Life in the Middle Newsletter
Second Semester Activity Days
Beginning with the second term, students will have an opportunity to participate in a variety of activities on Fridays during Dragon Den. We have surveyed students to get suggestions of activities that interest them, and teachers have signed up to facilitate activities. There will be a wide variety of activities to choose from, including sports activities, board and card games, art and craft activities, and academic-based activities. We anticipate having three rotations through-out the year with students participating in the activities of their choice for at least six sessions before we rotate to a new selection.
We would be VERY grateful for new or used donations of cards (Uno and playing cards) and board games (provided all the pieces are included - Jenga, Clue, Monopoly, Pictionary, Trivial Pursuit Junior card sets, etc.), arts and crafts supplies, and gift cards to Academy (for Frisbee golf supplies), WalMart and/or Target. Donations can be dropped off as soon as possible at the CMS front office to the attention of the Counselors.
Thanks SO much for your help! We are very excited to provide this opportunity for our students.
Carroll AP Boosters
PIs your child in Pre-AP or AP classes? Please consider joining Carroll AP Boosters! Nearly every dollar of our membership goes toward teacher grants which are awarded to teachers from 5th-12th grade that teach advanced classes. Your membership is a wonderful way for your money to directly benefit the district. You can join at
http://www.dragonap.org/membership.html.
Thank you!
Prudential Spirit of Community Awards:
We would like to recognize CMS students who have volunteered in our community. If you have taken part in community service activities over the past year, please complete the Prudential Spirit of Community Award application. Any student who has volunteered may apply. CMS will select one applicant to represent our school for state recognition. Program details are available at
http://spirit.prudential.com. Carefully follow the directions on the link below by
Nov. 7, 2017.
https://spirit.prudential.com/awards/how-to-apply%20
Bobby Bragan Youth Foundation
CMS 8th graders have the opportunity to apply for a $2500 college scholarship by completing an application which includes the following: academic achievements, extracurricular and athletic activities, and community involvement. Each student is also required to write an essay on his or her favorite role model. CMS will select two applications for consideration to the Bobby Bragan Youth Foundation. Application deadline is Nov. 15. More information is available at
www.Bobbybragan.org. The application is available on the CMS Webpage under the Counseling Tab.
The link can be found under Recognition Opportunities for Students.
Bully Prevention Information for Parents
Bullying among children is aggressive behavior that is intentional and involves an imbalance of power and strength. Parents are often reluctant to report to educators that their child is being bullied. Why?
* Parents may be unsure how best to help their child and may be afraid that they will make the situation worse if they report bullying.
* They may be embarrassed that their child is being bullied.
* Sometimes, children ask parents not to report bullying.
* Parents may fear being seen as overprotective.
* They may believe that it is up to their child to stop the bullying.
Children and youth often need help to stop bullying. Parents should never be afraid to call the school to report that their child is being bullied and ask for help to stop the bullying. Students should not have to tolerate bullying at school any more than adults would tolerate similar treatment at work.
Working with your child's school to solve the problem
If your child tells you that he or she has been bullied or if you suspect your child is being bullied, what can you do?
*
Please let a counselor or administrator know of your concerns immediately. We can't help your child, or any other child, if we are not aware of the concern.
What can you expect staff at CMS to do about bullying?
*
School staff will investigate the bullying immediately.
* School staff will initially not meet with your child and the child who bullied them at the same time. This could be very embarrassing and intimidating for your child.
* School staff will never share who reported the incident.
* A counselor will meet with your child to learn about the bullying that he or she has experienced. We will help develop a plan to help keep your child feel safe.
* An administrator will meet with students suspected of taking part in the bullying. He/She will make it clear to these students that bullying is against school rules and will not be tolerated. If appropriate, the administrator will administer consequences to those who bullied and notify their parents.
* Give the school reasonable time to investigate and hear both sides of the story. Sometimes, a child who bullies will make false allegations about a child as an additional way of bullying them. An administrator cannot jump to hasty conclusions and assign blame without a thorough assessment of the situation. This entire process should not take longer than a week.
What to do if your child is being bullied.
1.
Ask your child what is going on if you suspect that bullying is occurring. Find out the name or names of the others involved and the details of what happened.
2.
Don't assume or imply that your child did anything to instigate the bullying.
3.
Don't try and fix the situation. Instead, talk with your child about strategies to use when the bullying occurs. Ask questions like: "What do you think you could say the next time this person says .....?
4.
Don't tell your child to ignore the bullying or to "toughen up." These are not strategies that will prevent future incidents.
5.
Don't tell your child to retaliate.
6.
If you feel your child is not safe physically and is at high risk of physical harm, take immediate action to protect your child's safety. If the bullying is occurring on the way to or home from school, either take your child to school or make arrangements for another adult to take your child to school.
7. If you suspect your child is being bullied but your child won't talk to you about what is going on, seek out another adult they can talk to an aunt, uncle, grandparent, family friend, school counselor or therapist.
CMS Dragon Tip Line: 817-406-2514
School Reporting and Response Guidelines
Carroll ISD is committed to ensuring a safe learning environment. Implementing programs that
address bullying, making personal connections with each student, and providing an anonymous
system for reporting potentially dangerous situations are some of the ways we can accomplish
this goal. We are pleased to announce that the Dragon Tip Line program is now a part of our
anonymous reporting efforts.
The Dragon Tip Line system is designed to help students, parents and community members
anonymously report past, present and predicted concerns in our school community. Information
about bullying, harassment, drugs, violence, weapons, theft, or any other potential threat to
school safety should be reported.
Anyone in the Carroll Middle School community can make a report, including students, staff,
parents and visitors. To ensure that we can respond to threats in a timely way, we request that all
reports be made as soon as possible after witnessing or receiving information regarding an
incident.
Ms. Mangels, Principal of Carroll Middle School, along with the CMS Counselors, will be
responsible for receiving reports from the Dragon Tip Line. Upon receiving an anonymous
report, they may take interim measures to ensure the safety, health, and welfare of all parties
pending the findings of the investigation.
Remember that the Dragon Tip Line is NOT an emergency reporting system. If you need to
report an emergency, please immediately dial 911. Also, please note that while all reports
made to the Dragon Tip Line will be answered as expeditiously as possible, there may be a
response delay for reports received outside of school hours, over the weekend, or during
holidays.
Finally, the Dragon Tip Line is not intended to replace direct contact with school administration
or counselors. Please feel free to directly contact Carroll Middle School staff with any issues
or concerns you may have. We take your security seriously at Carroll Middle School and we
will do everything we can to resolve your concerns as quickly as possible. Together, we can help
stop school crises before they happen!
Your school is your home away from home;
help keep it safe by reporting potential threats.
Remember:
You Have the POWER and You Can Make a Difference!
CMS Dragon Tip Line - 817-406-2514
If you happen to have a TI84 calculator around your home that is not fulfilling its purpose, we would be happy to take it off your hands and put it to work.
In accordance to state mandate,
Water bottles, clothes, and school supplies have found their way to the lost and found next to the nurse's office. Please check for any items you have misplaced.
Have any unwanted Halloween candy around the house? 
Volleyball
Football vs. Grapevine
Team T-Shirts!
