The Wolf Weekly

Wonderful Wolf Families,

Happy three day weekend! Wolves do not have school on Monday, September 23. The staff will be at school learning more about iReady and planning for the coming weeks. We look forward to seeing all the wolves back together on Tuesday, September 24.

As you are planning out the week, consider Cane's for dinner on Thursday to support CTMS PTA's spirit night. See below for more information.

Thank you for taking time to read the Wolf Weekly each Sunday!

Howl,

Jamie Halliburton

CTMS Principal

Congratulations to the CTMS Honors Band for being named a Commended winner in the 2024 Mark of Excellence National Wind Band Honors Project sponsored by the Foundation for Music Education.

The Mark of Excellence is a national music competition that recognizes ensembles for high standards in performance. The project received 450 entries from 40 states and was judged by nationally known adjudicators. We are so proud of this group and are thankful to the host of incredible teachers and supportive parents that played a role in this accomplishment!

HOWL to the CTMS Wolves of the Week!!!!! These wolves were nominated by the pack staff for exemplifying the Wolf Way by being kind, respectful, and responsible!!!

CTMS football players visited elementary schools on Thursday morning, assisting with carline, welcoming students, and inviting elementary students to the next middle school football games.

Wolf Athletics Families!

It was wonderful seeing so many families and fellow students come out to support our athletes at their first games of the season! Your presence and support are a major part of our successful program. The following information is to make entering and enjoying games a bit easier!

Home game tickets for all athletic events are $4 for adults and $2 for students aged 5 and up. You are more than welcome to pay in cash; gate workers will be grateful if you have small bills available, though they can break large bills if that is what is necessary for you to watch the wolf pack! You can also 'skip the line' to purchase tickets in person by buying your ticket online using a credit card or Apple Pay. You can visit the Hometwon Ticket website or download the Hometown Ticket app. It is highly suggested that you make an account if you are planning to purchase tickets digitally; checking out as a guest can sometimes make it harder to retrieve your tickets after purchase. Digital tickets need to be validated by the gate worker during your entrance, so once tickets are purchased and in your account, your part is done! The gate worker will guide you through validation when you are ready to enter the game.

Hometown Ticket also allows you to transfer tickets from one person to another. If you choose to transfer tickets it is a smoother process if both the buyer and the person receiving the ticket have already set up an account.

GCISD residents over the age of 65 can register to join the Gold Card Program, which grants them free general admission to all athletic, theatrical, and musical events in the district.

All funds collected at CTMS athletic events directly support our athletes. Your contribution to our campus makes an enormous difference to our overall program and individual students. Thank you for helping us build a strong foundation for the success of all wolves.

If your child is interested in joining the CTMS chapter of the National Junior Honor Society, applications open for current 7th graders after Spring Break.

Current chapter members worked together this week to set norms for the year, design and select our shirt, and elect officers! They are stepping gracefully into leadership roles on our campus and collaborating to create the future of our organization!

Our October chapter meeting will take place on Monday, Oct. 7th. Meetings will now be only 15 minutes long, so students can choose to attend from either 7:45 to 8:00 or 3:35-3:50.

National Junior Honor Society members must exhibit character, citizenship, leadership, scholarship, and endeavor to serve their community. The following students have been selected by their peers because they demonstrate these qualities and are trusted by their peers to be leaders on our campus.

• Secretaries: Aaryan M. and Audrey M.

• Historian: Revi S.

• Treasurer: Claire H.

In an unprecedented development, the vice president and president races had an exact tie. This year NJHS will enjoy both a Co-VP and a Co-President.

• Vice President: Sloan S. and Shefali L.

• President: Isabella H. and Lillian M.

Please join me in congratulating these exceptional students!

GCISD uses several resources and programs for middle school health curriculum in order to be proactive in our delivery of education concerning human sexuality.

Aim For Success will be presented to your student according to the campus schedule, found in the Parent Preview Letter linked below.

Parents may preview this program on September 24, 2024 at 10:00 AM and 5:30 PM online using the links provided in the Parent Preview Letter linked below.

