The Thomas County School System is planning a viewing opportunity for our students and staff to experience the partial solar eclipse phenomenon on Monday, April 8. To ensure the safety of our students and staff, we will be providing solar eclipse glasses equipped with the ISO filter recommended by NASA. This is a rare event that we are eager to use as a unique learning experience for our students.

Thomas County Middle School students recently participated in the Regional Science Fair held at ABAC in Tifton.  All 25 students who competed came home with a ribbon, and 10 students will move on to the Georgia State Science & Engineering Fair to be held at the University of Georgia on April  11-13 in Athens.  

To read a full list of winners, click 'Read more' below.

Register now for new students from Pre-Kindergarten to 12th grade. Use link below to register.
PreK and Kindergarten 24-25 Registration

Georgia Youth Science & Technology Centers (GYSTC) has recently awarded Thomas County Middle School science teacher Clayton Woodfin with the 2024 Georgia STEM Scholar Award. As part of this special recognition, he received a $500 grant to purchase STEM education materials for his classroom, as well as free admission to attend the GYSTC Summer STEM Institute.

Woodfin is one of twenty-five other educators throughout the state of Georgia to receive this award. He believes that Thomas County Middle School provides a great foundation for STEM education.

"I feel really honored to be recognized by the GYSTC for the work I do with our students every day,” Woodfin said. “The money from the award will be spent on EEG headbands, which will allow our students to carry out science fair projects that study brain waves."

The Georgia STEM Scholar Award recognizes outstanding certified teachers in grades K-8 who are working to integrate effective STEM education in their classrooms. Georgia STEM Scholars demonstrate a passion and determination to provide students with innovative and challenging STEM experiences along with creating an atmosphere of exploration that excites, energizes, and equips students to pursue enhanced educational opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math.  

The GYSTC Summer STEM Institute will be held in June at Kennesaw State University. During the Institute, teachers will participate in Super STEM Challenges, Robotics and Coding Activities, and Top 10 STEM Explorations. In addition, teachers will develop their own engaging STEM Challenge to be shared with their teaching colleagues.

Congratulations to seventh-grader, Lucy Nestale, for winning the Thomas County School System Spelling Bee, and to Wesley Herring, the runner-up! Lucy will represent our district at the Region 9 Spelling Bee in Bainbridge on Saturday, February 24, 2024.

The Thomas County Board of Education held its first meeting of the new calendar year Tuesday, January 16. After the invocation, outgoing chair Leah Smith declared the positions of chair and vice chair vacant and asked for nominations.

Board member Mark NeSmith made a motion that Dan Stewart be elected chair and that Ed Hopper be elected vice chair. Chris Hayes seconded NeSmith’s motion.  Smith called for any additional nominations. There were no additional nominations, so Stewart and Hopper were elected to their respective roles with no dissenting votes.

Stewart serves District 6, and he and his wife, Sheri, reside on a family farm outside of Ochlocknee. Stewart retired as building maintenance supervisor at the Southwestern State campus where he worked for 30 years. Stewart is a family partner in a cattle/farming operation.

Stewart said, “I am humbled and honored to serve as chair alongside an incredibly cohesive group of board members. I feel my position as chair is dignified by the fact that we have the best school system that I could ask for. I look forward to working closely with Mr. Hopper, the rest of the board members, and Dr. Lisa Williams for a successful year.”

Hopper, who serves District 7, is self-employed. Hopper is a product of Thomas County Schools, and is excited to serve on the board for his alma mater. He is married to Lauren Hopper who teaches at Garrison-Pilcher Elementary School.

“I am honored to serve on the Thomas County Board of Education as the vice chair,” Hopper said. “It is an exciting time to be a Yellow Jacket! Whether in the classroom or on our athletic fields, we have great things happening in Thomas County, and I am proud to be a part of it.”

Please join us for the Rising 9th Grade Parent night on January 30, at 5:15 p.m. in the TCCHS Gym. At this meeting, you will learn more about high school requirements, be able to meet teachers in the various departments at TCCHS, and participate in an informational meeting about the high school MERIT program.

Each year, Thomas County students in fourth, fifth, and sixth grade participate in the Georgia National Fair's Fair Bear Writing Competition.  Students compete at the school level, and first-place winners from each grade compete at the state level.   

Simeon Sturrup from fifth grade and Khloe Barrow from sixth grade are the school winners and will compete at the state competition at the end of March. To read the entire article, click 'read more' below.

Congratulations to Dr. Amanda West for being awarded a $500 classroom grant from Envision Credit Union! Dr. West plans to use the money to offset the cost of a 4-H Field Trip that her team will be attending in Dahlonega in May.

The TCMS Girls' Conditioning students recently practiced outstanding community service at the 14th Annual MLK 2-Mile Walk this past weekend. A special thank you to students, faculty, staff, and parents for supporting this amazing event.

Congratulations to Chloe Mancil for being named the 2024 Thomasville MLK Walk & Festival 1st Place Youth Female Winner!

Students in Ms. Boykins' eighth grade ELA class recently presented objective summaries on a Scholastic Scope non-fiction narrative of a 13-year-old girl who daringly climbed Mount Everest, one of the highest mountains in the world. Students were able to work together to discuss significant events in the story as they relate to obstacles and journeys in their own lives.

Congratulations to the following students for placing in the Garden Club Poetry Contest.  Emma Love placed first at the local and district levels, and A. J. Trammell placed second at the local and district levels.  Both students will compete at the state level later this month. 

Congratulations to those who made the 2023-24 GMEA District 2 Middle School Honor Band! Of the 14 middle schools participating this year, TCMS had the highest number of chairs in the district, earning 29 of the 87 chairs available, exactly 1/3 of the middle school honor band.

TCMS also claimed 8 of the 14 first-chair positions! The District Honor Band Clinic will take place February 9-10, 2024, at ABAC in Tifton, GA.

Two students in Mrs. Layne's eighth-grade math class recently won 1st place for our Congressional District, 1st place in the Rural Division, and 30th place in the State while competing in the Stock Market Game. The Congressional District had 89 teams compete and the state had 3,430 teams compete.
In this competition, each team was given an investment portfolio to manage $100,000. In ten weeks, Brody Ballenger and Elijah Singletary managed to increase their portfolio to $122,456.34. Because of their achievement, They won $400 and have been invited to attend an awards ceremony on May 9, 2024, at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Thomas County Middle School Science Fair was held on Wednesday, December 6, 2023, in the TCMS Media Center. Winners from the school fair will move on to compete in the Region Science Fair held at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) on February 16, 2024.

To see a full list of winners, click 'Read more' below.

TCMS students won many awards in The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Junior American Citizens annual competition.  There were seventy-eight winners from Thomas County Middle School for the Thomasville chapter.  Twenty-eight of those winners took first place and will advance to the state competition in January. 

To read the full article, click 'Read more' below.

Everyone is invited to our TCMS Band Concerts! For admission, please bring at least one canned food item to donate for our TCMS Salvation Army canned food drive! Go Jackets!

Eighth-grade students recently participated in an experiment to test hot air balloons based on their unit about heat and convection. The students designed, built, and tested their own balloons in groups with great success!

Make your plans to be at Mercedes-Benz in Atlanta on Tuesday, December 12 at 7:00 p.m. to watch our Yellow Jackets battle the Woodward Academy Eagles for the 6A State Championship! Click on the link below for the details. See you there!

State Championship Game Details

Each year, the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE) seeks out teachers in need of classroom materials or professional learning through grants. PAGE gives up to $100,000 to educators as individual grants of $500. Mrs. Katie Brewer, 5th Grade MERIT Social Studies teacher, applied for and received one of the grants to purchase Raised-Relief maps to help with her geography lessons throughout her Social Studies Units.

To read the entire article, click 'Read more' below.

Students learned so much while visiting Gentian Creek today! They were able to complete a botany scavenger hunt where they observed a golden orb silk spider and a yellow jacket. They also learned to identify poison ivy and learned about insects that live underneath tree stumps including worms, beetles, and centipedes.

Students learned about different types of birds that they would observe during their nature walk. They were then able to use a microscope to discover living things in pond water. What a fun day of learning!

Mrs. Lanatta’s fifth-grade science classes recently explored static electricity using a Van De Graaff generator through a hands-on learning lab.

Seventh-grade Foxtrot students recently embarked on a remarkable field trip to the Gulf Specimen Marine Lab. The purpose of the trip was to learn about marine life, ecosystem dynamics, and the importance of preserving our delicate coastal habitats. Students wasted no time exploring the diverse marine species found in our local waters, including seahorses, sea stars, and even a live octopus. The hands-on activities truly brought their learning to life. Students had the opportunity to touch and observe various organisms in touch tanks, feeling the smooth skin of stingrays, and the prickly exoskeleton of the hermit crabs.

It is our hope that this field trip sparked the interest of students to become future marine biologists, with a lifelong appreciation for the marine world, and inspired them to become stewards of our planet's natural treasures.

Five Thomas County Middle School (TCMS) students recently signed to be a part of the Realizing Educational Achievement Can Happen (REACH) Georgia program, a scholarship program designed to promote academic success and expand access to higher education. The TCMS students chosen to join REACH Georgia are Earnestine Brock, Zariah Clark, Ava Mares, Haylee Moore, and Malina Roberts.

To read the entire article, click 'Read more' below.

Students in Ms. Mercer and Ms. Ferrel's classes recently wanted to recognize workers in our school who often get overlooked. Students made treat bags for our bus drivers and bus aides, and passed them out to all the drivers on each bus.  Students told them thank you for the important work that they do!

Today the 5th and 6th grade FCA group met and played a Thanksgiving guessing game. The boys won by one point even though the girls led the whole game!

The group then read Luke 17:11-17 and talked about the Samaritan who thanked Jesus for healing him from leprosy. The group talked about how we should all be thankful for Jesus!

In life, it feels good when someone thanks you for doing a good job or helping out, and it makes you want to do more ~ be thankful today!

TCMS FCA is super thankful for our volunteers ~ we couldn't do it without you each week!

Students in Ms. Cook's fifth-grade social studies classes were able to interview Mr. Kevin Vonier in honor of Veterans day. Mr. Vonier served in the Marine Corps for 20 years. Thank you for your service!

Students in Ms. Cook's fifth-grade science classes became mad scientists on Halloween in order to learn about mixtures and solutions!

Eighth-grade Membean Masters celebrated with snow cones and other treats for their excellent work in their respective Content Literacy classes.

Pictured are December Company Membean Masters as they enjoy a little autumn air and their treats!

In observance of Veterans Day, 5th-grade Sigma team students interviewed Gulf War Veteran, Todd Butler, and currently serving U.S. Air Force Airman, Thomas Butler. Students also were able to watch a flag ceremony by a U.S. Air Force Honor Guard unit for veterans without families.

Students in Mr. Huntzinger's sixth-grade science classes recently built foot orthotics for cerebral palsy.

Students in Ms. Cook's science classes recently learned about different technology and structures that are built to prevent flooding. Students took notes and then tested their knowledge by building a city of their own.

Students used the game "Don't Flood the Fidgits" to create a city of their own and add items to prevent flooding in their city. Students then wrote about what they learned and what they could do differently to save their city. Students also compared how this activity relates to real life in the development of coastal cities.

Several of Mrs. Watson's 8th-grade students recently had the opportunity to experience and work at the high school football game on Friday, September 22, 2023. These students have been recording the middle school football games this season and were invited to experience filming at the high school level.

The students shadowed Mrs. Faucett's film crew at different camera positions including high camera, end zone, and sideline. Students also had the opportunity to learn about the video scoreboard at the Jackets' Nest.

Learning about canyons is just in textbooks and videos for some, but not for the students in the 5th Grade MERIT Bravo Company at Thomas County Middle School. This group of students recently had the opportunity to visit Providence Canyon in Lumpkin, Georgia. For many of the students and chaperones, this was the first time visiting this location, so it was a real treat.

To read the entire story, click 'read more' below.

Two TCMS students were recently chosen as a 2023 Plains Peanut Festival Postcard Contest winner. With thousands of entries from students across the state, Simeon Sturrup placed first in fifth-grade, and Lyra McLain placed first in sixth.

The yearly contest is open to students in grades K-12 throughout Georgia, with the theme this year being “Living a Legacy: Peanuts, Politics, and Peace.” Postcard designs and messages must include peanuts and either Plains, Georgia, or former President Carter. Students will be presented with the award certificates and medals on Saturday, September 23, 2023, at the annual Peanut Festival, held in Plains, GA.

Who says space is too far away? Not the students in Mrs. Brooks' Science classes at TCMS!

To read the entire article, click read more below:

Students in Ms. Cook's social studies classes were recently able to interview an entrepreneur to learn more about all of the details involved in starting and running a business. Mr. Cook began his recycling business in 2019 in Statesboro, GA.

Cook explained to students what it takes to become an entrepreneur and answered many questions posed by students. Students will use the information they learned from the interview for their Shark Tank project.

