Edmund Gross, CMS Principal

Welcome to Carmel Middle School !!  Built in 1963, and completely modernized in 2005, we get better each year.  We currently have about 515 students divided equally in each grade level.  Carmel Middle School is a fantastic place to work and learn.  Our dedicated staff offers rich learning opportunities to a group of fabulous students.  This partnership is enhanced by a very supportive parent group that devotes time, energy and resources to our educational program.  Our mission includes high academic expectations within a caring learning environment.  One measure of student achievement is the Academic Performance Index, an index of student achievement based on standardized test scores from all the academic content areas in all three grade levels.  In 2005 we scored an 835, putting us at the 88^th percentile in the state.  In terms of our teachers’ assessment, about 66% of our students earn Honor Roll status.  As you can see, it is still cool to be a high performing student at CMS. 

While academics area our first priority, we strive to provide a variety of extra-curricular opportunities so that students can enjoy a well-rounded middle school experience.  Our habitat provides an opportunity to explore ecological literacy in a setting that may be unique across the nation.  We also emphasize character education through “Claw Talks” and assemblies that target the district wide “pillars” of character. The CMS PTA supports our efforts through the Cougar Buck student recognition program.  Students are “caught” in behaviors that reflect our pillars, and given a Cougar Buck.  The bucks can be used for treats in the student store or turned into the office for our regular gift certificate raffles.  Both in and out of the classroom our students demonstrate cougar pride.  We are committed to a culture of high expectations.  We have a number of support structures in place to assist students with academic, behavioral, or emotional needs.  To help students reach their potentials I am joined by our assistant principal, Ken Griest, our two counselors Sarah Szamos and Barbara Baird, and an absolutely fantastic group of teachers.   Feel free to contact any of us as we work through another great year at CMS.  Be sure to explore around our website to get a glance of the people and programs at CMS.  Go Cougars!