After the Parent Preview has been conducted, every parent will be asked to indicate their preference of participation for their child electronically in the forms section of Skyward or by completing and returning a paper consent form by the deadlines established on the Parent Preview Letter linked below for each campus.

These deadlines allow each campus time to adequately prepare spaces, supervision, and account for student attendance. Thank you in advance for adhering to these deadlines.

Salud Escolar en la escuela secundaria- Solo dí sí: Apuntar al éxito (Just Say YES - Aim For Success) Presentación Preliminar para Padres

GCISD utiliza varios recursos y programas para el plan de estudios de salud escolar en las escuelas secundarias con el fin de ser proactivos en ofrecer una educación sobre la sexualidad humana.

Aim for Success (Apuntar al éxito) será presentado a su estudiante según el horario escolar que se encuentra en la Carta de Presentación Preliminar para Padres en el enlace abajo.

Los padres pueden obtener una presentación preliminar de este programa el 24 de septiembre de 2024 a las 10:00 AM y a las 5:30 PM en línea utilizando los enlaces proporcionados en la Carta de Presentación Preliminar para Padres que se encuentra abajo.

Después de que se haya realizado la presentación preliminar se pedirá a cada padre que indique su preferencia de participación de su hijo en la presentación; podrán hacer esto electrónicamente en la sección de formularios de Skyward o llenando y regresando un formulario de consentimiento en papel antes de las fechas límite establecidas en la Carta de Presentación Preliminar para Padres en el enlace que se encuentra a continuación para cada escuela.

Estas fechas límites permiten que cada escuela tenga tiempo para preparar adecuadamente los espacios, la supervisión y la contabilidad de la asistencia de los estudiantes. Gracias de antemano por respetar estos plazos.

Click here to see the Parent Preview letter as referenced in the message above.

Support CTMS PTA by eating at Cane's this Thursday from 4:00-10:00 PM. Money raised from our spirit nights will go to updating our CTMS marquee sign! If you haven't noticed, the CTMS marquee sign overheated and the wording is very difficult to read. We'd love to outfit it with updated Wolf signage!

Mark your calendar for our annual Trunk or Treat on Friday, October 25, 2024 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.! This is a FREE event for our students, families, and community!

If you're interested in hosting a trunk, please email programs@ctmspta.org.

Please mark your calendar (and save your Holiday shopping) for our 3rd annual CTMS Auction! If you and/or your business would like to donate an auction item - please email waysandmeans@ctmspta.org. Thank you for your support of CTMS PTA!

Your kind words of encouragement truly uplift our teachers and staff! If you have a positive experience to share, we’d love to hear about it! Use this form to leave a shout out for our amazing wolf staff!

Click here for the official district calendar for the 2024-2025 school year

• September 23 ~ NO School for Students

• September 24 - CTMS vs. CMS Football Tailgate @ CES 4:00 PM

• September 26 ~ 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. CTMS PTA Cane's Spirit Night / CTMS Volleyball Game @ East 4-8 pm / CTMS Choir Future Mustang Night @ GHS 6-8 pm/CTMS vs. CMS Football and Elementary Night

• September 30 ~ CTMS 7th Football @ East 5-7 pm / CTMS Fall Tennis vs West @ GHS 5-7 pm

• Monday, October 21 - PTA General Meeting (Coffee & Classroom Walks with Dr. Halliburton) @ 9:00 AM /A Honor Roll Celebrations (during all lunches)

• Wednesday, October 23 ~ CTMS Band Fall Concert @ GHS 6:30-7:30 pm

• Thursday, October 24 & 25 ~ CTMS 7th Grade Volleyball District Game @ GMS / 8th Grade Volleyball District Game @ North

• Friday, October 25 - Trunk or Treat (5:30-7:30 PM)

• Friday, October 25 - B Honor Roll Celebrations (during all lunches)

Before You Head to the Polls: Learn About GCISD’s Tax Rate History

The Voter-Approved Tax Ratification Election (VATRE) on the November 5 ballot will ask Grapevine-Colleyville ISD voters to consider ratifying the overall tax rate of $0.9233, generating nearly $6 million in funding for school district operations.

