Clark Lane Connects

Clark Lane Connects

Mark your calendars!

Thurs., January 1 - Fri., January 2 – School Holiday, No School

Thurs., January 15 – Early Dismissal - Staff Professional Development Mon., January 19 – School Holiday, No School

Tues., January 20 – PTO Meeting, CLMS Library

Thurs., January 22 –Midpoint, Trimester 2

Happy New Year CLMS Parents and Guardians! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season! We were so fortunate to have hadaterrific,all-schoolcelebrationthedaypriortobreak,that culminated in our huge CLMS Winter Pep Rally! The students were enthusiastic, very engaged and very well-behaved! The daywasfilledwithold-fashionedactivities,suchasrelay races, pie eating contests and a series of competitions including combined teacher/student teams. It was a fabulous time, and I amgratefultoalltheteachersandstaffmemberswhoplanned thisdayandparticipatedinit!Whatanincredibleteameffort!! 2026 brings with it much promise and hope, as well as the 250th Birthday of America! We are excited to instruct your children and are excited for the months ahead. Our school slogan, having PRIDE in our Behavior, Learning and Community, is more important than ever, and is the cornerstone of all our efforts. Thank you again for being such phenomenal parents and guardians and for your constant support!

Most Sincerely,

James M. Sachs CLMS Principal

REMINDER for ALL STUDENTS!

Bring your school-issued device with you to school EVERY DAY. Be sure to charge your device or bring your charger with you! Also, don’t forget to bring a refillable water bottle with you to school daily!

Thank you for your attention!

Clark Lane

Connecting with Parents

REMINDER

Mid Trimester 2 is January 22nd!

Be sure to check your student’s progress on PowerSchool!

Misplaced something? Think you left it at school? Check the LOST & FOUND table in Clark Lane’s cafeteria!

Drop off Procedures/Times

Parents may drop off students no sooner than 7:15am. Students wait in the cafeteria before proceeding to Homeroom.

Students who arrive after 8 am MUST be signed in at the Main Office (in the back of the building) by a parent/guardian. Please accompany your student into the building.

Early Dismissal Procedure

We ask that you make every attempt to NOT dismiss your student after 2:15 pm, unless a note was given in the morning. It is a disruption to the end of the school day and traffic management.

Thank you for your attention to this!

Clark Lane Middle School…

Connecting with Parents

January 2026

As a reminder and for you to review with your student(s), here is our PRIDE matrix. These are the behaviors and expectations we have for our students in the different areas of our building like the hallways and bathrooms, and in various situations like on the school bus, for instance. The expectations at the top of this chart (in the gray box) represent those expectations which we at Clark Lane Middle School consider to be the non-negotiables and include: no cell phones, no hurtful or abusive language and no rough-housing or horseplay, to name a few. For a more clear copy of our expectations, you may refer to the Clark Lane Student Handbook, which all students were given a copy of on the first day of school. Should you have questions, we encourage you to reach out to our Administration.

Clark Lane Middle School…

Connecting with Parents

January 2026

Interested in viewing our morning announcements?

Check them out here:

Reminder to Parents & Students:

Your Attendance Matters!

Parents: Be sure to report student absences. *PowerSchoolAttendance Monitor* Check your email for details! or Email: CLMS-Attend@waterf ordschools.org

Students: When you return to school, be sure to check in with your teachers to get missing work or stay after school for additional support.

After-school academic support is available for students on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Please note that this time is intended specifically for students who need extra academic help. We kindly ask families to keep in mind that these sessions are not intended as after-school supervision. To ensure the best use of time, students should attend with specific questions, assignments, or areas where they need help. Students must be working with a teacher or staff member while they are on campus after school.

Thank you for your continued cooperation and support!

LATE BUS INFO

Late buses typically run Monday through Wednesday, with the exception of the first Monday of the month due to faculty meetings. Students are encouraged to check with their teachers before staying after.

If your child would like to take a different bus with a friend or get off at a different stop on their regular bus, you can email: clms-attend@waterfordschools.org

All bus requests must be in writing.

Thank you for your attention to this!

Clark Lane Middle School…

Connecting with Parents

yearbooks are priceless for many reasons!

“I’m so glad I didn’t buy a yearbook,” said no one, ever! Why wouldn’t your child want the important school memories with them forever? BUY A YEARBOOK

Get your hands on the limited edition collection of stories from the year! ORDER YOURS TODAY!

January 30, 2026 is the last day to personalize your yearbook! Also, this is the last day for 8th grade parents to put in an ad!

www.jostens.com

Planning Ahead?

The 2026-2027 school year calendar was approved at the December 11, 2025 Board of Education meeting. Take a look!

Reminder to Parents!

