Cougars ROAR: TEMS Community News

TEMS students have welcomed fall with a lot of energy and excitement. Matinees are up and running for our fall session and we are proud to share that we have offered 15 unique enrichment opportunities that over 250 students are participating in, ranging from chess club, Husky-thon fundraising, yoga, writer’s workshops and leadership. The winter sessions options will be available in January.

In other news about student activities, over 100 students are gearing up for the first middle school debate coming up on November 4th. We have had a great fall athletics season. See the athletics section below for updated information about team standings and winter sports registration information.

It has been wonderful to be able to resume middle school traditions this fall at Timothy Edwards. We welcomed our sixth graders with team trips to Winding Trails for team building and outdoor fun. Both our sixth and eighth graders had their first dance. We are beginning to plan a dance for all students on November 17th, with proceeds benefiting Connecticut Children's Hospital. November will be a busy month with student activities, family events, and report card conferences. Please see the November calendar of events and the sections below for more information.

The UConn Writing Project is also back. This is a state-wide writing competition hosted by UConn. Last year, over 80 students were recognized for their writing or art. TE is hosting workshops for all students to work on their writing pieces, with guidance from teachers and input from peers. Also, in case you missed it, Corianne Olsen, advisor for TE's very own literary magazine presented at the October PTO meeting. This a a great opportunity for students to showcase their art or writing in our award winning publication, Out of the Blue. There is more information below about how to participate in these amazing writing opportunities.

November serves as a great opportunity for us all to consider what we are thankful for. Each day I am grateful to come to TEMS and interact with such an incredible group of students, educators, and staff. I wish you all an incredible month!

Please click here to see a month-at-a-glance for November . You can also reference the school event's calendar that can be found on the school's website.

• South Windsor Public Library Teen Events
• Hartford Public Library Teen Events

As part of the transition process from eighth to ninth grade, eighth grade families and students are invited to attend an 8th Grade Family Night for the Class of 2028 at South Windsor High School at 6:30 pm on Thursday, November 2, 2023. The evening will include an overview of SWHS academic programming, graduation requirements, and extracurricular information. Each department’s curriculum specialist will also be available for questions and families will be able to informally tour the campus. Click here to read the letter from SWHS Principal Frank Rizzuto.

A quick reminder from previous communication: This year, we would like to invite interested Timothy Edwards students to have the opportunity to recognize a Veteran in their lives, as part of our annual Veterans Day recognition. We will highlight Veterans in our community throughout the week leading up to Veterans Day. If you would like to contribute to this recognition, please make a copy and complete this slide and submit it here: Veterans Day Slides. If interested in participating, please complete and return by November 1st (extended). OR... send your pictures and information about a Veteran in your life to Mrs. Irwin cirwin@swindsor.k12.ct.us

On Tuesday, November 14th we invite students and their families to our first TEMS Evening of Gratitude. We will be working on gratitude projects that will be displayed in the school. Light snacks and beverages will be provided. A flier will be shared with families with more information this week.

Timothy Edwards Middle School Parent-Teacher Conferences will take place on:

• Tuesday, November 28
• Thursday, November 30
• Friday, December 1

You will meet with your child's homeroom teacher during the conference. Prior to signing up, please look up your child's homeroom teacher in Parent Portal.

We will be sending a Sign Up Genius for conferences on Friday, November 3rd! Please sign up by November 17th.

Parent-Teacher Conference Sign-up Directions:

1. Use the link sent on November 3rd to get to the TEMS Conference Sign Up Genius Site.
2. Locate the grade level of your child below and select the team of your child.
3. Locate your child's homeroom teacher and select .
4. Please review the available sign ups for that teacher.
5. Select a slot and fill out the required fields.

Note About Homeroom Conferences: The homeroom teacher will provide a report from your child's other team teachers. Each conference will last approximately 10 minutes. There are options for in person or for a Virtual Google Meet. If you choose a Google Meet, the teacher will reach out to you via email with a link to join online.

