Please click here to see a month-at-a-glance for May. You can also reference the school event's calendar that can be found on the school's website.

• SWPS State Assessment (SBAC/ NGSS) Letter and Dates
• South Windsor Hartford Public Library Teen Events
• Hartford Public Library Teen Events
• Programs & Exhibits | Hartford Public Library

On April 22nd, the Timothy Edwards Middle School Jazz Ensemble traveled to Philadelphia, PA to compete in the National Jazz Festival. 65 schools and 95 different performing groups participated from 19 different states across the US and Puerto Rico. We are extremely proud to announce that for the first time ever, the Timothy Edwards Middle School Jazz Ensemble took home FIRST PLACE in the Large Ensemble Category with a near perfect score beating out strong rivals from across the country. Drummer Alvin Quansah took home the award for being the TEMS band's MVP musician. Additionally, alto saxophonist Sanjay Rajan and drummer Alvin Quansah both took home the awards for Outstanding Best Overall Musicians in the middle school category. Congratulations to all of the musicians on this incredible accomplishment.

Also on Saturday, April 22nd, 36 students competed in the TEMS Robotics Competition Penta-Power. The teams all performed well and fun was had by all participants. The industrial design award was given to Team 000-111, and the Most Creative Design award went to the Biryani Bots. Our overall grand champion was the Javaholics. Congratulations too all involved, and especially the Javaholics team of Joe, Avy, Saitvik, Rahul, Jacob, and Avistmit.

On Monday, April 24th our students headed to the quarterfinals for Mock Trial. All four TEMS teams proved to be worthy opponents in the courtroom. Kudos to the Red, White and Blue teams who all represented TEMS in an outstanding fashion, demonstrating superior skills in two rounds of trials! Congratulations to the TEMS Gold Team who advanced to the State

Championship Finals. The Gold Team heads to the the Connecticut Appellate Courthouse in Hartford next Tuesday May 2nd to compete in the finals.

The 45th Annual K-12 Art Show opened last night, April 27th, with a Grand Opening evening at the South Windsor Public Library.

This year's show is looking simply amazing-please consider stopping by to view this incredible display of talent and creativity. The collection will be able to be viewed until May 10th during normal library hours.

The Smarter Balanced (SBAC) assessment in English language arts (ELA) and

mathematics will be administered to all TEMS students as part of Connecticut’s summative

assessment system. In addition, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) test will be administered to students in grades 8. Specific testing dates are included in the May calendar.

Important Reminders:

• Students will need a charged Chromebook, independent book and wired headphones. Wireless headphones are not allowed during testing for testing security purposes.
• Cell phones and smart watches will be asked to be stowed in backpacks/lockers during testing.
• Please help make sure that your child goes to bed at a reasonable time the evening before assessments.
• It is helpful to have students eat a healthy breakfast each morning of testing. Breakfast is available for free for all students in the TEMS cafeteria.
• Please encourage your child to do their best- this is the time to show what they know!

On Wednesday, May 3rd we will be hosting student assemblies for 7th and 8th grade with presenter Marc Mero. Marc Mero travels around the country to share his message about growth mindset and social relationships with young adults and families. The school day presentations will be scheduled for our 7th and 8th graders, but ALL families and ALL students are invited to attend the evening session on May 3rd. The family presentation is scheduled for 5:30 in the TEMS auditorium. More information about Marc Mero can be seen here.

If you are a parent of a 7th or 8th grader and you would prefer that your child attend with you during the evening presentation you can opt out of the school day presentations by clicking here.

Grade 8 Promotion is scheduled for Wednesday, June 14th. Each team has its own promotion ceremony scheduled during the day with a grade 8 formal dance scheduled that evening from 6:00-8:00. Please note the times for each team promotion. We expect each ceremony to last approximately one hour. More communication will be shared with grade 8 families about tickets, parking, and other logistics in May.

