Each year, as the holiday season approaches, our school PTAs and HSAs, The Parenting Center, Cougar Cares, and the Achieve Foundation work together to assist SOMSD families experiencing food insecurity.

Please consider donating any amount to our 4th Annual Thanksgiving Gift Card Drive to help our friends and neighbors this holiday season. Our $24,000 fundraising goal will allow us to provide $100 grocery gift cards to 240 SOMSD families before Thanksgiving weekend.

► Donate via Achieve (by 11/5, please)

Your generosity directly supports our CHS community ... thank you!

Achieve, a registered 501(c)3 organization, is the education foundation for the School District of South Orange & Maplewood.

Pay It Forward!

Calling all Junior, Sophomore, and Freshman parents ... let's pay it forward and help our Class of 2026 families celebrate their graduating seniors this spring.

Senior year is packed with milestone events and we can't do it without volunteers! Some roles are done in a day; others happen over a few months or throughout the school year. Whatever time you have, there's a way you can help:

• Midnight Madness: Fundraising/Sponsorship
• CHS Merchandise Team
• Senior Lawn Signs
• Senior Flocking
• Prom Red Carpet
• Senior Recognition Night
• Cap & Gown Pickup Day
• Midnight Madness: Check-In
• Midnight Madness: Chaperone

Please fill out this form to let our Midnight Madness team know what volunteer roles are of interest to you. (We promise that showing interest does NOT mean you are committed to anything.) Thank you for supporting the Class of 2026!

NOW WHAT?! | OCTOBER 29TH

Join Mr. Endlich, CHS Transitions Coordinator, to learn about accommodations in college for students with an IEP or 504. This is a great meeting for juniors, seniors and their parents/guardians. Learn more here and register here (by 10/28, please).

Wednesday 10/29 @ 7:00pm
CHS Black Box Theater

Questions? mendlich@somsd.k12.nj.us

Giving Closet | Fall Restock

Our first student "shopping" event of the school year will be ahead of the four-day weekend at the beginning of November. Can you help CHS Counseling and Cougar Cares restock the CHS Giving Closet? Three easy ways to help CHS students:

SHIP Order from the Cougar Cares Wish List.

DONATE Help fund Cougar Cares' work.

SHOP Purchase locally and email cougarcares@columbiahsa.com for drop-off locations.

Our current biggest needs are:

• Mini bottled water (only the little ones, please)

• Deodorant

• Lip balm

• Rice krispie treats

Your HSA in Action!

Your donations to the CHS HSA help fund teacher appreciation activities like our Recharge! Refuel! Restock! event on October 9th and 10th.

Teachers and staff were invited to stop by for sweet treats, snacks, and drinks ahead of Back to School Night on Thursday, followed up by bagels, yogurt, fruit, coffee, and tea on Friday morning to help them kick start the day after a late evening. And, thanks to everyone who so generously donated school supplies the night before, teachers were able to "shop" and stock their classrooms with essentials.

❤️Thank you for helping make this event possible! Our teachers and staff were so appreciative of your kindness and support.

Our No Frills Fundraiser is just that – our biggest and only major fundraiser of the year. It’s All Heart, No Hassle.

Our fundraising is simple and easy: Donate what you can to fund much-needed financial support for our annual HSA budget. Your donation contributes to Cougar Cares, Midnight Madness, campus beautification projects, staff appreciation events, class celebrations, and so much more!

❤️ THANK YOU to everyone who has already donated so generously. The HSA is truly grateful for your support.

► LEARN MORE & DONATE TODAY

Daily Canvas Emails

One of the best ways to stay up-to-the-minute about CHS info is Mr. Sanchez's daily Canvas announcements delivered straight to your inbox. Not getting those emails? Follow our handy guide to update notification settings in your Canvas account.

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Everything our CHS families need to know for the week ahead (and beyond)! Delivered straight to your inbox every Monday morning.

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