Goodbye September, Hello October! 

It’s hard to believe we are already closing out September! Homecoming Week was full of fun, energy, and Panther spirit. I loved seeing our students and staff participate in the spirit days throughout the week, and the excitement at our pep rally was a great way to bring everyone together.

We wrapped up the week with our Homecoming Dance, which had one of our largest turnouts in the past several years! It was wonderful to see so many students come out and enjoy the evening with their friends. A huge thank you to our parent chaperones who volunteered their time to help us. With such an incredible turnout, we also learned a few things and know how to be even better prepared for our next dance!

As we welcome October, we’re looking forward to cooler weather, the end of the first quarter, and more exciting and engaging learning experiences in our classrooms. It is amazing how quickly the first quarter has gone!

Please be on the lookout for information about scheduling a meeting with your student’s teachers during our upcoming Parent-Teacher Conferences on Monday, October 26, from 5:00–7:00 PM. This is a great opportunity to connect with teachers, celebrate your student’s progress, and discuss goals as we move into the second quarter.

A couple of important October dates to remember:

Friday, October 9 – Two-Hour Early Release

Monday, October 12 – Teacher Work Day; No School for Students

Monday, October 26 – Parent-Teacher Conferences, 5:00–7:00 PM

Thank you to our students, staff, families, and community for helping make September such a positive month at CTMS. We’re excited to see what October brings!

Here’s to another month of getting 1% better each day!

Ms. Reed- Principal

We want to take a moment to say THANK YOU to all of our amazing CTMS families for supporting our Domino’s Slice the Price Card Fundraiser!

Your participation made this fundraiser a huge success, and we are so grateful for every card purchased and every family who helped spread the word. Your support makes it possible for the PTO to continue giving back to our students and school. 

We also want to give a BIG shout out to all of the parents who donated toward our Homecoming Dance and helped make the night special for our students! 

And to every parent who gave their time by chaperoning, working concessions, or helping behind the scenes THANK YOU! We truly could not do these events without you.

It takes an entire community to make these experiences possible, and we are so thankful for our CTMS families who continue to show up and support our Panthers! 

Thank you for helping make CTMS a special place for our students! 

You're invited to our next PTO Meeting! Join us virtually as we discuss upcoming events. 

Monday, October 19th @ 6pm

October 19th PTO Meeting Virtual Link

Meeting ID: 283 518 686 458 747

Passcode: c8A66Ai2

We'd love for you to join us!

Sign Up to Work the Book Fair!

Come help us turn pages, spread smiles, and make the Book Fair a success! 

CTMS Fall Book Fair Signup Link

October 26th-30th

October is a Month of Appreciation at CTMS!

October is National Principals Month, and October 2nd is National Custodians Day! Let’s help make our amazing principal and custodial team feel appreciated for all they do!

And congratulations to all of our Panthers on completing the first 9 weeks! Your hard work deserves to be celebrated—keep up the great work!

We still have CTMS T-shirts available for just $15!

Show your Panther pride and support our school while sporting your CTMS gear.

Contact Diana Valdez: diphoto@proton.me

Friday Snack Reminder! 

Parents, we can always use a hand or two for Friday snack sales!  Even if you can only help for a little while, we’d love to have you! Thank you for always supporting CTMS!

Join us at Roy Rogers in Ranson on Wednesday, October 14th from 5–8 PM for a CTMS Fundraiser!

Mention the Charles Town Middle School fundraiser when ordering, and 25% of event sales will be donated back to CTMS!

Bring the family, grab some dinner, and help support our Panthers!

144 Oak Lee Dr., Ranson, WV 25438
October 14th • 5–8 PM

We hope to see you there! 

Support CTMS with Box Tops!

Parents, another way to help us earn money for CTMS is through Box Tops! Every little bit adds up and supports our students, teachers, and school activities. 

Walmart shoppers: You can link your Box Tops account directly to your Walmart app for easy earning!

Otherwise, simply download the Box Tops app, select Charles Town Middle School, and scan your receipts.

Referral Code: NBOH66TX

Thank you for supporting CTMS! 

Pre-pay or bring your $5 to enjoy a Kona Ice snow cone on the following FRIDAYS:

*Schedule Subject to Change*

Yearbooks are now available for sale!

