Thornton Middle School
November 2026 Newsletter
Welcome to November at Thornton Middle School!
Hello Thornton Middle School families,
November Is Almost Here! Celebrating Our Thornton Cougars!
Can you believe it’s already November?! We’ve had some exciting things happening at Thornton Middle School, and there’s even more to look forward to!
Spooky Movie Night Fun!
Earlier this week, approximately 90 students joined us for Spooky Movie Night! Students enjoyed the movie, spent time with friends, and made great memories together. Thank you to everyone who helped make this event a success!
Celebrating Success at Our First Quarterly Assembly!
We recently celebrated students across all grade levels at our first Quarterly Assembly of the school year! Students were recognized for their hard work, including maintaining zero tardies and demonstrating success in their classes.
To make the celebration even more exciting, Thornton High School’s cheer team and band joined us to entertain our middle schoolers! The energy was incredible, and it was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our students and recognize their accomplishments.
Our students look forward to these assemblies each quarter as a chance to celebrate positive choices, academic success, and being part of our Thornton community. We can’t wait to do it again!
We are so proud of our Thornton Cougars and love finding opportunities to celebrate their success, build connections, and make school a fun place to be. Here’s to another great month at TMS!
Suzi Mullen
Assistant Principal
Thornton Middle School
November 2nd - NO SCHOOL - Staff Workday
November 23rd - 27th - NO SCHOOL - Thanksgiving Break
Adams 12 Five Star Schools encourages the opportunity for students and families to engage in celebration that is respectful to all cultures, religions, races, and beliefs. In our continued efforts to maintain a respectful, safe and secure learning environment, the following guidelines for Halloween celebrations have been developed. These guidelines apply to students, staff, and participants of all Halloween celebrations both during and after the school day. Please contact your school’s administrator for information specific to your school.
Halloween Guidelines
These guidelines apply to all students, regardless of the learning model they are enrolled in. Costumes may only be worn on Friday, October 30, 2026, or at designated school sanctioned after school events.
- Costumes that would otherwise violate the Student Dress Code (Superintendent Policy 5060) will not be allowed. For safety reasons, masks or makeup should not cover the student’s face in a manner that makes the student unrecognizable. Masks or makeup that conceal a student's identity may be worn only during designated times such as during a costume contest.
- The following are considered not appropriate for school or school events:
- Costumes that are overly graphic, promote violence or otherwise might reasonably be assumed to be offensive to others or are likely to cause a disruption to the educational process
- Costumes that are sexually suggestive and would otherwise violate the school’s dress code
- Costumes with sound effects, lights or other components which would disrupt the classroom learning environment
- Costumes that could be considered insensitive to any race, culture and religion
- Toy or facsimile weapons of any kind (guns, knives, swords, bats, etc.) are not allowed
- Costumes or dress of any kind that may be potentially disruptive to the educational or school environment
In alignment with Superintendent Policy 5060, school administrators may ask students or participants to change into school appropriate attire and/or remove masks, makeup, or costumes.
In 2016, Adams 12 prohibited clown costumes due to nationwide safety concerns. Although we are not aware of any current threats, the district has chosen to maintain this prohibition as part of our 2026 Halloween guidelines. Students and staff are not permitted to wear clown masks or costumes on school grounds. This decision supports a safe and respectful environment for all.
Keep in mind, district and school leadership reevaluate the guidelines each year and make adjustments as needed to ensure a safe celebration for the entire school community. Students who violate or are suspected to be in violation of this policy will be referred to school administration.
At Thornton Middle School, the safety and security of our students and staff is our highest priority. As part of our ongoing efforts to maintain a safe and orderly school environment, we are making an important change to our end-of-day student pick-up procedures.
Beginning Wednesday September 9, 2026 individual student pick-up will end at 3:20 PM. Students who are still at school after 3:20 PM will remain at school until the regular dismissal bell at 3:50 PM.
The final 30 minutes of the school day are an especially busy time for our school. Our office staff are managing dismissal responsibilities, supporting students and families, communicating with staff, and ensuring that students are safely accounted for as they leave the building. Limiting individual student releases during this time allows our staff to focus on a safe, consistent, and secure dismissal process for all students.
If your student needs to leave school early for an appointment or another reason, please plan to pick them up prior to 3:20 PM. After that time, students will remain at school until regular dismissal.
We recognize that this change may require some families to adjust their schedules, and we appreciate your understanding and partnership as we work to ensure a safe and orderly end to each school day.
Immunization Compliance: Colorado law requires students who attend a public, private, or parochial kindergarten - 12th grade school to be vaccinated against certain vaccine preventable diseases, unless a Certificate of Exemption is filed.
As a district, Adams 12 will be enforcing school exclusion dates, per Colorado Revised Statutes 25-4-902. Thornton Middle School exclusion date is November 4th.
If one of the criteria, listed below, is not met, your student will not be permitted to attend school starting November 4th and will not be eligible to return until one of the criteria is met.
1. An immunization record from your health care provider or a Certificate of Immunization certifying that the student has received the necessary immunizations.
