Be in the know.
October 2021 Community Meeting Minutes
Thank you to the 67 community members who joined us for our inaugural Tumwater PTO Community Meeting. Principal Jill O’Neil and your Tumwater Board were on hand to give school & PTO updates, including:
Back to School updates
Brief history of PTO incorporation & thank you to all involved
Fundraising update: Rising Tides buoys above $33,400!
Vaccination requirements for volunteers
Approval of 2021-22 Budget
Read the full minutes & click through the slideshow to learn more.
We look forward to see you at our next Community Meeting on Thursday, 11/18.
Questions? Email Hannah (tumwaterpto.president@gmail.com)
"Apple of Our Eye" Staff Appreciation Event on Thursday, 10/28
It's time to celebrate fall & spoil the hard-working staff of Tumwater Middle School.
Join us in creating an "Apple of Our Eye" event for our staff, complete with an apple-inspired beverage and snack spread on Thursday, 10/28.
Please consider donating any portion to this fun-filled grab & go effort.
October Community Meeting Checklist for Parents
As promised, here's the action list from our community meeting last Tuesday. What have you missed?
MOVE INTO OUR VOLUNTEER DATABASE: Check out www.tumwaterpto.org/volunteer for all the instructions.
UPLOAD STUDENT VACCINE INFO INTO PARENTVUE: Yes, it is a legit pain clicking through everything again, but it's a huge help to our school nurse & contract tracing efforts.
UPLOAD YOUR VACCINE INFO INTO MIP: This 10/18 deadline is coming up fast & all have to be reviewed by District staff (which takes awhile), so get on it ASAP! Head to www.tumwaterpto.org/volunteer for instructions.
BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THE STAFF APPRECIATION SIGN-UP: Should be communicated in tomorrow's newsletter!
8TH GRADE FAMILIES: JOIN THE SEND-OFF TEAM! Email Amber if you are interested in joining the team to make some magic this year to celebrate our 8th graders!
DONATE: We are sooooo close to our new $35k goal. Head to www.tumwaterpto.org/fundraising for more info.
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA & LIKE EVERYTHING: Yo yo, are you following @tumwaterpto on both Insta & Facebook? Here's a huge help: LIKE ALL THE THINGS. We don't care if you actually like them , but any interaction helps spread the word. It's call organic reach (google it), which means our message is at the mercy of the algorithm. It's so easy to help us out this way!
SAVE THE DATE: November's Community Meeting is Thursday, 11/18. We only have five community meetings in a school year, so don't miss a moment! We promise to 100% respect your time by always being prepared & efficient.
Well, now you all understand the assignment! Get on it, TMS!
And oh, did you see that we have ANOTHER four-day weekend in November that’s NOT Thanksgiving? Mark your calendar now!
Rising Tides Raises $33,400
Impressed. Grateful. Thrilled.
We are feeling all the feels this week as we proudly announce that this Tumwater community has raised over $33,400 in our first annual Rising Tides campaign.
Just... wow.
We are honored & thankful to have 254 individual donors put their belief in this organization and we will spend all year ensuring that your dollars are SPENT WELL on our 900+ students.
Huge shout out to our VP Kelly McLoughlin Kinzer and Ava Palmquist for being the wind in this ship's sails. Bravo.
Miss the boat on donating? (See what we did there) Our goal is to raise $35,000 and we are THIS CLOSE. Head to www.tumwaterpto.org/fundraising to help take us over the top of this already incredible effort.
September 2021 Board Meeting Minutes
Your Tumwater PTO Board continues to work with principal Jill O’Neil behind the scenes to launch this unique year. Read the latest meeting minutes here.
October Community Meeting on Tuesday, 10/12
The first official community meeting of the Tumwater PTO will be Tuesday, 10/12 at 6:30pm via zoom.
Join us to hear school & PTO updates with principal Jill O'Neil and your Tumwater PTO Board. Check out our preliminary agenda. The 2021-22 budget will also be approved as we launch our inaugural year.
SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS: In an effort to communicate effectively & efficiently, the Tumwater PTO will be taking questions BEFORE our community meeting on 10/12. This will ensure that our meeting agenda and topics will clarify any lingering questions for our parent community.
You can submit your questions at https://forms.gle/JPNSHmo6p6FKZ4eH7
GRADE-LEVEL BREAKOUT ROOMS: Parents are invited to a 15-minute grade-level breakout room prior to the meeting, beginning at 6:15pm. Parents will have the ability to chat, ask questions, and connect with other TMS parents.
Zoom info, agenda, and proposed budget will be sent via email to parents closer to the date. All parents are automatically members of Tumwater PTO.
Questions? Email Hannah (tumwaterpto.president@gmail.com)
Vaccination Requirements for All Volunteers Due 10/18
ALL volunteers in Oregon schools must be fully vaccinated by October 18th. Fully vaccinated means you have received two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine OR a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and it has been 14 days since your final dose.
You must upload your vaccination card or your immunization record from a licensed medical provider to your volunteer profile by this date. Volunteers who are unable to be vaccinated due to a documented medical condition (including pregnancy) or due to a sincerely held religious belief must submit the required Oregon Health Authority (OHA) form.
To upload your vaccination card or to access an exemption form:
Create a digital image of your vaccination card in .jpg format.
Log into your myimpactpage.com account.
Go to the "My Profile" tab in the upper right and click on "Additional Info" from the drop-down menu.
Choose "Beaverton School District" from the Organization List drop-down menu
Click the Select Organization button.
Scroll to the very bottom of the profile information screen to find the COVID Vaccination section.
Click the Choose file button to select the image of your vaccination card or immunization record.
Click Save.
If you need an exemption form, click on the "i" icon and download the form. Once it's completed, you upload it here through the Choose file button.
Once you've uploaded your information, it will be reviewed by District staff; other volunteers will not have access to these documents. Event coordinators and office staff will ensure that requirements are met in the system before you're allowed to begin your volunteer activity. They will not review cards, records, or exemption forms. This must be done through the steps above.
Questions? Email Kristi & Jyothi
Rising Tides Fundraiser Finds 144 Donors
THANK YOU to the 144 donors who have stepped up to donate over $19,000 for our 900+ Tumwater students.
EVERY donation, regardless of size, is gratefully received and collectively takes us one step closer to reaching our base goal of $25k.
However, here at PTO HQ, we are DREAMING BIG & we recognize that donations die in darkness.
See our proposed budgets at various income levels and to learn more details about our four major areas of support:
ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT: Our PTO programs are open to every student at Tumwater, from Art Lit to OBOB. The bulk of our proposed budget supports our Community Grant program, where Tumwater PTO funds innovative and hands-on learning, crafted by our own students and staff.
STUDENT EXPERIENCES: As we move forward, we hope to provide positive & unique experiences to our student body, including semester-end student socials, grade-level field trips, and compelling student assemblies.
FAMILY EVENTS: Engaging as a community is a priority. As a brand-new middle school, our event traditions are yet to be forged. We look forward to working with Tumwater staff to support annual TMS events, such as Welcome socials, Science Fair and other community-based experiences.
COMMUNITY SUPPORT: Tumwater PTO will always support BSD’s Clothes for Kids, as well as our staff appreciation efforts.
As our Rising Tides income increases, so does the breadth and scope of our PTO impact.
Any amount donated is gratefully received. It is the power of our collective effort that will make this fundraiser successful.
However, for those looking for more direction, we suggest an initial donation of $100-$150 per student, if that’s a reasonable possiblity for your family.
Dive deep into the details at www.tumwaterpto.org/fundraising
Welcome to the 2021-22 Tumwater Volunteer Community
Throughout the year, Tumwater’s Volunteer Coordinators will be emailing the TMS volunteer database specific opportunities to support the students and staff of Tumwater MS. Volunteer sign-ups that happen at the school during the school day will be scheduled through the mIP system.
