Eagle's Eye News
Sunday, March 17, 2024
Weekly Update from Principal Coln
Challenger Middle School Families,
I hope you all had a wonderful Spring Break. I cannot believe we are starting the last quarter of the school year. The fourth 9 weeks is a busy one, so please make sure your students are getting to school on time and prepared for learning each day.
3rd 9 weeks report cards will go home on Friday, March 22.
We have set our ACAP dates. We will test on April 2, 4, 9, and 10. Please do not schedule appointments for your child on those dates. We need everyone in the building on those dates for testing.
Please join us for the Challenger Family STEM Night on Thursday, March 28 at 6:00 in the Cafeteria. This is always a great event, so we would love to see you there. Please note, students MUST be accompanied by an adult.
Please keep the following things in mind to ensure the success of your child. Your child succeeds when we ALL are working together for their benefit.
- Ensure your students are at school, on time, and ready to learn daily
- Ask your students what they learned at school
- Encourage students and monitor their progress
- Attend events, volunteer, and join organizations at our school
- Maintain regular communication with our teachers and administrators
We appreciate your support as always, #EagleUp. Have a great week!
Sincerely,
Bo Coln
Principal
Challenger Middle School
#EagleUp
Important Dates
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
March
22 - 3rd 9 Weeks Report Cards go home
28 - STEM Night @ 6:00
29 - Kona Ice during PE
April
2 - ACAP Math
4 - ACAP Science (6th and 8th Grade)
9 - ACAP ELA Part 1
10 - ACAP ELA Part 2
Attendance
- Send in Parent Excuses within 2 days of your child returning to school. Please include first and last name. Students can give excuses to their homeroom teacher or bring them to Ms. Smith's office.
- 8 acceptable parent notes will be accepted as official excuses.
- Students with an excused absence have 10 days to make up the work missed.
- Email melanie.smith1@hsv-k12.org about anything attendance or excuse related.
- A child is considered chronically absent if they miss 18 or more days of school. This means they miss 10% or more of the school year.
- Excused and unexcused absences count towards chronic absenteeism.
Counselor's Corner
Hello Eagle Families,
I hope you all had a great Spring Break. We only have 9 weeks left for the school year, so let's make the best of it. Remember ACAP is right around the corner, and we want students to give their best effort. Make sure they are at school, on time, and prepared those days. We know they can do it!
March Character Word of the Month - Punctuality
#EagleUp
Megan Moak
Counselor
Challenger Care Closet
The Challenger Care Closet offers clothing, toiletries, and other basic necessities to our elementary and middle school students and their families; making sure our students know they are cared for and can go to school with confidence. Use the links below to fill out a confidential self-referral form. Want to help? Check out our Amazon wish list using the below link. Thank you!
Grissom Pom Tryouts
Morning Arrival Procedures
Students can enter the building starting at 7:30am. School starts at 8:00am.
Bus Riders - exit the bus, enter the cafeteria, and remain in the cafeteria until released to homeroom.
Walkers/Car Riders - enter through the main lobby doors and go to your right toward the gym or the cafeteria
Breakfast is served in the cafeteria from 7:30-8:00. Students that choose to eat school breakfast will remain in the cafeteria until dismissed to homeroom. Walkers/Car Riders that do not wish to eat school breakfast will report to the gym. Students that report to the gym will remain in the gym until released to homeroom.
Students are not allowed to enter the building with outside food. Any outside food needs to be thrown away before entering the building. Example - Students will not be allowed to bring in Starbucks and Chick-Fil-A food and drink.
Afternoon Dismissal Procedures
All students are dismissed at 3:00.
- Bus riders will report to the cafeteria.
- Walkers will exit out the band/choir doors (South exit)
- Car Riders will exit through the main lobby doors.
Unless students are involved in a school sponsored after school event, all students need to leave campus at 3:00.
CMS 2023-24 Bell Schedule
Building / Classroom Procedures
- Students are encouraged to bring a water bottle to school. Only water is allowed in the water bottles.
- Restrooms usage will be limited during transition times. Students will use the Teacher Hall Pass when leaving class and/or visiting the restroom during class time.
- Transitions time for students is 3 minutes between class periods. Students can visit their locker between classes. We expect all students to get to class on time.
