The Weightman M.E.O.W.
Monthly Events Of Wildcats: September 2022-23
Pasco School News
Way to go Wildcats!
Parent information
Principals Message
As we begin our second month into the school year, I want to share with you a motto I've developed, "Respect yourself and others, through your words and actions." This simple yet complex statement is a lens I use with students and staff interactions. I feel that this one statement can apply to a multitude of situations and people. My hope is that every member of the Wildcat community models these types of interactions so that we #ROARw/Dignity!
We have noticed an increase of students on campus prior to the start of the school day. Please remember that NO students are to arrive on campus prior to 8:00am. This time has been identified as to when student supervision is available. If you bring your student to school, they are to remain in your vehicle until 8am when there is staff to supervise students in the courtyard.
This week is our 1st Early Release day: Wednesday, Sept 7th. Students will be dismissed 2 hours early at 12:40pm and be expected to go home in the same manner as they do every school day. (additional information below) In addition, this week is 1st Quarter Progress Reports will be posted in myStudent on Friday, Sept 9th. Please make sure that you are reviewing your students grades through out the school year (additional information below).
Since we have completed three weeks of school and it seems that we still have busses that are struggling to get to school at our start time of 8:20am, I am moving our study hall to the beginning of the school day starting on Monday, September 12th. Please see the revised bell schedule below.
Student illness and COVID-19
In order to protect the health and safety of employees, staff, and students, all those who access Pasco County School locations must self-screen for symptoms and other risk factors of COVID-19 daily. The Student Self Screener is linked for you to review prior to your student coming on campus. As we learn and work through our current reality of COVID-19, please remember to use the self-screener and contact the school when your student isn't feeling well and keeping them home.
Step it UP! @ TEWMS
We are having an amazing response to our Step it UP! fundraising campion!! There have been move than 5,000 donation requests sent from TEWMS families. These request have been emails and/or text messages. Our campion runs until midnight on September 12th.
TEWMS Wildcat families are AWESOME!
Thank you for all your help with our Step It UP! Program. All funds raised will be used for supporting our Positive Behavior Intervention Support (PBIS) for students, the purchasing up new student furniture and student/staff celebrations through out the 2022-2023 school year.
There is still time to register your student at this link: https://app.pop4kids.org/weightmanms33545 or by using the QR code shown below
Students who have at least $50 in donations will earn the "Day of AWESOME" on Wednesday, October 12th. We will need 15 volunteers for this event to occur. PLEASE consider volunteering on October 12th from 8am- 12pm.
myStudent for Pasco County Schools
All families are to have a myStudent account in order to obtain student schedules, monitor student’s grades, assignments and attendance. The contact information in your myStudent Parent Portal is used to send out school side communication, as well as updates on your students' academic progress.
Another account that is helpful for families to have is a Rycor account, where families can pay fees, purchase items, etc., throughout the school year. The myStudent account needs to be set up first, then 24 hours later, the Rycor account can be made. Once an account is made, you do not need to redo, as these accounts roll every year.
- myStudent: https://pasco.focusschoolsoftware.com/focus/?skipSAML=true
- Video to create myStudent Account: https://livepascok12fl.sharepoint.com/sites/myStudent_University/Shared Documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx?id=%2Fsites%2FmyStudent_University%2FShared Documents%2FHelp Desk Documents%2FCreating a Parent Portal Account in myStudent%2Emp4&parent=%2Fsites%2FmyStudent_University%2FShared Documents%2FHelp Desk Documents&p=true&ga=1
- Rycor account: https://www.studentquickpay.com/pasco
Parents' Bill of Rights information
https://www.pasco.k12.fl.us/oll_documents/parent-bill-of-rights
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hallway
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September is Attendance Awareness Month
Addressing chronic absence is a key component of improving graduation rates, increasing academic achievement and giving young people the best chance at success in their adult life. Join the Attendance Awareness Campaign and make a difference for your community. www.attendanceworks.org
Volunteers @ TEWMS
We are looking to increase the number of volunteers at TEWMS. If you are interested in volunteering in the Weightman Wildcat campus, please complete the Pasco County Schools 2022 - 2023 Volunteer Application: http://www.pasco.k12.fl.us/comm/page/volunteer
Volunteer opportunities @ TEWMS may include the following:
- Assisting in the classroom: reading, drama, agri-science, etc.
- Help in the cafeteria with student supervision
- Assist with the Kat Shak: PBIS Store
- Assisting with athletic events, book fairs, etc.
