As I prepare this week's newsletter, I am reflecting on a terrific 1st week of school! On Monday, we welcomed in our 1,173 scholars. We invested our time reconnecting with each other, engaging in activities to get to know one another, learning about our new Strive Houses program and introducing the broad overview of what students will be learning in their classes. I had the opportunity to visit 62 classes and loved observing high levels of engagement and agency as students moved from class to class.

Strive Houses

We are excited to introduce a new house structure at [School Name] this year! This initiative is designed to foster a stronger sense of community and belonging among our students. Each student will be assigned to a house, where they will participate in various activities, competitions, and collaborative projects throughout the year.

There are six houses, each representing one of our core values in STRIVE. The houses are:

• S: Share Responsibility
• T: Triumph Over Challenges
• R: Respect the Space We’re In
• I: Inquire with Thoughtful Questions
• V: Value the Worth of Others
• E: Engage in Our Learning

Each student will belong to a house, allowing them to build connections and embrace these values in fun and meaningful ways.

We believe this structure will help build friendships, encourage teamwork, and strengthen the overall spirit of our school. We look forward to seeing how this will enhance our school community!

Finally, click on the picture to video the administrator's welcome video.

Warm regards,

Mrs. Erin L. Martin

Principal

What exactly is a PTSA (Parent Teacher Student Association), what does it do, and why is it important?

The best answer can be found at the National PTA website; but in short, the PTSA is a non-profit entity comprised of Parents, Teachers and Students to collectively support the educational needs of the students.

In a time when schools are facing tremendous pressures to serve students and families, the PTSA is set up to support schools and their families.

We do this through:

• Fundraising to help provide resources, programs, curricular and extracurricular support to support and enrich your student’s education

• Community building activities and events to strengthen our school culture and build a sense of belonging

• Advocating for and amplifying YOUR voice for the needs of our students and staff. This can mean within TPMS and/or at the county level.

To make all this work and meet the needs of our students and staff, it’s essential that we have your participation by staying connected, by attending PTSA events, by volunteering, by donating, and/or by joining the board.

IMPORTANT ASK: We need a Recording Secretary on the PTSA Board!

At the moment, we are a very small PTS (only two people)! And though we are committed and mighty, we can’t do this alone.

• Learn more about the Recording Secretary role Interested? Contact our PTSA President Ramata Diop for more info: TPMS.PTA.president@gmail.com

PTSA Events in 2024-25

In the previous newsletter I mentioned I’d tell you about events we’re planning this year - mark your calendars:

• Oct 8, Jan 13, Mar 11, and May 6 |Four in-person PTSA Meetings designed to be useful, and create opportunities to connect with other families, Principal Martin and staff

• Nov 15 | An International Night showcasing foods and performances from the many countries and ethnicities we’ve all come from

• Dec 6 and Dec 7 | Winter socials for 7th and 8th grade families (6th grade families had a welcome picnic in

• Feb 28-29 | Our biggest, awesomest event of the year Books and Basketball. Spanning two days students will square off against teachers in a basketball game to remember. At the same time, we’ll be having a used book sale, silent auction, games and more! This is a great event you won’t want to miss.

In next week’s Newsletter, I’ll tell you a little more about what we're funding (and fundraising for).

Find out more by visiting us at our booth at Back to School night on Thursday, September 5th from 7-8pm.

Stay connected to the PTSA through our Website and Listservs

• Watch this Newsletter

• Visit our Website: https://www.tpmspta.org/

Join our Mailing list: https://www.tpmspta.org/abouttpmspta/mailinglists/

DCC High School Open Houses
September 26 - Wheaton HS, 6:30 pm
September 30 - Blair HS, 6 pm
October 9 - Kennedy HS, 6:30 pm
October 14 - Einstein HS, 6:30 pm; Visual Arts 6 pm
October 30 - Northwood HS, 7 pm; MC2, 6 pm

This is only for students whose home school is either Springbrook, Blake, or Paint Branch
NEC High School Open Houses
October 15 - Springbrook HS. 6:30 pm; IB Regional 6 pm
October 22 - Paint Branch HS, 6:30 pm
October 29 - James Hubert Blake HS, 6:30 pm

Summer SSL forms are due to Ms. Sita by September 23rd, 2024. Please remember to submit forms that have been thoroughly completed! Ms. Sita has received numerous forms already that are missing critical information like student name and ID number. Stop by 106 before 8:10 if you have any questions.