The Taylor Road Messenger
Monday, December 13, 2021
Taylor Road Middle School
Website: http://www.fultonschools.org/taylorroadms
Location: 5150 Taylor Road, Johns Creek, GA, United States
Phone: (470) 254-7090
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TRMSOfficialPage/?ti=as
Twitter: @Proud_Tigers
LINK to this week's Etc. (the TRMS Supplemental Newsletter with information about activities and opportunities for students, including TRMS clubs, Jr. Cougar sports, etc.)
Clubs meetings are ongoing! See this week's Etc. for the list of available clubs.
This week, there is information about winter color guard opportunities for our students and club meetings.
Please submit information for this newsletter by the Thursday before the week in which you want it to appear.
Mark Your Calendar! Upcoming Events
December 14: Orchestra Winter Concert @ Chattahoochee HS, 7:00 PM
December 17: Grandparents' Coffee, 9:00 AM
December 17: PBIS - Glow Party Reward
December 18 - January 3, 2022: Winter Break
January 3: Teacher Work Day
January 4: First Day of Second Semester
January 12 - 19: Book Fair
January 12: PTA Meeting, 6:00 PM
January 13: 6th Grade Winter Wonderland Party, 4:00 PM
January 17: No School - MLK Jr. Holiday
January 21: School Governance Council, 7:45 AM
January 24: Early Release Day
Thanks to the Jr. Beta members and the leadership of Ms. Moore and Ms. Murphy - below is only a part of our efforts! I love this about my job: Giving families and kids! (Mr. Parker)
Thank you!!!
The Counseling PLC Team and No Place for Hate Club would like to send a HUGE THANK YOU to our students, families, faculty, and staff who participated in the Holiday Food Drive to benefit our local community.
Shout Outs from Parents & Students
Way to go! You are making a difference to our families!
Parents: Please take a minute to share a shout out with our staff members.
Ms. Zeigler: Shout out to Coach Zeigler for her great work with the tumbling team! It was a wonderful experience for the students. Thanks for going the extra mile.
8th Grade Ad Update! -- DEADLINE is December 13th
Ads are opened back up until 12/13. There are limited spaces available, so make sure to purchase one sooner rather than later.
Once they close this time, we cannot open it back up again.
Thank you all so much for your support!
Help Wanted - PBIS Reward Day - December 17th
We have been hard at work creating school-wide reward opportunities for our students for the months of November and December. Throughout each day, students can earn points for being proactive, respectful, and responsible. On December 17, we will be throwing a school-wide event- a Glow Party- for our TRMS tigers! Students will "purchase" tickets to the Glow Party with the PBIS points they have accrued. However, we need YOUR help!
We are asking you to please donate your time and energy to help supervise this event. The event will last 1 hour for each grade level. For each hour, we are looking for 10 adults from the community that would be so kind as to help us with tasks such as checking wristbands and monitoring students. You can sign up for one or many slots. Please consider helping us reward our students’ positive behavior for the rest of this semester!
In order for you to serve as a volunteer for FCS, you must complete the following documents: Safety & Security / Register as a Volunteer (fultonschools.org).
Book Fair - Volunteers Needed!
The media center is looking for volunteers for our upcoming book fair in January (January 12 - 19). Click here to sign up to help.
Please also ensure that you have completed the FCS volunteering training in order to help in our school. Thanks so much!
Language Arts Textbook Adoption
Parents and stakeholders are encouraged to participate in the K-12 ELA textbook adoption process. The public review period is November 29, 2021-January 21, 2022.
Parents and stakeholders can view hard copies of the grade K-5 resources at all elementary schools, the grade 6-8 resources at all middle schools, the grade 9-12 resources at all high schools, and the grade K-12 resources at the North Learning Center (450 Northridge Parkway, Sandy Springs, GA 30350), Administrative Center (6201 Powers Ferry Rd, NW, Atlanta, GA 30339), and South Learning Center (4025 Flat Shoals Rd, Union City, GA 30291).
Digital resources are also available on the Textbook Adoption Website.
In addition, parents and stakeholders will have the opportunity to view presentations from all vendors being considered for adoption on Saturday, January 8th from 12:00-2:00 PM or Tuesday, January 12th from 5:30-7:30 PM. Information is on the flyers linked below.
Latest Updates from the Fulton County Board of Education
Late Start Days Switch to Half Days:
Based on feedback from a variety of stakeholders, the Board voted on a calendar adjustment that will change all remaining late start Mondays for the 2021-2022 school year to early release days. This impacts the following dates:
- January 24, 2022
- February 28, 2022
- March 21, 2022
Educational Options Application Schedule
The district offers many educational options for students. The Board has long believed in providing opportunities and flexibility for families, and the district has invested the resources into high-quality educational choices offered through a number of initiatives. These options are based on curriculum offerings or educational settings and include: Charter Schools; Magnet Programs; Open Enrollment Transfers; Hardship Transfers and Career, Technical & Agricultural Education (CTAE). Below is a listing of important dates and resources for families. For details about in-school choice program deadlines, families should contact their school directly. Click here for more information.
Program & Application Window
Magnet Schools/Programs 11/15 - 1/15
Fulton Academy of Virtual Excellence (FAVE) 12/15 - 1/15
Fulton Schools College and Career Academy 10/30 - 3/31
Hardships 1/1 - 2/28
Open Enrollment 5/1 - 5/15
Parent/Guardian Information About Student Success Skills
Device Update
Did you know that if your student has previously waived having a Fulton County device and is using a personal device, you can always change your mind and request one for your child?