Info regarding the volunteer application & background check through the mIP system, as well as moving your profile to TMS, can be found at www.tumwaterpto.com/volunteer.
CURRENT VOLUNTEER STATUS
Due to limited space and the need for adult volunteers to exercise 6 feet of distance from students, volunteers generally will not be allowed to volunteer on district property, including inside and outside of schools, during school hours. However, the district has approved a limited list of activities that a school principal can allow; it's up to the discretion of the school principal.
Please visit BSD’s Back to School page for the latest news and updates regarding the district policies for volunteers, including providing proof of vaccination status and policies for medical or religious exemptions.
If any volunteer opportunities become available at Tumwater, we will send out an email notification after they are posted to the system.
MIDDLE SCHOOL VOLUNTEERING: What to Expect
Volunteering opportunities in middle school tend to be more school-wide and event specific, such as:
Field trip chaperones
Event management (school socials, welcome activities, Science Fair, Book Fair)
Art Literacy
OBOB
Lost & Found management
Staff Appreciation
8th Grade Send-off Activities
There may be opportunities directly within a classroom (similar to elementary school), but those are limited and dependant on the style of individual teachers.
Your middle schooler may be resistant to having you volunteer, but most opportunities work with such a broad number of students that you can remain discreetly anonymous :)
PTO EVENTS: Partnering with TMS
The traditions of Tumwater MS remain to be written as we begin this new year. However, like most BSD middle schools, we expect that our events will be partnerships between the PTO and the Tumwater staff for events such as Science Fair, student socials, and/or other evening events that support student learning.
UPDATE YOUR PROFILE
Please take a moment to head to myimpactpage.com and enter your username and password. If you don’t remember your username or password, you can reset them by clicking on the "Forgot Username or Password" link.
Under “My Profile,” please do the following:
Update your Contact Information
Upload documentation of your COVID-19 Vaccination: Refer to BSD’s Back to School page for instructions.
Check your Privacy Settings: Please check “I want other volunteers to see my name” or you will be marked Anonymous
Subscribe to an email update of any upcoming volunteer assignments
We are excited to partner with you in Tumwater’s inaugural year!
Questions: Jyothi Murala & Kristi Nelson, Tumwater MS Volunteer Coordinators
105 Donors Buoy Rising Tides Fundraiser
Building an organization from scratch is nerve wracking & unpredictable. Thank you to the 105 donors who have joined the waters and raised an incredible $14,185. Keep it going, Tumwater community!
Above all, we value participation in this foundational year and are reaching out with a goal of finding 200 donors to fully support our 900 students. If achieved, our students will enjoy a school-wide celebration. Every donation, big or small, is gratefully received.
If you haven't yet given, please consider becoming our 106th donor to help us RAISE THE TIDE. We humbly ask you to please donate as generously as possibly, and as early as possible.
WHAT THE MONEY PROVIDES: As our Rising Tides income increases, so will the breadth and scope of our proposed PTO impact. Our initial goal is $25,000, but our dreams are much higher! Head to www.tumwaterpto.org/fundraising to review the proposed budgets at various income levels and to review our four major areas of support: academic enrichment, student experiences, family events & community support.
PAY ONLINE: Donate directly via PayPal.
MATCHING FUNDS: Due to our still-pending 501(c)(3) status, our fundraising capacity is slightly diminished this year, as we are currently unable to receive corporate matching funds. Please see our Matching Funds FAQ for more info & hold onto your receipt!
FOLLOW ALONG: You can find Tumwater PTO on facebook, instagram or via our website.
QUESTIONS: Email Hannah (tumwaterpto.president@gmail.com) or check out www.tumwaterpto.org/fundraising
Picture Day this Friday, 9/17
This Friday is picture day!
And because middle schoolers are NOTORIOUSLY unreliable couriers of information, we thought we should remind you.
Picture forms went home last week (supposedly), & info was in our last TMS newsletter, but you can also head to dorianstudio.com, search for Tumwater, and order online.
Pictures will be mailed home.