Be in the know.
Submit Your 2022-23 Questions
Help us help you!
With middle school coming up fast, many parents and families are new to this scene.
So tell us, what burning questions do you have surrounding the logistics, policies, academics or activities at Tumwater Middle School?
Fill out this form & your questions will be answered in our upcoming Back to School FAQ.
**Please note: this is meant for all-school, generalized questions, not for specific individuals.
Let’s start 2022-23 off right!
Tumwater Ice Cream Social on Wed, 8/31
Join us on Wed, August 8/31 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 2022-23!
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
Don’t miss this celebration of our brand-new school year! Look for more info soon.
Tumwater 2022-23 Calendar
The 2022-23 Tumwater calendar is taking shape. Mark your calendars now for these important dates.
An up-to-date calendar can be found at TMS’ website.
Ice Cream Welcome Social: Wed, 8/31/22, 6-8:15pm
Last names A-G: 6:00 - 6:30pm
Last names H-O: 6:45 - 7:15pm
Last names P-Z :7:30 - 8:15pm
First Day of School (6th Grade): Tuesday, 9/6/22
Welcome Coffee on the TMS Patio (6th Grade): Tuesday, 9/6/22, 9:45-10:45am
First Day of School (7/8 Grade): Wed, 9/7/22
Welcome Coffee on the TMS Patio (7/8 Grade): Wed, 9/7/22, 9:45-10:45am
Picture Day: Wed, 9/21/22
Back to School Night: Thurs, 9/22/22
Tumwater PTO Community Meeting: Thursday, 10/6/22, 6:30-8pm
NO SCHOOL: Friday, 10/14/22 (Staff Development Day)
Conferences: Wed, 10/19 /22& Thursday, 10/20/22
***NO SCHOOL: Thursday, 10/20/22 & Friday, 10/21/22
Band Concert: Thursday, 10/27/22
Choir Concert: Thursday, 11/3/22
NO SCHOOL: Thursday, 11/10/22 (Grading Day) & Friday, 11/11/22 (Veterans Day)
Tumwater PTO Community Meeting: Thursday, 11/17/22, 6:30-8pm
NO SCHOOL: Wed, 11/23/22 - Friday, 11/25/22 (Thanksgiving Break)
NO SCHOOL: Monday, 11/28/22 (Staff Development Day)
Fall Play Production: Thursday, 12/1/22, Friday, 12/2/22 & Saturday, 12/3/22
NO SCHOOL: Monday, 12/19/22- Monday, 1/2/23 (Winter Break)
NO SCHOOL: Friday, 1/13/23 (Staff Development Day)
NO SCHOOL: Monday, 1/16 (MLK Day)
Band Concert: Thursday, 1/19/23
All-School Social: Friday, 1/20/23, 2:30-3:50pm
Choir Concert: Thursday, 1/26/23
NO SCHOOL: Friday, 2/3/23 (Grading Day)
Tumwater PTO Community Meeting: Thursday, 2/9/23, 6:30-8pm
Conferences: Wed, 2/15/23 & Thursday, 2/16/23
***NO SCHOOL: Thursday, 2/16/23 & Friday, 2/17/23
NO SCHOOL: Monday, 2/20 (President’s Day) & Tuesday, 2/21 (Staff Development Day)
Arts Night: Thursday, 3/16/23
Band Concert: Thursday, 3/23/23
NO SCHOOL: Monday, 3/27/23- Friday, 3/31/23 (Spring Break)
NO SCHOOL: Thursday, 4/13/23 (Staff Development Day) & Friday, 4/14/23 (Grading Day)
All-School Social: Thursday, 4/20/23
Tumwater PTO Community Meeting & Listening Session: Thursday, 4/20/23, 6:30-8pm
Spring Play Production: Thursday, 5/18/23, Friday, 5/19/23 & Saturday, 5/20/23
NO SCHOOL: Friday, 5/26/23 (Staff Development Day)
NO SCHOOL: Monday, 5/29 (Memorial Day)
Band Concert: Thursday, 6/1/23
Choir Concert: Tuesday, 6/6/23
Tumwater PTO Community Meeting: Thursday, 6/8/23, 6:30-8pm
Band Concert: Tuesday, 6/13/23
NO SCHOOL: Monday, 6/19/23 (Juneteenth)
8th Grade Celebration: Tuesday, 6/20/23
Last Day of School/Field Day: Wed, 6/21/23
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.
2022-23 School Supply List Available
The 2022-23 school supply list is now updated and available on the Tumwater MS website. You can take a glance at the list here:
SUPPLY LIST:
Student Planner- Provided by Tumwater PTO at no cost to all students
Backpack (without wheels)
Reusable 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 notebook
(1) graph paper composition book
(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)
Optional:
Chromebook case (9 x 11.7 x 0.8 inches)
Helpful Supplies for Use at Home:
3x5 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.
