Colt Corner
Colleyville Middle School
October 9, 2020
Colts,
Next week will be a modified week throughout the district and at CMS. Monday is a school holiday and Wednesday will be a modified day due to various secondary school students taking the PSAT test.
Early next week, I will send out a parent email regarding the second nine weeks that begins on October 19th to update you on campus-wide in-person and remote student percentages and attendance updates.
Also, this coming week is the last week before of the nine week grading period ends. Please encourage your student(s) to have all of their work updated and turned in before the end of the week grading deadline arrives. Double check with your Colt(s) to ensure they have signed up for a new lunch table if they have not already done so for the second nine weeks (link included below).
As always, please be sure to take some time to review the information in this parent newsletter to be able to make any plans needed for your Colt(s).
Have a great three-day weekend!
David Arencibia, Ed.D.
CMS Principal
Facebook: Colleyville Middle School
Twitter: @CmsColts
#TeamCMS - #cmscelebrates - #CMSstrengths
B.E.S.T. - Building Excellent Schools Together
UPCOMING DATES/EVENTS
October 12 - Student/Teacher Holiday - No School
October 13 - 8th Grade A & B Football - schedule linked here
October 14 - ALL 6th & 7th Graders will participate in remote independent learning from home for district-wide 8th grade PSAT testing. For this information, including what 8th grade students will do on this date, please see details below under the PSAT Information in the Repeated Information section.
October 14 - 7th Grade A & B Football - schedule linked here
October 14- 7th & 8th Grade A & B Volleyball- schedule linked here
October 16 - End of Nine Weeks
October 19 - 7th Grade A & B Football - schedule linked here (note location change)
October 19 - 7th & 8th Grade A & B Volleyball- schedule linked here
October 20 - 8th Grade A & B Football - schedule linked here
October 21 - CMS Spelling Bee Qualifer
Staff/Student Holiday
As a reminder, Monday, October 12, is a staff and student holiday for much of GCISD. On that day, there will be no class for in-person and remote learners at all campuses, except for Collegiate Academy.
The complete 2020-2021 Student Instructional Calendar can be found online. GCISD staff should refer to their 2020-2021 Work Calendar for guidance.
PSAT
On Wednesday, October 14, 2020, all in-person 8th-graders and those remote learners who signed up by October 1 will take the PSAT 8/9. If you have any questions about what to expect on exam day, please contact Travis Niemeyer, PSAT Coordinator. This communication is intended to let you know what to expect on testing day.
What to bring
Students do not need to bring anything with them to campus except an approved calculator for the math section and two #2 pencils ( mechanical pencils are not allowed). Please review the College Board’s PSAT/NMSQT Test Day Checklist (including a list of approved calculators) for a list of what to bring and what NOT to bring to campus on testing day.
What NOT to bring
We do NOT recommend students bring their backpacks or to campus on testing day.
Snacks/Water
Students are not allowed to eat snacks during testing or breaks unless they have an approved medical accommodation. Students may bring water bottles but must keep them under their desk and only drink them during breaks.
Lunches
Lunches will be provided by our cafeteria for takeout only, to be picked up after the exam before students exit the building. Lunch will only be prepared for those students who request them. If you’d like to order lunch, please fill out this form. This needs to be completed by Monday, October 12th.
Arrival
Students should be in their classes no later than 8:10 so the test can begin promptly at 8:30.
Finding the testing room
The list of testing rooms for students will be provided in the CMS 20-21 Canvas classroom and hung up in the cafeteria on Tuesday, October 13th.
Those allowed on campus
On the testing day, only 8th grade in-person students and those remote students who signed up previously are allowed on campus. Remote students who did not sign up will not be able to test.
All other students will work asynchronously from home through their scheduled classes, which will count the student “present” for attendance purposes. Being present for the exam will count 8th-grade students “present” for attendance purposes.
COVID Precautions
All students are required to wear masks while on campus.
All students will be seated a minimum of six feet apart during testing.
Students should sanitize their hands upon entering the building and/or classroom.
Departure
At the conclusion of the test, students will be released to go home. Students testing with standard time should be finished by 11:30. Buses will be available at 11:30 for in-person bus riders.
Students with extended time or oral accommodations, should finish around 12:45. Students with oral accommodations will resume testing on Thursday, October 15.
Remote students will need an additional 15-20 minutes at the end of the test to complete some pre-administration questions they were not able to complete previously.
