TMS Community ROAR Report

Email: janine.smith@fcps.org
Website: https://education.fcps.org/tms/
Location: 408 East Main Street, Thurmont, MD, United States
Phone: (227)-203-2500
Twitter: @JanineSmithFCPS

As we approach the end of the year, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for the support, commitment, and collaboration that our school community has shown throughout the fall semester. It has been an exciting and productive time for our students, staff, and families, and I am proud of everything we have accomplished together. This time of year is also a wonderful opportunity for our students to reflect on their personal growth and set new goals for the year ahead.

In the coming days, our school will be celebrating with the winter play, winter concerts, and other events that bring joy to our students. I encourage you to check the school calendar for details on upcoming events and to be involved in any way you can.

Looking ahead to the new year, we are excited to continue working with you to support your child's success. As always, please feel free to reach out to me or any member of our staff if you have questions, concerns, or need support.

Thank you for being such an important part of our school community. Wishing you and your family a joyful and restful winter break.

Be the Change,

Janine Smith-Principal

Chris Bittner-Assistant Principal

Anita Shank-Assistant Principal

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW!!

Come and enjoy a magical, heartwarming evening with Scrooge, Tiny Tim, and the three ghosts of Christmas. The story is a moral tale about redemption, generosity, and the importance of compassion during the holiday season.

Tickets prices: Adults and Students are $8 and children under 5 are free.

Tickets are on sale now for Friday, December 13, Saturday, December 14 and Sunday Matinee on December 15. Please visit https://frederickcounty.schoolcashonline.com/ to purchase tickets or even give a shout-out to a cast member. Please contact Ms. Newman, 227-203-2500 x45002, if you have any issues with making purchases.

Doors open at 6:15 pm on Friday and Saturday and 1:15 pm on Sunday.

We hope to see you there!!

Students MUST be accompanied by an adult at all times.

Important Calendar Date Reminders

• Friday, December 6th-PTA Movie Night 6:00-8:00pm-TMS Cafeteria
• Tuesday, December 10th-Leo Club 2:30-3:30 TMS Media Center
• Thursday, December 12th-6th Grade Field Trip-A Christmas Carol at the Weinberg
• Wednesday, December11th-D/F Interims Mailed Home
• Friday, December 13th-TMS Play-A Christmas Carol 7:00pm-Doors open at 6:15pm
• Saturday, December 14th- TMS Play-A Christmas Carol 7:00pm-Doors open at 6:15pm
• Sunday, December 15th- TMS Play-A Christmas Carol 2:00pm-Doors open at 1:15pm
• Wednesday, December 18th-SGA 2:30-3:30-Ms. Rebuck's Room
• Thursday, December 19th-Band and Chorus Winter Concert at 6:00pm
• Monday, December 23rd-January 1st-Schools Closed-Winter Break

Greeting TMS Families:

We are sending out a friendly reminder to check your student's School Cash Online account for any outstanding Technology Fees. While we don't charge a rental fee, there are fees in place for damaged Chromebooks or lost chargers. Unpaid fees may result in being denied admittance to afterschool dances. These charges will stay on the student account and will follow them to the High School, where they could affect those activities as well, until charges are settled.

If payments cause a financial hardship, payment options are available. Please contact Ms. Newman, if you have any questions or concerns about these charges, 227-203-2500.

Please remind your student to always carry their Chromebook in the provided case and take caution with it when it is out of the case.

Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

This year, all Catoctin Feeder Schools are committed to implementing the No Place for Hate program. The Anti-Defamation League’s No Place for Hate® (NPFH) initiative provides schools and communities with an organizing framework for combating bias, bullying and hatred, leading to long-term solutions for creating and maintaining a positive climate. No Place for Hate® is an organizing framework for K-12 schools committed to creating sustainable change that leads to improved school climate. Participating schools can incorporate ADL’s anti-bias and anti-bullying resources within their existing programming to form one powerful message that all students have a place to belong. Since the program was launched in 1999, over 1,700 schools across the country have joined the No Place for Hate® movement nationwide.