Please contact Peggy Callander (callander@fultonschools.org) at any time if you need to have a Fulton County laptop issued for your student.
Backpacks of Love
At TRMS we have a program called “backpacks of love”. The purpose of this program is to provide assistance by donating non-perishable items to our families. The participants’ names are known only to the counselors and social worker. Once every two weeks a backpack with food items are available to go home. A student can carry the backpack home, or the parent can pick it up at the front office. All we need to know is if you would like to participate, how many adults are in the house, how many children are in the house, and if there are any dietary allergies such as peanut butter. We can only provide for a certain number of families so the sooner you reply the better. We will respond regardless of whether you are in the program or if supplies run out.
6th grade Counselor- Mr. Fredric Johnson
7th grade Counselor- Mrs. Alexcia Massey
8th grade Counselor- Mrs. Cindy Sabula
Special Holiday Shop for See's Candies
Looking to have something to do during the holiday season?
Join the Atlanta Falcons as we celebrate teachers and PTA members for the December 26th game vs Detroit Lions. This offer includes a buy one get one free discounted ticket.
Inventory is limited in select areas of Mercedes-Benz Stadium and you can purchase tickets below on the link in the flyer with promo code FLF at checkout.
Follow Us on Facebook!!
TRMS Counseling Department
School Counselor Office Hours
- By appointment during the school day
- Afternoon hours 3:45-4:05pm
Graduation Coach and Social Worker Office Hours
- By appointment during the school day
- Afternoon hours 3:45-4:05pm
7 Tips to Keep Students Engaged Over Holiday Breaks
7 Tips to Keep Students Engaged Over Holiday Breaks
With holidays just around the corner, you may be wondering how your students will hold up after such long breaks. The fact of the matter is, children are resilient and will be just fine after returning from a long break. Actually, they may be better than “fine” after a long break.
We can’t deny the benefits that children get when they take breaks from the classroom. Short-term breaks from school activities provide a much-needed pause that can result in:
§ Reduced stress
§ Increased productivity
§ Better focus
§ A positive attitude
Similarly, long-term breaks let children learn skills they can’t find in the classroom like social skills and problem solving, which are both necessary for development. Physical activities found outside of the classroom improve focus, attention, and cognitive function. Unstructured playtime also allows students to use their imagination and creative skills to play games and activities.
Keeping students “engaged” means assigning tasks to keep their brains stimulated while not overwhelming your students. We want to make sure students achieve proper rest over their break without losing brain activity. If you decide to create assignments for your students, we have some recommendations for you to use this holiday without making your students feel like they’re in school:
§ Keep it brief. As explained above, rest is crucial for students. More rest should occur than learning should occur. No matter the age of your students, keep assignments doable within a short amount of time.
§ Consider all circumstances. Some students will be on vacation while some students might not have the same technology at home that they have at school. Keep this in mind when creating tasks for students to complete over break.
§ Use open-ended prompts. Let your students pick their own topics for assignments or encourage students to take their own approach to a project instead of having uniform assignments. Students will be much more interested in a project where they have more control and personal investment.
§ Embrace time at home. What can students learn or do at home that they can’t do in your classroom or through a screen? Maybe set a reading challenge for the break with prizes, or have students interview their family members to learn about their family history.
§ Assign household experiments. Encourage creativity by having students make something out of household items like pencils, paper plates, or baking supplies. Our blog features several easy DIY experiments that students can do at home that follow school curriculums.
§ Let them explore. Whether that’s the outdoors, their homes, or a book, observe what they are interested in. Perhaps have students build a snowman of their favorite book character for extra credit to encourage a passion for reading and architectural skills.
§ Encourage volunteering opportunities. The holidays are great times to get out in the community and help out our neighbors for those that are comfortable. If possible, assign extra credit for volunteer work over the break, whether that’s at a food bank, a local library, or a grandparent’s house.
Summit Counseling
If you are interested in services, please use this link to find out more information.
Clinic Information & Medication Forms
Any Student Health plan Forms that require Physician and Parent signatures (Diabetes, Allergy, Asthma, etc…..) which are required for this school year(2021-2022) can be found at this link.
Supporting our work --
Academic Excellence Donation 20-21
These generous voluntary donations will be used exclusively to purchase academic programs or supplies to support student learning or to purchase learning opportunities for our Teachers to enhance their ability to educate our students. Please enter any amount that you are comfortable donating. Thank you for supporting Taylor Road Middle School.
TRMS Staff Recognition Donation 20-21
Donation to be used by TRMS specifically for Staff recognition and awards. Any amount you wish to donate will be appreciated. Thank you for your support of our Taylor Road Middle School teachers.
Earn Money For the TRMS PTA as You Shop!
Publix, Kroger, and Amazon all offer community partnership programs that give us an opportunity to earn money for our school with every purchase. These are fantastic fundraising opportunities, and we encourage staff, parents, other family members, and friends to participate.
For more information click here.
Did you know?
Covid Reporting - Reminder
FCS continues to ask parents to report when their student has been tested. Please refer to the following guidance for reporting:
- Use portals to report pending tests, positive test results, and direct exposures outside of FCS.
- If you are awaiting test results, have a negative test, and/or are asymptomatic, your student may continue to report to school with a mask.
- If you are symptomatic or have a positive test, you are not to report to school.
Parents must use the Parent Reporting Portal to make a COVID-19 report. FCS will only send notifications for direct contact exposures at FCS facilities