October Newsletter

Welcome back to another school year. Here we are one month in already!

Welcome to all the new families that have joined us whether your child is new to TMSS in grade six, you’ve recently moved to Tisdale, your child is attending from Archerwill, Kinistin, Melfort, Rose Valley, or Star City, or your child is playing with the Trojan hockey team. Welcome to all.

We also have a lot of new faces in our school staff, so it was nice to see many families join us for our Academic Awards and meet the new teachers. If you haven’t had a chance to meet all your child’s teachers, then don’t hesitate to arrange to do so. We have evening conferences in October (17th and 22nd), but you don’t have to wait until then.

If you’ve had a chance to attend a Tornados football game, you will have noticed the construction zone we have on our school grounds. The outdoor amphitheatre is being built and every week the progress is substantial. Walk by and check it out! Thank you to Chupa Trucking & Excavating for setting up the fence and bringing the material for our landscaper, Ashley Keays. The Beeland Coop donated all the brick! We’re talking about $15,000 worth! What community support we have! Thank you to all who have contributed to this project and continue as we work through each phase. The amphitheatre is just the first of 5 phases. Your support of our Mom’s Pantry Product Fundraiser is another way to donate to our school! Check it out online: https://momspantry.ca/collections/shop-now and be sure to include Tisdale Middle & Secondary School when you check out.

On a more serious note, we have had some resistance to school policies that I wanted to remind everyone of:

1. Cellphones – In all provincial schools, cellphones (including all personal electronic devices) are not to be in any grade 6-8 classroom, unless there’s an exception that has been discussed with the teacher. Grades 9-12 students are only allowed their devices for instructional purposes, based on the teacher’s direction.

2. Dress Policy – no clothing allowed that promotes alcohol or drug use or is vulgar and sexually suggestive.

3. Student Parking Lot – there are garbage bins throughout the parking lot, no littering. The parking lot is surrounded by two daycares, a seniors’ home, and a healthcare office. The honking and engine revving are tiresome. Be respectful of others.

I appreciate the support we get from families enforcing these policies. The school doesn’t function well without your support. Your child’s academic progress and overall maturity depend on it.

I look forward to seeing you at conferences, if not before at our many Tornado events this fall!

Carmen Messer

Emerson Hilkewich is the recipient of the Grade 6 GRIT award. From the first day she began school in September, she faced each day with a growth mindset. She is prepared to learn, puts her full effort into all her assignments, and digs deeper when learning new concepts. She quietly shares her thoughts during class discussions and listens well to others. She brings a calmness to our classroom that is both welcome and contagious. Keep up the great work in grade 6 Emerson!

This month’s GRIT award for grade 7 goes to Luke Hrebeniuk! In the first month of school, Luke has done an excellent job of showing GRIT. Luke is a great example of what integrity looks like, as he is the first to notice when there are jobs around the classroom that need to be completed and take initiative to make sure they get done. When he is done his work early, he always makes sure that he completes any other work that needs to be done and then is sure to ask if there is anything he can help with around the classroom. Luke has also done a wonderful job of demonstrating togetherness by being a cooperative group partner and welcoming to his peers. He is a leader in group work by making sure his group stays on task and understands the assignments, in order to get it done.

The Grade 8 monthly GRIT award winner is Emily Wingenbach. Emily always has a smile on her face, and is an honest and conscientious student, who strives to do her best in all situations. She puts in a determined effort, no matter how challenging the assignment, and works well with others to perform the required tasks. Congratulations Emily!

The Grade 9 GRIT shoutout goes to Finn Brinklow. Finn is always doing the right things and is a resilient learner. He is always striving to improve. This is evident in his time with the football team. Every day, Finn comes to practice with a work ethic second to none. He improves daily both in the mental and physical aspects of the game. The future is bright for Finn.

Lizzy Hindley is a lovely Grade 10 student at TMSS. She always has a smile to share, is willing to try new things, and is welcoming of others in the classroom. Lizzy is braving Grade 10 this year with confidence and pride. She is easy to work with, shows up ready to tackle the day, and improves her efforts with each class. She embodies the GRIT Mantra in the building and when she is out around town, including her time at PLUS Industries and when bowling with the school. Lizzy is our October 2024 Grade 10 GRIT winner!

The Grade 11 GRIT award goes out to Hailey White-Boon. Hailey has shown tremendous Growth over the past few years and is a pleasure to have in class. She shows Resiliency by always making sure to ask questions, come in for extra help, as well as Togetherness by lending a helping hand if her peers are struggling. She can always be counted on for a smile in the hallways and TMSS is lucky to have a student like Hailey. Congrats!

Congratulations to our September Grade 12 GRIT winner, Zenek Chapman. Zenek has been an outstanding support to his peers, always stepping up to assist those who may be struggling in class. He has a talent for breaking down complex topics and explaining them in ways that his classmates can easily understand. Zenek consistently seeks feedback to improve his learning and is equally generous in providing feedback to others. His drive for continuous growth and his willingness to help those around him make him a true embodiment of GRIT. Well done, Zenek!

Hello everyone! Welcome back to a new school year. My name is Carla Hordos, and this is a year full of new changes for me as well. I may be familiar to many of our TMSS Families, especially if your student went to school at TES, where I was a Grade 3 teacher for the past 10 plus years. It is hard to believe that this will be my 22nd year of teaching. These days, you will find me hanging out in Grade 6, getting reacquainted with many of my former students. My husband Russ and I live in Tisdale. We have two grown children who are continuing their post-secondary education. We had a wonderful summer, camping in a tent trailer at Baldy Lake, kayaking and hiking in the Gems (and let’s not forget getting eaten alive by all the northern bugs). Many of our weekends were spent at Barrier Lake, soaking up the sun and catching a few fish.

