Wednesday, April 8, 2020

At Home Resources for Kids and Families

Tiger Families:

Check out this running List of Resources 
from around the internet for kids and families 
to help make the time at home 
a little more fun and educational for us all.
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Tuesday, April 7, 2020

Free Live Cams, Virtual Field Trips and Read-Alongs!


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Monday, April 6, 2020

CPMS Spring Break: 4/6 - 4/17/20

We would like to wish all of our Tiger Families
a relaxing, healthy and safe Spring Break.
No School: 4/6 - 4/17/20

School Resumes/Distance Learning Schedule Begins
Monday (4/20/20)
Click HERE for CPMS Distance Learning Schedule

Thanks again for showing that Tiger Pride,
each and every day!!!
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Free Live Cams, Virtual Tours and Read-Alongs


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Sunday, April 5, 2020

KPBS Educational Programming (4/6 - 4/10/20)

 KPBS Public Broadcasting

KPBS has partnered with the San Diego Office of Education and San Diego Unified School District with the aim of bringing educational resources into the home. At-Home Learning: Where Children Matter is an initiative that provides educational programming and digital resources.

Every Sunday, KPBS highlights some of the upcoming programs for each age group, along with digital resources.

TV Programs


Educational programming aligned with state standards runs weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on our second channel, KPBS 2. Our educational schedule is broken up into programming blocks with shows selected for three grade groups:

Grades TK-3: 6 a.m. - 8 a.m.
Grades 4-8: 8 a.m. -1 p.m.
Grades 9-12: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m.


How to Watch KPBS 2: Tune into KPBS 2 with an antenna at 15.2, Cox 811, Spectrum 1277.



Featured Programs



Grades TK - 3

Weekdays 6 a.m. - 8 a.m.


Cyberchase | Subject: Math

In the world of "Cyberchase," the dastardly villain Hacker is on a mad mission to overthrow Motherboard and take over Cyberspace with the help of his blundering henchbots, Buzz and Delete. But Motherboard enlists the help of three curious kids, Inez, Jackie, and Matt, and their cyberpal, Digit, to stop him. Their weapon: brain power. In For Real, the live-action segment following each animated episode, Harry and Bianca show kids how math can help solve life’s wacky problems in the real world.

Airs Monday through Friday at 7:00 a.m. on KPBS-2

Grades 4 - 8

Weekdays 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.


Food—Delicious Science | Subject: Science

"Food—Delicious Science" is the scientific story of the food on your plate. Michael Mosley and James Wong present a celebration of the physics, chemistry and biology that lies hidden inside every bite. Together they travel the world and take over the UK’s leading food lab as they deconstruct our favorite meals, taking us inside the food, right down to the molecular level.

Airs 4/6 - 4/8 at 11:00 a.m. on KPBS-2

Grades 9-12

Weekdays 1 p.m. - 6 p.m.


The Great American Read | Subject: English
"The Great American Read" is an eight-part series with viewer participation to select America’s favorite novel, told through the prism of America’s 100 best-loved novels. It investigates writers’ fictional worlds, how we as readers are affected by these stories, and what the 100 different books have to say about our diverse nation and our shared human experience.

Airs 4/6 - 4/10 at 1:00 p.m. on KPBS-2

Digital Resources

PBS LearningMedia

PBS LearningMedia has a vast library of digital resources. There are great materials available for each age group, and for each school subject.
PBS LearningMedia

Featured Digital Video Series
Poetry Everywhere
Subject: English | Grades 7-12

April is National Poetry Month, so here is a great resource for exploring the power of language, look at the world with a fresh sense of wonder, and build reading and writing skills. These video segments, drawn from the PBS "Poetry Everywhere" series, capture some of the voices of poetry, past and present.

KPBS recognizes teachers and parents are juggling a multitude of needs at this time, including equity and access issues for meaningful home learning experiences for your students. KPBS is committed to harnessing the power of public media to assist all students in San Diego County to keep learning.

Be well,

-Team KPBS
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Saturday, April 4, 2020

CPMS-PTSA Scholastic Online Book Fair: 3/30 - 4/12/20

Click HERE for Scholastic Online Book Fair
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Friday, April 3, 2020

Quarter 3 Report Cards

Tiger Families:

Quarter 3 Report Cards will be emailed
THIS WEEK

The e-mail will be sent from:
College Preparatory Middle School
<noreply@plsis.com>

Please contact the College Prep Office if not received
or if your email address has recently changed.
Please review with your students,
celebrate their accomplishments
and develop a plan
for an even more successful
Quarter 4 of the 2019-20 school year.

Thank you for your continued partnership
in helping our students earn their STRIPES!!!