Wondering how your student is doing in his/her classes? Curious what grades your student has? Is your student coming to class prepared? Is your student missing assignments? Not completing assigned work? Be sure to check PowerSchool for comments. For many teachers, this is their means of daily, sometimes weekly communication. For help logging in to PowerSchool, check out the page on our website shared here:

Clark Lane Middle School…

Connecting with Parents

January 2026

CLMS Raises Funds for Cancer Research

Together the Clark Lane Middle School community collected $996.80 to donate to Connecticut Children’s Hospital for pediatric cancer research! Way to go, Clark Lane!

Did you know…teachers at Clark Lane Middle School are required to take period attendance? It’s true! Every class period, teachers record every student’s attendance on PowerSchool. Therefore, if a student is not present in a teacher’s specific class, that student will be marked absent. It is the teacher’s way of keeping track of which students are in their care during the school day. If a teacher marks your student as “absent”, it means your student was not in class. For example, if a student has a music lesson and is “absent” or missing from a class to attend the lesson, the student may be marked absent internal (AI) from the regular class period, even though that student is in school. This in no way affects the student’s daily attendance.

For more information about our attendance expectations, please refer to the Student & Parent Handbook/Agenda provided to each student at the start of the school year or by clicking the link here: https://issuu.com/waterfordpublicschools /docs/clms_handbook_online

When was the last time YOU checked

Many teachers use PowerSchool as a means to communicate important messages with students, as well as parents. If you go to our School Counseling resource page on Clark Lane Middle School website (https://clms.waterfordschools.org/), you can watch a slideshow that explains how you can access PowerSchool! Here is the link to this page: https://clms.waterfordschools.org/cms/ one.aspx?portalId=315642&pageId=329 49672

Checking PowerSchool regularly will help you, and your student, to stay on top of their progress and grades in each of their classes! This is a very important way for you to help your student be successful in middle school! The teachers appreciate your support!

Waterford School District has five FREE summer camp positions available for students aged 12-17 this summer. Application link can be found at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1T9 EaNoSfczI-QGdDAvcElzhmsbSaOw96x1tj KtbRlkc/edit?usp=sharing

Connecting Community

Clark Lane Middle School…

Connecting Community

January 2026

Thank You to the entire Clark Lane Middle School community for their contributions to Madeline's Wish Toy Drive. We appreciate your support!

Winter Festivities at CLMS

We wrapped up December with a full school holiday pep rally that filled the gym with energy, excitement and school spirit! The highlight of the day was an action packed basketball showcase featuring our girls’ and boys’ teams, along with some enthusiastic teachers. The game was a hard fought battle that came down to the final moments, ending with an incredible buzzer-beater by 8th grader Preston Colucci, sealing the victory for the Green Archers, coached by Principal Sachs.

The excitement continued at halftime as students from each grade took the floor to compete in a series of fun and fast-paced challenges, including box stacking, relay races, and pizza box knockout. The event was a fantastic way to come together as a school community and head into winter break with positive energy, teamwork and holiday spirit! Thank you to all who participated and supported this day’s events, as well as all our other Spirit Days before winter break!

Winter Festivities!

Here are some more photos of students and staff at Clark Lane!

Winter Festivities!

Here are some more photos of students and staff at Clark Lane!

Winter Festivities!

Here are some more photos of students and staff at Clark Lane!

School Counseling Office

January 2026

Grade 8 Parent Information Night

Wednesday, February 4th

6:00 – 7:00 pm

WHS Auditorium

As part of the transition process to Waterford High School, there will be a parent night for all parents/guardians of Grade 8 students. It is our hope that this meeting will answer any questions you may have as your child prepares for high school. You can expect details on the course selection process, graduation requirements, and other pertinent information to prepare you and your child for their freshman year. The end of the school year will approach us quickly! We look forward to celebrating the promotion of our Grade 8 students and welcoming them to Waterford High School as the graduating Class of 2030!

The WHS Administration and School Counseling Team

Parking is located in the lot next to the Field House entrance or near the flagpole in the WHS main entrance lot.

At Clark Lane Middle School, the school counselors deliver a comprehensive school counseling curriculum for students in grades 6-8 that covers three primary domains: academic, career and social-emotional learning. Topics of lessons include: organization and time management, bullying and social media, stereotypes, empathy and self-advocacy, to name a few.

Need to see your counselor?

Stop in the School

Counseling Office and set up an appointment first with Ms. Hietala.

Health Office

MakingHealthyConnectionsbetweenHomeandSchool January 2026

Lions Club is offering free vision screenings for Clark Lane Middle School students. Please email emccaffrey@waterfordsc hools.org if you would like to have your child's vision screened. You must complete the attached consent form: https://drive.google.com/fil e/d/17QbQMNHvf39Ww4n Ymc86DorN9F-XMVGD/vie w?usp=sharing

New Face in Health Room

Esti Roosli-Schon is Clark Lane’s new Health Aide. Esti has worked at Waterford High School for the past five years before coming to Clark Lane Middle School. She was born in Switzerland and has been living in the United States for most of her life. She speaks many different languages! She loves working with our students and in her spare time she enjoys nature, hiking, travelling and spending time with her family and young grandchildren. Be sure to stop in and say hello!

