Cougar Chronicle

Attendance Matters: What Does the Data Tell Us?

At Open House, Dr. Bernia shared attendance data that I think deserves a closer look. Not because we want to focus on a number, but because the numbers tell us something important about the amount of instructional time some of our students are missing.

Last school year, 62% of Carter students met our district attendance target by attending at least 94% of the time. However, 12% of our students missed 24 or more days of school. That is the equivalent of approximately five weeks of instruction.

Five weeks is significant in a middle school classroom. Imagine a student missing five weeks of math instruction where one concept builds on the next, five weeks of reading and writing practice, five weeks of science labs and classroom discussions, or five weeks of opportunities to connect with teachers and classmates.

And the data also shows us this isn't only about the students missing 24+ days. Last year, another 26% of Carter students missed between 13 and 23 days, while 30% missed between 7 and 12 days.

That means there is an opportunity for all of us to make a difference.

What Can Families Do?

First, make attendance the expectation. If your child is healthy and able to attend, getting to school and getting here on time should be the normal routine.

Pay attention to the little absences because they can add up. A day here, a long weekend there, an appointment that becomes a full day out of school may not seem significant individually, but over 180 school days they accumulate quickly.

Whenever possible, schedule appointments and family travel outside the school day. When an absence cannot be avoided, encourage your child to communicate with teachers and make a plan for missed learning as soon as possible.

Most importantly, reach out to us if getting your child to school is becoming difficult. Sometimes attendance is the symptom of something else. Whether it is academic frustration, peer concerns, transportation, organization, or simply a student who is struggling to get motivated, we would much rather work alongside your family early than wait until missed days begin piling up.

Our goal isn't perfect attendance. Our goal is to protect something we can never give students back: time!

Have a great week!

Mr. Lee

If your student is interested in purchasing extra items at lunch, parents can put money into their account via Lunch Deposit. You will need to make a family portal account if you haven't done so already. Deposit here, create an account here.

Interested in ordering apparel with the Carter logo?

Click the link below to place your order. All items will be shipped directly to your home.

💙💛 Thank you to everyone who stopped by our Open House! 💛💙

It was wonderful to see so many families come through our doors, meet our staff, and see the exciting changes happening at Carter Middle School! We are so proud of the continued improvements being made for our students and can’t wait to see what this school year brings.

A special thank you to Dr. Bernia and members of the Board of Education for taking the time to stop by, connect with our families, and share in the excitement of the evening!

Thank you for being part of the Carter Cougar community!

The days of reading a passage and answering some text-dependent questions are far gone. At Carter, we use the Literacy Triangle model to help students understand and comprehend what they read. Students are learning to think through what they read by sharing their thoughts and ideas. They make connections, analyze character traits and actions, and look for conflict within the plot (and so much more). Reading is thinking! It helps students better understand the world around them and can take them places in their minds that they may not get to go to otherwise. Sharing their ideas helps pique the interest of themselves and others to pursue new adventures in a book. The Literacy Triangle gives them an easy-to-follow framework to get the most out of everything they read.

The Macomb County Health Department (MCHD) School Immunization Program has an important message for the parents of future kindergarteners and 7th graders to prepare them for the 2026-2027 academic school year.

Please review the following document and share with parents immediately to provide them with sufficient time to obtain the necessary vaccination requirements prior to the start of the new school year and avoid back-to-school rush.

• School Requirements and Resources for Parents

These documents and more information are available at the: macombgov.org/departments/health-department/disease-control/school-immunization-program.

We are proud to celebrate our students who recently passed the WIDA (World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment) test!

This achievement reflects their dedication, hard work, and growing proficiency in English language skills. Passing the WIDA test opens doors to new learning opportunities and supports our students as they continue to thrive both academically and socially.

Congratulations to our students! Your progress and perseverance inspire us all.

Keep up the great work, Cougars!

If you are interested in volunteering at Carter Middle School a background form needs to be completed two weeks prior to volunteering. Please click the link below or stop by the main office to pick up a form and return to our office. We will need a copy of your driver's license before we are able to submit your form.

Order your school photos today! If you didn't order your School Pictures during Carter Cougar Days there's still time. Any photos not taken during Carter Cougar Days will be on retake day on Monday, October 5, 2026.

8th Graders had their class Panoramic photo of the 8th Grade Class taken on Thursday, September 3, 2026. Please see below for the QR code/order form to order online.

You can order your 2026-2027 yearbook online now, before the price goes up. To order your yearbook, visit our website or the following link. Don't miss out on this chance to get your yearbook at the lowest price! Remember to check the deadlines and price change dates to make sure you order in time. Last year we did sell out of yearbooks!

A parent must accompany their student to all athletic events within WCS. This is a district rule and any student that is not accompanied by their parent/guardian will not be allowed into the game.

Students must have their Student ID's in order to enter any game with their parent/guardian.

