Looking Ahead, CMS Team! 💚💛
October 19–23 | Team Updates & Looking Ahead
Team, thank you for the energy, flexibility, and care you continue to bring to CMS. Our work is not always easy, but the way we show up for one another and our students makes a difference. I appreciate your willingness to collaborate, celebrate successes, and continue finding ways to help every Viking feel connected, supported, and successful!
Activity Day: Building Positive Habits & Belonging
One of our continued focuses is helping students understand that Activity Day is an opportunity to celebrate positive choices, responsibility, and growth throughout the school year. Our goal is not simply to get students to an activity, but to help them recognize how their daily decisions contribute to a safe, respectful, and welcoming campus.
Please continue reinforcing our expectations across classrooms, hallways, lunch, and shared spaces. Consistency matters! When students demonstrate respect, kindness, responsibility, and academic ownership, we help create an environment where everyone can participate and enjoy these opportunities.
One small focus: When redirecting a student, connect the expectation to the opportunity: *“What can you do differently to help yourself and our school community be ready for Activity Day?”* This keeps the conversation focused on growth, accountability, and a clear path forward.
Professional & Student Growth Goals
Our teachers have been actively developing their Professional Goals and Student Growth Goals while continuing to reflect on and revisit their instructional practices alongside Mr. Millán. These ongoing conversations provide opportunities to identify what is working, consider adjustments, and strengthen our approach to better serve our students.
One small focus: Continue asking yourself, “What is one adjustment I can make to help my students better access, understand, or demonstrate their learning?” Small, intentional changes can make a meaningful difference.
Instructional Walkthroughs & Celebrating Great Practice
Our secondary leadership literacy consultation with Steve Underwood and Mr. Kline's middle school observations went well. A key focus was how we support all students in understanding the purpose of a lesson, identifying the essential skill, and recognizing what they are discovering through their learning.
A huge thank-you to Ms. Dean, Mr. Salsman, and Mr. Davis for opening their classrooms and sharing their practice! It was great to see the use of gradual release of responsibility, supporting artifacts, and purposeful movement throughout the day for our incredible middle schoolers. These strategies help students engage with learning and make meaning of what they are doing.
One small focus: Continue making the learning purpose explicit by helping students answer, “What am I learning, why does it matter, and how will I know I understand it?”
🏀 Athletics Updates & Appreciation
We are in the process of finalizing paper work for Jessica Lynderly for the girls' basketball position. I am also excited to welcome Jason Stewart as our boys' basketball coach!
As we wrap up fall sports, I want to recognize our coaches and the adults who helped support our student-athletes:
Dan — Head Football Coach
Holly— Head Volleyball Coach
Stephanie — Head Soccer Coach
Thank you for the time, energy, and daily commitment you have given to our students. Athletics provides meaningful opportunities to develop sportsmanship, character, perseverance, and teamwork. Thank you as well to all the supporting adults who helped our head coaches throughout the season. Your efforts matter!
👻 Boo Ball: What an afternoon!
Boo Ball was a blast! The energy around the building was incredible—even enough to set off the alarm! Thank you to everyone who responded appropriately and helped ensure we addressed the situation.
A huge shout-out to Ms. Dean and Student Leadership for putting together such a fantastic event. You hit it out of the park! It was wonderful to see students enjoying themselves and building connections with their peers.
Events like Boo Ball remind us why these opportunities matter. They create memories, strengthen belonging, and give students positive ways to connect with our school community.
💚💛 One Team, One Purpose
As we move into another week, let's continue building a campus where students know that their choices matter, their growth is recognized, and they have a place in our community.
Thank you for reinforcing expectations, creating meaningful opportunities, and helping students understand that positive behavior opens doors to greater participation and connection. Our consistency across campus is what makes the difference. The relationships we build, the instructional practices we refine, and the opportunities we create all contribute to a stronger CMS.
Proud to be a Viking! 💚💛
Blessings,
Raúl Millán
October 19–23
Dear CMS Families,
Thank you for continuing to partner with us as we support our students' learning, growth, and well-being. At Colton Middle School, we believe that strong relationships between school and home help students feel connected, take ownership of their learning, and build positive habits. Here are a few updates and reminders for the week ahead!
