Posts in category: 2025-2026

Dear Pirate Family, 

Greetings! We would like to remind you that Tuesday, November 4th is Parent/Teacher Conference Day. School will not be in session for students to allow time for conferences. In addition, we are adding some training sessions for parents to help with assessment reports. The Indiana Assessment Family Portal is a secure online tool where you can view your child’s ILEARN, IREAD, or IAM results. It helps you understand your child’s strengths, areas for growth, and how they’re performing compared to grade-level expectations.Parents must have an access code and register for the system. Access codes will be distributed at Parent-Teacher Conference Day on November 4th. Please plan to attend for in-person instructions and guidance. If you cannot attend, codes will be mailed home after the conference.
Parent ILearn Access Informational Meetings November 4, 2026 in professional development room next to the media center:

 12:00

  1:00

  2:00

  4:00

  5:00

  6:00 

We want to wish the CMS cheerleaders good luck this weekend as they take the mat at HCCA State Championship at Greenfield Central High. Good luck and we hope our cheerleaders bring home a state title!

Monday November 3rd 

• Welcome Mr. Cody Johnson (8th Grade Social Studies) and Mrs. Josie Johnson (8th Language Arts)!  

Tuesday November 4th

• Teacher only day
• Parent – Teacher Conferences
  • 11:30 – 7:00
  • Parent Portal Training: 12, 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 o’clock in PD room 

Wednesday November 5th

Thursday November 6th

• 6th Grade Girls Basketball vs Silver Creek at CMS 6 PM

Friday November 7th 

As a reminder, all families are encouraged to complete the Free and Reduced Meal Application, even if you have done so in a previous year. Completing this form helps ensure that your child—and our school—receives access to important benefits and funding.

If your household’s financial situation has changed at any time during the school year, you are welcome to submit a new application.

You can complete or update your application online at [https://www.nlappscloud.com/] or contact Aramark (812-283-0701) for assistance.

Thank you for taking a few moments to complete this important step to support our students and community.

November 14th PTO dance after school -Permission slips will be distributed at lunch.

Students will be able to turn in permission slips and $5 November 10th, 11th and 12th. Snacks and drinks will be available for purchase.

Please note, no child will be turned away for inability to pay. Please turn in permission slip regardless. If you would like to sponsor a middle-schooler anonymously, please include any additional donation. All proceeds benefit students, teachers, and staff.

Dear Pirate Family, 

Greetings! Be sure to see The Epic Quest of the Damsels in Distress this weekend! Showtimes are Friday night at 7 pm, Saturday at 2pm and 7pm. We have a great cast and crew! 

Monday October 20th 

Tuesday October 21st

• Picture Retake Day- If you ordered pictures and are having retakes done, bring your picture package with you on Tuesday to give back to the company.

Wednesday October 22nd

Thursday October 23rd

Friday October 24th

• Book Fair begins! (October 24th – 31st)
• Shout out to our Greater Clark Educational Foundation for providing our Teacher Supply Bus Visit!  

Saturday October 25th

Please be kind and respectful in the car rider line to other cars.  We have done a great job most of the year of alternating cars coming around the curve. 

Looking Ahead:

Red Ribbon Week 

10/27- Pair up against drugs!  Twin Day

10/28- Be bright!  Be drug-free!  Neo

10/29- Are you Red-y to be drug free? Wear Red

10/30- Put drugs to sleep! PJ Day

10/31- Scare drugs away!  Costume allowed but must follow guidelines listed below. 

November 4th 11:30-7:00 Conferences 

November 14th PTO dance after school 

Costumes- dress code must be followed: 

 No short skirts/shorts/tutus, no bare midriffs, no bare shoulders. 

 Nothing that promotes the use of illegal substances or activities that are derogatory, disrespectful or depict violence.   

Hats may be worn as part of a costume.   

ALL costume preparations to be completed at home.  (No dressing or applying of make-up or colored hairspray once students arrive at school). 

 No masks, weapons (nunchucks/sickles/swords/knives/guns, etc) or props.

  Students or parents who have questions about the acceptability of their costume should check with their team of teachers prior to wearing the costume to school. 

 Students wearing inappropriate costumes will need to call home to have a change of clothes brought up to them. 

PARENTS:  Please help support an appropriate, distraction-free learning environment for all students by ensuring that your student adheres to these guidelines. 

GCCS Holiday Craft Fair and Student Entertainment

October 18th 

9:00am-2:00pm at River Valley Middle School

🎉 Fun & Festive
🎶 Live music by our talented students!
🎨 Face painting for all ages! ($5 cash)
🧒 BINGO adventure for the little ones!
🍔 Delicious concessions, holiday décor, jewelry, and so much more!

The music schedule is: (just in case you want to know)

Noon – NWES

12:30 – NWMHS

1:00 – RVMS

1:30 – Jeff High Devils Advocates

Dear Pirate Family, 

Greetings! Hope you had a wonderful break! We will be back in session tomorrow, October 13th. 

