Mrs. Toth is the new media center para and has been enjoying her time here at the middle school, meeting new people and getting to learn their names. She is from Slovakia and recently moved from the United Kingdom with her family. While she does not currently have a pet, she has had a pet dog in the past. She graduated with her degree in hotel management, travel, and tourism at the Hotel Academy in Slovakia.
The Discoverer Den, our school store operated by Student Council, is officially opening for the 2025-2026 school year! The store is located at the activity entrance in the old ticket booth and opens a few times each quarter after school.
📅 First Opening: Friday, September 19th after school
💵 Currency Accepted: PINK Discoverer Bucks only
👉 Price lists will be available in each Grade Level Google Classroom.
⏰ Important note for parents: If your child plans to shop at the Discoverer Den, expect them to leave school a little later than usual that day.
Register to vote online at https://www.nebraska.gov/apps-sos-voter-registration/ or you can stop by the Platte County Election office located at 1464 26th Ave, Columbus, NE 68601.
The last day to register online to participate in the November 4th special election is October 17th!
For more information on the bond election visit www.columbuspublicschools.org/o/bond .
It’s all about practicing how to read, interpret, and communicate with maps while having some fun with critical thinking and problem-solving along the way.
Learning geography = learning how to make sense of the world around us… even if zombies show up! 🧟♂️
✨Let's welcome Ms. Bohl to CMS ✨
CMS's new 6th-grade math teacher, Ms. Lakota Bohl! Her mom, being a teacher, inspired her to become one too! She started her journey at the University of Nebraska-Kearney to get her bachelor's degree, then went to Fort Hays to attain her master’s degree. After completing college, she worked at Topeka but has now joined the CMS family! Ms. Bohl says that although she's still getting used to the new routines of starting at a new school, she hopes she can still make her students feel calm and confident whenever they walk into her room. An exciting thing Ms. Bohl would do if she won the lottery is travel the world. Welcome to CMS, Ms. Bohl!
📣 Did you know? When you shop at the Concession Stand at CMS, you’re being served by our very own student groups!
They gain hands-on skills in customer service, handling money, math, teamwork, and—of course—mastering the popcorn machine 🍿… all while supporting our school.
👉 This week, come cheer on the Discoverer Volleyball players AND stop by the Concession Stand to support Student Council!
📅 Tuesday, Sept. 16 & Thursday, Sept. 18
Your snack = their learning experience + school support. Win-win! 💙
This is Mr. Zacarias's 2nd year of teaching math. He enjoys making math fun and easy to learn. He says the best part of working at CMS is working with students and staff. He went to Wayne State College and got his degree in mid-level education with endorsements in math and social studies. If he had to teach at a fictional school, he would go to Elmore Junior High from The Amazing World of Gumball. His favorite subject in school was social studies.
Our 7th-grade language arts students are hard at work. They’re reading stories that blur the lines between what is real and what is not. ✨👀
Now, they’re using evidence from their texts to prove that reality is not always what it seems. 🔍📖💭
Our middle schoolers showed up big to cheer on the Discoverers and went GOLD in support of Sammy’s Superheroes and the fight against Childhood Cancer. 🎗️💪
Staff Spotlight!
Today's staff spotlight is... Ms. Foland! Ms. Foland earned her degree from Wayne State College, where she majored in elementary education and minored in special education. Ms. Foland says the best thing about being a Discoverer at CMS is that all the staff was helpful and welcoming, and students are silly and a joy to teach. When asked, "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?" Ms. Foland responded that she hopes she is married with kids. Lastly, Ms. Foland was asked, "If you were to pick a music artist to be, who would you choose?" She responded with country-pop artist Shania Twain.
Mr. Wulf, Mr. Dutton, and Mrs. Trofholz challenged our 7th graders with the 200 Heart Rate Club today! Students completed a 14-station workout with 2 running laps between each station for 20 minutes.
At the halfway point, students checked their heart rates to see if they could reach the 200 Club. They had two chances during the workout to hit the goal. ✅ If they made it, they got to sign their name on the board with their number AND earn a Discoverer Buck!
Even if they didn’t make it, the workout was still a great way to push themselves and have fun. 💯💥
✨Let's welcome Mrs. Moore to CMS✨
She is a 6th-grade reading teacher. She attended Western Governor’s University and got her degree in Elementary Education K–8. Before she came to CMS, she was a 3rd grade teacher. Mrs. Moore decided to become a teacher because she wanted to make a difference in students’ lives. She said that the best part of becoming a teacher is that she loves building relationships and having students come and tell her stories. Her favorite hobby is spending time with her daughter. She said that if she could have a superpower, she would want to see people's true intentions and know what they are thinking.
This quarter, students learned how to use editing tools to combine multiple images into one design, add text and graphics to communicate ideas, blend or reflect images, and even remove backgrounds to layer photos together.
They also completed Canva’s Graphic Design Essentials Course, gaining experience with the fundamentals of design—elements, principles, typography, color theory, and mood boards.
Using these new skills, students created amazing projects that showcase their creativity while demonstrating mastery of the NE K–12 Digital Media state standard: “Use painting/drawing tools and other applications to create and edit work.”
We are so proud of their hard work and creativity! 👏💻
8th Grade
⭐️The 8 Silver Student of the Week is a student who always shows up to class on time and with the biggest smile on his face. This student is extremely respectful and responsible towards both adults and classmates. Keep up the positive attitude, your efforts are definitely noticed! Congratulations to the 8 Silver Student of the Week Allan!
⭐️The 8th Maroon Student of the Week is a respectful and thoughtful individual who consistently shows kindness towards peers and teachers. He shows up to school ready to learn all the time and always finishes his work on time. At the start of the school year, you have already shown that you are a rockstar in class. Keep being awesome, and Congratulations to our 8th Maroon Student of the Week, Robert!
7th Grade
⭐️The 7 Silver Student of the Week is a hard worker. She loves to read and is always doing the right thing even when no one else is watching. We are so happy to have you at CMS and a part of our team. Congratulations, Ivy. Keep up the hard work!
⭐️The 7 maroon student of the week brightens every room they enter. Emitting kindness and positivity everywhere they go, this student is always on task and contributes to the learning environment. They also bring an exceptional sense of humor with them. Congratulations, Carter.
5th Grade
⭐️Maliah is kind and is an amazing friend to everyone. She is always focused on learning and is a great role model for others. She is not only respectful to her teachers, but also everyone she encounters in the building. Maliah's positive attitude is so fun to be around and we are so lucky to have her on the silver team! Keep up the great work, Maliah!
⭐️Patricio is a leader inside and outside of the classroom. He is the first to participate in class discussions, help a friend clean up a lunchroom mess, and always shows kindness and respect to others. Patricio models the Discover Way everyday!
6th Grade
⭐️This 6 Silver student has started off the year impressing her teachers by following the Discoverer Way! She is a hard worker, participates in class, and brings a positive attitude to our classrooms! We are are so impressed and are excited to see what you can do this year! Congratulations Maia!
⭐️Our Maroon 6 Student of the Week is Gracie Kush. Gracie is extremely helpful, participates in class, and has a great attitude thoughout the day. We are lucky to have Gracie on our team.
Today, several teachers took time to reflect on the tragic events of September 11, 2001.
📚 In Ms. Hiebner’s social studies class, students watched a short video about the events of 9/11 and then completed a KWL chart to share what they knew, what they wanted to learn, and what they discovered.
🎶 In Ms. Bourek-Hoyt’s class, students listened to and sang “American Tears,” a tribute song written in honor of 9/11. The song remembers the lives lost, thanks first responders and military members, and reminds us all of the importance of empathy and kindness.
