Welcome to the 2022-23 school year at Tumwater Middle School! The students, staff, and families of TMS have helped establish our school a truly exceptional and inclusive learning community and will continue to strive towards our mission this year.

We value communicating with our families and will use several avenues to share news. This newsletter is longer than a typical newsletter we'll send in the future, but we want you to have as much information as possible as you plan for the school year. For the next several weeks, we will publish a weekly newsletter every Friday. After the first week of school, our school newsletter will be published every other Friday and shared through ParentSquare, as well as posted on our school website. You're also encouraged to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. We are fortunate to have a dedicated PTO that has a website, as well as Instagram and Facebook pages for you to follow. Our teachers and counselors use Canvas as their webpage platform. To learn more about communication applications and tools used by our district, please visit BSD's Apps and Resources for Parents/Guardians.

We are looking forward to having you join us at two upcoming events: our first ever Ice Cream Social the evening of Wednesday, August 31st and an in-person Back to School Night on Thursday, September 22nd. Parking will be limited at both events, so please consider carpooling with neighbors or taking advantage of shuttles to nearby parking lots.

We look forward to partnering with you to support your child's success!

Warmly,

Jill O'Neill

Principal

Aug 31 Ice Cream Social 6:00 pm - 8:15 pm

Sept 5 Labor Day - No School

Sept 6 6th Grade Orientation Day

Sept 7 First Day of School for all students

Sept 21 Picture Day

Sept 22 Back to School Night, 6:30- 8:30 pm

Be sure to check the calendars on ParentSquare and our school website (scroll to the bottom of the home page) for the school all school events.

Last spring, the 2022-2023 District Calendar was adjusted to reflect the Beaverton Education Association (BEA) contract agreement reached near the end of the school year. Two additional Staff Development/Work Days have been added to the calendar, extending the school year to Wednesday, June 21.

The changes below reflect the adjustments made to the calendar.

• Schools will be closed on Wednesday, November 23

• Staff Development/Workday, no school on Friday, January 13

• Staff Development/Workday, no school on Friday, May 26

• Tuesday, June 20 and Wednesday, June 21 will now be student contact days, with the last day of school being Wednesday, June 21

• Student Planner - Thank you Tumwater PTO for providing these to all students at no cost!
• Backpack (without wheels)
• Reusable water bottle
• Earbuds/Headphones preferably with microphone
• (1) two-inch three-ring binder
• Notebook dividers for 7 subjects
• (5) college-ruled single subject notebooks (wireless or spiral)
• (2) college-ruled composition notebook
• (1) graph paper composition book
• (1) sketchbook (art students only)
• Pencil pouch
• Pencils
• Pens (black or blue and one other color)
• Highlighters (4 colors)
• Colored pencils
• Erasers
• Handheld pencil sharpener
• Ruler with Standard & Metric
• Small sticky notes (for Language Arts)
• Scientific calculator (Math 6/7, 7/8, and AGS 1)
• Graphing Calculator (AGS 2 and AGS 3)

• Chromebook case (9 x 11.7 x 0.8 inches)

• 3x5 index cards
• Scissors
• Scotch tape
• Glue sticks
• Compass (AGS 1-3)
• Straightedge (AGS 1-3)

Assistance Available

Graphing calculators are available for checkout in the library for students enrolled in AGS2 and AGS3.

If you are in need of assistance with other school supplies, please call the school office or email TMS-Communications@beaverton.k12.or.us.

Donations Accepted

The school office is accepting donations of any of the above supplies to share with other students. In addition, our art classrooms are seeking donations of the following household items to reuse:

• magazines
• newspapers

• cereal/snack boxes (can be flattened)

• plastic containers/cups like yogurt, sour cream, cream cheese et

• paper bags (any size)

• wrapping paper tubes

• paper towel tubes

• toilet paper tubes

Donations can be dropped off in the school office Monday - Friday 8 am - 4 pm. We will also have a collection table at the Ice Cream Social.

On Aug 31 students and families are invited to tour the school by following the student's class schedule to find classrooms and meet their teachers. Tickets for ice cream can be picked up in students' 8th Period class. This is a self-guided tour designed to build familiarity with the building and to meet teachers. There will not be formal presentations or the opportunity to discuss individual student needs. Tumwater PTO will host an information table, prize wheel, and distribute ice cream to all Tumwater students.

Our school parking lot does not include enough parking for all staff and family at once. In addition, parking is very limited in the immediate neighborhood. Families are encouraged to carpool, walk, or ride bikes to the event. Overflow parking will be at the Peterkort Towne Square on 11070 SW Barnes Rd, Portland 97229. A shuttle bus will be available between that parking lot and the school.

To help accommodate parking needs, we have created three sessions to attend. We have organized them by students' last names (instead of grades) so that families can attend one sessions together. If the children in your household fall into different sessions, feel free to choose one.