Hello Parents, Guardians, and Community Members!

My name is Emma Jensen, and I am one of many new faces at TMSS this school year. I am currently in my 4th year of my Bachelor of Education degree at the University of Saskatchewan, and I am completing my extended practicum with Kelly Andris! I am going to be teaching ELA A30, ELA B30, and History 30 with Mrs. Andris until Christmas break. I grew up in the North-East and I am incredibly excited to be spending my four months in Tisdale. During my time here I am going to be helping with SR Boys Volleyball, and I have hopes of helping establish a Youth Reconciliation group here at TMSS. I enjoy spending lots of time outdoors, so if you see me on walks around town, please say hi! I am so grateful to be a part of such a strong school and community. I look forward to meeting you and your children in the coming months!

Hello everyone! My name is Nathaniel Rosaasen, and I am a teacher candidate from the University of Saskatchewan. I am joining Mrs. Magnus in her grade 7 class until the winter break, and I am helping coach the football team.

Outside of school, I love golf, skiing, and spending time with my friends and family. Thank you to everyone for welcoming me into this wonderful community and making me feel right at home. I am excited to be a part of it and look forward to getting to know everyone better!

"Hi, I’m Hannah Clifford and this is my first year teaching at TMSS. I grew up in Melfort (sorry) and finished my schooling in Saskatoon at the University of Saskatchewan. I teach high school math and science. I am married to my wonderful husband Gabe who is currently an EA in Bjorkdale while he finishes up his last bit of schooling towards his Education degree. A few things to know about me are…

1. I love ice cream

2. I love playing board games with my friends and

3. I love to travel. I also love sports and come from a big sports family and am excited to be involved here at TMSS."

Hello everyone! My name is Mrs. Jordan Bagsit, and I am excited to be the new grade 9 teacher at Tisdale Middle & Secondary School until December. I have received such a warm welcome already, and I look forward to building more great connections with all of you. Teaching is one of my greatest passions, and I am eager to share that enthusiasm with my students. This fall, I will also be helping with the drama team. Outside of the classroom, I love traveling and spending time with my family. Here’s to a fantastic year together!

Hi! My name is Ram Bagsit, and I’m thrilled to begin my first year of teaching at Tisdale Middle & Secondary School. I recently graduated from the University of Saskatchewan and will be teaching senior sciences. I’m excited to help with the football team this fall and coach the junior basketball team in the winter. I have a passion for traveling, sports, and spending time with my family. I look forward to fostering both academic and athletic growth in my students and becoming a part of this vibrant school community!

Yearbook Order Forms are available for the 2024-25 TMSS Yearbook.

Pre-order payments can be made online or by cheque or exact cash at the TMSS office.

There are still a few 2024-24 yearbooks available at the office for $45, while supplies last.

Just a reminder that if you have photos to share from sporting events, dress-up days, classroom activities, and anything else yearbook worthy to please email them to: tmssyearbook@gmail.com

Thank you so much for your continued support of the yearbook!

The cross-country running team season started the first week of school. By the second week, we hosted the first meet for the grade 7 – 12 NESSAC league. The next meet was hosted by L.P. Miller at Rolling Pines Golf Course the last week of September with the NESSAC championship to follow in October hosted by MUCC at the Spruce Haven Park. Some of our grade 9 – 12 runners will qualify for the provincial championship at Dixon Hills on October 12.

The grade sixes have also been running and competing. Their first meet was in Nipawin at Central Park School on September 24. We will host our own elementary meet after school for grades 4-6 on October 1st at Kinsmen Park. We’ll end with a long road trip to Hudson Bay the following week for a grueling run at their regional park.

Let’s hope the beautiful fall weather continues for this outdoor sport!

It was a great day for golf on Wednesday, September 25 for the NESSAC Jr. Golf Tournament at Tisdale Riverside Golf Course.

Temperatures got as high as 27. Golfers learned a lot about proper golf etiquette and proper scoring. Lots of good golf shots were made.

7 golfers represented TMSS.

The following are their scores:

Competitive:

Nixon Coleman - 84 - Tis - 2nd Place

Grayden Little - 84 - Tis - 2nd Place

Sawyer Pollon - 88 - Tis - 6th Place

Grady Wasylyniuk - 110 - Tis - 12th Place

Dane Wallington - 121 - Tis - 13th Place

Non-Competitive:

Wyatt Smith - 124 - Tis - 3rd place non-competitive

Easton Garland - Tisdale - Did not finish

Golf is such a short season, I hope these boys continue to golf and continue to improve, so they can represent Tisdale at provincials when they get older.

The Tisdale Tornados football team is sitting at one win and one loss in a very tough conference. This team is filled with younger players who are getting their first starts of their careers and they are led by some outstanding grade 12's who have dedicated so much of their high school years to this team.

The Tornados look to improve every single day and make a strong push for the playoffs in the second half of the season. The Junior squad (Grade 9/10) has attended two Jr. Jamborees and look to continue their undefeated streak in their last Jamboree of the season in Humboldt.

The Senior Girls Volleyball A team is off to an unbelievable start to their season! They went to University of Saskatchewan first weekend of September and won more games than we ever have before. The next weekend, we went to Rose Valley and won a well-deserved GOLD!

The girls continued their streak and went to Porcupine Sept. 20-21 and won GOLD again! This past weekend, we hosted our home tournament in TMSS and TES, and had a back and fourth gold match against Melfort…. We ended up getting silver after a battle in the third set.

Looking forward to Moose Jaw tournament at Peacock Collegiate this weekend! Go Tornados!!

Did you know that Tisdale has a KidSport chapter? Click here to access the online application for help with sports fees.