For students that will have their 1st Day of in-person learning at CMS, Monday Oct. 19
On Monday October 19, many of our remote students from the 1st nine weeks will be attending CMS for in-person learning. School support staff will be holding a first day at school orientation in the cafeteria, beginning 1st period at 8:10 am, for all first time to campus students for the 20-21 school year to help them acclimate to campus.
During the orientation, students will be given an overview of the campus layout, classes, new COVID-19 related school procedures, lunch procedures, passing periods, and everything else your student(s) will need to know for a positive on-campus experience. We will have staff and students ready to assist and help students around to their classes. By beginning the school day with this orientation, all students will have an opportunity to get comfortable and begin the acclimation process to in-person learning at CMS.
New 2nd 9 Weeks Lunch Signup!
For additional information and to sign up, use the links below to sign up for a lunch table for the 2nd 9 weeks.
Links:
Updated: CMS Fall Return to Campus Plan 2020 - 2nd 9 weeks
USDA issues nationwide waiver for FREE meals
In-Person Learners
The USDA has issued a nationwide waiver, allowing Grapevine-Colleyville ISD to offer meals FREE at no charge through December 2020 at all elementary, middle school campuses, and Collegiate Academy.
On September 22, 2020, GCISD began providing free meals to students as part of the Seamless Summer Option (SSO) program. Sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA), this program will allow any student in elementary or middle school to receive a free breakfast and lunch meal in the school cafeteria.
Remote learners have the opportunity to pick up meals curbside every Wednesday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at three locations: Cross Timbers Middle, Grapevine Middle, and Grapevine Elementary. All meals are free of charge until December 2020. For more information please visit www.gcisd.net or email child.nutrition@gcisd.net
National School Lunch Week PK-8
“HOWDY y'all! National School Lunch Week is October 12-16! Come and eat with us, school lunch is FREE FOR ALL in-person students in Pre-K through 8th grade now through December 2020! Healthy school meals feature whole grains, lean proteins, fruits, veggies, and Fat-Free milk! Join us for a Texas-themed menu. Cowboy burgers, churros, and Texas Gala apples to name just a few! Bring your lunch from home? Still hungry or just want some fresh fruit, veggies or a roll? Choose 3 menu items from the lunch line, including at least a fruit or veggie, and lunch is FREE!
We hope to see you there, partner. Thanks for eating with us!
Julie Telesca
Director of Nutrition Services for Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District
PIN Numbers for the Cafeteria
With new students arriving on October 19, it is important that all students know his or her PIN number or student ID number. All schools have PIN pads with antimicrobial copper film to prevent the spread of viruses. Please help ensure that you student(s) knows his/her 4 or 5 digit PIN code to access their meal account in the cafeteria. This will help the breakfast and lunch lines move quickly and allow the students more time to enjoy their meal.
UIL Eligibility Calendar for 2020-2021
ATTENDANCE
Please be aware that as we move through this unique school year with in-person and remote learners, the way in which our teachers take attendance in Skyward has become much more complex. Therefore, to make better use of instructional time, teachers now have the flexibility to formally enter attendance into Skyward up to a full day after the attendance period.
With that said, it is important for parents to know that if you access Skyward to view your student’s attendance, it is possible the system may show them as being absent for the current day, even if they were present in class or online. Additionally, it is possible that remote learning students may still display as absent up until the following day.
ALL students now start out as being marked absent. Skyward prepopulates the absences. Teachers are now required to mark the student as Present, Synchronous or Asynchronous. With that in mind, please be aware that teachers now also have the following day to mark their attendance. That is why you may see absences for that day or the previous day. However, if you see an absence and question it, please email your child’s teachers and they will go back to verify student attendance. Teachers will then notify the attendance clerk to make a change in Skyward. As well, please know that when a teacher is off campus, it may take longer than two days to have attendance entered in Skyward.
Counselor Corner For The Week Of October 12 - 16
8th Grade Parent Meeting - If you were unable to attend our 8th Grade Parent WebEx meeting on Tuesday, October 6th, please click the link below to access the recording of our meeting. Please watch the recording and review the other important resources linked below with your student some time over the next week, so that your student can decide which core courses he/she would like to take in all four years of high school, which electives he/she would like to take in 9th grade, and which endorsement(s) to select.
Middle school counselors will begin meeting individually with 8th grade students the week of Oct. 13-17 to create their high school 4 year plans and select their endorsement(s). Individual planning will be complete by the end of January. The classes that students select for their freshman year will automatically roll over in Skyward and become their 9th grade course selections. However, every 8th grade student will have the opportunity to make changes with the high school counselors in the spring before their course selections are finalized.
