Colt Corner
#TeamCMS
November 1, 2019
Colts,
What a full Red Ribbon Week! Our Colts had a blast and did a great job getting into the school spirit this week. November is here, which brings us a nice reminder of the things that we can be thankful for. Thanksgiving break will be here before we know it, and I am always grateful for the partnership that we all have together to make CMS the BEST that it can be. As a reminder, our Colts have a three-day weekend, and I do hope that you all enjoy it!
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
November 2 - Choir - Region Auditions
November 4 - Professional Learning Day/Holiday for Students
November 5 - PTA Coffee with Dr. Arencibia - 8:45 Learning Commons
November 5 - 8th Grade Football - A&B Teams - schedule linked here
November 7 - Spelling Bee Qualifier
November 11 - Boys Basketball Parent Meeting - CMS Library 5:30 - 6:30pm
November 12 - Scoliosis Screening 7th Grade Girls/8th Grade Boys
November 13 - Progress Reports
November 13 - All District Band Clinic & Concert - Grapevine High School
November 25-29 - Thanksgiving Break; No school for staff/students; All district offices closed
Did you know?!
Attendance Matters
Cell Phones
As we told students last week, we have asked our teachers to begin strictly enforcing our cell phone policy as it was communicated to the students at the beginning of the year. As partners of CMS, we could also use your help reinforcing our school cell phone policy with your Colt at home.
1. In no way are our students required to have a cell phone. All work can be done with the technology that they have been provided via their school issued laptop. Also, if a student needs to make a call they can use the phones on campus.
2. Our campus policy is that cell phones are NOT to be out unless specifically given permission by a staff member on campus. Exceptions to this are during the last 15 minutes of their lunch (with permission), and during passing periods to allow for quick check-ins on any important information that they may be needing from home (ride home etc.). SnapChat is never permitted at CMS.
As always, we encourage you to monitor your child's phone for their safety and protection. Thank you for partnering with us to help make CMS the BEST!
Parent Tech Academy
The GCISD Parent Tech Academy will be held on November 6 from 6:15 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. and will be covering Internet Safety at School and Home.
Hear about the signs of online dangers, cyberbullying, viral trends, and more. We will then dive into tools you can use to protect your home computers just like we do those at school.
GCISD Professional Development Center | 5800 Colleyville Blvd, Colleyville, TX 76034
GCISD Gold Card Program
Grapevine-Colleyville ISD residents who are 65 years or older are welcome to join the Gold Card Program at absolutely no cost. Members receive free general admission to all athletic (excluding playoffs), theatrical productions and musical events hosted by GCISD. To receive a gold card, residents 65 and older are invited to attend an informational session about the District and learn more about the great things happening in our community.
Tuesday, November 5 - 5:30 p.m.
GCISD Administration Building - Board Room
3051 Ira E. Woods Avenue • Grapevine, TX
Friday, November 8 - 9:00 a.m.
GCISD Administration Building - Board Room
3051 Ira E. Woods Avenue • Grapevine, TX
Wednesday, November 13 - 9:00 a.m.
Heritage Middle School - Cafeteria
5300 Heritage Ave. • Colleyville, TX
For more information, visit www.gcisd.net/goldcard
Social Studies Student of the Week
This week Mr. Goins recognized 8th grader Aliza.
She is a bright student who is a Social Studies Superstar. Aliza has great focus and attitude in the classroom. She does her best every day.
Way to go Aliza!
Spinal Screening
GCISD School Health Services will be conducting spinal screening on November 12th. Girls will be screened two times, once in the fall semester of grade 5 and again in the fall semester of grade 7. Boys will be screened one time in the fall semester of grade 8. The procedure for screening is simple and noninvasive. Screeners who have been specially trained will look at your child’s back while he/she stands and then bends forward. For this examination, boys and girls will be screened separately and privately.
Boys will remove their shirts. Girls will remove their shirts, but are required to wear a swimsuit, tube top, halter top or bra underneath.
Click here for the Parent/Guardian letter
Click here for the newsletter
Counselor Corner (Week of November 4 - November 8 )
8th Grade 4 Year Planning for High School
CMS counselors have been meeting with 8th grade advisory classes to help students select their core classes. They will soon begin meeting with 8th grade students individually to help students select their electives and their endorsement to complete their 4 year plans before Christmas break. After students have had their individual meetings with their counselor and completed their 4 year plan, parents will be emailed and asked to review the plan, request changes, and sign off on both the 4 year plan and endorsement. 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
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 can pick up an application in the counseling office or they may access the application directly from the 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
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
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.
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.