Colt Corner
Colleyville Middle School
February 26, 2021
Colts,
As we get closer to spring break, we begin to transition into the last quarter of the school year.
All assignments for the third nine-weeks are due to teachers by 4:00pm on Wednesday, March 10th. This reporting period is important for many reasons, including our Colts’ overall final grades and UIL eligibility implications. A closer look at the assignment and UIL dates can be seen below under the “Repeated Information” section for your convenience.
With winter sports ending and spring sports beginning, I want to congratulate our boys and girls basketball programs as they are finishing their seasons with several district championships! We wish our boys and girls “A” teams the best of luck as they compete in their final game of the 16 team zone tournament tomorrow.
As a reminder, if you plan on changing your students instructional learning model, please make those changes in Skyward by 11:59pm tonight. If you have any trouble with that, please contact your child’s counselor for assistance this coming Monday.
Enjoy the weekend ahead!
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
February 27 - 7th Grade Boys Basketball at CMS vs North Oaks at 10:00am
February 27 - 7th Grade Girls Basketball at Central Junior High at 10:00am
February 27 - 8th Grade Boys Basketball at CMS vs Smithfield at 11:20am
February 27 - 8th Grade Girls Basketball at CMS vs Euless at 12:40pm
March 1 - Tennis Match at Grapevine High School - 5:00 - 7:30pm
March 8 - Tennis Match at Grapevine High School - 5:00 - 7:30pm
March 11 - Track Quad Meet - 7th/8th Grades - Cross Timbers 4:00 - 6:30pm
March 15 - 19 - Spring Break
March 22 - Tennis Match at Colleyville Heritage High School - 5:00 - 7:30pm
March 23 - Track Quad Meet - 7th/8th Grades - Birdville Stadium 4:00 - 6:30pm
March 29 - Tennis Match at Colleyville Heritage High School - 5:00 - 7:30pm
March 29 - Spirit/Color Guard Club - North Gym - 3:30pm
March 30 - Track Quad Meet - 7th/8th Grades - Central Junior High 4:00 - 6:30pm
In This Edition of the Colt Corner
* Intent to Enroll Form
* STAAR and TELPAS Assessments Parent Letter
* KIOSK Mode
* National School Breakfast Week
* Social Studies Student of the week
* Fort Worth Science and Engineering Fair winners
* Reminder for students to bring their water bottles to school each day
* CMS PTA General Meeting - 2021-2022 Officer Slate
Counselors Corner
* SOS Signs of Suicide Prevention Program - Opt out form
* Bobby Bragan Scholarship Program
* 7th Grade Course Selection
* 6th Grade Course Selection
* GT Identification Process
* Identification Process - Referral Window Closes Friday, March 12th
* Play it Safe Student Lessons
* Character Strong
* Friends For Life Hotline
Repeated Information
* STAAR Interim Assessments
* STAAR Interim Assessments For Remote Students
* REMINDER: For GCISD Bus Riders
* Tuition Based Pre-K Program
* Yearbook Pictures Needed
* CMS Middle School Spirit Guard Information
* 3rd Nine Weeks Closing Window - Late assignments and UIL eligibility dates
* UIL Calendar
Intent to Enroll Form
Do you plan to attend GCISD schools next year but are not currently enrolled? Let us know you are coming! As GCISD prepares for the upcoming 2021-2022 school year, it is vital that the District have accurate enrollment predictions in order to properly staff for the number of students that will be attending school.
If you have children who are not enrolled in GCISD for 2020-2021, but will be enrolling for 2021-2022, we ask that you complete this Intent to Enroll form prior to March 12.
You DO need to complete the form if your child(ren)...
- Did not attend GCISD in 2020-2021 (for any reason), but will attend in 2021-2022
- Is entering Pre-K in GCISD in August 2021
- Is entering Kindergarten in GCISD in August 2021 AND did NOT attend Pre-K in GCISD
Please DO NOT complete the form if your child(ren)...
- Attended GCISD for the 2020-2021 school year, including Pre-K students
This form in no way obligates families to attend school in GCISD in 2021-2022, and it is also not a formal registration. Information regarding registration will be shared in the coming months.