No Place for Hate schools receive their designation by:

• Building inclusive and safe communities in which respect is the goal, and all students can thrive.

• Empowering students, faculty, administration and family members to take a stand against hate and bullying by incorporating new and existing programs under one powerful message.

• Engaging schools and communities in at anti-bias activities per year, which ADL helps to develop.

• Sending a clear, unified message that all students have a place to belong.
  
  

The Catoctin feeder principals have been collaborating to establish student leadership committees at each of our schools. Students will be introduced to the program throughout this school year!

High School Transition: Look What Exciting 8th Grade Activities Are Coming!

*November 25-26- High School Planning

*December 11- CHS Elective Fair at TMS

*January 7- High School Registration Assemblies at TMS

*January 8- 5:00-6:30 PM CHS Registration Night at CHS (Snow Date: January 9)

*February 10- Completed Registration Forms Due Back to Ms. Varanyak

Did you miss the Life After Middle School 8th Grade Parent Night? Check out the link below to review the presentation slides. Please reach out with any questions.

Life After Middle School Presentation Link

Special thanks to all of the “Life After Middle School” presenters and representatives, TMS Counselors, Administration and Custodians, and the Catoctin Mountain Orchard for donating appreciation fruit baskets for each presenter. It was a great night with lots of important information shared!

Additional Support:

Therapy Pet Visits to TMS- December 13 During All Lunch Shifts

If you prefer your child not interact with the pets, please contact your child’s school counselor.

Remembrance Ornament Making Workshop- December 18 During Cougar Time. This special activity is open to all TMS students who have lost a special person and/or pet and will be available by sign-up. If you would like your child to participate, please contact your child’s school counselor. Workshop Link

TMS Peer Tutoring Program

Students completed a recent survey indicating their desire to either serve as a peer tutor or to receive some tutoring support from a peer tutor. Tutoring sessions are currently being scheduled for interested students. If you would like your child to participate in this program in either capacity, please contact your child’s school counselor.

TMS Counseling Team Contact Information:

Jane Nicholson- Registrar- jane.nicholson@fcps.org/ 227-203-2500 X45015

Rebecca Krauss- Grade 6 Counselor- rebecca.krauss@fcps.org/ 227-203-2500 X45017

Sherry Bueso- Grade 7 School Counselor- sherry.bueso@fcps.org/ 227-203-2500 X45016

Stacie Varanyak- Grade 8 Counselor- stacie.varanyak@fcps.org/ 227-203-2500 X45019

Debbie Wivell- Behavior Support- deborah.wivell@fcps.org/ 227-203-2500 X45060

Diana Merritt- Career Coach- diana.merritt@fcps.org/ 227-203-2500 X45042

Please encourage your child to complete topics on their ALEKS pie to ensure they will earn full credit each week for the assignment. Since the ALEKS topics are assigned every week there will only be a due date and not a deadline date. We also have incentives, awards and certificates in place at Thurmont Middle School to reward students for making progress on their ALEKS pie. Thank you, in advance, for any support and encouragement you are providing at home! Please reach out to lindsey.lowe@fcps.org with any questions.

How to Get to ALEKS on your Child's Device:

1. Open up a new tab or Google Chrome tab on your computer.

2. Click on “FCPS Bookmarks”

3. Click on “Clever Portal”

4. Click on “McGraw Hill”

Dear TMS Parents

Starting in January, the TMS Language Arts department will be implementing a new schoolwide vocabulary initiative called Word of the Week. The focus of this initiative is to expose students to as many Tier Two vocabulary words as possible throughout the rest of the school year. Tier Two vocabulary words - often known as academic language - are high-utility words that appear frequently in texts across all content areas and in multiple classes that your child is in. Because these words are not often used in daily conversation, students are less likely to learn them independently. An example of Tier Two vocabulary words would be analyze, precise, and discern. Teaching our students Tier Two words significantly increases their verbal functioning and comprehension.

