Tamanend Connections
We Are Tamanend Together!
March 24, 2023
Vote for Tamanend's 8th Grade What's So Cool About Manufacturing Team!
CALENDAR ITEMS TO NOTE
Tamanend Jazz Festival--Friday, March 24 at 7:00 PM (details below)
9th Grade Class Trip to Washington, D.C.--Thursday, March 30 (details below)
End of 3rd Marking Period/Early Dismissal--Friday, March 31
Staff Development Day (No School for Students)--Thursday, April 6
School Holiday--Friday, April 7
Staff Development Day (No School for Students)--Monday, April 10
TAMANEND ATHLETICS
Athletics Information
INFORMATION:
- Students playing Spring sports and bringing bags/equipment for sports are to leave them in their regular hallway locker. Anything that does not fit in those lockers can be stored in their 7th period classrooms.
- Cheerleading Pre-Tryout Informational meeting is Tuesday, April 11th at 7:30pm in the Forum Room. You must attend with a parent or guardian. Tryouts are open to all 8th through 11th grade students. Please email ahanna@cbsd.org for any additional information.
- Boys who are currently in 8th or 9th grades and interested in playing soccer for CB South next year are encouraged to reach out to Coach Pettican at KPETTICAN@CBSD.ORG and provide your name, grade, and email address. Those who contact Coach Pettican will be added to South soccer’s TeamSnap account and will receive updates on summer events and tryout information for the Fall.
· If you and would like to receive immediate updates on game schedules, cancellations, etc., visit Tamanend Athletics web page and become a “fan” to get alerts for your child’s team.
FROM CB SOUTH:
- 9th Graders who are Playing a Spring Sport at CB South: If going to a practice/game directly from school (taking the shuttle) and need to store a bag/equipment, all items are to be put in the classroom where you will be leaving from. For example…on normal days, bags go in 7th period rooms so kids can catch the shuttle; on days when leaving early for an away game, such as 6th period, bags go in your 6th period classroom. Student athletes are to pay very close attention for updates from coaches (email, Remind, text, web page, etc.). Tamanend will not make announcements each day for cancellations, schedule adjustments, etc. It is the your responsibility to know what your team is doing each day. Also, please be reminded that you are dismissed from class 10 minutes prior to your bus leaving Tamanend. Please do not request teachers to dismiss you earlier than that.
- Cheerleading Pre-Tryout Informational meeting is Tuesday, April 11th at 7:30pm in the Forum Room. You must attend with a parent or guardian. Tryouts are open to all 8th through 11th grade students. Please email ahanna@cbsd.org for any additional information.
- Boys interested in playing soccer for CB South next year are encouraged to reach out to Coach Pettican at KPETTICAN@CBSD.ORG and provide your name, grade, and email address. Those who contact Coach Pettican will be added to South soccer’s TeamSnap account and will receive updates on summer events and tryout information for the Fall.
Reminder--A Message For Fans Attending CB South Athletic Contests
We hope that everyone will continue to support our athletic teams during the fall season. CB South prides itself on good sportsmanship on the part of players and fans alike. Please keep the following in mind as you cheer for our teams this season:
- Middle school aged students must be accompanied by a parent.
- The use of profanity and vulgarity is unacceptable at athletic events. Please do not engage in inappropriate or demeaning chants during games. Students who do not comply with this expectation will be ejected from the games and will face disciplinary consequences. Let’s focus on supporting our team, not degrading the opposing school.
- Entering/Rushing the athletes’ area of play is prohibited and dangerous to security, teachers, spectators, and the athletes.
- Students are not permitted to bring purses, draw string bags, backpacks, food, or beverages to any athletic event in the Fall season.
- Students are prohibited from trespassing on the property of any school in the Central Bucks School District or on any property in any other school district. Damaging school property or engaging in any other activity that inconveniences the other school’s staff is strictly prohibited and will be considered vandalism, resulting in disciplinary and legal consequences. Please do not jeopardize your good standing by engaging in this type of unacceptable behavior.
