Cougar Chronicle

As we continue through the first card marking of the school year, one of the most important opportunities for families and teachers to connect is right around the corner. Parent-Teacher Conferences are next week, and I strongly encourage all of our Carter families to take advantage of this opportunity.

Conferences are about much more than discussing grades. They are an opportunity to celebrate successes, identify areas for growth, ask questions, and most importantly, build relationships between home and school. Middle school can be a challenging time for students as they navigate greater independence, increased academic expectations, and the social pressures that come with growing up. When parents and teachers work together, our students benefit.

Last year, we had an outstanding 80% parent participation rate at conferences! That is a number we are extremely proud of, but in true Carter fashion, we are always looking to improve. Our goal this year is to beat that 80% mark! Every conversation matters, and whether your child is earning straight A's or experiencing some challenges, there is tremendous value in connecting with their teachers. Let's see if we can set a new Carter record for parent participation!

This year, we are excited to offer two conference options:

• Wednesday, October 14th: IN-PERSON CONFERENCES (4:30–7:30 PM)

• Conferences will take place in our cafeteria and gym area on a first-come, first-served basis. No appointment is necessary.

• Thursday, October 15th: VIRTUAL CONFERENCES (1:30–7:30 PM)

• Virtual conferences will be available by appointment only. Families can schedule their appointments through the PowerSchool Parent Portal.

While I appreciate the convenience that virtual conferences provide for our busy families, I strongly encourage everyone who can, to attend in person on Wednesday evening. There is something special about sitting across from your child's teacher, having a face-to-face conversation, and shaking hands. Those personal interactions help build the trust and relationships that are so important when it comes to supporting our kids. An email or a computer screen can accomplish a lot, but nothing quite replaces that personal connection.

I also encourage parents to bring their students into the conversation before conferences. Ask them what classes they feel successful in, where they might need additional support, and what their current "I Can" learning targets are. These conversations can make your time with teachers even more meaningful.

Please visit the Carter Middle School website for additional conference information.

We look forward to seeing you next week, shaking a few hands, and continuing to build the relationships that make Carter such a special place! Let's beat 80%, Carter!

Mike Lee

Principal

Student ID cards are required to be worn at all times while at school.

If a student loses their ID, a replacement can be purchased for $5. Lanyards are available for $2 each, and Cougar Cards can be replaced for $1.

• Students who need a new ID or lanyard can visit the Counseling Office.
• Students who need a new Cougar Card can visit the Front Office.

Please note that student IDs are required for all sporting events and special activities, both during and after school.

Thank you for helping ensure students have their ID with them at all times throughout the school year.

We have recently experienced an influx of parent phone calls requesting that the office deliver messages to students in their classrooms. While we understand that plans can occasionally change, the majority of these requests are coming at the end of the school day. This can make it difficult for our secretaries to get messages to classrooms while also managing dismissal.

We ask that families make arrangements with their students regarding how they will be getting home before they arrive at school each day.

If you need to get a message to your student on an emergency basis, please make every effort to call the school office as early as possible so we have enough time to deliver the message.

Last-minute messages can be especially difficult to deliver during dismissal, when office staff and teachers are busy assisting students with buses, lockers, and other dismissal procedures.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we work together to keep dismissal running smoothly and safely.

40-minute fitness is starting Mondays after school from 2:50-3:30, beginning on October 12th. Students and parents must sign a fitness room safety waiver. Mr. Dudek will monitor, and students will have access to treadmills, stationary bikes, and some weight equipment.

Students who were not present at Carter Cougar days got their photo taken during make-up day on Monday, October 5, 2026, they received an order card with a number for parents to order photos. You can visit schoolpictures.com to order photos today.

Student ID's are now required daily for lunch, any lost ID's are turned in to the office, if they can not be found you can purchase a new one from counseling for $5 each.

Please read the following letter in regards to our early release policy for the 2026-2027 School Year.

If your student has misplaced or lost their eyeglasses, please have them stop by the Front Office to see if one of these pairs belongs to them.

Please note: All lost and found items are donated at the end of each semester.

Thank you!

This week, we continued recognizing October as Bullying Prevention Month with grade-level assemblies focused on KINDNESS! We welcomed Mr. Kenny Spear from Positive You, who shared three powerful messages with our students: Kindness is a strength, not a weakness. Kindness is a muscle that needs to be exercised. And kindness is contagious! Middle school can be tough as students navigate friendships, social pressures, and finding where they belong. Our hope is that students walk away, understanding that even the smallest act of kindness can make a big difference in someone's day. At Carter, we want kindness to be more than something we talk about during October. We want it to be something we practice every single day!

Morning open gym has started up again on Thursday morning, October 1st. It will be every Thursday unless otherwise announced. For 6th graders or anyone new:

• Drop off is at Door 9 on the parking lot side of the building. Mr. Dudek will be standing there with door open
• Doors open at 7 am. You must arrive before 7:15

A huge thank-you to our countless volunteers and the Carter Booster Club for making this year’s Extravaganza such a fantastic event for our students! Your time, hard work, and dedication helped make it a memorable experience for everyone.

👻 A special shout-out to our amazing Leadership students and Mrs. Ruppert for creating an awesome Haunted House experience! Your creativity and hard work made it extra special!

Thank you all for helping make the Extravaganza a success!

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.

VOLLEYBALL & BASKETBALL SEASON PASSES

If you or your family are interested in purchasing a season pass for Volleyball and Basketball games, please click the link below to purchase your pass.

If you choose not to purchase a season pass, CASH ONLY will be accepted at the door.

🎟️ Game Admission

• Adults: $2
• Senior Citizens: $1
• Students with student ID: $2
• 5th Grade & Under: FREE

🏐🏀 Admission is charged for: Volleyball & Basketball Games

🏈🏃 No Admission is charged for: Football & Track Events

Thank you for supporting our student-athletes!

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.

October 14 ~ Parent Teacher Conferences

October 15 ~ Half Day

October 15 ~ Parent Teacher Conferences

October 15 ~ Last Day for Little Caesar Pizza Fundraiser

October 19 ~ Booster Club Meeting

October 20 ~ Early Release

October 29 ~ Half Day

November 3 ~ No School ~ Election Day

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) and volleyball concessions (indoors).

Lockers ~ We are now offering Celebration Lockers! For $10, your student's locker can be decorated for any special occasion. Orders must be placed by Sunday for the following week. The booster club will decorate lockers on Tuesday and will remove decorations the following Tuesday. When placing your order, please include your student's name, grade, locker number, and the occasion you are celebrating. You can pay for Celebration Lockers here.

We want to give a HUGE thank you to all of our volunteers who helped with yesterday’s Halloween Extravaganza!!

We couldn’t have pulled this off without all of you, along with our amazing teachers and staff who helped make it happen! It really was a team effort, and the kids had the BEST time!

We appreciate everyone who took the time to help out, whether it was selling tickets, setting up, running a station, or helping wherever you were needed. It means so much to have so many people willing to jump in and make these events happen for our kids!

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!!

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.