Most of Georgia's public school systems are accredited by Cognia, a nonprofit organization tasked with setting educational standards that prepare students for life after the classroom. Cognia will be conducting an accreditation review for the Thomas County School System during the school year. As part of the accreditation process, schools submit their educational environment to a rigorous process of analysis and evaluation. This parent survey will allow you to respond to questions about Cognia standards and how Thomas County includes families in the education of their students. Please complete this survey by September 22, 2023. If you have children in two or more schools, please take a moment to complete a survey for each school.

Click here to for more information and to take the survey!

Eighth-grade Charlie Company students recently enjoyed a great field trip to the Okefenokee Swamp! The students enjoyed a boat ride as well as a train ride through the swamp. The students have been learning about the Okefenokee Swamp in Mrs. Cloud's Georgia History class.

The Okefenokee Swamp is located in the same region that we live in, the Coastal Plain region. The Okefenokee Swamp is the largest freshwater swamp in North America, and students truly enjoyed their visit!

With the threat of severe weather from Hurricane Idalia, Thomas County Schools will be closed Wednesday, August 30. This decision was made after consulting with national, state and local emergency agencies. The safety of our students, teachers, and staff is very important to us. Please stay safe!

Seventh-graders in Mrs. Watson’s Broadcasting classes recently took their first steps into the TV studio. TCMS News is a student-produced show that is sent out to the whole school to view on a weekly basis. TCMS News shares school news ranging from sports, clubs, weather, and lunch. We are excited to get new faces on the air!

Mrs. Watson's eighth-grade classes are learning about stop-motion video making. Each group is required to create a 20-second video with their LEGO characters, including a story, and a storyboard to follow along with as it plays.

Thirty-one students from Thomas County Middle School completed the requirements for the Summer Reading Challenge.  These students were treated to a Dairy Queen blizzard party in the media center on Friday, August 18. To read the entire article, click 'read more' below.

On Thursday, August 17, Emily Reagan conducted the first radio interview of the year with Coach Potter. Emily is an eighth-grade student who has been working in the Broadcasting class for two years.

Reagan has been conducting radio interviews for a year and is a vital part of the Broadcasting class. She also helps with the filming crew for sports at TCMS. You can hear Emily and Coach Potter's interview on Friday night (08/18) before the live broadcast of the TCCHS Yellow Jacket Football game against Cairo.

Students in Mrs. Lanatta's 5th-grade science classes previewed the concept of plate tectonics with an orange peel lab. Students peeled an orange and then put it back together to simulate tectonic plates.

This past week, students in Miss Kines' SIGMA math classes have been practicing and reviewing volume using unit cubes and matching cards. Students had to work together to build prisms based on volume expressions and then match equations to rectangular prisms. The students had so much fun during this learning activity!

We are so excited about all that this new school year has to offer and look forward to seeing each of you at Open House!

If your 5th or 6th grader is interested in joining band, please email Mr. Majors at wmajors@tcjackets.net or Mr. Booth at rbooth@tcjackets.net with the student’s name, grade, and the instrument they are interested in playing.

Also, please stop by the band room during Open House to meet the directors! For more information and FAQs on the TCMS Band program, please check out our spark page at https://express.adobe.com/page/U3fHoxQIMHquX/

There's still time to complete the Summer Reading Challenge!

The TCCHS CTAE Department is in the process of reviewing a textbook for possible adoption for the 2023-2024 school year for the Animal Science pathways. 

The TCCHS and Bishop Hall Physical Education Department is in the process of reviewing a textbook for possible adoption for the 2023-2024 school year for the Health and Personal Fitness courses.

Samples of these texts will be on display in the main administration office at the Thomas County Schools Board of Education. Parents are invited to stop by during normal office hours (7:30-5:00) from July 10-13 to review these materials and leave any desired feedback

Please contact Robin Cartright, Curriculum Director, if you have any questions (rcartright@tcjackets.net or 229-584-9158).

The Thomas County Middle School Band Program recently received the 2023 GMEA Exemplary Performance Award (EPA), the highest honor awarded by the Georgia Music Educators Association. The award is presented annually to programs that achieve outstanding results in all areas of performance sponsored by GMEA.

“It’s truly an honor to receive the Exemplary Performance Award, and we are so very proud of our student musicians for an outstanding school year,” TCMS Band Director William Majors said. “This award represents the culmination of years of steady growth as well as incredible support from our entire school system, board of education, staff, parents and community.  We appreciate everything our stakeholders do to help us become a program of excellence!”

TCMS was outstanding in the areas of Large Group Performance Evaluation, Solo and Ensemble Performance Evaluation, All-State, and District Honor events.  The EPA committee also considers program/school population rates and performance results in other festivals and competitions. Additionally, the committee, consisting of highly qualified music educators from around the state, listens to recordings of eligible bands as part of the selection process.

Thomas County Middle School’s Future Problem Solver’s Club has received first place for the State of Georgia in the Community Problem Solving Competition for the second year in a row!

To read the entire article, click 'Read more' below.

Mrs. Butler's 5th-grade science classes recently used their knowledge of weathering, erosion, and deposition to find evidence of each on the school playground.

​Jack Hadley, of The Jack Hadley Black History Museum, along with Daniel Pittman who is moving into the position of Executive Director, and Sarah Byrne, Museum Educator, recently spoke to fifth-grade Upsilon Company students about early African American achievers from Thomasville. Mr. Hadley also shared various events that occurred throughout his life.  

To read the entire article, click 'Read More' below.

Congratulations to the following students who placed at the state level for the National Garden Club Poetry Contest representing The Garden Club of Georgia Camelia District.

5th Grade

Mariangelis Ortiz - 2nd Place

Abigail Griffis - 3rd Place

8th Grade

Sasha Smith - 1st Place

Sasha will move on to the Deep South National Garden Club Poetry Contest held later this month.

Thomas County School System officials have named Melissa O’Neal, third grade teacher at Cross Creek Elementary, as the District Teacher of the Year. O’Neal has worked for Thomas County Schools for 21 years.

Upon being named Teacher of the Year for the system, O’Neal said, “What an incredible honor! I am beyond thrilled and deeply grateful to be recognized as the Teacher of the Year for Thomas County. Teaching has been my true calling and passion in life, and I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives of my students every day. This award is not only a recognition of my passion for teaching, but also a celebration of the collective efforts of our entire educational community.”

O’Neal currently teaches 3rd grade, having previously taught pre-kindergarten, 1st grade, 4th grade and 3rd grade. She has taught various academic levels such as special education inclusion, ESOL, and gifted students.

Cross Creek Elementary School Principal Ashley Lane said that O'Neal is deeply committed to the field of education and to the noble profession of teaching.

Lane said, “Ms. O'Neal has a true heart for teaching.  She embraces the profession and dedicates her time and attention to the needs of her students.  She often states that her students are her heart.”

O’Neal said that from the moment she stepped into the classroom, she knew that teaching was her true passion.

Twenty-three Thomas County Middle School students placed first in the local Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Junior American Citizens annual competition and represented the school at the state competition in January.

This year’s topic is “The 200th Anniversary of the Santa Fe Trail: Moving the Stars and Stripes Westward.” Students were able to compete in the following categories: poster, stamp design, photo essay, banner, poem, short story, or community service.

To read the entire story, click 'read more below.

Fifth-grade Upsilon Team recently had a guest speaker, Roddy Nixon, from Warner Robins, GA.   Nixon served 20 years in the United States Air Force, and an additional 22 years in Civil Service working for Robins Air Force Base where he has served as a meteorologist throughout his career.  

To read the entire article, click 'read more' below.

Thomas County Middle School fifth-grade student Lyra McLain has been named the second place 5th-grade winner at the state level for the 2023 Georgia National Fair Bear essay contest.  

Please use the QR Code below to sign up for summer camps!

Thomas County Middle School band students recently participated in the South Georgia Region Honor Band Clinic which took place April 13 - 15, 2023, at Valdosta State University. Dr. Andrew Poor from South Forsyth Middle School was the guest clinician for the middle school honor band. The clinic culminated in a public concert performance in VSU’s Whitehead Auditorium on April 15.

A total of 615 middle school band students from GMEA Districts 2, 8, and 11 (South Georgia schools located south of Macon) competed for chairs in the Region Honor Band where there are 100 chairs available. In order to make RHB, students must pass the first round audition (consisting of scales, an etude, and sight-reading) with a minimum score. The second round audition consists of a lyrical etude and a quick study etude. Students are assigned chair placement based on the second-round audition. TCMS had a total of 9 students to make RHB, including two first chair placements. Thomas County Middle School was one of 25 middle schools from South Georgia represented in the Region Honor Band this year.

We are very proud of these students for representing TCMS in one of the most prestigious band events in the state of Georgia!

Seventeen Thomas County students participated in the Georgia State Science and Engineering Fair (GSEF) in Athens, GA on March 30 and April 1, 2023. To read the entire article, click 'Read More' below.

TCMS Parents:

We are in the process of creating our 2023-2024 School-Parent Compact. We need your input on ways parents can support student achievement at home in order to meet our school goals. If you have any suggestions to add or change, please include the changes below:

TCMS 23-24 Parent Compact Input

The TCMS Girls' Conditioning students recently had a fun-filled day with Coach Deborah Anderson with girl empowerment activities in honor of Women's History Month during the month of March. As part of this observance, mothers, grandmothers, teachers, and strong women influences in these students' lives came out to support these students and attend a class where students prepared a special program. 

Girl empowerment activities included:

*Partner Squats with Purple Balloons

*Leg Lifts with Purple Balloons

*Purple Balloon Pop Competition

Each activity had learning concepts about competition and teamwork to apply in real-life situations. Girls' Conditioning students had to work hard throughout the activities to keep their purple balloons inflated. The purple balloon symbolizes 'purpose.'

Students learned that one must be determined, focused, and strategic in protecting your purpose in life. They also learned to "bee your best" on purpose in class to protect their future; "bee positive" and don't deflate their purpose with negative thinking or actions; and to "bee bright, brave, & beautiful for life!"

Students in Mrs. Floyd's eighth-grade MERIT Georgia Studies class recently had the opportunity to see and hold an original 1996 Olympics torch. The torch belongs to Instructional Coach Debbie Lasseter's husband, Steve Lasseter.

Steve Lasseter was nominated and chosen as a community hero, and became one of the torchbearers as it passed through Thomasville on its way to Atlanta in the Summer of 1996. Lasseter was offered the opportunity to purchase the torch he carried. The torch relay through the United States was sponsored by one of the Olympics' largest sponsors, Georgia-based Coca-Cola. The students were wrapping up their unit on modern Georgia, which includes a standard on the impacts of the 1996 Olympics on the state.

Congratulations to the following students who are moving on to the State Social Studies Fair Competition to be held at North Cobb High School on April 22, 2023. These students were included in three of the sixteen projects that received Best in Show for 5th-12th grades in the regional competition held this past Saturday, allowing them to move on to compete in the state competition.

Kyndall Hughes for her project "How did technicolor change film and animation?"

Ben Bailey for his project "How did Louis Armstrong become a famous musician?"

Brennan West & Kassie White for their project "How did the Chernobyl nuclear power plant explosion impact the wildlife population?"

On March 17-18, 2023, the TCMS seventh and eighth-grade concert bands participated in the Tampa Bay Classic Music Festival. On St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, the students attended the Broadway musical, “Wicked” at the Straz Center for Performing Arts in downtown Tampa. Saturday morning, March 18, the bands performed in the Tampa Bay Classic Music Festival at the University of South Florida. Both bands earned straight superior ratings for stage performance. Afterward, the students enjoyed the afternoon at Busch Gardens Theme Park.

To read then entire article, click "read more" below.

On March 8 and 9, 2023, the GMEA Large Group Performance Evaluation was held at Cairo High School. The TCMS Eighth-Grade Concert Band, under the direction of William Majors, earned Superior ratings on both their stage performance and in sight-reading.

The TCMS Seventh-Grade Concert Band, under the direction of Ryan Booth, earned Excellent ratings on their stage performance and a Superior rating in sight-reading.

Congratulations to both of our concert bands! We wish them the best as they perform at the Tampa Bay Classic Music Festival in Tampa on Saturday, March 18, at the University of South Florida.

On March 2-4, 2023, Thomas County Middle School Tubist, Carter Weiss, participated in the GMEA All-State Band Clinic at the Classic Center in Athens.  Weiss was one of only 14 tuba players in the state to make one of the two Middle School All-State Bands. 

To read the entire article, click 'read more' below.

On February 10 and 11, band students from Thomas County Central High School and Thomas County Middle School traveled to ABAC in Tifton, Georgia, to participate in the District 2 Honor Band Clinic. Nearly 100 students participated from the Thomas County School District, and this prestigious group honors the best youth musicians the state offers.

TCCHS Band Director Joe Regina said that the high school is well represented at district honor band every year, but having so many students selected is quite an achievement.

"I'm so unbelievably grateful that Thomas County Schools supports the fine arts the way that it does, which is something that you just don't find in every school district,” Regina said. “Everyone from the superintendent to the principals and administrators, down to the faculty and our tremendous band staff district-wide are all a part of this great accomplishment." 