8th grade 4 year plan meeting video
4 Year Plan Template for Parents
GCISD Course Selection Guide 20-21
Freshman Course Selection Sheet
Sophomore Course Selection Sheet
GT Testing on Friday, October 30th
The advanced academics department is hosting districtwide GT testing one more time on Friday, October 30th at PDEC. This will be for remote learners who were referred for GT testing last semester. All elementary and secondary in-person students will be tested on campus. If the parents of these remote learners are still not comfortable sending their child to test in-person, these students will be added to the list of students we test in the spring during our regularly scheduled testing windows.
Play It Safe Student Lessons
Parents of 6th & 7th grade students, a parent preview for the Play It Safe program was hosted via a live Zoom on October 1st at 10 a .m. Students will view the lessons on the dates listed below. The lessons, taught in partnership with The Women’s Center of Tarrant County, encourage and teach students how to recognize, report and reduce the risk of being in an abusive and/or dangerous situation.
(7th Grade) Healthy Relationships - Oct. 13
(6th Grade) It’s Harassment - Nov. 5
(7th Grade) Can’t Take It Back - Nov. 13
(7th Grade) Abuse of Power - Feb. 10
(6th Grade) Survivors of Abuse - March 3
RED RIBBON WEEK - GCISD will be celebrating Red Ribbon Week Oct. 26-Oct. 30. During this week, students will have the opportunity to learn about the dangers of using tobacco, vaping, drugs, and alcohol and how these substances can negatively impact students’ futures. We will also emphasize the positive outcomes students can experience when they make the choice to stay drug free and make healthy choices for themselves. This year’s Red Ribbon Week theme is ‘Be Happy, Be Brave, Be Drug Free.”
Character Strong
Our district has adopted Character Strong as a way to support the social/emotional wellbeing and character development of our students. All GCISD secondary campuses will be focusing on the character trait/skill of PATIENCEfor the month of October. Students will view the newest character video in school at the beginning of each month. We want to encourage you to also view it together as a family and find ways to work on the monthly trait/skill together. October Commitment Video
Also, as we build a strong connection with our community to support social emotional wellness, we will continue to share out the Family Character Dares for an extension into your home. Here is the latest!
Family Character Dare: No Tech Table Time
Mental Health Awareness & S.O.S.
If you are looking for an opportunity to learn insightful ways to support our students with common language, below is an opportunity to learn the QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) technique used through our Hope Squad curriculum on Oct. 13th at 2pm via Zoom. Flyer is below Counseling Department information.
Also as a continued effort to use common language, we would also like to share the visual with you of the A.C.T. acronym used in the Signs of Suicide program. If you are having concerns regarding your child’s mental health please know you can always consult with the campus Student Advocate, Mrs. Ozuna. Flyer also below Counseling Department information.
Friends For Life Hotline
Have a friend in need? Is someone you know the target of violence or bullying? Did you see or hear something? Say something! Make an anonymous call and get them help! It's okay to help a friend.
817-469-8477
TEXT: "TIP117 PLUS YOUR MESSAGE" to 274637
VISIT: www.469tips.comCHARACTERSTRONG
As GCISD looks to continue to support the social and emotional well-being and character development of our students, the District is excited to partner with CharacterStrong.
CharacterStrong focuses on five social and emotional well-being competencies (Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, Responsible Decision-Making) and eight character development traits (Patience, Kindness, Honesty, Respect, Selflessness, Forgiveness, Commitment, Humility). You can learn more about this program at its website, www.characterstrong.com.
Lessons from this program will be embedded in some of our students’ core classes, as well as through the counselors’ school-wide guidance programs.
Specific to the secondary grades within in CharacterStrong’s program are “Character Dares”, which are actionable ways to bring sometimes abstract concepts, values, and traits of character to life. Character building is a set of skills, and all skills require practice.
The character skill/trait for October is patience. Check out the Character Strong video for Patience, all of the Character Dares that will be shared with students throughout the month. We hope you will partner with us as we work towards developing patience.
October 7, 2020 | GCISD.net/Fall2020
October 7, 2020 | GCISD.net/Fall2020
In This Edition
Staff/Student Holiday: Monday, October 12, is a holiday for most of GCISD's staff and students. Enjoy your three-day weekend!
Principals Month: GCISD is joining Texas and the entire nation in celebrating Principals Month in October.
GCISD Business Partners: The District recently recognized four businesses/organizations for their partnership in Building Excellent Schools Together.