2. A medical or non-medical exemption is submitted to the school if a student is not fully immunized. Exemption guidance and information are available at https://cdphe.colorado.gov/vaccine-exemptions.
a. Please be aware that non medical exemptions expire at the end of every June and therefore must be updated every school year.
3. If a student’s Certificate of Immunization is not up to date, the parent, guardian, or emancipated student has 14 days after notification to provide documentation and/or plan for completion of any required immunizations.
a. If the plan is not completed, the student shall be excluded from school for noncompliance.
Please send up to date shot records to the Thornton Middle School Health Office on or before November 4th or email them to rom026180@adams12.org.
TMS Community!
Join us for our November Spirit Night at Texas Roadhouse
Tuesday November 10th
3:00 - 9:00 pm
Texas Roadhouse - 231 West 104th Ave Northglenn
Make sure you show the fundraiser flyer (hard copy or on phone) or tell the cashier at checkout that you are supporting Thornton Middle School!
We hope to see you there!
Join us on Thursday, November 12, from 5:30–6:30 p.m.
In the TMS cafeteria for a fun-filled evening celebrating the many cultures that make our school community special!
Families can enjoy foods from around the world, multicultural performances, and opportunities to learn about and celebrate different traditions.
Families are encouraged to bring a dish representing their culture or country to share.
Who: TMS ELD students and their families
Where: TMS cafeteria (enter through the side entrance by the gym)
Please RSVP using the QR code on the flyer or visit forms.gle/CEatTTVJRgm4kK8v5.
We look forward to celebrating our diverse school community with you!
Cougar Clubs - 2026 - 2027
We are excited to have a number of great club and activity options for our students. Students will have the opportunity to attend clubs of their interest. Clubs will run after school. Clubs day, place and Sponsor, will be listed on Thornton Middle School website.
Late buses are not available - please make sure you and your student(s) plan for pick up on club days.
Please encourage students to get involved at Thornton Middle School.
https://thorntonm.adams12.org/clubs-activities
Current clubs include:
- Art Club
- Battle of the Books
- Cougar Council
- Cricket Club
- Diversity Club
- eSports
- Fitness Club
- Math Counts Club
- Pep Club
- Soccer Without Borders
- Talent Show
- Yearbook
Kona Ice will be at Thornton Middle on Friday after school November 20th from 3:50pm-5:00pm.
Don't forget to stop by and grab a sweet treat!
Thank you for your continued support with our school fundraisers!!
If your student is more than 5 minutes late to school, please remind them to stop at the Attendance Desk so they can be issued a MINGA late pass. This is how we can accurately record their attendance for the day.
Thornton Middle School Spirit Nights!
Dine Out. Show Up. Support TMS!
Join us for Spirit Nights at local restaurants. A portion of the proceeds from these events helps fun upcoming school activities and opportunities for students!
November 10th 3-9pm: Texas Roadhouse
December 8th ALL DAY: Renegade Burrito
January 14th ALL DAY: Parry's Pizza
February 9th ALL DAY: Buffalo Wild Wings
Order ONLINE here OR pick up a paper order form in the main office.
We need more of your smiles!
New this year! You can add your favorite pictures to the yearbook by simply uploading them to this LINK.
Want some Thornton Middle School Gear?
Check out this amazing website and order yours today!
ORDER HERE!
Purchase your items today and show your Cougar Spirit!
Apptegy-Also Known as ROOMS
Parents and students can now download the Adams 12 Five Star Schools mobile app—your one-stop source for the latest school and district updates, event information, student highlights, and important alerts right at your fingertips.
Do you have students at multiple Adams 12 schools? No problem! With just one app, you can customize notifications and follow updates from all the schools you choose. You can also choose to receive communication through email, text, or just the ap!
Bell Schedule: Doors open at 8:30 a.m., and students are dismissed at 3:50 p.m. Please make sure your student is on time every day!
Breakfast is available every morning beginning at 8:10am. Students need to enter through the "back door" and go directly into the cafeteria for breakfast.
Dress Code Highlights: Hats are permitted, but students cannot wear hoodies with the hood up. This link will take you to the district wide Dress code policy.
IDs: Students will be issued an ID that will also be used as their bus pass if they qualify for transportation. We ask that students have their ID on them every day.
Cell phones: Students can use a school phone to make emergency calls. Parents/guardians needing to contact their student during the school day should NOT text them and instead call the office to have a message delivered. This link will take you to the updated District Wide Policy concerning student use of cell phones.
Lockers & Backpacks: Students will be issued a hallway locker with a built-in lock. Backpacks are not allowed in classrooms or the lunchroom.
Grading: All Adams 12 middle schools are continuing A-F grading this year.
Meals: Free breakfast and lunch are available daily. It is important for families who qualify to apply for Free and Reduced Benefits to make sure that additional benefits can be accessed (here is the link).
Office Hours
8:15 a.m. - 4:15 p.m.
School Hours
8:40 a.m. - 3:50 p.m.