Phoenix Brock, a TCCHS freshman French horn player, enjoyed his experience at District Honor Band. 

“I got to meet new people, and the food was really good which is a big plus for me,” Brock said. “Also, I felt like I really learned from the music we played. I hope I can grow as a french horn player and a member of the TCCHS Band. Overall, I would love to do this again next year!" 

Congratulations to our 2023 TCMS Teacher of the Year, Megan Palmer, who teaches Family & Consumer Science! Thanks for all that you do for our school and your students!

Ben Huntzinger, sixth-grade science teacher, recently received the Georgia STEM Scholar Award from GYSTC. Huntzinger challenged students in his class to create a custom orthotic.  To take the challenge one step further and make the activity fun and engaging for the students, he challenged students to create an orthotic for disabled animals. Under Huntzinger's guidance, students in his class were able to create a prototype of a dog wheelchair.

Congratulations to the following students for placing first in the Social Studies Fair school competition:  Makayla Bass, Thomas Buwa and Royson Thompson, Chanara Dunbar, Abbie Love, Aiden Wright, Anna Catherine Duplantis, Yazmen Bumbrey, Kassie White and Brennan West, Ben Bailey, Holten Dennard, Kyndall Hughes, Sophie Rehberg and Adeline Finch, Addison Hubbard and Raylynn Fykes, Grayson Mills, and Evelyn Wright.

The Thomas County 4-H Program recently returned from Rock Eagle where students participated in a public speaking competition, the Southwest District Project Achievement! Seven Junior 4-H’ers (7th & 8th graders) competed in the competition, and the following students placed in the competition:

Anna Argo - 2nd Place Junior Horse

Jordan Wallace - 3rd Place Junior Horse

Lee Halle - 1st Place Junior Fruits, Nuts, and Vegetables

Evie Hart - 1st Place Junior Pizza

Dakota Law - 2nd Place - Junior Cat Care

Ziara McCoy - 2nd Place Junior Team Sports

Congratulations to the following school-level winners for placing in the Fair Bear Creative Writing Contest:
5th grade:
1st Place - Lyra McLain
2nd Place - Harlo Montana
3rd Place - Samiya Barnes

6th grade:
1st Place - Kolleen Barber
2nd Place - Jayla Smith
3rd Place - Zoie Anglin (not pictured)

First place winners will move on to the state competition in April! 

Thomas County seventh-grade student Mia Freeman survived many rounds of competition to win this year's spelling bee for the county schools.  To narrow down the competition, prior spelling bees were held at Cross Creek Elementary and Thomas County Middle School for students in fourth through eighth grades.

To read the entire article, click 'read more' below.

Attention parents of rising ninth-graders:

Mark your calendar for Thursday, February 23, 2023, at 6:00 PM for information about your student transitioning to TCCHS. Please see the flyer below for more information.

Thomas County Middle School’s Lego League team, the Electro Avengers, recently traveled to Columbus, Ga for the FLL Super Region Competition on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023. During this competition, the team placed first overall earning the coveted Champion’s Award! This first-place achievement means the team will move directly on to State Competition at Georgia Tech on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023.

Pictured below, the Electro Avengers pose with their Champion’s Award from left to right are Coach Samantha Sturrup, Charlie Thornhill, Zach King, Simeon Sturrup, Royson Thompson, Lyra McLain, Jayden Rodrigues, Raylynn Fykes, Kyndall Hughes, Wyatt Shifferd, Chavita Santoya and Coach William Hanna.

Congratulations to the following students who placed at the district level for the National Garden Club Poetry Contest. These students will compete at the state competition at the end of February:

5th Grade

Gavin Edenfield - 1st Place

Abigail Griffis - 2nd Place

Brett Smith - 3rd Place

8th Grade

Sasha Smith - 1st Place

Students on 8th-grade MERIT Team Zulu recently traveled to Andersonville to tour the National Prisoner of War Museum and the prison grounds. The students were led on a tour of the grounds by a park ranger who explained the location, intake of prisoners, and prison life. The field trip was a culminating activity for the Georgia Studies unit on the Civil War.

On January 7, 2023, middle school band students from around the state converged at Union Grove Middle School in McDonough, GA for the second round of GMEA Middle School All-State Band auditions.  Of the hundreds of tuba players who went through the rigorous audition process from around the state, only fourteen students, along with two alternate positions were chosen.  Thomas County Middle School’s Carter Weiss was selected as one of those making the 2023 GMEA Middle School All-State Band.  Hudson Wynn was selected as first alternate.

The GMEA All-State Band Clinic will take place at The Classic Center in Athens, GA, on March 2 - 4, 2023, with a special concert performance on Saturday, March 4, 2023.

Pictured left to right:  Carter Weiss (7th Chair Tuba, MS Band 1);  Hudson Wynn (First Alternate Tuba)

The Thomas County Board of Education held its first meeting of the new calendar year Tuesday night. After the invocation, outgoing chair Mark NeSmith declared the positions of chair and vice chair vacant and asked for nominations.

Board member Ken Harper made a motion that Leah Smith be elected chair and that Dan Stewart be elected vice chair. Chris Hayes seconded Harper’s motion.  NeSmith called for any additional nominations. There were no additional nominations, so Smith and Stewart were elected to their respective roles with no dissenting votes.

Smith has been a member of the board since 2018, and this is her first time serving as chair. Smith is a registered nurse at the Thomasville Eye Center. She and her husband, Ben, have two children in the school system.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue representing Thomas County’s students, parents, and taxpayers with my re-election,” Smith said. “As the chair, I’m excited for all of the wonderful things this year holds for our school system. Working alongside Dr. Williams, vice chair Dan Stewart, the other board members, and our staff to channel your voices, I look forward to witnessing Thomas County’s successes.”

An ONLINE registration portal will be active on January 30 and 31st. This live link will be available on this website and on social media for registration. If you need access to a computer, please call Hand-In-Hand at 229-225-3908 and ask for Trish Kearce who will schedule an appointment to assist you in registering your child.  All eligible students signed up for pre-k on January 30 and 31st will be guaranteed a slot. Out-of-district students will be accepted upon approval by the Board of Education.

A link will also be available during online registration to schedule your child’s screening appointment. 

Honors Assemblies for the first semester will be held on Friday, January 13, 2023, at the following times:

6th grade: 8:30 A.M.

7th grade: 10:00 A.M.

5th grade: 11:30 A.M.

8th grade: 1:40 P.M.

Students will be rewarded for A & A/B Honor Roll for the 1st and 2nd nine weeks. Invitations were sent home in report cards on Friday, January 6, 2023.

Fifth Graders in Ms. Beck and Mrs. Clapper's social studies classes have been learning about the Roaring 20’s. Students recently learned about the different candies made during that time period. As part of the lesson, students completed an Escape Room activity packed with lots of fun facts about ten different candies made and eaten during the 20's.  Upon "escape", each student received a goodie bag and a cup of grape Kool Aid!

The Thomas County School System recently held the official groundbreaking for a new 122,000 square foot multi-purpose building housed on the Thomas County Central High School campus. The new building, expected to be completed in 2024, will feature a state of the art band facility, new home for the JROTC program, new basketball locker rooms for both girls and boys varsity and junior varsity programs, a full gymnastics and cheerleading gymnasium, football locker rooms for the varsity and junior varsity teams, presentation room, health classrooms, modern weight room, and a full 120 yard indoor practice field for football, soccer, baseball, softball, and golf. The groundbreaking was held to kick off the beginning of Phase I which includes the addition of a new student parking lot which will allow room on the high school campus for the new facility. School board members, community members, and district and school administrative staff were present for the event. 

Congratulations to the students who qualified for the district contest in The Garden Club Youth Poetry Contest: Sasha Smith, Brett Smith, Gavin Edenfield, Abigail Griffis, Emma Smith, and Mariangelis Ortiz. Not pictured is Raphael Rios.

A big thank you to all of the students and teachers who donated to the can food drive. TCMS is one of the largest food donators to the Salvation Army with our can food drive each year, donating 5,705 cans to the Salvation Army of Thomasville this year.

The top donating homeroom was fifth-grade, Rena Crew's class. Her class donated 710 cans and will host the can drive trophy until next year and will also receive a pizza party and ice cream sandwiches after the break!

The following top homerooms from each grade level will receive ice cream sandwiches after the break:

5th Grade - Mrs. Crew’s Class with 710 cans

6th Grade - Mrs. Garbett’s Class with 364 cans

7th Grade - Ms. Reeves' Class with 284 cans

8th Grade - Mrs. Rogers’ Class with 434 cans

The top student donor in the school that received a $25 Walmart gift card is Ta’Nya White from Mrs. Roger’s Homeroom in 8th grade, donating 434 cans!

Great job everyone!

The Winter Break is December 19 - 30, 2022. There is a teacher workday/student holiday on Monday, January 2. We look forward to seeing students back on Tuesday, January 3!

Fifth grade students in Mrs. Butler's science classes recently used their knowledge of electricity to create electrical circuits where they tested conductors and insulators.

On Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022, four TCMS LEGO League teams competed at the regional competition in Albany, Georgia. One team, the Electro Avengers, placed first overall, taking home the highly coveted Champion's Award. After securing this win, the LEGO League team will move on to Super Regionals.

TCMS students won many awards in The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Junior American Citizens annual competition.  There were sixty-eight winners from Thomas County Middle School for the Thomasville chapter.  Twenty-five of those winners took first place and will advance to the state competition in January.

To read the entire article, click 'Read more' below.

The TCMS Girls' Conditioning students were recently rewarded with a field trip to Recoil Trampoline Park in Valdosta for practicing a strong work ethic during class. Students enjoyed jumping on the trampolines, wall climbing, playing laser tag, competing in dodgeball, playing air hoops, and maneuvering through a few obstacle course activities.

Girls' Conditioning students are learning how to value physical activity for health, enjoyment, challenge, self-expression, and social interaction. Most importantly, the girls are learning how to exhibit responsible personal and social behavior that respects themselves and others during physical activity; an essential component to the curriculum of Girls' Conditioning Class.

On Saturday, December 3, 2022, sixty students from TCMS attended the GMEA District/All-State Honor Band Audition at Shiver School in Grady County. Seventeen middle schools consisting of 202 students from around District 2 participated in the competition. Of the 90 positions offered in the District Honor Band, 33 were filled by TCMS students. Seven TCMS students were selected as first chair for their section and eight students made the minimum passing score to advance to round 2 of the All-State Band competition.

Congratulations to those who made District Honor Band, and to every student who made improvements while preparing for this event. The District Honor Band Clinic will take place on February 10-11, 2023, at ABAC in Tifton. The second round audition for All-State will take place at Union Grove Middle School in McDonough, GA on January 7, 2023.

Would you ever think that your old shoes could help the TCCHS and TCMS swim teams? Well, they can, and here’s how: our team is participating in a fundraiser where there is nothing to buy or sell; all we need is your support and your old shoes. We are looking for community members to help support us by agreeing to collect gently worn and/or new shoes in the next 4 weeks!

Here’s how you do it:
Start in your family’s closets and gather pairs of shoes that you’ve outgrown, are out of style, or are out of season. If you have 25 pairs, great! If not, ask your neighbors and/or co-workers to help donate, as well. If you can’t collect 25, then try for 15, 10, or 5.

Remember, every pair that you collect helps support our program as well as individuals in developing nations like Ghana, Haiti, and Cambodia.

Drop off the shoes at TCCHS or TCMS from November 28, 2022 - January 31, 2023. Contact Coach Lanatta at alanatta@tcjackets.net for more information.
#theJacketWay #tcchsswimming

"Are These Chips Too Delicious?" Students in Mrs. LaToya Crawford-Walker's Sixth Grade ELA Class recently read a StoryWorks article that told the truth about flavored snacks. The article provided facts and opinions about new flavors that are on the shelves in stores.

Students were surprised about the health risks that the new flavors present. In addition to reading the article, students designed their own chip bags and flavors. They also engaged in a chip taste-testing experiment. "Do You Know the Flavor?"

Make plans to attend our Social Media Awareness Night this Thursday!

Thomas County Middle School is sponsoring a Social Media Awareness Night on Thursday, November 17, at 6:00 p.m. in the TCMS Cafeteria 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.

Students in Mr. Woodfin's eighth-grade MERIT science classes at TCMS recently visited Plant Farley, a nuclear power plant that is part of Southern Energy, located in Columbia, Alabama.

The field trip was part of a unit of study on energy transformations and transfers in a system. Students learned about the way the power plant takes nuclear energy and converts it into electricity. This unit also includes discussion of nuclear fission, radiation, and the ongoing debate about nuclear energy in the US.

After a presentation by Energy Education Center staff, students completed a scavenger hunt while touring the exhibits on display. Scavenger hunt winners were Kimber Lane and Damon Silvia.

Ms. Butler's fifth-grade classes recently had fun using their knowledge of chemical and physical changes to determine which type of change they observed during science experiments.

