The Wolf Weekly

Wonderful Wolf Families,

We had a great first week of the second nine-weeks. On Thursday and Friday we gathered for grade-level meeting to review the Wolf Way, discuss what's going well and what we can improve upon for the second nine weeks. Ask your wolf the best part of the first nine weeks and something we can work on for the second nine weeks. We'd love to hear how to make their time at CTMS 1% better!

Join us THIS Friday for our annual Trunk or Treat from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. This come and go event is free to all with concessions available. Get your costumes ready for fun with the pack!

Wednesday all 8th grade wolves and 7th grade ASPIRE wolves take the PSAT. It is a normal school day for the rest of the pack. See below for more information.

October 21 is the first day for early voting. See below for information about the VATRE; know before you go to the polls!

Looking forward to an incredible week with the pack!

Howl,

Jamie Halliburton

CTMS Principal

Did you know that the voter-approved tax ratification election (VATRE) isn’t unique to GCISD? In fact, several school districts across Texas have a VATRE on their ballot this November. For GCISD, the VATRE will be Proposition A on the November 5 ballot. Watch this video to see how no increase to public school funding since 2019 is affecting districts across the state and learn more about the three golden pennies proposed in the GCISD VATRE.

Understanding the Ballot Language for Proposition A

The Texas Tax Code provides mandatory ballot language for GCISD’s Proposition A, the voter-approved tax ratification election, but what does it mean?

• The TOTAL tax rate of $0.9233 is $0.0014 less than the previous year.

• The increase of 1.08% references the increase to ONLY the M&O rate (from $0.7290 in 2023 to $0.7369 in 2024)

• $1,513,042 represents the difference in the tax collections from the $0.7290 M&O rate to $0.7369.

Hear GCISD Chief Financial Officer Derick Sibley explain it by watching this segment of the recent Facebook Live presentation about the VATRE.

Know Before You Go: Early Voting Starts October 21

Early voting will begin Monday, October 21, and continue through Friday, November 1. Tarrant County registered voters can vote at any Vote Center location during Early Voting and on Election Day.

Early Voting Hours

• Schedule and locations

Election Day - November 5

• Find Your Election Day Vote Center Locations by Zip Code

La Elección de Ratificación de Impuestos Aprobada por los Votantes (VATRE) no es exclusiva de GCISD

¿Sabía usted que la elección de ratificación de impuestos aprobada por los votantes (VATRE) no es exclusiva de GCISD? De hecho, varios distritos escolares a través de Texas tienen una VATRE en su boleta electoral este noviembre. Para GCISD, la VATRE será la Propuesta A en la boleta electoral del 5 de noviembre. Vea este video para ver cómo ningún aumento a la financiación de las escuelas públicas desde 2019 está afectando a los distritos en todo el estado y aprenda más sobre los tres centavos de oro propuestos en el VATRE de GCISD.

Entendiendo el lenguaje de la boleta electoral para la Propuesta A

El Código de Impuestos de Texas proporciona el lenguaje obligatorio de la boleta electoral para la Propuesta A de GCISD, la elección de ratificación de impuestos aprobada por los votantes, pero ¿qué significa?

• La tasa de impuesto TOTAL de $0.9233 es $0.0014 menos que el año anterior.

• El aumento del 1.08% hace referencia al aumento SÓLO de la tasa M&O (de $0.7290 en 2023 a $0,7369 en 2024).

• $1,513,042 representa la diferencia en la recaudación de impuestos de la tasa M&O de $0.7290 a $0.7369.

Escuche al Oficial Principal de Finanzas de GCISD Derick Sibley explicarlo viendo este segmento de la reciente presentación en Facebook Live sobre el VATRE.

Infórmese antes de ir: El voto anticipado comienza el 21 de octubre

La votación anticipada comenzará el lunes 21 de octubre y continuará hasta el viernes 1 de noviembre. Los votantes registrados del Condado de Tarrant pueden votar en cualquier centro de votación durante la votación anticipada y el día de las elecciones.

Horario de Votación Anticipada

• Horario y ubicaciones

Día de Elecciones - 5 de Noviembre

• Encuentre su Centro de Votación del Día de Elecciones por Código Postal

HOWL to the 8th grade volleyball A-team for an UNDEFEATED regular season!!!!!!! Howl to 7th grade volleyball team for only losing one game in the regular season. Both teams are DISTRICT CHAMPS!!!! Good luck to all of our volleyball teams playing for the title of Zone Champions this weekend!

Howl to the Silver Dancers and CTMS Cheer Squads for bringing wolf pride to the GHS homecoming parade!

CTMS Families,

Our annual Veterans Day Celebration is on Monday, November 11 th . We will host a short

reception at 2:00pm in the Library for veterans and their families, followed by an assembly at

2:35 in the Main Gym. This is always a very special time in which we take time to honor our

veterans and their service to our country.

