Topsail Times

Here are a few Announcements and Reminders as we SAIL into this week.

• Our PTO Dance on Friday night was a huge success! Students had a fantastic time dancing, laughing, and making memories with friends. It was wonderful to see so many smiling faces and so much school spirit! A big thank-you to our PTO and everyone who helped make the evening such a fun event for our TMS students!

• Topsail Middle FCCLA is collecting food for Share the Table from November 9–20. Students can bring donations to their homeroom. Fifth grade is collecting canned chicken, sixth grade is collecting pasta and pasta sauce, and seventh grade is collecting cereal and Pop-Tarts. Eighth grade is collecting full boxes or multipacks of individually wrapped snacks, like granola bars, fruit snacks, or snack-size bags of Goldfish. The homeroom that brings in the most of its grade’s assigned items wins an ice cream party!

• Save the date for our Book Fair, November 12-20. If you are a parent who would like to volunteer, please check the link below for the SignUpGenius. Hope to see you there! https://www.scholastic.com/bf/

• Join us for FCCLA Night at Buffalo Wild Wings on Monday, November 16, from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. at 140 Hays Lane, Suite B15, in Wilmington. Buffalo Wild Wings will donate 15% of eligible sales to help our students travel to the FCCLA State and National Conferences.

• We are currently looking for representatives to join the TMS parent advisory committee. This group meets once a month on Wednesday mornings in the school media center. The purpose of this group is to represent parent voice in school decision-making. If you are interested in joining the group, please email tms_pac@pender.k12.nc.us. If you have any other questions, please reach out to Dr. Mac.

• Information regarding District and State Testing- Parents Right to Know PCS 2026-2027 Topsail Middle School Testing Calendar

Make-Up Picture Day is scheduled for Friday, November 13th! If your student was absent on our original Picture Day in September, please use these links to access ordering information and other

important details.

• On Monday, November 16th, skip the coffee shop and get your morning caffeine fix right here at TMS! Grab a delicious cup of coffee or a refreshing drink while dropping off your student. It's a great way to start your morning while showing your support for TMS!

As we move through the school year, we want to remind families of the importance of following the Pender County School dress code. Students are expected to dress appropriately for a school setting, ensuring that clothing is respectful, comfortable, and does not create a distraction to the learning environment. Please take a moment to review the dress code with your child and help us ensure everyone is ready to learn each day.

This November, Pender County Schools is inviting students and families to Fall Into Reading! 📚🍂

Our goal is to read 20 Minutes a Day across our 19 schools during the month of November.

The best part? Reading can happen anytime, anywhere! Students can read at home, at school, outside, in the car, before bedtime, or anywhere they find a good book.

We encourage families to make reading part of your daily routine. Even 20 minutes of reading each day can make a meaningful difference.

How can your family participate?

📖 Find something your child enjoys reading.
⏰ Set aside time for reading each day.
👨‍👩‍👧 Read together when possible.
📝 Log reading minutes using the PCS Google Form.
🎉 Celebrate every minute!

Every reader. Every minute. Every day. Together, we can reach our goal!

Thank you for helping us build strong, confident, lifelong readers!

Pender County Schools

TMS Success sessions have begun. If you would like your student to participate, please register using the form. This is a great opportunity for your student to get support or enrichment for the topics they are learning about. https://forms.gle/pxzB4BjqtAHp2WQW9

• November 9th- TMS B. Basketball/G. Soccer vs CFMS @ TMS

• November 11th- Veterans Day (No School)

• November 12th- 5th grade field trip

• November 12th-20th- Scholastic Book Fair

• November 12th-TMS B. Basketball/G. Soccer vs BMS @ BMS

• November 12th- PTO meeting (5:30pm)

• November 13th- Picture Makeup Day

Future Events:

• November 16th-20th- Scholastic Book Fair
• November 16th- TMS B. Basketball/G. Soccer vs SCMS @ SCMS
• November 18th- TMS Parents Thanksgiving Event
• November 19th- TMS B. Basketball/G. Soccer vs WPMS @ WPMS
• November 20th- FCA (3:45pm)
• November 20th- 8th Grade Career Fair
• November 23rd- TMS B. Basketball/G. Soccer vs PLE @ TMS
• November 24th- Progress Reports
• November 25th-27th- Thanksgiving Break
• December 1st- TMS B. Basketball/G. Soccer vs CFMS @ CFMS
• December 3rd- TMS B. Basketball/G. Soccer vs BMS @ TMS
• December 4th- FCA (Aux. Gym)- 3:45pm
• December 7th- TMS B. Basketball/G. Soccer vs SCMS @ TMS
• December 8th- School Wide Math Benchmark
• December 8th- TMS Band Performance (6:30 pm)
• December 10th- TMS B. Basketball/G. Soccer SEMI-FINALS (TBD)
• December 10th- PTO Meeting (5:30pm)

Enter the campus for student drop off and pick-up using the entrance on St. John’s church Rd (the light at country club), pass in front of the high school and down onto the Topsail Middle School campus. Please do not use the Vista Road entrance (by the front field) as this entrance is reserved for buses.

Families are encouraged to review bus information and transportation updates regularly. Please make sure students know their bus information and understand expectations for safe and respectful behavior while riding the bus.

Don't forget to sign up for Here's The Bus App to track your student's bus.

🚌 View Bus Information

Bus Dismissal Reminder

• To help ensure a safe and organized dismissal, students should remain in class until their bus is called. Students should not leave the classroom early or report to the bus area before their bus has been announced.

  Students who leave class before their bus is called may not be permitted to ride the bus that day. Leaving class early creates safety concerns and can make it difficult for staff to account for students during dismissal.

  Please remind your student to wait in class until their bus is officially called and then proceed directly to the bus area.

  Thank you for helping us keep dismissal safe, organized, and efficient for everyone!

All absence notes must be submitted electronically through Infinite Campus.

• 📱 Please submit your student’s absence note through Infinite Campus.
• 🚫 Do not send a written note with your student to school.
• ⏰ Please submit absence documentation as soon as possible following your student’s absence.
• ✅ Using Infinite Campus will help us process absence documentation more efficiently and keep attendance records accurate.

• Submitting an absence note in Infinite Campus- Attendance request parent portal

• Attendance Note Reminder-

  If you are submitting an absence note several days after your child’s absence, please enter the date you are submitting the note. In the Comments section of Infinite Campus, please indicate the date of the absence the note is for. Our Data Manager will then update the system with the correct absence date.
• Check-Out Reminder-Please remember that 12:45 pm is the check out time in order to be counted a full day and there will be no student check-outs after 3:00 p.m. This helps us ensure a safe and smooth dismissal process.

Our Lost and Found is overflowing! If your child is missing a jacket, water bottle, lunchbox, or other belongings, please encourage them to stop by and check for their items. All remaining Lost and Found items will be donated to a local charity on Friday, November 20th. Be sure to claim any missing items before they’re donated!

Families can review the school lunch menu to help students plan for meals each day.

🍎November Menu

• Pender County Schools is reminding families to submit a new application for free or reduced-price meals for the 26-27 school year. For more information, Click HERE
• Please fill out the linked survey if you would like to join your TMS student for a Thanksgiving meal at school on November 18th. See the flyer for information.

All student-athletes must have their FinalForms account completed and approved before participating in any workouts or tryouts.

Please remember:

• Workout and tryout schedules are subject to change.
• Check the TMS Athletics webpage regularly for the most current information.
• Follow TMS social media channels for athletic announcements, schedules, and updates.

We look forward to seeing our students demonstrate leadership, teamwork, sportsmanship, and school pride throughout the fall season!

• Topsail Middle School FCA -Meets 1st Friday of each month. Please contact Mrs. Bowles or Mrs. Engle if you have any questions.

• Operation Military Kids Club Meets 2nd Friday of each month. -For more information, click the link. https://operationmilitarykidsclubs.com/

We encourage families to read each newsletter and stay connected with your student’s grade-level team.

5th Grade Newsletter

6th Grade Newsletter

7th Grade Newsletter

8th Grade Newsletter

Encore

Topsail Middle School’s Science Olympiad team is looking for volunteer event coaches to help our 5th and 6th graders prepare for the regional competition on February 20th.

Coaching takes about an hour and a half once a week, sometimes every other week. Experience is helpful but not required in areas such as engineering, rocks and minerals, insects, aerodynamics, plants, circuits and electronics, reptiles, physics, ships and buoyancy, descriptive drawing, and light and the eye.