- All Central Bucks School District and Central Bucks High School South’s polices apply to students at athletic events. Please be advised that coming to an athletic event under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance is not only extremely dangerous, but also violates School Board Policy 227. If a student chooses to attend a CB South athletic event while under the influence, law enforcement will be notified and a 5-day suspension will be imposed.
CB South’s Administration respectfully requests that parents monitor their child’s whereabouts and actions before athletic events at CB South. Please be aware of your child’s plans before the event, how they will safely get to the event, and how they will safely arrive home from the event.
We hope that you continue to show your enthusiasm and school spirit as we enter the fall athletic season. The Faculty and Administration at CB South has always considered your ability to support our teams in a positive and respectful manner as one of our key points of pride. Please join your classmates in continuing this proud tradition.
UPCOMING TAMANEND EVENTS
Reminder--Tamanend Middle School 20th Annual Jazz Festival is Friday, March 24 at 7:00 PM
Reminder--9th Grade Class Trip to Washington, D.C. is Thursday, March 30
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s) of Current 9th Graders:
We are pleased to be taking the ninth grade class to Washington DC. Our trip will be on Thursday, March 30th, and will involve a full day for students at our nation’s capital. We will be visiting many of the memorials and museums open to visitors throughout the day. It is a full day, and we will be leaving Tamanend at 6:15 AM and we will return to school at approximately 10:30 PM. In addition to this being a great experience for students, the trip is tied to our 9th grade curriculum and our expectation is that each student attends so that they can be a part of this important class and experiential learning experience.
The total cost of the trip is $65. This includes transportation and admission to the museums but does not include food for the day. Payment for the trip and signing the permission slip is to be made through the district online payment system, mypaymentsplus.com.
If you prefer not to take care of this online, payment can also be made in cash or checks (made out to Tamanend Middle School). You will first need to request a paper copy of the permission slip, complete it, and then drop off the payment and permission slip to the Main Office or your child can give it to Mrs. Marano in Room 311. You can request a paper copy of the permission slip by emailing lmarano@cbsd.org or your child can get one from Mrs. Marano in Room 311. Payment needs to be made by 3/20. If your family is experiencing a financial hardship, please email Mrs. Marano at lmarano@cbsd.org or Dr. Caughie at bcaughie@cbsd.org to discuss payment options. Due to our costs, the payment for the trip is non-refundable.
Due to the length of the day, students will be away from home for all their meals. Students are welcome to pack food for the bus trip, as well as lunch and dinner. Students will also have the opportunity to purchase lunch at restaurants surrounding the museums, food trucks located outside the museums, and Union Station where they will have the option to purchase dinner at a variety of fast food eating establishments. If students wish to purchase both lunch and dinner, they should plan to bring enough money to do so (approximately $30). There is also an option for your child to order a prepared lunch from the Cafeteria. If you would like to order a prepared lunch, please have your child see Mrs. Marano in Room 311.
Students will be signing up for their groups soon. Once groups are selected, we will be assigning parents who volunteered to chaperone (with clearances) to their child’s group. Please tell your child if you volunteered so they know when they are forming their groups. We appreciate the number of parents who volunteered to chaperone, but with limited seating on the busses we may be unable to take you all. If there are multiple chaperones per group, we will choose the chaperones by lottery. If you have questions about groups, please ask your child who they plan to sign up with.
We look forward to a great day on March 30th. Thank you.
Sincerely,
The Ninth Grade Team
Reminder--Tamanend UNICEF Unite Club Panera Fundraiser is March 31
The Tamanend UNICEF Unite Club is sponsoring a fundraiser at the Panera in Valley Square on Friday, March 31st from 4pm to 8pm. 20% of all sales will be donated back to our UNICEF club. This fundraiser will help children in need worldwide, especially those affected by the recent earthquakes in Turkey. When you arrive at Panera, you can show the flyer itself or a digital copy on your phone. You can also enter the code FUND4U at checkout on the Panera App or on Panerabread.com. UNICEF thanks you in advance for your support.
