Inside the Pride Middle School News - Volume 181
Keeping you plugged into the exciting things happening at the Middle School
Published August 6, 2023
Volume 181
Adam Vinson - Middle School Principal
A MESSAGE FROM MR. VINSON
The new school year is upon us, and we are excited to welcome all of our students back to campus! We are especially excited to get to know all of our new Trinity families who are joining our family this year. We have exciting opportunities to connect and reconnect with TCS before classes begin with our Welcome to the Roar event on Sunday evening, August 6 and our Meet the Teacher Day on Monday, August 7. Check out the details below for utilizing both of these events to kick off the new year!
AUGUST BACK TO SCHOOL EVENTS
Sunday, August 6: WELCOME TO THE ROAR = a block party style event for all of our new and returning TCS families
Monday, August 7: MEET THE TEACHER DAY = an opportunity to walk through schedules, meet teachers, etc.
Tuesday, August 8: FIRST DAY OF CLASSES = the new school year begins!
MONDAY, AUGUST 7 - DO I REALLY NEED TO COME?
Meet the Teacher Day is important because it is more than just a chance to meet your child’s teachers! Check out this checklist below regarding all you need to accomplish on this day prior to classes beginning.
9:30-11:30am - Last Name A-L
1:30-3:3opm - Last Name M-Z
*Dress Code - Normal school day attire expected
MEET THE TEACHER CHECKLIST (Click to view)
LOCKER ASSIGNMENTS: You will pick up your child’s locker assignment in the gym.
************************************************************************************************************************************
CHROMEBOOK DISTRIBUTION: You will pick up your child’s Chromebook in the 7th/8th hallway upstairs. Note: Chromebooks are given to all 6th graders and new 7th and 8th graders.
PRINTING YOUR CHILD’S SCHEDULE
Login to Blackbaud (tcslions.myschoolapp.com) and click on your student in the top left hand corner. Click on the "schedule" tab. On the next page, click on the blue link labeled "view full schedule". On the right hand side, you will see an icon that looks like 2 pieces of paper and when you hover over it, it will say "schedule reports". Once you click on that, choose "Student Schedule - By Day Name (Grid)". On the next screen you will need to adjust the start date to "8/14/23" and the end date to "8/18/23" in order to print a full week's schedule. You will then need to click on "Generate Report". Once the report is generated, you can print the schedule from that screen.
BE SURE TO SEND YOUR CHILD TO MEET THE TEACHER AND THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL WITH A COPY OF THEIR SCHEDULE!
CAN MY CHILD COME IN PE CLOTHES BECAUSE THEY HAVE PE DURING 1ST PERIOD?
The short answer is “no”. While we have allowed this for years, we have seen a rising number of students regularly forget to pack their full dress code outfit which forces them to wear PE clothes all day long. To avoid parents having to bring clothes and/or students having to wear PE clothes all day, we are requiring that 1st period 7th graders wear normal dress code attire to school where they will change for PE prior to class beginning.
SAFE DISMISSAL INFORMATION FOR PICKING UP YOUR STUDENT
Parents, We have partnered with the company safeDISMISSAL.COM to facilitate our dismissal process for our Early Learning campus (PreK-3 through Kinder) and our Main Campus (1st - 8th grades). One of the many wonderful features of this dismissal process is that your children will remain comfortably and safely in their classroom until the moment they meet you in the "car loading zone".
Here are a few tips to follow during our dismissal process:
Please make sure to have your ‘pick-up’ card displayed in your front window when entering the dismissal line. Please keep your card displayed until your child has been loaded into your car.
Please stay in-line (no passing) during dismissal as the children will be instructed to walk to specific spots for loading.
To reduce your wait time, please keep up with the car in front of you. Stay attentive and focused on the car line.
If your student does not arrive at the loading spot before you do, you may be instructed to move to a "waiting" area where your child will be notified again. We ask you to move to this area so that we do not hold up the remaining dismissal line.
Please note: Your child is assigned to be picked up at a particular spot according to the order of cars in line each day. Please follow the car in front of you until the line stops, regardless of where you might or might not see your child. Stopping before the line has filled will cause the sequence to be thrown off and delay the line. We will get your child to the proper spot should they have gone to the wrong place.
Finally, we ask for your patience the first couple of weeks of school as everyone gets accustomed to the process. It will get faster/better each day!
The administrators and teachers are committed to making this process beneficial to all parties. Please visit www.safeDISMISSAL.com for more information. Below are a couple of helpful resources to further explain the process.
SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR
Check out suggested options and school-related opportunities below if you are looking for ways that your child can complete the required 10 hours by May 2024. As a reminder, middle school students need 10 hours of service prior to May 6, 2024 to receive full credit. You can access the form for recording hours as well as learn more specific information about the requirements here.
TCS Opportunity #1 - Chapel Setup Team - Would your child like to arrive by 7:30am on Wednesdays to help setup chairs for chapel? Students may complete their required hours by serving each week. Email Dylan Higgins (dylan.higgins@tcslions.org) if you would like to sign your child up. Note: Space is limited so signing up does not guarantee a spot. Mr. Higgins will reach out to you specifically if your child is selected to participate on this team.
TCS Opportunity #2 - Cafeteria Cleaning Team - To help with the transition between lunches, we are looking for volunteers to help clear tables and pick up any remaining trash at the end of lunch each day to ensure our middle schoolers leave the cafeteria in manageable shape for our hard working lunch ladies. Students may complete their required hours by serving each week. Email Dylan Higgins (dylan.higgins@tcslions.org) if you would like to sign your child up. Note: Space is limited so signing up does not guarantee a spot. Mr. Higgins will reach out to you specifically if your child is selected to participate on this team.