- Student lockers are available for $10. Students can purchase a locker during homeroom starting Wednesday, August 2. We will take cash or check. Checks should be made out to Challenger Middle School. Lockers will be assigned when students pay their homeroom teacher for their locker.
- Parents cannot bring in outside food for an entire class unless organized and initiated by the teacher.
- Students are not allowed to order food to be delivered to the school.
- Parents/Guardians must check out their child to eat any restaurant food brought into the school.
- Enjoying school or homemade lunch in the cafeteria with your child is welcomed!
- Outside drinks (Starbucks, Chick-Fil-A, Sonic, etc.) should be thrown away before entering the building. This applies when school doors open at 7:30am.
CMS Supply List 23-24
1) Sign-In as guest
2) Select Challenger Middle School from the dropdown menu
3) Select the item you wish to purchase from the dropdown menu
- Yearbooks
- T-Shirts
- P.E. Uniforms
DRESS CODE
Shorts
- Mid-Thigh/Finger-tip length
- No more than 4 inches wide; must be able to see their hair
- No bandanas of any color
No hoods will be worn in the building
Jeans
- No holes above mid-thigh/finger-tip length
Breakfast and Lunch
CEP Schools to Receive Free Meals this Upcoming School Year
The USDA has made available a program called the Community Eligibility Program (CEP). By participating in this program, a school serves free breakfast and free lunch to all students.
- Challenger ES
- Challenger MS
Bus Routes and Bus App
Cell Phones
School Nurse
CMS Athletics
Message from the Athletic Director
Attention all 7th and 8th Grade Parents:
If your son/daughter is interested in playing a sport at Challenger Middle School and/or Grissom High School this school year, please make sure to create an account on DragonFly for you and your child. A flyer on how to do that is linked/attached below. In order for your son/daughter to participate or even tryout for a team at Challenger and/or Grissom, he/she must have an active physical (front page signed by you and your child & back page signed by a doctor - not a Nurse Practitioner) uploaded in DragonFly. A physical form is also linked/attached below. Below is a list of AHSAA sanctioned sports we offer at Challenger Middle School. If you are interested in a sport at Grissom, please reach out to Coach Neeley, the Athletic Director, about those options. The coaches for each sport below are also listed along with their email address for you to contact them with any questions you may have.
Sports We Offer
Football (FALL)- Curtis Graves (curtis.graves@hsv-k12.org)
Volleyball (FALL)- Amelia Daniels (amelia.daniels@hsv-k12.org)
Cheerleading (FALL/WINTER)- Makenzie Hill ( makenzie.hill@hsv-k12.org)
8th Grade Boys Basketball (WINTER)- Lorenzo Jones (breds2004@yahoo.com)
7th Grade Boys Basketball (WINTER)- Ken Hargis (kenneth.hargis@hsv-k12.org)
Girls Basketball (WINTER)- Rich Goodson (richard.goodson@hsv-k12.org)
Boys Soccer (WINTER/SPRING)- Tegan McDermott/TBD (tegan.mcdermott@hsv-k12.org)
Girls Soccer (WINTER/SPRING)- Tegan McDermott (tegan.mcdermott@hsv-k12.org)
Boys Track (SPRING)- David Rosenberger (david.rosenberger@hsv-k12.org)
Girls Track (SPRING)- Ryan Hagen (ryan.hagen@hsv-k12.org)
We look forward to a great year at CMS both academically and athletically!!!!
-Coach Neeley, Athletic Director
Accessing Language Interpreters
23-24 HCS Student Parent Info Guide
2023-24 Monthly Character Words
Challenger Middle School PTSA
Thank you!
Thank you, National Defense Industrial Association, Tennessee Valley Chapter (NDIA-TVC) and Space and Missile Defense Working Group (SMDWG) for your $10,000 contribution to Challenger Middle School (CMS). With this generous donation, we will have a Math Interventionist for the 2nd semester of the school year. Ms. Regina Carter, retired CMS math teacher, is joining our team. She will provide intensive math support to a select group of CMS students. We are excited about this partnership and expect to see great math growth from our students.
Thank you to our amazing sponsors!!
CHALLENGER MIDDLE SCHOOL
Location: 13555 Chaney Thompson Road
Huntsville, AL 35803
Phone: 256-428-7620