The Tilghman Times

Hello TES Families!

We are so excited to see so many of you tomorrow, August 20, for conferences!

If you happen to forget your conference time, no worries—just call the school and we can let you know. Please plan to arrive 10–15 minutes early so you have enough time to check in, confirm transportation information, and stop by the Media Center for school supplies and to connect with school and district resources.

Our school nurse, Ms. Heather Gottlieb, will also be available tomorrow. If your child will be taking medication at school, or if there is any health information you would like her to know before the school year begins, please make sure to check in with her during your visit. There is important health room information and forms at the bottom of this newsletter.

This first newsletter is a little longer than usual, but I want to make sure you have everything you need to feel ready for the start of the school year. Please take some time to look through the information below, and as always, don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions.

We are so excited to begin another school year together. We can’t wait to see you tomorrow and to welcome ALL of our students back on Monday, August 24, for the first day of school!

Sincerely,
Ali Strickland
Proud Principal, Tilghman Elementary

Aug 20: Prek- 5 Teacher Conferences

Aug 24: FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL PreK-5

Sept 4: PTO SNOW CONE SOCIAL 5-7 PM

Sept 7: No School: Labor Day

Sept 18: Early Dismissal (12:05 PM)

• 8:30 a.m. – Student Arrival Begins

• 8:40 a.m. – Morning Announcements

• 8:45 a.m. – Morning Meeting

• 8:55 a.m. – Instructional Day Starts (students arriving after 8:55 a.m will be marked tardy)

• 3:20 p.m. – Student Dismissal

AM Drop-Off

To keep our Tigers safe and mornings running smoothly, please follow these reminders:

• Students must stay in their vehicles until an adult on duty comes to their car door.

• At 8:30 am, adults on duty will open the first three cars and then signal for the car rider line to move forward.

• Adults on duty will continue to help students out of vehicles unless an older sibling can assist.

• Please remain in your car while staff open and close doors. If you need to help a younger student out of a car seat, a staff member will direct you to the safety zone.

• All students must exit on the curbside (right side). If your child is not able to do so, a staff member will assist them safely.

• Please follow the traffic pattern in the car rider loop and do not pass other vehicles.

PM Dismissal

To keep afternoons safe and dismissal running smoothly, please follow these reminders:

• Pre-K–2 students dismiss from the exit by the Judy Center (same exit as last year), while grades 3–5 dismiss from the gym. Younger siblings in grades PreK-2 will meet their older siblings at the gym exit.

• Please display your yellow car rider card in the window of your vehicle. Hanging it from the visor makes it easier for staff to see and helps dismissal move more quickly.

• If another adult is picking up your child, please send in a note. That adult must also have your child’s red car rider card. If for some reason you forget the car rider signs, no stress! This is really to help make our car rider dismissal as safe and efficient as possible!

• Please remain in your car while staff open and close your child’s door. If you need to help with a car seat, staff will direct you to the safety zone.

• I know afternoons can be busy with after-school activities, sports, older siblings, and all the things (as a mom of two, I feel that with you :)), but please follow the traffic pattern in the car rider loop and do not pass other vehicles. This is extremely important for the safety of our students.

Thank you in advance for your patience with us the first week. If we need to make any adjustments to our process, we will make sure to let you know!

At Tilghman Elementary, your child’s safety is our top priority. Many of our Tigers enjoy walking or biking to and from school, and we want every child to get home safely.

🚲 Bike Riders — Helmets Required
We know how important your children are to you, and we want to make sure we get your babies home to you safely! Any student leaving TES on a bicycle must have a helmet on before leaving campus. If a student arrives without one, we’ll work with families to make sure they have one before riding home. Thanks to our community partnerships, we can provide helmets if needed—please don’t hesitate to reach out.

🚶 Walkers & Bike Riders — Age Guidelines

• Students must be 10 years or older to walk or bike home on their own.

• Students who are 8 or 9 years old may walk or bike home with a written parent/guardian note on file.

• Students younger than 8 must be met by a parent/guardian or an approved sibling who is at least 13 years old.

Thank you for partnering with us to make sure all of our Tigers travel home safely! 🐾❤️

Please remember that during the first few days of school, buses may arrive 5–10 minutes earlier or later than scheduled. Thank you for your patience as routes settle in. If you have any questions or need support with your child’s bus transportation, please contact Ms. Debby in the front office.