TCS Opportunity #3 - Service and Aide Class - Check your child’s schedule this week to see if you would like to drop their Friday elective class in order to replace it with Service and Aide. The goal of the class will be to connect our students with service jobs/needs around campus. Students who enroll and remain in the class will complete their required service hours via the class.
COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITY - On Saturday, August 26 RiverLife will be organizing a community-wide Serve Day for Coweta County. Here's the idea: If every church, every group, every organization, every school in our community pulled together for ONE DAY to show love to our neighbors - what kind of impact would it have?
Register as an individual, family, or group here
Choose a project.
Join other groups at Greenville Street Park at 8:00AM for the kick-off event.
Go make a difference!
Share your #Serve story
8TH GRADE SPIRITUAL RETREAT: SNOWBIRD OUTFITTERS
SIGN UP HERE - https://forms.gle/yhx3V9Aigd2vPtu29
*Note: Please complete the form to indicate YES or NO about your 8th grader’s plans for attending the trip. Students who do not attend will need to remain home from school during the trip dates as there will be no classes for 8th grade on campus.
WHO? - Rising 8th graders.
WHEN? - Sept 6-8
WHERE? - Snowbird Outfitters in Andrews, NC (www.swoutfitters.com)
COST? - $175 (includes transportation, food, recreation)
QUESTIONS? - Email Mr. Vinson (adam.vinson@tcslions.org)
***EXCLUSIVE MIDDLE SCHOOL SPIRIT WEAR ITEMS***
Check out the link below for accessing middle school t-shirts and hoodies for this upcoming school year! Remember, students can wear these spirit wear items EVERY DAY of the week.
SUPPLY LISTS FOR 2023-2024
Here is our most current supply list for the upcoming year.
MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHING TEAMS FOR 2023-2024
We are excited about the team of teachers we have lined up for each grade level next year with most of our teachers from this past year returning!
6th Grade
Mrs. Abby Akins (Science)
Mrs. Brandie Brown (Math)
Mrs. Kasey Hanson (English)
Mrs. Melissa Lanier (Honors English)
Mr. Harris Veal (History)
Mr. Dylan Higgins and Mrs. Wendy Peters (Bible)
7th Grade
Mrs. Beth Jackson (Science)
Mrs. Millie Smith (Math)
Mrs. Kiley Huddleston (English)
Mr. Wesley Lassiter (History)
Mr. Tyson Moore (Bible)
8th Grade
Mrs. Stephanie Spencer (Science)
Mrs. Amber Hasty (Honors Science)
Mrs. Paige Whitaker (Math)
Mrs. Emily Walter (Honors Math)
Mr. Andy Hover (English)
Mrs. Jennifer Baer (Honors English)
Mrs. Kristan Peavy and Mr. Chris Bass (History)
Mr. Brian Overholtzer (Bible)
Note: For parents of previous 8th graders, you will notice that Mr. Dickens and Mr. Tipton are both missing from the list. In case you haven’t heard, they are now part of the HIGH SCHOOL team!
REMINDERS FROM PREVIOUS NEWSLETTERS THIS SUMMER
NEW DRESS CODE OPTIONS FOR 2023-2024 – While our dress code requirements are not changing, we are providing additional flexibility for our students this year. Students will now be permitted to wear approved TCS spirit wear, including TCS t-shirts, every day of the week! Jeans may also be worn every day of the week if worn with a TCS branded polo or spirit wear t-shirt. Check out all of the dress code guidelines in the updated student handbook.
STUDENT SCHEDULES FOR 2023-2o24 – Schedules are being finalized currently, and we hope to make them available in the next couple of weeks so each family can review prior to school beginning. Be on the lookout soon for your child’s teachers and specific classes!
SUMMER READING OPPORTUNITIES - There is NO REQUIRED SUMMER READING, but our team has put together a list of suggested books and resources if your child would like to continue reading over the summer. Students who read 3 books from the suggested list will receive an incentive the first week we are back in August. Check out our suggested list here.
SUMMER MATH WORK - Use this document to review information from Mrs. Paige Whitaker, our Math Curriculum Coordinator, regarding grade level skills your child may need to work on over the summer to ensure a smooth transition for next year. These suggestions are great for parents looking to reinforce concepts over the summer or for those just looking to keep their child sharp over the break.
MIDDLE SCHOOL RESOURCES
23/24 SCHOOL CALENDAR: Stay in the know about upcoming breaks and holidays.
THRIVAL GUIDE: Learn more about how to not just survive, but “thrive” during middle school at TCS with thoughts and tips from our team.
MIDDLE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION
If you have any questions throughout the summer or upcoming school year, use the guide below to ensure your questions are directed to the most helpful personnel.
6th Grade Academic Coordinator - Melissa Lanier (melissa.lanier@tcslions.org)
Mrs. Lanier can assist you with any academic-related needs for 6th grade.
7th and 8th Grade Academic Coordinator - Emily Walter (emily.walter@tcslions.org)
Miss Walter can assist you with any academic-related needs for 7th/8th grade.
Director of Student Life - Tiffany McBurnett (tiffany.mcburnett@tcslions.org)
Mrs. McBurnett oversees our special events and field trips while also handling our middle school counseling duties.
Director of Skills Development - Jenn Opsahl (jennifer.opsahl@tcslions.org)
Mrs. Opsahl oversees our Skills Development Program.