Colt Corner
#TeamCMS
October 25, 2019
Colts,
The colder weather is here along with Red Ribbon Week! The week is always full of additional excitement on campus and we encourage all of our Colts to participate. Many of our campus groups have been hard at work to get the weeks events ready, and the dress up days are also listed below. Enjoy your 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 Events
October 26 - All District Band Auditions - (8th grade only) 8:30 - 12:30pm HMS
October 28 - 7th Grade Football - A&B Teams - schedule linked here
October 28 - 7th & 8th Grade Volleyball - schedule linked here
October 29 - 8th Grade Football - A&B Teams - schedule linked here
October 28 - November 1 - Red Ribbon Week
October 31 - November 1 - 7th & 8th Grade A-Team Zone Volleyball Tournament - schedule linked here
November 2 - Choir - Region Audisions
November 4 - Student Holiday
November 5 - PTA Coffee with Dr. Arencibia - 8:45 Learning Commons
November 7 - Spelling Bee Qualifer
TAILGATE DATE MOVED!
We hope to see everyone this Tuesday, from 4-5pm on the back CMS patio for a little food and fun before our last home football game of the year!
Red Ribbon Week October 28 – Nov 1
Drugs aren’t the star of the show, YOU ARE!
Red Ribbon Week is celebrated every year the last full week of October, It is a nationally recognized substance abuse prevention campaign dedicated to the memory of Enrique (Kiki) Camarena, a Drug Enforcement Administration agent killed in the line of duty.
DRESS-UP DAYS:
Monday: Decade Day- Dress up in your favorite decade to “Leave Drugs in the Past” *or Wear the color RED to celebrate the beginning of RRW*
Tuesday: Tacky Tourist Day- “Drugs are tacky”
Wednesday: Pajama/Sweatpant Day- “Drugs are a Nightmare” (NO slippers)
Thursday: Costume Day- Halloween-No masks, partial face paint is ok & must be school appropriate. "Scare Away and Hide from Drugs"
Friday: Twin Day or Red Out - “Pair Up, Red Out, and Kick Drugs to the Curb”
Please remind your students to participate!
DOOR DECORATING CONTEST:
Each advisory class will decorate their teacher’s door with a theme honoring being drug free. Doors will be judged on Friday during 5th period and winners will be announced during advisory.
BARN TOURS:
Our PALs will have a display in the Multipurpose Room during Red Ribbon Week October 28-November 1. Each science class will tour the room and watch some inspirational videos.
Social Studies Student of the Week
This week Mr. Parker recognized 6th grader Adam.
Adam is a diligent student who is a natural leader in class and produces excellent work. He has a great attitude and gives it his all in Social Studies. Way to go Adam!
Counselor Corner (Week of October 28 - November 1 )
8th Grade 4 Year Planning for High School
Counselors have started meeting with 8th grade students individually to create their 4 year plans. We will complete all 4 year plans before Christmas break. Then in January, counselors from both high schools will come to CMS to meet with our 8th graders.
8th Grade Parents
Please review the PowerPoint presentation and documents linked below with your student and help him/her select his/her high school courses and endorsement prior to meeting with counselors. This will help ensure that your child gets the courses that best meet his/her needs and that courses are aligned with his/her future college and career goals. We do want to emphasize that we are creating a “plan” and selecting an endorsement that can be changed throughout high school - we know that it is unlikely that middle school students know what they want to take for all 4 years of high school. The most important thing is that you select the 9th grade core classes and electives that you want because these can not be changed after high school counselors meet with 8th graders in the spring semester.
4 Year Plan PowerPoint Presentation
Freshman Course Selection Guide
RED RIBBON WEEK
GCISD will be celebrating Red Ribbon Week Oct. 28-Nov. 1. During this week, students will have the opportunity to learn about the dangers of using tobacco, e-cigarettes, 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 ‘Send a Message. Stay Drug Free.”
COLLEGIATE ACADEMY APPLICATIONS FOR 2020-2021
Attention all 8th graders interested in Collegiate Academy! Collegiate Academy is an Early College High School that is designed for students to earn a diploma and an Associate's Degree (60 hours of college credit) simultaneously, and it's all free. The online application for the GCISD Collegiate Academy at TCC Northeast will go live at 12:00 AM on November 1st! 8th graders must complete an application in order to be considered for acceptance as an incoming freshmen during the 2020-2021 school year. Students may access the application directly from our Collegiate Academy website. Due to the success and popularity of this program, it is encouraged that every student who is interested in possibly joining the Phoenix Family submit an application as soon as possible as space will be limited. The Collegiate Academy application will be available online from November 1, 2019 through January 17, 2020. The link to their school website is: ca.gcisd.net.
PLAY IT SAFE PREVIEW
The Women’s Center of Tarrant County will be at CMS on the dates listed below. The lessons presented encourage and teach students how to recognize, report, and reduce the risk of being in an abusive and/or dangerous situation. Opt out forms were due to your child’s counselor by Monday, Oct. 7, 2019.
