Gator Family News 3-11-22

Vision:

Empowering today’s students to embrace tomorrow’s possibilities.

Mission:

Our mission is to foster and motivate high level learning through innovative strategies to create lifelong learners in a safe and positive environment that partners with a diverse community.

• 3/14--Spring Break
• 3/15--Spring Break
• 3/16--Spring Break
• 3/17--Spring Break
• 3/18--Spring Break
• 3/21--Fourth 9 Weeks Begins
• 3/24--Health Curriculum Preview Night at 6:00 p.m. in the cafeteria (see below for more details)
• 3/25--Picture Day
• 3/25--Spring PTA Social (see below for more details)

Dear Parents,

Tyler Independent School District is pleased to announce the implementation of a family centered, values-based sexual risk avoidance program, ESTEEM. This is a 10 lesson course which helps to improve student awareness of and tendency toward making healthy decisions. The more students are aware of dangers and consequences of risky behaviors, the more prepared they will be to avoid such situations. Teens that “wait” stay in school longer and ESTEEM has proven to help students understand the impact of their choices.

Topics include critical thinking and decision making, future goal setting, coverage of medically accurate STD information, media influences, relationship building skills, consequences of drug and alcohol use, improving self-respect, and more.

ESTEEM is offered to students in 6th through 12th grade in many Northeast Texas school districts and several schools across the nation. Teachers who have been trained at your child’s campus will be delivering the program this spring.

Studies indicate that parental involvement in abstinence education is an integral part of student success. Please be prepared to continue these important conversations with your child at home. Examples of the ESTEEM resources will be available for review at the Parent Preview Night on Thursday, March 24, 2022. The event will be from 6:00-7:00 p.m. in the TLMS cafeteria.

We believe this to be an important program for our youth. However, we will only be delivering this portion of the curriculum to students whose parents opt-in. Letters indicating your decision will be provided for parents to complete and return to the TLMS campus.

We hope that you will take advantage of the opportunity to preview the resource by attending this preview night.

Picture day is March 25, 2022. You can order online at mylifetouch.com with your student's school ID or the picture day ID: EVTTKC8HV.

We've recently received multiple complaints of students being picked up or waiting to be picked up in the Three Lakes Plaza Shopping Center. Please be aware that Three Lakes Plaza Shopping Center has "No Trespassing" signs posted on their property. Please assist us in ensuring students are not picked up or waiting to be picked up on their property.

Congratulations to Kryssha Donayre, 7th grade student, and Nanelle Houston, Administrative Assistant to Mr. Blake, for being recognized as the February 25th Gator Student and Staff Member of the Week!

Improving attendance at Three Lakes Middle School is a top priority this school year. There is a direct correlation between student attendance and school success, so encourage your students to attend school and discuss the importance of them being here daily.

Our attendance for the week is as follows:

Grade 6: 91.52%

Grade 7: 90.32%

Grade 8: 90.618%

Overall: 90.64%

Congratulations to our 6th graders for having the highest attendance this week!!! Continue motivating your students to attend school...it makes a difference!!!

Here are some helpful hints to help with attendance:

• Establish and stick to the basic routines (going to bed early, waking up on time, etc.) that will help your child develop the habit of on-time attendance.
• Talk to your child about why going to school every day is critical and important unless they are sick. If your child seems reluctant to go to school, find out why and work with the teacher, counselor, or administrator to get them excited about going to school.
• Come up with back up plans for who to turn to (another family member, a neighbor or fellow parents) to help you get your child to school if something comes up (e.g. another child gets sick, your car breaks down, etc.).
• Reach out for help if you are experiencing tough times (e.g. transportation, unstable housing, loss of a job, health problems) that make it difficult to get your child to school. Other parents, your child’s teacher, principal, social worker, school nurse, counselor, or community agencies can help you problem solve or connect you to a needed resource.
• If your child is absent, work with the teacher to make sure she or he has an opportunity to learn and make up for the academics missed.

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit." ~Aristotle

Email: christopher.blake@tylerisd.org
Website: https://www.tylerisd.org/o/tlms
Location: 2445 Three Lakes Parkway, Tyler, TX, USA
Phone: (903) 262-2970
Facebook: facebook.com/threelakestylerisd
Twitter: @ThreeLakesTISD