Colonia Middle School Families,
Please review the attached letter for information regarding the upcoming New Jersey Student Learning Assessment (NJSLA) testing program. Thank You https://aptg.co/BzhdNM
Colonia Middle School 8th Grade Families,
We are so proud of the accomplishments of this 8th grade class. As the warm weather arrives, I would like to provide our 8th grade families with an update on our scheduled events for the end of the year:
Friday, June 12th – 8th Grade Trip to Urban Air, followed by lunch at Dave & Buster’s
REMINDER – Our Administration & PTO has purchased a Class of 2026 tee shirt for ALL 8th grade students (Trip permission slip coming soon)
Wednesday, June 17th – 8th Grade Yearbook Distribution Event during Periods 4, 5, and 6
REMINDER – Our PTO has purchased a yearbook for ALL 8th grade students
(Mandatory Promotion Practice will take place during Periods 1, 2, and 3)
Thursday, June 18th – 8th Grade Dance at the Sapphire Grand from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
(Details will be provided in the coming weeks)
8th Grade Mandatory Promotion Practice during the school day
Friday, June 19th – School Closed for Juneteenth Day
Monday, June 22nd – 8th Grade Promotion Ceremony at 10:00 AM
(Details will be provided in the coming weeks)
Tuesday, June 23rd – Last Day of School
Thank you for your continued support.
Joseph A. Short
Principal, Colonia Middle School
Important: Dual participation in the Summer EBT program is not allowed. Eligible children may only receive one Summer EBT card each year and can not use benefits from more than one State. To learn more, visit: www.nj.gov/summerebt
El verano está casi aquí y Summer EBT te ayudará a prepararte. NJ enviará una tarjeta de beneficios Summer EBT de $120 única a los hogares de los niños elegibles para comprar alimentos nutritivos en las tiendas participantes. Para saber si calificas o actualizar tu información de contacto, comunícate con la escuela de tu hijo/a.
Importante: No se permite la doble participación en el programa Summer EBT. Los niños elegibles solo pueden recibir una tarjeta Summer EBT al año y no pueden usar beneficios de más de un estado. Para más información, visita: www.nj.gov/summerebt
On behalf of our entire staff, we would like to wish our families a safe and relaxing Spring Break. The students have been working hard and we hope they enjoy their well-deserved time off.
School resumes on Monday, April 13th, 2026.
Thank you for your continued support.
Best regards,
Joseph A. Short
Principal, Colonia Middle School
Colonia Middle School Families,
Thank you for two outstanding days of remote learning. We are very proud of our students. We look forward to having everyone back at the building on Monday morning (3/30/26.)
Have a great weekend.
Thursday, March 26, 2026 and Friday, March 27, 2026 will be remote, synchronous instruction days for all CMS students. Students should follow their schedule by logging into their Google Classroom and joining each class through the posted Google Meet link. Attendance will be taken by the teacher, and students are expected to remain present and engaged, with cameras on, throughout each class period. Any staff member who is unable to provide live instruction will leave asynchronous work for students to complete. In these instances, students must complete the Google Form to log their attendance for the class. Tomorrow (3/26/26) will be an “A” day and Friday (3/27/26) will be a "B" day.
If your child experiences any issues with internet access or devices, please email their school counselor or Mrs. Davison-Nau. Our technology team has devices available and is ready to assist as needed.
Our top priorities are the safety of our students and staff and ensuring continuity of instruction during this time. We sincerely appreciate your understanding, patience, and partnership. We are grateful for the continued support of our entire school community, including our superintendent, staff, and families.
Additional updates will be shared as needed. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out via email. If your child has questions, feel free to reach out to the teacher via email or Google Classroom.
Please review the Remote Learning modified schedule below with your child:
Period 1
8:15–9:13 (58 min)
Period 2
9:18–10:16 (58 min)
Period 3
10:21–11:19 (58 min)
Lunch
11:21–11:51 (30 min)
Period 4
11:53–12:52 (59 min)
Period 5
12:57–1:56 (59 min)
Period 6
2:01–3:00 (59 min)
Best regards,
Joseph A. Short
Principal, Colonia Middle School
Colonia Middle School Families,
One month into our second semester, I wanted to express my appreciation to our entire school community. I continue to live by my professional motto, “It is a PRIVILEGE to work at this school.” The meaning is very simple:
-It is a PRIVILEGE to work with your children.