WHAT A YEAR: Thank You From Tumwater PTO
It’s time to celebrate ourselves!
In a year of COVID restrictions, changing guidelines, and massive transitions, this community came together to build an organization with energy and focus, all while parenting middle schoolers. Bravo to us all for making it (crawling?) to the finish line.
As for Tumwater PTO, scroll through our successes this year, courtesy of you, your friends, & your neighbors:
BUILT PTO INFRASTRUCTURE
We didn’t buy a house– we’re building it. What started as a group of strangers and a few strong ideas has grown into a fully functioning organization. We wrote bylaws, drafted policies, incorporated in Oregon, opened our financial accounts, created a website, launched social media, hosted meetings, and moved to Google Workspace. Then kept the wheel turning all year.
RAISED OVER $35,000 IN INAUGURAL RISING TIDES CAMPAIGN
We are honored & thankful to the 254 individual donors who put their belief in this organization last fall. Their support culminated in over $35,000 in income, exceeding our initial goal by $10,000. This groundswell of support set us up for a year of success. Shout out to the Rising Tides team, Kelly Kinzer & Ava Palmquist.
RECEIVED OUR 501(c)3 STATUS & REGISTERED WITH BENEVITY
After months of waiting, this little PTO-that-could finally received its IRS 501(c)3 designation this spring. Thank you to the IRS for making our federally tax-exempt & matching funds dreams come true. Also shout out to Rachel Arnold, who conquered the 26 page IRS application last summer.
Intel/Columbia/Nike families: You can now find Tumwater PTO within Benevity, making corporate matching even easier. Huge thanks to Julie Gupta for making this happen so quickly.
APPROVED EIGHT COMMUNITY GRANTS
The Tumwater PTO fulfilled eight community grants in 2021-22, totalling $12,564 of direct support of the students & classrooms of Tumwater Middle School, and is completely funded by our Rising Tides donors.
This community grant program is roughly just over 30% of the Tumwater PTO budget and provides funds to enable purchases that inspire, inform, and support educational inquiry and innovation at Tumwater Middle School. This year’s recipients included the TMS drama club, the Language Arts department, and several science-based inquiry projects.
Read on for more specific grant details →
SUPPORTED ALL-STUDENT PROGRAMS
Even in a year mired with COVID restrictions, our volunteers found a way to lift these PTO-sponsored programs off the ground.
OBOB: With an army of volunteers, our OBOB program launched last January, with 15 teams and over 60 students participating. The winning team, Rapid Readers, earned their way into the final four of the Regional tournament. Shout out to Kristi Nelson & Vandy Kapoor for building this program from scratch.
Art Lit: Our Art Lit program brighted the month of May, with each science section receiving a lesson on artist Frida Kahlo. Students then worked on their own self-portrait (using their school picture!) and artwork was displayed in the cafeteria trophy cases.
This was a HUGE undertaking for our volunteers who braved the middle school classrooms. None of this would have been possible without the dedicated leadership of Melissa Manos.
CREATED MEMORABLE SCHOOL EXPERIENCES
Supporting students isn’t just academic. TMS PTO also funded several events that brought a bit of magic, joy & memories to our student body.
Student Social: Our first PTO-sponsored student social was held this May, with activities that appealed to all types of personalities. Basketball, a cake walk, glow bingo, board/card games, and karaoke were just some of the opportunities presented. Massive thanks to TMS staff member Kristin Hayward for her leadership in making this possible.
8th Grade Celebration: Though the sun didn’t come out, our parent volunteers did! Our 8th grade class was sent off in style. Massive thanks to the months-long fundraising & team of parents who made this happen, especially co-chairs Amber Ferschweiler & Sarah Sullivan.
More celebration details & pictures can be found here →
Field Day: Our final day was filled with fun (and sun!) as this PTO-sponsored Field Day, courtesy of our TMS staff, parent volunteers, & funding from our Rising Tides donors.
BUOYED THE EFFORTS OF TUMWATER MIDDLE SCHOOL
With over 1000 volunteer hours this year (even with the earlier restrictions!), this community showed up for TMS & its students and staff in a big way.
Every contribution counts. Thank you to everyone who:
Volunteered in any capacity throughout the year
Donated to Rising Tides, the 8th grade celebration, staff appreciation, or the music supporters
Attended (even virtually) any PTO meeting or event
Read the TMS newsletter and/or followed us on social media (you’re a hero for staying informed!)
Click here for a full listing of our committee leads →
Together, this community created a successful first year for our students and staff in a stressful year of constant changes. Hats off to all of us for conquering another year of middle school parenting.
To our outgoing 8th grade families: Thanks for being a part of this ride. We wish you luck in your next adventure.
To our returning families: We look forward to collaborating again next year to keep these Rapids rising!
