Cougars ROAR: TEMS Community News

Greetings TEMS Families-

Welcome to the first issue of the Cougars R.O.A.R. Community News for the 2023-2024 school year. This monthly newsletter will be sent to families to help share important TEMS information. In addition to highlighting upcoming events, the community news will offer updates from faculty and students. This newsletter will supplement the middle school communications, not replace them. These will always be emailed through School Messenger and then linked to the TEMS website.

I want to take this opportunity to compliment the TEMS community on such an incredible start. I continue to be grateful to be part of this school family, and am excited to be able to share upcoming family and student events that will keep us going strong.

Happy fall TEMS, have a great month!

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

• TEMS Athletics- Fall Schedules
• South Windsor Public Library Teen Events
• Hartford Public Library Teen Events

Daily attendance is crucial to the success of our students. Please help us ensure that your child comes to school each day that they are well. We know that there are many reasons that students do have to miss days and it is very important to inform the school when this happens. We are always here to help if there are any concerns about getting our students to school.

Attendance reporting will now be done in your PowerSchool Parent Portal account under Attendance Monitor. Detailed instructions can be found here.

At TEMS Cougars Roar! The acronym R.O.A.R. represents attributes that we hope all of our community will work towards.

• We demonstrate RESPECT when we consider the needs of others and treat others the way we hope to be treated.
• We demonstrate OWNERSHIP when we are responsible for our actions, our learning, and personal growth.
• We demonstrate ACCEPTANCE when we acknowledge and celebrate the great diversity in our community and consider how we talk across differences to learn and grow.
• We demonstrate RESILIENCE when we try- and try again- even when (especially when) things are hard.

As partners in your children's growth and development I hope that you can also help to promote these attributes to maintain a safe school environment. Please review the R.O.A.R Matrix to read more about what this looks like in schools. This was developed with input from staff, families, and students and we welcome ongoing feedback and support.

School Counselors have visited all team classrooms to “Say Hello” and ensure that students are aware of who their School Counselor is, what they do, and how to access them. To see School Counselor assignments, please click here. In the near future, School Counselors will begin to teach classroom lessons that center on 3 domains: Career/Future Planning, Social Emotional Health and Academic Advisement.

The annual walk-a-thon is the primary fundraising event hosted by the TEMS PTO. The funds raised by this event allow the PTO to sponsor events and provide resources for teachers, students, and families at TEMS. This year, we will be hosting the event on Thursday, October 26th, with a rain date of the 27th. Look out for more important information about registering your child, collecting donations, and participating in the day's events. The event will kick off on Tuesday, September 26th!

Thanks to everyone that joined this year's first PTO meeting last night. These 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 October 19th at 6:30 in the TEMS Library Media Center.

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.

Our fall sports are up and running. Students can listen to TE TV News for information about schedules for soccer, field hockey and cross country or visit the TEMS athletics webpage. Come support our TEMS athletes.

Ms. Katherine Mills works with families and students to ensure that each of our children have access to high-quality educational experiences. She plays a key role in developing community partnerships and connecting resources to families. This month Ms. Mills shares resources that support students located in South Windsor and in Hartford.

You can contact Ms. Mills by calling 860.648.5030 Ext.293 or emailing kmills@swindsor.k12.ct.us

• Programs & Exhibits | Hartford Public Library (hplct.org)
• YOUmedia - YouMedia - LibGuides at Hartford Public Library
• Attendance Resources

Volunteers are welcomed within the South Windsor Public Schools. In order to volunteer in the district, all volunteers must complete a Volunteer Registration Form prior to starting as a volunteer, and for some activities additional steps like background checks may be required. Please use this form to begin your registration to serve as a volunteer within the South Windsor Public Schools.

The Longest Dinner Table is the largest fundraiser for the South Windsor Public Education Fund. Click here to read more about the event being held on September 30th.

Please join us for a Youth and Family Service screening of “Screenagers, Under the Influence” being held for middle and high school families.

When: Wednesday, October 11th 6:30-8:30

Where: TEMS Auditorium

Synopsis: ‍Screenagers Under The Influence: Addressing Vaping, Drugs, and Alcohol in the Digital Age, the third feature documentary in the Screenagers trilogy, delves into how the tech revolution has reshaped adolescence and its effects on substance use. The film debunks myths and depicts strategies parents and schools can use to encourage healthy decision-making, support teen mental health, set limits, and create healthy home environments. The film also includes many ways young people are using their wisdom and strength to help each other and themselves through this complicated terrain around substance use.