Learning Focus: Building Vocabulary
Our teachers are continuing to explore ways to help students understand and use academic vocabulary across their classes. Students benefit from seeing new words, connecting them to examples, and practicing how to use them in discussion.
Family tip: Ask your student to share one new word they learned this week and explain what it means or how they used it in class.
Activity Day & Grade Checks
At CMS, Activity Day is an opportunity for students to celebrate positive choices, reflect on their progress, and work toward personal goals. Students are encouraged to demonstrate responsibility, kindness, respect, organization, and academic ownership.
Teachers are also helping students review their grades and identify steps they can take to improve their progress. Our printer is temporarily unavailable, but we are continuing to support students in reflecting on their grades and identifying next steps.
Family tip: Check in with your student about their grades and ask, “What is one thing you can do this week to help yourself be successful?”
CMS Dance — Thursday, October 22
We are looking forward to our upcoming CMS Dance on Thursday, October 22! School activities provide opportunities for students to build friendships, strengthen their sense of belonging, and enjoy time together as a school community. (Duirng school hours)
Family tip: Encourage your student to participate positively, demonstrate respectful behavior, and help make the dance welcoming for everyone.
Fall Sports Assembly
As our fall sports seasons wrap up, we look forward to recognizing the effort, teamwork, and dedication of our student-athletes. Participation in athletics helps students develop perseverance, responsibility, and school pride.
Family tip: Ask your student-athlete what they learned about teamwork or perseverance during their season, regardless of the team's record.
Looking Ahead: November Conferences
We are beginning to plan for family conferences on **Monday, November 23, and Tuesday, November 24**. The draft schedule includes open-arena conference times on Monday afternoon and evening and Tuesday morning, with virtual, by-appointment conferences through Google Meet on Tuesday afternoon.
Additional information will be shared as plans are finalized. We value opportunities to work alongside families to celebrate student strengths, discuss progress, and identify ways to support continued growth.
Family tip: Begin thinking about any questions you would like to discuss with your student's teachers, including academic progress, classroom engagement, and ways to support learning at home.
Thank You, CMS Families!
Every day, our staff work to create a school environment where students feel supported, challenged, and encouraged to grow. Your partnership makes that work even stronger.
Thank you for encouraging your students to be respectful, safe, responsible, and kind. Together, we can continue building a school community where every Viking has the opportunity to succeed.
Proud to be a Viking!
Blessings,
Raúl Millán
Principal, Colton Middle School
Looking Ahead, CMS Families! 💚💛
As we head into the next few weeks, we have several exciting activities, celebrations, and important dates coming up at Colton Middle School. Thank you for continuing to partner with us as we support our students in making the most of their school experience!
Activity Day — Tuesday, September 29 | 2:00–3:00 PM
Our next Activity Day is Tuesday, September 29! Students have been working toward completing the six key items on their Activity Stamp Cards throughout the school year.
Please remind your student to take care of their Stamp Card and keep it for the entire school year. We are excited to celebrate students' efforts and participation!
CMS Honor Roll Assembly — Thursday, October 8 | 3:00–4:00 PM
We are looking forward to celebrating our students who have earned a place on the CMS Honor Roll
The assembly will take place on Thursday, October 8, from 3:00–4:00 PM. More information will be shared with families as we get closer to the event.
Statewide Inservice — Friday, October 9
There will be no regular student classes on Friday, October 9, as staff participate in professional learning and development.
Our staff will be using this day to continue growing their skills, collaborating, and strengthening the work we do for our students. Professional learning may include workshops, conferences, webinars, and district-provided training.
A Look Ahead
Our staff are also continuing to work toward their professional and student-focused goals for the school year. These goals help us reflect on our practice and identify ways we can continue to support student growth and success.
Thank You, CMS Families!
We appreciate your continued support of our students, staff, and school community. Whether it is encouraging your student to attend regularly, celebrating their accomplishments, or simply asking them about their day, your partnership makes a difference.
We are proud of the energy, growth, and togetherness we are seeing across CMS and look forward to all that is ahead!
Proud to be a Viking!