- Supervise Day of AWESOME on Oct 12, 8am-12pm
- Beautification around campus: trim plants, bushes, etc.
- Chaperoning a fieldtrip: 7th grade Science trips
- Staff appreciation activities
- Mentoring/tutoring: Opportunity Hall
- Serving as a hurricane shelter worker
- Being a member of the PTA: email wildcatpta@gmail.com
- Being a member of TEWMS' School Advisory Committee: complete SAC form
School Advisory Council
The School Advisory Council consists of elected parents, staff, community and administrative representatives. This working committee is involved with developing and implementing our school improvement plan. The council is advisory in nature and meets monthly during the year. Meeting dates are adjusted if the council deems necessary. The public is invited to attend.
How can I become a member of SAC?
- Elected members of the SAC include teachers, educational support personnel, and parents.
- Members are also appointed to the council by the Principal to represent businesses and the community.
- Members serve two year terms.
- A chairperson is elected annually by the SAC membership
If you are interested in becoming a member of our SAC committee, please click here complete an application. (application link: http://tewms.pasco.k12.fl.us/mform/view.php?id=63231)
Student Celebrations
We will be recognizing students on a quarterly basis. Each team will have the opportunity to select students to be recognized for demonstrating the characteristics of the Wildcat ROAR. Families are invited to this celebrations as we recognize students with a certificate, hear why they where chosen by their teachers, take photos and enjoy some refreshments. These celebrations take place @ 7:45am in our Media Center. Our celebration for first quarter will be on October 14th.
Weightman Wildcat Business Partnerships
As a way to increase community connections and business support within the Weightman Wildcat community, we are offering advertisements in our M.E.O.W. (Monthly Events Of Wildcats) parent newsletters. The M.E.O.W. is published at the beginning of each month (August thru May) and is viewed over 7,000 times a month. Advertisements can include text, website information, contact information, email address, and/or Photo/Graphic (file must be: JPEG, PNG, BMP or GIF).
There are different price options:
- $75: Three Months (August, September, October)
- $75: Three Months (November, December, January)
- $75: Three Months (February, March, April)
- $150: Six Months (August, September, October, November, December, January)
- $250: 10 Months (August thru May)
- $50: 1 Month - Your choice (must identify month below)
*Please complete this form to have your business/service advertised in our M.E.O.W. newsletter: http://tewms.pasco.k12.fl.us/mform/view.php?id=62946.
Twistee Treat Wildcat Family Night
Twistee Treat Wesley Chapel
September 14th, 3-10pm
5258 Village Market, Wesley Chapel, FL 33544
20% of sales comes back to TEWMS, simply let Twistee Treat know that you support TEWMS.
Support our Wildcat Athletes with these events...
- Sept 27th vs. CENMS
- Oct 4th vs. JLMS
- Oct 18th vs. CSRMS
- Oct 25th vs. CCMS
Away Football Games start @ 6:30pm
- Sept 13th @ ZHS vs. RBSMS
- Sept 20th @ PHS vs. PMS
- Oct 11th @ LOLHS vs. PVMS
Home Volleyball Games start @ 6pm at TEWMS
- Sept 19th vs. CSRMS
- Sept 26th vs. RBSMS
- Oct 3rd vs. CCMS
- Oct 6th vs. JLMS
Away Volleyball Games start @ 6pm
- Sept 12th @ JLMS
- Sept 15th @ PVMS
- Sept 22nd @ CENMS
- Sept 29nd @ PMS
PDQ Wildcat Family Night
PDQ Wesley Chapel
September 28th, 4-8pm
27757 State Road 56, Wesley Chapel, FL 33544
22-23 Picture Day @ TEWMS
Mark your Calendar:
- Fall Picture Day is Friday, September 30th, 2022
- Fall Pictures viewable starting October 14th, 2022
- Make Up Picture Day is Friday, October 28th, 2022
In lieu of order forms, all ordering will be done online: https://www.giganteproductions.com/order-1
Please do not send money with your students, EVERYTHIGN is online this year!
Student pictures will be available for viewing and ordering 2 weeks after picture day. Please check the TEWMS school website for ordering and viewing updates.
School Pictures can be pre-ordered before viewing using the link below.
https://www.giganteproductions.com/order-1
Email Mr. Zondor at azondor@pasco.k12.fl.us if you have any specific questions.
If you have any photography company questions please contact Gigante Productions by calling 813-907-1078 or visiting our website www.giganteproductions.com
Yearbooks are on sale now!