REMINDER

In an effort to help keep our school healthy, please…

● Stay home when you are sick.

● Cover your mouth and nose when coughing/sneezing.

● Wash hands frequently.

● Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.

Reminder from the Health Office

To directly contact the School Health Office, call: 860-437-6977 or email: emccaffrey@waterfordschools.org Confidential faxes may be sent directly to the School Health Office @ 860-437-2179

If your child has any limitations or needs accommodations, please inform the School Health Office as soon as possible. This will help us ensure that your child receives the necessary support and care during their recovery. Thank you for your cooperation!

Effective School Solutions Connecting with

Helping each child reach their greatest potential January 2026

Helpful Tips for Electronics Use

Happy New Year!! Students are excited for new video games, drones, phones and other electronics received this past holiday. Please help them learn to regulate their use responsibly. At this age group, students have very little ability to self-regulate when it comes to activities they love and setting limits on their use.

Here are a few ways to help them learn to moderate their habits towards electronics:

1- Explain it’s a privilege, not a priority. As with any privilege, free time on these electronics is based on other priorities being completed.

2- Set certain expectations with the use of the electronics ahead of time, including amount of allowed time and appropriate use.

3- Inform students that the use will be monitored to insure they are not accessing inappropriate content, since there are no controls on the internet to limit their access to inappropriate sites. Monitor the use.

4- Be curious with your child as to what they do on their electronics and play the games with them or watch with them to get a better understanding of what they’re doing.

5- Discuss the risks or some of the dangers out there.

6- Understand that setting a limit is an adjustment for most kids and often they will fight it and it will get more difficult before they get used to it and it gets better. It’s a process.

Thank you for your attention and support!

Lisa Pionke, LMFT

Effective School Solutions Clinician

News from IT

January 2026

especially for Clark Lane Middle School

Taking Care of Your Chromebook

Students are responsible for the general care of the Chromebook they have been issued by Waterford Public Schools. Students with Chromebooks that are broken or fail to work properly, are lost, or have been stolen must report the problem to their teacher or email techsupport@waterfordschools.org as soon as possible so the issue can be taken care of properly. District-owned Chromebooks must never be taken to an outside computer service for any type of repairs or maintenance. Students should treat the Chromebook as a valuable material and always store the Chromebook in a safe location when not in use. All Chromebooks will be labeled with a Waterford Public School asset tag/barcode. Asset tags may not be removed, modified or tampered with in any way.

Be sure to take special care of your school-issued Chromebook!

Students are REMINDED to bring their devices to school every day, preferably charged and ready to go! There is a limited number of Chromebooks for students to borrow from the library throughout the day on a first come, first serve basis.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION:

What electronic communication (i.e.-"chatting", email, etc.) is allowed on a school issued device? Electronic communications should be used for educational purposes only to collaborate with teachers and fellow students on a school based project.

Did you know… only school issued devices will be allowed during instructional times? That’s right! Privately-owned technological devices may only be used during instructional times, as specifically permitted by instructional staff for a specific purpose. Students may use their privately-owned device during noninstructional times, such as before and after school and study hall. Good to know!

Problems with your Chromebook?

Email: techsupport@ waterfordschools.org

Connecting with

Family & Consumer Science

@ Clark Lane Middle School

Culinary News

Did

Mrs. Loguidice reports, “Trimester 2 Culinary Skills students have begun preparing some tasty treats while they practice the Mise en Place technique as a means of working efficiently in the kitchen. Advanced Culinary students also had a chance to participate in a cookie swap, baking holiday treats to bring home to share with their families.”

January 2026

you know…mise en place (MEEZ-ahn-plahs) is a French culinary term meaning "everything in its place," referring to the essential practice of organizing and arranging all ingredients and equipment before cooking. This preparation involves tasks like chopping vegetables, measuring spices, and gathering tools, making the actual cooking process smoother, more efficient, and less stressful, a technique used by professional chefs and home cooks alike. It's not just about prep; it's also a mindset of readiness, allowing you to focus on the cooking steps rather than scrambling for items. Good to know!

WORLD LANGUAGE NEWS

Connecting our corner of the globe to yours January 2026

Dans la classe de français

6th graders are working through the first unit and have recently learned how to say how they are feeling and ask others how they are! After their first quiz, they’ll soon be studying the geography of France and will be taking a virtual tour through the capital: Paris!

7th graders are reviewing -er verbs and will soon be sharing their likes and dislikes and will be learning many more nouns and so much more vocabulary! Soon, they will be learning how to talk about the members of their families!

