CMS 8th Graders to Visit College Campuses Around Central Iowa

            Our 8^th graders have begun their final semester of middle school and now is the time we really begin to get ready for high school. But we do not only prepare for high school, we also prepare for life after high school. We have a focus on creating students who are “College and Career Ready” at Carlisle and for 8^th graders, this means a busy final semester. So while 8^th graders are making their 4-year plans and selecting high school courses, they are also going on one of six college campus visit days as well!

            Beginning this week with an Iowa State trip, groups of 20-35 8^th graders will go on a trip to either Iowa State University, Simpson College, Grandview University, Central College, Drake University, or Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) in Ankeny sometime in the next month or two. Each student was placed on one of these visits based on college or career interests they listed on a notecard. The goal of these visits is for students to see what a college or university looks like, help students see themselves on a college campus someday, and to get ideas and plans in their heads as they begin to plan their high school coursework. While not every student goes on to a 2 or 4-year college after high school, we want all students to know and understand this option and how a student could pursue this option if that is the route he/she chooses to go.

            Near the end of the year, the Carlisle Alumni Association puts on a Career Day for our 8^th graders. This event brings 20 or more Carlisle High School Alumni who are working their careers and want to help our students understand how to work towards getting into a similar career. This helps our students who have already seen what colleges are like to now see what a few careers are like. These two events combined are a great way to expose our students to the “College and Career Ready” culture we try to foster each and every day across our district. Being that this is our 5^th year of doing the college visits, when this year is done, every student grades 8-12 will have been on a college campus via this annual program!

8th Grade Bully/Harassment Survey 2016

Please take a moment to take the following survey. Do not start the survey until Mr. Barry is done explaining the survey. Thank you and have a great weekend! (Maybe the last warm weekend of 2016!)

8th Grade Needs Assessment 2016

8th Graders, please take the following survey by marking "Agree" or "Disagree" for each question. If you would like more information or help with a certain area, mark agree. Ms. Flagor and Mr. Barry will be setting up groups for certain areas and in other areas may just be meeting with you individually. Bottom line, if you would like help in a  certain area, mark "Agree" and feel free to come see either of us in our offices anytime you are in need. Thank you!

College Visit 2016 Next Month!!

8th Graders:
   Next month, all of you get a chance to tour a college campus. The classrooms, the dorm rooms, the buildings, the sports facilities, and much more! You will get a chance to hear from college students about their experience. And....you get to do this all during the school day and it is FREE! This is our 2nd annual 8th Grade College Tour and it will take place on Wednesday, March 30th. Please take the survey below so we know which college you would like to tour. About 40 students will go on each trip and we will try our best to get you into your 1st or 2nd choice.

8th Grade Student Needs Assessment

Students, please take the following survey by clicking "Agree" or "Disagree" for each statement. If you need help in an area, click "Agree". That help may be by offering you an invite to a group that will be working with that topic, inviting you in to speak with a counselor about the issue, or by sending you information about that topic. Either way, we want to know what our students need help with. You answers will be kept confidential with only the counselors knowing what you personally marked for answers. We will collect class data to provide to your teachers, but will not use individual names. Thank you for taking the time to do this survey and please stop in our office if you ever need help with anything!!

8th Grade Bully/Harassment Fall 2015 Survey

Students, please take the time to answer the following 10 questions about bullying and harassment. Your answers will be kept anonymous and confidential. We want to know more about bullying and harassment in our building and hearing from students is the best way possible to do this. When finished, click the "submit" button. Thank you!

8th Grade Student HS Registration Powerpoint

  Last week and this week, the high school counselors are presenting some information to 8th graders in order to prepare them for high school AND the process of choosing their classes over the next 4 years. The powerpoint presentation they are using is embedded in this blog in the space below. Feel free to go through it as well and discuss any questions you have with your child. The counselors will be back at the end of this week to meet with students and start the process of planning their 4-year course schedule. Have a great week!

Life skills mtgs 8th graders 13 14 from Benjamin Barry

8th Grader Email Question: What is My Favorite Winter Holiday Tradition or Activity and Why?

Last Week's question was What is/are your favorite Winter Holiday traditions and activites and why? Here are some of the best responses! Happy Holiday to all!