If you know a family that may need to complete the form, please share this information with them. Thank you for your assistance in preparing for the 2021-2022 school year.
STAAR and TELPAS Assessments
KIOSK Mode
National School Breakfast Week
Calling all parents! Did you know...Breakfast is FREE to all in-person students in PK-8 for the remainder of the 20-21 school year? Breakfast is available each morning from 7:15-7:35 a.m for elementary school students and from 7:45-8:00 a.m for all middle school students.
The Breakfast menu includes a variety of student favorite items such as pancakes, french toast, breakfast pizza and sausage biscuits to name a few. Breakfast items are made from whole grains and lean proteins and also include a selection of fruit and fat free milk. Menu items offered at breakfast do not contain peanuts or pork unless otherwise specified.
Monday- March 8th, Kick off to National School Breakfast Week. All students who stop in for breakfast today will receive a sticker. Show your sticker to the cashier at lunch and get a FREE snack of your choice!
Tuesday-Breakfast Taco Tuesday! Stop in for a breakfast taco made with whole grain tortillas, turkey sausage, eggs and cheese.
Wednesday- Join us for Fluffy French Toast and Chicken Sausage, this combo is always a student favorite.
Thursday- Texas Thursday! Students always love our Crispy Chicken on a Southern Style Buttermilk Biscuit. Pick up a Texas Grown orange or Grapefruit with your meal today!
Friday-FREE Donut Friday! Enjoy a whole grain donut with your breakfast! Be sure to choose a fruit and milk to make a complete meal for FREE.
Please remind your Colt to bring their refillable water bottle.
As a reminder, we have refillable water bottle stations for our Colts that were purchased by NJHS! Please encourage your Colt to bring theirs daily.
Fort Worth Regional Science and Engineering Fair
CMS PTA General Meeting
Counselors’ Corner for the Week of Feb. 26
SOS Signs of Suicide® Prevention Program
Full program details are outlined in the SOS Opt-Out Form (new dates are below for deadlines and presentations due to the lost week) and all links are on the district website.
*Return to your child’s School Counseling Office no later than March 1, 2021 if you would rather your child not view the program.
The Parent Preview was rescheduled for Feb. 24th due to power outages interrupting the original date.
In-person learners will be presented this program through Advisory on the following rescheduled dates:
8th grade March 1
7th grade March 3
6th grade March 8
Remote learners and their parents/guardians will have two options to view the program virtually through a WebEx event on March 9th at 10 a.m. or 6:30 p.m. (click on time for link)
8th Grade Parents:
Bobby Bragan Youth Foundation Scholarship Program
The Bobby Bragan Scholarship Program is a competition open to 8th grade students from a total of 151 middle and junior high schools. Two applicants are selected from each school to represent the school in the BBYF scholarship competition. The "finalists" will make up the pool from which 34 scholarship winners will be selected. Each scholarship will be distributed after the recipient graduates from high school, gets accepted and is enrolled into a college, university or technical school, and submits a verification of enrollment to the BBYF.
CMS has had several Bobby Bragan Youth Foundation Scholarship recipients in past years and we would love to have two more CMS students join their ranks this year!
Students wishing to apply for the $2,500 scholarship need to complete an application, write 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 to CMS Counselors – Mrs. Brizzi or Mrs. Bouchelle by Friday, March 5th at 3:25. Students may obtain applications in the counseling office or by clicking on the link below.
Bobby Bragan Scholarship Application
7th and 6th Grade Parents:
Course Selection: Counselors met with current 7th and 6th grade students to discuss the next academic year course selections this week. At that time, students were given 2021-2022 course selection sheets to take home and review with their parents (these paper copies are for reference purposes only and will not be turned in this year). Counselors instructed students on submitting their course selections via a Google Form. The Google Form link was also shared with 7th and 6th grade students that day and then emailed to parents. Parents and students should work together to make course selections and only submit one form per student.
Below are the dates students met with their counselors and the due date for the google form.
7th grade met on Feb. 23rd, their Google Form will close on Monday, March 1st at 12p.m.
6th grade met on Feb. 26th, their Google Form will close on Thursday, March 4th at 12 p.m.