Athletics Safety Protocols: GCISD has begun hosting athletics events and some new safety protocols are in place. Spectators must purchase tickets online, wear masks and stay socially distanced while in the stands.
GCISD Offering Free Meals: The USDA has issued a waiver allowing GCISD to offer free meals through December 2020.
What's For Dinner?: GCISD's popular "Take and Bake" Meals program is ongoing in October and includes a new menu item, plus the return of a favorite from this summer.
PSAT - October 14
Grapevine-Colleyville ISD eighth-grade students will be participating in the PSAT 8/9 on Wednesday, October 14, 2020.
The PSAT 8/9 is the first test in the SAT Suite of Assessments. Tightly aligned with the SAT and PSAT/NMSQT, it establishes a baseline for college and career readiness. The PSAT 8/9 supports all students with early feedback on the skills and knowledge that matter most for college and career success. Additionally, the PSAT 8/9 provides students personalized feedback about his/her academic strengths and weaknesses, helping each student to prepare for success in college and careers.
For more information about the PSAT/NMSQT, visit psat.org.
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Reminders and Resources
With the PSAT next week, we want to provide you with a few reminders and resources to help you plan and prepare for the day.
Students in sixth and seventh grade will participate in remote independent learning from home on the date of the test. All eighth-grade students will be released as soon as testing is complete. Buses will run at the conclusion of testing for those with standard time.
All 8th students that are taking the test (all in-person and those remote students who signed up to take it) should arrive on campus by 8:10 and go directly to their testing room. Room assignments will be announced prior to test day. The test will begin promptly at 8:30. Students who arrive late, may not be permitted to test.
Students will need to bring two #2 pencils (per College Board, no mechanical pencils are allowed).
College Board recommends that, "students bring and use a calculator they're familiar with on the Math Test--Calculator portion" of the test. Please note that cell phone, tablet, and laptop calculator apps are not approved for use on the PSAT 8/9. Students are strongly encouraged to bring their own calculator. This will ensure a student is using a type of calculator with which they are most familiar. A list of approved calculators is provided here. If a student does not have their own calculator, one will be provided in a sanitized baggie. There will be no sharing of calculators during the test. The provided calculator may be a four-function, scientific, or graphing calculator.
Finally, in preparing for the PSAT, you may want to visit psat.org/8-9-resources. Under the “Share with Students and Families”, you will find PSAT 8/9 Student Guide and a practice test to help students get familiar with the test. In addition, our math department has put out a What Is the PSAT 8/9? Screencast Video (3:42 in length) to assist students in preparation for the test.
Calculators
College Board recommends that, "students bring and use a calculator they're familiar with on the Math Test--Calculator portion" of these tests. Please note that cell phone, tablet, and laptop calculator apps are not approved for use on the PSAT/NMSQT or the PSAT 8/9.
Students are strongly encouraged to bring their own calculator. This will ensure a student is using a type of calculator with which they are most familiar.
If a student does not have their own calculator to bring, one will be provided by the district during the testing session. A calculator will be provided in a sanitized baggie, should be used in the baggie (screens are clearly readable through the bag), and there will be no sharing of calculators during testing. The provided calculator may be a four-function, scientific, or graphing calculator.
Included are some resources to familiarize yourself with the potential types of calculator a student could use. Again, please note that cell phones, tablets, or laptops are not allowed for PSAT testing.
- Four Function: This is like the calculator on your cell phone when you hold the phone vertically (portrait).
- Scientific: This is like the calculator on your cell phone when you hold the phone horizontally (landscape).
- Graphing: Here are some possible apps that are like the kinds of graphing calculators that could be provided.
- Calculate84 iPhone/iPad app
- TI-84 or TI-Nspire software 90-day free trial version
Thank you for your help in ensuring we have a successful PSAT testing day. If you have any questions regarding the test, please contact Travis Niemeyer, Assistant Principal.
Picture Orders
VIRTUAL COLLEGE FAIR
GCISD is excited to announce that its annual college fair will be held virtually this year. This year’s event is being held in conjunction with the Texas Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (TACRAO) and offers students and families more flexibility than ever before. For more information and to register online, please visit our website.
SUICIDE PREVENTION DISCUSSION
Please join us virtually for a suicide prevention discussion on Tuesday, October 13 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. The evening will include:
● Welcome from Dr. Greg Hudnall, founder and CEO of Hope Squad
● Youth-focused presentation on Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) by Kristi Wiley of the
Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation
● Q&A session with GCISD Student Advocacy Counselors
Protocols for Athletics Spectators
Protocols for Athletics Spectators
GCISD has begun hosting athletics and fine arts events again, and as we continue to work together to prevent the spread of COVID-19, there are new health and safety protocols that have been implemented at all athletics and fine arts facilities.
