The Wolf Weekly

Wonderful Wolf Families,

Welcome to Thanksgiving break!

During this time off from school for Thanksgiving Break, we want to express our gratitude for everyone who has helped keep our wolves safe, healthy, and learning this first semester of the 2024-2025 school year.

We thank:

• Our wolves for being part of the pack and bringing life and joy to the halls and classrooms of CTMS!
• Our pack staff who go above and beyond daily to make CTMS a welcoming place for our wolves to learn and thrive!
• Our families for partnering with us as we work together for our wolves!
• Our PTA for working tirelessly behind the scenes to support the learning at CTMS!
• Our PTA and families who provided each wolf pack member with a pie for the Thanksgiving!
• All who supported the Thanks for Giving Auction!

From the CTMS pack to you and your family, enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving! We are thankful for you entrusting us with your wolf!

Enjoy your week off from school! See you on Monday, December 2, 2024!

Howl,

Jamie Halliburton

CTMS Principal

Hope Squad did a lunch room activity for National Kindness Day and students were able to write thank you notes to any teacher in the district. Several students wrote to their elementary teachers!

Howl to the wolves for beating the staff in two games on Friday afternoon! This annual tradition raised over $200 dollars and 500 plus cans for GRACE!

GCISD is partnering with Recovery Resource Council to bring Drug and Alcohol prevention curriculum to middle school students during the 2024-25 Spring semester. As approved by the GCISD Student Health Advisory Committee, sixth graders will receive eight lessons using the Positive Action curriculum during PE/Pre-Athletics, and seventh and eighth graders will each receive one Drug & Alcohol Prevention lesson. All students will participate in this program unless a Parent Opt Out is received. If you need a paper copy of this, please contact your Student Advocate. We will be providing a virtual Parent Preview via Zoom link on Dec. 11th at 10:00 AM. (Meeting ID: 883 4600 2092) Please see the flyer below with more details. If you have any questions/concerns, you can reach out to Allyiah Daniels at allyiah.daniels@gcisd.net or 817-251-5323.

CTMS Dates (these are subject to change)

• 6th Grade - 1/14, 1/21, 1/28, 2/4, 2/11, 2/20, 2/25

• 7th Grade - 1/13

• 8th Grade - 1/15

Looking for some wolf gear for the cooler weather, look no further than this new site from our athletic boosters. Many designs, both athletic and nonathletic, to choose from and 20% of sales go back to supporting the athletic booster!

As we approach the end of the semester, we would like to inform you about the upcoming mid-year assessments for GCISD middle schools. These assessments are a crucial part of gauging our wolves' progress and ensuring they meet the educational standards set by the district.

This semester, the mid-year assessments will include:

1. District Assessments (TEKS Checks): These assessments will cover the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) to ensure students are meeting the required learning objectives.

2. Algebra District Assessment: A comprehensive exam to evaluate students' understanding and proficiency in Algebra.

3. Biology District Assessment: An in-depth assessment focusing on key concepts and knowledge in Biology.

4. In addition, high school courses will have semester exams that may include hands-on projects, written assessments, or group projects.

All mid-year assessments and semester exams will be given in a two week window from December 9-20, 2024. We encourage you to support your children in their preparation for these assessments by ensuring they have a quiet place to study, a consistent study schedule, and all the necessary materials. Additionally, please remind your children to get plenty of rest and maintain a healthy diet during this period.

We are unable to give district assessments early. If your wolf is absent for any exams, they will have an opportunity to take them on January 7, 2025. Please contact your wolf's school counselor if this applies to your wolf, and they will get them scheduled to make up their tests on January 7.

This year, we will be following our traditional schedule for assessments. This will keep routines in place as we close out the semester.

If you have any questions or need further information about the exams, please do not hesitate to contact your child's teacher or the school administration.

Thank you to our wonderful community for making this year's auction a success! We not only met our goal - we exceeded it! We are also so grateful for all who worked hard behind the scenes and on bidding day. THANK YOU!

Don't forget to purchase a Candy Cane Gram with a specialized message and yummy treat for your favorite student(s) and teacher(s)! Sold online HERE until the 13th and in person in the cafeteria the 9th, 10th, and 11th.

Candy Cane Grams will be delivered on the 20th.

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

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, Nov. 25-29 ~ Thanksgiving Break (see flyer below)

• December 2 ~ Welcome back wolves! /Bring money for Candy Cane Grams!

• December 6 ~ Club Day

• December 15 ~ End of early bird pricing for cotillion (see above)

• December 20 ~ Pep Rally/Early release at 12:10 p.m.

GCISD Parent Satisfaction and Engagement Survey Launches December 2

Principals, As we reviewed at the October A-Team, the Parent Satisfaction and Engagement Survey is set to run December 2-12. Please see the messaging below that the district will share in the November 20 GCISD Update and that you may also share in any campus newsletters that will be going out before the survey ends:

GCISD Parent Satisfaction and Engagement Survey Launches December 2

We are excited to announce that our very first Parent Satisfaction and Engagement Survey will be conducted December 2-12! As part of GCISD’s commitment to continuous improvement, this survey aligns with our Balanced Scorecard performance objective of parents and families satisfaction and engagement. This is your opportunity to share your insights that will guide our efforts in creating a stronger school community. The survey should take no more than 5-10 minutes to complete.

