Timberwolf Connection

Dear Tilden Community,

Happy New Year!

The new year has brought both unexpected winter adventures and remarkable achievements to our Tilden family. Despite the surprising snowfall disrupting our return from break, our dedicated Building Services Staff worked tirelessly through frigid temperatures to ensure a safe campus reopening. We have the best Building Services Staff at Tilden MS!

Our commitment to student enrichment continues to shine through diverse experiences. Montgomery County Police Officers Jackson and Taft engaged our students in the Learning for Independence (LFI) program in an informative session about school safety, demonstrating equipment and emphasizing the importance of community vigilance. Their interactive presentation highlighted the crucial partnership between law enforcement and our school community. We are grateful to Mrs. Gutwald and the LFI staff for creating a memorable experience for our students.

December's artistic achievements deserve special recognition. The Drama department's production of "A Christmas Carol" captivated audiences across four performances, showcasing outstanding talent both on stage and behind the scenes. The production featured outstanding performances from the cast and seamless technical support from a dedicated stage crew. Each show was met with enthusiastic audiences, and the hard work, creativity, and teamwork of all involved made this a memorable experience for everyone. Congratulations to the entire drama team led by Mr. Shaw for their remarkable achievement!

Our recent winter concerts highlighted the incredible dedication and talent of our student musicians. The first evening featured 155 students from our Band and Orchestra programs, captivating the audience with a diverse and expressive repertoire performed with precision and artistry. The second evening showcased the vocal talents of 112 students in our Choral ensembles, filling the auditorium with rich harmonies and dynamic musicality. These concerts were a celebration of the students' months of preparation, teamwork, and passion for music. We are proud of their outstanding performances and grateful for the continued support of Tilden Music from our school community.

The success of our annual STEAM Night highlighted Tilden's commitment to interdisciplinary learning. Students explored fascinating scientific concepts through interactive demonstrations - from the Coriolis Effect to digital arts - while sharing their artistic and theatrical talents. Special thanks to Mr. Hadfield, Mr. Shaw, Ms. Golando, Ms. Flanagan, Ms. Schmidt, Ms. Sen, and Ms. Green for orchestrating this enriching event despite weather-related challenges.

These achievements reflect the vibrant spirit of our Tilden community as we begin 2025. Thank you for your continued support in making these experiences possible for our students.

With appreciation,

Sapna Hopkins

Tilden Students/Families,

Tilden's Student Government Association (SGA) is excited to host another student event. It is a Winter Festival Dance/Open Gym scheduled to be held on January 17th from 5:00 to 7:00 PM. The location is the Cafeteria and the Main Gym.

The Winterfest will feature a magical display of lights, decorations, and music. There will be concession stand with pizza, chips, drinks, and more on sale for various prices. Students can play basketball in our open gym. The dress code is semi-formal and is optional.

Tickets will be sold for $5 at the door.

Please note that this event is for students attending Tilden MS; students cannot bring their friends who attend another school to this event.

Do not miss out on this event. We hope to see you there!

Sincerely,

SGA

It is time for students to register for their electives for next school year! Please take a moment to look at the resources below. A few friendly reminders:

• Students can only access the Google registration form through their @mcpsmd.net account.

• Please select your top four elective options. Make these selections carefully as students are not guaranteed their top choice due to staffing constraints. Also, elective classes fill up quickly.

• We kindly ask for all students to submit their Google registration by January 21, 2025.

• If you have any questions, please stop by the counseling office or contact your counselor at their emails linked below.

Current 6th Graders:

• Point of Contact: Ms. Corinne Whited

• Curriculum Night Presentation

• 7th Grade Course Catalog

• Rising 7th Grade Electives Registration Form (*Only accessible via MCPS student account*)

Current 7th Graders:

• Point of Contact: Mr. Jim Alessi

• Curriculum Night Presentation

• 8th Grade Course Catalog

Rising 8th Grade Electives Registration Form (*Only accessible via MCPS student account*)

• January 13 - 17: Outdoor Education Field Trip
• January 13: AST No Place for Hate Committee at 9:30am
• January 15: Girls Basketball vs Silver Creek MS at 3:15pm
• January 17: Winter Festival 5pm - 7pm
• January 20: Martin Luther King Day (No School for Students)
• January 23: Boys Basketball vs North Bethesda MS at 3:15pm
• January 23: Holocaust Speaker Presentations - 8th Grade
• January 24: Holocaust Speaker Presentations - 7th Grade
• January 28: Holocaust Speaker Presentations - 6th Grade
• January 28: Girls Basketball vs Westland MS at 3:15pm
• January 29: Grading/Planning
• January 30: Town Hall by Grade Level