Reminder--Harlem Wizards Are Coming to Town
Reminder--American Red Cross Blood Drive at Tamanend is April 13
UPCOMING TIGER'S I ENCHRICHMENT ACTIVITIES
Mandala Coloring Enrichment During Tiger's i
Origami Enrichment Activity During Tiger's i
Strategic Games Tiger’s i Enrichment Group
DISTRICT-WIDE EVENTS
CB South Sponosors Fill the Bus Event at Giant in Warrington on Saturday, March 25
TAMANEND FEATURES
Reminder--District Art Show T-Shirts Now on Sale
We are excited to share that the 2022-2023 District Art Show T-shirts are now available for sale! This modern, comic-inspired design is a classic and perfect for school spirit days, costumes, and casual wear! All profits made from the sales will go towards selected CB student’s scholarship to continue their art education post-graduation. More importantly, your grateful art teachers will also get major bragging rights for providing the most sales. All purchases are made through MyPaymentsPlus.
Reminder--Pennsylvania Seal of Biliteracy
Reminder--7th and 8th Grade PSSA Skills Practice in Resource
7th and 8th Graders will take the PSSA exams in April. As we get closer to April, we will provide exact dates. Over the next several weeks, 7th and 8th Graders will be completing PSSA skills practices one day per week during Resource. The purpose is to practice important skills that will help students prepare for the PSSA exam and for other important assessments in classes. Practicing these important skills will help students be successful, not only on the PSSA exams but in their classes as well. Here’s how this will work:
- Once a week, Resource teachers will instruct students to complete practice questions for a specific subject area (ELA, Math, or Science). On this day, students will not have the opportunity to work with another teacher or to go to the school store during Resource. Students can check the daily announcements to find out which day of the week the practice will take place. The first PSSA skills practice will take place this coming Tuesday, February 7th.
- Students will submit their completed practice questions electronically or on paper by the end of the Resource period.
- If students finish the practice before the end of the Resource period, their teachers will ask them to put their laptop away and take out a book to read silently. Students may not take out their phones or listen to music at this time. This will help prepare students for the environment during the actual test.
- Content-area teachers (ELA, Math, and Science) will receive the completed practice. They will then review the completed practice in class a few days later.
Reminder--Order Your Tamanend Yearbook
Reminder--Program Planning Timeline for 2023-2024 School Year
Program Planning for the 2023-2024 school year is underway. Program Planning is the process by which students, parents, teachers, and school counselors collaborate to create each student's class schedule for the subsequent school year. The Central Bucks Program of Studies, which explains the program planning process and describes all courses, can be found on the CBSD website as per the dates listed below. Please find a list of important dates below related to program planning:
- Tuesday, January 3--Program Planning assembly for current 9th Graders during Tiger's i (snow date is January 4)
- Thursday, January 5--CB South Curriculum Fair for current 9th Graders at CB South at 6:30 PM
- Thursday, January 19 through Sunday, February 5--Current 9th Grade students enter course requests in Portal
- Monday, January 30--Program Planning assembly for current 8th Graders during Tiger's i (snow date is February 1)
- Tuesday, January 31--Program Planning assembly for current 7th Graders during Tiger's i (snow date is February 2)
- Wednesday, February 1--Administrators and counselors guide current 8th Graders through choosing electives in Portal during Resource (snow date is February 2)
- Friday, February 10--Course verifications for current 7th Graders posted on Parent Portal
- Thursday, February 16--Electronic confirmation of course verifications for current 7th Graders due in Parent Portal
- Thursday, February 22--Course verifications for current 8th Graders posted on Parent Portal
- Tuesday, February 28--Electronic confirmation of course verifications for current 8th Graders due in Parent Portal
- Friday, March 17--Course verifications for current 9th Graders posted on Parent Portal
- Wednesday, March 29--Electronic confirmation of course verifications for current 9th Graders due in Parent Portal
Reminder--Are You Interested in Volunteering at Tamanend?
Reminder--Volunteer Required Paperwork
Pennsylvania law requires all persons having direct contact with school children to obtain background checks and clearances. If you are planning on volunteer in in a Central Bucks school during the 2022-2023 school year, you will need to go to Volunteer Required Paperwork, and complete what is needed to be an approved volunteer in our school. Thank you!
