Tennessee Middle School

We’re halfway through the second nine weeks!
Take a moment to check your student’s progress on PowerSchool today to stay up-to-date and celebrate their hard work!

There will be no LEAPs Thursday 10/23 at TMS. We encourage our families to come see us at Trunk or Treat at 5:30.

Leaves are falling, and fall break is calling—turn in your library books to Mrs. Ball before Friday!

Today is the last day to register for fall intersession!
Link for parents to register online: https://forms.microsoft.com/r/LkckRmhgRZ

Upcoming Events at TMS:
Parent Teacher Conferences- 9/30 3-6PM
Picture Day-October 1

TMS picture day is one week away! Ask your student for their form today!

Want to better understand your child’s learning progress? The TCAP Family Portal gives parents access to personalized information, test results, and resources to support learning at home. Schools are in the process of sending home each student's printed state TCAP score reports from last school year. Once you receive your child's report, we encourage you to visit the TCAP Family Portal for more information about your child's TCAP results. For instructions on accessing the portal, go to https://www.btcs.org/page/tcap-family-portal.

Tennessee Middle School's annual Title 1 Meeting will be held on August 4, 2025, at 4:30 PM on the learning stairs!

Save the Date for the first annual TMS Back to School Bash- August 4, 5 to 7 in front of TMS and the Fieldhouse area! You will meet your student's teachers on this night! Food and games provided by PTA and Communities in Schools!

🎶 Calling all rising 6th graders! 🎺🥁Beginning Band Camp is coming to Tennessee Middle School on July 14–18, from 2–4 p.m. daily! Whether you're picking up an instrument for the first time or just ready to make some noise, this is your time to shine! Enter through Door #25. Questions? Email finchs@btcs.org.

Tennessee Middle School Supply Lists are available here: https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:73f3114b-83c9-4be6-bc73-c7a40cce2a44

TMS Athletics - 2025 Tryout Dates & Information: *Girls' Soccer - Tryouts: May 28–30, 5:00–7:00 PM @ Central Fields (HutchinsonJ@btcs.org) *Girls' Volleyball - Tryouts: May 23, 1:30–4:30 PM @ TMS Gym (SlaughterA@btcs.org) *Football - Workouts Begin: June 2, 5:00 PM @ TMS (ArnoldJ@btcs.org) *Boys' Basketball - Tryouts: May 23, 5:00–7:00 PM @ TMS Gym (RobinsonT@btcs.org) *Cross Country - Workouts Begin: June 3, 8:30 AM @ TMS Track (Murrell_T@mac.com) *Tennis - Tryouts: July 30, 3:30 PM @ Ida Stone Courts (BuckmasterA@btcs.org) *Dance - Tryouts: May 31, 9:00 AM–12:00 PM & June 2, 6:00–7:30 PM @ TMS Gym (HackerH@btcs.org) *Cheer - Clinic Day 1: May 20, 4:30–6:00 PM; Clinic Day 2: May 21, 4:30–6:00 PM; Tryouts: May 29, 9:00–11:00 AM @ TMS Gym (WrightA@btcs.org) For information on TMS and THS 2025 athletic tryouts, visit https://www.btcs.org/o/athletics/page/tryouts .

Upcoming 8th Grade Summer Reading Guide Students in the BTCS school system are required to participate in a graded summer reading assignment. In place of a summer reading novel, 8th grade ELA has opted to read a few short texts and complete activities highlighting some of our focus skills in 8th grade. “Uncle Marcos” by Isabel Allende “Nikola Tesla: The Greatest Inventor of All? By Vicky Baez Excerpt from The Invention of Everything Else by Samantha Hunt As you read this summer, use the following checklist to keep track of each activity you need to complete before the first day of school. Please read the checklist carefully as you will not be completing every item in the textbook. Text 1: Uncle Marcos Skill Focus: Characterization Read “Uncle Marcos” by Isabel Allende (p.449) Answer the close reading questions on p. 449, 451, 453, 454, & 456. Complete the Analyze Craft & Structure activity on p. 459. For this activity, read the information about characters and answer the four questions that follow. Text 2: Nikola Tesla: The Greatest Inventor of All? Skill Focus: Text Structure Read “Nikola Tesla: The Greatest Inventor of All? By Vicky Baez (p.489) Complete the Analyze Craft & Structure activity on p. 492. For this activity, read the information about biographical writing. Then complete the chart and answer the two questions that follow. Text 3: from The Invention of Everything Else Skill Focus: Word Choice Read from The Invention of Everything Else by Samantha Hunt (p.495) Complete the Analyze Craft & Structure activity on p. 506. For this activity, read the information about figurative language and complete the practice choice at the bottom of the page. Dear Future 8th Grader, We are so excited to share these texts with you! Each text focuses on a skill you will grow and reinforce in 8th grade. By reading and participating in the summer reading assignment, you will be well prepared for our work during our year together. You were given a paper copy of these texts and assignments; however, there is a link to the digital copy of these assignments at the bottom of this letter if needed. You will take a quiz over this assignment and the paperwork will be graded. Please bring your work in during our first week of school together in August. We look forward to rewarding you for your reading time over the summer. Whether you take the time to read on vacation, at night before bed, or when you first wake up, reading enriches us and we hope to share our love of reading with you as we get to know one another. We hope that as you read these texts, you reflect on your middle school experiences so far and feel excitement for the next chapter in your childhood as an eighth grader at Tennessee Middle School. Looking forward to our days together, Deanna Baptist, Andrew Cleland, Taylor Booker *In case you need a digital copy of the texts and work, please scan the QR code below!