Note about Special Services/ Encore: Teachers will be available for brief check-ins while you are in the building for homeroom conferences. If you would like to schedule a time to meet with any of them you may contact them directly.

Note about Academic Awards: In our effort to be green, all academic honor awards will be sent electronically.

South Windsor Public Schools remains committed to fostering a safe, supportive, and enriching learning environment for all our students. In our ongoing efforts to prioritize the well-being of our students and in accordance with new State legislation, we are introducing mySAEBRS (Social, Academic, and Emotional Behavior Risk Screener) for students in grades 3-12. mySAEBRS is aimed at supporting social and emotional health within our school community and is designed to assess and understand our students' emotional well-being which allows us to provide appropriate support and/or programming when needed.

Read more about TEMS administration here (10/30/23)

UPDATED COMMUNICATION FROM 11/7/23:

In order to be responsive to families, we are delaying the first administration of the mySAEBRS screener until the week of December 4th. In addition, while our last letter allowed for families to opt-out, we are shifting to an opt-in model for participation. If you would like your child to participate in the screener, please opt-in by completing the opt-in form below prior to December 1, 2023. Screeners will only be administered to students whose families opt-in. Additional information about the mySAEBRS screener is provided below to allow families to make an informed decision.

The mySAEBRS screener is aimed at supporting social and emotional health within our school community and is designed to assess and understand our students’ emotional well-being which allows us to provide appropriate support and/or programming when needed. The specific questions asked are attached to this email for your review. Results from the screener will be shared with families approximately 3-4 weeks after the first administration.

mySAEBRS Opt-In

We had a beautiful day for the TEMS annual Walk-A-Thon. After the final push for the fundraiser TEMS raised $26,148.28. Thank you to every person who registered, shared and donated. This money is used for field trips, student activities, and teacher wishes. We are so grateful for the wonderful support of the TEMS community.

The TEMS PTO meetings are a great way to stay involved and connect with the principal and with other parents. You are welcome to submit questions or agenda items to our meetings by using this link in advance of our meetings.

Join us for our next meeting on November 16th at 6:30 in the TEMS Library Media Center.

Yearbooks sales have begun. The cost for yearbooks are 41$ until tomorrow, October 31st. After that they will be available for 46$. To order, or to place a yearbook recognition ad please visit Jostens.com.

Our bin is overflowing with jackets, bags, and water bottles! Please help us connect theses lost items to their rightful owners. The bin is located in the main foyer and students are encouraged to check there if they are missing anything. All items will be laid out during report card conferences. Items still left after conferences will be donated. Thank you!

The daily TETV Morning News serve as our primary vehicle for communicating important information to students each day. This is where students can learn about upcoming events, tryouts, clubs and activities, and current events. In addition to playing during homeroom each day you can access the daily news on our school website.

Fall Athletics Standings

• Boys Soccer ended the regular season with a record of 10-0-2. The semi-final game has been postponed to Tuesday, 10/31 at Nevers Park, with a potential for the championship being hosted this Wednesday.
• Girls Soccer ended the regular season with a record of 11-0-1. The semifinal game is Tuesday, 10/31 at Nevers Park, with a potential for the championship being hosted this Thursday.
• Field Hockey finished the season with a 5-3 record.
• Boys XC wrapped up with a 3-3 record. The CRAL League Meet was cancelled for today due to the rain. The State meet is this Saturday at Wickham Park.

• Girls XC finished with a 5-1 record. The CRAL League Meet was cancelled for today due to the rain. The State meet is this Saturday at Wickham Park.

Winter Sports Registration

Winter sports registration opened on October 23rd and will close on Monday, November 27th at noon. Winter sports are girls and boys basketball and cheerleading. Please visit the TEMS athletics page for more information. Here are steps for sports registration.