Five Thomas County Middle School (TCMS) students recently signed to be a part of the Realizing Educational Achievement Can Happen (REACH) Georgia program, a needs-based scholarship designed to promote academic success and expand access to higher education. The TCMS students chosen to join REACH Georgia are Malazia Cheatem, Zyrian Clark, Jayden Jenkins, Gabriel McGuire, and Yaretzi Tolentino De Leon.

As a part of the program, students signed contracts to agree to meet attendance and behavior requirements, maintain a certain grade point average, participate in REACH Georgia-related activities, and meet weekly with a mentor. Their parents or guardians also signed contracts to support their student through their education.

Ms. James from Georgia Power recently shared how to create electrical circuits with Ms. Butler's 5th-grade class. Students practiced building series, simple, and parallel circuits.

Ms. Rachel Henderson's sixth-grade Social Studies classes recently engaged in a kinesthetic/visual activity that helped students understand the difference between parliamentary and presidential democracies. Students were able to visually see how the executive and legislative branches are set up differently in both governments.

TCMS students celebrated "Be The Voice" kickoff today. Be THE Voice is a student-led movement for Kindness, Compassion & Inclusion that shows students how to create a positive atmosphere, one "Voice" at a time!

Our Social Media Awareness Night has been rescheduled for Thursday, November 17, at 6:00 p.m. at the Thomas County Middle School Cafeteria. Please save the date for this important event!

The TCMS Girls' Basketball Team would like to thank our season sponsors. Businesses are advertising during the school year at both TCMS and TCCHS. 

If you are interested in advertising, please contact Amanda West at awest@tcjackets.net 

Tonight's event has been canceled, but will be rescheduled at a later date. We apologize for the inconvenience and look forward to holding a Social Media Awareness Night in the near future. We will advertise the new date when it is confirmed.

Thomas County School Nutrition Director Dr. Lauren Duplantis was recently appointed to serve on the 2022-2023 State School Nutrition Director’s Advisory Council. As a member of the Advisory Council, she will work with other directors, state staff, professional association and industry members to enhance the reach and effectiveness of school nutrition services across Georgia.

Duplantis was asked by State Director of School Nutrition Dr. Linette Dodson and will serve on the council for three years. The majority of the meetings are held virtually, but at least one meeting per year is held in person.

“It is an honor to be chosen to serve on the advisory council for the state, and I look forward to providing input that will not only improve the programs we provide locally, but that also enhances school nutrition services throughout Georgia,” Dr. Duplantis said. “Our mission is to provide quality meals and nutrition education opportunities for students that promote healthy children, ready to learn, and it is exciting to work alongside others in school nutrition who share this passion as well."

The current alignment of the council is with the RESA districts, having one local director from a district in each of the 16 different RESA districts.

State School Superintendent Richard Woods has appointed 16 new parents to serve on his 2022-2023 Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Council (PAC). Danniell Slocumb, a Thomas County Middle School representative on the Thomas County School District’s Parent Advisory Council, was chosen as one of the members.

Slocumb, who is one of only 31 parents serving on the State PAC, was nominated by the Thomas County School District at the beginning of this school year. New members are selected each year by representatives of the Georgia Department of Education based on the applicants’ responses to questions on engaging parents to ensure their children’s success at school and the local school superintendent’s recommendation. Slocumb will serve a two-year term on the council.

Slocumb is actively involved with the Thomas County School System and a supportive member of the community. Having a recently graduated senior and a current seventh grader, Slocumb is well aware of the academic and social supports families can benefit from. She has partnered with the different schools in the Thomas County school district since her first daughter started school 18 years ago.

“I think that being engaged in a constructive way at the school level is the only way to be able to have a voice so that the school has a chance to listen to an outside perspective and then take action accordingly,” Slocumb said.

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).

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.

Attention all TCMS Girls' Conditioning Students! The Thomasville Firefighter 911 Stair Climb Form (2-sided) is due to Coach Anderson by August 31st. Also, pay for Customized Pink Football Jersey on the school website (My Payments Plus), money order, or check written out to Thomas County Middle School. Thank you for a STRONG beginning to the first nine weeks! Go TCMS Lady Jackets!

TCMS Girls Conditioning Class Participation & T-Shirt Form

Thomasville Professional Firefighter 9-11 Stair Climb Registration

HERE’S HOW IT WORKS: Buy participating products and use the Box Tops app to scan your store receipt. The app identifies eligible products and the earnings are credited to your designated school online. Even if you’re shopping online or doing grocery pickup, you can still submit your digital or email receipt with the Box Tops app and earn. Twice a year, our school gets a check. Download the Box Tops app today!

Students in Mrs. LaToya Crawford-Walker's 6th grade ELA class recently had fun "serving" sentences to their classmates. Some students were servers and others were customers. The customers requested Similes, Dialogue, Alliteration, and more off of the menu. The server had to make sure the order was correct before returning to the kitchen.

Students in Ms. Jackson's eighth-grade ELA class completed a Google Slides presentation to share with their new classmates as a way to introduce themselves.

Students were asked to choose from a list of questions and topics they wanted to share with their new classmates about themselves. Each student was given the option to include pictures, music, and videos to enhance the presentation. Each slide needed to contain at least one paragraph of knowledge that their classmates did not already know about them.

All students shared their presentations within their small groups. Some students rose to the challenge of sharpening their public speaking skills by presenting to the entire class!

The Thomas County Board of Education has adopted a $65 million general fund budget for the current school year, and to partially fund this budget, approved a tentative rollback millage rate of 12.533 mills for tax year 2022.  The rollback rate is a 9% decrease from the 2021 millage rate of 13.804.

The proposed millage rate marks the tenth year in a row that the county board of education has reduced the school property tax rate. Thomas County School’s 2021 millage rate of 13.804 was the 25th lowest out of 180 school districts that can levy a tax, placing it in the bottom 14% of districts in the state.  The state average school property tax rate for 2021 was 15.88 mills.  Since school districts are in the process of adopting millage rates, comparison rates for 2022 are not yet available, but the school system’s proposed roll back rate is expected to move lower in the state ranking to at least the bottom 10% of the lowest property tax rates in the state.

Property values in the Thomas County School tax district increased 11.7% from 2021, but only 1.5% of the increase is in the form of real building growth. Over 10% of the property value increase was in the form of property reassessments, and by law, the school district is required to roll the millage rate back to yield the same amount of revenue that would have been collected had the reassessments not occurred.  By law, if a rollback is not adopted, the school system must declare a tax increase.  Approximately $11.7 million of local property tax revenue is included in the system’s 2022-2023 budget.

For the eighth time and fourth consecutive year in a row, the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts has recognized the Thomas County School System for Excellence in Financial Management and Reporting.

The Department of Audits created the award program to recognize those entities that are audited annually and go beyond standard financial business practices to be considered “the best of the best.” An award of distinction is presented to organizations that submit quality financial statements and supporting documentation in a timely manner, whose annual financial report is given an unmodified audit opinion and is free of any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses, and comply with all Transparency in Government requirements.

Thomas County School Superintendent Dr. Lisa Williams and Board Chair Mark NeSmith presented the award to Deputy Superintendent for Finance Joey Holland at the July board of education meeting. Upon receipt of the award, Holland gave credit to the staff members in the system’s finance department.

The TCMS Band Program held its annual Kickoff Camp for 7th & 8th grade band students from July 25 - 28, 2022. Approximately 100 students participated in the camp! The camp was staffed by college music students from area universities who provided instruction on each band instrument.

TCMS is a Title I school, which means federal funds are provided to TCMS to support at-risk learners. The TCMS Parent Involvement Coordinator, LaToya Williams, will be in the Media Center on August 4, 2022, from 5:00-6:00 P. M. and on August 5, 2022, from 10:00-11:00 A. M. Please stop by; she will be available to discuss how we spend these federal funds every year.

During the last few weeks of school, Flowers Bakery donated over twelve hundred powdered donuts to our fifth-grade students as part of an extra incentive reward for outstanding behavior during the 4th nine weeks. Students were super excited to be able to enjoy donuts while having an extended recess for exemplifying GREAT behavior!

Our fifth-grade teachers teamed up to support students in being: Respectful, Responsible, and Ready to Learn. Students were given tokens each time one of these characteristics was witnessed by adults on the hallway.

Each homeroom class saw a huge turnaround in students' behavior. The teachers are so proud of the students and wish them a safe and happy summer!

Thomas County Middle School seventh-graders Emma Reeves and Annalise Youngblood, along with their teacher Kendra Reeves, were named Grand Prize state winners of the “Heads Up, Stay Safe!” contest that speaks out against distracted driving.

The Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) joined with Scholastic, the global children’s education company, on a campaign to educate the next generation of drivers. Developed for middle school students across the state, the “Recognizing the Risk” initiative gives students, teachers, and parents resources to address distracted driving and walking.

The graduation ceremony will be livestreamed on Saturday, May 21, starting at 9:00 a.m. using the link below:

https://youtu.be/UsLSLY2_xqw

Honors Day 4th Nine Weeks 2022

Congratulations to Clayton Woodfin for receiving an Envision Credit Union classroom grant for $500! Mr. Woodfin plans to purchase additional podcast equipment to use in his classroom.

Congratulations to Addilynn Shealey who won 1st place in the annual Girls on the Run of South GA essay contest! Addi will receive Wild Adventures passes to celebrate her achievement, and she will also be featured on the GOTR website/YouTube Channel, reading her essay.

Students who met the 4th quarter reading requirements earned a special treat during lunch. Almost 700 students met this goal across all grade levels and Lexile scores showed great improvement. Great work students!

Parents of rising 9th grade students and any students new to TCCHS must complete a consent form in order for students to receive a Chromebook at the beginning of next school year. Click the link below to complete the form: https://forms.gle/9kamUSMEUzHuv1et8

Please contact Ms. Moore at 229-413-1722 with any questions.
#theJacketWay #firsTClass

Thomas County Middle School was recently named one of 300 schools from 44 states across the country to receive a $5000 grant through the Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries. This year, the Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries awarded $1.5 million in library grants. 

To read the full article, click 'read more' below.

December Company eighth-graders immersed themselves in "The Outsiders" novel by dressing up as a Greaser or Socs, rivals in the novel. Students designed wanted posters based on characters in the book as well as discussed themes and character stereotypes prevalent during the 1960's.

Students then completed a scavenger hunt that focused on music, political conflicts, and pop culture during the 1960's, the setting for "The Outsiders". Students were then able to watch the movie in order to compare/contrast the novel with the movie.

On May 7, 2022, first-year band students selected from band programs across Southwest Georgia participated in the GMEA Elementary Honor Band Clinic at Tift County High School in Tifton, GA. Thomas County Middle School had thirteen students participate in this annual event. Students rehearsed three to four selections of music for approximately six hours which culminated in a live concert for family and friends. These young students had a great performance and learned a great deal in a short amount of time.

Students in Mrs. Payne and Mrs. Thompson's classes wrapped up swimming lessons for the 2021-2022 school year with our swim ceremony at the Everett-Milton YMCA.

Mrs. Payne stated, "we are so thankful and appreciate Thomasville YMCA and Mr. Jack Howell for the opportunity our students have to take swim lessons. Many students learned how to swim and others gained more confidence in their swimming abilities."

Congratulations to Ella Barwick for recently winning the Thomas County Farm Bureau Bookmark Design Contest. Students in exploratory agriculture classes were asked to create an original bookmark with their interpretation of agriculture in Georgia and write a short paragraph about the importance of agriculture.

Entries were submitted to the local Farm Bureau office, and Ella's entry was selected as the county winner. Ella received a certificate and $25 for her accomplishment. Her design will now advance to the district and state-level competition.

TCMS students won many awards in The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Junior American Citizens annual competition. This year’s theme was  “The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.” 

To read the entire article, click "read more" below.

The FitnessGram assesses youth health-related fitness and delivers personalized reports to students and coaches. It serves as a student-centered assessment, reporting, and educational tool used to promote health, fitness, and activity in children. The following TCMS Girls' Conditioning Students obtained FIT-abulous status with completing 80+ Curl-ups (core strength), 50+ Pacer Runs (aerobic capacity), & 40+ Push-ups (arm/core strength)!

All female athletes and students setting personal fitness goals are encouraged to sign up for the TCMS Girls' Conditioning year-round Class (2022-23 School Term). We are on the Raceway to become faster and stronger! Hurry and sign up because space is limited!

On Saturday, April 16, 2022, several TCMS band students traveled to Ware County High School in Waycross, GA to participate in the GMEA Solo & Ensemble Festival. Students prepared various solos, duets, trios, quartets, quintets and other ensembles to perform live before a judge. Students were assessed on tone, technique, intonation, interpretation, and musical effect.

William Majors, TCMS Band Director stated, "Of the numerous solos and ensembles performed by our students, TCMS brought home 35 Superior ratings and 10 Excellent ratings. Overall, the process of preparing and performing music individually and in small groups is an especially enriching experience for our students. We are very proud of the hard work they put in as individuals to become better musicians."