Can’t commit to coaching? We’d also love to welcome you for a one-time visit to share your subject-area expertise.

Explore the complete event rules. If you’re interested, please complete the interest form. Thank you!

We would love to have our families and community members involved at Topsail Middle School! There are several opportunities throughout the school year for volunteers to support our students, staff, and school community.

Interested in volunteering? Please sign up today! Your time, talents, and support make a difference in the lives of our students. Sign Up Genius

Thank you for partnering with us to make Topsail Middle School a great place for our students to learn and grow!

• Coming up the week of November 9th, all 8th grade students will work with Ms. Monroe and counselors from Topsail High School to develop their Career Development Plan (CDP). This plan includes mapping out a 4-year high school academic pathway aligned with their future career interests. The 4-year plan will account for North Carolina's standard graduation requirements alongside specialized career pathways. Ask your student what they learned!

• Topsail Middle School is proud to partner with Meals Until No Child Hungers to support our students and families. Meals are delivered to TMS weekly to help ensure students have access to nutritious food. If your family could benefit from this program or would like more information, please contact our counselor, Betsy_Monroe@pender.k12.nc.us. We are grateful for our community partners who help support the well-being of our students! 26-27 MUNCH program

• Please remember to join the PTO for the 2026-27 school year! Go to our givebacks link to join.
• TMS PTO meets on the second Thursday of each month at 5:30 PM in the media center. Please make plans to join us at our next meeting on November 12th

• Interested in PAINTING THE ROCK for your students birthday or special event? Sign up using our link:

https://app.givebacks.gives/tmsrock or text the word “tmsrock” to (919) 626-3277

• Spirit wear is available now! Visit our givebacks site to purchase. T-shirt’s, Pura Vida bracelets and stickers are available for quick delivery.

• Have you linked your Lowe’s Foods rewards card to support Topsail Middle School? You can’t support up to three schools. You must relink your card each year using the link:

https://rewards.lowesfoods.com/Account/SelectCard?mode=CartToClass

• Every year Operation Homefront hosts the Military Child of the Year® Awards. The awards are open to military children between the ages of 13-18. There are 7 recipients, 1 child from each branch of service and each recipient receives $10,000 CASH, a laptop, other donated goodies, and a 3-day trip to Washington, D.C. with their families. The awards are open to Active Duty, reserves, Gold Star, National Guard, and retired military children. The program is entirely FREE and exclusive to military children, and an account does not need to be created to submit a nomination. Nominations can be made here and they will remain open until December 1st! Military students can be nominated by a parent, teacher, mentor or guardian. If you have any questions, please contact Jacqueline_Reiss@pender.k12.nc.us (Military and Family Life Counselor)

• The Pender County Sheriff's Office LOVES our opportunities to collaborate with Pender County Schools and appreciate the time we are allowed to interact with the students. One way we do this is through the D.A.R.E. program for 5th and 7th graders. Now we need EVERYONE'S help!. Our D.A.R.E. cars won 1st and 2nd place in the NC D.A.R.E. Officer's Association Conference this year. We are now entered in the D.A.R.E. America National Car Show and Competition. This is a virtual car show and the winners will be determined by the number of votes received. I would love to see a 1st and 2nd place repeat at the national level. The vehicles are strong enough to compete on that level but the amount of support that we enjoy in the community is what will put us over the top. Please take 30 seconds to visit this website for the car show and cast your vote for one of our D.A.R.E. vehicles. Please also feel free to share this link with friends and family to help us bring this win home for our students. https://dare.org/d-a-r-e-car-show-vote/

• Pender County Schools will hold the next public forum at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, November 17, at Topsail High School. The forum is part of the districtwide planning process examining school assignment, attendance boundaries, enrollment growth and future facility needs, The meeting will also be streamed live on the PCS YouTube channel. Additional information is available at https://www.pender.k12.nc.us/page/redistricting.

How do pirates prefer to communicate?

Aye to aye!

Thank you for your continued support of Topsail Middle School. We are excited about the year ahead and look forward to working together to ensure every student feels safe, supported, challenged, and successful.

Go Pirates! 🏴‍☠️💙