BREAKFAST @ CHS | DAILY!

BreakfastCHS

Did you know breakfast is available at CHS?! All students are welcome. Simply arrive a little early and stop by the cafeteria to start the day off right. Check out the daily menu here. Breakfast meals are free for students signed up for free-and-reduced lunch, and $2.50 for non-FRL. A la carte options are also available.

Questions? CHS Food Services at cthaler@somsd.k12.nj.us

Have you checked if your family is eligible for the Free & Reduced School Meals program? Click here for more info and application packets in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole. Benefits in our district often extend beyond breakfast and lunch to financial assistance with school activities like field trips, prom, and graduation fees.

One application per eligible household must be completed each school year; please submit by October 16th to avoid a coverage gap.

FREE! HOCO POP UP SHOP | SEPTEMBER 23RD

HoCoPopUp

Calling all Seniors and Juniors looking for the perfect Homecoming Dance dress or suit ... Check out Cougar Cares' FREE HoCo Pop Up Shop!

Want to donate? Hang onto formalwear and accessories until early 2027, please! But we *are* accepting new or very gently worn men's dress shirts, sizes small to large. Email promshop@columbiahsa.com for drop-off locations.

Wednesday 9/23 @ 3-4:30pm
Outside the Counseling Suite
1st Floor B-Wing

CHS PARENT NIGHTS | TUESDAYS THIS FALL

ParentNights2026

This fall, spend the evening with CHS counselors and administrators to learn more about the year ahead for each grade. Meetings will be on Tuesdays at 7pm via WebEx. Additional info and meeting links will be shared via email.

• 9/8 Senior Parent Meeting (recording)

• 9/15 Freshman Parent Meeting

• 9/22 Junior Parent Meeting

• 9/29 Sophomore Parent Meeting

Questions? jantoni@somsd.k12.nj.us

BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT | OCTOBER 1ST

BTSN2026

Parents, can you make it to your next class in four minutes?! Find out at Back to School Night!

Meet teachers, gain insight into what your teen will be learning over the year ahead, and tour recently renovated spaces, like the library and Alumni Commons. Refresh your CHS merch, reconnect with friends and neighbors, and marvel at how grown up our kids are these days. Our CHS Community is amazing!

Thursday 10/1 @ 6:30pm

BOE CANDIDATE FORUMS | SEPTEMBER 2026

CandidateForums

There are four candidates on the November 3rd ballot vying for three spots on the Board of Education. Board members serve three-year terms, so it's important to educate yourself on the candidates. One of the best ways is by attending one (or more!) of the candidate forums happening ahead of Election Day.

Hilton Neighborhood Association
Thursday 9/17 @ 7:30pm
DeHart Community Center, 120 Burnett Ave

Community Coalition on Race
Tuesday 9/29 @ 7:30pm
District Meeting Room, 525 Academy St

PTA|HSA Presidents' Council/League of Women Voters
Thursday 10/8 @ 7:30pm
Submit questions by Friday 9/25
In Person: DMR, 525 Academy St
Livestream: YouTube

CLUBS & SPORTS

There's something for everyone at CHS! An incredible number of clubs and activities and sports are available to students. Students should check daily Canvas announcements for info on time/location of club meetings.

Questions? Please reach out to Ms. Winstead, Director of Athletics and Student Activities at swinstea@somsd.k12.nj.us

ABOUT THE HSA | MONTHLY!

FocusHeader

The primary mission of the Columbia High School Home and School Association is to support CHS students, families, and staff through enriching and engaging programs and activities, with a focus on access and equity for all students.

Welcome to our FOCUS series!

There are no membership dues to join the HSA, so we rely on the CHS community to fund our efforts. Each month learn how your donations enhance the high school experience and support CHS students.

LEARN MORE

CHECK YOUR EMAIL, PLEASE!

NewsletterCheck

The weekly edition of CHS HSA News arrives in inboxes every Monday morning! Did you get yours? If not, let's fix that!

If you aren't seeing our weekly newsletter, please try these troubleshooting steps BEFORE you email the Comms team.*

• Search your inbox for "notify@membershiptoolkit.com"

• Next, try that same search in your Junk and Trash folders (separately)

• If you're a Gmail user, check the Promotions and Social tabs. Google just loves to "helpfully" send our emails there.

• Search for "CHS News"

If you've done all that and still can't locate our updates, please reach out to comms@columbiahsa.com with this info so we can get you on the list for future emails:

- PARENT 1 NAME

- PARENT 1 EMAIL

- PARENT 2 NAME

- PARENT 2 EMAIL

- STUDENT'S FULL NAME

- STUDENT'S GRADE

Questions? Reach out anytime at comms@columbiahsa.com.

*We were able to transfer contact info for the vast majority of our 9th Grade families into our email list, so you're likely on the list already, and our email landed in an odd spot.

Daily Canvas Emails

DailyCanvas
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.

SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER!

WeeklyHeader2627

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

You will be prompted to log in. If you already have a Membership Toolkit account with an SOMSD school or another organization, you can use the same log-in here.

HSA MEETINGS

Our first CHS HSA Meeting of the school year is Thursday, September 17th @ 7:30pm. (Yep! This is an odd day for us. We'll return to the regular third Monday schedule in October.) Please email presidents@columbiahsa.com for the virtual meeting link. All are welcome!