FROM OUR MUSIC DEPARTMENT
Tamanend Performs at Pennbrook Jazz Festival
This past Friday, the Jazz Band competed at the Pennbrook Jazz Festival playing their best performance of the year. A number of non-Spectators commented on the Jazz Bands outstanding performance. At the end of the evening, the Jazz Band was rated with their THIRD First-place Superior Ratings of the season and the Trumpet Section was awarded the only trumpet section award for the evening. Hannah Kauffman was awarded an individual solo award for her amazing performance on both the flute and the saxophone! Way to light up the mic! And congratulations to George Leigh who was awarded his third individual award of the year, and given one of the Overall Outstanding Musician award winners for the night! Great job Jazz band! The Jazz Band’s next performance will take place tonight in the Tamanend auditorium for Tamanend’s 20th Jazz Band Festival. The festival begins at 6:30 and hosts 8th regional bands in competition, as well as Tamanend’s Jazz Band and Swing Ensemble, as well as CB South’s Jazz Ensemble. Come check out this year’s Tamanend Jazz Groups; they’re on fire!
UPCOMING DISTRICT AND COMMUNITY EVENTS
Reminder--CBSD Summer Camp
Reminder--National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is April 22
CLICK HERE TO READ THE LATEST EDITION OF ROARING VOICES REVIEW (TAMANEND'S LITERARY MAGAZINE)
EARN YOUR STRIPES--TAMANEND'S SCHOOL-WIDE POSITIVE BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT SYSTEM
Tamanend Middle School empowers students to grow academically, socially and emotionally. Students, staff, and families work collaboratively to model the acronym ROAR.
Respect yourself, others, and property.
Own your behaviors.
Act appropriately.
Remember Kindness.
We believe that a caring, positive school culture and learning environment foster respectful, thoughtful, appropriate, and kind citizens.
In order to operationalize our mission, Tamanend utilizes a school-wide positive behavioral intervention and support plan (SWPBIS). This plan helps us establish a social culture in which students expect and support appropriate behavior from one another— creating school environments that are socially predictable, consistent, safe, and positive. This helps to reduce problem behaviors that lead to office discipline referrals and suspensions, and to change perceptions of school safety.
This Week's ROAR Focus Area: Hallway
QUOTES AROUND TAMANEND
FROM OUR STUDENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT
- Verifications for current 7th Grade students were to be confirmed in the Parent Portal Thursday, February 16th.
- Verifications for current 8th Grade students were to be confirmed in the Parent Portal Tuesday, February 28th.
- Verifications for current 9th Grade students were posted in the Parent Portal on Friday, March 17th and are to be confirmed by Wednesday, March 29th. (If using the Parent Portal app, select the menu and go to “More”, then “Backpack” in order to view and confirm.)
- The CB South Curriculum Fair for next year's 10th Graders was held on Thursday, January 5th. CB South's Program Planning & Curriculum page contains videos from across their various departments and can help give a sense of their offerings. Paramount to the high school transition are relationships and connectedness. Tamanend and CB South counselors will continue to plan and program for relationship-building opportunities as your child transitions to high school, including the forthcoming program planning assembly with high school and middle school counselors, curriculum fair, Q&A with high school counselors during the Intervention and Enrichment time, and welcome days at the high schools. We will share more information about these exciting events soon. Please reach out to your child’s counselor for additional assistance and information as we work together to support this transition.
- MBIT’s Open House was held on Thursday, December 1st at 6:00. Please visit their website (www.mbit.org) to see all of the amazing programs that MBIT has to offer.
FROM OUR TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION DEPARTMENT
Reminder--Creating a Parent Canvas Account
Reminder--If Your Child's Laptop Screen Breaks
FROM OUR HEALTH OFFICE
A Reminder About Returning to School After an Illness
A reminder that in order to attend school, students need to be fever free for 24 hours without medication. A fever is considered 100.4 or higher.
