TGMS Weekly Updates
February 16, 2024
Reminder - No School - Monday, February 19, 2024
Important 7th grade scheduling information
Dear 6th grades families,
Starting on Tuesday, February 20th, middle school counselors and teachers will begin sharing scheduling information with the students. We will be sending the Junior High Scheduling Hub out to the families on this day as well. Please plan on taking time the week of February 26th to look over the hub with your student; there are videos and other documents to help them through the scheduling process. At the bottom of the scheduling hub is a Google Form where students and parents can submit questions to the administrators or counselors. The scheduling window closes on Friday, March 8th.
Attached is the scheduling timeline with the links to the virtual parent meetings. Please note that there are different meeting dates and links for Lakeview and Ridgeview. The meetings will be a brief overview of the scheduling process followed by a Q&A session with school counselors and administrators. In the timeline you will notice that there are in-person meetings as well. You may attend either the in-person or virtual meeting.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email the Junior High Principals: Ben Baptist (ben_baptist@plsd.us) for Lakeview and Sheila Evans (sheila_evans@plsd.us) for Ridgeview.
A message from Mr. Kauffeld -
Toll Gate Middle School is looking for two duty aides to assist during recess hours from 10:30 AM to 1:00 PM. There is a possibly of additional hours for those candidates who may be interested in also covering for parapros as need. (Additional requirements apply). This could be a great opportunity to get involved, earn a little extra money, and contribute to the school community. Here's what you should do if you're interested, apply at: https://www.applitrack.com/pickerington/onlineapp/_application.aspx?posJobCodes=1618&posFirstChoice=Support%20Staff&posSpecialty=Duty%20Aide. Upon completion of the application, please contact Dr. Ryan Morford at: Ryan_Morford@plsd.us. Thank you.
A Message From the School Nurse to All Current TGMS 6th Grade Students:
Per the Ohio Department of Health, all students entering grade 7 in 2024 must show
proof of vaccination against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap vaccine) and
meningococcal disease (MCV4 vaccine). If your child has already received these
vaccines, please send an updated immunization record to the school nurse, Tami
Tackett, RN. The record can be faxed to 614-834-6420 or emailed
to tami_tackett@plsd.us. Please see attached letter.
You may take the letter included in the newsletter or that will be sent home with your
child to your child’s doctor to use as documentation of these vaccinations. Or you can
submit an updated immunization record with the dates of both vaccinations on it.
Please return this documentation as soon as possible to your child’s school nurse. If
this is not provided during the 6 th grade school year, you will need to send this
information to the junior high that your child will attend prior to the beginning of next
school year.
If you are new to the area or if your child is not established with a doctor, you can
check out the information about the School Based Health Center.
--- Pediatric Associates Clinic at Tussing Elementary.
(See attached flyer for information or visit www.kidzdoc.com/request-appointment/ )
Thank you,
Tami Tackett, BSN, RN, School Nurse
Panorama Survery
Dear Pickerington Local School District Families,
We thank you and your family for being our partners as we work together to educate the children in our district. Pickerington Local School District values input from our community, and we need to hear from your child(ren). Their voices are important as we work to improve the overall school experience for students and their families.
We would like your child’s feedback via a 20-30 minute online survey that they will be completing at school. The survey will provide us with social and emotional learning (SEL) information. SEL is the process through which children and adults apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. These are the skill sets that promote success in life.
We are asking that all of our students in grades 3-12 participate in the surveys, as their feedback will provide important insights into their school experiences for direction in planning to meet their needs. If a student does not feel they have enough information to answer a question, they will be able to skip the item altogether.
We are partnering with Panorama Education to support us in the survey process. To view the PLSD survey content, please feel free to copy and paste the following links into your browser:
Grades 3-5 SEL Competencies Supports & Environment
Grades 6-12 SEL Competencies Supports & Environment
Please notify us if you do not want your child to participate in the survey by March 1. To opt-out, you may return the completed form or email your child’s School Counselor.
We thank you in advance for your support. If you have any questions about the survey, please do not hesitate to contact Cathy Ely, Executive Director of Prevention & Intervention Services, at 614-548-1813. Please view the downloadable version for complete information.
Spring testing - looking ahead
Planning ahead for Spring testing - the Ohio Assessment testing. Please take a look at the testing dates below to avoid schedule appointments if at all possible.
The Ohio Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Education have determined that all states and school districts will implement end-of-year tests for spring 2024.
Schools Districts are required to give certain end-of-year assessments to students in grades 3-8 and end-of-course assessments for high school courses.
The assessments will be given during the normal hours of school. Students with accommodations per their IEP, 504 or EL plan will be provided their accommodations as stated in their plan.
Reminder to all parents - be sure students come to school with their Chromebooks fully charged and earbuds. Please try to avoid appointments on the following dates:
5th GRADE:
April 11 and 12 - ELA
April 18 and 19 - Science
April 25 and 26 - Math
6th GRADE:
April 16 and 17 - ELA
April 23 and 24 - Math
News from the Art Room
Check out the newest 6th grade clay project at,
What's Happening in the Art Room
Also, please save your plastic containers (yogurt, pudding, jello, fruit cups - any small plastic container) and send them to school with your child. We use them all the time in the art room and are running low.
Thank you,
Diann
Music Notes - what are your students learning in Music?
Want to know what your student is learning in music this week? Check this out!
Parent/Teacher conferences
Parent/Teacher conferences continue Feb. 15 and Feb. 20 from 4:15 - 7:45 pm. Please be sure to contact your student's teacher if you are not able to make the appointed
TGMS Water bottles on sale this week!
Save 25% on all Drinkware
This week's promotion is for Toll Gate MS drinkware. All water bottles and tumblers are 25% off! This includes both clear and steel water bottles from Camelbak, as well as tumblers! Your new sale ad is below. A direct link to all drinkware is: https://1stplacespiritwear.com/collection/109142?style=Drinkware