Grade 8 Promotion Time by Team

• Navy 8:30
• Indigo 10:00
• Pacific 11:30
• Cobalt 1:00

Grade 8 Spring Happenings:

• May 3- Marc Mero Student Assembly
• May 31 or June 1- Trip to Boston (you will get specific team date)
• June 7- Trip to High Meadow
• June 8- Family International Night
• June 9- Juneteenth Celebration and Assembly- Blues and Beyond
• June 14- Promotion and Grade 8 Formal

Grade 7 Spring Happenings

• May dates vary by team- Ticketnetwork Field Trip
• May 3- Marc Mero Student Assembly
• June 2- Trip to Lake Compounce
• June 8- Family International Night
• June 9- Juneteenth Celebration and Assembly- Blues and Beyond

Grade 6 Spring Happenings

• May/ June dates vary by team- Hammonasset Field Trip
• May 3- Student Assemblies
• June 2- Grade 6 June Jamboree
• June 8- Family International Night
• June 9- Juneteenth Celebration and Assembly- Blues and Beyond

Our final PTO meeting is scheduled for May 18th at 6:00 in the TEMS Library Media Center. Please join us for school updates and discussion about upcoming events and activities.

The TEMS PTO have been busy planning teacher appreciation. Please click here to sign up to contribute time or donations that help to pull off a wonderful week for the TEMS staff.

The TEMS PTO is looking for new board members. If you are interested in a leadership position in our PTO please email teptopres@gmail.com.

Please save the date for our first Family International night. Bring the whole family to an evening of music, food, and presentations from students and the community. If you are interested in contributing to the planning/ execution of this event or please use this form to communicate your interest. We can't wait to see you there.

Mrs. Alison Fetta and Mr. Kent Besocke are instructional coaches that support faculty and staff in providing instruction that meets the needs of our diverse learners at TEMS.

Your kids have been working extremely hard this year. As teachers use evidenced-based practices and create learner-centered environments, we see students deeply engaged even when presented with dynamic learning tasks. We understand that standardized testing differs from day-to-day learning and brings about a certain level of stress; however, as our SBAC testing begins, we have all the confidence that our kids will rise to the challenge. So, how can you help out at home? The Learning Heroes website communicates a simple but important reminder: boost your child’s self-confidence by showing him or her how to take on challenges with a positive attitude and determination. Remind your child to take their time and just try their best.

Spring sports are in full swing. Please refer to the TEMS athletics page to come support our TEMS Cougars.

Our student leaders are sponsoring a spirit day on May 17th. They are asking for students and staff to wear purple and donate $1.00 to raise money to support Hartford Healthcare's Purple Light Project.

The Purple Light Project's Mission is to bring awareness and needed items to behavioral health patients across Hartford HealthCare. They use donated funds to purchase meals, blankets, warm clothing, work clothes, and other important supports for people. Thank you for considering helping student leaders raise money for this important cause.

Please join us for the Pleasant Valley Open House (original building) scheduled for Wednesday, May 31st anytime between 4:30-7:00.

It has been a busy couple of months here in the library media center.

The 2023 March Madness Book Bracket was a success! After four rounds of student and staff voting, Operation Do-Over by Gordan Korman was the winner.

The voting continues through April as students across Connecticut will vote for their favorite 2023 Intermediate and Middle School Nutmeg Nominee to determine our state book award winners. Voting here at TE ends on Wednesday, April 26th. Students can vote in each category, as long as they have read one or more of the nominees.

The 2023 Intermediate Nutmeg Nominees are:

The 2023 Middle School Nutmeg Nominees are:

The winner from each category will be announced on May 15th and the new 2024 Intermediate and Middle School Nutmeg Nominees will be on display in our library and the SW public library on May 1st.

The daily TETV Morning News serve as our primary vehicle for communicating important information to students each day. This is where students can learn about upcoming events, tryouts, clubs and activities, and current events. In addition to playing during homeroom each day you can access the daily news on our school website.

We value our partnership with South Windsor Youth and Family Services. Please see the information about upcoming events and resources below.