Colt Corner
#TeamCMS
October 4, 2019
Colts,
Fall, October, and cooler weather (a little bit at least) have arrived! Our Colts have been busy both inside and outside of the classroom. Be sure to take a look at all the upcoming events below to continue to help plan your weeks ahead. I hope each of you have a great 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 5 - CMS Band - All Region Master Class - 9:00 - 12:00
October 7 - World Day of Bullying Prevention - Wear Blue
October 8 - Choir - 7th & 8th Grade - 7:00 - 8:30 pm - CMS
October 10 - 7th & 8th Grade Volleyball linked here
October 14 - Teacher/Student Holiday
October 14 - Choir: Dress Rehearsal Fall Concert 3:30 - 5:00
October 15 - 7th Grade Football - A&B Teams - schedule linked here
October 15 - Tailgate on the CMS Patio - 4:00 - 5:00 - $5 food/chips/drinks
October 16 - 8th Grade Football - A&B Teams - schedule linked here
October 16 - Make-up picture Day
October 16 - 8th Grade PSAT test 8:10 - 12:30
October 17 - 7th & 8th Grade Volleyball linked here
StrengthsFinder Parent Presentation
AIM FOR SUCCESS PARENT PREVIEW
Thursday, October 10th at the Admin Building
AM Sessions:
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. AIM for Success Parent Preview - 6th Grade
11:15 a.m. - 12:15 a.m. AIM for Success Parent Preview -8th Grade
PM Sessions:
6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. AIM for Success Parent Preview - 6th Grade
7:15 p.m. - 7:15 - 8:15 p..m. AIM for Success Parent Preview -8th Grade
*If you choose to opt your child out of the program, an opt out form will be available prior to the program presentation to the students.
Red Ribbon Week
To kick off Red Ribbon Week, GCISD is sponsoring a drug prevention poster contest and a Public Service Announcement (PSA) competition. Submissions should be based on this year's theme, "Send a Message, Stay Drug Free." Winners of both contests will be recognized at the GCISD Board meeting in November. For more information, please see this attached flyer.
PSAT
Wednesday, October 16, 8th-grade students will take the PSAT 8/9. This not only provides students the opportunity to practice the SAT-style test, but it provides valuable data for both home and school on the student's progression towards college readiness. For more information about the test, please review the PSAT 8/9 Student Guide.
A couple of notes about the PSAT and testing day.
- Students that arrive after the test has begun, will not be allowed to take the test.
- 8th-grade lunch will move to 12:30 to allow time to complete testing
- Students are encouraged to bring their own calculators to use on the calculator portion of the test.
- Students are NOT allowed to eat or drink during testing unless such accommodations are already in place for health reasons.
- Students may not use a mechanical pencil for the test.
- Students testing with oral accommodations will take the test over 2 days.
GC:60
Free and Reduced Priced Meals
Free and reduced priced meals are available at all campuses in GCISD. The application process is easy and a results letter will be emailed to the household. For information on applying for the program and income eligibility, please click the link below.
https://www.gcisd.net/departments/nutrition_services/free_and_reduced_information
GCISD Parent Tech Academy is October 9th
Want to know how to connect in with your child's class in Google Classroom? Want to know how to set-up grading and other alerts in Skyward Family Access? Curious on how your child accesses online textbooks and more? Join the GCISD Instructional Technology team as they help guide parents through the use of various tools here in GCISD. Feel free to bring your own laptop or device to follow along. Limited district laptops will be available for use.
If you would like to experience Google Classroom much like your students, please have access to a Google account/Gmail address before the session. If you need help setting up a Google account we can assist you; please arrive at least 10 minutes before the session start time.
Details: October 9th at 6:10 p.m. at the GCISD Professional Learning Center, 5800 Colleyville Blvd, Colleyville, TX 76034
esports - Smash Brothers
As you may already know GCISD established an esports (competitive video games) program last school year at GHS & CHHS. We quickly became one of the leading districts across the country for esports, which has lead to many opportunities for our students that other districts do not have available.
Recently we have been invited to take part in an event at the largest esports arena in the US located here in Arlington.
This event is for the video game Smash Brothers (your students will know what this is) and is open to all GCISD students 6th-12th grade. This event is the first to be open to middle school students to participate in.
This tournament is hosted and ran, by the esports arena, and the winning students get a chance to play in one of the largest Smash Brothers Tournaments alongside professional esports athletes in December.
Information is online at www.gcisd.net/esports
GCISD is one of four districts in the state invited to attend. There is an entry fee of $15; all the info is outlined on the page.
October is Dyslexic Awareness Month
October is Dyslexic Awareness month, please enjoy this article and learn
more about this disability that affects 1 in 5 people.
Understanding Dyslexia-
Know the signs, and how to help kids with the most common learning disability https://childmind.org/article/understanding-dyslexia/
Thank You!
The Dad's Club will be hosting our first ever CMS Tailgate Party at the CMS Patio before the football game on October 15th! If you haven't joined our Dad's Club, and want to come and lend a hand when possible, we would love to have you at CMS!
Theater News
Counselor Corner (Week of Oct. 7 - Oct 11 )
Counselors will begin meeting with each 8th grade student individually to create their 4 year plans in October in order to allow us time to meet with all students and 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.
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, 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.”
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. If you would like your student to opt out of this program, please use the link below to obtain an opt out form and turn the form in to your child’s counselor by Monday, Oct. 7, 2019.
(7th Grade) Healthy Relationships - Oct. 9
(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
WORLD DAY OF BULLYING PREVENTION is the first Monday of every October. On this day students, schools, and communities all over the world go BLUE together against bullying. This event also kicks off National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month every October. We want all CMS students and staff members to join with other schools in our district and across the country in solidarity to stop bullying and cyberbullying! Make it the day that bullying prevention is heard around the world by wearing BLUE on Monday, October 7th. The 2nd period classes with 100% of students wearing BLUE will get a special treat!
Credit by Exam
Students in grades 6 through 12 currently enrolled in the District can receive credit for an academic course or subject area, in which the student has had no prior instruction, with a passing score of 80% or higher on an exam approved by the district’s Board of Trustees. If you’d like more information or want to sign up, please see one of your school counselors. Registration for the Fall CBE will be open until 4 p.m., October 9th. You can also find more information at
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
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 enrolled into a college, university or technical school, and submits a verification of enrollment to BBYF.
$2,500 scholarship
2 Finalists will be selected from CTMS
Pick up an application in the counseling office
Due Friday, November 8, 2019
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 so you can monitor 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