5th Grade Newsletter

TMS Student Handbook — Please Review

The 2026–2027 Topsail Middle School Student Handbook is attached to our newsletter. We encourage all families to take a few minutes to review it with their child. It contains important school-wide policies, procedures, and expectations that apply to all TMS students.

A few items we especially want our 5th-grade families to be familiar with include:

Attendance & Absence Notes: Absence documentation should be submitted within 3 days of returning to school. Parents may provide notes for the first 5 absences; beginning with the 6th absence, a doctor's note is required for the absence to be considered excused.
Make-Up Work: Students who are absent, whether excused or unexcused, have 3 days after returning to class to submit missed coursework without penalty. After the third day, the missed assignment can no longer be made up.
Electronic Devices: Cell phones, smartwatches, earbuds, and other personal electronic devices should not be activated, used, displayed, or visible during the school day unless specifically authorized by a teacher or administrator.
Early Checkouts: Students must be checked out through the front office and will only be released to an authorized adult. To protect instructional time, students may not be checked out between 3:00–3:40 PM.
Food Deliveries: Outside food and drink deliveries, including services such as DoorDash and Grubhub, are not permitted.
Transportation: Students may not ride a different bus except in an emergency that has been pre-approved by administration.
Behavior Expectations: Students are expected to follow TMS school-wide expectations for Safety, Achievement, Integrity, and Leadership (SAIL) in classrooms and throughout the school.

These are only a few highlights. Please read the complete TMS Student Handbook, as families and students are responsible for knowing the school-wide policies and expectations outlined within it.

5th Grade News to Know

We had a fantastic first week of 5th grade at TMS! Students spent time getting to know one another, building relationships, and learning about our SAIL expectations. They met our administrators, explored the TMS campus, and even earned some Pirate Cash for showing leadership and responsibility. It’s been a great start, and we are excited for all the learning and growth ahead!

Stay Connected!
Please make sure you have the Rooms/Thrillshare apps updated on your phone so you don’t miss important messages from your child’s teacher(s). Keeping the apps up to date ensures you are receiving classroom announcements, reminders, and updates throughout the year.

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Please review these important reminders:

Agendas: Please check and sign your child’s agenda each night. Agendas are an important communication tool for daily assignments, upcoming events, and communication between home and school. During the first few weeks of school, behavior reminders/warnings will be documented in student agendas through September 24. This grace period allows students time to learn and practice the expectations and procedures for their 5th-grade classes. Beginning September 24, repeated behaviors may be documented in Educator’s Handbook and addressed as a minor or major behavior, as appropriate.
Make-Up & Missing Work Policy: If a student is absent: Students are responsible for completing work missed during an absence, whether the absence is excused or unexcused. Students have 3 school days to submit missed assignments. After the third school day, the assignment will no longer be accepted for credit. If a student is present: Students are expected to complete and submit assignments during the designated class time. If a student is present but does not complete or submit an assignment by the end of the allotted class time, the assignment will receive a 40%.
Chromebooks: Students will bring their Chromebooks home each day. Please make sure your child brings their fully charged Chromebook and charger to school every day. Chromebooks are used regularly in 5th grade classrooms and some Encore classes, and teachers do not have extra chargers available.
Absences and Transportation Changes: Absence notes must be submitted within three days to avoid an unexcused absence. TMS allows five parent notes per school year; after five, a doctor’s note is required. All absence notes must be submitted electronically. Parents may upload an absence note through Infinite Campus or email it to tms@pender.k12.nc.us. Handwritten absence notes will not be accepted. All transportation changes must also be emailed to the school.
Daily Snack: Fifth grade students will have snack time each day. Please send a healthy snack to help your child remain energized and focused.
Water Bottles: Students should bring a water bottle to class each day. Please make sure it has a secure, closable lid to prevent spills.
Electronic Devices: According to board policy, cell phones and smartwatches must be completely turned off and kept in students’ backpacks from 8:15 AM–3:40 PM. Wireless earbuds are also not permitted.
Encore: Fifth grade students attend Encore each day from 9:30–10:15 AM. You can view the 5th Grade Encore Schedule HERE.
Lunch and Recess: Lunch is from 12:36–1:01 PM, and recess is from 1:01–1:28 PM.
Independent Reading Book: Please have your child bring a book from home each day to read after finishing classwork. Our first library visit will be in September. Students should always have a book available to read both at school and at home.