To see a complete list of solo and ensemble results, please visit the link below:

2022 Solo & Ensemble Results

Attention Parents/Guardians of current 5th, 6th, and 7th graders -

Please take time to discuss exploratory options for next year with your student. Students will be signing up for exploratory classes at the beginning of next week (5/2)! The Google Slides link will give you information about each class offered: TCMS Exploratories

 Three Thomas County Middle School students were recently named winners in the Jackie Robinson Essay Contest. Rosa Hurtado placed second, and Lauren Davis and Adariana Barber placed third.  The students were encouraged to enter the essay competition by eighth-grade Georgia Studies teacher, Charla Floyd.    

Students are pictured below with Dr. Walden and their Georgia Studies teacher, Charla Floyd. To read the entire article, click 'read more' below.

The Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Power & Potential (GCAPP) has accepted Jayden Jones from Thomas County Middle School as one of its newest Youth Advisory Council members. GCAPP’s Youth Advisory Council is comprised of 77 young leaders throughout the state aspiring to advocate for change in their local community while providing first-hand knowledge on issues facing young people. Jaden was chosen from more than 130 applicants for this honor. Youth Advisory Council members serve as GCAPP ambassadors. Jayden is the Council’s youngest member and has exhibited extraordinary leadership skills and abilities. GCAPP is honored to have Jayden serve as a member of the Youth Advisory Council.

GCAPP is a statewide organization that works to improve the overall health and well-being of young people in Georgia. The organization’s programs center around youth empowerment, comprehensive sex ed, teen pregnancy prevention, parent engagement, and physical activity & nutrition.

Band students from Thomas County Middle School recently participated in the South Georgia Region Honor Band Clinic that took place April 7 - 9, 2022, at Valdosta State University. The clinic culminated in a public concert performance that took place in VSU's Whitehead Auditorium on April 9.

"The South Georgia Region Honor Band consists of students from schools hailing from GMEA Districts 2, 8, and 11. Basically, it includes all schools south of Macon, GA. Students compete in an extensive audition process in order to qualify for this honor band," stated William Majors, TCMS Band Director.

"We are very proud of these students for representing TCMS in one of the most prestigious band events in the state of Georgia."

The 74th Georgia Science & Engineering Fair took place March 31 - April 2, 2022, in Athens, Georgia. TCMS had great representation at the Georgia State Science Fair, and participants are to be commended for their excellent research.

A special congratulations to Payton West, Inspiring Excellence Award Winner, at the Georgia State Science Fair 2022!

Inspiring Excellence Inc. is a non-profit organization established in 1999 to encourage elementary and high school science fair participants and their teachers to continue their efforts in science. Inspiring Excellence, Inc. gives monetary awards that recognize exceptional enthusiasm, effort, and scientific curiosity. Inspiring Excellence was founded by a science fair winner.

Fifth-grade Thomas County Middle School MERIT students, Madison Holton and Raylynn Fykes, were recently named winners of the 2022 River of Words Environmental Art and Poetry Project. Holton was named a national finalist for her poem, The Creek, while Fykes won at the state level for her poem, Laying by the Ocean. Both girls were encouraged to write poems by their science teacher, Ashley Lanatta.

The River of Words Project (ROW) is a program designed to help students understand their sense of place by studying a watershed in their own environment, then expressing what they discover through poetry and art. The art and poetry can then be entered into a state-wide contest.

Georgia entries are judged by the Georgia Center for the Book and by the GA Environmental Protection Division.

Both girls will be recognized at the Georgia River of Words (ROW) Awards Ceremony that will be held on Sunday, May 1, 2022, at the DeKalb County Library in Decatur, Georgia.

The Thomas County School System is pleased to offer three camp sessions this summer for students interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics!  There is NO COST for these camps.  Click here for more information and the registration link.

Parents, it's that time of year when we begin our plan and compact revisions for the upcoming school year. We will be hosting a Zoom Parent Input Meeting for our School-Parent Compact. If you would like to participate please fill out the form and a Zoom link will be sent to you.

https://forms.gle/2zDYX12L1t1nxtBF6

With Milestones testing a little over a month away, parents can visit the following websites for more information about the test, or to allow your student to have extra practice using the online tools.  Students also have opportunities at school to practice using these online tools.

Milestones testing will be held at TCMS the week of April 25-29, 2022.

http://testing.gadoe.org

http://gaexperienceonline.com

The Thomas County School System is conducting a Parent Survey. We value your opinion and ask that you take the time to complete this survey. Please be assured that your responses to this survey will be anonymous.

The survey is open until April 1. Thank you for your time and valuable feedback!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ParentSurvey21-22

Spanish surveys available upon request.
Encuestas en español disponibles a pedido.

The Thomas County School System announced recent staff promotions and title changes following approval at the February regular board meeting.

Both Dr. Jim Rehberg and Lindsay Thompson are moving from Thomas County Central High School to the district office.

Rehberg is now serving as the Director of Facilities and Operations. Rehberg, who holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership, spent the previous 10 years as a district and school administrator at Thomas County Central High School where he was in charge of testing, academic recognition, and facilities. Prior to that, he worked as a media specialist serving the entire student body and faculty of TCCHS after teaching English literature and computer science.

"There is a direct correlation between a warm, welcoming, and secure atmosphere and student achievement,” Dr. Rehberg said. “The facilities at Thomas County Schools are among the best, and it is a privilege to work alongside the men and women responsible for ensuring our buildings remain a place where all students are safe and happy. We are always looking for ways to make what we have better. I look forward to facilitating the best environment possible for the students of Thomas County Schools."

Rehberg, a 1990 graduate of then Central High School, earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English at University of Georgia before completing his graduate work at Valdosta State University.
 

The spring book fair is here and will be open daily from 7:30 A.M. - 3:00 P.M. in the media center from March 14, 2022 - March 25, 2022!

If you would like to set up an eWallet for your student, please watch the video below for instructions:

https://players.brightcove.net/.../Eyj59PHs.../index.html...

Or shop online at: TCMS Online Book Fair

If you would like to volunteer, please contact our parent involvement coordinator, LaToya Williams, at latwilliams@tcjackets.net or media specialist, Kathie Craven, at kcraven@tcjackets.net.

The Thomas County Middle School Science Fair was held virtually this year. To see a list of all winners, click 'Read more' below.

Students in Mrs. Floyd's Georgia Studies classes recently participated in a Zoom program facilitated by the museum educator from Kennesaw State University Museum of History and Holocaust Education. This program highlighted the many contributions of Georgia during World War II. Following a brief overview of Georgia before World War II, the presentation focused on the unique wartime roles of different locations in the state. To understand how Georgia changed the course of World War II, students listened to and analyzed the stories of individuals who lived in Georgia during the war. Students were able to respond to the museum educator through the use of a Nearpod presentation and their Chromebooks. The program was part of the students' standards on Georgia's contributions to WWII.

Students from Thomas County Middle School have been working diligently throughout the school year to complete National History Day projects.  The theme for this year was "Debate & Diplomacy in History:  Successes, Failures, Consequences".  “National History Day is a year-long academic program focused on historical research, interpretation, and creative expression for 6th- to 12th-grade students. By participating in NHD, students become writers, filmmakers, web designers, playwrights, and artists as they create unique contemporary expressions of history,” explains the National History Day website (www.nhd.org).

Fifteen TCMS students won gold in region and will move on to the state competition in April. To read the entire article, click 'read more' below.

Congratulations to Sarah Rigdon for being named TCMS Teacher of the Year! Rigdon teaches fifth-grade math on Bravo Company. Thank you for all of your hard work and dedication to our students!

Mrs. Craven and Mr. Stanaland double-teamed in reading aloud to Mrs. Witcher's, Mrs. Melear's, and Mrs. Clapper's fifth-grade classes recently. Mrs. Craven shared a book about George Washington Carver, then Mr. Stanaland wrapped up the session by discussing farming and agriculture.  He also involved the students in discussing the main ideas discovered in the book.

Congratulations to our system-level Young Georgia Authors Winners:

Kaylee Bennefield - 5th grade

Mia Freeman - 6th grade

Jincy Kent - 8th grade

These students will now compete at the RESA level (regional) competition!

Congratulations to the TCMS 4-H’ers who placed recently at the 2022 Southwest District Project Achievement competition at Rock Eagle, as well as Ziara McCoy who was elected to serve as the Vice President of the Southwest District Junior Board of Directors for 2022-2023.  The 2022 Junior Horse Quiz Bowl Team recently traveled to Rock Eagle to compete in the Georgia State 4-H Horse Quiz Bowl Competition where the team placed first in the state.  To view a full list of winners, click 'read more' below.

The Thomas County Middle FFA chapter will celebrate National FFA Week, February 19-26, 2022. This National FFA Week embraces more than 93 years of FFA traditions while looking forward to the organization’s future. More than 735,000 members will participate in National FFA Week activities across the nation. These members have a passion for agriculture.

To read the entire article, click 'read more' below.

On February 11, and 12, 2022, band students from Thomas County Middle School traveled to ABAC in Tifton, Georgia to participate in the District 2 Middle School Honor Band Clinic. Of the ninety 7th and 8th grade students representing fourteen different middle schools across Southwest GA, fifty (more than half) were from Thomas County Middle School.

To read the entire article, click 'Read more' below.

December Company eighth-graders were rewarded for their "heart work" in academics and behavior on Valentine's Day. Students worked collaboratively with their PALS partner on the article of the week entitled "The History of Valentine's Day" from Newsela.

Students also completed a constructed response where they had to explain the significance of Valentine's Day by responding to the following: Why is the event described in the article taught in schools today? What are the lasting lessons that we can learn from studying this event? Students had to support their responses with evidence from the text.

Thomas County Middle School's Fast and the Furious Lego League team recently traveled to Atlanta for the Lego State Championship. The event was held at Georgia Tech on February 5th and included 18 other teams from around the state. By the end of the competition the TCMS team, led by Samantha Sturrup and Will Hanna, placed 12th overall.

This year, the Lego challenge asked students to enhance our quality of life with faster, safer, and more efficient delivery of goods around the globe. The team began meeting back in September and developed a 'Grab Pad' prototype, which enabled food delivery services to expand their radius of customers. In addition to the project, Lego students are also required to code and create a robot for Lego games. Overall, this 2022 season was a huge success for Fast and the Furious Foodies and they are already looking forward to next year!

As a part of PLTW (Project Lead the Way) Design and Modeling, students in Ms. Lewis’ sixth-grade science class worked in teams of four to create an AFO (Ankle Foot Orthosis) prototype. The instant design challenge required students to design, build, test, and modify an orthosis that stabilizes the ankle and foot. Students explored the steps of a design process and used a decision matrix to evaluate product prototypes.

Students in Mrs. Crawford-Walker's ELA 6th grade class shared the 'LOVE' of Figurative Language in Poetry. Students wrote love poems about people or things that they love. The students had to use a variety of figurative language in the pieces. As an assessment, students worked with partners to identify the elements of figurative language in each other's poetry.

Each year, Thomas County students in fourth, fifth, and sixth grade participate in the Georgia National Fair's Fair Bear Writing Competition.  Students compete at the school level, and first place winners from each grade compete at the state level.   

Addilynn Shealey from fifth grade and Terrance Bostick from sixth grade are the school winners and will compete at the state competition at the end of March.  State-level winners will be announced in April, 2022.

The links below will take you to the registration forms. The forms are not compatible on mobile phones, but computers will be available at HNH and the board office. Please call 229-225-3908 for more information.

Pre-K English Registration Form

Kindergarten English Registration Form

After you register, please click here to schedule the Pre-K & Kindergarten Screener.

de prekínder Formulario de

registro de jardín de infantes

La cita de evaluación de su hijo será el  22 de febrero de 2022. Llame Thais Woods al (229) 516-2080 entre las 10:00 am y las 3:30 pm para registrarse para la evaluación de su estudiante.

On Wednesday, January 19, 2022,  fifth-grade MERIT students at Thomas County Middle School had the opportunity to see a 1925 Model T Ford, thanks to the owner, Bob Curry.  Bob Curry, his son, Chris Curry, and grandson, fifth-grade MERIT student, Kai Curry, drove the Model T to the school that morning for the classes to view.

To read the entire article, click 'read more' below.

Congratulations to Clover Siddell for winning the Thomas County Schools District Spelling Bee, and Jayla Smith, first runner-up! Clover will represent Thomas County in the District 9 Spelling Bee held virtually in February.

Students in Ms. Marcinski's sixth-grade science class are off on another adventure! Titan Company students recently used a cross-curriculum approach for learning about the water cycle. Students first "became" water molecules as they simulated movement of water through the water cycle.

An ONLINE registration portal will be active on January 31 and February 1. This live link will be available on this website and on social media for registration. If you need access to a computer, please call Hand-In-Hand at 229-225-3908 and ask for Trish Kearce who will schedule an appointment to assist you in registering your child.  All eligible students signed up for pre-k on January 31 and February 1 will be guaranteed a slot. Out-of-district students will be accepted upon approval by the Board of Education.

A link will also be available during online registration to schedule your child’s screening appointment. 