FROM OUR CAFETERIA
Reminder--Universal Free Breakfast Now Available at Tamanend
Reminder--Free & Reduced Lunch/Breakfast Application
Reminder--Consent to Use Free/Reduced Lunch Status (Information Sharing)
Dear Parents/Guardians,
CBSD is currently accepting applications for Free & Reduced Lunch. Students who qualify for the Free and Reduced School Meals Program may also qualify for a variety of needs-based assistance based on their program eligibility. Federal law requires the family’s consent before Central Bucks School District can use or share eligibility status for purposes other than the provision of free or reduced lunch. This information will only be shared if you consent to help provide needs-based assistance to your student that may be beneficial to your family. Your decision to share or not share this information will not in any way affect your eligibility status for the Free and Reduced School Meals Program; it is completely optional.
If your student(s) qualifies for the Free and Reduced School Meals Program, you will receive a notification of a document that needs your attention in the Parent Portal. The Free/Reduced Lunch Information Sharing Consent Form requests permission to use the eligibility status to qualify for various needs-based assistance and programming. You may consent for all areas listed below, decline consent to all areas, or provide partial consent. See the link below for instructions to complete this consent form.
Free/Reduced Lunch Information Sharing Consent Form Instructions
Best wishes for a wonderful start to the school year.
HELPFUL REMINDERS ABOUT TAMANEND PROCEDURES
Arrival to School
Middle School Physical Education Attire
Students are not required to purchase a CBSD issued physical education uniform; however, students will be required to change into athletic attire and sneakers to participate safely and practice good hygiene. Student attire must adhere to the dress code guidelines presented in the student handbook. CB locks will still be required to purchase to ensure personal items are secured in a locker. Locks are available for purchase on MyPaymentsPlus.
Parent Drop-Off/Pick-Up & Parking Lot Safety
If parents/guardians decide to drive students to school, please plan enough travel time to allow for safety and congestion on Stuckert Road and in our school parking lot. The speed limit in our lot is 15 mph.
Below is a map of how the student drop-off will work in our parking lot. Drop off should only happen along the sidewalk in the front parking lot up to the Main Entrance, as indicated by the yellow highlighted area on the map. For your safety and the safety of our students, please follow these directions and do not drop your student off on Stuckert Road, the Visitor's Parking area, or in the middle of the Main Parking Area.
When dropping off your child, please remember that you should MAKE A RIGHT-HAND TURN INTO/OUT OF THE PARKING LOT. Please stay to the right of the parking lot, along the sidewalk, all the way up to the Stop Sign across from the Tennis Courts. Pull up as far as you can when the cars in front of you clear, and let your child out on the sidewalk. PLEASE STAY IN A SINGLE-FILE LINE WHILE IN THE PARKING LOT.
When picking up your child, please remember that YOU SHOULD ONLY MAKE A RIGHT-HAND TURN INTO THE PARKING LOT. The line of traffic will extend back toward the baseball field (Kelly Rd.). Please stay in the line of traffic and continue moving up as the car(s) in front of you move up. If we follow this procedure, all cars we be gone by 2:40.
Morning Car Line
When the weather is poor (heavy rain, low temperatures, etc.), more and more parents/guardians choose to drive their children to school. A reminder that students are expected to be in their 1st Period classes by 7:30 AM. If a child is late to school because of CBSD transportation, their tardiness will be excused. If a student is late to school because of car trouble, over-sleeping, or they are in the car drop-off line, their tardiness is unexcused. Typically, there are few cars in the drop off line from when the doors open at 7:10 until about 7:20. After 7:20, the line begins to get very long.
If you drive your child to school and the weather is poor, please consider leaving home earlier so that your child arrives to class on time.
Thanks for your assistance!
Regular School Hours
7:10: Students may be dropped off at Tamanend.
7:10--7:20*: 7th Graders wait in the Auditorium; 8th Graders wait in the Cafeteria; 9th Graders wait in Main Gym
7:20: Classrooms open to students
7:27: Reminder bell rings
7:30: First period classes begin
*Breakfast is available to students in all grades beginning at 7:10 in the Cafeteria.