We are excited to welcome Ronda Hostetler to our staff! Ms. Hostetler will be our 8th grade collaboration teacher. Many of our families already know Ms. Hostetler from JJ. She will be a wonderful addition to our school. We are also in the process of finding an 8th grade English Language Arts teacher for Mrs. French who transitioned to CHS.  In addition, a seventh grade Social Studies teacher for Mrs. Mahnesmith who transitioned to online learning. 

See below for events this week:

Monday October 13th  

Return to School

• 6th grade girls basketball practice begins 3:30-5:00

Tuesday October 14th 

Wednesday October 15th 

• 3:30-5:00  Tryouts for the 7th & 8th Grade Girls Basketball
• CMS Football Banquet 6:00 

October 16th

• 6th Grade Basketball Tryouts from 3:30-5:00
• 3:30-5:00  Tryouts for the 7th & 8th Grade Girls Basketball

Friday October 17th

• 7:00 CMS Theatre Performance

Saturday October 18th

• 2:00 & 7:00 CMS Theatre Performance

Attention any 7th and 8th Grade Girl: It’s go time! Tryouts for the 7th & 8th Grade Girls Basketball are Wednesday, Oct. 15th & Thursday, Oct. 16th from 3:30–5:00 PM. Don’t be sus- You must have an updated physical. Pull up in proper basketball gear — no slides, no street clothes, no excuses! Come ready to show your rizz, flex energy, and slay leaving it all on the court. Let’s see who, no cap, has that pirate in ‘em 🏴‍☠️🔥

Looking Ahead:

Oct. 21 – Picture retake day

Oct 24 – 31 Book Fair

   Red Ribbon Week 

10/27- Pair up against drugs!  Twin Day

10/28- Be bright!  Be drug free!  Neon

10/29- Are you Red-y to be drug free? Red

10/30- Put drugs to sleep! PJ Day

10/31- Scare drugs away!  Costumes

November 14th PTO dance after school 

Pirate Run Club

Dear Pirate Family, 

Pirate Run Club begins today! 

https://www.piraterunclub.com/

Practice starts at 5:30 pm at Silver Creek Township Park.

Dear Pirate Family, 

Greetings! This is the last week of Quarter 1. Please remind your child to check the lost and found located in the cafeteria. We have collected a ton of items that will be donated on fall break if not claimed by students. 

Monday September 29 

• ILEARN Make-up Testing
• Cross Country at New Washington 5:30 PM
• Tennis vs Henryville 5 PM (8th grade night)

Tuesday September 30

• ILEARN Make-up Testing

Wednesday October 1

• ILEARN Make-up Testing
• 6:00 PTO Meeting

Thursday October 2

• ILEARN Make-up Testing
• Football at Corydon 6 PM 

Friday October 3

• Team Time outside Prepay Kona Ice- Code will be sent next week

🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂Fall Break🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂

Any 6th grade girl interested in the little lady pirate basketball league, see Coach Matthews or Mrs. York for a form.

CMS soccer team: Please remember to return your jerseys and pinnies to Mr. or Mrs. Riddle.

Picture Retake Day October 21st

Dear Pirate Family, 

Greetings! We would like to thank our PTO for providing wonderful treats to our staff today! They stocked a treat cart with snacks and drinks, then delivered to each classroom. It was fantastic! 

Homecoming is next Friday night in Charlestown. We are joining in the celebration with theme days each day next week. See details below:

Monday September 22nd – College Gear – Wear you favorite college clothes

• Tennis at Silver Creek 5 PM
• 6 Volleyball at Highland Hills 5 PM (Clark/Floyd Tournament)
• Soccer at Jeffersonville 6 PM (Clark/Floyd Tournament)

Tuesday September 23rd – Dress as your future self

• 7 & 8 Volleyball at Parkview 5:30 PM (Clark/Floyd Tournament)

Wednesday September 24th – Military Appreciation -Wear USA Red White and Blue! 

• 8:35 – 10:00 ILEARN Checkpoint #1 ELA
• 6 Volleyball at Highland Hills 5 PM (C/F Tournament – if we win on 9/22)
• 7 & 8 Football vs Scottsburg at CHS Stadium (8th grade night)

Thursday September 25th – Pajama Day

• 8:35 – 10:00 ILEARN Checkpoint #2 Math
  • 5pm Homecoming Parade (will start at CHS and end on the square)
• Cross Country at Salem 5:30 PM (MSC Championship)
• 7 Volleyball at Highland Hills TBD (C/F Tournament – if we win on 9/23)
• 8 Volleyball at Silver Creek TBD (C/F Tournament – if we win on 9/23)

Friday September 26th – Pirate Pride/Neon! 

• 7pm Homecoming at CHS
• Archery Practice begins

Saturday September 27th

• Cross Country at Hanover College 11 AM

Only two weeks left for our Pride Fundraiser..don’t miss out!