The State of Michigan requires students to have a completed sports physical BEFORE tryouts begin for any sport team. NEW THIS YEAR: ALL FORMS MUST BE COMPLETED ON FINAL FORMS. You can register at: warrenconsolidated-mi.finalforms.com, you will follow the prompts to create you account, create your students and sign your forms.

All physicals must be dated after April 15 of the current year.

Kennedy A

Fiona B

Ximena B

Rhiannon C

Aubree C

Olivia C

Malia G

Dakota H

Angelina I

Tahana I

Makenzie P

Raelyn R

Addison R

Kelsea R

Hazel T

Elsa V

Veronica C

Kaylee C

Mia G

Skylar H

Everyln H

Brynn L

Julia M

Lilliana M

Ava M

Gideon N

Shelby P

Autumn S

Kaylee S

Isabella S

Savannah T

Jada W

Managers:

Savannah Z

Rockel J

Lilly K

Nathan O

Volleyball apparel is now available for sale on the Carter website via RevTrak. All orders must be placed by Friday, September 25, 2026 no exceptions will be made.

This year Carter is using FinalForms, an online forms and data management service. Instead of turning in your physical from your doctor, you will upload it to finalforms. You can register at: warrenconsolidated-mi.finalforms.com, you will follow the prompts to create you account, create your students and sign your forms.

September 22 ~ Early Release

October 5 ~ SchoolPictures Make up Day

October 5 ~ Football Pictures

October 7 ~ Count Day

October 14 ~ Parent Teacher Conferences

October 15 ~ Half Day

October 15 ~ Parent Teacher Conferences

October 20 ~ Early Release

Our next monthly Booster Club meeting will be held on Monday, October 19th at 6PM in the Media Center. Please come join us and see what the Booster Club is all about!

Parent volunteers are needed for our Taki Tuesday, if you have a completed background check on file, please sign up here.

Volunteers needed for concessions sales. We have football concessions (outdoors) on Tuesday, September 22nd and volleyball concessions (indoors) on Wednesday, September 23rd.

Stay tuned for more information regarding our 1st Halloween extravaganza that will be on October 8th from 2:45PM-4:15PM. A sign up genius will be coming for decorations, breakfast/lunch ticket sales and volunteers. This isn't possible without your help.

CBC will present Celebration Lockers, we will decorate student lockers for birthdays, achievements, etc. Look for more information on Facebook.

Get involved. Stay connected. Make a difference!

The Carter Booster Club is made up of parents, families and community members who want to help make Carter Middle School an even better place for our students. Whether you can volunteer at an event, help with fundraising, donate your time or simply stay connected, we’d love to have you be part of the team!

Have a question, want to volunteer, or just want to learn more about what the Booster Club is up to? Reach out to the Booster Club Board anytime!

📧 Email: carterboosterboard@gmail.com

📞 Phone: 586-275-7241

📱 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/carterboosterclub (or search @carterboosterclub in the app)

Follow us on Facebook for upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, fundraisers, announcements and ways to support our Carter Cougars!

🐾 THANK YOU, CARTER FAMILIES!

Your support helps us provide activities, events and opportunities that benefit our students and our school. We appreciate everything our Carter families do to help make our school community stronger!

Did you know you can support the Carter Booster Club just by shopping at Kroger?

If you have a Kroger Shopper’s Card, you can select Carter Booster Club as your Community Rewards organization. Once you're enrolled, a portion of your eligible purchases is donated to the Booster Club — at no extra cost to you!

Every little bit helps, so if you haven't already, sign up and support Carter while you shop!

Kroger Community Rewards

Under Federal law, you as parents may request the following specific information about the professional qualifications of your children's teachers:

1. Whether the teacher has met the state qualifications/licensing for their grade level/subjects.
2. Whether the teacher is on a temporary permit or waiver.
3. The teacher's majors, graduate certificates/degrees, and discipline fields.
4. Paraprofessional services and qualifications.

Carter Middle School has been identified as a school-wide Title I, Part A building. This is a federally supplemented program designed to help children reach high academic standards. In receiving funds from this program the district has a requirement to inform you, as a parent of a child attending a Title I school, of information regarding the professional qualifications of your child's class

https://cartermscounseling.weebly.com/

Kristin Forsyth - students with last name (A-L)

(586) 698- 4297

Lisa Stabile - students with last name (M-Z)

(586) 698- 4798

In compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, the Americans with Disability Act of 1990, the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act of 1977, and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, it is the policy of Warren Consolidated Schools that no person shall, on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, (including sexual orientation or transgender identity), disability, age, religion, height, weight, marital or family status, military status, ancestry, genetic information, or any other legally protected category, (collectively, "Protected Classes") be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to, discrimination during any program, activity, service or in employment. Inquiries should be addressed to the Chief Human Resource Officer, 31300 Anita, Warren, Michigan 48093, (586) 825-2400, ext 63110.