Timberwolf Connection

Dear Tilden Community,

Love and excellence fill our halls this Valentine's Day! From spreading joy through our Healthy Heart Wagon for staff to celebrating remarkable student achievements, our Tilden spirit shines brightly this February.

Our students continue to demonstrate exceptional academic prowess. We proudly congratulate our 8th and 6th grade mathematicians who qualified for the Maryland State math tournament, with one student achieving an impressive 8th place ranking among 134 competitors. Our school team's 9th place finish among 31 schools reflects the dedication and talent of our young mathematicians.

Equally impressive are our 7th grade Global Humanities students, who explored "Rights and Responsibilities in History" through their National History Day projects. Five outstanding projects will represent Tilden at the district competition on March 8th. From the Battle of Severn to the legalization of same-sex marriage, our students tackled complex historical topics with depth and insight.

Important schedule updates for families:

• Our rescheduled Session 1 of Outdoor Education (for the 6th graders who went for less than one day due to the water main break) will be a 2-day, 1-night session at Skycroft Center from Wednesday, February 26-Thursday, February 27
• Finance Park sessions 2 and 3 proceed this week for 7th graders; session 1's new date forthcoming
• The Tilden Parent/Caregiver Workgroup will meet on February 25 at 7:00 pm in the Media Center
• Tilden students will take the Maryland School Survey on March 7th. We will follow a modified bell schedule on that day. Please review the parent/guardian letter linked below.

These achievements and activities reflect our community's commitment to excellence, whether in mathematics, historical research, or building strong partnerships between home and school.

With pride and appreciation,

Sapna Hopkins

Principal

• February 17: Presidents' Day (No School for Students)
• February 19: Boys Basketball vs Wood MS at 3:15pm
• February 25: No Place for Hate Committee Meeting (During AST)
• February 27: Student MD Survey (Modified Bell Schedule)
• February 28: Early Release Day for Students (Dismissal at 12:30pm)
• March 3: No Place for Hate Committee Meeting (During AST)
• March 7: Student MD Survey (Modified Bell Schedule)

• March 13: Panoramic Pictures for 8th Graders (During AST)
• June 5: 8th-grade field trip to Dave and Buster’s
• June 10: 8th-grade Promotion Ceremony at Walter Johnson High School from 5:00-7:00 pm
• June 11: 8th-grade Dance in the Cafeteria.

7th Grade is reading and analyzing the book, We Beat the Street: How a Friendship Pact Led to Success (by Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, Rameck Hunt, and Sharon Draper).

8th grade is reading and analyzing a variety of texts (with an emphasis on non-fiction texts) that surround the quarter's essential question of "Why do we take chances?"

ELD 3 Grade 6: Students will begin Unit 3, In the Dark. Students will be reading a variety of informational texts beginning with “Margaret Bourke-White Fearless Photographer.”

ELD 1-2 Grade 6: Students will begin Unit 3, In the Dark, by reading an informational text about Typhoid Mary. Students will apply phrasal verbs along with new vocabulary about resilience to speak and write about the text.

ELD 1, 2, and 3 Grades 7 and 8: Students have started Unit 3-Chasing the Impossible. Students will be answering these questions throughout the unit: Why do people chase dreams, even if they seem impossible? What makes a dream worth pursuing? How do optimism and grit contribute to the pursuit of a dream? Students will be reading a wide variety of literature and end the unit with an argumentative essay.

Students have started the kitchen/food safety unit and are learning about kitchen hazards, ways to stay safe in the kitchen and how to keep food safe.

We celebrated Chinese New Year by making paper lanterns and learning how to write blessing phrases in Chinese. Students also learned about the celebration traditions of the Chinese New Year. They will be starting a new chapter learning about “eat” and “drink” and the past tenses of those verbs, as well as some food and drink items.

French 1AB: Students are two weeks into a unit about weather and hobbies.

French 1B: Students are halfway through our clothing unit.

French 2B: Students are starting to wrap up a unit on daily routines.

Spanish 1AB: We just started our review unit. We have new vocabulary and old grammar such as grammatical gender and number, the verbs: to have, to be and to like (all three irregular verbs) along with present tense conjugations of -ar, -er, and -ir verbs. Students must know/ study at home these basics in order to do well in future units.

