October 2026
KEEPING YOU CONNECTED

With so much happening at Columbia High School, it's important to know where to find the information you need, so the HSA works year-round to keep families in the loop. Our Communications Team shares updates through regular newsletters, social media posts, one-off emails for time-sensitive announcements, and more. We try to dovetail with the emails sent out by Principal Frank Sanchez and the school administration. Think of our communications as a complement to the school's official channels, with an added focus on what parents most need to know.

Here's how to stay in the loop with your student's CHS universe, including official school channels and our own announcements:

HSA EMAIL UPDATES

Every week, the Comms team sends news and information through our HSA newsletters and alerts. These emails are a great source of reminders about upcoming deadlines, meetings and events, plus opportunities to get involved and support our CHS students, staff, and community.

The weekly newsletter arrives in inboxes by 7am every Monday morning. If you aren't getting the newsletter or other HSA emails, please try these troubleshooting steps BEFORE reaching out to the Comms team:

• Search your inbox for "notify@membershiptoolkit.com"
• Next, try that same search in your Junk and Trash folders (separately)
• Save "notify@membershiptoolkit.com" in your Contacts as CHS HSA

If you've done all that and still can't locate our emails, send a message to comms@columbiahsa.com with this info, so we can help get you back in the loop:

- PARENT 1 NAME

- PARENT 1 EMAIL
- PARENT 2 NAME

- PARENT 2 EMAIL
- STUDENT NAME
- STUDENT GRADE

If you'd like to update your email in our HSA list (perhaps you registered with the district years and years ago with an email you don't really use these days?), shoot us a message at comms@columbiahsa.com. If you have questions about emails sent by CHS administration or SOMSD, please contact parentportalhelp@somsd.k12.nj.us. 

CHS NEWS TO SHARE?

We're happy to include announcements about CHS clubs, sports, and activities that parents should know about in the HSA weekly newsletter.

Guiding questions: Is this useful information for the majority of our CHS community? Is it open to everyone at CHS (yard sale, car wash)? Does it happen outside of school hours (art show at The Baird, dinnertime fundraiser at a local restaurant)? Are parents included, or will students need a gentle nudge or funds to participate (sports interest meeting, tickets to performances and shows, merchandise sale)? If yes, let us know! 

Check out our HSA Communications Policy for details about what (and where) we do and don't share, and how to submit announcements for consideration. Remember, our newsletter drops early on Monday morning, so plan ahead ... submissions must be received by the Friday before. 

SOCIAL MEDIA

Our weekly newsletter is the most comprehensive source for parents and families to stay up-to-date with what's happening at CHS, but be sure to follow the HSA on Facebook and Instagram, too, for ongoing updates and reminders!  

Other helpful accounts to follow and groups* to join:

Instagram:

CHS HSA Cougar Cares

CHS HSA Midnight Madness

Columbia High School (Mr. Sanchez)

CHS Student Council

Grade-Level Student Councils: 2027, 2028, 2029, and 2030 (tbd)

Parent Facebook Groups:

Columbia High School Families

Cougar Families

Grade-Level Parent Groups for 2027, 2028, 2029, and 2030

*Please note that the HSA does NOT manage or moderate any of the CHS Facebook groups. We post in these groups as members, just like you.

HSA WEBSITE

Our HSA home page is a great place to start when you're looking for information about Columbia High School and the HSA. Learn more about Midnight Madness, Cougar Cares, and volunteer opportunities. Donate to support the work we do. Check out the incredible team of parent volunteers who make the magic happen. Shop for official CHS merchandise. It's also the quickest way to find links to the CHS info you need: Counseling, Student Handbook, Athletics, clubs and activities, and so much more! 

CANVAS

One of the best ways for parents to stay up-to-the-minute about CHS info is Mr. Sanchez's daily Canvas announcements delivered straight to your inbox. Lots of crossover with our weekly updates, but with even more detail about clubs, sports, events happening during school hours, and other extracurricular opportunities for students.

Not getting those emails? Follow our handy guide to update notification settings in your Canvas account. (More about creating your Canvas Observer account here.)

Pro tip: The email version doesn't have all the bells and whistles viewable on Canvas. If you can't see a flyer, log in to your Canvas observer account to see the full version with graphics.

Canvas is the learning management system where teachers post course materials, assignments, announcements, and due dates. It's the best place to check what's due this week and what was covered in class.

POWERSCHOOL

Have you completed the required annual SOMSD forms available in the PowerSchool Parent Portal? Completing these forms for each child ensures SOMSD has accurate, up-to-date information: emergency contacts, medical details, media permissions, walking authorizations, technology use agreements, and device acknowledgments. Log in to PowerSchool (use a browser, not the app) and look for Forms on the left-hand side.

Questions? Check out the resources on the district's PowerSchool Information Page or email parentportalhelp@somsd.k12.nj.us.

PowerSchool is the district's official system for tracking your student's attendance and academic progress. It's incredibly important for high school parents to keep an eye on attendance, because exceeding allowed absences can prevent a student from receiving credit for a class. Details about attendance can be found in the Student/Family Handbook.