THE SCHOOL SCOOP

The School Scoop is our monthly digital newsletter that keeps parents and students up to date on everything happening here at Taylor. You will find information on upcoming dates of events/activities, clubs/organizations, athletics and important announcements. You will also get a glimpse inside the classrooms in our building with tons of pictures and videos. Happy reading!

Students' enrolled in semester courses may see a change in their schedule for the second 9-weeks. If you would like to check your child's schedule please do so via ParentVue or StudentVue.

We will also have a new schedule printed for students to pick up near the gym on the first day of school, January 6th. Staff will also be on hand to help students with any changes in their schedule.

The Prepared Public Speaking Career Development Event is designed to develop agricultural leadership by providing for member participation in agricultural public speaking activities and stimulating interest in leadership and citizenship. This event provides an opportunity to expose a wide variety of students to the selection, research, planning, and presentation of an agricultural topic. It also promotes integration of Agricultural Education and communication skills, as well as fosters leadership and communication skills. TMS seventh grader, Jillian Lockwood, is the new District V FFA Middle School Prepared Public Speaking Champion! Congratulations, Jillian!

The TMS Spelling bee was held on Wednesday, December 4th with the largest number of participants in school history. Seventy-seven participants all worked very hard studying the word lists in preparation for the big event. Eighth Grader, Mikaela Kerby, was the Spelling Bee Champion spelling the word "meticulous" correctly in the eighth round. Alejandro Salcido earned 2nd place, while Juan Villarreal-Valdez was 3rd in the tight competition. Congratulations to all!

Mikaela will move on the the Lea County Spelling Bee to be held in Hobbs at Tydings Auditorium on January 9th at 6:30 pm. Good luck, Mikaela!

From left to right: Janet Hernandez, Juan Villarreal-Valdez, Mikaela Kerby,

Alejandro Salcido, Abisai Sigala, and Ivory Lopez (not pictured).

The top 15 LiveSchool point earners from each class are awarded Platinum Club status! Students are able to earn LiveSchool points through our Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) system every day by wearing their ID's, being prepared for class, staying on task, and exhibiting many other positive behaviors. The points can be saved to spend at our store at the end of each 9-weeks grading period.

Please see the calendar below for a complete list of events for TMS Band students:

Seventh grade students in Mrs. Espinoza's class completed a collaborative research project by chosing various countries around the world. The students were asked to draw a map, detailing the major water source, as well as highlight the different cultural aspects of the country including food, dress, dance, and religion.

Students designed and produced model bridges in Ms. Norris' class last week. The groups worked together and tested their bridge to see which one held the most weight out of all the classes.

Congratulations to the Winners:

Evelyn Rodriguez, Alexis Martinez, and Yedelin Medina!

Many parents ask, “When is my child sick enough to stay home from school?”

This is not always an easy question to answer! We hope that these tips can help!

A child who is sick will not be able to perform well in school and is likely to spread the illness to other children and staff. We suggest making a plan for childcare ahead of time so you will not be caught without a comforting place for your child to stay if he/she is ill.

Our school guidance states that you should not send your child to school if he/she has:

• Fever in the past 24 hours ***If your child has a fever, please DO NOT medicate your child and send them to school***
• Active vomiting (more than twice in a day) in the past 24 hours
• Diarrhea in the past 24 hours
• Chills
• Cough-A child with deep or uncontrollable coughing belongs at home even without a fever.
• Strep Throat (must have been taking an antibiotic for at least 24 hours before returning to school)
• Bad cold, with a very runny nose or bad cough, especially if it has kept the child awake at night
• Head lice – until your child has been treated according to the nurse or doctor’s instructions

If your child becomes ill at school and the teacher or school nurse feel the child is too sick to benefit from school or is contagious to other children, you will be called to come and take him/her home from school. It is essential that your child’s school has a phone number where you can be contacted during the day and an emergency number in the event you cannot be reached. Please be sure that arrangements can be made to transport your child home from school and that childcare is available in case of illness. If your daytime or emergency phone number changes during the year, please notify your child’s school immediately.

If you have any questions, please contact your school nurse.

Thank you!

We have something for everyone! TMS has many opportunities for students to get involved. It is so important for students to find their place on campus and find friendships with their peers who are interested in similar things. Information on signups and meetings are announced each day on the morning and afternoon announcements. Here are the clubs and organizations students can join:

The Competitive Girls and Boys teams are well into their season and the coaches are impressed with their ability to work together for the success of the team. The girls will always play first followed by the boys for every home game. They will start the semester on the road, traveling to play Gattis in Clovis on Tuesday, January 7th.

The girls intramural basketball teams will have tryouts as soon as we return to school. Any girl interested in improving basketball skills and learning new techniques should plan to attend tryouts beginning January 6th. Any questions can be directed to Mrs. Delgado or Coach Cabello. It is sure to be a great season!

Please see the schedules below so you can plan to come out and see these Wildcats in action:

Reminders:

January 6th - Students return to school on Monday for the second semester/3rd 9-weeks

January 8th - 100th Day of School

January 20th - There will be no school for students as teachers will be in Professional Development.

Taylor Middle School is currently following a 6-period day for the 2024 - 2025 school year. Here are the bell schedules:

Reminder for parents that may need to pick up their student(s) early: In order to ensure that we are able to get your student from class, to their locker, and to the office before the bell rings, the cutoff deadline for early student pick-up will be 2:45 pm on regular school days and 1:30 pm on Wednesdays.

The Lovington Municipal Schools instructional calendar shows school holidays, parent/teacher conferences and early release days throughout the school year. It can be found on the home webpage or by selecting the image to the left.