September Newsletter

Help TISD name our new Longhorn mascot! Voting will end on Friday, September 5th. To vote; please click the link. Mascot Voting Form

The school year is off to a great start! We have worked hard to beautify our campus this summer. Rural shade came and power washed the front of the campus and trimmed trees. Our Maintenance department has spruced up the interior by painting some of the walls--making it look fresh and ready for our students.

We are also proud to share some exciting news about our academic progress. Our state accountability rating (TES) has improved in all domains: Domain 1 Student achievement: + 5 points, Domain 2 and 2B School progress: 15 point combined, domain 3 Closing the Gaps: 17 points. With an over all of 11 points. We are moving in the right direction!

Our first MAP (Measurement of Academic Progress) test will take place between September 19–29. This assessment will give us a baseline so we can track your child’s academic growth throughout the year.

Upcoming Events:

September 8 Games with Grams TECS cafeteria 5:00 to 5:45 PK-2; 5:45-6:30 Grades 3-5

September 15-17 Baby Belles Dance Camp by THS Drill Team

September 24 Hat day fundraiser for Student counsel

Visualizing the Victory Lap: Curriculum Night

September 9th at 6:00 pm at TMS. Be sure to ask your student how they are participating in this evening. Teachers have amazing presentations and demonstrations of learning that are student-led! See Flyer attached.

Attendance

Research shows that students who develop good attendance habits in middle school are more likely to stay engaged, perform better academically, and graduate on time. Every single day of learning matters!

This year, our campus attendance goal is 97%, which means no more than 5 absences for the entire school year. To encourage and celebrate strong attendance, students’ participation in field trips, fun days, and special campus activities will be tied to consistent attendance.

Please also remember that state law requires students to be present at least 90% of the time in order to receive credit for the school year. This applies to all absences—both excused and unexcused.

We need your support to help ensure your child is at school every day, on time, and ready to learn. Together, we can give our students the best chance to succeed now and in the future.

Thank you for partnering with us!

TMS PTO

AT TMS, we are so thankful for the support of our parents! This year, we are excited to grow our Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO), and we would love for you to be a part of it.

Joining the PTO is a great way to:

• Stay connected to what’s happening at school
• Share your voice and ideas
• Help plan fun events and activities for our students
• Support teachers and staff in meaningful ways

Whether you can give a little time or a lot, every contribution makes a difference. Together, we can create the best experience possible for our children. If you’re interested in volunteering or joining the PTO, please check out to TMS PTO on Facebook or attend our next meeting.

We can’t wait to partner with you!

Upcoming Events:

September 3 Second Cup of Coffee 9:00am

September 11 Pep Rally 3:30 pm

September 18 TMS HOCO Dance 6pm

September 23 TMS Jr BETA Induction 6pm

September 25 See You at the Pole 7:30am

September 25 HOCO Pep Rally 3:30

September 25 TMS Band Performance 5:30pm AL Nelson

September 30 TMS Jr BETA Induction 6pm

THS is in full swing with both academics and extracurricular activities! Our students will take their first CBA assessments during the week of September 15th, and our teachers are eager to use this data to guide instruction and support student success.

Looking ahead, we’re excited to host our annual College and Career Fair in October, providing valuable opportunities for students to explore their future pathways.

We also invite you to join us in cheering on our Longhorns! Whether in the gym for THS Volleyball or at the football field for THS Football, the energy and school spirit are stronger than ever. To show some real Longhorn spirit , the cheerleaders have come up with student dress up themes for the games.

We are sincerely proud of our THS students and the way the school year has started. We understand the idea of not having cell phones for the day was an adjustment for our students, but they are doing a phenomenal job with keeping the phones away and diving into the instruction in the classroom. The positivity within the walls of THS is contagious and we look forward to the great things to come.