Jack Cooke Kent Foundation Young Scholars Program:
The Advanced Academics Department would like to share with you an exciting opportunity for our 7th grade students! The Jack Cooke Kent Foundation Young Scholars Program is a selective five-year, pre-college scholarship for high-performing 7th grade students with financial need. It provides comprehensive academic and college advising, as well as financial support for school, Cooke-sponsored summer programs, internships, and other learning enrichment opportunities. The link to apply is now open.
To be considered for the Young Scholars Program, applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements: entering 8th grade in the fall of 2021, earned all As and Bs in core academic subjects since the beginning of 6th grade, and demonstrates unmet financial need with a maximum adjusted gross income of $95,000.
Young Scholars Program Flyer This flyer is also available in several languages other than English on the website.
GT Identification Process- Referral Window Closes Friday, March 12th
Referrals for Gifted & Talented identification will be accepted by middle school counselors Feb. 22 - March 12. Testing for in-person learners will take place on campus between March 22 - April 9. Testing for remote learners will take place between April 19 - April 23 at the PDEC (more information to come). Qualification letters will be mailed home and postmarked no later than April 30. Qualified students will be eligible to enroll in GT courses beginning in 2021-2022. Please email your student’s counselor if you would like to make a referral.
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
(7th Grade) Can’t Take It Back - Nov. 13
(6th Grade) It’s Harassment - Dec. 1
(7th Grade) Abuse of Power - Feb. 10
(6th Grade) Survivors of Abuse - March 3
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 HONESTY for the month of March.
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: Fail Forward
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.comGCISD UPDATE | GCISD.NET/SPRING 2021
Update February 24, 2021
In this past edition:
Intent to Enroll: If you plan to attend GCISD schools next year, but did not attend this year, please let us know by filling out a brief Intent to Enroll form.
CTE Month: Career and Technical Education is celebrated throughout the nation in February. Take a look at a special student-made virtual tour of the GCISD CTE program.
Pre-K Enrollment: A few spaces are still available in GCISD's tuition-based Pre-K program for the 2021-2022 school year.
Free and Curbside Meals Continue: If you are participating in our curbside meal service, or have participated in the past, please read below for a survey with the opportunity to provide your feedback.
What's For Dinner? - NEW Menu Item: GCISD's Take and Bake Meals continue to be available, and scratch-made meatloaf has been added to the menu.
STAAR INTERM TESTING
STAAR Interim Assessments
The STAAR Interim Assessment window is approaching. These assessments are used to gain insight into students’ current understanding of grade-level standards and readiness for the STAAR tests in May.
Assessments by Grade Level
Teachers will communicate when they will be giving these assessments in their classes.
6th, 7th, and 8th graders will take a STAAR Interim Assessment in Reading and Math.
8th graders will also take Science/Biology and Social Studies.
7th graders in accelerated Science and Math will take the 8th grade Interim for those subjects.
KIOSK Mode
Beginning February 16, all district-issued student CHROMEBOOKS (grades 4-8) will be placed in KIOSK mode for test security purposes for the remainder of the school year. Because KIOSK mode will limit students’ access, students will need to hold down the CTRL-ALT-S key combination to exit.
Test Tickets
To take the Interim Assessments, students will need a test ticket. Students will be able to view the Interim Assessment test tickets through their SKYWARD accounts; parents will be able to view them through the SKYWARD parent portal.
How to Access Test Tickets in Skyward
Example of a Test Ticket - information at the bottom will be populated with student information.
Students should have the STAAR testing app on their computers.
How to Access Test Tickets in Skyward
If for some reason they do not, please use this link and follow the instructions.
The Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY)
CTY specializes in recognizing and developing the academic talents of students in grades 2-12. This is an alternative to the summer camp opportunities Duke TIP provided in the past.
SAGE is hosting a free online information session with CTY for GCISD students in grades 2-12 and their families.
Date: Tuesday, March 2, 2021
Time: 12:15 p.m.
SAGE will have information about this event on their website and on their social media. Parents may also contact Christy Baldwin at christy.baldwin@jhu.edu.