TMS Community ROAR Report
January Newsletter
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
Be the Change
Greetings TMS Families,
Happy New Year! We hope you had a restful and wonderful winter break. As we approach the start of the second half of the school year, we want to thank you for your support and commitment to fostering a positive school environment. Our students are working together to build relationships and bonds with each other through our daily classroom lessons, Panther Pride Time, Gateway lessons, and daily interactions with staff and students. We are proud of the commitment our students embrace every day to 'Be the Change' at Thurmont Middle School!
As we embrace the second half of the school year, we encourage you to continue to stay in touch with TMS staff, review Schoology, and access 24/7 supports via Tutor Me. We look forward to our continued parent/school partnerships and working together to support all our students. Here's to a great start to the year 2024!
Be the Change,
Janine Smith-Principal
Chris Bittner-Assistant Principal
Anita Shank-Assistant Principal
Important Dates and Upcoming Events
- Monday, January 8th-Wyld Life 2:30-4:30pm
- Tuesday, January 9th-Leo Club 2:30-3:30pm
- Wednesday, January 10th-Roy Roger's Fundraiser @ 5:00pm
- Friday, January 12th-End of Term 2
- Friday, January 12th-Community Food Drop 3:30-4:30pm
- Monday, January 15th-Schools Closed-Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- Tuesday, January 16th-Schools Closed for Students-Teacher Work Day
- Wednesday, January 17th-Schools Closed for Students-Teacher Professional Learning Day
- Monday, January 22nd- Wyld Life 2:30-4:30pm
- Wednesday, January 24th-Book Club 2:30-3:30pm
- Wednesday, January 24th-SGA Meeting 2:30-3:30pm
- Monday, January 29th-Wyld Life 2:30-4:30pm
- Tuesday, January 30th-Term 2 Report Cards Issued
- Thursday, February 1st-Community Food Drop 3:30-4:30pm
TMS Yearbooks for Sale!
Capture this year's school memories by ordering your yearbook TODAY! Get your yearbook ordered today. Sale ends on 04/05/2023. We will NOT order extra copies. All orders must be done through Classic Photography. If you would like to submit a love letter to your child, you must submit PRIOR to March 1, 2024. Please click on link below for more information.
Welcome Ms. Kehr-New Advanced Academics Specialist
Heather Kehr is proud to be the new Advanced Academic Specialist at Thurmont Middle School. Heather has a long history in middle and elementary education, specifically with a gifted and talented focus. Heather has her Master’s Degree in Educational Psychology with a focus in Gifted and Talented Education from the University of Connecticut and her Administrative I Certification from McDaniel College. Heather is originally from NJ, where she spent 16 years as a self contained gifted teacher and then became the district’s Enrichment Specialist. Once relocating to PA, Heather has spent the last 6 years serving as the Advanced Academic Specialist at West Frederick Middle School and has also been the 5th grade Magnet Teacher at North Frederick Elementary School. Heather has proudly been nominated teacher of the year for National History Day in 2018 and was also the recipient of Maryland's Excellence in Gifted Education (MEGS) Teacher of the Year Award in 2020. Heather has served in a variety of professional capacities both locally and statewide that include serving a paramount role as SIP Chair, State Testing Co-Coordinator, Vanguard Leader, Honors Academy Supervisor, ALP Early Development and Implementation Guide, Mentor Teacher, Young Scholars Lead Teacher, and facilitated the Spelling Bee, Geography Bee, National History Day, Morning Announcements, Book Clubs, and a Podcast Club. On a state level, Heather has experience presenting at the MEGS conference, the New Jersey Association for Gifted Children's yearly conference, where she also served on the board for many years, UConn's Confratute, and The Summer Institute for the Gifted. In addition, Heather is also a Certified American Sign Language Interpreter and has a lifelong dream to build gifted programs in deaf schools. Heather is so excited to be a part of the Cougar Team and support great efforts to build up student and staff talent!
Counselor Corner
TMS Counseling Team Contact Information:
Sherry Bueso- Grade 6 School Counselor 240-236-5107/ sherry.bueso@fcps.org
Stacie Varanyak- Grade 7 School Counselor 240-236-5113/ stacie.varanyak@fcps.org
Rebecca Krauss- Grade 8 School Counselor 240-236-5108/ rebecca.krauss@fcps.org
Debbie Wivell- Behavior Support Specialist 240-236-5155/debbie.wivell@fcps.org
Jane Nicholson- Registrar 240-236-5106/ jane.nicholson@fcps.org
Diana Merritt- Career Coach 240-236-5163 /diana.merritt@fcps.org
Assistant Principal Caseload
Ms. Shank: 8th Grade & 7th Grade M-Z
Service Learning
Have you volunteered outside of the school day to a non-profit organization?
