The Topsail Times

Happy second week of January, TMS families.

This week’s Topsail Times highlights key dates and activities on our campus, including learning opportunities, club meetings, and athletic events. Please review the newsletter so your student is ready to participate fully in the week ahead.​

With temperatures forecast to drop again in the coming days, families are asked to ensure students come to school dressed for colder weather, including time spent outdoors during PA. Appropriate layers, coats, and cold‑weather accessories help students stay comfortable and focused while they are outside.

Important Dates This Week:

• 1/12: Cheer try-outs @ 3PM
• 1/13: REPORT CARDS AVAILABLE ON INFINITE CAMPUS
• 1/13: PCS Board Meeting @ 6PM
• 1/14-1/15: 5th grade Math Star Testing & mclass MOY
• 1/15: PCS All County Band Concert - Topsail High School @ 6PM
• 1/19: Martin Luther King Jr. Day - NO SCHOOL

As a reminder, TMS is a peanut-free school. Please CLICK HERE for a Peanut-free website with a list of 36 of our favorite peanut and tree nut free candies (and as always, confirm on the label that it was made in a factory that doesn’t also process tree nuts or peanuts).

Thank you for your support in helping TMS stay peanut-free!

Report cards will be available on Tuesday in Infinite Campus. Please login to your child's account to see their grades and progress. Please see below for instructions on how to access them:

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

For the safety of all students and staff, please remember that all visitors must check in at the main office and receive a visitor pass before going to any classroom or other area on campus. Thank you for your cooperation in helping us maintain a secure and welcoming environment at Topsail Middle.

We have a new counselor joining our team!

Mr. Einspahr and his family just recently moved here from Colorado, and are loving our experiences so far. He is a school counselor with 11 years in education/counseling and will be splitting my time between TAES and TMS. He is excited for this opportunity to begin working with our TMS students this school year.. Mr. Einspahr looks forward to partnering with families and staff supporting students’ academic success, social-emotional growth, and overall well-being. If you need to reach him, his email is: is ryan_einspahr@pender.k12.nc.us.

Welcome to our TMS Team!

We have a new role at TMS! Mrs. Baer has agreed to take on the role of a volunteer coordinator for TMS! We are looking for volunteers that would like to spend time working with our students. Any time that you are willing to give to support our students would be great! It does not have to be a consistent time every day or week, it can be a single time. If you have a way you would like to help, please reach out to Lidnsay Baer (lindsay_baer@pender.k12.nc.us) and she will get you set up.

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

We have noticed an increase in Chromebook damage this year. We have already had more repair requests than all of last year and want to partner with you in reminding students to take great care of their devices. Please encourage your child to treat their Chromebook as they would their own personal device—carrying it carefully, keeping it in a safe place, and avoiding food, drinks, or rough handling around it.

For the 2nd semester, students that have to report CB damage for the 2nd time will receive a school consequence consistent with the level of damage on top of being required to pay to repair the damage.

For more information about Chromebook care, repairs, and expectations, please visit the Pender County Schools Technology Services page (including the FAQ section) and review the Student/Guardian Chromebook Agreement linked there: https://www.pender.k12.nc.us/page/technology-services and Chromebook Agreement: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UHGTNrN_jcbxY9a1D_uy1d2YBMdJJSFm/view

Freshman applications are available online at https://www.pender.k12.nc.us/o/pechs/page/admission.

Applications are due to Ms. Wood (TMS school counselor) no later than Friday, January 16th.

Please double check that your student is bringing a clean, reusable water bottle that they can refill during the school day. It helps to send them with healthy snack(s) as well! As we enter the cold and flu season, also remind them about cough etiquette and good handwashing (and not sharing water bottles with friends).

Please CLICK HERE for this January'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

Please join us for our upcoming PTO Chick-fil-A spirit night on Wednesday, January 28th from 7am-7pm!

Please join us for the PCS All-County Band Clinic Concert featuring students from across all of Pender County Schools, including our very own Topsail Middle School students. The concert takes place on January 15th from 6-8 pm. at Topsail High School. Admission is free!

Join us in reaching ONE MILLION MINUTES reading by the end of the school year.

Reading builds knowledge, imagination, and lifelong learning skills. By working together, Pender County Schools will reach this incredible goal. Let’s grow our love for reading — one page at a time!

Tracking form will be provided by the school.

October 1 - May 31

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!

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8TH GRADE NEWSLETTER

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