Bell Schedule: https://ths.tarkingtonisd.net/our-campus/bell-schedule

Upcoming Events:

September 4: HOSA blood drive

September 4: THS Beta Club Parent Meeting 6:30pm

September 5, 12, 19, 26: No School

September 22: Beta Induction 6:45pm

September 23: Balfour cap/gown, ring presentations to Seniors (during school)

September 24: See You at the Pole 7:30am

September 25: HOCO Pep Rally 3:25pm

September 26: Homecoming 7:30pm

September 27: ATSSB Region Jazz Band Auditions

September 30: FFA Meeting 6pm

This 2025–2026 school year, Tarkington ISD is excited to be able to provide a better, more convenient experience for our Longhorn fans. To enhance accessibility and streamline event operations, we are transitioning to online ticket sales for all athletic events. TISD has partnered with HomeTown Ticketing to offer a simple and efficient way for you to purchase tickets online ahead of time or at the gate (online)—from the comfort of your home or on the go. This new system eliminates the need to wait in line at the gate and ensures a smoother entry process on game days. We look forward to making your game day experience easier than ever!

HomeTown Ticketing’s comprehensive platform provides fast and convenient experience for you – our parents, fans, and guests. Tickets for athletic events can be purchased through our TISD website (https://www.tarkingtonisd.net/departments/athletics) or by downloading the HomeTown Fan App (available for both iOS and Android devices) at hometownticketing.com/resources/hometown-fan-app/.

The HomeTown Fan App allows you to purchase and store tickets on your smartphone or other mobile device up to one week in advance of the event. Simply search for events by school name, zip code, or event name.

Once you have found the school in the app, you can select the event, purchase, and store your tickets. Then, present your digital ticket to be scanned on your way into the event!

Please note: The concession stand will still accept cash only. We recommend planning accordingly to enjoy your favorite game day snacks.

Season Updates:

1st Football game Aug. 29th in Tarkington , Volleyball Placed 2nd in Lufkin Tourney in the silver bracket They will be competing in Dayton on Aug. 28th and 29th and Home vs Splendora on Aug 29th, Cross Country had Multiple Top 10 finishes at the Rick Miller Invitational.

Student enrollment as of August 22, 2025 was 1867 and growing daily

Registration: This is our second year of implementing online registration for new and returning students. If you have not completed your online returning student registration yet, please do so. These forms contain important information necessary to provide a safe and productive school environment for our students. For assistance with your parent portal account and returning student registration please contact Mrs. Dana Burt at DBURT@TARKINGTONISD.NET

We are very close to reaching 100% of completed registrations. Here are the numbers by campus and district:

THS - 92.022% completed

TMS - 99.113% completed

TES - 97.293% completed

TECS - 98.958% completed

TISD - 96.391% completed

Attendance is very important for the education of your student. Not only do they miss out on valuable learning time, but it takes away from funding that the district uses to purchase resources for your student. Our goal at Tarkington ISD is to maintain an attendance percentage of 97%. As you can see by the most recent numbers, we are already below our goal. We appreciate your assistance in getting your student to school every day.

THS - 94.59%

TMS - 95.64%

TES - 96.01%

TEC - 95.58%

TISD - 95.47%

Absence Notes: If your student misses school, please send an attendance note or doctor's excuse to your campus attendance clerk. Their email addresses are:

THS - MDUMAS@TARKINGTONISD.NET

TMS - SGILMORE@TARKINGTONISD.NET

TES - STLAMBERT@TARKINGTONISD.NET

TEC - ROLIVER@TARKINGTONISD.NET

TISD - DBURT@TARKINGTONISD.NET

The TISD Business Department is dedicated to supporting our students, staff, and community by ensuring the responsible management of district resources. Our team works hard to maintain transparency, accuracy, and efficiency in all financial operations, including budgeting, payroll, purchasing, and reporting.

We are committed to providing excellent customer service to our employees, campuses, and departments while upholding the highest standards of fiscal responsibility. Together, we’re helping TISD strive, thrive, and achieve through careful stewardship of district funds.

