Congratulations to our Academic Super Bowl team on an outstanding day at the Area Competition Saturday, April 29th. Each team placed in the top three in their classes at the area competition. Team members Jennifer Wang, Elizabeth Szevery, Abigail Lee earned the state runner up title in math as well as first place at the area competition! Dionne Ralph, Dani Gonzales and Megan Winland earned a second place finish at the area competition and just missed a state top 10 ranking for English. Jennifer Wang, Ahana Bhardwaj and Elizabeth Szevery earned a first place ribbon in Science at the area competition and earned a state top 10 ranking for science. Rachel Zeck, Finley Strietelmeier and Ahana Bhardwaj earned a third place ribbon at the area competition for Social Studies. In the final Interdisciplinary round Jennifer Wang, Ahana Bhardwaj, Megan Winland and Dionne Ralph took the stage again and earned an area first place ribbon for Interdisciplinary and a state top 10 ranking. Congratulations, ladies! We are so proud of you!

In 7th grade, we are still working hard. Keeping students engaged is a challenge but we won't give up even as the weather starts to get warmer. In science, students are learning about the differences in bacteria and viruses and then will be learning about some body systems like the digestive and respiratory systems. In advanced science, we are finishing our year learning about genetics. In Pre Algebra, students are working through the 8th grade standards. They are learning the exponent rules and how to perform operations on numbers written in Scientific Notation. In Math class, students are reviewing topics such as rational numbers and solving equations in preparation for their 8th grade math class. English classes will be working and completing the Small Steps book with an accompanying project. In Social Studies, students are studying the development of island cultures of the South Pacific.

Upcoming: Our Second Book Fair!

Our second book fair is scheduled for Monday, May 15th through Friday, May 19th -- only two weeks away! In addition to students being able to browse and shop during their scheduled class visits, students can also visit the book fair before school and during Viking Times. The book fair is a perfect time for your child to choose a book or two to read over the summer. What’s more, students can just browse and add book titles to their reading list as TJM has many of the books available for check-out here in our library. Encourage your child to participate in one of the book fair activities to help make the book fair a memorable celebration of books!

Any girls entering grades 6-8 in the Fall, who are interested in trying out for the Middle School Gymnastics team should contact Coach Lorie Cook at lcook@valpo.k12.in.us now for more information. There will be a mandatory Parent Meeting on August 2nd from 6:00-6:30 in the VHS Fieldhouse.

Tryouts will be held August 17 and 18, from 3:20-5:30. The season will run through the third week in October, with competition at the Optional level. All girls trying out must have a completed physical packet on file with their MIddle School, before attending tryouts.

Attention 7th and 8th parents, please consider enrolling your child into the Twenty-first Century Scholars scholarship. This scholarship must be started in 7th or 8th grade! The deadline for signing up for this scholarship is approaching. Indiana eighth graders must get signed up by June 2023.

This is an opportunity for your child to have all or part of his or her college tuition paid for by the state! The 21st Century Scholars program began years ago as a way of helping students afford a college education. The scholarship eligibility is based on family income. Once a student is enrolled in the program, he or she will pledge to meet good citizen guidelines throughout the rest of their school years which will include some check in points each year in high school.

In order for a student to be enrolled, parents must fill out an application online before the deadline. Please click on this link for more information about eligibility and for the link to the application:

https://learnmoreindiana.org/scholars/students/middle-school/

Para leer este informacion en espanol, haz click aqui https://scholars.in.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/21CS-Enrollment-Flyer-2019-Spanish-Flyer-1.pdf

Please reach out to your child’s school counselor for any help or additional information you might need. We are happy to help and excited for the chance at your student attending an Indiana college or university with free or reduced tuition!

Yearbook Club has been working very hard these past few months. We have met twice a week in the mornings to come in and work hard to make this year's yearbook a success! Our executive committee has been amazing in showing leadership to keep everyone busy and making sure no one is left out. The stronger our teamwork is, the better our yearbook will turn out.

If you have not ordered a yearbook yet, it is not too late. Go to treering.com and enter the code: 1016299019601518

Below are email addresses of TJMS office members:

Mark Maudlin -- Principal

Erin Strauss -- Assistant Principal

Shannon Morris -- School Resource Officer (SRO)

Laura Dull -- Secretary

Kristin Scheub -- Secretary/Treasurer

Jami Carlson -- Guidance Counselor, Last Names A-K

Erik Shive - Guidance Counselor, Last Names L-Z

Heather Himes -- Social Worker

Shawn White -- Nurse

P.E. uniforms will be required in P.E. classes this school year. Uniforms (t-shirt and shorts) can be purchased at Blythe’s Sporting Goods on Calumet Avenue. Uniforms can be purchased as a set or individual pieces. The same uniform will be worn in 6th-8th grades, so purchasing one that’s a little looser may be a good idea. Students are welcome to use the uniform an older sibling used while attending TJMS.

Students who are not enrolled in band, choir or orchestra will have a full year of P.E. Students enrolled in band, choir or orchestra will have least 2 rotations of P.E. during the year.

A sports physical dated on or after April 1, 2022 is good for the 2022-23 school year. If your student is planning to tryout or participate in a sport this school year, please don't wait until just before the season begins to schedule a physical. A physical done this summer or fall is good for winter and spring sports as well. All forms in this packet need to be completed and turned into the main office as one packet.

Each student received a student planner early in the school year. Included in that planner is a copy of the TJMS student handbook. The handbook can also be found here. Please encourage your student to keep their daily planner up to date with class due dates and other important classroom, grade level or school wide dates.

Please call the main office at 531-3140 by 8:15 a.m. if your child is absent from school. If we have not received a call by 8:15 a.m. and your child is marked absent from school, you will received a automated phone call alerting you of his/her unexcused absence.

Parents are encouraged to become an observer of your child in Canvas. Being an observer will allow you to monitor your student's work, assignments, etc that are assigned through Canvas. To see more about how to sign up as a Canvas observer, click here.

From time to time students do forget things at home that they may need during the school day (i.e. music instrument, lunch, chromebook, etc). If this occurs, items may be dropped off on the table in the front lobby, just inside door #1. Please make sure your student's name and grade level are clearly marked. We will then email your student to let him/her know to stop by the main lobby to pick up the item(s). Please encourage your students to check his/her school email account a few times throughout the school day.

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