Cougars ROAR: TEMS Community News

Kindness is key at Timothy Edwards. Our TEMS Student Leaders just kicked off a kindness campaign with a door decorating contest and is spreading messages of kindness using the TETV news and with signage in our hallways.

There is quite a bit to celebrate this month. On Saturday February 11th, Timothy Edwards hosted a Connecticut Middle School Debate League Tournament with approximately 300 participants, representing 17 schools across the state. Thirty-one TEMS students were debaters at this event. Congratulations to the team of Alveena Suha, Hadi Memon and Gabby Fisher who finished in 2nd Place in the Novice Division with a perfect 3 and 0 record.

TEMS mathematicians competed in the MathCounts competition earlier this month. The TEMS team of Girish Prasad, Ishan Agarwal, Akhil Shunmugaraja and Gian Handa came in first place and will be moving on to the state level competition in March.

Seventh and eighth graders had their Valentine’s dance hosted by TEMS Entertainers earlier this month. Our student Entertainers are gearing up for their three day run of Matilda Jr. scheduled on March 2nd, 3rd and 4th. More information about tickets are included below- hope to see you there!

As part of our regular reviews of school safety procedures, we will be making some adjustments to our student arrival process. Students will be allowed in the building at 7:45 AM when our teachers report to their supervisory posts. Any students dropped off early to school will need to report to the A entrance, rather than the B or C entrance. B and C entrances will remain locked and will be opened by a staff member when the buses drop-off to allow students to enter. During days of inclement weather, students arriving early may enter the building by the A entrance and wait in the lobby supervised by one of our safety officers. Students are to stay in the lobby until 7:45 AM, when they will be dismissed to their homerooms. Please review these plans with your children and we thank you for your assistance in keeping our school safe.

Please click here to see a month-at-a-glance for March. You can also reference the school event's calendar that can be found on the school's website.

• SWPS State Assessment (SBAC/ NGSS) Letter and Dates
• South Windsor Hartford Public Library Teen Events
• Hartford Public Library Teen Events
• Programs & Exhibits | Hartford Public Library

Communication was shared yesterday afternoon regarding a transition back to free breakfast and lunch for ALL students beginning March 1st and continuing throughout the rest of the year. The district communication is linked here.

TEMS Entertainers are proud to present Matilda, Jr. as our spring performance. Come enjoy the story of Matilda- who has astonishing wit, intelligence... and special powers! She dreams of a better life when she finally catches a break and meets a spectacular schoolteacher, the highly loveable Miss Honey. Matilda's school life isn't completely smooth sailing, however – the school's mean headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, loathes children and just loves thinking up new punishments for those who don't abide by her rules. But Matilda has courage and cleverness in equal amounts, and could be the school pupils' saving grace!

CLICK HERE to download the ticket order form.

On April 4th we are planning a follow up to our family event focused on bullying and social media. In partnership with South Windsor Police Department, South Windsor Youth and Family Services, and the South Windsor Human Relations Commission we are happy to be able to invite Jo Ann Freiburg and Patricia Ciccone back to TEMS to get deeper into our conversation about supporting a positive school climate. You can look forward to more information coming to you soon.

Grade 8

TE and SWHS School Counselors worked with your child this week to select desired classes for next year. The request portal closes on Monday February 27th. Please use this weekend to discuss the choices your child ultimately made, and edit accordingly (prior to Monday). Any changes for class requests after Monday must be submitted to your student’s TE School Counselor. The class request deadline is March 10. Due to scheduling constraints, not all students will be scheduled for all classes that they requested. When preliminary schedules are created in May, any student not receiving a requested class will have the opportunity to select a new class from the classes available.

Mrs. Alison Fetta and Mr. Kent Besocke are instructional coaches that support faculty and staff in providing instruction that meets the needs of our diverse learners at TEMS.

In and out of school, kids often open up about what interests and motivates them. Listening to our children will tell us things they care about most and may provide clues to their special talents. Sometimes middle school students feel that their interests and talents have already been discovered and set in stone; however, this is the perfect time to search for other possibilities. Dr. Thomas Armstrong, from the American Institute for Learning and Human Development, has many suggestions for supporting adolescents. Here are our top three ideas for pursuing passions:

• Share Your Life! The passions you have and have had throughout your life could influence your child. Share family stories and prior experiences with your child as well as your current hobbies, interests, and work life.

• Get Out of the House! There is a world of opportunity to explore right in our community, so try something new. Take advantage of the town library and the Wood Memorial Library as well as the Recreation Department. You may discover cultural events, celebrations, and themed exhibitions that you never knew existed.

• Dream Big - Have No Limitations! As you accompany your child on this journey of shaping their lives, encourage and value their aspirations without labels, comparisons to others or gender biases.

Supporting and nurturing your child’s interests may activate latent gifts and propel them into meaningful projects. Make time to embrace free time and pursue passion!

Mrs. Debbie Matchett is our school's Technology Content Coach. She supports educators, students, and families in navigating technological tools that can enrich educational experiences.

If your child is experiencing technical issues with their Chromebook, click here to view a helpful handout to help them troubleshoot Common Chromebook Issues.

If you tried troubleshooting, but the device continues to not work properly and needs to be repaired, click here to view the Chromebook Repair Process for students. Following this process will ensure a quick turnaround.

Both of these documents can be found on the Student EdTech Website among other helpful technology resources.

Eva Longo is the TEMS Library Media Specialist. She supports students in accessing electronic and print text resources. This month she is highlighting the upcoming March Madness Book Bracket.

Starting Wednesday, March 1st, TE students will be able to vote in the first round of the 2023 March Madness Book Bracket through Thursday, March 9th at noon.

Students can vote by visiting the main LMC page and then clicking on the “March Madness Book Bracket” link and next on “CLICK HERE to vote for Round 1.”

Students do not have to have read the books in order to vote, but do need to read the summaries within the Google Form to determine which of the books they feel they would enjoy reading the most.

The overall objective of March Madness Book Brackets is to get more students excited about books and connecting reading with something of high interest like the NCAA tournament.

I own two print copies of each of these titles, in addition to the virtual versions, e-Books or e-audios that students can access within Destiny Discover. Students can immediately start checking this content out.

Please encourage your child to take a look at the top 16 pick summaries and cast their votes for the first round by Thursday, March 9th at noon to make sure they have their say in the 2023 March Madness book winner!

Click HERE to access the Google Form

Congratulations to our girls basketball team who ended their season on February 15th in the CRAL championship game against Suffield. They came out on top winning the championship and finishing the season with a 10-3 record. Our boys finished the season with a 2-9 record and our cheerleaders will compete in their first competition tomorrow, February 25th.

Registration for spring baseball, softball and track and field will open on Monday, February 27th and close on Monday, April 3rd. You will need to register on the parent portal and turn in an updated physician statement to the main office by the deadline. The physician statement must be dated after June 1st, 2022. Tryouts dates and times will be posted by mid March.

The Preschool Outreach Program (POP) is currently accepting applications for the 2023-2024 school year (click here for the application and the POP brochure). Please submit your application at your earliest convenience as the role model screenings are occurring. More details regarding the date and times of the screenings will be sent to you from the POP staff once they receive your application.

The daily TETV Morning News serve as our primary vehicle for communicating important information to students each day. This is where students can learn about upcoming events, tryouts, clubs and activities, and current events. In addition to playing during homeroom each day you can access the daily news on our school website.

We value our partnership with South Windsor Youth and Family Services. Please see the information about upcoming events and resources below.