If so, please return this form to Ms. Kehr
I will keep track of your service learning hours.
If you have 25 hours by May of your 8th grade year, you can earn an award.
All hours will transfer to high school.
More information can be found here on the FCPS website.
There are also forms located in Ms. Kehr’s room (250) in the office and in the Media Center.
Bullying, Harassment or Intimidation
Children need a trusted adult to turn to when they feel threatened. It is important that your child is encouraged to contact their school counselor, administrator or teacher to report bullying because it may not stop without help. If your child feels uncomfortable reporting bullying and harassing behaviors, parents are encouraged to report it to FCPS staff.
To report bullying, use the FCPS Bullying, Harassment or Intimidation Reporting Form, available on the FCPS.org website.
If bullying happens outside of school, families can call:
- 211 for community resource information
- Law enforcement if threats or physical harm occur
Learn more about bullying, harassment, and intimidation in the FCPS Students and Families Tab, found at www.fcps.org. Information is also available in Bullying - Harassment - Intimidation Complaint Process for Students linked here.
School Meals
FCPS is using a new portal for school meal related information. Go to the parent portal at http://linqconnect.com/ where you can:
- Apply for meal benefits (FARM)
- View menus, meal prices and a la carte prices
- Add money to student accounts
- Transfer funds between students
- View student meal transactions
- Set low-balance notifications
Breakfast is FREE to ALL TMS Students this year!
Free Mental Health Crisis Care Center Now Open 24/7
23-24 School Updates
End of Term 2:
Term 2 ends on January 12th. If your child has missing assignments or needs to complete a re-assessment, please encourage them to speak with their teacher(s) as soon as possible. If you have questions or concerns, please contact your child’s teacher(s). All students also have access to free online tutors 24 hours a day using the TutorMe link.
Morning Arrival:
Reminder, TMS doors are not open to students until 7:00am, please do not drop off your student prior to this time as tehre is no supervision of students prior to 7:00am. Thank you for your attention to this.
Essay Contests for TMS Students:
- American Legion: Students are to write an essay entitled, “What does Freedom mean to me?” Essays should be between 250–300 words for 6th graders and between 350–400 words for 7/8 graders. Winners will receive cash prizes of $25 and will be forwarded on to complete at the District level. Entries are due to Ms. Portner by Friday, Jan 26.
Attendance Information:
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.
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.
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.
Volunteering at TMS:
Are you interested in volunteering at TMS? If so, all volunteers must complete the virtual training each year linked here. Please note this must be completed to chaperone field trips. Please reach out to Shannon Ingram with questions/concerns.
Community Liaison:
If you are in need of assistance with school supplies, hygiene products, food, or other community resources for housing, please reach out Crystal Mckenzie, our TMS Community Liason at Crystal.McKenzie@fcps.org. We are here to support and assist all of our families!
If you are in need of a new bed, please access the following link from Sleep Heavenly Peace.
Tutor Me
Our school is proud to announce that we’ve teamed up with TutorMe to offer 24/7 online tutoring to all students!
TutorMe is a place where our students can build the connections they need to learn and thrive. Through TutorMe, students connect with a tutor who’s an exact match for what they’re looking for – whether you’re stumped by an algebra equation, craving a confidence boost, or looking for an extra challenge. There’s more to TutorMe than live online tutoring. Through the TutorMe Writing Lab, you can submit drafts of any written assignment and receive detailed feedback from expert writing tutors in just a couple hours. Reference the TutorMe Support Guide to get started. TutorMe Student Support Guide (English) ESP. Guia de Apoyo- TutorMe (Spanish)
TMS PTA Needs YOU!
2023-24 PTA Board of Directors:
Christy Donnelly-President
Jennifer O’Connell-Secretary
Elizabeth Day-Treasurer
Meeting Dates:
January 11th NO MEETING
February 8th GENERAL MEETING
March 14th BOARD MEETING
April 11th GENERAL MEETING
May 9th – GENERAL MEETING- Voting of new board members
Digital Membership: https://fspta-00023696.memberhub.com/store?limit=21&live=true
We need YOU to become a member of our PTA! Please be on the lookout for the online membership link for you to join. We are excited to grow our amazing TMS PTA!
PTA Spirit Wear
Principal - Thurmont Middle School