Special Education Resource classes are working hard to adjust to new changes. Students are working on math problem solving, reading comprehension, and written expression on a daily basis. They are also continuing to find time to work on other course assignments. Our LFI program is making huge leaps and bounds. During the month of January, they will be going on Community based trips to help learn about grocery hoping, street and neighborhood safety, and all the different activities and chores that could happen ONLY during the winter. They will also continue learning about caring for themselves and their bodies, wearing appropriate clothing for the weather, and the important jobs different community members have. They are all look forward to learning more about all these things and so much more.

ELD 1-2 Grade 6: Students will complete their end-of-unit writing and speaking project for unit two. They will compose and record a thank you letter to a person who has influenced them in their lives. After that, students will prepare for and complete the WIDA ACCESS test.

ELD 1,2,3 Grade 7-8: Students are working on the Extended Writing/Oral Project for unit 2. They will analyze texts they have read and apply their thinking about the essential question of love and loss to writing in a literary analysis.

ELD 3 Grade 6: Students will complete their end-of-unit writing project for Unit Two. They will compose an argumentative essay to explain how relationships can shape people’s lives. After that, students will prepare for and complete the WIDA ACCESS test.

Spanish 1AB: We will finish the unit about our family and home. We will start learning more conjugations (-er / -ir) verbs in the present tense.

Spanish 1B: Students will be completing interpretive listening and reading activities around two Sr. Wooly videos as they explore other areas of the “Victorverse” and will work towards retelling the story of Víctor with the expressions they learn via the texts.

Spanish 2AB: Students will be applying the preterite (a past tense) and new vocabulary to tell how they worked to improve their community, how Civil Rights activists worked to improve conditions for BIPOC, and how Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers union worked to improve conditions for farm laborers in the 1960s.

Spanish 3: Students will start a new unit related to the environment and we will continue to study and use subjunctive conjugations to give advice.

French 1AB: Students are starting their new unit on School.

French 1B: Students will be starting a new unit on Clothing.

French 2AB: Students will be continuing with a unit on School.

Students will be learning about the money system in China and comparing them with the system in the U.S. They will be learning how to say and write numbers up to 99,999 through different speaking activities such as buying and selling school supplies with classmates.

Happy New Year! January officially kicks off our registration season for the 2025-2026 school year. Please remind your student(s) to complete their elective registration for next school year by January 21, 2025. If you have any questions, please reach out to your child's grade level counselor. All of our resources are posted on the TMS website and linked below for your convenience:

--Rising 6th Graders: Course Bulletin and Google Registration Form
--Rising 7th Graders: Course Bulletin and Google Registration Form
--Rising 8th Graders: Course Bulletin and Google Registration Form

--Rising 9th Graders: Please visit the Walter Johnson HS Registration Website here. All registrations are due by February 6, 2025.

Physical Education classes are in the process of introducing their first "choice unit" of the year. During this unit, students are able to choose a unit that most interests them, or one that they may not get to experience during the year because it's not on their teacher's unit schedule. Choice Unit options can include: Archery, Fitness, Scooter Games/Invasion Games, Polar Bear, Indoor Soccer, and Table Tennis. This will be a 3 week unit that will begin in January and run through the end of the 2nd quarter.

6th grade health classes are beginning to wrap up their mental health unit, then will begin their safety and violence unit. 7th grade health classes are finishing up the mental health unit, then moving into their drug use and misuse prevention unit. 8th grade health classes are moving into the Drug Use and Misuse prevention unit which focuses on opioid and fentanyl.

This quarter studio 1, 2 and 3 focused on sculpture. All students were excited to work with ceramics creating sculpture in the round! Students sculpted their clay and had to wait a full week for it to be fired in the kiln. After the first firing, students received their clay back and had to add glaze, which is the paint for clay. Students returned their clay, and it had to be fired in the kiln once more. They worked very hard and we’re happy with their end products. Studio one created Pinch pot monsters. Studio two Alebrije. Studio three created coil pots.

