TMS Community ROAR Report
Be the Change at TMS!
Email: janine.smith@fcps.org
Website: https://education.fcps.org/tms/
Location: 408 East Main Street, Thurmont, MD, United States
Phone: (240)-236-5100
Twitter: @JanineSmithFCPS
October Newsletter
Be the Change
Greetings Panther Families,
Fall is in the air, the days are getting shorter and nights are getting cooler. We hope that everyone is doing well and staying healthy. October is a busy month as we have surpassed the mid-point of Term 1; interims are available via Schoology and any student earning a D/F had their interim mailed home. Please remember that these grades are just a snapshot of your student's progress, however, we encourage you to reach out to your student’s teacher with any questions or please sign up for upcoming parent/teacher conferences.
As a staff, we are working on our School Improvement Plan and our school goals for the year. We are continuing to implement our school-wide Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) lessons during Gateway twice a week to continue to build relationships and connections with our students. Our PBIS team has met several times to plan and create opportunities for our students to receive positive feedback and reinforcements from TMS staff. We appreciate your partnership as we continue to strive for excellence and encourage all of our students to ‘Be the Change’.
We are grateful for your continued support this school year.
Be the Change,
Janine Smith~Principal
Important Dates and Upcoming Events
Important Calendar Date Reminders
- Tuesday, October 12th -Students arrive 4 hours late-Evening Conferences (In-person)
- Wednesday, October 13th-Students arrive 4 hours late-Evening Conferences (Virtual)
- Thursday, October 14th-Students dismiss 3.5 hours early-Afternoon Conferences (Virtual)
- Wednesday, October 13th-PBIS Fundraiser Roy Rogers Night @ 5:00pm
- Friday, October 15th-School Closed: Teacher Professional Development Day
- Monday, October 25th-End of Term 1
- Tuesday, October 26th-School Closed: Teacher Work Session
- Wednesday, October 27th-Term 2 Begins
- Thursday, October 28th-Picture Day Make-Up & Retakes
- Friday, November 5th-Report Cards Issued
Term 1 Interim Grades Available
Students and parents are able to view Term 1 interim grades in Schoology.
Any student who has a D or F at mid-term will have their interim report mailed home.
Parents having concerns about their child's progress are encouraged to contact their teachers.
Parent/Teacher Conference Sign-Ups
It is that time of year again......TIME FOR CONFERENCES!!
Tuesday, October 12 is "IN-PERSON" Conferences ONLY.
Wednesday, October 13 and Thursday, October 14 are VIRTUAL CONFERENCES (Teachers will send the link).
Registration will close on Wednesday, October 6 at the close of business day.
If you do not have access to the internet or have any questions or concerns, please call the school at 240-236-5100.
Please copy/paste or click on the link below to reserve your timeslots today:
Social Media Challenges
We wanted to share with you an update regarding TikTok social media challenges that are causing harm to our buildings and concern from our staff.
Last month, several FCPS schools experienced destruction of property in restrooms. We believe much of this vandalism of school facilities came from the Devious Licks TikTok challenge.
The challenge went beyond simple vandalism and promoted stealing laptops and personal items, which is unlawful behavior.
While we continue as a school system to address this, we are concerned about the next TikTok social media challenge for October. In this challenge, students are asked to calmly walk up to their teachers, slap them, and then run off, making sure the assault is captured on social media.
Obviously, this is completely unacceptable. Students who engage in this activity will receive appropriate school consequences in addition to law enforcement being contacted.
We are calling for families to help. Here is how you can do that:
Speak to your child about the seriousness of such actions.
Remind them that they can be held financially or legally responsible for criminal actions.
A School Resource Officer will be contacted if the behavior elevates to unlawful behavior.
Keep note of your student’s activity on social media.
Remind them “if they see something, say something.”
We also encourage everyone to review the FCPS policy for student use of electronic devices.
Thank you for your cooperation and helping us keep everyone in our school buildings safe.
Volunteering at TMS
Important Reminders and Updates
Reporting Bullying, Harassment & Intimidation – Bullying, harassment, or intimidation includes ongoing intentional conduct, including verbal, physical, or written conduct, or intentional electronic communication that creates a hostile educational environment by substantially interfering with a student’s educational benefits, opportunities, or performance, or with a student’s physical or psychological well-being that occurs on school property, at a school activity or event, or on a school bus.
Bullying, Harassment, or Intimidation Reporting Forms may be submitted by a student, parent, close adult relative, or staff member to school administration. A student may request assistance from a staff member to complete the form if the student wishes. The Bullying, Harassment, or Intimidation Reporting Forms may be obtained in the school’s main (front) office and counselor’s office. The forms may also be obtained electronically from the school system’s web site.