Thank you for your continued support. Let’s make it a great year!

The 5th Grade Team

Wireless Communication Device Policy Reminder

As we begin the 2026–27 school year, we want to remind families that this is our second year following the updated Policy 4318, which addresses student use of wireless communication devices. This includes cell phones, smartwatches, wireless earbuds, and other personal electronic devices.

Pender County Schools continues to enforce this policy to support a safe, focused, and distraction-free learning environment.

Student Expectations

Students may bring personal devices to school, but devices must remain completely turned off and stored in their backpacks from 8:15 AM–3:35 PM.
Devices may not be used or displayed unless a teacher has approved their use for instruction or the student has an approved accommodation in an IEP or 504 Plan or a documented medical need.
Wireless earbuds are not permitted during the school day.

Consequences for Misuse

First offense: Warning
Second offense: Device held in the office; student may retrieve it at the end of the day
Third and subsequent offenses: Device held in the office; a parent or guardian must retrieve it
Misuse involving academic dishonesty, bullying, or inappropriate content may result in more serious disciplinary consequences.

Thank you for partnering with us to help students remain focused and engaged throughout the school day. Please contact the school if you have any questions about the policy.

Curriculum Spotlight -What We're Learning

📚 ELA:

Wit & Wisdom® is our English curriculum. It builds knowledge of key topics in history, science, and literature through the study of excellent texts. By reading and responding to stories and nonfiction texts, the students will build knowledge of the following topic in Module 1: Cultures in Conflict. Wit and Wisdom Tips for Family can be found here.
In the upcoming weeks, we will be embarking on an exciting journey in our classroom. Soon, we will be diving into our first classroom novel in the Wit and Wisdom curriculum. We will be reading Thunder Rolling in the Mountains, a historical fiction book by Scott O'Dell and Elizabeth Hall. This powerful story recounts the Nez Perce people's defeat by the United States Army in 1877. Throughout our study, students will make connections between the narrative and their prior knowledge of the conflict between Native Americans in the West and European-American settlers.
We're excited to announce that our library visits will be twice a month on Mondays. Your child will have the opportunity to bring home books to enjoy both in the classroom and at home. Research suggests that reading for at least 15 minutes each day can significantly boost reading skills, with even greater gains observed when reading for over 30 minutes. Please encourage your child to read each night and make sure they bring their library books back to school every day. This will allow them to return their current books and check out new ones if needed, keeping their reading experience fresh and engaging. Your support in nurturing a love for reading is invaluable!

➗ Math: This week in math, we will continue Module 1 Topic A in which students use multiplicative comparison statements to explain that a digit in one place represents 10 times as much as what it represents in the place to the right. Students notice how digits of a number shift when they multiply or divide by a power of 10 and express a power of 10 in exponential form. Then students find products and quotients by using powers of 10 and convert metric measurements from larger to smaller units. Family Math Letter

🔬 Science: In Science, we have been reviewing what matter is and how it can change its state. Next week, we will begin hands-on lab experiments to help students observe and better understand this objective.

🌎 Social Studies: We will begin with Social Studies Unit 1, Early North America & European Exploration. Throughout this unit, students will explore topics from American History (North America’s First Peoples to the French and Indian War) and demonstrate an understanding of these topics through a variety of activities. Students will use different sources of information that researchers use to learn about historical events, people, and time periods.

D.A.R.E. Program 🚔🌟

We are excited to share that our 10-week D.A.R.E. program will begin the week of August 31st! Students will participate once a week during their Encore time. Information about the D.A.R.E. program was shared with students last week.

Throughout the program, students will learn important skills to help them make safe, responsible, and healthy choices, handle challenging situations, and build confidence in making positive decisions.

TMS Volunteers 💛🏴‍☠️

If you would like to volunteer at TMS at any time this school year—including classroom activities, field trips, special events, or other opportunities—you must be approved through the Pender County Schools Volunteer Tracker.

If you are already approved to volunteer at another Pender County school, please make sure you add Topsail Middle School to your Volunteer Tracker account. Your approved schools do not automatically update when your child moves to a new school, so TMS must be added to your account before you can volunteer with us.

5th Grade Newsletter

Week of August 31st

TMS Student Handbook — Please Review

5th Grade News to Know

Wireless Communication Device Policy Reminder

Curriculum Spotlight -What We're Learning

FCA Huddle

TMS Volunteers 💛🏴‍☠️

Teacher Contact

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