CTMS Family Newsletter
Wonderful Wolf Families,
Welcome to September!
We have successful completed the first 2 1/2 weeks of school. This coming Friday marks the three week grading mark which will result in the first progress report of the school year. Take time to look at that communication to see what adjustments, if any, need to be made to impact learning and growth for the school year.
Monday is Labor Day. CTMS will be closed on Monday. Happy three day weekend! Looking forward to seeing our wolves back on campus on Tuesday!
Thank you for taking time to read the Wolf Weekly each Sunday!
Howl,
Jamie Halliburton
CTMS Principal
8th Grade Yearbook Ads: Celebrate Your Child's Milestone with a Special Yearbook Ad!
Dear Parents,
It’s a big year for your 8th grader! As they prepare to embark on high school, why not capture this important milestone with a personalized yearbook ad?
Why Purchase an 8th Grade Ad?
- Cherish the Memories: Highlight your child's achievements and growth with a custom message and photos.
- Show Your Pride: Let your child know just how proud you are of their journey so far.
- Create a Keepsake: Give them a cherished memento they’ll look back on fondly for years to come.
For More Information & to Purchase: Cross Timbers MS Yearbook Page
Celebrate their achievements and make this year extra special!
September's Character Trait is Commitment!
Family Dare - The Hard Thing Rule
Have everyone in the family write down 1 hard thing they are signing up for and are committed to this year. Put the list up where everyone can see it! Angela Duckworth, a lead researcher on resilience and grit, has her family sign up for Hard Things. The 3 rules? 1.
- Everyone must choose 1 and it has to be something that requires consistent, intentional practice
- You cannot quit (until there is a natural stopping point like the end of a football season or after a recital)
- You get to pick your own passion - no one can choose it for you.
National Junior Honor Society
The first and second National Junior Honor Society Meetings of the year will take place on Monday, September 9th, and Monday, September 16th in Ms. Billman's Room, B7. Your student can choose between arriving at 7:30 or 3:35, each meeting will last for 30 minutes, though for the rest of the year, meetings will last 15 minutes. If you choose the morning meeting, please arrive promptly at the B Hall door WITH YOUR ID ON so a staff member can let you in! These two meetings are vital to setting our chapter norms for the rest of the year, so your wolf needs to make every effort to attend. I look forward to seeing them there!
Student-Parent Handbook: Food Deliveries
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.
Canvas Obsesrver
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.
Current 8th graders who are interested in going on the 2025 DC/NY Trip! There will be a parent information meeting on September 18th at 6 pm in the Lecture hall. While in DC we will visit all the Monuments, Smithsonian Museums, Mount Vernon, and Historic Georgetown. In New York, we will see all the sights and sounds of the city. Broadway show, Coney Island, Time Square, and Little Italy are all planned. If you attended the previous meeting in April you do not need to attend.
Please email Coach Krause if you plan on attending the meeting or if you have any questions. billy.krause@gcisd.net
PTA Reflections
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.
September 2 ~ Pack Holiday No School
September 3 ~ 8th Football Scrimmage @ CTMS 5-7 pm
September 4 ~ 7th Football Scrimmage @ CMS 5-7 pm
September 10 ~ S.O.S Presentation 8th Grade
September 12 ~ CTMS Volleyball vs North @ CTMS 4-8 pm
September 13 ~ CTMS Band Future Mustang Night @ Mustang/Panther Stadium 5:45 pm
September 19 ~ Picture Retake Day!
September 26 ~ 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. CTMS PTA Cane's Spirit Night
Fee Notifications
On September 16, the district will activate fee notifications in Skyward for the 2024-2025 school year. These fees support classes they are assigned to by providing funds for materials used by the students and to enhance and enrich their learning experience. Fees may be paid with a credit or debit card through Skyward. To pay by cash or check, please bring your payment to the front office and turn it into the campus bookkeeper. Ensure your child’s name and the class fee you are paying are attached to your payment. If you have questions regarding a class fee, please contact the teacher of that class.
GCISD Receives High Marks in Efficiency Audit Required for VATRE
The audit analyzed GCISD's academic, financial and operational performance in comparison to similar districts. Auditors highlighted that GCISD received an "A" in the state’s accountability ratings, an "A" in the state’s financial ratings, and demonstrated an average daily attendance higher than both peer districts and the state average.
According to the auditors, “When all of the data was pulled together for the report, we concluded that, with respect to all of the eight peer districts, GCISD efficiently uses its resources and would be good stewards of increased tax revenue as a result of this M&O tax rate increase, but that would be for voters to decide in November.”
Read the full story here and learn more about the VATRE at www.GCISD.net/VATRE.
El GCISD recibe altas calificaciones en la auditoría de eficiencia requerida para el VATRE
En su reunión del 12 de agosto, se les presentó a la Junta Directiva del Distrito de GCISD los resultados de una auditoría de eficiencia (Efficiency Audit), la cual es requerida por el Código de Educación de Texas, antes de que un distrito escolar lleve a cabo una elección de aprobación de ratificación de impuestos (VATRE, por sus siglas en inglés: voter-approved tax ratification election).
La auditoría analizó el rendimiento académico, financiero y operativo de GCISD en comparación con otros distritos similares. Los auditores destacaron que GCISD recibió una calificación de "A" en responsabilidad estatal, una calificación de "A" en gestión financiera, y mostró un promedio de asistencia diaria superior tanto a la de los distritos similares como al promedio estatal.
De acuerdo a los auditores, “Cuando se compilaron todos los datos para el informe, concluimos que, con respecto a los ocho distritos similares, GCISD utiliza sus recursos de manera eficiente y sería un buen administrador del aumento en los ingresos fiscales, como resultado de este incremento en la tasa total de impuestos de MO (mantenimiento y operaciones), pero esto lo decidirán los votantes en noviembre.”
Para leer la historia completa y aprender más sobre el VATRE puede visitar la página www.GCISD.net/VATRE.
Need a Charger
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!
CTMS PTA Membership Drive and Den Donations
Way to go, Wolf Pack!! We reached the "Early Bird" Membership goal of 443 before August 31! HOWL!!
We're not done yet, though! Our ultimate goal for the 2024-25 year is 680 memberships- We can't do it without you! If you have not yet signed up, you please use the link below.
- 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!
Who to Contact
Attendance
Elyzabeth Durard
817-251-5320
Counselors
Molly Brown (last names A-K)
817-251-5315
Rachel Smith (last names L-Z)
817-251-5312
Student Advocate
Allyiah Daniels
817-251-5323
Registrar
Ilia Kaku
817-251-5314
Nurse
Riley Heimuli
817-251-5337
Assistant Principals
Alishia Ilic (last names A-K)
817-251-5313
Cinthia Morales (last names L-Z)
817-251-5317
Principal
Jamie Halliburton
817-251-5320
Cross Timbers Middle School
Email: ctms.info@gcisd.net
Website: https://ctms.gcisd.net/
Location: 2301 Pool Rd, Grapevine, TX 76051
Phone: 817-251-5320
Twitter: @CTMSWolfWay
Attendance
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.
Secondary Grading Policy
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.
Cell Phone Policy
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.
Volunteer Background Check
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.
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.
Morning Drop-Off & Afternoon Pick-Up
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.