To view financial reports; please visit the Business webpage at https://www.tarkingtonisd.net/departments/business-office

As we kick off the new school year, our district is proud to support our educators through professional development sessions designed to help them Thrive, Strive, and Achieve in the classroom. These sessions, offered at the start of the year, equipped teachers with innovative strategies and tools to enhance instruction and support student growth. We are excited to build on the momentum from last year’s successes as we continue working together to create an inspiring and effective learning environment for all students.

We invite all parents to partner with their child’s school, staying engaged and involved to support student success every step of the way.

To learn more about curriculum and instructional resources, please visit our website at https://www.tarkingtonisd.net/departments/curriculum-instruction.

TISD Students may receive Free or Reduced priced meals based on their family's income. Parents must fill out a new online application EVERY YEAR, even if your children qualified for the program last school year. To see if your family qualifies; please visit the Child Nutrition website at https://www.schoolcafe.com/TARKINGTONISD

Meal Menus are now online at https://www.schoolcafe.com/TARKINGTONISD

We are proud to announce that all Tarkington ISD custodians have successfully completed their Youth Mental Health First Aid certification! This important training equips our team with the knowledge and skills to recognize, understand, and respond to signs of mental health challenges in youth.

Their dedication goes beyond keeping our campuses clean and safe—they are now better prepared to support the emotional well-being of our students. This achievement reflects our ongoing commitment to creating a caring, supportive environment where every Longhorn can Strive, Thrive, and Achieve.

Stay Connected with TISD

With the start of a new school year, it’s important to stay informed about the latest news, events, and activities happening across our campuses and district-wide. TISD offers several ways to keep up with what’s going on:

• Email & Text Notifications – Make sure you’re signed up to receive timely updates. (through parent portal/registration)

• District & Campus Websites – Visit www.tarkingtonisd.net or your campus website for news, calendars, and resources.

• Follow Us on Facebook – Stay connected and engaged by following our page: facebook.com/tarkingtonisd.

Parents: If you are not receiving TISD emails or text messages, please check your Spam or Promotions folders and add noreply@tarkingtonisdnet.myenotice.com to your email safe-sender list to ensure you don’t miss important information.

September Health Update from Your School Nurse!

Immunization: Make sure your child’s vaccinations or immunization waivers are up to date. This documentation is required for school attendance.

Vision & Hearing Screenings: Students in grades PK, K, 1, 3, 5, 7 and 8 will be screened in the fall.

When to Keep Your Child Home: (Please keep your child home if they have)

-Fever over 100°F

-Vomiting or diarrhea

-Persistent cough or sore throat

-Contagious conditions (e.g., pink eye, flu, COVID-19)

Extra Clothes = Extra Comfort: Accidents happen—spills, muddy play, or bathroom mishaps. Please send a seasonally appropriate change of clothes (shirt, pants, underwear, socks) in a labeled bag to keep in your child’s backpack. This helps us avoid calling home and keeps your child comfortable.

Nurse’s Corner: Asthma Awareness: If your child has asthma:

-Make sure we have an updated action plan and medication on file

-Teach your child to recognize symptoms and speak up

-Let us know if they need accommodations during physical activity

Thank you for partnering with us to keep our students healthy and happy.

HR Update: Welcoming New Faces and a Strong Start to the School Year

It’s been a busy and productive summer as we welcomed new staff members and updated key information to help them get off to a strong start. We're happy to report that open enrollment for benefits went smoothly once again this year. A big shout-out to Amanda Duncan for her outstanding work ensuring everyone had access to the Benefits HUB and timely reminders about important deadlines—your efforts are truly appreciated!

As we kick off the new school year, we’re preparing for our first Substitute Orientation and Training Session on August 27th. We’re excited to meet our new substitute teachers and are grateful for the important role they play in supporting our classrooms when teachers are away. Thank you to all of our substitutes—your flexibility and dedication make a difference for our students every day.

All students will be issued a bus pass by September 11, 2025, for the 2025–2026 school year. The first bus pass is provided at no cost. Students must have their bus pass with them when loading and unloading the bus and are required to wear it at all times while riding. These passes are an important part of student safety and help ensure proper identification for all bus riders.