Step 1
Sign into your PowerSchool (Parent Portal) account

• If you have more than one child in the school system, select the appropriate child at the top
• Click on "Forms" in the left hand column
• Select the "TEMS [Fall/Winter/Spring] Athletic Registration" link; complete the form and submit

Step 2
Complete the 2023-2024 Physician's Statement Form

• Required only once per academic year
• Must be dated after June 1, 2023
• The physician statement form must be turned into the main office by the registration deadline above. Athletes cannot tryout without the current physician statement on file at TEMS

Step 3

Pay the Sports Participation Fee

• The Sports Participation Fee is to be submitted once it is confirmed that your child has made an athletic team's roster. Please DO NOT submit payment prior to tryouts.

Mrs. Debbie Matchett is our school's Technology Content Coach. She supports educators, students, and families in navigating technological tools that can enrich educational experiences.

Student Chromebook Help

If a student device is not functioning correctly, please refer to the Troubleshooting Common Chromebook Issues Document.

If a student device is broken, please have the student complete a service ticket thru the Online Student Help Desk. Once the ticket is submitted, the student will need to:

• Label their device with their name and ID#.

• Bring the device to the main office and turn in at the front desk.

• Students can then borrow a device (if available) from the media center daily until the device is repaired.

Students will be notified by a team teacher when the device is ready for pick up. Please note: IT will contact students via school email for follow up questions as necessary. Students need to check their school email for correspondence from IT to ensure a timely turnaround.

For additional resources, please visit the EdTech Resources for Students website.

As communicated with families on October 26th, the TEMS community has been impacted by a sad loss. Our counseling team are incredible resources for students and families. Please reach out to your child's counselor if there is any support we can offer.

Family Resources:

• Child Mind- Supporting a Child through Grief
• National Association of School Psychologists- Grief at All Ages

Mrs. Alison Fetta and Mr. Kent Besocke are instructional coaches that support faculty and staff in providing instruction that meets the needs of our diverse learners at TEMS.

Learner-Centered Environments combine the best instructional knowledge of the teacher with the knowledge, skills, interests, attitudes, beliefs, and culture of the learners. Over the past month, our instructional coaches, Mrs. Alison Fetta and Mr. Kent Besocke, have been popping into many classrooms looking for examples of Learner-Centered Environments in action. We see MANY examples of student-centered classrooms on a daily basis. At TEMS, students:

• created tactile maps using grass, sand, yarn and other materials to indicate geographical features. Students also practiced their collaboration and map skills.

• engaged in productive struggle while engaging in block coding. During the process of learning, students exerted agency as they worked with partners, where one student was the “driver” and the other the “navigator.”

• exhibited productive struggle during a station lab with peers. The teacher offered opportunities to critique students’ ideas so they could revise any initial thoughts.

• explored strumming techniques and chose a song to learn. Eventually, students will choose one instrument for future exploration.

• participated in learning centers for opportunities to build on individual student’s strengths. While in groups, students rotated through different activities to foster collaboration, communication, and problem solving.

• connected their strengths, experiences and passions during a paper airplane activity. The intensity of the project was driven by and appropriate for each student’s strengths and abilities.

Next month, we will highlight other classrooms in the Family Newsletter. Our Teaching and Learning Framework focus will be Evidence-Based Practices (instructional strategies for which there is research or evidence of improving student learning outcomes). We look forward to sharing more examples of the amazing learning experiences happening here at TEMS!

Our Library Media Specialist is Eva Longo. She maintains one of the most essential areas in our school and is a valuable resources to both students and staff.

Students and staff are encouraged to use the wide variety of district wide and school specific databases available to them here at TE while completing school assignments. Attached please find a video that walks through how students can access these reliable resources as well as a brief description of each database.

Accessing our School’s Databases

Please feel free to email me if you have any questions @ elongo@swindsor.k12.ct.us

The South Windsor Teen Center is a valuable partner. Please visit their site for information about upcoming events and programming. The South Windsor Teen Center is located in the Charles N. Enes Community Center at 150 Nevers Road in South Windsor.