April 16, 2008

Dear Parents,

If I were to use one word for the last six weeks of the year, it would be volunteers!

We have so many activities and tests coming up that will just not happen without volunteers. Our testing this year is very different. We used to have all grades test on the same day but now it is spread out on separate days. This will require our staff to be spread very thin to administrate the various tests according to state guidelines. We need many volunteers on those days. In the morning volunteers are needed to help serve breakfast to all our students in a short amount of time. We also have positions that need to be covered by volunteers during the test taking time. We are also required to give every student a fitness test. Normally this is done during PE classes but since not all 8th graders take PE we are fitness testing 8th graders while the 6th and 7th graders are taking their TAKS tests. We need at least 14 extra volunteers on those days for all the stations we will have. The end of the year social, 8th grade celebrations and yearbook distribution will require many volunteers to make these events memorable. A volunteer brunch is one small way the CMS teachers and staff can show their appreciation. We hope you can attend on the morning of April 22. Hopefully the gratitude you get for your volunteer time at CMS is knowing how vital your presence is on your child’s middle school campus. Our dependence on each other is not only nice but necessary these last days of the year. Many thank yous will be said but our success as a middle school will be the evidence of how important you are to us. To those of you, who have already volunteered, in so many different ways, thank you. If you haven't been able to, I invite you to join us at CMS before the year is over. There are many opportunities coming up!

The world is hugged by the faithful arms of volunteers.

Gratefully,
Toni Thalken