According to TEA and UIL guidelines, all GCISD venues hosting athletics and fine arts events are limited to 50 percent capacity. Additionally, all spectators attending GCISD athletics and fine arts events are required to follow GCISD protocols that include wearing a mask, maintaining social distance and purchasing tickets online.
All HOME GAMES for GCISD teams will require a ticket to be purchased online. Tickets can be found here. NOTE: Ticket procedures for away games are determined by the host district.
Complete protocols and more specific information for each type of facility, including ticketing, concessions and more, can be found on our Athletics/Fine Arts Health and Safety Protocols page.
Join PTA
Thank you so much to all that have become PTA members. While we appreciate everything you do for our children, your membership and support are very important to us.
The link below will take you to the form.
Please join our fantastic PTA community!
We invite you to sign up for the Colt Connection (our weekly parent e-newsletter), pre-order your school supplies, CMS Spirit Wear, join the PTA and indicate your volunteer areas of interest on one easy form! From the link below, you can easily purchase:
Student Fall Survey
Growing our students’ social-emotional skills is an important goal in GCISD. We strive to create global citizens who are skilled problem solvers, effective communicators, self-regulated learners and collaborative workers through our Portrait of a Graduate. In order to identify areas of strength, needs, and support, students will be completing an online survey to align with Goal 2 of LEAD 2.0: designing learning environments that support social and emotional well-being.
The data we get back will help inform our educational practices and will help us continue to identify opportunities for growth and development in the classroom and across the District.
Beginning on Monday, October 5 through Friday, October 16, students will have the opportunity to complete the online survey during a designated class time. For students who are engaging in remote learning, an activity will be loaded into SeeSaw/Canvas with instructions for you to be able to participate in this opportunity. Please be on the lookout for specific communication from your student’s teacher about this survey.
The survey for students in third through twelfth-grade will ask a series of questions on the following topics: grades, classes, performance in school, behavior and learning. Students in pre-kindergarten through second grade will be assessed on teacher perception of grit, self-management, social awareness, self-efficacy and learning strategies. The information collected will be used by the teacher and campus leaders to provide necessary support for students engaged in both in-person and remote learning.
If you have any questions regarding this survey, please contact our Student Advocate, Mandy Ozuna at mandy.ozuna@gcisd.net
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Encuesta estudiantil de otoño
El incrementar las habilidades socioemocionales de nuestros estudiantes es un objetivo importante para GCISD. Nos esforzamos en crear ciudadanos globales que son expertos en solucionar problemas, comunicadores eficaces, estudiantes autorregulados y trabajador colaborativo a través de nuestro perfil de un graduado. Con el fin de identificar áreas de fortaleza, necesidades y apoyo, los estudiantes estarán completando en línea una encuesta para cumplir con el Objetivo 2 de LEAD 2.0: diseñando los ambientes de aprendizaje que apoyan el bienestar social y emocional.
Los datos que se obtengan nos ayudarán a informar nuestras prácticas educativas y nos ayudarán a seguir identificando oportunidades de crecimiento y desarrollo en el salón de clases y a través del distrito.
Empezando el lunes, 5 de octubre, hasta el viernes, 16 de octubre, los estudiantes tendrán la oportunidad de completar la encuesta en línea durante un horario asignado a hora de clase. Para los estudiantes que participan en el aprendizaje remoto, se cargará una actividad en SeeSaw/Canvas con instrucciones para que puedan participar en esta oportunidad. Favor de estar atento a la comunicación específica del maestro de su estudiante sobre esta encuesta.
La encuesta para estudiantes de 3º a 12º grado tendrá una serie de preguntas sobre los siguientes temas: calificaciones, clases, rendimiento en la escuela, comportamiento y aprendizaje. Los estudiantes de Pre-Kindergarten hasta 2º grado serán evaluados por los maestros en su percepción de valentía, cómo se encargan de sí mismos, la conciencia social, la autoeficacia y las estrategias de aprendizaje. La información recopilada será utilizada por el maestro y los líderes de la escuela para proporcionar el apoyo necesario a los estudiantes que están involucrados tanto en el aprendizaje en persona, como remoto.
Si tiene alguna pregunta con respecto a esta encuesta, favor de ponerse en contacto con Mandy Ozuna a mandy.ozuna@gcisd.net