The data from this survey will directly inform our goal-setting and strategic planning, helping us to better understand areas where we can grow. By gathering this feedback, we aim to strengthen our support for students, families, and staff alike.

On Monday, December 2, the survey invite link for each individual student will be sent to the primary contact on file in Skyward and will come from the name “GCISD,” but the email address will be noreply@qemailserver.com. If you don’t see the survey email by the morning of December 3, please check your spam or junk folders. If it’s still missing, feel free to contact us at info@gcisd.net, and we’ll ensure it reaches you.

If another parent or guardian besides the primary contact on file would also like to complete the survey independently, please email info@gcisd.net with their full name and the name(s) of your GCISD student(s).

We value your feedback and appreciate the time you’ll take to help us grow. Your insights play an essential role in building a brighter future for all of our students, and we are grateful for your partnership.

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to us at info@gcisd.net.

Thank you for helping us shape the future of GCISD!

Grapevine-Colleyville ISD lanza una encuesta de satisfacción y participación de los padres el 2 de diciembre

¡Estamos muy contentos de anunciar que nuestra primera Encuesta de Satisfacción y Participación de los Padres se llevará a cabo del 2 al 12 de diciembre! Como parte del compromiso de GCISD de mejorar continuamente, esta encuesta se alinea con nuestro objetivo de rendimiento Balanced Scorecard de los padres y la satisfacción de las familias y la participación. Esta es su oportunidad de compartir sus puntos de vista que guiarán nuestros esfuerzos en la creación de una comunidad escolar más fuerte. La encuesta no debe tomar más de 5-10 minutos para completar.

Los datos de esta encuesta nos ayudarán a fijar nuestros objetivos y a planificar nuestra estrategia, ayudándonos a comprender mejor las áreas en las que podemos crecer. Mediante la recopilación de esta información, nuestro objetivo es fortalecer nuestro apoyo a los estudiantes, las familias y el personal por igual.

El lunes, 2 de diciembre, el enlace de invitación a la encuesta para cada estudiante individual será enviado al contacto principal en el archivo en Skyward y vendrá del nombre «GCISD», pero la dirección de correo electrónico será noreply@qemailserver.com. Si usted no ve el correo electrónico de la encuesta en la mañana del 3 de diciembre, por favor revise su folder de spam o correo no deseado. Si todavía falta, no dude en ponerse en contacto con nosotros en info@gcisd.net, y nos aseguraremos de que le llegue.

Si otro padre o tutor, además del contacto principal en el archivo, también le gustaría completar la encuesta de forma independiente, por favor mande un correo electrónico a info@gcisd.net con su nombre completo y el nombre (s) de su estudiante (s).

Valoramos sus comentarios y apreciamos el tiempo que tomará para ayudarnos a crecer. Sus puntos de vista toman un papel esencial en la construcción de un futuro mejor para todos nuestros estudiantes, y estamos agradecidos por su colaboración.

Si tiene alguna pregunta o duda, póngase en contacto con nosotros en info@gcisd.net.

Middle School Health Just Say YES - Determined to Succeed (6th Grade) Parent Preview

Middle School Principals - Please include the information below in your parent newsletter this week. A message with this same information will be shared through Skyward on November 22. The consent form mentioned in the letter will be live in Skyward on December 4. Consent reminders will be sent via Skyward as we approach the consent deadlines. Please be sure to add the link to the Parent Preview letter as referenced in this message.

Middle School Health Just Say YES - Determined to Succeed (6th Grade) Parent Preview

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

Determined to Succeed will be presented to your student according to the campus schedule, found in the Parent Preview Letter linked here.

Parents may preview this program on December 4, 2024, at 10 AM and 5:30 PM online using the links provided in the Parent Preview Letter linked here.

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.

Spanish

Salud Escolar en la escuela secundaria- Solo dí sí: Decidido a tener éxito (Just Say YES - Determined to Succeed) (6° grado)-Presentación Preliminar para Padres

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

El Programa Decidido a tener éxito (Determined to Succeed) será presentado a su estudiante según el horario escolar que se encuentra en la Carta de Presentación Preliminar para Padres en este enlace.

Los padres pueden obtener una presentación preliminar de este programa el 4 de diciembre del 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 este enlace que se encuentra 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.

Starting Wednesday, November 6th, we will implement a new CTMS practice for forgotten wolf IDs. As a reminder, the wearing of student IDs is part of the GCISD dress codes and outlined in the student code of conduct. We want to ensure consistency and encourage responsibility among our wolves, so each wolf will begin with a fresh start on this date.

The updated practice is as follows:

1. First forgotten ID: Verbal warning.
2. Second forgotten ID: Lunch detention.
3. Third forgotten ID: Two lunch detentions.
4. Fourth forgotten ID: Parent phone call, and a replacement ID will be automatically charged to the wolf's Skyward account.
5. Fifth forgotten ID: In-school suspension (ISS) for repeated dress code offenses.

Additionally, please note that failure to return temporary IDs will result in lunch detention.

All wolves receive IDs, free of charge, on picture day. For those wolves who join the pack after picture day, they receive IDs when registering. Replacement IDs can be purchased from Ms. Richards in the front office before school or during lunch daily.

Thank you for your support in helping our wolves build good habits and follow GCISD expectations!

• 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 and $1 for replacement lanyard. 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

Lache Nealy

817-251-5326

lache.nealy@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

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!

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.

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!

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.

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