Colt Corner
Colleyville Middle School
November 18, 2022
Thanksgiving Break is here! Thank you for your support at school to be the best we can be for our Colts. I am so incredibly proud of our staff, students, and school community for the tremendous work provided on a daily basis to help our Colts succeed. This past week, CMS was called upon to open the GCISD School Board Meeting and present our students’ journey as a Portrait of a Graduate example at CMS. The video here and below was shared at the board meeting featuring many aspects of school. Take a peek and see some of our Colts take us on their journey at CMS.
I hope you get many opportunities to spend quality time with your Colt(s) over the Thanksgiving Break. When we come back, we will have a very short window of time to wrap up a successful first semester followed by another nice break.
Thank you for everything that you do for all of our Colts. Have a wonderful break!
David-
David Arencibia, Ed.D.
Colleyville Middle School, Principal
School Twitter: @CmsColts - #TeamCMS - #ColtPride
B.E.S.T. - Building Excellent Schools Together
UPCOMING DATES/EVENTS
November 21 - 25 - No School - Thanksgiving Break
November 28 - 7th Grade Girls & Boys Basketball - Schedule linked here
November 29 - Cross Country Meet - schedule linked here
November 30 - 8th Grade Girls & Boys Basketball - Schedule linked here
December 1 - Grapevine Parade of Lights
December 3 - Choir - Breakfast with Santa Claus (7th/8th Grade Boys/Girls) - Crown of Life Lutheran Church Colleyville 9:00am
December 5 - 7th Grade Girls & Boys Basketball - Schedule linked here
December 5 - Winter Choir Concert - GHS 7:00 - 8:30pm
December 6 - Cross Country Meet - schedule linked here
December 8 - 8th Grade Girls & Boys Basketball - Schedule linked here
December 12 - 7th Grade Girls & Boys Basketball - Schedule linked here
December 13 - Cross Country Meet - schedule linked here
December 14 - CMS Theatre Showcase - CMS Cafeteria 7:00 - 8:30pm
December 15 - Band Winter Concert - CHHS 6:00 - 8:30pm
December 15 - 8th Grade Girls & Boys Basketball - Schedule linked here
In this Edition of the Colt Corner
* CMS Portrait of a Graduate Video
* Pear Deck Technology Spotlight
* Thanksgiving Pies - Thank You!
* Golden Apple Award - PTA
* Deck the Halls - Volunteers for CMS Campus Decorating Transformation
* Student Holiday Spirit Dress Calendar for Nov./December
* New 6th Grade Cotillion Information
* Modified Schedule for Friday, December 16th
* Lost & Found Items
* STAAR New Item Types
* Winter Wellness Event December 3
* PTA Award
* Deck the Halls - Signup
Counselors Corner
* Collegiate Academy
* Bobby Bragan Youth Foundation Scholarship
* Credit by Exam Testing Window
* 8th Grade 4 Year Planning
* Preferred Participation Consent for Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention
* GCISD Health and Wellness Expo
* Additional Resources
Repeated Information
* GCISD Update - November 16, 2022
* Join Us for the GCISD Job Fair November 30
* 8th Grade Recognition Ads
* Substitute Nurses Needed
* Grace Food Drive
* Semester Exam Schedule
* Zero Hour Schedule for December
* Morning Drop Off (Band Entrance)
* Yearbook Sales
* Emergency Contact Information
* Lightspeed Relay Parent Portal
CMS PTA
* 6th Grade Cotillion
* Colleyville Middle School Directory - Who To Contact
CMS Social Media Section
* CMS on Twitter - @cmscolts
* CMS on Facebook
* CMS on Instagram
Thanksgiving Pies
Golden Apple Award
Our PTA earned the Golden Apple Award. This award shows 100% of the school's staff as members in conjunction with our PTA families! This is a celebration with everyone in the Colleyville Middle School community. We are so proud of your efforts to engage in our greater Colt community.
Deck the Halls
If you are interested in helping with the decorating, please signup in the link below.
Student Holiday Dress for the Month!
6th Grade Cotillion
If you have any questions about Cotillion, please reach out to our Cotillion Chairs:
Tamaron Hunt tamaron.hunt@gmail.com
Stephanie Wilkerson stephanie@wilkersontx.com
Lost & Found
STAAR New Item Types
The State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) has undergone a redesign starting with the 2022 - 2023 school year. Students will experience new item response types, as well as, additional opportunities for free response and writing.
Families and students can preview and practice with the new item types by visiting the Texas Education Agency (TEA) resource at this link.
You do not need a login or password to access the site. Leave both options set to Guest and click the green login button at the bottom of the page. After selecting a STAAR-tested grade level, you will have a variety of options including information about the new item types and practice tests.
Winter Wellness Event December 3
Counselors Corner: Nov. 28 - Dec. 2
Collegiate Academy:
The window for applying for CA is still open! CA students can earn both a high school diploma and an associate degree by the time they graduate from high school. Any student wishing to apply to Collegiate Academy can do so by following this link:
Collegiate Academy application
Bobby Bragan Youth Foundation Scholarship:
Earlier this month, Mrs. Brizzi and Mrs. Bouchelle talked to you about the Bobby Bragan Youth Scholarship. CMS has a long history of students being scholarship finalists and/or winners and we are confident that we have students who can win this year as well!
You can find the application linked below. If you would like to apply, please print and complete the application and turn it in with your handwritten (not typed) essay to your counselor by Friday, December 2nd at 3:30 p.m.
Bobby Bragan Youth Scholarship Application
Credit By Exam Testing Window:
The registration window for the February test administration will open Monday, November 14th. It will close at noon on January 9, 2023. Linked below are the registration forms and information about the exams.