Follow along on Facebook & Instagram (@tumwaterpto).
2022 8th Grade Celebration Sets High Bar
TMS celebrated its first 8th grade celebration last Friday, a culmination of months of fundraising and planning by the event committee.
Students enjoyed a summertime theme, with a magician, pizza, and a variety of activities including a DJ, glow bingo, karaoke, inflatable fun, a candy walk, airbrush tattoos, board games, basketball, and a shaved ice cart.
Earlier in the day, 8th grade families attended a recognition ceremony, with several student speakers and student awards.
Thank you to the community partners who supported this event, including the Pearson family, Walmart, Pacific Sleep, Infinity Images, as well as the 8th grade families who donated to this event, and any community member who participated in this fundraising.
Finally, massive thanks to co-chairs Amber Ferschweiler and Sarah Sullivan, along with their planning team, Sherri Kulink, Ana Pacheco, Hong Huynh, Dianne Jenkins, Holly Minisce, Kimberly Pearson, Helen Leiser, Katherine Rule, and Debbie Herron.
The hunt is on for next year’s co-chairs! If you are interested in leading the 2023 8th grade celebration, please contact Hannah (president@tumwaterpto.org).
THANK YOU 2021-22 Volunteers
The success of our PTO events & programs is directly related to the time, effort & contribution of our community volunteers. In a year of continued COVID chaos & restrictions, our parent community stepped up to make magic happen for these middle schoolers.
While we value EVERY hour from EVERY volunteer, a special thank you is due to the following everyday heroes who stepped into a larger leadership position this school year. We couldn’t have done this without these MVPs.
INCORPORATION: Rachel Arnold
WELCOME EVENT: Jessica Baker
RISING TIDES CAMPAIGN: Ava Palmquist & Kelly Kinzer
STAFF APPRECIATION: Breanna Smith, Cherie Peck & Cindy Pierce
SCIENCE FAIR (virtual) : Poulami Mitra
OBOB: Vandana Kapoor & Kristi Nelson
MATCHING FUNDS: Julie Gupta
8TH GRADE CELEBRATION: Amber Ferschweiler & Sarah Sullivan
ART LIT: Melissa Manos
WEBSITE: Hannah Wood Donohue, Eva Novick & Laxmi Karumbu
SOCIAL MEDIA: Hannah Wood Donohue & Kelly Kinzer
OUTGOING VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR: Jyothi Murala
2021-22 BOARD MEMBERS: Hannah Wood Donohue, Kelly Kinzer, Heather Vonk, Eva Novick, Kristi Nelson, Jyothi Murala & Peng Ge
UBER-VOLUNTEERS: We’d also like to take a moment to thank these specific volunteers who gave over 20 hours to Tumwater Middle School so far this year. Thank you for putting TMS on your back & carrying us to the finish line!
Mahwich Aqeel
Michelle Brown
Michael Harrison
Joyce Keefe
Melissa Manos
Elaine Nelson
Kristi Nelson
Eva Novick
Marcus Pasquarella
Heather Vonk
Emma Winkel
Hannah Wood Donohue
HUGE THANKS to everyone who gave even one hour to Tumwater Middle School in our inaugural year. Your time, energy, & bravery in facing middle schoolers did not go unnoticed.
June 2022 Community Meeting Minutes
The June Community Meeting included updates from Principal Jill O’Neil and your Tumwater PTO Board. We also discussed successes from this school year and planning for next school year. Highlights include:
Discussion of end of year events.
Two last volunteer opportunities: eighth grade celebration and field day.
Approval of a new Music Booster committee to support band and choir.
Approval of next year’s PTO Board.
Approval of next year’s PTO 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 next school year. Please let us know if you would like to volunteer or if you have ideas for new traditions or activities.
Questions? Email the PTO Board (board@tumwaterpto.org)
2021-22 Community Grant Program Funds Eight TMS Projects
The Tumwater PTO fulfilled eight community grants in 2021-22, totalling $12,564 of direct support of the students & classrooms of Tumwater Middle School.
This community grant program is roughly just over 30% of the Tumwater PTO budget and provides funds to enable purchases that inspire, inform, and support educational inquiry and innovation at Tumwater Middle School.
Huge thank you to every staff member who applied for funding, Tiffany Lace & Janay Cookson, our TMS Staff representatives who helped the Board review the applications, and of course, every single Rising Tides donor. Your contribution made these innovative projects possible.
2021-22 COMMUNITY GRANT PROJECTS
Rental fees & performance rights to “Matilda” were provided by TMS PTO.
TMS Onstage ($2400)
Seed money to begin the TMS after school theater program; a supplement to the $3500 in funding from this summer's BEF Choice project. Applicant: Mikaela Gladstone-Saucedo
Wind Turbines ($1057)
7th Graders in Mrs. Tran-Parta's science class had the opportunity to build wind turbines; remains a resource to all students to use Vernier measurement equipment and the turbines for future science inquiry labs. Applicant: Tiffany Tran-Parta
8th graders taking shots of the Space Station using PTO-funded tripods.