Click here for more information.

TCMS students had the opportunity to engage in some fun standards-based STEM activities today. All of the necessary materials were provided for every student. Ms. Tammy Nowell from GYSTC provided synchronous instruction virtually to all students.

Five Thomas County Middle School (TCMS) students recently signed to be a part of the Realizing Educational Achievement Can Happen (REACH) Georgia program, a needs-based scholarship designed to promote academic success and expand access to higher education. The TCMS students chosen to join REACH Georgia are Brendy Becerra, Ni'Oriya Brown, Joleth Carreon, Mya Sherman, and Timaya Smith.

As a part of the program, students signed contracts to agree to meet attendance and behavior requirements, maintain a certain grade point average, participate in REACH Georgia-related activities, and meet weekly with a mentor. Parents and/or guardians also signed contracts to support each student throughout their education.

Health MPowers is offering a 6-week FREE online cooking class for families starting Tuesday, February 1st. Sign up now, limited spots are available. If you have any questions, email Brandee Zambrano at bzambrano@tcjackets.net

We’ll discuss:

• How your child can help in the kitchen

• Saving money on groceries

• Healthy, quick recipes and snack ideas

• Saving time in the kitchen

Please sign up using the following form:  Cooking Matters at Home Sign-Up Form

TCMS students won many awards in The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Junior American Citizens annual competition.  There were sixty-eight winners from Thomas County Middle School for the Thomasville chapter.  Twenty-five of those winners took first place and will advance to the state competition in January.

To read the entire article, click 'read more' below.

Congratulations to Jaclyn Maxwell for making the 2022 GMEA Middle School All-State Band on bass clarinet! This is a major accomplishment and huge honor. Jaclyn will join some of the finest musicians in the state of Georgia for the All-State Band Clinic which will take place at The Classic Center in Athens, Georgia on March 3 - 5, 2022.

To read the entire article, click 'Read More' below.

***Attention ALL 6th-8th Graders***

TCMS Track & Field Tryout Schedule:

Girls ONLY: January 24th & 25th (Mon. & Tues.) @ 3:30-5:30 p.m. (TCMS Gym) 

Boys ONLY: January 26th & 27th (Wed. & Thurs.) @ 3:30-5:30 p.m. (TCMS Gym)

***MANDATORY***: ***Please see Coach Russell in room 701 (7th Grade Hallway) to receive Track & Field Tryout Procedure Form/Physical Packet.***

***Completed Track & Field Tryout Procedure Form/ Updated Physical are Due by January 21st!***

Any Questions: See Coach Anderson (Girls’ Conditioning Room), Coach Wilson (7th Grade Hallway), or Coach Thomas (5th Grade Hallway)

A new year brings new beginnings for the Thomas County School System. During a called meeting this morning, the board approved the retirement of Mrs. Trista Jones, along with the recommendation of Mr. Jamie Thompson being named the new Thomas County Central High School principal and Mrs. Ashley Lane being named the new Cross Creek Elementary School principal.

Mrs. Jones has devoted 30 years of her life to our students and system. She will always be a cherished member of our Yellow Jacket family. We congratulate Mrs. Jones on her retirement and thank her for her many years of service to our system.

Congratulations also to Mr. Thompson and Mrs. Lane! They are both excellent leaders who will continue to help our system flourish and excel in their new positions.

Thomas County Middle School’s First Lego League teams recently competed at regionals in Albany, Georgia. The TCMS teams beat over 20 others to win a first-place trophy in Project Design, Robot, and an overall first-place title of the Champion's Award! This means Thomas County earned 3 of the 4 available trophies!

This year the LEGO challenge was to re-imagine our global transportation system and explore ways of improving how we access and deliver needed and desired goods; making all communities more connected. After securing these wins, Will Hanna and Samantha Sturrup's Lego teams will now move onto Super Regionals!

Students in Gail Trotter's fifth-grade class wrote letters of thanks to active military and first responders. These letters are being sent to Operation Gratitude, a nation-wide nonprofit providing Americans opportunities to honor our military, veterans, and first responders for their service.

A big thank you to all of the students and teachers who donated to the can food drive. TCMS is one of the largest food donators to the Salvation Army with our can food drive each year, donating 8,229 cans to the Salvation Army of Thomasville this year.

The top donating homeroom was sixth-grade, Stephanie Papka's class. Her class donated 1,344 cans and will host the can drive trophy until next year and will receive a pizza party! Great job everyone!

Justin Rogers was hired as the Thomas County Central head football coach Friday following the Thomas County Board of Education’s unanimous approval at a morning board meeting.

He will officially begin his duties as the Yellow Jackets’ head coach on January 3 according to Athletic Director Philip Duplantis.

“It is a privilege and honor to be able to serve as the head coach at Thomas County Central,” Rogers said. “I’m super excited to be a part of the Yellow Jacket family and feel passionately about continuing the tradition of excellence.”

Congratulations to the TCMS Wrestling Team for winning 1st place in Cairo on Saturday, December 11, 2021, at the Junior Syrupmaker Tournament!

On Thursday, December 9, 2021, seventy-five students were inducted into the Thomas County Middle School chapter of the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS). NJHS was established to recognize outstanding middle school students. More than just an honor roll, NJHS serves to honor those students who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of scholarship, service, leadership, character, and citizenship.

To read the entire article, click 'read more' below.

Congratulations to the TCMS National Junior Honor Society Inductees!

On Saturday, December 4, 2021, approximately 200 band students from fourteen middle schools around South Georgia auditioned for the GMEA District 2 Honor Band. Of the ninety students selected to comprise the 2022 Middle School Honor Band roster, fifty of those students were from Thomas County Middle School.

These students will travel to ABAC in Tifton on February 11, 2022, to participate in the GMEA District 2 Honor Band Clinic. Congratulations to all of these students!

TCMS MERIT students helped support children in our community this holiday season by ensuring that they would receive Christmas gifts this year. Students donated gifts to be given out on Saturday at the Coolidge Community Association's sponsored "Christmas in Coolidge."

Dana Studdard, TCMS MERIT Coordinator (on right) presented the gifts to Missy Johnson, secretary of the Coolidge Community Association, and David Carver, president of the Coolidge Community Association.

Congratulations to Ashley Bulloch for being named Outstanding 2021 Mentor Educator in Service and Leadership Fields by Valdosta State University! Read the entire article at Valdosta Daily Times.

Sixth and seventh-grade MERIT Spanish students recently participated in a Spanish Poetry Recitation Competition at East Coweta High School in Sharpsburg, GA. Students learned and performed a poem in Spanish before a panel of judges. Students were judged on pronunciation, interpretation of the text, smoothness of delivery, and textural accuracy. Students received two noteworthy scores, seven excellent scores, and eight superior scores!

Please see the letter below to parents and families from GA DOE Superintendent Woods:

TCMS Girls' Conditioning Classes will participate in the Downtown Thomasville Christmas Parade on December 6, 2021, @ 6:30 PM!

Skate World Field Trip to Tallahassee, Florida is scheduled for December 8, 2021, from 9 AM-1 PM!!!

***T-shirt Fees & Skate World Admission: Strongly Encouraged To Be Paid Before Thanksgiving Break!

Christmas Tee: $17   Field Trip: $20

***Please purchase the Christmas T-shirt/Field Trip Admission Ticket at the following TCMS website> https://www.thomas.k12.ga.us/2/Content2/mypaymentplus or send in a money order (no cash please)***

***Field Trip Permission Slips/Christmas T-shirt Forms were distributed to students on 11/11/21 and due back before participation.***

Please email Coach Deborah Anderson with any questions at danderson@tcjackets.net.

Coach Anderson stated, "Indeed, I want to encourage TCMS Girls' Conditioning students to have a strong work ethic and good character. We are embarking on an evolution of fitness geared up for girls! Bee Bright, Bee Brave, Bee Beautiful, & Bee YOU!”

TCMS Wrestling Team competed at the "Little Packer Classic" in Colquitt County on Saturday, November 6, 2021.  The following six wrestlers received medals from the tournament:

Jakin Ross: 1st place

Hogan Alday: 2nd place

Ryan Brown:  2nd place

Randel Patterson: 2nd place

Joseph Anderson: 3rd place

Ean Oneal: 3rd place

Eighth-grade MERIT science students recently built air-powered cars as they studied energy transfers and transformations. Using the engineering design process, students had to get the car to roll straight along a 25-foot track. The students were also introduced to the concepts of force, motion, and Newton's Laws of Motion.

TCMS Competition Cheer Team placed 2nd out of five teams competing at the Wildcat Cheerfest at Valdosta High School on Saturday, October 30, 2021!

Congratulations to Levi Williams, sixth-grade assistant principal, for receiving the Mike Campbell Emerging Leader Award at the GAMSP fall Conference!

Here are the first Membean Masters of the year in Mrs. Manard's classes! Membean is a program that students use several times each week to improve their vocabulary. In each class, Mrs. Manard selects a boy and a girl to be a Membean Master. Membean Masters must have 70% or better accuracy. Within the past month, these students had the highest accuracies of all students in their class. 

TCMS FFA is currently selling florist quality poinsettias in a variety of colors and sizes - perfect for the holiday season. You can pre-order now through October 28th. Poinsettias will be available for pick-up the week after Thanksgiving at the TCMS greenhouse. If interested, please complete the online order form.

You can submit payment through MyPaymentsPlus or bring cash/check to TCMS.

Please enter your order on the Online Order Form 

The TCMS 7th & 8th Grade Band performed with the TCCHS Yellow Jacket Marching Band during the pregame show for the TCCHS vs. Westover football game on Friday, October 8, 2021. The 220-member joint TCMS/TCCHS ensemble performed “Go Jackets,” “The Thomas County Fight Song,” “The Star-Spangled Banner,” “SportsCenter,” and “The Hey Song!”

The TCMS band performed with the high school band in the stands and even had the opportunity to cover the Fight Song by themselves after a touchdown, while the high school band warmed up for the halftime show. It was a great experience for our middle school band students!

Thomas County Middle School seventh grade EIP science and math teacher Melissa Artz has been nominated for the 2021-2022 national LifeChanger of the Year award. Sponsored by the National Life Group Foundation, LifeChanger of the Year recognizes and rewards the very best K-12 educators and school district employees across the United States who are making a difference in the lives of students by exemplifying excellence, positive influence, and leadership.

To read the entire article, click 'read more' below.

Lego League kicked off with a bang this week! Over 30 students signed up to participate in this year's club. These students will be broken up into 3 teams hosted by Mr. Hanna, Mrs. Giddens, and Mrs. Sturrup. This year's Lego challenge will be focused on transportation; exploring the technological advancements and global challenges that face humanity.

The TCMS Lady Jackets volleyball team won 2nd place in the 'Volley In The Swamp' tournament in Waycross, Ga. held on Saturday, October 2nd. This is the team's rookie season!

Eighth-grade students recently celebrated their success as Membean Masters with snow cones and other treats by successfully and consistently reaching their Membean Goals for the first nine weeks. This was a two-day event during Reading Class to accommodate Alpha, Charlie & December Companies' outstanding students. Membean is an innovative program that helps students build a robust vocabulary, which is an essential skill for both reading comprehension and effective writing.

Students in Thomas Harper's eighth-grade science class recently participated in a Zoom call with Mr. Harper's daughter and son-in-law, Melody and Robert McBride, who both work in the space industry in California.  Melody works for Varda Space Industries as the head of Human Resources, and discussed the many career opportunities available through Varda. Robert works in software at SpaceX, and is currently working on Starlink, a program that is launching satellites into space to provide Internet service globally, especially to rural areas.

To read the entire article, click 'read more' below.

Three Thomas County Middle School students were recently chosen as a 2021 Plains Peanut Festival Postcard Contest winner. With 1,986 entries from students across the state, Joshua Layne placed first in fifth-grade, Savannah Smith placed third in fifth-grade, and Keya Patel placed first in sixth-grade.  

The yearly contest is open to students in grades K-12 throughout Georgia, with the theme “History in a Nutshell: Plains, Peanuts, and a President.” Postcard designs and messages must include peanuts and either Plains, Georgia, or former President Carter. In the past, students were presented the award certificates and medals by former President Jimmy Carter at the annual Peanut Festival, held in Plains, GA.  However, due to COVID, students received award certificates and medals by mail, and a video is being created to be live-streamed to the schools announcing all winners.

The live-stream video will be used this year through Facebook live to announce all winners.  A specific date has not yet been determined.

Fifth-grade MERIT students in Ashley Lanatta's class recently investigated erosion and deposition using stream tables. Students observed the creation of meanders and deltas as the water eroded sediment to the mouth of the stream. The students will see first-hand the effects of erosion as they travel to Providence Canyon in a few weeks.

The Thomas County School System decided to "GO GOLD" in September which was Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Faculty, staff and students wore gold or yellow on Friday, September 3, to share awareness and show support for kids and families impacted by childhood cancer. Each school in the system also participated in Caps for CURE by paying one dollar to wear a hat on Friday. Thomas County Schools raised a total of $2,125.68. The money raised was donated to CURE Childhood Cancer. Sharon Johnson visited the school system recently to accept the check on behalf of CURE. 

