Nov 9 Newsletter

Posted Date: 11/09/25 (2:00 PM)

Frost-covered autumn leaves with text overlay: E.A. Cox Middle School, November 9, 2025.

Hello Cougar Families

Tomorrow is going to be a frosty morning! Please make sure students are dressed appropriately for the chill. A reminder, pullover hoodies and blankets must be stored in lockers during the school day.

We take great pride in keeping our school clean and welcoming. Vandalism and graffiti will not be tolerated. These actions damage our shared environment and take away time and resources that could be used to improve our school for everyone. Please remind your student to respect school property and help us keep our campus a place we can all be proud of!

This is the start of our busy season! Please make sure to read our newsletters each week to stay informed.

Happenings This Week:

Cookie Dough Delivery
Veterans Day Celebration
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Coming Home Spirit Week Begins
Basketball Games
After School Clubs
Fun Friday Afternoon
Attendance Incentives
Christmas Store Donations

Please help us by ensuring your student is present every day unless they are truly ill. Attendance matters, every minute matters. If your student is absent, a written note, email, or medical note is required to excuse the absence. As a reminder, we follow MCPS policy: parents are allowed 5 guardian notes per semester, and students with 12 or more unexcused absences may be referred to court.

A quick reminder about MCPS Policy 6.312 regarding personal communication devices: These include items such as tablets, MP3 players, cameras, laptops, cell phones, and wearable devices (like smart rings, AirPods, earbuds, watches, or glasses that can record, live stream, or connect wirelessly). All electronic devices should be kept at home or stored in lockers during school hours.

A stack of chocolate chip cookies on a red background, with text promoting cookie delivery.

Cookie Dough Delivery Tomorrow

Cookie dough orders will be delivered to the school tomorrow! We’ll send out a ParentSquare message once pick-up is ready to begin. Pick-up ends at 6:00 p.m. and will take place at the back of the school.

Please note that we cannot store frozen cookie dough, so all orders must be picked up on Monday. Orders of 5 boxes or fewer will be sent home with students.

A patriotic poster thanks veterans with a silhouette of a soldier and city skyline.

Veterans Day Celebration

We are proud to honor the brave men and women who have served our country. Veterans and active-duty family members of our students are invited to join us on Monday, November 11, for a light breakfast at 8:30 a.m., followed by a patriotic celebration at 9:00 a.m. We look forward to celebrating your service and sacrifice together as a school community.

Poster announcing Parent Teacher Conferences on Thursday, Nov. 13, 4-7pm.

Thursday 4-7pm

If you would like to speak with your child’s teacher regarding academics or behavior, please join us Thursday from 4:00–7:00 p.m. Appointments are not needed, come at your convenience! To ensure everyone has time to visit with teachers, please try to keep conversations to 15 minutes or less. If more time is needed, we’ll be happy to schedule a follow-up meeting.

A colorful poster announces Spirit Week, November 14-20, with themed dress-up days.

Coming Home Spirit Week

We’re excited to kick off Spirit Week on Friday, and we can’t wait to see everyone show their school pride with fun dress-up days!

On November 20th, we’ll have our “Glow Big” Pep Rally! Students are encouraged to wear their grade-level neon colors and get ready to shine under the black lights. Cougar Glow items will also be available for purchase at the rally for $5.

It’s always a great time, and we’re so happy to celebrate our winter sports teams together!

An educational graphic with grade percentages and a turkey illustration.

Attendance Incentives

Coming to school and arriving on time is so important! We have several fun attendance incentives happening for our students this season.

This month, we’re keeping track of our “On Time Turkeys”! The grade level with the highest percentage of students arriving to school on time will earn a Free Seat Friday, in the cafeteria.

We’ll keep the fun going in December with our “Tree-mendous Attendance” challenge another great opportunity to celebrate being present and on time every day!

Cartoon image promoting a 'Cotton Candy Social Hour' with a cotton candy cart.

Every Minute Matters!

In addition to tracking attendance, we’re also keeping an eye on students’ timeliness throughout the day. Getting to class on time is just as important as being at school—every minute matters!

To qualify for Fun Friday, students must:

Arrive to class on time
Have all their work completed
Demonstrate positive behavior (no ISS or OSS)

And finally, we have a sweet reward coming up, right before Winter Break! Students with no unexcused absences between October 27 and December 17 will be invited to our Cotton Candy Social Hour. These students will enjoy cotton candy, time with friends, and the chance to relax with their phones.

A flyer announces a Christmas Gift Drive, listing donation needs for various age groups.

Christmas Store Donations

It’s almost time for our favorite time of year! Our Annual Christmas Store, where students get to shop for special gifts for their loved ones! We’re looking for new or regift-quality items suitable for all ages - men, women, teens, grandparents, and children.

Donations can be dropped off at our school or at our community partner, Ollie & Finn’s.

Thank you for helping make this wonderful holiday tradition possible for our students! ❤️