Cougar Chronicle
September Weekly Update ~ September 25, 2026
A note from Mr. Lee
Four Weeks In!
As we finish our fourth week of school, we are starting to get into the thick of things. Routines are established, classes are moving deeper into the curriculum, assignments and assessments are increasing, and grades are beginning to provide a clearer picture of how students are progressing.
This is a great time for families to check in and stay connected.
I encourage parents to regularly check PowerSchool with your child. Rather than waiting until the end of the marking period, take a few minutes each week to look at grades, missing assignments, and areas where your child may need some additional support. Four weeks in, there is still plenty of time to make adjustments, ask for help, and build positive habits.
Just as important, keep the conversation going at home. We all know the routine. Students get into the car after school and one of the first things they want to do is grab their phone! Before the headphones go in and the scrolling begins, ask a few questions about their day.
Instead of just asking, “How was school?” try asking:
“What was your ‘I Can’ statement in math today?”
“What were you learning in science?”
“What is something you understand better today than you did yesterday?”
“Is there a class where you could use some extra help?”
Our daily “I Can” statements are designed to help students understand what they are learning and give families a simple way to start those conversations at home. Our goal is for students to move beyond simply completing assignments to being able to explain what they are learning, why they are learning it, and how they know if they are successful.
A couple of important dates are quickly approaching. The first card marking ends Friday, October 30, and Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held October 14and 15. More information regarding conferences will be shared next week.
We have had a great first four weeks, but the school year is a long season. Now is the time to establish the habits that will help our students be successful throughout the year. Check the grades. Ask the questions. Stay connected.
Have a great weekend!
Mr. Lee
Special Remarks from Mr. Syswerda
Carter Apparel
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.
7th Grade Student Parents
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.
These documents and more information are available at the: macombgov.org/departments/health-department/disease-control/school-immunization-program.
Parent Teacher Conference
Parent-Teacher Conferences are a key part of our communication strategy regarding your child's progress. Please plan on attending in-person or booking a virtual parent-teacher conference with the applicable teacher(s) for each child you have attending Carter Middle School.
We will once again be using the Carter Middle School Conference Manager, which will allow you to schedule your upcoming parent-teacher conferences online. Once registered you can log in to the Conference Manager any time; however, the Conference Manager is scheduled to open for booking to parents at 8AM on Monday, October 5th, conference manager will close on Tuesday, October13th at 11:30PM.
Conferences will be in person, first come first serve on Wednesday, October 14th in our cafeteria/gym area. On Thursday, October 15th conferences will be virtual by appointment only. Please sign up for your Thursday, October 15th conference via the link.
We are excited conferences are in person again this year! Looking forward to seeing you then!
Directions on how to sign up are attached below.
Count Day ~ Wednesday, October 7, 2026
Count Day is an important date for our school district. The state uses attendance on this day to determine funding allocations, with each student representing a portion of the financial support our schools receive.
We kindly ask that all students are present and on time on Wednesday, October 7th, to ensure our district receives the resources necessary to support student learning. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.
Background Check Forms
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.
School Picture Make Up Day
Order your school photos today! School Pictures will be here at Carter on Monday, October 5, 2026 for anyone who missed Carter Cougar Days for student's ID badge and school photos. Starting Tuesday, October 6, 2026 student ID's will be required daily for lunch, any lost ID's are turned in to the office, if they cannot be found you can purchase a new one from counseling for $5 each.
If you have not ordered your 8th Grade Panoramic photo of the 8th Grade Class, please see the QR code/order form to order online.
Order your Yearbook TODAY!
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!
SPORTS INFORMATION
Athletic Events
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.
SPORTS PHYSICALS
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.
Athletic Season Passes
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!
Attention 8th & 7th Grade Families
Final Form for Athletics
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.
Important Events
Reminders 💡
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
CARTER BOOSTER CLUB INFORMATION
Booster Club Weekly Updates
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).
Extravaganza ~ Carter Booster Club presents The Haunted Vibes Halloween Extravaganza on October 8th from 2:45PM-4:15PM. Please check the FAQ and flyer for additional details. It will be a spooktacular time the the kids won't want to miss! This isn't possible without your help.
Decorations Needed ~ We are looking for Halloween decorations to help our leadership students create the Haunted Room for this year's Haunted Vibes Halloween Extravaganza. Decorations can be donated or lent to us. If you are lending an item, please clearly mark your name on it so we know who to return it to. The kids loved the Haunted Room last year, and we would love to make it even better this year! If you have any spare Halloween decorations in the attic, garage, or storage, we would be grateful for anything you can share. Please send all decorations to school by October 5th. You can sign up here.
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.
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!
Kroger Community Rewards
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!
TITLE 1 NOTIFICATION
Under Federal law, you as parents may request the following specific information about the professional qualifications of your children's teachers:
- Whether the teacher has met the state qualifications/licensing for their grade level/subjects.
- Whether the teacher is on a temporary permit or waiver.
- The teacher's majors, graduate certificates/degrees, and discipline fields.
- 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
Carter's Counselor Corner
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.