Below is our Here Comes the Bus information!

Hello TES Tiger Families!

Welcome back to the 2026–2027 school year! We are so excited to introduce Mrs. Heather Gottleib as our full-time school nurse!!!!! Here are a few health room updates:

I want to remind everyone of the importance of sharing any health issues your little ones may have. This helps me support your student in the best way possible.

As a reminder, if your student will be taking any medications during the school day, please complete a medication authorization form. This form must be filled out by the doctor and signed by both the doctor and you. Medication can only be brought in by an adult in its original form and container—please do not send medication in with your student, as this is a safety issue.

For new families coming to TES, health inventory paperwork is very important for both parent and practitioner to complete. When both parts are filled out, it gives me the best opportunity to learn about your student.

If there are any allergies, I need to know about them as well. Our food service provider, Aramark requires physician documentation of food allergies. Please have your healthcare provider complete the attached "Diet Modifications" form if your child will require dietary restrictions or substitutions. Even if you plan to pack lunch, it is a good idea to have this form on file, just in case your child buys a snack or drink.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to the TES office throughout the week with any questions or concerns. All forms are attached below and are also available on the school website or in the school office.

I’m looking forward to a safe, healthy, and successful school year with all of our TES Tigers!

Kindly-

Healther Gottleib, R.N.
School Nurse, Talbot County Health Dept.

heather.gottleib@talbotschools.org

This information has been shared by the district. I wanted to make sure you had everything in one place for easy reference. As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions!

NO CELL BELL TO BELL

TCPS has implemented a “no cell, bell to bell” regulation for 2026-2027. Students in all grade levels will not be permitted to use cell phones, smartwatches, headphones, earbuds, or other personal communication devices during the school day.

This change is in response to the Maryland Phone-Free Schools Act, which was passed during the 2026 Maryland General Assembly. Across the country, schools where phone-free policies have been implemented have noted many improved outcomes, including less distraction, less cyberbullying, fewer fights, increased engagement, improved attendance, and healthier school environments overall.

Please note that exceptions may be made, including for documented medical needs or approved accommodations. As is the case at Easton Middle and St. Michaels Middle schools, consequences for non-compliance without approved exceptions are as follows:

• First Offense- Phone is taken to the office, and the student can pick it up at the end of the day.

• Second Offense- Phone is taken to the office, and the parent has to pick it up.

• Third Offense- Office referral, and the parent has to pick the phone up.

• Fourth Offense- Office referral. Students are required to turn in their phones to the office daily for the remainder of the quarter.

This is aligned with the TCPS Student Code of Conduct. Parents/Guardians are encouraged to discuss digital device expectations and review the TCPS Student Code of Conduct with students before the start of the 2026-2027 school year. We appreciate your support and partnership with these new expectations.

STUDENT ATTENDANCE REGULATION REVISIONS

We are implementing revisions to our Student Attendance Administrative Regulation 10.2 to comply with Maryland Law.

1 - Since family vacations have always been unexcused absences, TCPS will no longer have an internal code or approval process for family vacations. In accordance with Maryland Law (COMAR 13A.08.01.03-.04), these absences can only be coded as unexcused.

2 - The state has instituted a new absence code for students participating in civic engagement. These absences will be excused with prior authorization by school administration.

3 - TCPS will no longer count six tardies as one unexcused absence.

4 - The state does not recognize tardies as excused or unexcused, so we will not code those as such. They will simply be coded as a tardy.

5 - If a student has a chronic illness, absences will no longer be classified as CHIPS (Chronic Health Impairment for Students). Families will need to talk to their school counselor and complete the Home/Hospital process for intermittent services. This will ensure that students suffering from chronic health issues continue to receive educational services.

Please carefully review the updated Student Attendance Administrative Regulation linked here: Policy Code 10.2 AR

TCPS Grading Policy Updates 2026-2027

Over the past year, TCPS has conducted a comprehensive review of its grading practices in collaboration with teachers, administrators, and families. Informed by district data, research, community feedback, and grading simulations, TCPS will implement the following new grading practices for the 2026-2027 school year.

