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!

We are so excited that construction is underway on our new secure entrance and office redesign. The construction will not impact morning and afternoon pickup and drop-off; however, we have changed up the parent check-out area due to the construction. Please avoid the old entrance to the school, and utilize the north parking lot entrance nearest Dollar Tree. The blue arrow on the image below indicates where you will enter TMS to check out your child during the regular school day. You will still be required to show an ID to pick up students. Thank you in advance for your patience as we revamp Taylor Middle School. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to the office at TMS.

Chromebooks - Students need to be prepared each and every day with their Chromebook charged! They should also have their charger in case of a drained battery later in the day. The office will have a few spare Chromebooks available for students for a fee of $5 per day. This will be on a first come, first served basis.

I.D.s - It is mandatory that all TMS staff and students wear I.D.s every day! This is non-negotiable! It will be $5 to reprint a new one. If a student does not have the $5, the secretary will add it to that student's fees and fines.

Cell Phones - Students must put cell phones in their locker. They will have access to their cell phones at lunch time only. If parents/guardians should need to get a message to a student, please call the TMS Office and we will relay the message. Our expectation is that students do not have cell phones in the classroom so as not to interrupt the educational environment.

Campos Portraits will be on campus to take our school pictures on Wednesday, September 4th. Picture packets were sent home with students on Tuesday, August 27th.

Parents/Guardians can order online at: www.camposportraits.com

Access Code: F37RW9

Online order receipt must be presented to the photographer on picture day!

Questions? Please call or text: (806) 794-6754

Contact@camposportraits.com

In order to tell students about the high expectations we have for them on the Taylor Middle School campus, the staff rotated students through eight stations. The stops included the gym, hallway, library, bus stop, office, outside areas, and the cafeteria. Students were informed about the positive behavior expected of them in each area of our school and our core values - Compassion, Integrity, Achievement, and Safety.

Our Portrait of a Wildcat core value of the Month is Adaptability.

• Demonstrate flexibility when acclimating to various roles and situations.
• Respond constructively to feedback, praise, and setbacks.

The ADAPTION paper activity in Mrs. Starkey's Advisory class asked students to draw 5 circles normally and then re-draw them again without using their hands. The students then were asked to do the same with a balloon- race, first using their hands and then without. They used "think time" to ADAPT to a new challenge, predict the outcome and analyze what actually happened. Great fun was had by all!

As we look at ADAPTABILITY, it has been rewarding to see student work such as this creative assignment that Ruth Lopez’s class completed this past week. This activity showcases students adapting to one another to form supportive classes.

Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) effectively rewards students for making positive choices within the school day. PBIS is at the core of developing a strong culture that meets the social and emotional learning (SEL) needs of our students. When done with consistency, PBIS encourages children to meet behavioral expectations, while simultaneously creating a warm learning environment and building strong teacher-student relationships.

Rewards are an integral component of establishing the PBIS system in our school and we use LiveSchool to award and track points for attendance and positive behavior. These rewards keep students motivated by reinforcing good behavior, and ultimately incentivizing them to keep making good choices everywhere in the school building!

The LiveSchool points will be used to purchase rewards on the virtual TMS PBIS Store. The store openings will be at the end of each 9-weeks grading period.

Parents, you will be able to check your student's points and teacher comments by selecting the LiveSchool image to the right. You will then be asked to enter a code which will be given to students in their Advisory class soon. Weekly recaps will be emailed to the address specified on your account.

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.

One of the main components for starting a school year in the Capturing Kids Hearts program is social contracts for each classroom. Research supports the Capturing Kids’ Hearts approach to social-emotional wellbeing, relationship-driven culture, and student connectedness. Social contracts are just one way to help strengthen trust between teachers and students, while building self-managing classrooms and creating accountability for students. Research shows that improving academic performance is a result of implementing these transformational processes.

Students in Mrs. Jameson's 7th grade Science class had fun participating in team building activities to get to know each other.

It's always a good time getting to know or reconnect with classmates. Mrs. Starkey had a team-building balloon activity planned for her ELA students to do just this!

Mr. Dunlap's 6th period New Mexico History class got a perfect score in Jeopardy as they reviewed their unit.

Students in Mrs. Crawford's 8th grade science class recently participated in an energy lab. They learned about building energy systems in this unit.

Students in Mrs. Astudillo's class put their thinking caps on and enjoyed this hands-on and engaging all-ages which improves resourcefulness in word making and vocabulary.

Students in Mrs. Garcia's Life Skills class took on a baking lesson this past week. They measured, mixed and prepared cupcakes during class.

We have something for everyone! TMS has many oppotunities 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:

TMS Caring Cats learn from each other about how to create an inclusive school culture of looking out for one another through activities, events, and projects that promote kindness. Start With Hello is one of Sandy Hook Promise’s no-cost Know the Signs programs and teaches students to be more socially inclusive and connected to each other. With activities for all ages, students are empowered to end social isolation in three easy steps.

Fall Sports

7th & 8th graders have the opportunity to participate in competitive Football, Volleyball, and Pep Band. Any student athlete that does not make the competitive traveling Volleyball team is able to play Intramural Volleyball. All intramural practices and games are held at the TMS gym.

8th graders are eligible to participate in Cross County and Soccer at LHS.

(Select Football or Volleyball links above to see game schedules!)

Winter Sports

7th & 8th graders have the opportunity to participate in Basketball.

8th graders are able to compete in Swim and Basketball.

Spring Sports

7th & 8th graders have the opportunity to participate in Track & Field.

8th graders can compete in Softball, Baseball, Tennis, and Golf.

Reminder: Students may not practice until their physical is on file at TMS.

Fall sports are in full swing. Come out and support our Wildcats. Athletic schedules can be found on the Athletics page of our school website. Tickets can be purchased online or with cash at the gate. Please remember we implement a clear bag policy at all athletic events.

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Wildcat Activity Passes

LMS Central Office
7:30 AM - 3:00 PM
Monday - Friday

Adults $50 each

Staff – $30 each

Students $30 each

- Cash only -

Game Admission is $5

** Activity Tickets are not valid for District/State Tournament games.

Taylor Middle School is currently following a 6-period day for the 2023 - 2024 school year. Here are the bell schedules:

Punctuality is a virtue we like to cultivate in our students. Showing up on time to school each day benefits students' academic performance and future professional habits.

Before 7:55 am: Students arriving early will be admitted to the gym until dismissed at 7:55 to get breakfast and go to a locker assigned by their 4th period teacher.

Breakfast: A grab-and-go breakfast will be available in the cafeteria each morning. Students are welcome to eat this meal in their 1st period class.

Lunch: This year students will have lunch with their entire grade. Students will have lunch and recess outside each day. In the event of inclement weather, students may have recess in the gym.

Restrooms: Restrooms will be open during passing periods, and will be available when they come to the office. This is a safety precaution against vandalism, fights and exposure to inappropriate peer behavior.

Advisory: A student's 4th period class is their Advisory. This 15 minute time is allotted every school day except for Wednesday.

Afternoon Pickup: Parents may pick up students in the north parking lot or along 11th Street in front of TMS. Please avoid the south parking lot as this is for staff and bus parking only!

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 2:55 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 right.

Reminder: We will release at 1:45 pm on Friday, August 30th and there will be no school on Monday, September 2nd.