Thurgood Marshall MS WEEKLY UPDATE
AUGUST 31 - SEPTEMBER 04, 2026
Thurgood Marshall Middle School
4909 Brinkley Road
Temple Hills, MD 20748
301-702-7540
Click Here to Access Thurgood Marshall MS Website
Sonia Sotomayor
Justice Sonia Sotomayor became the first Latina to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court after being nominated by President Barack Obama. She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on August 6, 2009.
Thurgood Marshall
Thurgood Marshall was the first Black U.S. Supreme Court Justice and a strong advocate for civil rights and equality. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on August 30, 1967, and served on the Court until 1991.
Ketanji Brown Jackson
The first African American woman to serve as a U.S. Supreme Court justice is Ketanji Brown Jackson. She was confirmed in 2022 and became the first Black woman on the U.S. Supreme Court.
Thurgood Marshall Middle School Community Message
Dear Thurgood Marshall MS Families:
First, I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to our students, staff, and parents for making our first week of school such a great success! It was wonderful to see our students return with excitement, enthusiasm, and a readiness to learn. As we begin this new school year together, I am confident that, through our collective commitment, collaboration, and dedication, we will create a positive learning environment where every student is supported, challenged, and empowered to reach their full potential. I look forward to an outstanding year filled with academic growth, achievement, and success for all of our students.
Second, as we enter week two, there are several important updates that parents and students should know. On Monday, August 31, 2026, Thurgood Marshall Middle School will conduct its first fire drill of the school year to ensure that all students and staff understand and can safely follow the school emergency procedures. Students will also participate in their first Town Hall Meeting of the school year, where they will learn about important county and school policies, expectations, and resources designed to help them get off to a strong start both academically and social-emotionally. Toward the end of the week, students will begin taking their Reading and Math fall diagnostic assessments, which will help school leaders determine student academic readiness and identify areas of strength and opportunities for growth as we begin the new school year. Additional information regarding fall diagnostic testing can be found in the Thurgood Marshall Middle School Information Center.
Third, the school-wide reading initiative known as Reading in the Zone will begin on Wednesday, September 9, 2026. The TMMS 30-minute “Reading in the Zone” block will provide students with consistent opportunities to build reading stamina, comprehension, and academic vocabulary through both choice and content-area reading. During the first and/or second A Day of the week, students will spend 15–20 minutes independently reading a book or article of their choice (students are encouraged to bring a book they enjoy reading from home), followed by 5–10 minutes of teacher-facilitated discussion using “After Reading” questions; during the final A Day of the week, students will spend 15–20 minutes independently reading a text connected to their current content area, followed by 5–10 minutes answering 2–4 text-dependent questions modeled after the Maryland System of Testing Academic Readiness (MSTAR) item types. This intentional structure will strengthen students’ ability to read, discuss, analyze, and respond to texts across all content areas.
Fourth, Being Chronically Present: Every Day. Every Class. Every Opportunity. At Thurgood Marshall Middle School (TMMS), we are committed to addressing chronic absenteeism with urgency and purpose by identifying and removing attendance barriers that prevent students from being engaged and present every day, in every class, and for every opportunity to learn. During School Year 2025–2026, TMMS had a chronic absenteeism rate of 41%, meaning that 41% of students missed 10% or more of the school year. Our three-year goal is to reduce chronic absenteeism by 9 percentage points each year, decreasing the rate to 32% by the end of SY 2026–2027 school year. Students can achieve their attendance goal each marking period (Quarters 1–4) by missing no more than two days per quarter and no more than eight days throughout the school year. Students who earn perfect attendance each marking period will be recognized and celebrated for their commitment to being “Chronically Present: Every Day. Every Class. Every Opportunity.”
Fifth and Finally, please review information in the Thurgood Marshall Middle School Information Center to receive important updates from Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS), Thurgood Marshall Middle School (TMMS), and Prince George's County Government.
Dr. Lorenzo R. Prillman, Principal
