Mark your calendars now for upcoming Color Run fundraiser. We will kick off 9/30 and run on 10/11. We are in need of volunteers to join our planning committee. If you are interested, please email us at PTO4TMS@gmail.com. Our PTO event plans and runs this event ourselves and are therefore in need of raffle prizes for kids ages 10-14. Please send any donations into the office with your child and label them as “color run”. We are currently working several incentives based on totals raised which "may" include Dr. Mac and a bucket of slime 😁.
Positive Behavior Intervention Support (PBIS)
TMS uses positive behavior intervention support to help encourage our students to follow the rules within the school. Students can earn 'pirate bucks" when a teacher sees them following the rules or going above and beyond for their teachers or classmates. We also have several celebrations thoughout the year to encourage students to make sure the continue to do what they should all school year long. Here is the criteria for participating in the quarterly celebrations.
Need to change your student's transportation arrangements?
There are times when plans get changed and you need to change the pick-up arrangements you had for your student. If you need to make a change, please email tms@pender.k12.nc.us with your name, the name of your student, and his/her homeroom teacher. As long as this email is listed on your student's IC account, we will respond to the email when your student has been notified. Unfortunately, we cannot accept phone messages in order to make transportation changes because we are unable to verify that the person calling has permission to make the change. If we are able to speak to you on the phone, we can verify some information with you over the phone and then make the requested change. If you have any questions about this process, please call the front office and Ms. Tew will be able to answer your questions.
After School program
If you are interested in enrolling your student in our after school program, Boys and Girls clubs of Southeastern NC, please click here for for information. This program provides support for students in 5th-8th grade.
Cafeteria Microwaves
We have had several incidents in the past 2 weeks of students not monitoring their lunch items when warming it up in the microwaves and over-cooking their items, specifically macaroni and cheese and popcorn. When this occurs, it can create an unsafe situation as the item can catch fire. Please remind your student to follow the instructions on the package when warming up items in the cafeteria. If we continue to have issues with this, we will need to consider removing the microwaves from the cafeteria.
Eating with your student
Thank you to everyone that has been making an effort to avoid bringing outside food and/or drinks into school. We had quite a few parents (and grandparents 😄) come to school last week to eat with their student. There were so many that we ran out of space! Since we don't have as much space as we did last year (our school is growing), we are going to have to make a couple small adjustments. We don't have the space needed to give parents an opportunity to eat with their student outside the cafeteria. Since we cannot allow outside food and/or drinks in the cafeteria and that is the only space we have available to eat, we have set up several special tables in the cafeteria for parents/grandparents to eat with their student. Since this is in the cafeteria and we cannot allow outside food/drink, we are asking that you either bring food from home to eat with your student, or you purchase lunch from the cafeteria. Our cafeteria staff are great and prepare healthy, balanced meals every day for our students and can be purchased by visiting family members. We want to provide an opportunity for our community to be in the school, but need to make sure that we are using our space as effectively as possible. Thank you for your continued support as we continue to find ways to improve TMS.
OMKC
Operation Military Kids Club (OMKC) is kicking off on Friday Sept 20th. The club will normally meet the second Friday of the month (except in February and April due to conflicts). OMKC will meet after school until 4pm. If you or your child are interested, please register your child by going to the website https://operationmilitarykidsclubs.com/ and selecting Topsail Middle School. Attendance is not required, but the club members have a great time with activities and talking about experiences in the military. Those who are registered also receive a purple star in front of the school during April, the month of the military child. Sign up today!
TMS is starting a Running Club
Our goal is to promote a love for running while adding some essential training and tips along the way! Each runner will set their personal goals for their time with the club. This club is also for anyone who wants to prepare for winter or spring sports. This club is not meant for competition, although friendly rivalries are welcome. The running club will be meeting 2 days a week. More information will be coming as details are finalized. Please encourage your student to watch the morning news for more info.
Counselor Corner
This week in the Counselor Corner, we want to share some info about a specific program.
In the MUNCH program, a backpack/gym bag of food is sent home with the child each week on Friday. On the following Monday, the student returns the empty bag to a school counselor or the front office. (In order to keep this anonymous, the backpacks are all different and not labeled as MUNCH bags.) If the backpack/gym bag is not returned, the following week the student will bring the food home in a grocery bag. PLEASE be sure the backpack/gym bag is returned, as it is difficult to send the food the next week if we don’t receive the backpack.
If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to contact either of the school for more information. If you have more than one child here at TMS, each child will receive a full bag each week.
Please note that this list is kept private; the only people with the full list of names are the counselors.
If the MUNCH Program is something that your family needs, please complete the following and return it to school as soon as possible. Please list all children that attend TOPSAIL MIDDLE SCHOOL on this form.
Peanut Free Campus
Please remember that TMS is a peanut-free campus. We have several students that have life-threatening allergies to peanuts. In order to maintain the health and safety of all of our students, we ask that all members of our TMS community refrain from bringing peanuts in any form onto the campus. In the event that someone brings something on campus containing peanuts, we will have alternatives as a replacement. If you have any questions regarding this policy, please contact the front office.
