Be in the know.
April 2022 Parent Checklist
Take a look at our parent checklist from last night's community meeting & prepare yourself for an awesome spring at TMS this school year!
8TH GRADE FAMILIES: Look over the volunteer requirements & ensure you are in our database BEFORE you show up to the 8th Grade Celebration, scheduled for Friday, 6/17.
BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR SIGN-UPS: Some awesome things are in the works, including art lit, our first social (5/20), and staff appreciation week!
ORDER YEARBOOK: Check the last newsletter for the ordering link or take a peek over at @tumwatermiddleschool.
SUBSCRIBE OR FOLLOW US: There's no reason not to be IN THE KNOW!
SAVE THE DATE: Yes, hard to believe but our next meeting will be our last of the year on Thursday, 6/2 & it's a biggie! We'll be voting in next year's Board & budget!
Donations & Volunteers Needed for 8th Grade Celebration
The first annual 8th Grade Celebration has been scheduled for Friday, 6/17 from 12pm-3:30pm. We will have all the usual party elements: music, a photo booth, games, lunch, and other fun surprises to send off this crew in style!
DONATIONS: In order to support the 8th grade celebration, we are asking parents to make a $25/student donation that goes directly to funding this event. We recognize that not all families will be able to donate this amount, so if you are able to be a hero & “sponsor” another child, that would be amazing.
Donations can be accepted via Paypal. ALL students will participate in the festivities, regardless of financial participation.
If you have any questions or would like to pay by check, please email amber.fer@frontier.com.
VOLUNTEERS: Parent volunteers are needed! If you would like help with planning this fun event on 6/17, please reach out Amber at amber.fer@frontier.com. Many volunteers will also be needed on the day of the event. Look for volunteer sign ups in your email several weeks before the big day.
Mark your calendars now!!
SAVE THE DATE: April Community Meeting & Listening Session on 4/7
Save the date for April's TMS PTO Community Meeting on Thursday, 4/7 at 6:30pm IN-PERSON! Join us in the TMS Commons to hear school & PTO updates with principal Jill O'Neil and your Tumwater PTO Board. A zoom link will be provided for those who would like to listen in only. A tentative meeting agenda can be fund HERE.
LISTENING SESSION: This meeting will include a listening session to spark conversation & exchange ideas with your TMS PTO Board as they begin drafting next year's PTO budget. Come prepared to share in small groups!
SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS: In an effort to communicate effectively & efficiently, the Tumwater PTO will be taking questions BEFORE our community meeting on 4/7. This will ensure that our meeting agenda and topics will clarify any questions for our parent community. You can submit your questions at https://forms.gle/JPNSHmo6p6FKZ4eH7
Zoom info, for those just listening in, will be sent on 4/7.
All parents are automatically members of the Tumwater PTO and all are encouraged to attend.
Questions? Email Hannah (tumwaterpto.president@gmail.com)
March 2022 Board Meeting Minutes
Your Tumwater PTO Board reviewed the final set of Community Grant Applications for this school year and awarded funding to two additional projects. Read the latest meeting minutes here.
Winter Volunteering Opportunities
We are thrilled to announce that volunteers whose vaccination status is verified are allowed to volunteer at school!
We have current opportunities for OBOB Battle Volunteers and Lunchtime Volunteers (described below), as well as some updates for the 8th Grade Celebration. If you are interested in volunteering for Art Literacy, be on the lookout for a separate email when that has been scheduled!
OBOB VOLUNTEERS NEEDED - NEXT WEEK (MON 2/28 & TUE 3/1)
OBOB Battles are coming up on February 28th, March 1st and March 7th! OBOB Battles will be held in person at school during the school day. We need moderators and scorekeepers/timekeepers to help make the battles run smoothly. The opportunities are briefly described below:
OBOB Battle Moderator: This opportunity is to serve as a Moderator for our OBOB battles. The moderator is responsible for leading the battle which includes performing the coin toss, clearly asking questions to each team in order, determining correct responses, assigning points and handling challenges.
OBOB Battle Scorekeeper/Timekeeper: This opportunity is to serve as the Scorekeeper/Timekeeper for our OBOB battles. This role will include recording points assigned by the moderator during the battle and keeping time after the moderator has finished reading each question. This is a great opportunity to volunteer for the OBOB battles if you are unfamiliar with OBOB and would like to observe the battles without the responsibility of moderating.
Training will be provided for volunteers, however if you are unfamiliar with OBOB and would like to see what a battle looks like before signing up, this YouTube Video provides a good example of an OBOB battle. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtTsoHtGTLg
LUNCHTIME VOLUNTEERS STILL NEEDED
We still have active volunteer opportunities to volunteer during lunch, including shifts with a shorter duration. The two lunch volunteer activities are linked below:
Lunchtime Volunteers - Library: Help supervise the lunch recess periods in the Library. Activities include greeting and helping students, reminding students about social distancing as needed, reshelving books and straightening up the library between recess periods.