8th Grade 4 Year Planning:
4 year planning for high school is well underway at CMS! If your student has not yet turned in their 4 year plan, please have them do so ASAP! Mrs. Bouchelle and Mrs. Brizzi have started individual meetings with 8th graders in preparation for high school counselors to visit CMS in January. Below are resources you might find helpful in completing your student’s 4 year plan:
8th Grade Parent Meeting Powerpoint
High School 4 Year Planning Document
Preferred Participation Consent for Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention
As required by federal and state law, we will soon begin presenting a personal safety curriculum to middle school students. GCISD uses the Play It Safe! ® program to teach this curriculum. Play It Safe! ® is a child abuse awareness and prevention program that incorporates age-appropriate scripts and movies to teach children how to reduce the risk of sexual and physical abuse, and sexual assault. It teaches them to recognize potentially abusive behavior, provides the tools to respond to threatening situations, and encourages them to report abuse to a trusted adult. It is presented by The Women’s Center of Tarrant County, Inc. which uses trained volunteers to present the program using videos and scripted discussions at an age-appropriate level. Play It Safe! ® meets the State and Federal guidelines for curriculum addressing personal safety issues, child sexual abuse and pedophiles. The GCISD School Health Advisory Committee has reviewed and recommended these programs for all GCISD schools.
Our schedule for showing the Play It Safe Curriculum this year is as follows:
6th grade “Sexual Harassment”- November 8th, 2022
6th grade “Survivors of Abuse- March 8th, 2023
7th grade “Healthy Relationships”- October 5th, 2022
7th grade “Can’t Take It Back” - November 30th, 2022
7th grade “Abuse of Power” - February 21st, 2023
Please complete the section below to indicate your preference for your child’s participation in any of the above programs. If you choose for your child not to participate, your child will be provided an alternate location while this program is being presented. If the form is not completed, and turned into the campus counselor prior to the date on your campus notification letter, your child will not participate in the program.
Please complete the following Play it Safe form and return to your campus Counselor prior to the date of the lesson! Play it Safe Form
6th and 7th grade students were also provided with a hard copy form which can be returned to Ms. Dumas (advocate counselor). There is a recording of the parent preview located on the CMS counseling webpage.
Celebrate the holidays with GRACE and help us collect new, unwrapped toys for families in need! CMS is partnering with this vital agency to support children here in our neighborhood. General information about GRACE can be found here and their Christmas Cottage wish list can be found here. Donations may be taken directly to GRACE or brought to CMS before December 16.
GCISD Health and Wellness Expo: Saturday: 12/3/22
Join our GCISD Community for a free Winterland Health and Wellness Expo at Grapevine High School Mustang Activity Center (MAC) from 10AM-12PM.
Additional Resources:
National Institute of Mental Health
In This Edition
- GCISD Receives State’s Top Financial Rating
Watch Our Veterans Tribute Recaps
Volleyball and Football Teams Continue Playoff Runs
Vote for Texas Football Most Driven Team
iU Prep Teacher is Finalist for National Award
And More!
Join Us for the GCISD Job Fair November 30
Join Us for the GCISD Job Fair November 30
Get ready for GCISD's “Working with GCISD Wednesday” Job Fairs. Starting in November, we will be hosting a job fair every month! One Wednesday a month, we will be conducting on-site interviews for various positions.
Our first “Working with GCISD Wednesday” Job Fair will be held on November 30 from 4-6 p.m. at the GCISD Administration Building.
Ready to join the GCISD family? Click the link to learn more: https://tinyurl.com/working-with-gcisd-wednesday
8th grade yearbook recognition ads
Substitute Nurses Needed
GCISD is seeking RNs who would be willing to cover their child's campus clinic when the nurse is out. If you or a fellow RN are interested, please fill out the Sub Nurse Application, and send an email to Director of Health Services Amy Taldo, (amy.taldo@gcisd.net). Current sub pay is $110/day, and you may choose days that work around your schedule.
Zero Hour Reminder for December
December 2022
Wednesday, December 14: Zero Hour classes hold semester exams during regular class time; follow home middle school schedule for the remainder of the week
Thursday, December 15: Zero Hour classes do not meet due to testing schedule
Friday, December 16: Zero Hour classes do not meet due to testing schedule
Monday, December 19: Zero Hour classes do not meet due to testing schedule
Tuesday, December 20: Zero Hour classes do not meet due to testing schedule
Wednesday, December 21: Zero Hour classes do not meet due to testing schedule
6th Grade Cotillion
CMS is excited to be hosting the 2023 6th Grade Cotillion! Please Save the Dates:
Week One: Friday, January 20th - Western (CMS)
Week Two: Friday, January 27th - Sock Hop (CMS)
Week Three: Friday, February 3rd - Disco (CMS)
Finale: Friday, February 10th - Roaring Twenties (Colleyville Center)
Cotillion will be held from 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. each week. A website will be available soon for updates!
We'd love to have parent volunteers! Please click here to let us know how you would like to assist! We are planning a volunteer meeting on Friday, November 4th. Click here for details and to RSVP.
Thank you!
Cotillion Chairs,
Tamaron Hunt + Stephanie Wilkerson
Tamaron Hunt tamaron.hunt@gmail.com214-226-6993
Stephanie Wilkerson stephanie@wilkersontx.com 817-721-3288
COLLEYVILLE MIDDLE SCHOOL DIRECTORY - WHO TO CONTACT
*Note, the point of contact is the first level to answer and questions or concerns. They are usually able to resolve your question/concern, but in the event that you did not reach a resolution, your concern will be elevated to the subsequent level until a resolution is reached.
To email a CMS team member type the first name dot last name @gcisd.net (i.e. David Arencibia = david.arencibia@gcisd.net) unless different and noted under the name.