Did you know that GCISD’s overall tax rate is 47.3 cents less than it was in 2018, which equates to $90 million of taxpayer relief? This is the lowest overall tax rate in GCISD in more than 25 years.

Since 2018, the GCISD Board of Trustees has lowered the Interest & Sinking tax rate from $0.3567 to $0.1864. The Maintenance & Operations tax rate has also decreased due to statewide compression from $1.04 to $0.7369. With the passage of the VATRE, the new overall tax rate would be $0.9233, resulting in a $0.0014 lower overall tax rate from 2023.

Learn more about why a VATRE is on the ballot, how it would impact GCISD’s tax rate and what it will fund at www.GCISD.net/VATRE.

Antes de ir a los centros de votación: Aprenda acerca del historial de la tasa de impuestos de GCISD

La Elección de Aprobación de Ratificación de Impuestos (VATRE, por sus siglas en inglés: voter-approved tax ratification election) en la boleta electoral del 5 de noviembre pedirá a los votantes del distrito escolar Grapevine-Colleyville que consideren ratificar la tasa impositiva general de $0.9233, generando casi $6 millones en fondos para las operaciones del distrito escolar.

¿Sabía usted que la tasa impositiva general de GCISD es 47.3 centavos menos de lo que era en 2018, lo que equivale a $90 millones de alivio fiscal para los contribuyentes? Esta es la tasa impositiva general más baja en GCISD en más de 25 años.

Desde 2018, la Junta directiva de GCISD ha reducido la tasa impositiva de intereses y amortización (I&S) de $0.3567 a $0.1864. La tasa impositiva de mantenimiento y operaciones (M&O) también ha disminuido debido a la reducción de impuestos estatal de $1.04 a $0.7369. Con la aprobación de VATRE, la nueva tasa total de impuestos sería de $0.9233, resultando de una reducción a la tasa de impuestos en general de $0.0014 a partir de 2023.

Para aprender más acerca de por qué el VATRE está en la boleta electoral, cómo impactará la tasa de impuestos de GCISD y en que se invertirá visite www.GCISD.net/VATRE.

Safe Storage of Firearms

Texas law now requires school districts to distribute information to parents and guardians about the safe storage of firearms. The following resources will help you learn about options for, as well as how to talk to your child and others about, the safe storage of firearms.

In 2021, 4,613 Texans experienced gun-related deaths. The Texas Department of State Health Services (SHS) reports that 55% of Texas firearms deaths in 2020 were suicides and that 59% of all suicides in Texas were by firearms. Suicide attempts involving firearms have a 90% fatality rate. Restricting access to guns is critical in reducing acts of violence, whether as self-harm or towards others. Acts of mass violence and interpersonal violence often end in suicide.

It is unlawful to store, transport, or abandon an unsecured firearm in a place where children are likely to be and can obtain access to the firearm. Under Texas Penal Code 46.13, a person commits the offense of making a firearm accessible to a child if the child gains access to a readily dischargeable firearm, and the person with criminal negligence:

• Failed to secure the firearm; or

• Left the firearm in a place to which the person knew or should have known the child would gain access

The penalty for allowing a child access to a firearm can range from a Class C misdemeanor (punishable by a $500 fine) to a Class A misdemeanor (punishable by a $4000 fine, a year in jail, or a combination of the two).

Texas exempts the purchase of firearm safety equipment from Texas Sales and Use Tax.

Remember, a gun should be stored unloaded in a safe or locked container, with ammunition stored elsewhere. You can learn more and find additional resources from the Texas Department of Public Safety at https://safegunstoragetexas.com.

Safe gun storage is critical to preventing suicide, unintentional shootings, and other tragedies.

Almacenamiento seguro de armas de fuego

La ley de Texas ahora requiere que los distritos escolares distribuyan información a los padres y tutores sobre el almacenamiento seguro de armas de fuego. Los siguientes recursos le ayudarán a aprender acerca de opciones, así como la forma de hablar con su hijo y otras personas acerca del almacenamiento seguro de armas de fuego.