Lunchtime Volunteers - Commons: Assist in the Commons area during lunch periods by greeting and helping students, reminding students about social distancing as needed, and cleaning tables between lunch periods.
The Lunchtime shift in the Commons has been divided into two shifts:
Shift 1: 6th Grade 1st Lunch, 6th Grade 2nd Lunch, and 7th Grade 1st Lunch
Non Advisory Days: (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday) 11:20 am - 12:35 pm
Advisory Days: (Thursday, Friday) 11:40 am - 12:45 pm
Shift 2: 7th Grade 2nd Lunch, 8th Grade 1st Lunch, and 8th Grade 2nd Lunch
Non Advisory Days: (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday) 12:35 pm - 1:35 pm
Advisory Days: (Thursday, Friday) 12:45 pm - 1:45 pm
If you are able to volunteer for the entire lunch period, we still encourage you to sign up for both shifts. Thank you in advance for considering this opportunity!
8TH GRADE CELEBRATION
Planning Session on 3/1: The next planning session for 8th grade parents interested in helping plan the 8th grade celebration will be on Tuesday, March 1st at 6:30pm at Market of Choice in the upstairs area. Email Amber (amber.fer@frontier.com) if you are unable to attend.
Bethany Public House Fundraiser on 3/6: Support the 8th grade celebration by dining at Bethany Public House on Sunday March 6, 2022 from 11 am – 9 pm. Bethany Public House will donate 15% of your total bill to help support Tumwater 8th Grade Celebration. Takeout orders included! See flyer for more info.
COVID VACCINE DOCUMENTATION & APPROVAL
All volunteers who would have direct or indirect contact with students must have an approved COVID vaccination verified by district staff. You will not be able to view those volunteer opportunities within the system until your vaccination has been verified. Please upload documentation of your COVID vaccination using the following procedure:
Login to your myimpactpage.com volunteer profile.
On the right side of the screen, click on the My Profile tab and then click on Additional Information.
From the organization menu, scroll to the Beaverton School District and then click on the Select Organization button.
From this new screen, scroll down to the bottom of the page to the COVID Vaccination section to upload a copy of your vaccination card or exception.
Please note:
If you have taken a photo of your card with an iPhone, the system is not compatible with iPhone "heic" format. You will need to go into your phone settings and change the format to one of the following formats: .bmp, .jpg, .jpeg, .pjpeg, .gif, .png, .doc, .docx.
Also note that .pdf does not appear to be an acceptable format, so we recommend converting to one of the listed formats to ensure your approval is not delayed.
If you have any questions on this or any other topic regarding volunteering at Tumwater, please don't hesitate to send us an email at tumwaterpto.volunteer@gmail.com.
Best,
Jyothi Murala & Kristi Nelson
Tumwater MS Volunteer Coordinators
February 2022 Community Meeting Minutes
The February Community Meeting included two guest speakers and updates from Principal Jill O’Neil and your Tumwater PTO Board. Highlights include:
Information about Sunset High School.
Information about a proposed Beaverton School District bond.
An update on school activities and clubs.
A report on additional grants that your support funded.
Approval of an amended budget.
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 at our next Community Meeting on Thursday, 4/7.
Questions? Email Hannah (tumwaterpto.president@gmail.com)
January 2022 Board Meeting Minutes
Your Tumwater PTO Board and a volunteer staff member reviewed Community Grant Applications and awarded funding to two additional projects. Read the latest meeting minutes here.
Spread the Love to TMS Staff this Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is around the corner & it’s time to show our hard-working TMS staff SOME LOVE!
Sign-up now to contribute to a fun, non-perishable snack spread. Please bring your donations to the Staff Appreciation cart outside the TMS front doors on Thursday, February 3, 2022.
No time to shop? Simply submit a note of encouragement & appreciation to any or all staff. Notes will be posted in the staff lounge on Valentine’s Day.
Thanks for spreading the love!
SAVE THE DATE: February Community Meeting to Include Vote to Amend 2021-22 Budget
SAVE THE DATE: Join us for February’s Community Meeting on Thursday, 2/10 at 6:30pm via Zoom. Pop in to hear school & PTO updates with principal Jill O'Neil and your Tumwater PTO Board. The tentative meeting agenda can be found HERE.
VOTE TO AMEND 2021-22 BUDGET: This meeting will include a community vote to amend the 2021-22 budget. Check out this comparison to see the proposed changes.