We would like to make this event personal to our students and families, and we are hoping you

can help us out. If you have any family members that serve or have served in the military, we

would love to get a little information about them with the purpose to honor them throughout

our Veterans Day program.

If you and/or a veteran plan on attending the reception and/or the assembly, please complete

our form by clicking on this link, even if you cannot attend, you can send in a picture and give

information so we may honor your veteran. Please complete the form by Monday, November

4th. If you are attending, please bring a state issued ID so you can sign into our system and

receive your visitor sticker.

Thank you in advance for helping us make this memorable for our CTMS students and families.

We hope that you can all attend and help us celebrate. If you have any questions, please feel

free to email Stephanie.Maupin@gcisd.net.

Thank you,

Cross Timbers Middle School Social Studies Team

Get your early bird tickets for sixth grade cotillion! Early bird tickets are $55 from now until December 15. After that day, ticket prices go up to $75. For more information and to register, visit: https://www.ctmspta.org/cotillion

Cotillion is a sixth grade only event focused on fun, etiquette, and dancing.

• January 17: Hip Hop
• January 24: Western
• January 31: Disco
• February 7: Winter Wonderland

Join other pack parents on Monday, October 21 at 9:00 a.m. for the PTA General Meeting, coffee with Dr. Halliburton, and classroom visits. This is a great opportunity to hear about the incredible ways PTA supports the pack, learn about the work our wolves are doing in the classroom and see it in action.

If you are planning on joining the pack on Monday, October 21, please complete the following form so we can have enough copy and classroom walk groups: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd6KiEwMduRi1h1KBR94iYL2jMQGJEjWVSU49mec4Hz59lMFg/viewform?usp=sf_link

Who doesn’t love receiving a sweet treat during the school day?! Candy grams are back!

This year, there are 2 ways to purchase them: online and/or in person in the cafeteria. If you purchase online, you can buy all 3 at once to make sure your child, favorite staff members, and friends get theirs! For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the following site: https://www.ctmspta.org/form/m/309396

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.

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

• Monday, October 21 ~ PTA Coffee with the Principal & Classroom Walks (see above) / CTMS 7th Tennis vs North @ GHS 5-7 pm / CTMS 7th Football @ HMS 5-7 pm

• Tuesday, October 22 ~ CTMS 8th Football vs HMS @ CTMS 5-7 pm

• Wednesday, October 23 ~ PSAT 8th and 7th Aspire Students / CTMS Band Fall Concert Gym 1 6:30-7:30 pm / Cross Country Zone Meet @ CTMS 5-8 pm

• Thursday, October 24 ~ CTMS 7th Grade Volleyball District Game @ GMS 5-7 pm / CTMS 8th Grade Volleyball District Game @ North 5-7 pm

• Friday, October 25 ~ Trunk or Treat (see above) / CTMS 7th Grade Volleyball District Game @ GMS 5-7 pm / CTMS 8th Grade Volleyball District Game @ North 5-7 pm

• Saturday, October 26 ~ MS Choir All-Region Auditions @ Polk MS, Carrollton

• Monday, October 28 - Friday, November 1 ~ Red Ribbon Week (see below)

• Thursday, October 31 ~ CTMS Pep Rally 8:15 a.m.

• Monday, November 4 & Tuesday, November 5 ~ No school for Wolves/Staff professional learning

Parent Preview: 6th Grade Puberty Workshop Video Series

GCISD uses several resources and programs for middle school health curriculum in order to be proactive in our delivery of education concerning human sexuality. The Puberty Workshop video series will be presented to your student the week of November 18 - November 22. Parents may preview this program from October 27 - November 8 online. Access information can be found in the Parent Preview Letter. Please follow the steps outlined there to access and preview the video series.

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 in the Parent Preview Letter. 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.

Avance informativo para padres: Serie de Videos del Taller sobre la Pubertad para estudiantes de 6to Grado

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. La serie de vídeos del “Taller sobre la Pubertad” será presentado a su estudiante la semana del 18 de noviembre al 22 de noviembre. Los padres pueden ver un avance informativo de este programa desde el 27 de octubre hasta el 8 de noviembre. La información de acceso se puede encontrar en la Carta de Avance Informativo para Padres. Siga los pasos que se describen allí para acceder y obtener un avance informativo de la serie de videos.

Se pedirá a todos los padres que indiquen 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 dentro de los plazos establecidos en la Carta de Avance Informativo para Padres. Estas fechas límites dan tiempo a cada escuela para preparar adecuadamente los espacios, supervisar y considerar la asistencia de los estudiantes. Gracias de antemano por adherirse a estas fechas limites.