While most documentaries about substance use focus on severe addiction, Screenagers Under The Influence fills a pressing need for a film that explores more common scenarios. The film is grounded in teens’ current reality of being flooded by images on social media, movies, and TV shows about vaping, drugs, and alcohol.

Like the first two Screenagers films, Screenagers Under The Influence interweaves cutting-edge science with personal stories to create an informative and entertaining film experience for young people and adults alike. Screenagers Under The Influence focuses on practical solutions for keeping our teens safe in a changing world.

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.

Google Classroom Guardian Summaries

Timothy Edwards Middle School utilizes Google Classroom as our Learning Management System.

In the month of August, email invitations were sent from Google Classroom to parents and guardians which, if accepted, will provide summaries of class activity via email. These summaries will include information on upcoming and missing work as well as announcements posted by the teacher. Click Here to view how to accept the Guardian Summaries invitation.

Only the parent/guardian email address listed for “Primary Contact” within the PowerSchool Parent Portal will be added. This email address is entered when completing the Student Information Update. If you have not yet completed the update for this academic year, please log into Powerschool Parent Portal and complete the Student Information Update.

PowerSchool Parent Portal login: https://powerschool.southwindsorschools.org/public/home.html

For additional details on guardian notifications, please see the official Google support page below.

https://support.google.com/edu/classroom/answer/6388136

If you are unable to locate the email notification from Google Classroom in your inbox, please check your SPAM or Trash. If you continue to have difficulty locating the email. Please email Debbie Matchett at dmatchett@swindsor.k12.ct.us .

We hope you find this added insight to your student’s learning valuable.

GoGuardian Parent App

South Windsor Public Schools utilizes GoGuardian software to help schools easily manage their student devices, better understand their students, and keep them safer online during the school day. Parents/Guardians have the ability to download and use the GoGuardian Parent App. This App provides Parents and Guardians with the ability to pause their students' internet, block specific websites, and schedule internet availability outside of the school day on the district managed device. Click Here to learn more.

Subscribe to the TEMS Morning News

Every morning Timothy Edwards Middle School communicates daily announcements to the students. If you would like to subscribe to the TETV Morning News to receive email alerts with the latest news, Click Here to learn how.

Connect with TEMS thru Social Media

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram or X to get the latest TEMS News and announcements!

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.

Students at TE benefit from their teachers working within the Teaching and Learning Framework. Within this structure teachers provide engaging experiences and effective practices that help our young learners become engaged, empowered, socially conscious, and resilient individuals ready to succeed in their future endeavors.

In future Family Newsletters, we will highlight various domains of the framework by spotlighting TE teacher instruction. This will give you a glimpse into your child’s education!

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.

It has been an exciting start to the school year here in the TE library media center. I’ve enjoyed meeting all of our sixth graders who came through with their ELA classes for a library orientation. The main objective of this visit was to get students familiar with the library layout so they’re comfortable locating and checking out library materials. All returning 7th and 8th grade students also visited the TE LMC this month with their ELA classes to check out books. It is always so rewarding to see just how many enthusiastic and voracious readers we have here at TE!

I always like to remind students of our growing virtual library of e-Books and e-audios that they have access to 24/7 through Destiny Discover. Students can watch a brief video located off of the main LMC page that instructs them on how to check out TE’s virtual content.

Please click on the link below to see the rules and policies in place in TE’s library media center: Library Hours and Policies

The CHET Dream Big! Competition (the “Competition”) launched on August 1. This Competition is brought to you by the Connecticut State Treasurer’s Office as Trustee of the Connecticut Higher Education Trust (CHET). Dream Big! is open to all Connecticut students in grades K-12 and winner will be awarded in contributions to their CHET 529 college savings plans!

This year, they will be awarding more than $450,000 in CHET 529 College Savings Plan – Direct Plan (“CHET 529 Direct Plan”) account contributions to students in grades K-12 and technology prizes to schools. For the winning students, we will be awarding:

• Three $20,000 prizes
• 24 $6,000 prizes
• 336 $500 prizes

To enter, students are asked to answer a question in the form of a drawing, essay or video. Younger students will be asked to answer a question focused on improving their communities and the lives of others, and older students will be asked to describe a lesson they’ve learned and how it will influence their future. Submissions must be uploaded by 5:00 p.m. on November 6. There is no cost to enter. For program details and entry process visit:

www.chetdreambig.com

Peace At Home Parenting Solutions works in collaboration with South Windsor Youth and Family Services to offer FREE online classes. You are welcome to visit the catalog and can register by using the link below, your personal email, and the code below. Their September Calendar is linked here.

The login is : Peaceathomeparenting.com/login

Code: SWindsorPeace

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.