Be in the know.
Slides from 2/15/24 Community Meeting
Thank you to everyone who joined us for last night’s community meeting! Sunset Principal Elisa Schorr gave a great presentation and provided such thoughtful and helpful responses to the dozens of questions parents shared. A copy of the slides are available here. Keep an eye out for a blog post with the meeting minutes soon.
2/15/24 Community Meeting Agenda
MINUTES: See www.tumwaterpto.org/business for updated Board & community minutes
PRINCIPAL REPORT, Matt Smith
Jan/Feb updates
A Look Ahead
SPECIAL GUEST
Elisa Schorr, Sunset High School Principal
OFFICER REPORTS
President, Lee Carson and Laura Jensen
Approved Community Grants
Committee Updates: Art Lit, OBOB, Staff Appreciation, TEMPO, 8th Grade Celebration
2024-25 Officers: Shadows Needed
Upcoming dates: Solo/Ensemble Night (2/29/24), April Community Meeting & Listening Session (4/18/2024), Theater production dates (May 9, 10, 11 + 16, 17, 18)
Vice Presidents, Julie Dibble and Lisa Teuber
Final Rising Tides Numbers
Thank you to all donors!
Secretary, Eva Novick
Communication: TMS Newsletter, Blog, Facebook, & Instagram
Minutes online: www.tumwaterpto.org/business
Volunteer Coordinators, Kristi Nelson & Katia Kaeser
Volunteer Thank Yous: Art Lit, Student Socials, Staff Appreciation, OBOB & TEMPO
Upcoming Opportunities: Art Lit (February), Staff Appreciation (March)
Volunteer Tips & Tricks
Treasurer, Amy Heang
Year To Date Numbers
NEW BUSINESS
ACTION ITEMS & ADJOURN
Next Community Meeting & Listening Session: Thursday, 4/18/24 @ 6:30pm
November 2023 Board Meeting Minutes
Your Tumwater PTO Board and Principal Matt Smith reviewed Community Grant Applications and awarded funding to eleven projects! Your generous donations funded $16,873.36 in grants in this first of three grant reviews this school year. Read the latest meeting minutes here.
Parent education event about all things puberty
JOIN US, 11/2 in the Tumwater Commons
Gather at 6:15 (arrive, mix & mingle)
Presentation starts promptly at 6:30p.m.
Virtual presentation by parent education speakers Cara Natterson, MD & Vanessa Kroll Bennett. Check out this video for a sneak peek!
Almost everything about puberty has changed since today's adults went through it: it starts earlier, lasts longer, and happens with a cell phone in hand. Talking about puberty and the host of thorny adjacent issues is, in a word, awkward. But it’s also critical for the health, happiness, and safety of today’s kids. Bewildered adults have begged for reliable and relatable information about the modern adolescent experience, Pediatrician Dr. Cara Natterson and puberty educator Vanessa Kroll Bennett answer their call. They offer guidance for the modern realities you didn’t experience in your own youth but nonetheless need to understand, covering everything from body development to gender identities, social media to easy-access pornography. Together they wrote This Is So Awkward: Modern Puberty Explained, host The Puberty Podcast, and parent six teens between them. Come hear them offer science-based explanations and share their pointed advice about how to talk about all of it.
Together we'll gather as a community, learn from experts and connect with fellow parents navigating modern puberty in all its awkwardness.
October 2023 Community Meeting Minutes
The October Community Meeting included updates from Principal Matt Smith and your Tumwater PTO Board. Highlights include:
Information about student clubs and upcoming school events.
An overview of the PTO’s goals for this year.
PTO Committee updates, including Art Literacy and TEMPO.
An update on the Rising Tides fundraising campaign.
How to sign up for volunteer opportunities.
The Treasurer’s Report.
Read the full minutes & click through the slideshow to learn more. Remember to check out the action items for parents/guardians.
We look forward to seeing you on Thursday, November 2 for our next community event, an adult education event on puberty.