PRIZES:

TOP TEAM PERCENTAGE: Afternoon outside party and snack (date to be determined)

Raise $30.00

Pirate PRIDE T Shirt 

Free Sporting Ticket and hot dog and drink from concession stand

Raise $50.00

Pirate PRIDE T Shirt

Free Sporting Ticket and hotdog and drink from concession stand

$10 Gift Card

Raise $100.00 (and each $100 raised)

Receive a ticket when we raffle off a gaming system of your choice (Switch, PS5, Xbox)

Dear Charlestown Middle School 8th Grade Parents,

We are beginning to plan the annual 2026 Washington DC trip. All 8th Grade Students received an informational packet at lunch today for the Washington DC trip. The packets include pricing, dates and links to register for the trip.   

We will be using a student travel company that has been working with school groups for over 32 years, Martin School Travel. They are committed to providing an affordable, fun, safe and educational trip for your students. You can register and pay your required deposit online at https://tri.ps/AXSyo

*Link contains a lowercase letter “o” not number zero* 

Please read the entire page and review the deposit information. We recommend you add the Trip Protection to your package. This will guarantee you can receive a full refund up until the morning of departure should anything change that requires you to remove your child from the trip.

Choose a Package: You will select the student package. You can pay the first nonrefundable deposit or pay the entire trip amount during the initial payment. If you would like to add the Trip Protection, then just select the box to add it to Your Booking.

Add Participant Info: Fill out all of the fields requesting passenger information. Check the box to make an account to easily make future payments. Provide an email that you have access to and save your password!

Complete Payment: There are two payment options, US Checking Account “E-Check” and Credit/Debit Card. The “E-Check “option is the most cost efficient and there are fewer processing fees to credit card companies. If you chose the “E Check” you will save 1.9% at checkout. All payments that are collected are secure payments.

Once you make your initial payment then you will receive an email receipt confirming your payment. You will receive a reminder email before your next payments 7 days prior, 3 days prior and the day the payment is due. If you would like to check the amount you owe or pay the balance before the next payment is due then visit this link to manage your account https://www.wetravel.com/user/my_trips

If you have any questions about payment you can contact info@martinschooltravel.com

Trip Cost: $880 per student           Trip Dates: March 10-13, 2026

Adult Dbl Pkg: $1,095

Adult Sgl Pkg: $1,305

Payment 1 Deposit Date: $200.00 Due at Booking

Payment 2 Deadline Date: $225.00 November 01, 2025

Payment 3 Deadline Date: $225.00 December 01, 2025

Payment 3 Deadline Date: $230.00 January 15, 2026

The slideshow provides additional information and fundraising options for the trip:

 https://www.canva.com/design/DAGyrGAFlRA/HEjlBqQSjCLnxLhnee583w/view?utm_content=DAGyrGAFlRA&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=uniquelinks&utlId=h8e553d109a

Students are required to sign a behavior contract included in their packet and return it to the office. The contract highlights the importance of appropriate behavior by the student for trip eligibility. Parents will sign the consent form stating 

 that you understand your child must adhere to all rules set forth by school staff and chaperones for safety and order.  

Any illegal activity – in or out of school – could get a student removed from the trip without a refund. This includes, but is not limited to:

1. Fighting/Battery
2. Weapons
3. Vaping/Tobacco/Drugs/Alcohol
4. Threats to students/school
5. Defiance

If a student is removed from the trip, any money raised during fundraising is non-refundable because it is paid to a contracted tour company. If a student becomes ineligible for the trip or cannot attend, families will need to contact the tour company directly about possible refunds.

A parent meeting will be held prior to the trip for more information.  

• Cross Country at New Washington 5:30 PM
• 7 & 8 Volleyball at East Washington 6 PM
• Tennis vs. Corydon at Charlestown High School 5:30 PM
• Soccer vs Scottsburg at Charlestown High School 6 PM (8th grade night)
  
  

• Soccer at Jeffersonville HS 6 PM
• 6, 7, & 8 Volleyball vs Hazelwood at CMS 5 PM
  
  

• 8:30 – 2:00 Student Ambassador Field Trip to IUS 
• 6:00 PTO Meeting
• 6, 7, & 8 Volleyball at Highland Hills 6 PM
• Soccer vs Madison at CMS 6 PM

• Alternative Testing Schedule
• Fall Athletic Pictures (after school)
• Football vs Madison at CMS 6 PM

• Cross Country at Silver Creek 9 AM
• Tennis at Silver Creek (MSC tournament) 9 AM

• No School – Labor Day

• No School for students
• Football vs River Valley at Jeffersonville HS 5:30 PM
• Tennis at Scribner 6 PM
• 6, 7, 8 Volleyball vs Southwestern at CMS 5:30 PM

• Cross Country at Highland Hills 6 PM
• 7, 8 Volleyball at Clarksville 6 PM
• Tennis vs River Valley at CHS 5 PM 

• Soccer vs Salem at CMS 6:30 PM
• 6, 7, 8 Volleyball vs River Valley at CMS 5 PM