• Student Last Names A-G: 6:00 - 6:30 pm

• Student Last Names H-O: 6:45 - 7:15 pm

• Student Last Names P-Z: 7:30 - 8:15 pm

Given the numbers of attendees and current rate of COVID-19 in our community, masking while indoors is encouraged but not required. We will continue to promote "either way, it's okay" for mask use.

We look forward to welcoming our students and families at this event!

Since Spring 2020, all students have been eligible for free school meals. This pandemic relief program is no longer available, so families must complete a Free and Reduced Meal Application to determine eligibility. Families can apply for Free and Reduced Price Meals ONLINE through a safe, secure, and private online application. The application is available through SchoolCafe.com.

All students who qualify for free or reduced price meals receive breakfast and lunch meals free of charge or at a reduced rate.

Please contact our Meal Benefits Coordinator, Laurie Bishop, at 503-356-3957 or email: NS-MealBenefits@beaverton.k12.or.us, if you have questions or need additional assistance.

We encourage all eligible families to submit a new application for free and reduced price meals prior to the start of each new school year. This allows the application to be processed and the correct eligibility established before school starts. Families have the ability to fill out the Free and Reduced Price Meal Application online at www.schoolcafe.com. Copies of applications will also be available at every school office.

Mail completed applications to:

Applications can also be emailed to NS-MealBenefits@beaverton.k12.or.us.

Those who qualify for Free or Reduced Meals may receive also help with schools fees, including Chromebook insurance. Make sure to mark "Yes, share information". See example below.

At the beginning of every school year, we request that parents/guardians begin to review and/or update their family and student information. ​Keeping your family's information up to date is crucial to receiving timely communication from Beaverton School District and ensures that you can be contacted in case of emergency. Be sure to complete the Google Apps consent section. If this section is left unsigned, that students will not receive access to Google Apps for Education or a student email account.

A parent/guardian with custody rights can verify and change student enrollment information from the parent's/guardian's ParentVUE account. LOG IN HERE TO BEGIN

On the BSD Online Back-to-School Verification webpage, you can access valuable information to help you complete this required, annual process including this Online Verification Guide and video.

Back to school planning includes how your student will travel to school this fall. Beaverton Safe Routes to School invites you to explore your options for safe travel on our website:

• Suggested walk and bike routes for each school
• Safety tips for all modes of travel (walk, bike, bus, car)
• Arrival/Departure maps for each school (how students who travel by foot, bus and car should arrive and leave school)

The safety of our students depends on you! To learn more visit: www.beaverton.k12.or.us/safe-routes

Routing for the 2022-2023 school year is currently in progress. Parents and Guardians will be notified by email through ParentSquare when routing information is available for viewing (August 30th).

Students eligible for Transportation Service will be assigned a bus route and a bus stop. The Beaverton School District allows parents to view student bus route information through the E-Link Application. Routing Data is updated every Saturday at 3:30 AM. Changes to routing data are effective the following Monday.

To Log in:

User Name: Enter your student's 6-digit Student ID number

Password: Enter your student's birthdate in the format mmddyyyy - For example, enter 05052010 for a birthdate of May 5th, 2010.

Click HERE for the E-Link Application

If the Transportation Field is blank, it means your student either is not eligible for Transportation or Transportation has not been set up for the student. To learn more about Transportation eligibility, please review our Service Standards.

Read more about BSD Transportation Services here.

When you arrive in the morning you will be greeted by Tumwater teachers and staff who will guide you through a fun day designed to help you get to know your teachers, classmates, and our building. This year we are adding Where Everybody Belongs (WEB) as a transition program for incoming middle schoolers. 8th Grade WEB Leaders will lead small group activities and serve as mentors to our 6th graders throughout the year.

Whether students are dropped off by bus, by a parent, or are walking to school, students will arrive around 9:00 am, have the choice to eat a Grab & Go Breakfast in the cafeteria (optional), then go to your Advisory classroom.

On the first day you only need to bring these supplies:

• Tightly sealed reusable water bottle
• Sack Lunch (if you are not getting a school lunch)
• Pen or pencil

Tumwater teachers and staff will greet you as you arrive the morning of Wednesday, Sept. 7th.

Whether you are dropped off by bus, by a parent, or are walking to school, you will arrive around 9:00 am, have the choice to eat a Grab & Go Breakfast in the cafeteria (optional), then go to your Advisory classroom.

At the very beginning of the day your Advisory teacher will provide you a printed copy of your schedule and a school map. Your teacher will help you develop a plan for traveling to all your classes.

On the first day you only need to bring these supplies:

• Tightly sealed reusable water bottle
• Sack Lunch (if you are not getting a school lunch)
• Pencils (sharpened) and pens
• Colored Pencils
• Highlighters
• Notebook with paper

On November 3rd, picture retakes will be available for students who were absent on Picture Day or who need to exchange a purchased package for a new photo.

Watch for a flyer with Picture Day information coming home with your student the first week of school. Dorian Studio's Picture Day and online ordering information is also available here.