Also, mark your calendars for the next Community Meeting on Thursday, February 15.
Questions? Email the PTO Board (board@tumwaterpto.org)
September 2023 Board Meeting Minutes
Your Tumwater PTO Board is busy planning for this school year. Read the latest meeting minutes here. The first PTO Community Meeting was on October 5. (Minutes for that meeting will be posted soon.)
How can you get involved?
Volunteer! For more information, click here.
Join us on Thursday, November 2 at 6:30pm in the school Commons to hear podcasters and parent education speakers Dr. Cara Natterson and Vanessa Kroll Bennett offer science-based explanations and share their pointed advice on how to talk about puberty.
Mark your calendar for the next Community Meeting on Thursday, February 15 at 6:30pm.
August 2023 Board Meeting Minutes
Your Tumwater PTO Board is busy planning for a new school year. We look forward to seeing you at the two kick-off events for this school year: the Ice Cream Social and the Welcome Coffee!
We’d love to speak with you at these events or any other time about how you can get involved in our school community.
Read the latest meeting minutes here.
Welcome Coffee on Aug. 28
All parents/guardians are invited to the Tumwater Commons from 9:45-10:45am on Monday, August 28 to enjoy coffee, pastries, and each other's company, hosted by the Tumwater PTO.
This is a drop-in, casual event. Pop in for a few minutes or stay the whole hour. Say hello to old friends and meet new friends.
Board members will be there to answer questions about Tumwater and getting involved in the school community.
Hope to see you!
Looking to get involved at TMS this year?
You’ve come to the right place! We’re looking for Committee Chairs for Staff Appreciation (100% joy every time), the 2024 8th Grade Celebration (grab your bestie and co-chair this party) and a Co-Chair for OBOB (last year’s Chair has offered to stay on and partner with you this year). If you’re interested, please contact Lee and Laura at president@tumwaterpto.org.
We look forward to seeing you at a future event!
Tumwater Ice Cream Social on Aug. 23
Join us on Wed, August 8/23 for an all-school welcome ice cream social!
Students will have the opportunity to get their schedule, walk through the building, meet the staff, and enjoy an ice cream treat brought to you by Tumwater PTO.
Your TMS Board will also be back with their wheel of prizes, ready to answer your questions and get your family set for 2023-24!
Please come at:
6:00-6:30pm: Last names A-G
6:45-7:15pm: Last names H-O
7:30-8:15pm: Last names P-Z
Here are the details for the best experience:
Parking is limited. Please consider carpooling, walking, or biking.
Enter through the main entrance (north side of the building) by the sign.
Have your student pull up their schedule on their phone. (But if you forget to download the schedule, it is available at school.)
Students can enjoy a self-guided tour of all their classes & briefly meet their teachers.
Get a ticket from the 8th period teacher for one free student ice cream.
Head to the Commons to enjoy Handel’s ice cream! Additional options for family members will be available for purchase. Handel’s will donate 20% of sales to Tumwater PTO!
Don’t miss this celebration of our brand-new school year!
2023-24 School Calendar
The 2023-24 Tumwater calendar is taking shape. Mark your calendars now for these important dates.
An up-to-date calendar can be found at TMS’ website.