Blessings,
Raúl Millán
Principal, Colton Middle School
Hi, Picture Day Team at COLTON MIDDLE SCHOOL!
Great news! Your picture day photos are now available for families to view and order.
Here’s what to do next: Share the information below with your school community:
School Pictures Are Ready!
View and order at: https://shop.jostenspix.com/login
School Name: COLTON MIDDLE SCHOOL
Event Code: FE318526
Student Identifier: Images are secured using the email address(es) provided to us by the school.
You can share this on your website, email communications, newsletters or social channels.
If your school selected it, families will also receive an email from JostensPIX within 24 hours.
– The JostensPIX Team
We’re here if you need help. Call us at 1-877-515-1447 and follow the prompts for School Support or email JostensPIXAdmin@jostens.com .
See you all at Back to School tonight!
Dear CMS Families,
We are excited to welcome you to **Colton Middle School’s Back to School Night on Tuesday, September 22nd, from 5:00–6:00 PM!**
This will be a great opportunity for families to visit the school, meet our staff, and connect with the people who will be supporting your students throughout the school year.
Evening Schedule:
5:00–5:10 PM: Staff introductions and welcome with families
5:10–6:00 PM:Open classrooms and opportunities to visit with staff
Following our brief welcome and staff introductions, families will be invited to visit classrooms and connect with teachers and staff. I will also be moving throughout the building during the evening to help welcome families and make connections.
We are grateful to have your students and families as part of our CMS community. We look forward to seeing you and beginning the year Igniting Togetherness!*💚💛
With appreciation,
Raúl Millán
Principal
Colton Middle School
Hello! Colton Middle School Families!
I hope you are having a wonderful week! As we head into our third week of school, I want to take a moment to thank our students, families, and staff for helping us get the 2026–27 school year off to such a positive start.
It has been a blessing to see students back in the building, reconnecting with friends, building new relationships, learning classroom routines, and becoming part of the CMS community. We know the beginning of a school year comes with a lot of learning—not just academics, but also learning expectations, routines, schedules, and how we support one another.
At Colton Middle School, we are continuing to focus on **Igniting Togetherness** and building a school culture where students feel safe, respected, responsible, and connected.
A Few Reminders for Families
🔒 Lockers & Personal Belongings**
Please remind your student to keep their locker locked throughout the school day. Students should keep personal belongings secured in their lockers and bring only the materials they need for each class.
📚 School Routines & Expectations**
We are continuing to reinforce our CMS expectations around being **Respectful, Safe, Responsible, and Kind**. These small daily routines help create a positive environment where all students can learn and feel successful.
🎉 Student Activities & Spirit Week**
Students will be receiving activity stamp cards as we begin some of our student activities for the year. We are excited to continue creating opportunities for students to participate, connect, and celebrate being part of CMS.
More information about **Spirit Week** will be shared with students and families soon!
Monday Morning Pledge**
Beginning next week, we will start our Monday morning Pledge of Allegiance at **8:20 AM**. This will be a brief opportunity for our school community to come together and begin the week with a moment of respect, unity, and pride in our school and community.
🏐⚽🏈 Athletics
Our fall athletic season is underway! We encourage families to check the current schedules and come out to support our CMS Vikings.
Students participating in athletics should continue to communicate with their coaches regarding practices, games, transportation, and expectations.
Thank you to our coaches, families, and student-athletes for the time and energy you are putting into our programs. There is something special about watching our students represent Colton Middle School and support one another.
A Message to Our Families
Thank you for partnering with us. Middle school can be an exciting—and sometimes challenging—time for students. We want our families to know that our door is open. If your student is having a difficult day, navigating a challenge, or simply needs an adult at school to connect with, please reach out.
Our goal is not only to help students grow academically, but also to help them develop confidence, responsibility, relationships, and a strong sense of belonging.
We are **Igniting Togetherness** one day, one conversation, and one positive interaction at a time.
Thank you for trusting us with your students and for being such an important part of the CMS community.
Have a wonderful weekend, and as always, please reach out if there is anything we can do to support your family.
Blessings,
Raúl Millán
Principal
Colton Middle School