Bullying Online Reporting Form
Students Reporting Security Concerns:
"See Something, Say Something" and "Don't repost it. Report it" - Encourage students to report security concerns to a trusted adult (parent, school staff member, school administrator, SRO, or a local law enforcement agency). Students may also anonymously report concerns using the Safe Schools Maryland Tip Line at 833-MD-B-SAFE. In an emergency, call 911. Additional resources can be found on each school's website and the FCPS website.
Lost or Damaged Instructional Materials – The student shall be held responsible for the careful use and protection of the books, materials, and equipment loaned or assigned to him. Upon the request of the principal, the student shall return these items in good condition, allowing for normal usage.
Lockers:
As a mitigation strategy we have decided for the first half of the school year to allow students to carry their book bags with them to class. If your child is in need of a locker this year, please reach out to the grade level counselor and a locker will be assigned to your student.
- 6th Grade Counselor: Becky Krauss--Rebecca.Krauss@fcps.org
- 7th Grade Counselor: Sherry Bueso--Sherry.Bueso@fcps.org
- 8th Grade Counselor: Stacie Varanyak--Stacie.Varanyak@fcps.org
FCPS Bus Delay Information:
A quick and easy resource to check if your child's bus is delayed is to visit https://apps.fcps.org/transdelay/ This site is updated in real-time to reflect any bus delays.
Technology Fee:
Annual Technology Fee for an FCPS issued Chromebook has been eliminated for the 2021-22 school year. Students are responsible for damaged or loss of devices and may be charged for repairs.
1st Repair - $30
2nd Repair - $60
3rd Repair - $120
Lost Chargers - $30
Schoology:
- FCPS Schoology Page for Students and Families https://www.fcps.org/student-services/schoology
- FCPS Schoology YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGATg8OciCItdUiqHJyHHrA
- FCPS Schoology Troubleshooting Guide https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OJWzxwXeSumMlev5Ac8_-B0aaKhW5_ofMvuRO3a1pws/edit?usp=sharing
- How To View Grades in Schoology https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HG9UQhjKp3gqu7lj6zJJoPNuALXpsY8GGseM5Gu-yX0/edit?usp=sharing
Cell Phone Policy:
Thurmont Middle School has implemented the "Off, Away, and Out of Sight" cell phone policy for the last several years. While students are in the school building during the instructional day, they are to keep their cell phones, "Off, Away, and Out of Sight".
Attendance:
If your child is unable to attend school due to an illness or doctor's appointment, or any other reason, please email a note to our attendance secretary, Ms. Shannon Ingram at tms.attendance@fcps.org. Please include your child's first and last name, grade, date of absence, and reason for absence. If Ms. Ingram has any questions she will reach out for clarification.
COVID-19 Updates & Resources
The health of our students, staff, and families is our first priority. Dr. Alban, FCPS Superintendent, recently released updated information for our community through her weekly "Superintendent's Update". Please review it below if you have not already had a chance.
The COVID-19 pandemic crisis continues to challenge us. Along with the gleeful return of students came the news of more than 600 students quarantining. In order to preserve the in-person learning option, we must do all we can to limit spread in our school buildings by following the advice of local, state and national health officials. Families understandably have questions. We wanted to share this video update with you that explains quarantine protocols and procedures. Our Frequently Asked Questions feature on FCPS.org also provides more details on quarantining and a host of other relevant topics. We also have created the following graphics:
- COVID-19 Response in English
- COVID-19 Response in Spanish
- Contact Tracing and Close Contact Information in English
- Contact Tracing and Close Contact Information in Spanish
FCPS is supporting students who are quarantining. Teachers are putting their instructional materials into Schoology, our learning management system, so that students can access the information and assignments for days they are absent. Schoology was used last year and students and staff are familiar with this platform. When a student is placed in quarantine, school leaders work with the families to offer tutoring options. The availability of tutors varies across schools and levels; we continue to explore ways to expand the number of tutors, including contracted services. It is our hope that universal masking and other mitigation strategies we have in place will limit the spread of COVID-19. I am asking any staff and students who are exhibiting symptoms to please stay home. We need everyone working together to help our kids in school.
FCPS is a system that believes in continuous improvement. We always appreciate feedback that can help us improve program implementation. FCPS was the first school system in Maryland to open our doors and welcome back all of our students and staff. Leaders have appreciated the many positive messages they've received from students and families. One thing we know for certain, we must be #TogetherFCPS.