The Topsail Times

Good afternoon, Topsail families!

We hope everyone in the Topsail Middle School community stayed safe and warm during our recent snow days and is ready to settle back into a more typical schedule this week, with the exception of no school on Friday.

As you prepare for the week ahead, please take a moment to read this edition of the Topsail Times for important updates and information, and don’t forget to scroll to the bottom for our grade-level newsletters. We look forward to welcoming students back tomorrow and hope you enjoy the remainder of your weekend.

Important Dates This Week:

• 2/9: Girls Basketball/Boys Soccer @ Penderlea Middle @ 4:15PM
• 2/10-2/12: 6th Grade Field Trip to iFly
• 2/10: Science Check-in (5th & 8th Grades)
• 2/10: PCS Board Meeting @ 6PM
• 2/12: Girls Basketball/Boys Soccer @ CFMS @ 4:15PM
• 2/13: NO SCHOOL

As part of our plan to keep students safe while on campus, we periodically conduct drills to practice our procedures. This week, we will be practicing a lockdown drill in conjunction with Topsail High School and Topsail Annandale. Once the drill is complete, we will send out a message to our communities letting everyone know that it was completed.

TMS Community,

Thank you to everyone that has been following our new traffic pattern for drop off and pickup. We have seen a major reduction in the number of cars that are blocking traffic on Hwy 17 in the morning and afternoon. However, in reviewing our traffic flow over the last several days, we are starting to see an increase in traffic entering the main entrance in both the morning and afternoon. All cars that are dropping off students in the morning or picking up students in the afternoon should enter at the stoplight on Jenkins Rd.

In an effort to support this, starting on Monday February 9th, cars that enter through the front entrance to the school will not be able to enter the pickup traffic pattern and will have to go back out to Hwy 17 and down to the light at Jenkins rd.

NCDOT has let us know that impeding traffic on Hwy 17 is not acceptable. Having all cars enter on Jenkins Rd will eliminate this issue.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Dr. Mac.

PCS Superbowl Reading Challenge ends at midnight tonight! Topsail Middle is currently in 2nd place behind TAES, so every minute counts!

Log those last reading minutes in PCS Million Minute Reading Challenge Google Form found on Classlink.

The winning school will receive an ice cream party for students and a staff breakfast or luncheon.

We're at the 10-yard line, team. Let's drive for the win!

Happy Reading!

The SAIL Matrix is our school-wide behavior expectations chart at Topsail Middle School, built around the values of Safety, Achievement, Integrity, and Leadership. It shows what these expectations look like in everyday situations—classrooms, hallways, cafeteria, assemblies, bathrooms, carpool, and the bus—so students and families can clearly see how Pirates are expected to “SAIL” throughout the day. We want all our families, especially those new to TMS, to be aware of this matrix so we can partner together to reinforce these expectations at home and help support our continued success inside and outside the classroom!

CLICK HERE for our SAIL matrix.

This is an excellent opportunity for students to participate in career exploration. Please see attached flyer for details.

If your student is interested, please have them submit the attached application to Ms. Wood (TMS school counselor) no later than Friday, February 20th. See Ms. Wood or a CTE teacher for a hard copy of the application if you need one.

Late applications will not be accepted.

It's that time of year again! It's time to order your student a TMS yearbook!

Please CLICK HERE for this February's cafeteria menu.

Also, please be aware that the microwaves in the cafeteria are no longer operable and thus, no longer available. Please make sure that if you want to your child to have a hot lunch, please bring it in a thermos or purchase a lunch from the cafeteria.

Thank you for your support with this!

Bus driver appreciation week is celebrated each February. TMS PTO needs parent volunteers willing to help plan and organize the week to make it extra special for our drivers. If you are able to help, please email us at PTO4TMS@gmail.com

Topsail Middle School would like to remind our families and students of a few important reminders:

• Sick/late notes must be received within 3 days of absence/tardy.
• Our final check out time at TMS is 3pm.
• Please, no outside food/drink in cafeteria, and only water bottles in classrooms (i.e.: no Starbucks, Dunkin drinks, fast food drinks, sodas, energy drinks, etc.).
• To parents who are dropping off their students in the parking lot in the morning, please do not let your child out of the car before the bell at 8:10am. We do not have staff out there before that time and several parents have been dropping off before the bell, which is causing a major safety issue.

• Please remind your children that they may only use their own lunch accounts. They are not permitted to use accounts belonging to siblings, relatives, or friends. Unfortunately, we have had to turn several students away this week because of this issue.

  
  

We have a few important systems that will help our school year run smoothly. Please take a moment to make sure you have access to each one:

Infinite Campus

• What it does: Lets you view your child’s grades and attendance, and submit excuse notes.
• Step 1: Get your student’s activation code here: Lookup Activation Code
• Step 2: Use your code to create your account here: Infinite Campus Login
• WE ARE ALSO IN S DISTRICT COMPETITION TO HAVE THE MOST FAMILIES SIGN UP, SO PLEASE HELP TMS WIN!

Here Comes the Bus

• What it does: Allows you to see your child’s bus location, receive alerts when the bus is near, and have peace of mind about arrival times.
• What you need: Your child’s Student ID number
  • If you do not know it, email jeremy_mortensen@pernder.k12.nc.us and he will send it to you.
• District Code: 29081
• Sign Up Here: Here Comes the Bus

Rooms

• What it does: Our county-wide communication system for messaging between teachers and parents.
• Set up your account here: Rooms Information

Thank you for taking the time to set up these systems. Having access will make communication and daily routines much smoother for you and your child! We greatly appreciate the tremendous partnership we have with our TMS families!

7TH GRADE NEWSLETTER

8TH GRADE NEWSLETTER

ENCORE NEWSLETTER