Students will see the Word of the Week slides which include a definition, a picture reminder, and the word used in a sentence. These slides will be shown on the morning announcements, in the cafeteria slide shows, and in multiple classes over the course of the week. This is an initiative that will truly benefit all of our students academically, especially as we enter the next few months of testing. Feel free to take a few minutes each week starting in January to share in our initiative by asking your child about the Word of the Week. See if they are able to use it in a sentence or work it into conversation with you at home!

International Baccalaureate (IB) Program

The application for the upcoming school year is now open! All interested 8th grade students are welcome to apply.

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is a rigorous pre-university course of study that meets the needs of highly motivated secondary students. The program encourages “students across the world to become active, compassionate, and lifelong learners" (IBO Mission Statement) who are prepared to contribute positively in their local communities and the greater world.

For more information and/or to apply, visit the website.

Brain Based Learning Strategies

Additionally, students will be receiving specific mind brain education lessons during Gateway time in the upcoming weeks. These 8 lessons, based on the student-friendly book, Learning How to Learn, by Barbara Oakley, focused on educating students on how to best study, understand what happens physically to our brains when we attain new information, and how to best advocate for our learning. These key concepts are critical as students take a more valued and invested role in their learning and academic success!

Partners in Learning,

Mrs. Kehr

Middle School Advanced Academics Teacher Specialist

heather.kehr@fcps.org

Each year, TMS nominates one of our 8th grade students for the Carson Scholarship. The Carson Scholarship is a prestigious award from the Carson Scholar Fund founded by Dr. Benjamin Carson and his wife. The award of $1,000 is given to a student who shows high academic achievement as well as strong humanitarian qualities.

In order to be considered for nomination a student must have the following:

• A 3.75 GPA or higher

• Demonstrate humanitarian qualities in their schools and communities through volunteer work and/or community service.

• A completed essay of no more than 500 words (450 words minimum):

1. Write about one of the biggest mistakes you have ever made. What important lessons did you learn from that mistake? How did making that mistake help improve who you are today?

2. How do you define personal growth? Why is it important for people to strive to improve themselves?

Students interested in applying should submit their essays and a list of volunteer/community service activities to Ms. Kehr at heather.kehr@fcps.org no later than Monday, November 18, 2024. Typed essays will be reviewed by a panel of TMS staff.

For more information about the Carson Scholars Scholarship please visit the link below: https://carsonscholars.org/scholarships/prospective-scholars/

In Frederick County Public Schools, 73 percent of schools earned 4 or 5 stars via the 2023-24 Maryland Report Cards released by the Maryland State Department of Education today. In Maryland, 41 percent of schools earned 4 or 5 stars.

Five stars is the highest rating a school can earn, and FCPS had 9 schools earn that distinction. FCPS also had 12 schools ranked in the top 10 percent across Maryland. District and school-level work to reduce chronic absenteeism aided many schools in improving their results.

https://reportcard.msde.maryland.gov/

Children need a trusted adult to turn to when they feel threatened. It is important that your child is encouraged to contact their school counselor, administrator or teacher to report bullying because it may not stop without help. If your child feels uncomfortable reporting bullying and harassing behaviors, parents are encouraged to report it to FCPS staff.

To report bullying, use the FCPS Bullying, Harassment or Intimidation Reporting Form, available on the FCPS.org website.

If bullying happens outside of school, families can call:

• 211 for community resource information
• Law enforcement if threats or physical harm occur

Learn more about bullying, harassment, and intimidation in the FCPS Students and Families Tab, found at www.fcps.org. Information is also available in Bullying - Harassment - Intimidation Complaint Process for Students linked here.

We are asking all students and families to make attendance a priority for the Month of December and help us reduce our percent of students who are chronically absent. There are 15 school days the month of December and we want to see you EVERY DAY!! We want all Cougars to show us that at TMS Attendance Matters and Every Day Counts!!

FCPS is using a new portal for school meal related information. Go to the parent portal at http://linqconnect.com/ where you can:

- Apply for meal benefits (FARM)

- View menus, meal prices and a la carte prices

- Add money to student accounts

- Transfer funds between students

- View student meal transactions

- Set low-balance notifications

Breakfast is FREE to ALL TMS Students this year!