Parents Can Manage Meal Payments Online Via MySchoolBucks App

GCISD’s Nutrition Services is pleased to announce that parents can now download the MySchoolBucks app to make online prepayments on their child’s school meal account and view transactions. There is a $3.25 processing fee for each transaction.

After downloading the app from the App Store or Google Play on their mobile device, parents will need the following to establish an account:

• Visa, Mastercard or Discover credit cards

• Child’s six- or seven-digit student ID number

Transactions made prior to 10 a.m. will be posted to the meal account the same day. Prepayments made after 10 a.m. will be posted the next school day.

Although the online option is available, parents will still continue to have the option to pay at their child’s school using cash or via check. There is no processing fee for payments at school.

If you need assistance with the meal account, please call GCISD Nutrition Services at 817-251-5617 or send an email to child.nutrition@gcisd.net.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Los padres pueden pagar en línea por las comidas escolares de su hijo a través de la aplicaciíon MySchoolBucks

Servicios de Nutrición de GCISD se complace en anunciar que los padres ahora pueden descargar la aplicación MySchoolBucks para hacer pagos por adelantado en línea en la cuenta de comida escolar de su hijo y ver las transacciones. Hay un cargo de procesamiento de $3.25 por cada transacción.

Después de descargar la aplicación en la tienda App Store o Google Play en su dispositivo móvil, los padres necesitarán lo siguiente para establecer una cuenta:

• Tarjetas de crédito Visa, Mastercard o Discover

• El número de identificación estudiantil de seis o siete dígitos

Las transacciones realizadas antes de las 10 a.m. se acreditarán a la cuenta de comidas el mismo día. Los pagos realizados después de las 10.00 a.m. se acreditarán el siguiente día escolar.

Aunque la opción de pago en línea está disponible, los padres aún tendrán la opción de pagar en la escuela de sus hijos en efectivo o con cheque.No hay cargo de procesamiento para pagos hechos en la escuela.

Si necesita ayuda con la cuenta de comida, por favor llame a Servicios de Nutrición GCISD al 817-251-5617 o envíe un correo electrónico a child.nutrition@gcisd.net.

Esta institución ofrece igualdad de oportunidades.

Free and Reduced-Priced Meal Applications Are Still Accepted

Every dollar counts and if you qualify for free and reduced meals for your child, there is still time to complete an application. Applications are available at www.schoollunchapp.com and can be completed at any time during the school year. The sooner the application is completed and if you qualify, the sooner your child can begin to receive meals at the free or reduced price.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Todavía se aceptan solicitudes de comidas gratuitas y a precio reducido

Cada dólar cuenta y si usted califica para comidas gratuitas y reducidas para su hijo, todavía hay tiempo para completar una solicitud. Las solicitudes están disponibles en www.schoollunchapp.com y se pueden completar en cualquier momento durante el año escolar. Mientras más pronto llene la solicitud y si califica, más pronto su hijo(a) podrá comenzar a recibir comidas a un precio reducido o gratis.

Esta institución ofrece igualdad de oportunidades.

Collegiate Academy's application for the 2025-2026 school year is open! Applications opened October 1 and will remain open until December 16. Please see the Collegiate Academy website for more info, and the flier for application information.

¡La solicitud de Collegiate Academy para el año escolar 2025-2026 está abierta! Las solicitudes se abriran el 1ro de octubre y permanecerán abiertas hasta el 16 de diciembre. Consulte el sitio web o el folleto de Collegiate Academy para obtener más información.

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!

We have scheduled our monthly meetings for the remainder of the year, please add the following dates to your calendar!

• November 11th
• December 9th
• January 27th
• February 24th
• March 10th
• April 14th
• May 5th

All meetings will be 15 minutes long, except for our last meeting in May, which will be 30 minutes long. The Fall hours sheet will be due in December. Students can choose to attend the morning meeting at 7:45 or the afternoon meeting at 3:35.

We have several upcoming service projects including preparing for the Trunk or Treat, the Glenhope Fall Festival, and the Trunk or Treat. Students can earn up to 3 hours of volunteer credit for bringing in bags of candy for the Trunk or Treat, each bag of candy is worth 45 minutes!

Exciting News! CTMS Now Offers a New Online Purchase Option for Student ID's and Wolf Lanyards!

We are excited to announce that CTMS has added a new, convenient way for students and parents to complete your ID purchase needs online! This new payment option makes it easier and faster than ever before. You will find this payment option on the CTMS web page under the Quick Links heading where you can create your personal Web Store account. Once your account is created, click on the Middle Schools square and choose Cross Timbers Middle School. Complete your purchase through the Security/Dress Code option. Students will be able to finalize their order in Mrs. Richards office the following day once ID is personalized with the students' photo download. We hope this will be a helpful addition to preparing you student for a successful day at school everyday!

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

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.