7th Grade - Students are finishing their learning for finance park before attending the field trips Feb. 12, 13, 14. If there is a two hour delay or snow day the field trip for that specific day will be rescheduled. Students will then begin unit three on Africa. This unit focuses on culture and how Europeans have brought their culture with them and influenced different communities in Africa. The main vocabulary term for this unit is cultural diffusion.

8th Grade - Students are learning about how the country developed. Students will learn about how land was acquired and the benefits of each piece of land.

The Distinguished Service to Education Award honors the exceptional work of educators and community partners who make a difference in the lives of children every day. The Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Department of Athletics will honor an individual for the R.A.I.S.E. Champion of the Year Award at the Champions for Children celebration on May 6, 2025. The deadline to submit an online nomination is Friday, February 28, 2025 at 12 pm.

R.A.I.S.E. Champion of the Year Award Nomination Form

The award winner will be announced at the 2025 Champions for Children ceremony on May 6, 2025. Please consider a nomination of a deserving individual and feel free to share.

REMINDER - Athletics registration for the spring season (boys’ and girls’ soccer) is NOW OPEN. Registration DEADLINE: Tuesday February 25, 2025 and TRYOUTS for Soccer begin: Tuesday, March 18, 2025.

Please check out this splendid opportunity for MCPS students at the secondary level to earn Student Service Learning (SSL) hours. MCPS middle and high school students will earn up to 2 SSL hours for attending the event and completing a follow-up advocacy component via a Google Form. Black high school students will share how they use advocacy to create learning environments that embrace Black students. All students may participate and earn SSL hours by registering and participating.

Please see the details below:

• Date: February 20, 2025
• Time: 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
• Location: Zoom
• Registration Link

To learn more, please visit this link - https://montgomerycountymd.galaxydigital.com/need/detail/?need_id=1042732

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) in partnership with the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services and Montgomery Goes Purple, will host a family forum on mental health and substance use prevention to provide expertise and resources to students, staff, and families regarding the dangers of substance use.

• WHEN: Saturday, March 1, 2025 from 8:00 a.m.–noon
• WHERE: Gaithersburg High School, 101 Education Blvd, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20877

Attendees will learn about the dangers of fentanyl, alcohol, and other substances; information to keep students safe; school and community-based substance use prevention, harm reduction and treatment initiatives and what insurance is required to cover.

Workshop topics will include:

• starting conversations on substance use;
• accessing treatment;
• resources and insurance coverage and non-opioid pain management options;
• and more.

School-based mental health providers will have the opportunity to gain information on how to support students and families with substance use prevention programming. This event will also include Narcan training and distribution, and a resource fair.

• Breakfast will be provided and the middle and high school with the most attendees will receive free ice cream during their school lunch.
• Students will receive four student service learning hours for attending the event
• Parents/guardians, students, staff, and community members can RSVP here.

If you have any questions, please contact The Division of Psychological Services, Office of Well-Being and Student Services, at 240-740-5640.

REGISTRATION FOR SUMMER 2025 IS OPEN!!

Since 1955, Maryland Leadership Workshops has been the premier youth leadership development program in the Mid-Atlantic. We invite middle and high school students to join us this summer at Washington College for a transformative weeklong experience. You can register today with just a $25 deposit.

Program dates:

• Middle School Experience in Leadership (MSEL): July 13-18 for students entering grades 6-8 in Fall 2025
• Senior High Workshop (SHW): July 20-25 for students entering grades 9-12 in Fall 2025
• Advanced Leadership Seminar (ALS): July 13-18 for students who have completed grades 9-12 as of July 1, 2025 and have previous leadership experience

All programs are held at Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland — a beautiful and secure campus on Maryland's Eastern Shore.

Please note MLW has limited scholarships available that are awarded on a rolling basis based on demonstrated financial need, taking into account household income, family size, and extenuating financial circumstances. Directions on how to apply for a scholarship are included in the registration form linked above. To be considered for a scholarship, you must complete the registration form and all other required forms. Given that awards are made on a rolling basis, it is best to submit your application as soon as possible to be considered for a scholarship award.

Learn more about MLW and our summer programs at mlw.org. We can't wait to see you in July!

Emily & Olivia

Program Co-Managers

Maryland Leadership Workshops

office@mlw.org