En 2021, 4,613 texanos experimentaron muertes relacionadas con armas de fuego. El Departamento de Servicios de Salud del Estado de Texas (SHS) informa que el 55% de las muertes por armas de fuego en Texas en 2020 fueron suicidios y que el 59% de todos los suicidios en Texas fueron por armas de fuego. Los intentos de suicidio con armas de fuego tienen una tasa de mortalidad del 90%. Restringir el acceso a las armas es crucial para reducir actos de violencia, ya sea autolesiones o hacia otros. Los actos de violencia masiva y la violencia interpersonal a menudo terminan en suicidio.

Es ilegal almacenar, transportar o abandonar un arma de fuego no asegurada en un lugar donde es probable que estén los niños y puedan obtener acceso al arma de fuego. Bajo el Código Penal de Texas 46.13, una persona comete el delito de hacer que un arma de fuego sea accesible para un niño si el niño obtiene acceso a un arma de fuego fácilmente descargable, y la persona con negligencia criminal:

• no pudo asegurar el arma de fuego; o

• si el arma de fuego fue dejada en un lugar al que la persona sabía o debería haber sabido que el niño tendría acceso.

La multa por permitir que un niño acceda a un arma de fuego puede variar desde un delito menor de Clase C (castigable con una multa de $ 500) hasta un delito menor de Clase A (castigable con una multa de $ 4000, un año de cárcel o una combinación de ambos).

Texas exenta la compra de equipos de seguridad de armas de fuego del Impuesto sobre las Ventas y el Uso de Texas.

Recuerde, un arma debe almacenarse descargada en un contenedor seguro o cerrado, con municiones almacenadas en otro lugar. Puede obtener más información y encontrar recursos adicionales del Departamento de Seguridad Pública de Texas en https://safegunstoragetexas.com.

El almacenamiento seguro de armas es fundamental para prevenir el suicidio, los tiroteos involuntarios y otras tragedias.

Theme: Accepting Imperfection

Deadline: Friday November 1, 2024

Categories: Dance Choreography, Film Production, Literature, Music Composition, Photography and Visual Arts. Students may enter in one or more categories with no limit to the number of entries in a single category.

Submission: Please submit to Mrs. Lemmon or email reflections@ctmspta.org

Requirements: Click the LINK below for Submission Form and Program Rules/Requirements.

https://www.ctmspta.org/reflections

*The participant or one member of their household, must be a current member of CTMS PTA.

• School Hours: 8:10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Doors Open: 7:45 a.m.
• Wolves enter the building through the C hall doors or the SAC doors. 6th & 8th grade wolves wait in the SAC and 7th grade wolves wait in the lecture hall for the bell to walk to first period.
• Bell Schedule
• Campus Map (click present for easier viewing)
• Front Office: 817-251-5320
• Mascot: Wolf
• School Colors: Silver & Black
• Planners: All wolves use a planner at CTMS. This is to assist with organizing, prioritizing, and planning. You can purchase a CTMS planner for $5 on the first day of school or use one of your choosing. Wolves use their planners daily.
• Student IDs: All wolves who did not attend Wolf Camp or Registration will be issued a temporary CTMS ID on the first day of school. The first IDs are free and replacement IDs are $5. Per the student code of conduct, IDs are to be worn daily by all CTMS students and staff.
• Lost & Found: The Front Office currently has several pieces of jewelry, keys, glasses and phones that are lost and have found their way to the office! Come by to check to see if your item was found!