Go Tigers!!!
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Thursday, April 2, 2020

OverDrive.com - Enjoy Ebooks and Audiobooks for Free

Tiger Familes:

You can now access ebooks and audiobooks
through your local library for FREE

The OverDrive website includes Libby,
a free app for your phone or tablet,
that allows families to borrow and read
FREE ebooks, audiobooks and magazines
from your local library.
Enjoy!!!:)
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Wednesday, April 1, 2020

Virtual Field Trips

Tiger Families:

Looking for something to do with your student?  

Check out the list of over 30 Virtual Field Trips.  
The best part is that you can attend, 
right from your home and they are all free!



Enjoy and Safe Travels!:)
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Tuesday, March 31, 2020

An Update from the CPMS Yearbook Advisor

Hello fellow CPMS families!

I hope that this finds you safe and healthy with your loved ones. Amongst this unprecedented time in our history, I hope that you are able to find some piece of normalcy as we all adjust to the ever changing guidelines for COVID-19.

I wanted to let everyone know that the Yearbook is still on schedule to print. The majority of the yearbook content is documented and the unexpected changes will be adjusted accordingly in the yearbook.

Don't miss out on a copy of this historical school year! The ordering deadline has changed to May 1st. The option to order after is TBD and may include an increase in cost. Ordering is only on-line and books will be distributed at school on a date TBD.
Click HERE for the Yearbook Update Flyer

For any students who are interested in submitting a Tiger Art that can be selected as the Yearbook cover, please follow these requirements:
8.5" x 11" (Portrait orientation)
Color artwork
"College Prep Middle School" (or CPMS) in artwork
"2019-2020" in artwork
Tiger themed artwork
JPEG full size scanned copy e-mailed to: yearbook@mycpms.net
Deadline to submit 4/30/20 (extended from previous)

For any families still interested in Leaving a Paw Print in the yearbook, the deadline to submit has been changed to 4/24/20 for the following:
1) 8th Grade Baby Photo and message (photo must be JPEG)
2) Family Message
3) Advertisement
All submissions can be e-mailed directly to: yearbook@mycpms.net
Payment can be made via VENMO or a check mailed to the school.
Last but not least, please share any photo you may take of your student(s) adapting to remote learning. It may be included in a special section in the Yearbook about COVID-19. JPEG images can be e-mailed to: yearbook@mycpms.net.

Any questions about Yearbook, please send me an e-mail. Stay safe and healthy and I hope that we all can make the best of our time with these challenging circumstances.

Thank you,

Linda Wirschem
CPMS Yearbook Advisor
Yearbook@mycpms.net
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Monday, March 30, 2020

CPMS-PTSA Scholastic Online Book Fair: 3/30 - 4/12/20

Click HERE for Scholastic Online Book Fair
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Sunday, March 29, 2020

Family Friendly Alexa Games


How to Fight Cabin Fever With Family-Friendly Alexa Games
Photo: Jennifer Pattison Tuohy

How to Fight Cabin Fever With Family-Friendly Alexa Games





Amazon’s Alexa happens to have dozens of voice-based games built in (many of them really good; some not so much), and so it is a terrific tool for keeping the kids entertained without resorting to more screen time. To launch one of these games, just ask Alexa to open or play them by name (no need to install a Skill, as you did in the past).
Alexa as Game Master
Here are a few things to keep in mind before you start your Alexa game-playing adventure:
Most games require you to enable a Skill (like an app for Alexa), which you add via voice or by searching through the Skills section in the Alexa app. Many games have in-Skill purchases as upgrades (although all the ones we tested offer some level of free gameplay), so disable voice purchasing before setting your kids loose.
All Alexa Skills are rated to help you find appropriate content. The ratings are All Ages, Guidance Suggested, and Mature; the latter two are indicated on the Skills page (if there’s no rating shown, it’s All Ages). 
Guidance Suggested is akin to PG, and in some cases it’s rated that way because account linking is required, not because something has objectionable content. All of the Skills we tested are All Ages or Guidance Suggested, except for one Mature in the Tween/Teens section. If you want to make sure your child doesn’t stumble across anything inappropriate, enable FreeTime, Amazon’s free parental controls, to limit the types of games they can play by age.
If you don’t have an Echo smart speaker yet, check out our guide to the best Alexa speaker. These game Skills will work on any Alexa-enabled device, but those with a screen add visual clues and context to some games.

Good for families

These Skills are all multiplayer, making them especially great for creating family fun with school-age children and older. If you need to take the adult out of the equation, these are fun for just the kids, too, and can also be played solo. (Another slightly more involved option is to try out some board games that work with Alexa—here’s a list of some of our favorites). For family games for younger kids, check out the next section.
You get a small snippet of a popular song and points for guessing the title and/or artist. You play with up to four players and choose music from every decade since the 1960s, making it a good fit for nearly all ages. Fair warning, this one may quickly turn into a dance party!

Either Or For Family (formerly Would You Rather for Family)
With this Would You Rather–style game, you choose from three categories for free and find out how many people agree with your choices when faced with bizarre situations. Family hilarity is guaranteed.