Parent Advisory Council
Tardy to School
Student Pick-up/Drop-off
Thanks to everyone in our community for making student drop-off and pick-up run smoothly, espectially for the first week of school. The drop-off/pick-up line has been moving quickly and efficiently. As the week progressed, it got even better. We did make one adjustment this week that helped improve traffic flow. During parent drop-off in the morning, in an effort to keep traffic moving, a staff member (mainly Coach Williamson) will direct 4-5 cars to park in a row next to the crosswalk. Your student will exit the vehicle and wait by the orange barrel for a staff member to motion them across the crosswalk. Once those 4-5 cars have exited, we will direct the next group to the same spots. If you are not directed to this short group, please continue in the main car line. Our goal with this minor change is to shorten the amount of time parents have to sit in traffic on campus and keep cars moving. Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do for the traffic on 17 😀.
Also, please remember to wait for the bell (at 7:00a) before allowing your student to exit your vehicle. Our staff are making their final preparations for the day and are not available to supervise students until the 7:00am bell.
No outside food/drink
If outside food/drink is delivered to school (doordash, etc), we will hold that food until the end of the day and the student will be able to take it home with them.
If you wish to bring outside food/drink in order to eat lunch with your student, we will have a space outside the cafeteria available for you to eat together.
Updates from Nurse Chewning
Welcome back TMS Pirates! If your student requires medication or medical supplies at school, please contact me this coming week or come by to sign in medications and drop off needed paperwork. In addition, for all new students, please remember that a copy of your child's NC Health Assessment and Immunization record is due by September 24th. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you;
North Carolina requires that all children entering 7th grade receive the first dose of MCV4 (meningococcal conjugate vaccine) and the TDap vaccine (Tetanus/Diphtheria/Pertussis). Please see the attached links for more information. You may call Nurse Chewning or your child's pediatrician for assistance. If your student is entering the 7th grade, they must turn in record of their updated immunizations or exemption by Tuesday, September 24th. If your student is new to Pender County Schools, a health assessment and complete immunization record are also due by September 24th.
Electronic Devices
We want to share important updates regarding the use of electronic devices (cell phones, smart watches, earbuds, etc.) during school hours, effective for the 24-25 school year.
After careful consideration, collaboration with our school leadership and improvement teams, and input from parents like yourselves, we will begin strictly enforcing board policy 4318 to enhance our learning environment. Students will not be permitted to have personal electronic devices (cell phone, smart watch, earbuds, etc.) on their person from 7:00a-2:30p. Students must turn off these devices and store them in backpacks until the end of the day, with exceptions documented is support plans.
If a student is found with a device out during the instructional day, they will receive a reminder to put it in a backpack. Repeat violations will result in the device being held in the office until the end of the day, with further action taken if necessary.
We want to protect our instructional time as much as possible. Our teachers work very hard all year long to make sure that each lesson is engaging for students and, unless used as part of the lesson, electronic devices distract students from those lessons which negatively affects learning.
We understand your concerns about communication with your child during the day. Please utilize the school office for important messages or emergencies, and rest assured that our staff will ensure prompt delivery.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in supporting this policy, which aims to create a focused, safe, and productive learning environment for all students.
Dress Code Updates
We want to share some additional information surrounding dress code at TMS for the 24-25 school. Personal responsibility is one component of the NC Portrait of a Graduate that involves demonstrating self-control and composure. One way that our students can demonstrate this is through the way they present themselves while at school. As part of this effort, we are asking that all students follow the dress code policy as outlined in Board Policy 4316. We want all of our students to feel safe and comfortable on campus and be able to move freely while still dressing in a manner appropriate for school. This includes not wearing clothing that is overly revealing (including when moving around). Please make sure that all personal body parts are covered, both from the front (including midriff) and the back. Should a student not be able to meet this requirement, we want to provide a learning opportunity and allow the student to make a correction to adjust his or her wardrobe. This will demonstrate that your student is able to adapt to different situations, which is another component of the Portrait of a Graduate.
We are all working to make our school environment a place where all students can feel safe, healthy, and confident to participate in any situation. We will do our best to listen to, and partner with you so that our students are able to succeed in every situation this year.
TMS is a 1-1 school which means that every student receives a school-issued Chromebook. In order for students to receive their Chromebook, a parent must sign the Chromebook agreement form. You can print the form here. Once we receive the form, we will issue your student a Chromebook. Thank you to everyone that completed this at open house.
If you requested a bus or bus change at open house, your student will receive a transportation form in homeroom that will tell him or her the bus information he or she will need to get home. In order to verify the bus# and stop location/times, please visit the School bus lookup on the PCS website. This information is updated daily to reflect the most up-to-date information.
Open House
Open house will take place on
Wednesday, August 21st from 4p-6p.
Come out to TMS and take a tour of the school and meet your child's teacher. You will start the evening by stopping by your child's homeroom (lists posted on the windows by the front door) to pick up your child's schedule. Then you will be able to follow your student's schedule and meet his/her teachers and see their classrooms. We will also have a food truck, Nautical Bowls for anyone that wants to eat dinner while there.
For families new to TMS, there will be a brief presentation by Dr. Mac in the cafeteria to share some key information about how to have the best experience at TMS starting from the first day! After the presentation, Dr. Mac will stay in the cafeteria to answer any questions through the remainder of open house. Please come by and introduce yourself.
If you need to request a bus, a school administrator will be in the cafeteria helping answer any questions and helping you register for a bus.