MAKE TIME STAND STILL

Deadline: 4/2/27

Use our order number when you log on: 

14008

yearbookordercenter.com

Questions? Contact Ms. Hall- Yearbook Adviser

brhall@k12.wv.us

Don't Forget! The Fall Book Fair will be held from October 26-30!

Family Night: 3pm-7pm on Monday, October 26th—Raffles and prizes will be given away!

Links for E-Wallet and book info: https://www.scholastic.com/bf/charlestownmiddleschool1

Email Mrs. Reilly for questions: creilly@k12.wv.us

Students! Don't forget to use the Counselor Request Form if you need to speak to a Guidance Counselor. 

All students in West Virginia schools entering 7th grade must have one dose of the Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis) and one dose of the Meningococcal vaccine (MCV4).

All students, including JVA and homebound students are required to be in compliance with immunization requirements. Please be advised that West Virginia does recognize religious exemptions, however, the parent must apply for the exemption through the state and comply with necessary documentation for state religious exemptions prior to the start of 7th grade.

Noncompliance with immunizations will require your student to be removed from school with unexcused absences. Please submit completed shot records to the nurse, emailing the record is suggested.

Immunization records can be dropped off in the main office or emailed directly to Principal Reed - Nreed@k12.wv.us

If students are absent: 

2 Days per Month = 1 year absent from school by the end of 8th grade

3 Days per Month = 1 year absent from school by the end of 5th grade

4 to 5 Days per Month = 1 year absent by the end of 3rd grade

ACCESS THE CTMS ATTENDANCE TRACKER HERE!

TO REPORT A STUDENT ABSENCE:

1) Text your school when you know your student will be absent, or respond to the absence text from the school.

2) Include the reason for your absence and send a picture of a doctor's note or other documentation. 

3) We will text you back if we have any questions, and you will receive a confirmation text that your submission has been received. 

CHARLES TOWN MIDDLE SCHOOL ABSENCE TEXT LINE: 304-884-0052

Attendance is key: Let's STRIVE FOR LESS THAN FIVE ABSENCES per semester.

We are so happy to get another great year started here at CTMS. With that being said there are a few key things that we want all families to know about concerning your students’ attendance. The attendance campaign for JCS is “Strive for Less Than 5 Absences a Semester.” I want to encourage all families to track your student’s missed days this year. An attendance tracker will be sent home with your child during the first week of school. When thinking about absences the graphic above will help to put into perspective the loss of academic instruction for your student.   

If your student is absent for any reason the automated attendance line will make contact starting around 10:30 AM, even if a note was submitted that day. Contact home will be made when your child has 3 unexcused absences and again at 5 unexcused absences until someone is reached. This is a good time to discuss the accuracies of your students’ absences and anything that we can do to assist in getting your child to school. The JCS Attendance Office will also send a formal notice through the mail at 5 unexcused absences. If your student passes 10 unexcused absences your child is considered to be truant per WV state law. At JCS we know life gets hectic and emergencies happen, therefore we try to work with families to put in supports to assist in getting your students to school. At this point we will reach out to set up an attendance intervention meeting with both you and your student along with some support staff at CTMS. Please have absent notes submitted as soon as possible to prevent the above contacts.  

When your student is absent, please send a note. If you are sending in a parent verified illness note, there is a limit of 10.  After your 10th parent note they will be unexcused. Any notes that are provided by a doctor are considered excused. If there is an excess amount of doctor’s notes a chronic medical condition form is something that we may need to consider. Please reach out to the administration to discuss this further.   

This year we will also be taking a close look at students who are consistently tardy and/or leave school early. Mr. Sarina, our Truancy Diversion Specialist and I will have conversations with students to help support and curb these issues.   

Just a reminder that there is no longer the Leave of Educational value for vacations.   

As always, we welcome the support and open communication with our CTMS parents and care givers. Please do not hesitate to contact me concerning attendance questions and concerns. 

When coming in late and/or picking your student up early please reference the times below to minimize the time that your child is out of the learning environment. 

Doors open at 7:35 and the tardy bell for 1st period rings at 7:50. School ends at 2:47.

Late Arrival Times

If you arrive by 9:38 am and stay the entire day you are considered present for the whole day.

If you arrive by 11:19 am and stay the entire day you are considered half day present. 

Early Dismissal Times

If you arrive on time at school (by 7:50) and stay until 11:19, you will be considered present for half of the day.

If you arrive on time at school (by 7:50) and stay until 12:59, you will be considered present for a full day, and it will be coded as an early release.