(7th Grade) Can’t Take It Back - Nov. 13
(6th Grade) It’s Harassment - Nov. 19
(7th Grade) Abuse of Power - Feb. 6
(6th Grade) Survivors of Abuse - March 5
Duke TIP
The Duke University Talent Identification Program (Duke TIP) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving academically gifted and talented youth. Duke TIP's talent searches serve as the entry point to academic benefits and programs for gifted and talented students in grades 4-12. For more information, click here:
Bobby Bragan Youth Foundation Scholarship Program
In September, 8th graders watched an informational video in their English classes about the Bobby Bragan Scholarship. This is a competition open to 8th grade students from 151 middle schools in our area. Students wishing to apply for the $2,500 scholarship need to complete an application and a 500-700 word handwritten (not typed) essay and submit both to their counselor to be judged by a panel. The panel will judge each essay blindly (without knowing who wrote each essay). The top scoring male student and the top scoring female student from CMS will have their applications and essays sent to Bobby Bragan Youth Foundation for the final judging. Applications and essays are due back to CMS 8th grade English teachers – Mrs. Sloan or Mrs. Engle by Friday, November 8th at 3:25. Students may obtain applications in the counseling office or by clicking on the link below.
Bobby Bragan Scholarship Application
SKYWARD REMINDER
Please make sure that you are checking Skyward. You can download the Skyward app for your phone or for your child’s phone to monitor your child’s grades.
Lynn Brizzi– Counselor A-K – 817-305-4916
Amy Bouchelle – Counselor L-Z – 817-305-4917
Heather Ingram - Data Clerk/Registrar - 817-305-4955
Join Us for a Special Screening of Angst
Angst is an IndieFlix Original, documentary designed to raise awareness around anxiety. The film includes interviews with kids, teens,educators, experts, parents and a very special interview with Michael Phelps.
November 5 at GHS Auditorium at 7:00 p.m.
November 13 at CHHS Auditorium at 6:30 p.m.
Appropriate for ages 10+ | Video length: 55 minutes
The Truth About Vaping
Join us for an educational and informative meeting about substance abuse. Topics will include what to look for, what is popular among youth, and how to help. We will also have a panel of experts to address common questions.
Wednesday October 30, 2019 at 6 p.m. at the Professional Development Education Center (PDEC).
PRESENTED BY: John Haenes, LMSW, ICPS and Challenge of Tarrant County
COLLEGIATE ACADEMY APPLICATIONS FOR 2020-2021
Attention all 8th graders interested in Collegiate Academy! Collegiate Academy is an Early College High School that is designed for students to earn a diploma and an Associate's Degree (60 hours of college credit) simultaneously, and it's all free. The online application for the GCISD Collegiate Academy at TCC Northeast will go live at 12:00 AM on November 1st! 8th graders must complete an application in order to be considered for acceptance as an incoming freshmen during the 2020-2021 school year. Students may access the application directly from our Collegiate Academy website. Due to the success and popularity of this program, it is encouraged that every student who is interested in possibly joining the Phoenix Family submit an application as soon as possible as space will be limited. The Collegiate Academy application will be available online from November 1, 2019 through January 17, 2020. The link to their school website is: ca.gcisd.net.
Red Ribbon Week - October 28 through November 1
Red Ribbon Week is celebrated every year during the last week of October. Red Ribbon Week is a nationally recognized substance abuse prevention campaign dedicated to the memory of Kiki Camerena, a Drug Enforcement Administration agent, killed in the line of duty.
Poster Contest
GCISD will be sponsoring a drug prevention poster contest.
- Posters must be on 11 x 17 paper or ½ of a posterboard.
- Select your own campus committee to choose 1st, 2nd and 3rd place posters for each grade level.
- Send all 1st place posters to the front desk of the administration building for the district wide competition by Tuesday, October 29.
- Please include the student’s name, grade and school on the back of the poster.
- District winners will be announced on Wednesday, October 30.
Public Service Announcement Competition
GCISD is also sponsoring a Public Service Announcement competition. All video entries must be submitted by Tuesday, October 29 to info@gcisd.net. Please title the email “RRW PSA 2019”. Entries must be no longer than 30 seconds. Winners will be announced on Thursday, October 31.
All first place district level winners will be recognized at the November school board meeting. Your campus principal and counselor will be notified.
Geography Bee
The CMS qualifier will be in the Library during Advisory on Tuesday, 11/19. Students who are interested should check in with their advisory teachers and report to the cafeteria, testing will begin at 2pm on their devices.
The top students will be notified to join us for the district qualifier. The CMS district qualifying Geography Bee will be held in the Cafeteria on Tuesday 12/10.
Interim Assessment Window
Parent Technology Academy
On Wednesday, October 9, the Parent Technology Academy focused on Classroom Technology Tools. The Instructional Technology team guided parents through the use of various tools here in GCISD. See the slides here.
October is Dyslexic Awareness Month
October is Dyslexic Awareness month and many times we have difficulty understanding why it is important to have students with dyslexia reading books or material using a program such as learning ally. Please listen to this very fascinating article...
Reading and Listening to books stimulates the same areas of the brain…
Here is a link to the article