DECEMBER NEWSLETTER

December 1, 2024

A MESSAGE FROM MR. BOWEN

Happy December,

It is hard to believe we are already sneaking up on the end of semester 1. It has been a privilege to get to know the staff, students and families that make up our Teeland community.

The student body at TMS is full of happy, kind, and thoughtful students. Every day I get to observe students supporting their friends, helping teachers, and representing their families in positive and honorable ways. Since we are working with pre-teens and young teens, we get to see kids making poor decisions as well. It is always good to keep in mind that just because students are beginning to look like adults, and think like adults, doesn't mean they are quite ready to take on the full roles and responsibilities of adults. We appreciate all the work you do to teach your kids to be respectful, on-task, hard-working, on-time, solution-centered, responsible individuals. We will continue to support you in this endeavor.

As we wrap up this semester, we encourage your students to give their best effort to the lessons and assignments given. Our winter I-Ready diagnostic is coming up the week of December 9th. The 10th and 11th will be the official diagnostic days and we will use the 12th and 13th to allow every student to complete the diagnostic. When a student takes this diagnostic to the best of their ability, it helps us to provide more meaningful feedback and instruction that meets their current Language Arts and Math needs. Please encourage them to give it their best. Getting enough rest, a good breakfast, and getting to school with plenty of time to get to 1st period are a few good ways to support them in this effort.

Lastly, with the winter break coming and holidays that so many celebrate, if you have a little treat or surprise that you typically share, please keep your teachers in mind. Having spent time in elementary, middle, and high schools, it is interesting to see how much attention our elementary teachers get from students and parents compared to our secondary counterparts. I am sure this is partly due to having one or two teachers versus 6-10 teachers. If there is a teacher that has just stood out to you or your student, let them know with a card, a treat, or even a positive phone call or email. As humans, we thrive on positivity.

Thanks for all you do to make our school a great place for learning.

Sincerely,

Brandt Bowen

SPECIAL SANTA TREE STARTING NOVEMBER 22ND

TMS office will have a Special Santa tree in the front office on November 22nd! Come grab a tag or two and return with your gifts unwrapped by December 16th to place under the tree. Spread the Christmas spirit and teach your children about the joy of giving! Sponsored by our National Junior Honor Society.

Come celebrate the holiday season with Teeland Middle School's upcoming musical performances:

Band Concert: Tuesday, December 10th, at 7:00 PM.
Choir Concert: Thursday, December 12th, at 7:00 PM.

Our talented students have been diligently preparing a selection of festive pieces to showcase their musical growth and spread holiday cheer. We encourage family, friends, and community members to attend and support our young musicians. Admission is free as well as a live stream on our YouTube page, and all are welcome. Let's come together to enjoy these delightful performances and celebrate the season!

We are planning to have a "Donations Bake Table" at the concert. Proceeds will support our music program. Come plan on enjoying a treat at the shows. If your willing to Donate please drop things off at the Front Office.

COUNSELORS CORNER

iReady testing: December 10th and 11th during Periods 1-4.

PSAT Score Reports 8th Grade: emailed on November 20th and 21st.

8th Graders Save the Dates:

WHS presentation Februrary 11th

CHS presentation : TBD

Christmas Friendship Dinner: December 25th 11 AM to 3 PM at the Menard Center. This is a free event. Find more information here:https://christmasfriendshipdinner.com/

NJHS CANNED FOOD DRIVE RESULTS ARE IN!

Thank you to the TMS students and families for your generous donations to the NJHS Food Drive!

All of the food items donated to the MatSu Food Bank.

Because you reached the goal of 1500 foo items, Mr. Bowen had his head shaved at the assembly on November 27!

Congratulations to the 6th graders who brought in more than half of the total items! Mrs. Proctor’s first period class brought in the most items for the 6th grade, and they will be assisting in the dying of Mrs. Offord’s hair, and Mr. Naegele’s and Mr. Malik’s beards to a vibrant shade of PURPLE at the assembly!

Way to STRIVE and show generosity, Teeland Titans!