The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) awarded the Thomas County School System $3,754,352 over four years to advance literacy efforts. During this second round of Literacy for Learning, Living, and Leading in Georgia (L4GA),  grants were awarded to 23 school districts totaling $22,101,554. 

Curriculum Director Robin Cartright “We are excited to again be awarded the L4GA grant as it allows us to provide literacy opportunities to our students and to our community. Through previous grant awards, we have implemented literacy initiatives and provided books and other texts that have led to stronger readers, and I have no doubt this will continue with the current grant award.”

Dr. Lisa Williams, Superintendent of Thomas County Schools stated, “I commend the extraordinary collaboration among our district and school level faculty in preparing the grant. It’s because of their exceptional teamwork that our system was awarded the L4GA literacy grant. The funds received from the grant will go a long way in helping our system to continue its focus on overall literacy improvement."

As a recipient of the Literacy for Learning, Living, and Leading in Georgia (L4GA) grant, Thomas County Schools will focus on creating plans for children from birth to 12th grade. Additionally, the school will partner with the community to support early literacy for all local children.

In July, the Thomas County School Board approved administrative personnel changes for the new school year upon the recommendation of Superintendent Dr. Lisa Williams.

Brecca Pope has been named Assistant Superintendent for Administrative Services. In her new role, she will continue to support the district with a primary focus on human resources.  

Pope has worked with the Thomas County School System since 1999.  She served in Thomas County as a Speech Language Pathologist at Cross Creek, as assistant principal at Hand-In-Hand Primary School, and as assistant principal at Cross Creek before joining the district office administrative team. Pope is currently working on her doctorate degree in educational leadership.

The Thomas County Board of Education has tentatively approved a rollback millage rate of 13.804 mills for 2021, a 2.4% reduction from the 2020 millage rate.

The proposed millage rate marks the ninth year in a row that the county board of education has reduced the school property tax rate. Thomas County School’s 2020 millage rate of 14.139 was the 34th lowest out of 180 school districts that can levy a tax, placing it in the bottom 19% of districts in the state.  The state average school property tax rate for 2020 was 16.14 mills.  Since school districts are in the process of adopting millage rates, comparison rates for 2021 are not yet available, but the school system’s proposed roll back rate is expected to once again be among the lowest property tax rates in the state.

The following students have been chosen as a 2021 Plains Peanut Festival Postcard Contest winner. With 1,986 entries from students across the state of Georgia, Thomas County Middle has three winners!

Thomas County Middle

1st Place /5th Grade-Joshua Lane

3rd Place /5th Grade- Savannah Smith

1st Place /6th Grade- Keya Patel

Students in Ms. Lewis’ sixth-grade class recently created models of comets (dirty snowballs), using dry ice, sand, coal, water, and common household materials. Each material modeled those from the early solar system. The hands-on experiment gave students an opportunity to construct explanations, draw conclusions, and make connections based on knowledge acquired about comets.

On Saturday, September 18, 2021, our seventh and eighth-grade band students attended an audition clinic at TCMS from 10 am - 2 pm. Music Education students from Florida State University were on hand to work with students on audition material for the GMEA District/All-State audition which will take place on December 4, 2021. The second audition clinic will take place on Saturday, November 6, 2021.

Students in Mrs. Lanatta's science class recently investigated weathering, erosion, and deposition by finding examples on the playground.

Students in Ms. Marcinski's sixth-grade science class recently blasted off into outer space with a hands-on science experiment.  Students learned that comets are known to scientists as "dirty snowballs." During this lab experiment, students created a model of a comet using dry ice, coal, and various soil particles to represent the basic foundation of a comet.  Students applied heat using their breath and the heat from the sun.  As a result, students were able to distinguish and illustrate the length and direction of a comet's tail in relation to the sun.

Hundreds of dollars were raised for Caps for a Cure on Friday, September 3, 2021, at TCMS. Students and staff wore gold and paid $1 to wear a hat to raise money and awareness for childhood cancer.

The 5th-grade chorus, under the direction of Justin Smith, treated different groups around school with a surprise performance!

Thirty-one students from Thomas County Middle School completed the requirements for the Summer Reading Challenge.  These students were treated to a Blizzard ice cream party in the media center on Friday, August 27.  One student, Griffin Browning, won the drawing for $50.00 to spend at the first book fair of the year.  To read the entire article, click 'read more' below.

Students in Mrs. Lanatta's fifth-grade science class recently investigated plate boundary movements using Oreo cookies.

Ms. Amelia Gallo from The Thomasville History Center recently visited Ms. Cook's fifth-grade class. Students were engaged in learning the voting amendments by reading the book One Vote, Two Votes, I Vote, You Vote. Then, students had the opportunity to become amendment judges to determine which voting amendment matched the scenario.

PINES Library Access for Youth (PLAY) is brought to you through a collaboration between the Thomas County School System, Georgia Library PINES, and the Thomas County Public Library System. 

Thomas County School System student ID numbers will now act as a library card number for your public library! The public library provides free access to books and online resources to help your child succeed in school, as well as fun resources that help develop a lifelong love of reading.

Click below for more information.

PLAY - PINES Library Access for Youth

Fifth and sixth graders interested in joining the band, please email Mr. Majors at wmajors@tcjackets.net or Mr. Booth at rbooth@tcjackets.net

Check out our spark page for more info:

TCMS Band Page

Welcome Back-to-School Letter from the Superintendent 

Back-to-School Information 

Football Acclimation practice for 7th and 8th grade starts on Monday, July 26, 2021, from 3:30-5:30 P.M. Drop off is at 2:50 P.M. Pick up is at 5:45 P.M.

There will be a parent meeting in the TCMS gym at 6:00 PM on Wednesday, July 28, 2021, and Thursday, July 29, 2021. You only need to attend one of the two dates. 

All participants must have paperwork completed.  For more information, please contact Coach Rigdon at mrigdon@tcjackets.net.

Dear Hand-in-Hand Parents and Guardians,

Please complete this form for transportation for your child for the upcoming school year.  Please call the school at 229-225-3908.

Transportation-Tag Form 2021-2022

The Thomas County School System wants students to READ this summer!  Did you know that students can have up to a 2-3 month loss in reading ability over the summer?  It's important for students to spend time sharpening their reading skills!

Each school has developed a summer reading challenge for students.  We would like for students to read for 15-30 minutes everyday this summer. The guidelines and requirements vary by school.  Please click the link below for more information about each school's guidelines and a list of eBook resources.  If you need more information, please talk to the media specialist at your school.  The guidelines are for the school the students will be attending in the 2022-2023 school year.

Summer Reading Challenge Website

The TCMS Track & Field team recently received awards and t-shirts for their outstanding season at a ceremony held on the last day of school.

The top-performing athletes received medallions for winning the 2021 Wakulla Conference in Florida earlier this year. TCMS Girls' Team earned a "3-Peat" status for winning conferences & home meets for the past 3 years (2019-2021)!

The School-Based Health Center, located at the Thomas County Middle School, has released the summer schedule. There are some days and weeks when the center is open, but not for sick visits. During those times, there will be no provider on site so only COVID tests and vaccines will be administered. Call 229-227-2936 for questions or appointments.

To view the MERIT Honors Day Program, please select the video for each grade level below:

5th Grade MERIT Honors Part 1

5th Grade MERIT Honors Part 2

6th Grade MERIT Honors 

7th Grade MERIT Honors

8th Grade MERIT Honors Part 1

8th Grade MERIT Honors Part 2 

To find out about all Thomas County Schools Summer Reading Challenge, please visit:  summerreading.tcjackets.net.

TCMS Spring Band Concert Program Link

TCMS students won many awards in The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Junior American Citizens annual competition.  There were forty-five winners from Thomas County Middle School for the Thomasville chapter.  Nineteen of those winners took first place and advanced to state competition in January. This year’s theme was  “The 400th Anniversary of the Mayflower:  Rise and Shine for New Opportunities in a New World.”  Students were able to compete in the following categories: poster, stamp design, photo essay, banner, poem, short story, or community service.

To read the entire article, click 'read more' below.

Two Thomas County Middle School students recently placed in the top three for their respective grade-level in the 2021 Georgia National Fair Bear essay contest.  Fifth-grader, Ava Mares, placed third in the state, and sixth-grader, Emma Reeves, finished in second! 

To read the entire article, click 'read more' below.

At the regular April meeting, the Thomas County Board of Education accepted Charles Evans' resignation as the District 3 Board representative. According to Evans, his resignation is due to health reasons that have made it difficult to continue in his role.

For his more than 14 years of service as a board member to the children of Thomas County, Evans was honored during the meeting with a certificate of appreciation and a personalized clock showing his years of service and support to the school system.

“Serving on the board has been one of the greatest experiences in my life,” Evans said. “It has been such a part of my life that I will miss tremendously."

Superintendent Dr. Lisa Williams said, “The school system is very appreciative of Mr. Evans for his more than 14 years of faithful, dedicated service as a board member to the children of Thomas County. We greatly appreciate all the many ways that he has helped support our students and system. He has served District 3 and the Thomas County community well and even though his time as a board member has ended, he will forever be a member of our Yellow Jacket family.”

The Board also approved the appointment of Ken Harper to fill the vacant District 3 board seat for the remainder of the current term.
 

Congratulations to Mack Beck, voted TCMS Digital Learning All-Star by his peers!!!

Current seventh-grade MERIT students read A Long Walk to Water in the fifth grade. Afterward, they organized a learning experience for TCMS as a "walk and learn." These students taught the other grade levels and members of the community about the lack of water in Sudan while raising money for a well. After two years (including setbacks because of the pandemic) the well was installed!

To read the entire article, click 'read more' below.

Three students from the sixth-grade MERIT team were recently nominated for their volunteer work in our community. Xavier Glenn, Andrew Robertson, and Peyton Cosby were each nominated for going above and beyond the twenty required hours of volunteer work required by the MERIT program. Students were gifted a superhero cape, coupons, and other prizes. Way to go!

Eighth-grade teacher, Amanda Jackson, recently gave the assignment to write a “Dear ____” poem to someone/something that inspires you.  Loralei Payson decided to write her poem to Disney about all of the inspiration, experiences, and memories that Disney provides.

To read the entire article, click ‘read more' below. 

Fifth and sixth-grade MERIT students at Thomas County Middle School were recently awarded a first place win for the state of Georgia as Future Problem Solvers.   The students were tasked with identifying a problem within the community, and finding a creative solution. This group of talented students recognized the challenges that substitute teachers have had providing instruction during this heavily technological year due to COVID-19.

To read the entire article, click 'read more' below.

Fifth-grade math teacher, Erin Colvin, introduced coordinate planes this week by playing a game of Battleship!

Congratulations to the eighty-two students inducted this week into the National Junior Honor Society.  This is the highest number of students ever inducted, and in the middle of a pandemic, we are thrilled with this academic excellence and student achievement!

The Thomas County School System recently held the spring Parent Advisory Council meeting. Superintendent Dr. Lisa Williams presented an overview of the systems’ plans for Federal CARES and funding and reviewed projects planned for successful E-SPLOST V funding. Assistive Technology Technician Alison Parker provided an update on the assistive technology resources and supports provided by the school system. Dr. Bob Dechman, Assistant Superintendent for Federal Programs and Accountability, presented the system’s policy on Family Engagement and asked participants to complete a survey to provide suggestions for plan revision. Each school principal reviewed progress on their School Improvement Plans to date and asked parents to complete a survey to make suggestions for next year’s plan.

We invite you to watch the recording of the meeting and provide your input as well. If you have questions or input, you may contact Dr. Bob Dechman by email bdechman@tcjackets.net or contact the parent involvement coordinator at your child’s school.

ZOOM Meeting Recording

You may also share your input by completing the following surveys:

District Family Engagement Policy: https://forms.gle/9cJp73gXCBqK4L8C6

School SIP survey: https://forms.gle/M6yXUwZSEZRVtLk96

The Thomas County Central High School Lady Jackets will be holding a softball camp June 1 - 3, 2021. The camp is open to children currently in grades 2 - 8. Campers will learn hitting, bunting, base-running, throwing, fielding, pitching, and catching fundamentals. The registration deadline is May 21. Click on the link below to access the form:

2021 Lady Jacket Softball Camp Form

Students in Miss Boykins' eighth-grade ELA class recently debated the topic “Should You Give Up Summer Vacation?” Students first read an article from Scholastic Scope Magazine about the pros and cons of year-round school. Students then had to complete the debate kit, write an argumentative piece citing evidence from the text, and present their perspectives in class.

Congratulations to TCMS sixth-grade student Anaya Patel for her entry into the 2021 Young Georgia Authors Writing Competition. Anaya's entry was entitled "Lonely but Not Alone."

Anaya placed first at the school level, again in the regional competition held at Southwest GA RESA, and will now move on to compete at the state level!

This is a reminder that Friday, March 26, is a teacher workday. There will be no school for students!