Our school is fortunate to not need to arrange locker partners so each student will be assigned to their own locker. Please emphasize with your child(ren), the importance of keeping their combination to themselves and not sharing it with even their best friends. Staff will be available to help students who forget their locker combination (they can find it in StudentVue) or struggle to open their locker.

Teachers will provide instruction on how to use a combination lock, appropriate locker use and care, as well as how to use lockers as an organizational tool. If you have a combination lock at home, it may be helpful to let your child(ren) practice with it. Teachers will also work with students on identifying strategic times for locker use based on their individual schedules.

Our lockers are half-size, so students will find that they do not have room for additional shelves and decorations. Before sending any of these items to school, please consider waiting until your child(ren) have used their locker for a few weeks. Magnets can be used on the interior of the locker, but in order to protect locker surfaces, scotch tape and other adhesives are not allowed. The only exception is blue painter's tape. No exterior decorations will be allowed.

To decrease anxiety about opening a locker, please consider watching this video together before the school year starts. If you have a combination lock at home, it may be helpful to practice with it.

Our cell phone policy is "off and away" during the school day from 9:15 am - 3:50 pm. Middle schoolers are often learning to self-manage their devices, however, we want to avoid disruption to learning. Our goal is that students are fully engaged in classroom discussions, activities, or presentations. In addition, we have found that students' sense of safety may be diminished when other students using their cell phones for social media activity, recording videos, taking pictures/videos of others without consent, and using cell phones in restrooms.

How does the policy work?

• Student cell phones should be powered off and put away in a pocket, backpack, or locker from 9:15 am - 3:50 pm.
• The policy applies to all electronic personal communication devices (handheld videogames, tablets, etc.)
• Students needing to contact a parent/guardian during the school day will be directed to the office, where staff will allow them to either use their cell phone or an office phone.

• If a student's cell phone is in use and/or is out (on desk, in hand, etc), the student will be directed to the office where the phone will be kept for the rest of the school day.
• Office staff will give the student a receipt for the phone and place it in a locked location.
• At dismissal time, the student will turn in the receipt in order to pick up their phone from the office.
• Parents/guardians will be notified if there is a repeated patterns of behavior.

How can families help?

• Ensure your child knows how to power off their phone, rather than just silence the phone.
• Refrain from texting or calling your child's cell phone during the school day.
• Consider setting device limits through your provider for use during the school day.
• Monitor your child's device for social media activity and stored pictures/videos.
• Evaluate whether accessories such as wireless headphones or smart watches are necessary for school or serve as a distraction for your child. If there is not an educational reason for the wireless headphones, please ensure they are left at home.

Congresswoman Bonamici invites all middle and high school students who reside or attend school in the First Congressional District to participate in the Congressional App Challenge. Students compete with peers by creating and exhibiting their software application, or “app.”

Please go to the Congresswoman’s website to register for the Congressional App Challenge: https://bonamici.house.gov/appchallenge

Submissions accepted until November 1st.

For additional information please call 503-469-6010 or email Alexandria.Stirling@mail.house.gov

Your child is invited to join exciting upcoming travel experiences through EF Tours; Japan over Spring Break 2023 and Costa Rica at the beginning of Winter Break 2023.

These are incredible opportunities for students to visit places they learn about in school and expand their understanding of the world. The Japan trip already has over 50 travelers, with only 17 spots left before the tour is full. The Costa Rica trip has 13 spots still available.

Interested families are invited to attend a virtual information meeting on Tuesday, September 13th at 8:00 pm. If you’d like to learn more and/or enroll right away, follow these links for the Japan Trip and the Costa Rica Trip. A trip to the South Pacific is in the works for Summer 2024. More info to come in December!

Please RSVP here to confirm your attendance and receive the Zoom link for the informational meeting.

Note: The Beaverton School District and Tumwater Middle School do not sponsor or endorse these activities,

Dear BSD Families,

We understand that it can be challenging to access current information regarding your child’s schooling in your own language. We do our best to send out messages about important updates, especially during these challenging times. However, you can access the BSD website — and specifically, our return-to-school page — at any time. Below, we’ve included a link that will take you to our website, where you’ll find it already translated into your language. Please know, the translation is generated by Google Translate. It’s not perfect, but we do hope it’s helpful.

If you need additional assistance, please contact our Multilingual Department at 503-356-3755.

View the BSD website in Arabic قم بزيارة الموقع الإلكتروني للقطاع التعليمي لمدارس بيفرتون باللغة العربية

View the BSD website in Chinese 请浏览中文版的BSD网站

View the BSD website Japanese BSDウェブサイトを日本語で見る

View the BSD website in Korean. 한국어로 된 BSD 웹사이트를 보십시오.

View the BSD website in Russian Посмотрите веб-сайт школьного округа Бивертон на русском

View the BSD website in Somali Ka fiiri bogga BSD ee ku qoran af-Soomaali

View the BSD website in Spanish Vea la página web del Distrito Escolar de Beaverton en español

View the BSD website in Vietnamese. Xem trang mạng BSD bằng tiếng Việt