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Timber Wolf Times

News for TMS Families Week of August 15, 2021

Timber Wolf TimesNews for TMS Families Week of August 15, 2021

Principal Welcome

Dear Trailside Families,


We are so excited for the new school year. Please take time to read thoroughly all of the information and details below. If you still have clarifying questions, please reach out to our main office staff who are happy to assist you. The main office number is 571-252-2280. We look forward to seeing all of our students and families in the coming weeks.


Parent Action Item beginning Tuesday, August 18th: Beginning at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, August 17, please sign into ParentVUE to complete the Online Verification process as part of Loudoun County Public Schools’ (LCPS’) First Day of School Information initiative. This process is required for all families to review and update important information about their students as we begin the 2021-22 school year, and must be completed no later than Friday, September 24. Once completed, you will be able to view student schedules in ParentVUE.


If you do not have a ParentVUE account, please contact the school of any of your students to request an Activation Letter.


I wish all of my Trailside Families health, peace, and gratitude!


Bridget Beichler

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Sixth Grade Orientation Information -Friday August 20

Student Orientation is for students only. Parents will meet their child's teacher on Back to School Night.



Welcome New Timber Wolves!

On Friday, August 20th we will be holding orientation for each grade level. The sixth grade orientation is from 8:30-11:15. All sixth grade students will report to the school cafeteria between 8:15-8:30. The sixth grade teachers will welcome their Advisory/Compass class and lead them to their classroom. Students will spend time in COMPASS and then move to each of their classes throughout the morning. Teachers will spend each block sharing some general information about themselves and the class. Students may bring their school supplies with them for locker set-up following orientation


New Parent & Sixth Grade Parent Orientation (optional) 8:45-11:15 AM

We will be holding a parent orientation for sixth grade parents and/or new parents to Trailside in the auditorium. The orientation will include a presentation from Mrs. Beichler about Trailside Middle School. In addition, you will hear from school counselors, deans, front office staff, school nurse, librarians, and the PTA.



Health and HPE Gear and Art Sketch Books will be available for purchase in front of the school before, during, and after orientation.


If students are not able to attend orientation, please know that they will have the opportunity to set up their lockers on the first day of school out of their COMPASS class. Unfortunately, we are not able to provide alternate days or times for set-up due to the schedule for teacher professional development taking place at school.

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Seventh and Eighth Grade Orientation-Friday August 20

Student Orientation is for students only. Parents will meet their child's teacher on Back to School Night.


The Pack is Back!

On Friday, August 20 from 12:30-3:15 we will be holding student orientation for our 7th and 8th grade students. 7th grade students will report to the main gym between 12:20-12:30. The 8th grade students will report to the auditorium between 12:20-12:30. The students will be welcomed by their COMPASS teacher and will move to their COMPASS Classroom. Students will move through their 8 block schedule and have the opportunity to meet each of their teachers and to find their locker location. Following orientation, students may set up their locker with school supplies. Parents are welcome to join their students at the conclusion of orientation to set up their lockers.


New Parent Orientation (optional) 8:45-11:15 AM

We will be holding a parent orientation for sixth grade parents and/or new parents to Trailside in the auditorium. The orientation will include a presentation from Mrs. Beichler about Trailside Middle School. In addition, you will hear from school counselors, deans, front office staff, school nurse, librarians, and the PTA.




Health and HPE Gear and Art Sketch Books will be available for purchase in front of the school before, during, and after orientation.

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News from the Clinic

A reminder to contact your students physician to have any Asthma, Allergy and Seizure Action Plans completed prior to the start of school. These forms can be found on the TMS webpage under the Families tab, under medications at school then School Health Forms. A new plan must be completed for every school year. Please contact our school nurse, Mrs. Newton for further questions at Maureen.Newton@lcps.org.

Maureen Newton BSN, RN

Welcome back to the Trail Event! Sponsored by our PTA

The PTA is sponsoring a school scavenger hunt on Thursday, August 19th @Trailside Middle School followed by a Family Picnic. Please see below for additional information and details.

Important Dates and Communication

8/17

PVUE/SVUE

Virtual First Day for LCPS - Online Verification

Families will log into PVUE and walk through the Online Verification tool to review and verify student data (formerly the emergency card paper process), provide opt-out information, and review and acknowledge documents (such as the SR&R). Once complete, PVUE will display student schedules, bus, and other student-specific information.


COMPASS Teacher Assignment and locker information will be on the student schedule as well.


8/19 PTA Sponsored Scavenger Hunt and Family Picnic 4:00-6:00 PM


8/20 Student Orientation


8/26 First Day of School


9/1 Back to School Night for Parents Grade 6-8 6:00-8:00 PM

TMS School Spirit Store from Cheers is on-line

https://trailsidetimberwolves.itemorder.com/sale

School Hours

Arrival: 8:10-8:30 AM

Late Bell: 8:35 AM (students are tardy if arriving after the bell and will need to report to the main office for a tardy pass)

Dismissal: 3:23 PM

Student Schedules, COMPASS, and more

All parents and students will have access to their schedules after parents have completed the necessary steps listed above. Please keep in mind that student schedules may not be final until orientation day and possibly the first day of school. Our counselors are busy balancing classes, enrolling new students, as well as reviewing each student schedule to make sure they are correct. Counselors will be doing this throughout the coming week.


COMPASS/Advisory class assignments will be completed prior to Orientation Day. Please continue to check Parent VUE throughout the week as changes may occur to student schedules. We appreciate your patience and understanding as our counseling team works diligently on finalizing the schedules.


Please note that we are not able to honor any schedule change requests for electives, teacher preference, students wishing to be in the same class with friends, etc. Schedule change requests between honor and academics may be possible providing on space and teacher load. Under the VA Dept. of Education, teachers are not able to carry above a certain number on their caseload. In addition, all staffing for the school year has been based on student course selections made last spring.

School Breakfast and Lunch Procedures.

LCPS will be providing free breakfast and lunch to all children this year. If your child would like to have an additional second lunch or items from the snack line, these may be purchased. Each student will be required to sanitize their hands prior to beginning lunch as well as after. We have hand sanitizing stations throughout the school.


For the first couple of weeks of school, students will be sitting with their third and seventh block class. During the first two weeks, we will be going through all of the processes that take place in the cafeteria and outdoor eating area as well as Pack Time. We have an outdoor eating area for approximately 200 or more students. All students will have an opportunity to eat both inside and outside (weather permitting). Pack time (recess) takes place following lunch. Our goal is to have pack time begin within the first two weeks of school. With the health mitigation practices and the instruction of these processes with almost 1150 students, this will require us to take it step by step. We appreciate your understanding and ask that you reassure your child that open seating and pack time will be coming in September.


All students will be eating with their grade levels except in 7th and 8th grade, there may be a very small number of students who are in mixed level classes such as Algebra, Pre-Algebra, and World Language. In the past we have had parent requests to change their child's schedule due to the lunch block however we are not able to honor these requests.

Parent Volunteers for Bell Change

With two thirds of our students never having used a locker, we are seeking parent volunteers for the first two days of school. Parent volunteers will be able to sign up for a small block of time between arrival and dismissal to support students in the house area opening up their lockers between bell changes. We will have a google form with time slots in our next newsletter. Parents will be required to be vaccinated as well as to wear a mask in order to volunteer for this opportunity.