Clifton Middle School

Help us celebrate our November award winners at CMS!

Students of the Month:

6th Grade – Giancarlo Estrada Varelas
7th Grade – Rylie Davis
8th Grade – Olivia Bekken

Sanders’ Standout Student: Isaiah Alvarado – 8th Grade

Cosper’s Kind Cub: Cal Kennedy – 6th Grade

Carrying the Ball: Michele Sparkman – 8th Grade Science

We are proud to recognize these Cubs for their contributions to our campus! Thank you for making CMS a special place. Keep up the great work, Cubs!

It's time for our Food for Families Food Drive! CMS NJHS is collecting food donations from November 3–19, with a campus goal of 3,250 pounds of food!

Here's what our Cubs can earn:

• Campus Goal: If we reach 3,250 pounds, all CMS students will earn a movie day on December 17!

• Grade-Level Competition: The grade level that donates the most food earns an ice cream party before Christmas break!

• Hat Week: Donate $20 by Friday, November 13, to earn a wristband allowing you to wear a hat the entire week before Thanksgiving Break!

Some of the items we are collecting include canned food, crackers, vegetable oil, peanut butter, jelly, and more!

Unable to donate food items? A $1 donation is equivalent to 2 pounds of food!

Let's come together, Cubs, and help make a difference for families in our community!

#TeamCISD has a few reminders as we wrap up October 🎃

📚 Friday, October 30th marks the end of the second six weeks grading period for CMS and CHS.

⏰ Fall Back! Daylight Saving Time ends Sunday, November 1st. Remember to set your clocks back one hour.

📅 Monday, November 2nd – No school for ALL Clifton ISD students! Staff will participate in professional development while CES wraps up scheduled parent conferences.

Enjoy the extra hour of sleep and the long weekend, Cub families! 💚🖤

Parent Resources & an AI Check-In

Common Sense Media offers age-based media reviews and updated guidance on children’s use of AI chatbots. Common Sense Media

🧰 You don’t have to be a tech expert to guide your Cub!

Keep these resources handy for questions about apps, games, online safety, and healthy technology habits:

⭐ Common Sense Media: Age-based reviews and family guidance.
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/

⭐ Family Media Plan: Set expectations that work for your household.
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/Media/Pages/How-to-Make-a-Family-Media-Use-Plan.aspx

⭐ AI guidance for families: Learn what to consider at different ages.
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/articles/ai-chatbots-and-your-child-age-and-stage-guidance

An AI reminder: A confident answer is not always a correct answer. Help children check information, keep personal details out of chats, and turn to trusted people for support.

💬 Weekend challenge: Review one app together, check its privacy settings, and ask, “What would you do if something here made you uncomfortable?”

Digital Citizenship Week is ending, but safe, kind choices matter all year. 💚

Cyberbullying: Support, Save, Report

StopBullying.gov recommends supporting children, documenting harmful behavior, reporting it, and blocking abusive accounts. StopBullying.gov
🤝 Our Cubs should never face online bullying alone.

Cyberbullying can happen in texts, group chats, games, and social media. Help your child know what to do:
• Stop responding. Don’t argue or retaliate.
• Save evidence of hurtful messages, including usernames and dates.
• Report the behavior through the app or game, then block the account.
• Tell a trusted adult. Contact your child’s school when students are involved or school life is affected.
• Support the person being targeted without forwarding the hurtful content.

For parents: Stay calm, listen, and thank your child for telling you.
💬 Tonight’s conversation: “Who could you go to if something online made you feel unsafe?”

More help:
https://www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying/prevention

Social Media & Group Chat Etiquette

Common Sense Media emphasizes thoughtful posting, privacy settings, and modeling consent before sharing photos. Common Sense Media

💚 Kindness belongs behind the screen, too!

Whether your child uses social media, gaming chats, or group messages, the same rule applies: there is a real person on the other side.

• Pause before posting: Is it kind? Is it true? Is it yours to share?
• Ask permission before sharing someone’s photo, video, or private message.
• Remember that disappearing messages can still be saved or screenshotted.
• Review privacy settings together. A private account does not make every interaction safe.
• Skip the pile-on. Don’t like, forward, or add to hurtful posts.

💬 Tonight’s conversation: “Would you say that same comment face-to-face?”

Family guidance on social media readiness and safety:
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/articles/should-i-let-my-kid-get-social-media-like-instagram-or-snapchat-before-theyre-13

Teaching Safe Online Behavior

The FTC recommends verifying unexpected messages through a known website or contact and enabling extra account protection. Consumer Advice
🔒 Pause before you click!

Online safety matters in games, messages, apps, and websites—not just social media.
• Keep passwords, login codes, addresses, and personal details private.
• Treat unexpected links and “free prize” offers with caution, even when they appear to come from a friend.
• Ask a trusted adult before downloading something, making a purchase, or responding to an unfamiliar person.
• Use a different strong password for each account and turn on two-step verification when available.

💬 Tonight’s conversation: “What would you do if a message promised free game rewards?”

Family scam-spotting tips:
https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-avoid-phishing-scams

Parenting in a Digital World

These tips draw on the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Family Media Plan. HealthyChildren.org
📱 Start with a conversation, Cubs!

Parenting in a digital world starts with knowing what your child enjoys online. Ask them to show you a favorite game, app, or video!
• Set family expectations for when, where, and how devices are used.
• Protect time for sleep, homework, movement, and family connection.
• Create device-free moments.
• Keep checking in as your child’s interests and needs change.

💬 Tonight’s conversation: “What do you enjoy online, and how do you feel afterward?”

Build your family’s plan:
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/Media/Pages/How-to-Make-a-Family-Media-Use-Plan.aspx