In the Digital Art & Photography 1 and 2, Digital Art 3 at Tilden, students will go through into the blend of technology and art, utilizing various software and digital tools to create visual art, graphic designs, and basic animations. They will enhance their critical thinking skills by analyzing and critiquing different art pieces, learning to express messages and emotions through their own work. The program aims to nurture creativity and imagination, encouraging students to explore and innovate beyond traditional limits.

Fresh from their first middle school concerts, Chorus 1 and Chorus 2/3 students will be diving into their music for their county adjudication performances in March, April, and our Spring festival performance at Hershey Park in May.

Theater 1 students will be starting and wrapping their final project – performing a Monologue on Tilden’s stage -- in January. Theater 2/Filmmaking students just completed their Movie Trailer Project where they created an original “coming attractions” movie trailer using footage from their previous film projects.

Fresh from their first middle school concerts, Band 1 and Orchestra 1 will be revisiting the fundamentals of music, with a special emphasis on rhythm, and reading 16th note patterns. Band 2/3 and Orchestra 2/3 will be diving into their music for their county adjudication performances in March and April. All groups will spend some time focusing on solo and small ensemble work in preparations for the MCPS Solo & Ensemble Festival later in February.

Filmmaking students will be starting and wrapping their final project in January. In collaboration with the ‘No Place for Hate’ committee and Ms. Wang, filmmakers will be creating PSAs to spread the No Place for Hate message.

Basketball season is here. Tilden's first home game is Wednesday 1/15 at 3:30PM. Our Girls basketball team v Silver Creek MS.

In an effort to raise funds for our Athletics Program we ask your support of a $1.00 entrance fee to all HOME games. Yes, only $1.00. All proceeds will go directly to improving our athletics program such as equipment and uniforms. You can pay with either cash, debit, or credit card.

We thank you in advance for your support of Tilden MS Athletics!!!

Go Timberwolves.

The Division of Food and Nutrition Services (DFNS) has made it easier to view student’s school menus. MCPS students, parents, and community members can now view school menus with MealViewer, providing increased access to:

• School specific menu offerings
• Nutritional information for each meal
• View and filter by the top allergens

Click here for more information!

• WALTER JOHNSON HS USED BOOK SALE

It’s time to gear up for the 2025 WJ Booster Club Used Book Sale! We’re hoping to build on the tremendous success of last year’s sale and we can’t do it without your support. Now that the holidays are past, make room on your shelves and bedside tables for new books by gathering up your old ones for donation to the Used Book Sale. And please spread the word to your family, friends and neighbors!

Donation drop-off dates (from 10 am to 2 pm) at the WJ Cafeteria:

• Saturday, January 11th
• Saturday, January 25th
• Saturday, February 8th

**Donations are also accepted during school hours at the WJ Loading Dock (at the rear of school) starting January 3rd.

PLEASE DONATE: Most books (including recent test-prep and children's books), video games, and DVDs. DO NOT DONATE: dictionaries, textbooks, CDs, VHS tapes, toys and games

**Book Sale Dates (to come and BUY books): **

● Saturday, March 1: 9 am - 4 pm

● Sunday, March 2: 9 am - 3 pm

Email WJUsedBookSale@gmail.com with any questions.

• Minority Scholars will be hosting a holiday light drive until Friday, January 10th.

  Please bring any holiday lights you would normally throw away during this time. All holiday lights are accepted. There will be a holiday light bin available to recycle your lights in the front hallway before school begins each day. What will happen to the lights? A Better Way Recycling collects all lights and then breaks them down to recover raw materials. These ra w materials are often used to create roofing and construction materials, piping, car batteries, other electronics, led wheel weights, flatware, jewelry, and more! All lights will be delivered for recycling to MOM's Organic Market. Questions? Please send an email to suzanne_hadidi@mcpsmd.org.

• Mrs. Park (amie_schwartz@mcpsmd.org) and Ms. Delett (jennifer_delett@mcpsmd.org) have started an English Conversation Club for students who want to have a casual environment to practice English or for native speakers who likes chatting and getting to know other students. It will be held on Wednesday’s once a month in the media center. Interested students can stop by the media center to let us know of their interest and to get specific dates.

• Parent Academy TO GO is designed to inform and empower families as advocates and partners in their children's education. Workshops provide families with useful information and resources to support their children's academic and emotional well-being, as well as help them to be college and career ready. Through a variety of learning opportunities hosted by MCPS staff and community partners, we hope to strengthen our engagement with families and the community. We recognize that behind every successful student are supportive families, teachers, school staff and community members who take an active role in educating our students.