Night Sky ($950)
An 8th grade project to support the Astronomy unit; tripods facilitated students in taking photos of the night sky. Applicant: Brian Torres
Book Clubs ($3750)
Supported all Language Arts classes in expanding their selection of fiction & non-fiction titles for book clubs and helped build our fledgling collection, impacting every student in the school. Applicant: TMS Language Arts Department
D&D Club added collaborative, hands-on & screen-free gaming & design experience after school.
D&D Club ($750)
Supported a dice-making project for the students of the Tumwater MS Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) Club to design and cast a set of gaming dice using safe, professional quality materials. Applicant: Rob Hillhouse. **Additional funding for this project was provided by Beaverton Education Foundation.
Temperature Probes ($2400)
32 Go Direct Temperature Probes for data collection and graphing over time; initially for 7th grade science, but will remain a resource for all TMS students in the future. Applicant: Patrice Lampkin
Japanese Chop Design ($107)
A cross-curricular activity between 7th grade social studies and technology where students designed and created their own Japanese chop (signature stamp) for use during the Japan simulation. Applicant: Heather McCollum
6th graders building their solar-powered car.
Solar Sprint ($1150)
A hands-on engineering project for all 6th graders that includes designing, building and testing a car made using a solar panel. Applicant: Jen Brooks **Additional funding for this project was provided by Beaverton Education Foundation.
More info regarding the Tumwater PTO community grant program can be found at https://tumwaterpto.com/grant-request.
Volunteer for Field Day on Tuesday, 6/21
Our final volunteer event for the school year will be helping staff run field day on the last day of school (Tuesday 6/21). There are shifts available for each grade level, as well as shifts for those who want to volunteer for the full day. Links to the volunteer opportunities are shown below.
Volunteers must have their COVID vaccine record/exemption approved by the district in order to view, sign up and volunteer for these shifts. If you have any questions about volunteering for this event, please send our Tumwater PTO Volunteer Coordinator, Kristi Nelson, an email at volunteer@tumwaterpto.org.
If you are unable to view these volunteer opportunities . . .
Or if you get an error when you click on the link, then it is very likely that you do not have your COVID vaccine record/exemption approved by the district. Only volunteers with an approved COVID vaccination/exemption are allowed to volunteer in person, thus the opportunities are not visible to volunteers missing this approval.
You can now check your profile to see if your vaccination status has been approved. Click on MY PROFILE → Qualifications. Select “Tumwater Middle School” as the organization, and the qualifications should state if you have an approved COVID vaccination status.
More info can be found at www.tumwaterpto.org/volunteer.
Volunteers Needed for 8th Grade Celebration on 6/17
Volunteer shifts are now available for the 8th Grade Celebration, scheduled for Friday, 6/17.
As a reminder, all volunteers must be in our TMS volunteer system. If you log into mIP and are unable to see these shifts, then you have not requested your profile be moved to the TMS system or have not completed the vaccination/exemption process. More info can be found at www.tumwaterpto.org/volunteer. Questions regarding mIP can be directed to Kristi (volunteer@tumwaterpto.org).
Candywalk Donations: Sign-up to make the candywalk more fun by donating one (or five!) sweet treats.
Haven't donated yet? There's still time via Paypal.
Questions about the celebration? Email Amber (amber.fer@frontier.com)
NEW DATE: Final Community Meeting on 6/9 to Include Board & Budget Vote
NEW DATE! Join your PTO leadership in the final community meeting of the year on Thursday, 6/9 at 6:30pm in the TMS Library. Principal O’Neil and your PTO Board will be on hand to offer Tumwater & PTO updates, and community members will vote in next year's officers and approve next year's budget.
2022-23 Proposed Board Slate:
President: Hannah Wood Donohue
Vice President: Kelly Kinzer
Secretary: Eva Novick
Treasurer: Heather Vonk
Director of Volunteers: Kristi Nelson
Member at Large: Peng Ge
2022-23 Proposed Budget:
Your PTO Board, together with Principal O’Neil, went line by line through this year’s budget to discuss the value of each item and to craft a proposed 2022-23 budget that aligns with our TMS goals & aspirations.
Significant changes from the previous year’s budget include:
Increased income goal; adding in matching funds
Increased community grant & evening event budgets
Addition of printed student planners
**Please note: this is a rescheduled date due to the conflict with the Matilda production.
A zoom link will be provided for those who would like to listen in only. As a reminder, all TMS parents & guardians are automatically voting members of the Tumwater PTO. Looking forward to seeing you on 6/9!
Questions? Email Hannah (president@tumwaterpto.org).