wednesday, May 25
Middle College at APSU – 10 a.m.
Adult Education – 1 p.m.
CMCSS K-12 Virtual School – 4 p.m.
Adult High School – 7 p.m.
Thursday, May 26
Northwest High School – 4 p.m.
Northeast High School – 7 p.m.
Friday, May 27
Montgomery Central High School – 4 p.m.
Kenwood High School – 7 p.m.
Saturday, May 28
West Creek High School – 9 a.m.
Rossview High School – 12 p.m.
Clarksville High School – 3 p.m.
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School Closings and Inclement Weather
How do I know when there are unplanned school closings?
If school buildings must close due to inclement weather or other emergencies, the CMCSS Communications Department will use SchoolMessenger to notify families via call, text, and email. Parents and guardians can use the Parent Self-Service Portal at parents.cmcss.net to update contact information throughout the year. The district also will share inclement weather closure updates on official CMCSS social media accounts, district and school websites, and local media. Please ensure that you check your sources when viewing school closure information on social media. For official CMCSS social media accounts, follow us @cmcssinfo on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
See the “How do I stay connected” section above for more information.
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How are inclement weather days decided?
The Chief Operations Officer (COO) takes as much time as reasonably possible to make a recommendation to the Director of Schools. We always err on the side of caution to ensure the safety of students. To make a good recommendation, the COO looks at weather data, and has transportation and operations staff checking the road conditions all over Montgomery County. He also studies radar, attends the national weather service briefings, and calls forecasters. Sometimes the decision is easy. The more difficult decisions come with the timing or the significance of the event which don’t allow us to make a clear decision. When that happens, families will be kept informed of the status of a closing decision.
To learn more about how CMCSS makes a decision regarding inclement weather, watch this video.
What is the makeup plan when students miss days for inclement weather?
The first five days missed by students will not be made up and will come from stockpiled student days.
The sixth day missed and subsequent days will be made up as available:
- January 5, 2022 (staff development day)
- February 21, 2022 (Presidents Day)
- March 2, 2022 (staff development day)
- Thirty minutes added to thirteen days not to infringe upon the state testing window to account for one make-up day
Make up for days missed beyond this plan will be determined as circumstances require.
The plan was approved by the School Board on June 8, 2021.
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How do students use technology?
CMCSS is pleased to provide 1:1 laptops to all students in Kindergarten through 12th grade for individual use to enhance their college and career readiness. Software is provided and integrated with the classroom curriculum to help develop computer literacy at an early stage. Parents and students will receive more information about the Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Technology Protection Plan during the laptop registration process.
Elementary students who attend in-person this school year will use technology on a check-in/check-out model and will not need to take computers home on a daily basis. Therefore, these students will not need the Technology Protection Plan. If a student has an extended absence, arrangements will be made for that student to be able to have his or her device at home during the time they are out of school.
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How does CMCSS address Social and Emotional Learning?
Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.
Addressing the social and emotional needs of students is a primary focus for CMCSS. All schools continue to assess and address the resources and support available to ensure they meet students’ social and emotional needs. This focus extends to teachers, counselors, and staff. Connection with students includes classroom lessons, small group counseling, and individualized counseling.
Resources are available to families and students via the district website. Teachers have also been equipped with an extensive list of grade-level-appropriate resources and guides.
For more information, visit www.cmcss.net/sel.
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What is the attendance policy?
Regular attendance is important to the success of our students. Consistent attendance in an educational setting provides students with a strong foundation for the school year.
The Compulsory School Attendance Law in Tennessee (T.C.A. §49-6-3001) requires children (ages 6-17 inclusive) to attend school each day. Students who accumulate five (5) days of unexcused absences will be required to participate in a conference with their parent/legal guardian and may be referred to Juvenile Court according to the CMCSS Progressive Truancy Intervention Plan (STS-P010). The following are official or adequate excuses that should be turned in to the Attendance Secretary in the school office:
- Medical note (doctor, dentist, hospital, etc.) for which the student was a patient
- Court note for which the student was required to be in court
- Funeral notice (obituary/funeral program of a family member)
- Military deployment paperwork-for military dependents, TN Law (T.C.A. 49-6-3019) allows the following for out of country deployments:
- 1 excused absence when the parent leaves for deployment
- 1 excused absence when the parent returns at the end of deployment
- Up to ten (10) days excused absences when the parent is home from the deployment for Rest and Recuperation
- In addition, local policy allows up to five (5) consecutive days of excused absences (either before or after the deployment) when the parent deployment is less than twelve (12) months
- Military paperwork/documentation MUST be provided to the school for these to be excused.