Poster Contest: FCTA’s Human & Civil Rights Committee is preparing to celebrate Black History Month in 2025. To kick that off, they’re hosting a poster contest for all middle and high school students in FCPS. The contest guidelines are available at the online submission link for your review.

Spelling Bee:

Frederick County Public Libraries (FCPL) is excited to be partnering with FCPS to participate again in the Scripps National Spelling Bee to be hosted by Hood College in March 2025. FCPS is fortunate that FCPL will coordinate the county-level bee. The March 2025 bee date is March 8, 2025 (Snow date: March 22, 2025) and will be held on the campus of Hood College.

FCPS Notice of Non-Discrimination:

The Board of Education of Frederick County (Board) does not discriminate in its employment, programs or activities based on race, religion, color, ancestry, national origin, age, marital status, disability, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex or genetic information.

The Board is committed to providing students, staff and the community with a safe and supportive environment that fosters mutual respect, equity, inclusion and acceptance of the rich diversity that makes up our community.

Information and resources can be found HERE on the FCPS website.

End of Term 2:

End of Term 2 is on Wednesday, January 15th . If your child has missing assignments or needs to complete a re-assessment, please encourage them to speak with their teacher(s) as soon as possible.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact your child’s teacher(s).

Lost and Found Items:

The TMS Lost and Found table is overflowing with clothing, lunchboxes, and other items. Please have your child look on the Lost and Found table, in the cafeteria, for any of their missing items.

Attendance Information:

If your child is unable to attend school due to an illness or doctor's appointment, or any other reason, please email a note to our attendance secretary, Ms. Shannon Ingram at tms.attendance@fcps.org.

For early dismissals:

• Parent/Guardian will come to the office to sign student out
• Please bring your ID
• Allow adequate time to locate student for an early dismissal
• If you allow someone else to sign your student out, please note the name you authorize in your note to the school. They will be required to show ID to pick up student.

Don’t forget, when going to a medical appointment, remember to get a doctor's note from their office. We will update your student's attendance accordingly.

Students Reporting Security Concerns:

"See Something, Say Something" and "Don't repost it. Report it" - Encourage students to report security concerns to a trusted adult (parent, school staff member, school administrator, SRO, or a local law enforcement agency). Students may also anonymously report concerns using the Safe Schools Maryland Tip Line at 833-MD-B-SAFE. In an emergency, call 911. Additional resources can be found on each school's website and the FCPS website.

FCPS Bus Delay Information:

A quick and easy resource to check if your child's bus is delayed is to visit https://apps.fcps.org/transdelay/ This site is updated in real-time to reflect any bus delays.

Volunteering at TMS:

Are you interested in volunteering at TMS? If so, all volunteers must complete the virtual training each year linked here. Please note this must be completed to chaperone field trips. Please reach out to Shannon Ingram with questions/concerns.

Community Liaison: If you are in need of assistance with school supplies, hygiene products, food, or other community resources for housing, please reach out Crystal Mckenzie, our TMS Community Liason at Crystal.McKenzie@fcps.org. We are here to support and assist all of our families!

Online Tutoring Service for Students: The Frederick County Library has an online tutoring platform called Brainfuse HelpNow. This service can be used with a Frederick County Public Library Card Number. HelpNow is a resource designed for K-12 students and beyond. Live tutoring is available in English and Spanish from 2:00-11:00 p.m. to provide homework help for core subjects, including mathematics, science, and English language arts. Practice long division, improve reading comprehension, and learn other key skills. Practice for standardized tests. Students may submit papers to HelpNow’s Writing Lab for expert assistance and feedback, or collaborate with peers in virtual study spaces. More information is available at the FCPL website, https://www.fcpl.org/learn/brainfuse-helpnow.

2024-25 PTA Officers:
Elizabeth Day-President

Jennifer Clements

Jessica Moore

Michele Conrad

Carolina Lake

Digital Membership: https://fspta-00023696.memberhub.com/store?limit=21&live=true

We need YOU to become a member of our PTA! Please be on the lookout for the online membership link for you to join. We are excited to grow our amazing TMS PTA!