"An activity that my family and I do, is my mom makes this little string of decorated toilet paper rolls.  Then she puts little strips of paper that say something special that we do that day.  Some of them last year were, go ice skating, go to the movies, make cookies, and lots more.  For every day in December there is a roll that has a piece of paper in it that says we get to do something special.  We have been doing this for a few years and it is always somethings to look forward to every year. "

"My favrite winter holiday traditoin is when me and my family gather around the fire and open presents. To me christmas means to just spend time with your family and loved ones."

"Thanksgiving is eating our meal as a big family. We all get together and play games, eat lunch and dinner, and watch TV. We have our whole family come from everywhere and we catch up on each others lives. I love Thsnksgiving because it is the one day that i get to sit and rememebr my great grandpa Reed. We used to do Thanksgiving on his farm and we would go play with the animals and in the barn.  After he died my grandma had to sell the farm, we never went back there and its really sad. So on Thanksgiving we all bring pictures and memories of him and pray for him as a family."

"I love going ice skating during the winter its my favorite winter sport and something I can do reallly well."

"One winter tradition that I really like is every year on Christmas Morning my brother and I wake up really early and get our stockings. then we watch old Christmas cartoons and look at the things in our stockings that aren't wrapped."

"My family tradition is have my birthday & my sisters birthday over Thanksgiving break, because sometimes my birthday falls on thanksgiving and my sisters birthday is just a week later. So we usually just have our birthdays on Thanksgiving."

"Going up to my Grandmas house for Christmas. We have snowball fights outside then go inside for a huge meal. They we either do a puzzle or watch TV or have a Nerf gun fight. After that we open the presents and then have a wrapping paper war. We have to clean it up but its still fun. Then we play with our new things there for a little while and then go home. I really love Christmas because my family gets together."

"My favorite winter activity is putting up the Christmas tree with my whole family. It is just nice to get everyone together after being so busy and just hangout as a whole family and relax."

"My favorite Christmas tradition is Sleeping Under the Christmas Tree. That's when all of the grandchildren go over to my grandma's house somewhere around Christmas. We watch a movie, eat popcorn, sing christmas songs, drink hot cocoa, and go caroling. We don't actually sleep under the tree because we wouldn't all fit. There are 9 grandchildren, but only 6 of us are old enough to do it. We go caroling around my grandma's neighborhood. It's kind of embarassing since I am the oldest, but I still have fun!"

"one of my familys favorite traditions is black friday shopping we always go out early in the morning and shop for christmas presents and other things because of the huge sale!"

"My family has an awesome Halloween party every year and we all get to see each other and spend time with each other. During that party we have a chili contest and I like to taste each one because my family makes the best chili to me."

"My favorite holiday tradition is when we all sit in like a circle and tell jokes around christmas then when we all take turn opening gifts. because, it brings my whole family closer."

8th Grade Email Answers: What am I Thankful for and Why?

When 8th graders were asked this week "What am I Thankful for and Why?", here are some of the best responses via email from this great group. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

"Im thankful for EVERYTHING in my life. My mom got my family into horses, my horses taught me how to ride, my trainer helped me get my dream to come true, and my dad is there for support and to help pay:) . I love having all the wonderful teachers that help me in all my classes at school. And of course to Jesus who had all this planned.

 I love my life."

" I am thankful most of all for my family. They are the reason I am who I am today, and why I have everything I have. I am pretty proud to call them my family. Sometimes we fight but we never can stay mad at eachother. I love them very much and wouldn't be here if it weren't for them."

"I'm thankful for my family, the roof above my head in school and at home. One thing at school that I'm thankful for Miss.Grieme i love the way she talks to us face to face."

"I am thankful for my parents and the roof(s) they put over my head, the food they put on the table, and the clothes they buy for me. I am thankful for their love. I am also thankful for my grandma who was the number one person who taught me my faith, which I am also thankful for. I am thankful for my sisters, even though I don't always show it. I'm also thankful that I have the opportunity to get a good education."

"I am thankful for my family and friends. They help me when I need it. They pick me up when I am having a bad day. I am so grateful to live where I do. This place has made me who I am today. I am thankful for my school and for the teachers that help me. Thank you!"

"I am thankful for so much in my life!  I have every meal of the day unless I choose not to. Not many people in the world can say that. I'm also thankful for my family. I am thankful for them because they care about me and support me in whatever I do. I think the main reason I'm so thankful for my family is because we love each other even when the world doesn't. I wouldn't be the person I am today without my family."

" I am thankful for my family and friends. I know that some people don't have that luxury and I am happy I do."