This is a Jeopardy-like guessing game where every answer is prefaced with “Alexa, you’re ... .” It’s fast-paced and exciting, with lots of questions categories to choose from, including animals and movies. Plus, you can play with up to six people.

Based on the original—and still the best—trivia board game, this is a step above most of the other game Skills out there. But you’ll want to pay the $4 for better question packs, since the 2000s pack you get for free is just inane. This is also one of the few games you can use Echo Buttons (battery-powered LED buzzers that have sadly been discontinued) with, so you feel like you’re in a real game show.

Younger kids (under 5)

One of Alexa’s greatest Skills is that it can interact with your child to keep game time going without the need for direct adult supervision. These simple games will keep the younger ones entertained for a little while. And if they blast through them too quickly, have them say “Alexa I’m bored ...” and the AI will come up with some more suggestions.
This is a game and an energy burner in one. Alexa names an animal, provides some fun facts about it, and then prompts kids to dance around mimicking it—from a penguin waddle and a kangaroo jump to an elephant stomp (hide the breakables!).

Another get-up-and-move option that’s good for all ages, this elimination game is a riff on the old party favorite where you dance until the music stops, and the last one to freeze their beat loses.

This game is ideal for when everyone just needs to relax, concentrate on breathing and listening, and zen out. The “winner” is the last person still able to hear the focus gong sound as it fades away.

Send your tots off to hide somewhere in the room, and Alexa tries to guess where they are. “Are you behind the curtain?” “Are you under the bed?” You can pick how many times Alexa tries, and if it doesn’t get it right, you win. One for the youngest Hide and Seek fans in the family.

This is a simple math game disguised as pretend play. The idea is to get your kids’ entrepreneurial juices flowing by running a virtual lemonade stand. Alexa tells you the weather, and the kids guess how many cups they’ll need to sell and for how much—get it wrong and everything goes sour.

School age (under 10)

Play Ellen DeGeneres’s cranial game, with Alexa providing the clues for you to guess who you are in categories such as superstars, movies, and fictional characters (you can purchase more packs).

This slimmed-down version of the popular game show can be played only once a day for free (the full game costs $3), but for this money-motivated age group, it’s a real winner, even if you don’t actually get to keep the $1 million.

Based on Nickelodeon’s game show, this is a riot for your school-age kids (and adults) to face off against one another. You can play with teams and tackle grade-level topics in arts, astronomy, science, vocabulary, and math.

When those inevitable meltdowns arrive, call on Judge Lexy as an objective third party to randomly settle sibling squabbles and dole out some fun “punishments” for the guilty (although the “wrap yourself in toilet paper” one may need some modification for current conditions).

Teens/tweens

This deeply involved, interactive audio adventure requires patience, concentration, and time. With real voice actors, you play as one of five characters from the original RPG game, making decisions and using your voice to advance the story.

Run your own kingdom with this choice-based game. Your servant posits scenarios for you, and each decision has consequences, leading to either utter ruin or lots of money and power. Humorous, a bit bloody (rated Mature for some adult themes), and somewhat historically accurate, this game is engaging enough for even easily bored teenagers.

An exploration puzzler, play this one as a thief, an adventurer, or a noble to uncover the secret of a cursed painting hidden in a castle and stop an undead plague. This game has full, movie-like audio that really draws you in. And even though it’s just a sample right now (the full, premium game is coming soon), there’s enough free entertainment here.

You can play this once a day, three questions each time, and the questions are actually rich snippets from the official audiobooks, making this a mini story time for Potterheads.
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Saturday, March 28, 2020

College Prep Updates and Resources

Greetings Tiger Families!

We continue to work on providing you with updates as more information becomes available to us on a weekly, if not daily, basis.

Please make sure to check the following websites for updated information and resources:

College Prep Website:  www.MyCPMS.net

College Prep Blog:  http://mycpms.blogspot.com/

If you havent already, please subscribe to the blog: 

Teacher Calendars/Websites:  https://www.mycpms.net/teacher-websites


San Diego County Office of Ed (SDCOE):  https://www.sdcoe.net/Pages/Home.aspx

California Dept of Ed (CDE):  https://www.cde.ca.gov/

We wish all of our Tiger Community well and thank you for continuing to be an important partner in your students education!  Please don't hesitate to contact us if we can be of assistance.

With Tiger Pride,
College Prep
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Tuesday, March 24, 2020

LUNCH DOODLES with Mo Willems!

Tiger Families:

Mo Willems invites YOU into his studio every day for his LUNCH DOODLE. Learners worldwide can draw, doodle and explore new ways of writing by visiting Mo’s studio virtually once a day for the next few weeks. Grab some paper and pencils, pens, or crayons and join Mo to explore ways of writing and making together. If you post your art to social media, be sure to hashtag it with #MoLunchDoodles!

New episodes will be posted each weekday at 1:00 p.m. ET and then remain online to be streamed afterwards.  Check back each weekday for new LUNCH DOODLES!

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