The 2022-2023 TEWMS yearbook is only $42.00. It can be purchased through your Student Quick Pay account (https://www.studentquickpay.com/pasco/). Buy online from now until January 31st, 2023. No extra yearbooks are available for purchase at the end of the school year. All yearbook must be pre-ordered.
For ordering questions send email requests to azondor@pasco.k12.fl.us or call 813-794-0200 and ask for Mr. Zondor. All yearbooks must be pre-ordered! No extra yearbooks will be available for purchase at the end of the school year!
NWEA Map Growth Testing
MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) is a dynamic, interim assessment that measures what students know and what they are ready to learn. This assessment is taken during a students class period for the designated courses, see below.
The test is adaptive meaning that it will adjust depending on the student's responses. This means that no two tests are the same and that the test can only be taken on computer. The test is untimed as the system will continue to present questions to the student until such time that enough information has been collected from the student's responses to assess the students baseline knowledge or growth (depending on the time of year). This tool was NOT developed to measure mastery of standards. It was developed to measure growth over time.
The testing windows for the 2022-2023 school year are:
- Fall – September 6 - September 9
- Winter – November 28 - December 16
- Spring – April 3 - April 21
Students in the following grades/courses will take the below assessments:
- Grades 6-8 Science
- Algebra 1
- Geometry
By clicking on the below link, you can access several resources that will help your child prepare for the test. There are videos that give an overview of the purpose of the test as well as practice tests. To log into the practice test, the username is grow and the password is grow. https://practice.mapnwea.org/#/practice-landing
Another wonderful resource is the MAP Family Toolkit which can be accessed at the below link. https://studentresources.nwea.org/
Thank you for your support this year. We look forward to working with you to help your student meet their educational goals!
Early Release Days for the 2022-2023 School Year
Pasco County Schools is utilizing a monthly, two-hour-early release time again this year to allow for staff to engage in professional development aligned with student needs and district and school priorities.
Why?
For students - increase in effective instruction and decrease in learning disruption on substitute days.
For staff - increased opportunity to learn and grow built in to the work schedule.
For stakeholders - predictable schedule, fewer substitutes, higher quality, and more engaged staff.
Early release days for the 2022 - 2023 school year will take place on the following dates:
- September 7, 2022
- October 5, 2022
- November 2, 2022
- December 7, 2022
- January 11, 2023
- February 1, 2023
- March 8, 2023
- April 12, 2023
On each of the early release days, students will be released two hours early: for TEWMS = 12:40pm. The bell times, including the early release times for each school, can be found here.
Notification of Inspection for Asbestos containing materials in public schools (22-23SY)
NOTICE TO BUILDING OCCUPANTS
AND PARENTS
NOTIFICATION OF INSPECTION FOR ASBESTOS CONTAINING
MATERIALS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a final rule, 40 CFR Part 763, Asbestos Containing Material in schools, commonly referred to as AHERA. This rule requires all Local Education Agencies (LEA’s) to identify asbestos containing materials (ACM) in their school buildings and to take appropriate actions to control the release of asbestos fibers.
All inspections for Thomas E. Weightman Middle School have been completed and a Management Plan describing the results of the inspection and the action plan to control any asbestos found during the inspection, where applicable, has been submitted to the governor for approval. A copy of this plan is located in the administrative office of this school and at the Pasco County Schools Maintenance & Facility Services Department and is available for review upon request.
Pasco County Middle School Promotion requirements
Students in middle school have certain promotion requirements they must meet in order to be promoted to high school.
To be promoted to high school, all middle school students must successfully complete the following:
- Grade 6 Mathematics, Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies
- Grade 7 Mathematics, Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies
- Grade 8 Mathematics, Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies.
- One course in career and education planning to be completed in grades 6, 7, or 8 is required for promotion.
- One of the social studies courses must be Civics. There is a statewide, standardized end-of-course exam for Civics that must be taken and factored in as 30% of a student’s course grade.
- One semester of physical education per year is required.
- Students in grade 6 will be required to take one semester of M/J Health GR 6.
Additional information can be found on Pasco County Schools website: https://www.pasco.k12.fl.us/oll/page/middle-school-student-progression. As you plan for High School, Pasco County Schools has resources available for families: https://www.pasco.k12.fl.us/oll/page/navigating-high-school. In addition, the Florida Department of Education Standard Diploma Requirements contains all requiremen
2022-2023 Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST)
This year we will be using the new FAST assessments to progress monitor student growth in English Language Arts and Mathematics for 6-8th graders. Pasco County Schools has added resources for this assessment here: https://www.pasco.k12.fl.us/arm/page/fast-testing
These assessments will be administered three times through out the school year.