Middle School Bell Schedule
Communicating Absences
You may report your child's absence in any of the following ways:
- Phone (Attendance hotline): 267-893-2920
- Written note to be turned in to Main Office
- Through Portal. Click here to learn how to report student absences through Portal.
RESOURCES AND ASSISTANCE
Help with Resources
Tamanend is committed to ensuring that every child has a positive experience at our school. We work hard to ensure that we have financial supports in place for families in need. Please be aware that we can help with the following resources:
- Food--pantry with healthy snacks and personal care items available all day outside of Guidance; meals to take home (students and/or parents and guardians can contact Mrs. Consoletti in the Guidance Office or Mrs. Myrtetus in the Health Office); weekend food packages to take home (students and/or parents and guardians can contact Mrs. Consoletti in the Guidance Office or Mrs. Myrtetus in the Health Office)
- Clothing
- Internet access
- Field trips, school supplies, fees
- Holiday gifts
If your family experiences a financial hardship, please feel free to email one of the staff members below so that we may help:
Brian Caughie (Principal) bcaughie@cbsd.org
Kyle Dudley (Assistant Principal) kdudley@cbsd.org
Lauren Myrtetus (Certified School Nurse) lmyrtetus@cbsd.org
Jeff Klein (Guidance Counselor and Athletic Director) jklein@cbsd.org
Mandy Cammann (Guidance Counselor) mcammann@cbsd.org
Andrea Consoletti (Guidance Secretary) aconsoletti@cbsd.org
Food Assistance in CB
Please click on the link below to learn about food assistance for families in Central Bucks:
https://vimeo.com/748146211 (English version)
https://vimeo.com/748143109 (versión en español)
The CB Farmers Market at Barclay is Every Second and Fourth Thursday of the Month
Reminder--Need a New Backpack?
Brian Caughie, Principal bcaughie@cbsd.org
Patti Hartz, Secretary phartz@cbsd.org
Andrea Consoletti, Student Service Secretary aconsoletti@cbsd.org
Housing Information
GETTING INVOLVED AND STAYING CONNECTED WITH TAMANEND
Ways to Stay Connected with Tamanend
Here is a list of ways Tamanend communicates with students, families, and the community:
- Tamanend website: includes important information, resources, calendar of school events, and daily announcements
- Calendar of school events (posted on our website)
- Daily announcements (Posted each school day morning on our website and in Canvas. Look for the “Tamanend Announcements” course. Students will self-enroll in this course during the first week of school.
- TV show (weekly, during Advisory period)
- Email blasts from Tamanend administration regarding important news, new procedures, and reminders
- Parent Portal: student information, grades, and attendance
- Tamanend Connections newsletter: useful information, important reminders, and school highlights emailed weekly during school year and posted on Tamanend website
- Twitter: @CBTamanendMS highlights of activities, events, and daily life at Tamanend
- CBSD app: highlights of activities, events, and daily life in Central Bucks
Para nuestras familias hispanohablantes...
¡Bienvenidos a Tamanend! Yo soy Brian Caughie, Director de Tamanend Middle School. Soy hispanohablante. Pasé mucho de mi vida en España. Estoy aquí para apoyarles a todos los estudiantes y familias en Tamanend. Favor de llamarme or escribirme (en inglés o en español) si Ud. tiene cualquier duda o pregunta.
Correo electrónico: bcaughie@cbsd.org
Oficina: (267) 893-2900
Daily Announcements
TMS Parent Council
Parent Council is an open meeting where all parents are welcome to attend to learn more about Tamanend Middle School. Parent Council typically meets on the third Thursday of each month at 9 a.m. There is no obligation to attend all Parent Councils and there are no elected positions. Parent Council is a forum for parents and school leaders to learn from and with each other, together.
Thursday, Apr 20, 2023, 09:00 AM
Tamanend Middle School
Share Good News About Tamanend Students
Tamanend Middle School
Email: tms@cbsd.org
Website: http://www.cbsd.org/Domain/25
Location: 1492 Stuckert Road, Warrington, PA
Phone: 267.893.2900