This amended budget would move $2000 out of School Socials and Science Fair (both impacted by Covid restrictions) and into the Community Grant budget (see blue highlighted line items).
SPECIAL GUEST: Sunset High School Principal, John Huelskamp, will be joining us for a 20 minute presentation and Q&A regarding the transition to high school and what parents can expect this spring. To maximize efficiency, please submit any questions you may have for Mr. Huelskamp in the form below.
SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS: In an effort to communicate effectively & efficiently, the Tumwater PTO will be taking questions BEFORE our community meeting on 2/10. 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
Zoom info will be sent on 2/10.
All parents are automatically members of the Tumwater PTO and all are encouraged to attend.
Questions? Email Hannah (tumwaterpto.president@gmail.com)
Tumwater PTO: 2021 in Review
WHAT A YEAR! As we wrap up 2021, let's take a look at the awesome accomplishments of Tumwater PTO, made possible by YOU-- the dedicated & generous community of Tumwater Middle School.
Here's a round-up of 2021:
Incorporated Our Organization/Applied for 501(c)(3) Status: Thanks to a small group of committed volunteers, the Tumwater Parent Teacher Organization was officially incorporated in the State of Oregon and filed the massive Form 1023 with the IRS. This work included drafting bylaws, identifying officers, and multiple filings. Shout out to parent Rachel Arnold for her heavy lifting through this process.
Set-up Internal Processes and Infrastructure: Your PTO Board members spent last summer figuring out all the exciting details, like treasury software, insurance, volunteer software, reimbursement and grant procedures, and preliminary budgets. Hannah Wood Donohue (President), Kelly Kinzer, (VP), Eva Novick (Secretary), Heather Vonk (Treasurer), Jyothi Murala and Kristi Nelson (Volunteer Coordinators) and Peng Ge (Member at Large) are committed to making this year a success.
Launched Website and Social Media: Huge thanks to parents Melissa Manos (logo) and Laxmi Karumbu (website) for their contributions to our initial launch last August.
Raised Nearly $35,000 Through Our Inaugural Rising Tides Campaign: The commitment and generosity of this community was overwhelming! A sincere thank you to every single Rising Tide donor (over 250!) and especially to parents Kelly Kinzer and Ava Palmquist for being the wind in this campaign's sails.
Held Two Well-Attended Community Meetings: With an average attendance of 53 parents, our meetings are off to an amazing start. Huge thanks to those that give up their most precious commodity -- their time -- to attend. We'll see you all again on 2/10/22.
Spread the Love to our TMS Staff/Community: From a pre-service breakfast to "Winter's Night In" gift bags (and apples and pies in between), our Staff Appreciation team of Breanna Smith, Cherie Peck, and Cindy Pierce knocked it out of the park this fall. Thank you to every donor who answered the call to make magic for our staff. Another shout out to the generous parents who quickly filled our Holiday Outreach sign-up.
Fulfilled Four Community Grant Requests: We are thrilled to have already approved $8157 in funding for four grant requests: TMS Onstage, Night Sky project (8th grade), Wind Turbines (7th grade), Book Club Books (all grades).
Completed our First Successful 8th Grade Send-off Fundraiser: Huge shout out to chairs Amber Ferschweiler, Sarah Sullivan, and their team of 8th grade parents for braving the cold, frigid rain and successfully raising over $1400 in our first ever pie sale.
Initiated Student Enrichment & Welcome Committees: So many opportunities are being made available to our students, thanks to the parents who've stepped into leadership positions, including Melissa Manos (Art Lit), STEM Fair (Poulami Mitra), OBOB (Vandana Kapoor) & Jessica Baker (Welcome Activities). Look for more volunteering info in 2022!
It is the combined effort of so many that has lifted this organization from nothing into something special. None of this would be possible without the commitment & generosity of the TMS community.
Thank you to all who have contributed to our success in 2021 and we look forward to raising these Rapids even further in 2022.
8th Grade Pie Fundraiser a Success
The 8th Grade Send-Off team pulled off their first fundraiser, selling 220 pies and raising nearly $1400 for the 8th grade year-end party. Huge thanks to all who purchased a pie and/or donated their time to make this effort a success.
If you are interested in joining this exciting committee, email Amber (amber.fer@frontier.com).
Thank You to December Staff Appreciation Donors
Our entire TMS staff were given a "Winter's Night In" gift bag this week, thanks to the generosity of the TMS community and our Staff Appreciation team.
Items inside included $5 coffee gift cards, popcorn, candy, hot chocolate & a Columbia pass.
Shout out to Breanna Smith, Cindy Pierce, and Cherie Peck for leading the Staff Appreciation effort, as well as everyone who donated.