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TMMS Classroom Update Page
(Updated August 29, 2011)
Dear TMMS Families,
We are pleased to announce our first “in-school” week of school was a success. The block rotations are working well and the students seem to be settling into their routine. Our ROPES course trip was also a victory! The TMMS students have written their first essay on their Oro Quay trip and we will share these with you during our first conference. Until then, we hope you have all had a chance to discuss with your student the importance of the trip and how much they challenged themselves to “Stretch” and “get out of their comfort zone!” Finally, we wanted to update you on the recent happenings and those just right around the corner.
• BINDER: Students and families have commented on the success of the binder and we are thrilled to know it is helping students, families and yours truly as an organizational tool of success! Be sure to sit with your student nightly to review with them their homework expectations and other important dates listed in the Binder. Also remember the first page protector is now your student/parent/teacher communication. All notes, monies, forms, etc. are to be placed in the first page protector. Thank you for your time with this matter.
• DROP OFF/PICK UP:
• DROP OFF- We would like to remind families that 7/8 grade begins at 8:25am. Students are allowed to arrive any time after 8:00am but need to be in class signed in before 8:30am. We have been challenged a bit these first two weeks with traffic and such. Please plan for delays and perhaps leave a few minutes earlier. Until all the new families get used to the system, we may have more delays, so be prepared. Remember, single child families or families with students in middle school ONLY (no TMES siblings) can use the drop off procedure explained to you at before school conferences. Be sure to remind your student to use the sidewalk and the crosswalk when arriving at the school.
• PICK UP- follows the same procedure as the TMES. Please turn in your pick up procedure slip if you haven't already done so to receive your placard for your car dash. We are still researching the options for single/double TMMS students (no siblings at TMES) . Stay tuned for details.
• WELCOME BACK DANCE: A huge success. The students commented on the fun they had and to all parents who worked the dance…THANK YOU! Although now students are wanting their own dance…to not have to work and just dance…with just the middle school students. Stay tuned for the progress of that one.
• ELECTIVES: TMMS will offer electives every Friday from 1:30-3:30pm. The electives so far this six week block are:
• Skateboarding/Rollerblading at Calvary Skate Park
• Outdoor Physical Education
• Home Economics with guest instructors
These electives will run on a six week rotation and all TMMS students are asked to contribute $30.00 per year to cover the incidentals accrued for these offerings. Thank you for sending in your activity fee of $30.00, the yearly fee for your student as soon as possible. Attached to this letter is a permission slip which has to be turned in before Friday the 2nd for your student to participate. Electives are created for the students by the students to celebrate their hard work all week, and enjoy activities with their community. If a student is negligent on their weekly work or has behavior issues, they will be asked to sit out of electives that week and instead will complete an hour of past due homework and an hour of community service at TMES.
• WEEKLY ASSESSMENTS: Students will be given a written assessment on Friday morning in their “World Block” (science and history) . These assessments cover a week of work and are used as part of our grading system as well as a gauge to the effectiveness of our teaching. There will be a few things to speak with your child about on Fridays and we appreciate your support in this matter.
First, ask your child how they did on their assessment. Their answer will put them in one of two categories:
• If they scored 80% or better they have the opportunity to retake the test on Monday am during tutorials. These retakes will begin promptly at 8:05am and if a student is late, they will not be allowed to retake the test. These students can retake the test, but are not required.
• If they scored 79% or lower they will be REQUIRED to retake the test on Monday morning during tutorials. It will be the student and the family's responsibility to get to tutorials by 8:05 am for retakes. PLEASE see to it that your student arrive on time and prepared for their second chance. The test result from the Friday before and the Monday after will be averaged for a final test score for the week.
Our goal here is help the students become more efficient test takers and to see them gain confidence in their skills as the year progresses. Test taking is not only about what you know, but your ability to answer the questions correctly and to the point with proper grammar, spelling and punctuation. The opportunity to improve their scores will help them view and learn from their mistakes. Thank you for your support.
LAND LAB: Our first land lab has been scheduled for October 3rd and 4th . That is a Monday and Tuesday the first week of October. I know we mentioned during before school conferences that the trip would be on the Thursday and Friday of that week, but Hummingbird just recently told me a few other schools will now be visiting those days and we would like to have the place to ourselves. So, if you signed up to accompany us on this trip, please check your calendar and see if you can change your dates to the Monday and Tuesday of the same week. We have many exciting activities for the students during that trip and would LOVE some extra hands. Land Labs are a time when parents are encouraged to join us, help us and be a part of our TMMS team. Thank you and be on the lookout for the permission slips in the Binder.
TMMS HANDBOOK: TMMS Handbook should have arrived via the Binder on Friday the 26th . All TMMS students have read the handbook with their Advisor teacher and community. In addition to this the students have helped create our new Aggressive Behavior/Playground/Classroom Rubric system for the TMMS Redbook. These new pages are at the end of the Handbook. The Redbook is a new policy we added for the middle school and it is extremely important for you and your student to thoroughly read through the handbook. Once you have read and agree to the document, you should sign the TMMS Handbook Agreement page with your student. Once the Agreement page has been signed by you and your student, it should be returned to school for the student's advisor to sign and be filed. The TMMS Handbook should stay in a page protector in your student's Binder. If you need to refer to it throughout the year, it will be available online on our webpage.
Thanks again for your support,
~TMMS Staff
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