8th graders have just finished the unit focusing foods and eating habits in France and will be learning vocabulary to describe what sports and activities they and others enjoy doing in our next unit! Stay tuned!

Wishing you all Meilleurs Vœux (Best Wishes) in the new year!

That means Happy New Year!

A classe linguae latinae

6th graders are beginning a unit about the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and its effects on Pompeii and Herculaneum before moving onto the geography of the Roman empire and the provinces which have become our modern-day countries.

7th graders are in the process of learning about the Titanomachy and Greco-Roman mythology! Along the way, they will be reviewing the nominative and accusative cases.

8th graders just had their first unit test to wrap up the Trojan war! Now they are learning about the Aeneid with a focus on the Punic Wars as well as personal pronouns and helping verbs.

En la clase de español

6th graders are learning how to use greeting, introduction and farewell expressions in Spanish. In the next few classes they will learn about Spanish speaking countries. They will choose a country and create an infographic to share with their class.

7th graders are finishing up their second unit and will soon be ready to learn how to talk about families and family members. They will begin to see more conjugated verbs in context and will practice describing people’s physical characteristics. In the upcoming third unit, we will expand on the theme of families by exploring family dynamics in Spanish-speaking countries.

8th graders are wrapping up the unit on foods and health habits. They will begin a new unit focused on the irregular verb "ir" (meaning "to go"). They'll learn how to use it to describe places they go to during their free time. Additionally, students will practice asking and answering questions about weekend plans, allowing them to exchange information about what they like to do outside of school.

World Language Clubs Holiday Celebration

Students in French, Latin and Spanish Clubs met on December 16th to celebrate the holidays by making bûches de Noёl (yule log cakes) and sampling traditional foods.

CONNECTIONS CLUBS

After School Clubs

@ Clark Lane Middle School January 2026

The Connections Program offers a variety of afterschool clubs for students here at Clark Lane Middle School. These clubs offer students the ability to get involved in activities they enjoy after school and to meet new people and connect with the school. Clubs are generally offered for twelve weeks, so in the spring, there may also be new club offerings, while some clubs run the entire school year. Generally, club meeting days & times are announced over the morning announcements; however, there is also a bulletin board outside of the Assistant Principal’s office where staff members post club flyers! Students: be sure to check this out! Get involved!

LATE BUS INFORMATION

Late buses run Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays unless there is a faculty meeting, on the first Monday of the month. If late buses are not running on a particular day, it will be announced. Students take the late bus that goes to their area of town. Students will be issued a bus pass from the adult they are staying after school with, or they can get picked up in lieu of taking a bus. Late buses arrive at school at 3:40 pm.

Learn how to solve the cube. Come join us! See Mrs. Joyner if you have questions! We meet most Mondays after school in S105

CONNECTIONS CLUBS

After

School Clubs @ Clark Lane Middle School January 2026

Clark Lane’s StressFreeClub meets on Tuesdays after school with Ms. Todd! Listen for announcements for the location and be sure to sign up outside the AP office!

Kindness & Care Club

This club meets Mondays in C202A (the ESS Office).

Come be part of the Kindness Revolution!

Math Counts meets after school with Mrs. Joyner on most Tuesdays in S105!

Come join us!

Have an Idea for a New Club?

Anyone can start a new club at Clark Lane! You just need a school sponsor (teacher, building sub or paraprofessional) and an idea!

Write up a proposal, work with an adult in the building and see if you can make it happen! For more information, stop by and see Mr. Sachs and find out how your idea can be set into motion for a new club at Clark Lane!

Join Perler Bead Club!

The Perler Bead Club meets on most Wednesdays after school in the library! Be sure to sign up on the list outside the AP Office. Space is limited!

Come join The Craft Club

Looking for a fun way to spend your Wednesday afternoons? This club meets on Wednesdays in the atrium with Nurses Erica and Rosita. Get ready to be creative! Hope to see you there!

What’s Cooking?

in Clark Lane Middle School’s cafeteria

January 2026

REMINDER

Students riding the bus who want breakfast in the morning should report to the cafeteria after checking in to Homeroom for attendance.

If your student is a parent drop-off in the morning, those students wait in the cafeteria until the bell and can get breakfast there as they come in before Homeroom.

Join the CLMS PTO

SPIRIT WEAR

We’d love the support! Our next meeting date is: Tuesday, January 20th 5:30 pm CLMS Library or on Zoom (link to be shared)

ON SALE NOW

Click the QR code below and order your Spirit Wear, especially for Clark Lane Middle School, NOW! Purchase spirit wear and help us fund student activities and supplies.

Get all the updates by following our FB page! See what’s happening! Get meeting reminders!

Here’s a simple way to

Just download the app and you can support Clark Lane Middle School with purchases made in person or online. Visit https://www.boxtops4education.com/ to learn more and see a list of participating products. Thank you!