August
6:00-6:30 pm - Last Names A-G
6:45-7:15 pm - Last Names H-O
7:30-8:15 pm - Last Names P-Z
28 6th grade First Day of School (aka Orientations)
28 PTO Welcome Coffee (All grades), 9:45 am
29 First Day of School (7/8th grades)
September
4 Labor Day - No School
13 Picture Day
14 School Community Activity (Back to School Night), 6:00-8:30 pm
October
5 PTO Community Meeting, 6:30-8:00 pm
13 Staff Development Day - No School
18 Fall Conferences, 4:15-8:15 pm
19 Fall Conferences, 8:10 am-8:10 pm (No Students)
20 No School
27 Grading Day - No School
November
1 AVID Family Night, 6:00-7:30 pm
2 Picture Retake Day
9 Student Recognition Assembly, 9:20-10:00 am
10 Veterans Day - No School
14 Fall Band Concert, 6:30-9:00 pm
17 School Social
20-22 No School
23 Thanksgiving - No School
24 No School
30 Theater Production
December
1-2 Theater Production
5 Winter Choir Concert
7-9 Theater Production
8 Staff Development Day - No School
18- 29 Winter Vacation - No School
January
1 New Year’s Day - No School
15 MLK Jr Day - No school
16 Staff Development Day - No School
18 Mathcounts School Competition, 4:00-6:30 pm
26 Grading Day - No School
30 Student Recognition Assembly, 9:20-10:00 am
February
7 Spring Conferences, 6:00-8:00 pm
8 Spring Conferences, 8:15 am-8:00 pm (No Students)
9 No School
15 PTO Community Meeting, 6:30-8:00 pm
19 Presidents Day - No School
20 Staff Development Day - No School
29 Solo & Ensemble Night
March
14 Spring Band Concert
25-29 Spring Break - No School
April
8 Grading Day - No Students
9 Staff Development Day - No Students
11 TMS Science Expo
15-19 Volunteer Appreciation Week
16 Spring Choir Concert
16 Student Recognition Assembly, 9:20-10:00 am
18 PTO Community Meeting, 6:30-8:00 pm
23 8th Grade panoramic picture
May
3 School Social
6-10 Staff Appreciation Week
9-11 Theater Production
16-18 Theater Production
24 AVID Spring Celebration
27 Memorial Day - No School
28 PTO Community Meeting, 6:30-8:00 pm
30 End of Year Band Concert
June
4 End of Year Choir Concert
11 8th Grade Celebration
12 Last Day for Students / Field Day
12 Student Recognition Assembly
13 Grading Day - No Students
14 Staff Development Day - No School
These events & dates are subject to change. Head to the TMS calendar webpage for updated dates/times.
***Conference/no school dates are unique to each school & are not included on BSD’s official calendar.
2023-24 School Supply list
The 2023-24 school supply list is now updated and available on the Tumwater MS website.
SUPPLY LIST:
Student Planner - First copy will be provided by PTO at no cost to all students - Replacements $5
Backpack (without wheels)
Reusable non-spray water bottle
Earbuds/Headphones preferably with microphone
(1) two-inch three-ring binder
Notebook dividers for 7 subjects
(5) college-ruled single subject notebooks (wireless or spiral)
(2) college-ruled composition notebooks for Language Arts
(2) graph paper 8.5 x 11" notebooks (wireless or spiral) for Math
(1) 1 high quality subject, 100 sheet, college-ruled notebook (wireless or spiral) for Science
(1) sketchbook (Art students only)
Pencil pouch
Pencils
Pens (black or blue and one other color)
Highlighters (4 colors)
Colored pencils
Erasers
Handheld pencil sharpener
Ruler with Standard & Metric
Small sticky notes (for Language Arts)
Scientific calculator (Math 6/7, 7/8, and AGS 1)
Graphing Calculator (AGS 2 and AGS 3)
Some supplies will need to be replenished throughout the year.
Optional:
Chromebook case (9 x 11.7 x 0.8”)
Helpful supplies for use at home:
3 x 5” index cards
Scissors
Scotch tape
Glue sticks
Compass (AGS 1-3)
Straightedge (AGS 1-3)
Assistance Available
Graphing calculators are available for checkout in the library for students enrolled in AGS2 and AGS3.
If you are in need of assistance with school supplies, please call the school office or email TMS-Communications@beaverton.k12.or.us.
Donations Accepted
The school office is accepting donations of any of the above supplies to share with other students. In addition, our Art classrooms are seeking donations of the following household items to reuse:
Magazines
Newspaper
Donations can be dropped off in the school office Monday - Thursday 8 am - 2 pm throughout the summer.