-It is a PRIVILEGE to work with our families.
-It is a PRIVILEGE to work with our dedicated staff.
-It is a PRIVILEGE to work with our Parent Teacher Organization (PTO).
-It is a PRIVILEGE to work with our stakeholders in the community.
I am very proud of what our students have accomplished so far this year and we will continue to work in providing the best possible middle school experience.
We collected 774 pounds of non-perishable food for the township-wide “Have-A-Heart” food drive to support our local food banks. In addition, we raised $730 for perishable food items. Thank you to the entire school community for your participation.
There is no school for students on this Monday, March 2, 2026 for the Staff In-Service Day.
Thank you and enjoy your weekend.
Joseph A. Short
Principal, Colonia Middle School
Crews are continuing to work on our schools thru tonight and tomorrow morning. With almost 2 feet of snow in parts of our township, we recognize not all residential and business walkways and sidewalks will be cleared for use. We anticipate certain roads being difficult to navigate as cars were left on the streets when plow trucks came through. If your child is a walker, we encourage parents and guardians to review their route or consider driving them if possible. Bus routes will also likely be impacted so please allow extra time for pick up and drop off.
As we reach the end of Marking Period 2 & Semester 1, I would like to acknowledge our students for their hard work and dedication to Colonia Middle School. I would like to thank our families for their continued support of our school. Here are a few updates & reminders for your review:
1) The CMS Community Service Club is sponsoring the "Have a Heart" Food Drive to help fill the Woodbridge Township food pantries. Please support this important cause by donating non-perishable food items. During the week of February 2nd - February 6th, we are holding a theme week, with chances for students to earn extra Patriot Points: 5 points for every item donated and 10 points for those that fit the theme of the day! Please see the attached flyer for details: https://aptg.co/pLCDkR
2) Beginning on Friday, February 13, 2026, Colonia Middle School will be piloting "Chromebook Free Fridays". The goal is to reduce digital dependency and screen fatigue while boosting interpersonal interaction in the classroom. Students are encouraged to leave their school-issued Chromebooks at home on Fridays. Should they bring them to school, they should be left in their locker for the day.
3) Report cards will be available in Genesis Parent Access at 8:00 AM on Friday, February 6, 2026.
Best wishes & stay warm.
Joseph A. Short
Principal, Colonia Middle School
Our school spirit and family support continues to be second to none.
We would like to wish our entire school community a joyous holiday season and a very happy new year.
School resumes on Friday, January 2, 2026.
Warmest wishes,
Joseph A. Short
Principal, Colonia Middle School
CMS 8th Grade Families,
Our PTO will be purchasing a yearbook for all 8th grade students this year. A very special THANK YOU to our PTO for this generous donation.
Best regards,
Joseph A. Short
Principal, Colonia Middle School
Colonia Middle School Families,
We would like to wish all of our families a Happy Thanksgiving.
I am proud to report that this year over 81% of our students made the honor roll for Marking Period 1.
Thank you for your continued support and best wishes.
Joseph A. Short
Principal, Colonia Middle School
Colonia Middle School Families,
On behalf of our entire staff, we would like to wish our families a safe and enjoyable Fall Break. The students have had an outstanding first two months and we hope they enjoy their time off. School resumes on Monday, November 10, 2025. A special Thank You to our United States Veterans for their service to our country. Marking Period 1 Report Cards will be available on the Genesis Parent Access at 8:00 am on Thursday, November 20, 2025.
Best regards,
Joseph A. Short
Principal, Colonia Middle School
CMS Families,
Our students are having a great month of October with our PBIS Kickoff and Week of Respect & Inclusion. Our school community continues to work hard and show outstanding school spirit.
Congratulations to our Baseball and Softball teams for finishing the season undefeated and winning the District Championship.
Thank you for your continued support and have a great weekend.
Joseph A. Short
Principal, Colonia Middle School