Congratulation to TCMS Competition Cheer Squad for winning 4th place at the Blueberry Cheer Classic on Saturday, September 24, 2022, at Bacon County High School!

On Saturday, September 24, 2022, Lyra McLain, a fifth-grader from Miss Beck’s class on Bravo Company was recognized at the Plains Peanut Festival. McLain won 2nd place overall for all of the fifth-grade entries in the state of Georgia for her postcard for the Plains Peanut Postcard Contest. The theme this year was “We’re Nuts About Our President.”

Students in Dr. Amanda West's sixth-grade social studies class recently discussed the impact of 9-11-2001 on today's world. Students were able to use actual newspapers from the day of and following days. They compared and contrasted them, discussed why particular photos and headlines were used, and how 9-11 is now Patriots Day.

Students in Mrs. Ashley Lanatta's fifth-grade science class recently explored volcanos using VR headsets. Students virtually visited Tolbachik, a volcanic complex on the Kamchatka Peninsula in the far east of Russia that consists of two volcanoes.  Students loved gaining a better understanding of volcanoes and volcanic activity.

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Students in Mr. Finn's sixth-grade math class recently explored the world of ratios and comparing quantities by using Skittles.

Students in Mr. Woodfin's science classes recently had the opportunity to create a different kind of test review. Students were provided access to podcast equipment and were given the challenge of creating an interesting way to explain the science concepts that they have learned during this nine weeks period.

Students in Coach Russell’s business education classes are learning to use different computer applications.  As part of this assignment, students used Google Drawings to create bookmarks.  The requirements for this project were that students be creative and include the following on each bookmark: his/her name, a motivational quote, an image, and a gradient background with two or more fonts.  Students were excited to get their finished product to be able to use when reading!

Students in Ms. Alicia Cook's fifth-grade class recently Zoomed with her brother, entrepreneur Jon Cook, from Statesboro, GA. Cook began a recycling business four years ago. His company, Green Rock Recycling, offers a curbside pickup for plastics and glass.  These items are collected once a week and then processed at his shop. Landscaping products are then manufactured with the recycled material and are sold at a local business.

Students learned what benefits and risks are taken when becoming an entrepreneur, and were able to ask questions in order to help them create their own business plan.

Students in Mrs. LaToya Crawford-Walker's Class learned how to write argumentative essays in a fun way. The top chef cooked elements in a pot and called out specific ingredients for the audience to match. The students identified hooks, thesis statements, claims, and reasons. Walker said that this was a captivating way to review for next week's writing screener.

Students in Ms. Jackson's ELA class were given the privilege to listen firsthand to how one of our local fire captains serves our community. Captain Michael Mann volunteered his time to give students a first-hand account of what it's like to be a first responder and public servant.

Students asked Captain Mann questions about his career and what it must have been like for first responders in New York City on September 11, 2001. Captain Mann's visit was a fantastic way to end their two-week unit based on "The story of the September 11 attacks and the largest boat rescue in history" (Scope 2021).

Thomas County Middle School is sponsoring a Social Media Awareness Night on Thursday, September 29, at 7:00 p.m., in the Thomas County Board of Education Auditorium to help inform parents and guardians about the dangers of social media and how to keep their children safe in the virtual world.

Join us to learn valuable information about various types of social media, popular apps including what they look like and their capabilities, and the dangers of predators and how they infiltrate popular apps. This event is presented by representatives of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and is open to everyone.

The TCMS Girls’ Conditioning students recently participated in the 9-11 Stair Climb Memorial sponsored by Thomasville Professional Firefighters Association/ Everett-Milton YMCA, held on September 9, 2022, at the Jackets’ Nest.

As a team, the girls completed four laps around the track and eleven sets of bleachers in honor of the 343 Firefighters, 63 Police Officers, and 8 Emergency Medical Personnel who sacrificed their lives on September 11, 2001, in an effort to help save others. The TCMS Girls’ Conditioning students learned valuable lessons on how to honor the lives lost, pay tribute to the brave, practice goal setting/strong work ethic, and most importantly, to have compassion.

On September 10, 2022, seventh & eighth-grade band students participated in the first of two clinics designed to prepare them for the GMEA District, Region, and All-State Honor Band auditions. Music Education and Performance majors from Florida State University along with TCCHS student mentors worked with each instrument section covering scales, etudes, and audition strategies.

Eighth-grade MERIT students on Zulu Company recently traveled to Kolomoki Mounds State Park. Kolomoki Indian Mounds near Blakely is the oldest and largest Woodland Indian site in the southeastern United States.

Students toured the museum which includes an excavated burial mound and observed artifacts recovered from the site. Rangers demonstrated Native American weapons such as the blow gun, atlatl, and spear.

Students were also able to climb to the top of the 56-foot-high Great Mound, viewing the entire complex. The field trip correlated with their unit on the early Native American inhabitants of Georgia and the impact of European exploration and colonization on the indigenous people.

Students in Ms. Boykins's eighth-grade ELA classes were engaged in PALS (Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies) as they discussed a non-fiction account of the 9/11 attacks called "Rescue at the Water's Edge" by Allison Friedman.

Students worked together to complete an objective summary with relevant details of the largest water rescue in history as recounted by the author and one of the heroes, then Coast Guard Officer Carlos Perez.

Pictured below on the right are students peer tutoring and completing the PALS activity.  On the left is Julie Vonier, who chose to interview one of her teachers, Mrs. Lisa Bowling, about her reaction, feelings and whereabouts regarding the 9/11 attack. The interview was part of a Scholastic Scope assignment in which students were allowed to choose a task from a Choice Board.

Students in Mrs. Floyd's eighth-grade Georgia History classes recently participated in a lesson conducted by Amelia Gallo, Programs and Membership Manager of the Thomasville History Center. The lesson was over the indigenous people of Georgia, their characteristics and the impact of Europeans. Ms. Gallo shared artifacts from various time periods in pre-history and allowed the students to play "Chunky," a Native American game where they threw spears at a moving stone disc, trying to get closest. This lesson was designed to supplement instruction on Standard SS8H1, which asks students to "Evaluate the impact of European exploration and settlement on American Indians in Georgia."

Students in Mrs. Manard's fifth grade classes are Membean Masters for the first time this year! For each class, Mrs. Manard chooses one boy and one girl with the highest accuracy. Students must have a 70% or better accuracy over the last couple of weeks. Membean is a vocabulary program that students do several times each week. Great job, everyone!

Our TCMS lab is back open for visits! Sixth-grade Victor Co. students in Mrs. Sturrup's class enjoyed this opportunity by creating balloon models of our expanding universe. Students discovered as the universe stretches, so do galaxies held within. They tracked and measured the distances between galaxies as balloon models expanded!

Pictured below students are measuring galaxy points on balloons.