If a replacement bus pass is needed, the cost will be $5. Payments may be submitted in an envelope to the student’s bus driver or paid directly at the Transportation Office. Once payment has been received, the Transportation Department will print the new bus pass and deliver it to the student on their next bus route.

Failure to wear the required identification may result in disciplinary action. After three instances of not having a bus pass within a three-week period, students may face a bus suspension of up to three days.

The district is also piloting the Here Comes the Bus app on buses 15, 29, 36, and 37. Parents can sign up to receive bus alerts through this app by using the TISD Code 30241 along with their student’s ID number. More information and the signup link can be found here: https://www.tarkingtonisd.net/families/here-comes-the-bus

Finally, please remember that all students must be registered with the Transportation Department in order to ride the bus. Students who are not registered will not be permitted to ride.

Teletherapy Program for ALL Students

Our district has partnered with Daybreak Health, a school-based mental health company, to offer 1:1 teletherapy services to our students and their families, with qualified clinicians. These services will be provided at no cost to families.

If a student is struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship challenges, stress, or other mental health related issues, they can get referred to this program, have an intake appointment, and get matched with a therapist based on their individual needs within 1-2 weeks. The student will meet with their therapist once/week for 50-minutes over ~12 weeks. All sessions are hosted over Zoom and can take place before, during or after school hours, during the week or even on Saturdays.

During the program, the student’s therapist will help them understand their emotions and learn new skills and strategies to manage their symptoms that they can use in class, at home, and throughout their life.

Students ages 5-9 will participate in a Family Teletherapy program that includes at least one parent or guardian. Older students will participate in a 1:1 Teletherapy program.

If your child could benefit from virtual mental health support, utilize the QR code to make a referral or reach out to your school counselor or building administrators for more information.

As Texas students return to school this fall, TISD is participating in the Texas School Safety Center’s new public awareness campaign, Threats Are No Joke!, to educate students and parents about the serious consequences of making or sharing threats. Resources for parents are available at: https://txssc.txstate.edu/tools/threats-are-no-joke-toolkit/1-teacher-parent-guides.html On this website parents can find out information about the law, what types of messages/texts can be considered threats, and the consequences from making a threat that is intended as a joke.

Tarkington ISD Technology Update

As the new school year gets underway, our Technology Department has been hard at work making sure everything runs smoothly for students and staff. Here’s a quick look at what we’ve been doing:

• Interactive Learning in Every Classroom
  All elementary and early childhood classrooms are now equipped with state-of-the-art interactive flat panels, bringing lessons to life and helping teachers create engaging, hands-on learning experiences.

• Seamless Student Access
  Students have district-issued Clever QR codes which will also be printed on their ID badges, allowing them to log in quickly to district Chromebooks and easily to their learning platforms.

• Clever at Your Fingertips
  From any device, when a student is logged into their Chrome account, they can click on the “Tarkington ISD” folder in Chrome to find their Clever link. This is their gateway to all district curriculum platforms, making it simple to access assignments, resources, and tools from anywhere, even at home.

  • Apple Device Users: Students or parents can also download the Clever app from the App Store to access their district curriculum on iPhones or iPads using their student QR code or school google credentials to sign in.

Every week in September through September 26, one teacher will receive $1,000 for school supplies—thanks to your shoutouts!

Teachers go above and beyond every day, and this month, we want to honor them in a big way! Rachelle & Carder are inviting you to share the story of a teacher who’s made a lasting impact - whether it’s in your life, your child’s, or your community.

Nominate your favorite teacher below. If your story is selected, we’ll give you a call and together surprise your teacher with $1,000 to help stock their classroom with the supplies they need.

Nomination Form

It's time to help our teachers to "Clear their Teacher Wish Lists!" Teachers have some special wants in their classrooms. If you would like to purchase something for a teacher or two, please visit: https://www.tarkingtonisd.net/about-tisd/teacher-wish-lists