Attendance

Elyzabeth Durard

817-251-5320

elyzabeth.durard@gcisd.net

Counselors

Molly Brown (last names A-K)

817-251-5315

molly.brown@gcisd.net

Rachel Smith (last names L-Z)

817-251-5312

rachel.smith@gcisd.net

Student Advocate

Allyiah Daniels

817-251-5323

Allyiah.Daniels@gcisd.net

Registrar

Ilia Kaku

817-251-5314

ilia.kaku@gcisd.net

Nurse

Riley Heimuli

817-251-5337

riley.heimuli@gcisd.net

Assistant Principals

Alishia Ilic (last names A-K)

817-251-5313

alishia.ilic@gcisd.net

Cinthia Morales (last names L-Z)

817-251-5317

cinthia.morales@gcisd.net

Principal

Jamie Halliburton

817-251-5320

jamie.halliburton@gcisd.net

Email: ctms.info@gcisd.net
Website: https://ctms.gcisd.net/
Location: 2301 Pool Rd, Grapevine, TX 76051
Phone: 817-251-5320
Twitter: @CTMSWolfWay

Interested in becoming an observer in your wolf's Canvas courses? Click this link to find out how to gain parental access to Canvas. You will need your wolf and their Chromebook to complete parent access enrollment.

In need of a new charger for a school issued Chromebook, click here for information on how to order a new one.

Thank you for helping our wolves be prepared for school each day by ensuring their Chromebooks are charged nightly!

Welcome All Wolves! Find information about your Attendance Clerk contact at CTMS this year below:

• As much as possible, please schedule appointments before or after school, or on student days off (teacher professional development days).
• Doctor's notes are required for those appointments & illness lasting more than 1 day.
• Please email me at Elyzabeth.DuRard@gcisd.net, or call 817-251-5326.

Click here to see the updated secondary grading policy from GCISD. All wolf pack teachers will be following this policy this school year to communicate the progress of each wolf.

Grades are a method of communicating the progress each wolf is making at CTMS. If you ever have questions or concerns over a grade, please reach out directly to the teacher.

Here is the link for the 2024-2025 GCISD Student/Parent Handbook and Code of Conduct :https://www.gcisd.net/o/gcisd/page/studentparent-handbook.

GCISD's Student-Parent Handbook contains information that students, parents and staff are likely to need during the school year. In addition, both students and parents need to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct. Both students and parents should become familiar with the Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District Student Code of Conduct, which is a document adopted by the board and intended to promote school safety and an atmosphere for learning.

Middle school students may use telecommunications devices before and after school, and during

lunch. They may not use telecommunications devices during passing periods or classes.

What does this mean for the wolves?

• Devices can be used before 8:00 a.m., during lunch, and after 3:30 p.m.
• Smartwatches can be worn as long as they are used for telling time.
• Earbud, airpods, and the like will not be used in the hallway or during class time.

Student-Parent Handbook page 55: Except in emergencies, delivery of messages or packages to students will not be allowed during instructional time. A parent may leave a message or a package such as a forgotten lunch, for the student to pick up from the front office during a passing period or lunch. Students are not permitted to order food using delivery services such as UberEats, DoorDash, etc.

What this means for the pack: Wolf pack family members may drop items off items to the vestibule for wolves. Delivery services are not permitted. Wolves will visit the vestibule during passing periods to pick up items dropped off by parents.

For the protection of students and staff, all volunteer applicants must read the Volunteer Handbook (in Español) and are asked to apply online authorizing the district to obtain a criminal history background check.

Note: All volunteers are required to reapply each year.

Apply Online

GCISD utilizes Volunteer Tracker for volunteer applications and signing up for volunteer opportunities. Please follow the steps provided to sign up. If you have any questions about registration, please contact App-Garden at support@app-garden.com or submit a help ticket.

Drop-off and pick-up occur in TWO locations: In the parking lot outside the academic halls at the C-hall door and outside the SAC. See the map below.

For the safety of all wolves, thank you in advance for driving slowly, keeping cell phones away, and staying alert and aware of others.

C-Hall Door

For drop-off and pick-up, the parking lot across from the football field is two lanes. Pull into the lane you will be exiting from, if you are turning right out of the parking lot, drop off and/or pick up your wolf in the inside lane (closest to the building) and if you are turning left out of the parking lot, drop off and/or pick up your wolf on the outside lane (closest to the football field). Also, please pull all the way up to let your wolf out of the vehicle. The doors to the school open at 7:45 a.m. and school dismisses at 3:30 p.m.

SAC Doors

This is a single lane drop-off and pick-up. The driveway is not for parking. If you need to assist your wolf, please park in a non-reserved space.