- Parents or legal guardians may submit notes for students to be excused up to five (5) days per school year, for any reason. To be excused, notes must be provided by the parent or legal guardian and received by the school within five (5) school days of the absence.
For high school and middle school classes, an absence per class is defined as missing ten (10) or more minutes of the class period. Make-up work: (Including suspension and remandment) Upon the first day of returning to school, it is the student’s responsibility to make contact with the teacher(s) regarding make-up work. During the school year, make-up work must be completed within a number of days equal to the number of consecutive days of the absences. A grade of “0” shall be entered into the teacher’s grade book for any missing work until the assignments have been completed and turned in.
Out-of-school suspensions shall be deemed unexcused absences.
Operations and Student Transportation
How will we learn about school bus information?
Bus routing information will be emailed to enrolled students on July 23. Routing information for the 2021-2022 School Year will be available at cmcss.net/zoning beginning July 23.
If you have questions, please call (931) 358-4089 for more information.
For parents of younger children, please ensure they either know their address or have it written down for them in a safe place. Also, caution your child to not get off the bus if the stop is unfamiliar to them.
Bus Rider Eligibility:
State Law
T.C.A. §49.6.2101 allows students living 1 1/2 miles beyond their assigned school to be provided transportation.
CMCSS Qualifications
K-5 students qualify if they live 1/2 mile or more beyond their assigned school. Students in grades 6-12 qualify if they live 1 mile or more beyond their assigned school. Students must attend the school for which they are zoned. For an exception to school attendance zones, a Special Request for Transfer must be made to and approved by the Student Services Department. Transportation will not be provided to students whose Special Request for Transfer is approved or to those students who apply for Open Enrollment. In certain situations, such as the Academies of CMCSS, limited transportation options may be available for enrolled students.
In response to the COVID-19 global pandemic in 2020, the Student Transportation Department conducted a detailed transportation study. As a result, the District decided to enhance its transportation service by requiring buses to travel additional roads and by adding additional bus stops to many routes. The enhanced routes, which are provided every school day, combine regular and the previous inclement weather routes. This enhanced service provides bus stops closer to many students’ homes.
Parents must ensure that their students are at their assigned bus stops five minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive. CMCSS buses will not travel additional roads or make additional stops during inclement weather. Students will be picked up and dropped off at the same bus stop every day.
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Will there be a rezoning for the 2022-2023 school year?
Kirkwood Middle is projected to open for the 2022-23 school year followed by Kirkwood High in 2023-24 and Kirkwood Elementary in 2025-26. With the Kirkwood schools’ openings and continued growth in Clarksville-Montgomery County, redistricting will be unavoidable. District leaders understand the uncertainty of zoning changes can be difficult for some families. The district is committed to engaging stakeholders throughout the process and will provide timely and transparent updates.
The district has initiated the process of working with a third-party consulting firm with expertise in school system rezoning. In collaboration with the consulting firm and community stakeholders, the CMCSS Zoning Project Team will study and evaluate existing school zones and building capacities to identify opportunities to better serve students, per the district’s Zoning Procedure (OPS-P017). The following criteria guide the team’s work:
- Rezone as few students as possible
- Proximity of students to existing schools
- Transport students the least distance possible
- Equitable distribution of resources according to the learning needs of all students
- Enrollment capacity of existing schools
- Consideration of free and reduced lunch status (socioeconomics)
- Allow for future growth where possible (based upon Regional Planning Commission lot and permit data)
Added July 27:
Immunization Information
For information regarding Meningococcal and Influenza immunizations, please refer to the Health Services page here. TN Code § 49-6-5005 states that schools must provide parents and guardians with information about meningococcal disease and the effectiveness of vaccination against meningococcal disease at the beginning of every school year.
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