Key Shifts in Elementary (PreK-5th Grade)

Competency-based standards (SP / DP / AP / EM / NM) will be used for ALL grades PreK-5. Previously, grades 3-5 received traditional letter grades.

Why: Competency standards are clusters of related skills within a subject that are assessed together and reported using a four-level scale instead of a single letter grade. This model creates one consistent reporting model across every elementary grade. A proficiency scale shows what a student can actually do, rather than compressing that into a single letter — giving a clearer, more accurate picture of learning and growth for young learners.

Parents/guardians will be able to see progress on individual assignments and observations throughout the marking period, not just at report card time.

Why: Increases transparency and keeps families informed in real time, so concerns can be addressed early rather than coming as a surprise at the end of the marking period.

Progress is evaluated as both academic and developmental, using work samples, performance-based tasks, observational data, and classroom curriculum assessments.

Why: Reflects that early learning includes developmental growth alongside academics, and ensures grading is based on multiple, well-rounded sources of evidence rather than a single test or assignment.

Competency Standards Proficiency Scale (PreK-5)

• SP — Surpassing Proficiency: skills and understanding exceed grade-level expectations in this area.

• DP — Demonstrating Proficiency: skills and understanding meet grade-level expectations in this area.

• AP — Approaching Proficiency: skills and understanding are approaching grade-level expectations.

• EM — Emerging: skills and understanding are just beginning to develop in this area.

• NM — Not Measured: this skill has not yet been taught or assessed in this marking period.

Key Shifts in Grades 6-12

Grading Weight

• Formative weight: previously 30% of the reported grade, now 40% of the reported grade.

• Summative weight: previously 70% of the reported grade, now 60% of the reported grade.

Grading Scale (6-12)

Grades 6-12 use a hybrid model: traditional letter grades (A+ through F, including I and M for incomplete or missing), paired with a 4-point quality scale, with no artificial floor on individual assignment scores (minimum “50% as the floor grading” is eliminated).

For more information on the grading scale, please visit this additional resource.

Other Key Changes

Every unit must include formative assessment(s) before the related summative, covering all the same learning outcomes, with adequate time for feedback and reteaching first.

Why: Ensures students have practiced and received feedback on a skill before being formally evaluated on a summative assessment.

Teachers must keep gradebooks current, entering grades within 5 school days of submission (up to 8 school days for lengthy summatives like major projects, labs, or essays, if communicated in advance).

Why: Keeps grade information current so students and families can respond quickly, and sets a consistent, predictable timeline for feedback across all teachers and schools.

Grades cannot be disproportionately entered near the end of a marking period in a way that significantly changes a student's grade, without prior documentation and communication with the family.

Why: Avoids last-minute grade surprises and keeps families informed early enough to provide support.

Missing or incomplete formative work can be submitted for full credit if completed before the related summative. Students present on a summative's due date must complete it that day or within 5 school days, unless the teacher approves an exception. However, tests must be completed on the day of administration if the student is present.

Why: Encourages students to complete practice while still holding a firm, fair line on summative timeliness so grades reflect actual mastery.

Reteaching/reassessment applies to formative work only: mandatory for a D+ or below, available upon request for a C- or above. It must happen before the related summative, within the same marking period. Summative assessments and final exams are not eligible for reassessment, except for verified extenuating circumstances or principal approval.

Why: Gives every student a path to mastery while a skill is still being built, without opening the door to endless retakes on final assessments — preserving the integrity of summative grades.

Weapons Detection Pilot

New Safety Screening at Fall Athletic Events

Beginning with the 2026 fall athletic season, Talbot County Public Schools will pilot a weapons detection screening system at all varsity football games at Easton High School and all varsity soccer games at St. Michaels Middle High School.

As part of this enhanced safety measure, all spectators will be subject to security screening prior to entering the venue. If additional screening is needed, a handheld security wand may also be used. Student spectators are not permitted to bring backpacks, book bags, or other large bags into the venue. Bags carried by adult spectators are permitted but are subject to security screening and inspection.

To help make entry quick and efficient, families and guests are encouraged to arrive early, limit personal items, and follow the directions of event staff and security personnel.

We appreciate the cooperation of our families and community as we implement this additional safety measure and work together to provide a safe, welcoming, and enjoyable environment for our students and spectators.