Dear Cohasset Middle School Parents:

It gives me great pleasure to contact you as the new Principal of the Cohasset Middle School.  I hope you and your CMS student(s) have had a wonderful summer so far.  With great support from Superintendent Dr. Patrick Sullivan; Dr. Scollins our new Asst. Superintendent and Mr. Scott, the Principal of CHS, I have begun working to prepare for the new school year.

I have been a middle school and high school teacher and educational leader for over twenty years.  Throughout much of my career I have worked right here on the South Shore (Scituate and Marshfield).  I believe that my central responsibility is to collaborate with parents, faculty and staff to ensure your student an academically rigorous and personally supportive environment committed to excellence and growth.

Joining me in this adventure is Dr. Kathryn Salas who was recently appointed the Cohasset Middle School’s new Assistant Principal.  Dr. Salas brings tremendous experience as a middle school leader and guidance counselor to this position.  She approaches this new role with boundless enthusiasm and novel perspectives.

We are excitedly getting ready for school to reopen and look forward to meeting your middle school student(s).  We are also excited for the opportunity to partner with our new community and faculty to chart a distinct and extraordinary course for the Cohasset Middle School.  

If you are a parent of an incoming 6th grader, please mark August 26 on your calendar which is our Sixth Grade Orientation Day.  More information will be forthcoming about that date as Back-to-School information including Aspen and Scheduling information. There are also plans for a “Leadership Meet-and-Greet” later in the summer (Stay tuned for details!).  Until then, please do not hesitate to contact me.  I look forward to meeting you in the future.

Sincerely,

John P. Mills

Principal

Cohasset Middle School 

Dear Cohasset Families,

I am excited to announce that John Mills has accepted the position of Principal of Cohasset Middle School. John comes to us with a wealth of experience in education including working for Scituate Public Schools, where he served as Assistant Principal of Scituate High School and as the Scituate District-wide Technology Integration Specialist.  For the past four years John has been an Assistant Principal at Furnace Brook Middle School in Marshfield. John has a student-centered approach; he has a middle and high school teaching background, experience leading Project- Based Learning and interdisciplinary teaming, and he will fit well within our school's approach to educate the whole child.

CMS News June 14

COHASSET MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS: June 14, 2019

 Next year will be very exciting at Cohasset Middle School. The following are some of the changes that you can expect:

• The middle school has been separated from the high school. The schools will now be called Cohasset High School and Cohasset Middle School instead of Cohasset Middle-High School.
• For at least the start of the year, student drop-off will remain in the same location as this past year, and we will be utilizing one shared office (the current CMHS office) for student dismissal and item drop-off. We are working on creating a physical space for a middle school office, which, when ready, will serve as the main office for the middle school. 
• As you were informed in a previous email, John Mills has been appointed as the principal of Cohasset Middle School. John will officially begin his work in Cohasset on July 1, 2019. He and a hiring team made up of parents, teachers and district administration are currently interviewing for an assistant principal. Later this summer you will have the opportunity to meet both John and the assistant principal in an announced meet-and-greet. 
• Cohasset Middle School is fully embracing teaming for all three grade-levels. Interdisciplinary teams have been created for each grade-level (one and a half teams for sixth, one team for seventh, one team for eighth). The additional half-team has been established due to the amount of students present in the in-coming sixth grade. All teachers on the interdisciplinary teams will meet regularly to plan academic, social and supportive measures for their shared student case-load. Research shows that “effective teams lead to improved student achievement, increased parental contacts, an enhanced school climate, and positive student attitudes.” This We Believe, 2010, p. 29).
• We are excited to announce the addition of a new chorus teacher to our middle school music staff. Now the middle school will have two faculty members devoted to teaching music! This addition will enable the middle school to expand the scope and depth of music classes. Middle school students will be enrolled in either band or chorus, which will take place every other day for the whole year. Students will be enrolled in a wellness class on the opposite day (encompassing health and physical education). This new music course design will allow all students to be part of a group, something that is a valuable component of our social-emotional education. Students who have previously chosen general music will continue the study of composition, history, theory, and technology through the lens of ensemble study in either band or chorus. Music courses at Cohasset Middle School are process rather than performance driven…meaning that while concerts are a part of the experience, the participation in the concert will be authentically built to complement student strengths. From production techniques to sound and lighting to keyboard skills to ukulele and auxiliary percussion, the goal for all students will be to experience team-building with music as the vehicle for expression.
• Cohasset is implementing a new student information system – Aspen. This system will take the place of iPass. Through a user-friendly family portal, families will be able to see schedules, grades, attendance and other important information. Later in August families will receive information about how to log on to a personal Aspen account where they will find the class schedules for their students for the 19-20 school year. Student schedules will be available in late August. District-wide information will be forthcoming regarding our adoption of Aspen.
• Summer reading information has been shared with the students and is posted on the middle school website. Reading together and talking about the books can be a wonderful family activity. There are also reading groups at the public library that might interest your child. Please make sure your students start school on a positive note in the fall prepared with the required summer reading assignment.
• The middle school utilizes a Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) model of technology integration; students bring a personally owned device to class daily. Chrome books are the recommended device. IPads do not meet the classroom needs of our students, and high-end devices are not necessary in an environment where access is cloud-based and Google More information about device specifications can be found on the school’s website. In cases where families have a financial need the district has developed a loaner program. Families should contact the middle school for assistance in this area.
• For sixth graders, there will be a special sixth grade student orientation day on August 26 at Cohasset Middle School. This is a day full of fun activities that will introduce students to their teachers and middle school life. We hope all sixth grade students can attend this terrific event. More information regarding the specifics of the event will be shared later in the summer.
• Thank you to all who attended this past Tuesday’s Sixth Grade Parent-Guardian Information Night. If you were unable to attend or just want to review the information shared that night, the PowerPoint presentation is posted on the school’s website.

Have a wonderful summer,

Patrick Sullivan Ed.D.                                                                                 Paula Girouard-McCann Ed.D.

Assistant Superintendent                                                                         Acting Principal                                                                    

Cohasset Public Schools                                                                            Cohasset Middle-High School

Click on the image above for information regarding BYOD device recommendations!

                                 WELCOME TO GRADE 6 SLIDE SHOW!!

(CLICK FOR LINK)