- August 15 – September 30
- December 5 – January 27
- May 1 – June 2
6-8 English Language Arts (reading) FAST:
- 36-40 questions
- Only one test session and must be administered in one day
- 50% fictional/50% informational
6-8 Writing FAST:
- third testing window Only
- Response to a prompt with text-based evidence and will be administered annually
- Writing score will be reported separately from Reading
- We will find out in the fall of 2022 if Pasco County has been selected to participate in the field test in Spring 2023
6-8 Mathematics FAST:
- 36-40 questions
- 2 segments: segment 1 is non-calculator and segment 2 is calculator
- All segments must be administered in one day
Reporting of student FAST:
There are 5 FAST performance levels
- Purple – Mastery
- Blue – Proficient
- Green – Satisfactory
- Orange – Below Satisfactory
- Red - Inadequate
- students overall scale score will be reported
- Eventually all scores will be posted in the DOE Family Portal which can be accessed through the Pasco Parent Portal. From the Parent page, the parent should select “Check Grades/Attendance.” Once logged in, the parent will see the Florida Statewide Assessments icon to the right of their child’s picture. If the parent clicks on this icon, they will automatically be brought to their student’s state assessment scores.
We have had some families contact us regarding "opting-out" of state assessments. Please know that per Florida Statute 1008.22, as a Florida public school, we are required/mandated to administer statewide assessments to our students and all students in specified grade levels/courses are required to participate in State testing. As such, it is our obligation to use due diligence to comply with this requirement. Therefore, all students present and on campus on any testing or makeup testing days will be required to sit for the assessment. Florida has no opt-out policy for state assessments. The test results provide parents, students, and teachers information about student performance. Teachers use this data to provide targeted instruction and supports to students. The school and district use the results to help target resources and supports. 1008.22 Student assessment program for public schools.
TEWMS documents
helpful links
- Student Online Registration: https://pasco.focusschoolsoftware.com/focus/auth/
- How to pay for school items/fees: https://www.studentquickpay.com/pasco/
- To access the calendar for the school year, please visit https://www.pasco.k12.fl.us/library/home/calendar-next-year.pdf
- Ways to keep up to date with Pasco County Schools: https://www.pasco.k12.fl.us/news
- TEWMS Website: tewms.pasco.k12.fl.us
- How to become a TEWMS volunteer: http://www.pasco.k12.fl.us/comm/page/volunteer
- Navigating Middle School: https://www.pasco.k12.fl.us/oll/page/navigating-middle-school
Upcoming Events:
Sept 5: Labor Day, No School
Sept 6: Study Hall Priority Day: ELA
Sept 6-7: Science NWEA
Sept 6-9: Suicided Prevention Week
Sept 7: Early Release Day @ 12:40pm
Sept 8-9: Algebra & Geometry NWEA
Sept 8: Study Hall Priority Day: Science
Sept 12: TEWMS Vball @ JLMS, 6pm
Sept 12: Step it UP! campion ends at midnight
Sept 13: Study Hall Priority Day: Math
Sept 13: TEWMS Football vs. RBSMS, 6:30pm
Sept 14: Twistee Treat TEWMS family Night
Sept 15: Study Hall Priority Day: Social Studies
Sept 15: TEWMS Vball @ PVMS, 6pm
Sept 19: TEWMS Vball vs. CSRMS, 6pm
Sept 20: Study Hall Priority Day: Electives
Sept 20: TEWMS Football @ PMS, 6:30pm
Sept 22: SAC MTG @ 9am
Sept 22: Study Hall Priority Day: ELA
Sept 22: TEWMS Vball @ CNMS, 6pm
Sept 26: TEWMS Vball vs. RBSMS, 6pm
Sept 27: Study Hall Priority Day: Science
Sept 27: TEWMS Football vs. CNMS, 6:30pm
Sept 28: PDQ TEWMS family Night
Sept 29: Study Hall Priority Day: Math
Sept 29: TEWMS Vball @ PMS, 6pm
Sept 30: Picture Day
Sept 30: TEWMS Band Night @ WCHS
Thomas E. Weightman Middle School
Website: tewms.pasco.k12.fl.us
Location: 30649 Wells Road, Wesley Chapel, FL, USA
Phone: 813-794-0200
Facebook: facebook.com/TEWMSPrincipal
Twitter: @TEWMSPrincipal