For more information, please visit the TCMS MERIT page.

As we continue to celebrate Music In Our Schools Month, we aim to FINISH STRONG! Therefore, we are having a March Madness event to help us select the overall winners from our Virtual Talent Show.

Round One began with the selection of the SWEET 16. These sixteen acts were selected based on the votes from the Virtual Talent Show.

During Round Two, students watched the same videos and voted again to determine our ELITE 8. The Elite 8 are Allie Lockman, Bryson Ross, Tayler Vann, Jaclyn Maxwell, Phoenix Brock, Kate Griffith, Ahmad Ponder, and the Trio (Amajai Williams, Jay Jones, and Malachi Thomas). Those 8 performances have been placed on YouTube.

MARCH MADNESS PAGE

Videos with the most views/likes by 12:00 p.m. Tuesday will move on to Round Three, THE FINAL 4!

The views/likes from THE FINAL FOUR will be counted until 12:00 p.m. on Thursday to determine our winners! GOOD LUCK to all of the participants!

Attention Parents:

It's that time of year where we begin our plan and compact revisions for the upcoming school year. We will be hosting a Zoom Parent Input Meeting for our School-Parent Compact. If you would like to participate, please fill out the form and a Zoom link will be sent to you.

Parent Form for Meeting Link

Mrs. Coffee's seventh-grade life science students recently completed a genetics virtual escape room. Mrs. Coffee was ecstatic that ALL students made it out of the escape room!

This is a brief video tutorial to help parents find study/resource guides and other resources for the GA Milestones.

Congratulations to the TCMS Blue and Gold Bands as they performed at GMEA Large Group Performance Evaluation on Wednesday, March 10, 2021, at Cairo High School. The TCMS Gold Band received straight superior ratings while the TCMS Blue Band received excellent comments for their stage performance.

The TCMS Blue and Gold Bands will present their LGPE selections in concert on Tuesday, March 16, 2021, at 6:30 P.M. at the TCCHS Ag Pavilion.

The TCMS Girls' Conditioning Students recently had a fun-filled day with Coach Deborah Anderson with girl empowerment activities in honor of Women's International Day on March 8, 2021.

Girl empowerment activities included:

*Partner Squats with Purple Balloons

*Leg Lifts with Purple Balloons

*Purple Balloon Pop Competition

Each activity had learning concepts about competition and teamwork to apply in real-life situations. Girls' Conditioning students had to work hard throughout the activities to keep their purple balloons inflated. The purple balloon symbolizes 'purpose.'

Students learned that one must be determined, focused, and strategic in protecting your purpose in life. They also learned to "bee your best" on purpose in class to protect your future; "bee positive" and don't deflate your purpose with negative thinking with actions; and to "bee bright, brave, & beautiful for life!"

Students in Mrs. LaToya Crawford-Walker’s sixth-grade class at TCMS got a taste of a higher degree of education recently when Kendrick Duncan and Vera Clark of Thomas University’s Pre-College Program visited the class via Zoom. Students were provided information about the program and had a chance to answer questions, as well as earn prizes throughout the presentation.

Students in Mrs. Manard's fifth-grade class were selected to be Membean Masters if they had 70% or better accuracy on their Membean over the last couple of weeks. Students do Membean several times a week in class to expand their knowledge of vocabulary words. Some of these students have been Membean Masters over and over again, as they are continuing to have the highest accuracy in their class. Awesome job!

Thomas County Middle School Track Team performed well at the Jesse Forbes Meet located in Tallahassee, Florida on February 26, 2021. The girls’ team placed 3rd and boys' placed 4th overall with 12 other schools in attendance.

Both teams dominated on March 9, 2021 at the Jackets' Nest, where they competed against Early County, Brooks County, and Grady County. The TCMS Boys’ Team scored 110 total points and the TCMS Girls’ Team scored 167 total points!

To see individual awards from both meets, click 'See more' below.

The TCMS Health/PE department is in the process of reviewing a textbook for possible adoption for the 2021-2022 school year for the grades 5-8 health courses. Samples of these materials are available for online viewing and review from March 9-16. Parents and stakeholders are invited to review these materials and leave any desired feedback.

Please contact Robin Cartright, Curriculum Director, if you have any questions (rcartright@tcjackets.net or 229-584-9158).

The TCMS Health/PE department is in the process of reviewing a textbook for possible adoption for the 2021-2022 school year for the grades 5-8 health courses. Samples of these materials are available for online viewing and review from March 9-16. Parents and stakeholders are invited to review these materials and leave any desired feedback.

Please contact Robin Cartright, Curriculum Director, if you have any questions (rcartright@tcjackets.net or 229-584-9158).

Mrs. Terrie Barnes' class was the winner of the 2020-2021 Salvation Army Can Food Drive! Students were treated to a yummy "snack attack" party consisting of chips and drinks. As an extra surprise and treat, a parent of one of Mrs. Barnes' students donated pizza for the class!

Students in Mrs. LaToya Walker’s class engaged in a science lesson in ELA. After reading, “The Volcano that Changed the World,” students created their own Mount Tambora! Students described the eruption by using vocabulary words learned in class.

It is that exciting time of year when we start looking forward to a new group of MERIT students at Thomas County Middle School. The MERIT program of study is designed for gifted and high-achieving middle and high school students who desire a challenging academic environment to prepare for competitive admission and scholarship opportunities at the post-secondary level. The MERIT program stresses academic excellence coupled with competition, athletics, fine arts, and community service.

Interested parties should do the following:

If you are a Cross Creek Elementary or Thomas County Middle School parent, please print out the application from the TCMS MERIT webpage, and return the completed document to your child's homeroom teacher.

If your child attends school in another system, please visit the TCMS MERIT webpage, print out the application, and email the completed form to Dana Studdard, TCMS MERIT Coordinator, at dstuddard@tcjackets.net

All MERIT applications are due by April 26, 2021. 

Students in Mrs. Manard's fifth-grade class recently made compliment jars to celebrate Valentine's Day. Students gave classmates a heart with a compliment on it, and then, they glued the compliments to their jars. Students also gave Mrs. Manard some compliments for her jar!

Two students in Mrs. Buechner's fifth-grade class have started a book club where students on Upsilon will read a book for fun, and discuss the book weekly during recess. Students are pictured below showing off the book "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever."

Students in Terrie Barnes' class recently had the opportunity to 'buddy read'. The classroom was abuzz with many stories as buddies helped friends with vocabulary words and listened to each other read. Students were given a vast selection of AR books to test on, as they could test on their library book and their buddies' books!

Students in Mrs. Manard's fifth-grade class were selected to be Membean Masters if they had 70% or better accuracy on their Membean (vocabulary) over the last couple of weeks. Students were rewarded by being able to sit in a disk chair during class. Great job!

Each year, Thomas County students in fourth, fifth, and sixth grade participate in the Georgia National Fair's Fair Bear Writing Competition.  Students compete at the school level, and first place winners from each grade compete at the state level.    

Ava Mares from fifth grade and Emma Reeves from sixth grade will compete at the state competition.  State-level winners will be announced in April, 2021. To read the entire article, click 'read more' below.

Please click below for information on our "Finish Strong" plan:
"Finish Strong" Video

Dear Parents and Guardians,

At its February meeting, the Thomas County Board of Education endorsed a series of proposals recommended by the curriculum department to support students and teachers through the second semester of the 2020-2021 school year.

The “Finish Strong” plan calls for the return of more students to in-person learning and aims to reduce the number of teachers who have to simultaneously teach both in-person and on-line classes. To provide time for teachers, counselors, and administrators to plan for these adjustments, three teacher work days have been added to the school calendar.

Students from Pam Lewis’ fifth grade Social Studies class at Thomas County Middle School recently learned about the extraordinary life of President Jimmy Carter. In honor of Presidents Day, and as an extension of learning about President Carter, Ms. Lewis afforded students the opportunity to participate in the 2021 Presidents’ Day Contest sponsored by the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site.

Lewis was informed on Friday afternoon that two of her students placed in the top three. Mackenize Kirkley was the first place 5th-grade level winner for her essay, and Eliza Gonzalez placed third in the essay category. 

To read the entire article, click 'Read more' below.

The Thomas County Middle School Among Us Lego League Team will compete on Friday, January 29, 2021, at the Georgia FIRST® LEGO® League Regional Tournament through Georgia Institute of Technology.

To read the entire article, click "Read more" below.

Jaleigh Hurst, fifth-grade student at Thomas County Middle School and member of Thomas County 4H, is no stranger to livestock shows.  Jaleigh has been showing steers and heifers for three years, attending between fifteen to twenty shows per year.  Jaleigh has competed in many shows in Georgia and Florida, and as far off as Oklahoma, many of which she finished in the top five and racked up several showmanship awards.

To read the entire article, click "Read more" below.

Eighth grade MERIT students at Thomas County Middle School recently participated in the Stock Market Game, an online simulation of the global capital markets that engages students grades 4-12 in the world of economics, investing, and personal finance.  This also helps prepare students for financially independent futures.

To read the entire article, click 'Read more' below.

Several Thomas County Middle School teachers and students recently partnered with the FSU E-Rebuild program to pilot an interactive game and design-based math learning program created by FSU professor, Dr. Fengfeng Ke, along with several graduate students.  Six TCMS teachers selected students to pilot the program.  The group of students and teachers met after school to “play” the game.

To read the entire article, click 'Read more' below.

An eighth grader at Thomas County Middle School survived 32 rounds of competition to win this year’s spelling bee for the county schools. To narrow down the competition, prior spelling bees were held at Cross Creek Elementary and Thomas County Middle School for students in fourth through eighth grades.

Charlie Emmett walked away a winner after defeating an eighth grade classmate from the middle school, Natalie Carlisle, who was runner up.

“It is exciting to watch our students participate in the system spelling bee each year,” Erin Rehberg, Digital Learning and Media Services Coordinator, said.  “This type of academic competition allows our students to put their literary knowledge to the test.  We are excited for our winner, Charlie Emmett, and look forward to seeing how he does at the next level.”

Emmett will compete in the Georgia Association of Educators (GAE) Region Spelling Bee on February 27 in Bainbridge.

The Thomas County Board of Education held its first meeting of the new calendar year Tuesday night. After the invocation, outgoing chair Charles Evans declared the positions of chair and vice chair vacant and asked for nominations.

Board member Nancy Hiers made a motion that Kay Streets be elected chair and that Mark NeSmith be elected vice chair. Leah Smith seconded Hiers’ motion.  Evans called for any additional nominations. There were no additional nominations, so Streets and NeSmith were elected to their respective roles with no dissenting votes.

Students in Mrs. Manard's class were selected to be Membean Masters if they had 70% or better accuracy on their Membean over the last couple of weeks. Students are rewarded by being able to sit in a disk chair during class. Keep up the good work!

TCMS students won many awards in The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Junior American Citizens annual competition.  There were forty-five winners from Thomas County Middle School for the Thomasville chapter. Nineteen of those winners took first place and will advance to state competition this month. This year’s theme was “The 400th Anniversary of the Mayflower:  Rise and Shine for New Opportunities in a New World.”  Students were able to compete in the following categories: poster, stamp design, photo essay, banner, poem, short story, or community service.

To see a full list of winners, click 'read more' below.

Congratulations to Isabela Gaspar for winning the Vocabulary.com Vocabulary Bowl Challenge. Isabela not only won $100, but she also received a special congratulations from Mr. Cupid, himself!

Vocabulary Congratulations from Mr. Cupid

Eighth-grade MERIT Georgia Studies students in Mrs. Floyd's class at Thomas County Middle School recently participated in the Escape from Andersonville escape room activity to supplement their instruction on the Civil War and Georgia's role in the war. Students were asked to take on the role of Union prisoners trying to escape from the infamous prison camp. They used primary sources, codes, and hidden clues to move from phase to phase of the escape. Finally, if they were successful, they would gain their freedom.

The escape room was designed by the Thomas County History Center. Programs and membership manager for the history center, Amelia Gallo, had visited the school last year to conduct the escape room activity in person. This year, due to COVID, Ms. Gallo and Mrs. Floyd worked together to create a completely digital version for the classroom and remote students. Students were able to review previously learned material and gain new insights into the complexities of the Civil War.

Students from Thomas County Middle School’s 8th-grade MERIT program recently participated with students from three other school systems across the state in the Bill of Rights Day Judicial Panel Discussion, hosted by The Judicial Council/Administrative Office of the Courts.  The virtual discussion, held via Zoom, allowed students the opportunity to ask judges on the panel questions related to the Bill of Rights, the role of judges, and the career path to becoming a judge.

To read the entire article, click 'Read more' below.

The holidays, and especially Christmas, can be really tough for military families who are deployed.  While technology like Facetime and Zoom has made communication easier and allows for video calling, there is nothing like being together for the holidays.  For sixth-grade Thomas County Middle School student, Jacen Haro, he not only got to have his mom home for Christmas, but for his birthday, as well.

To read the entire article, click 'Read more' below.

Thomas County Schools is pleased to announce that Joey Holland, SFO, Deputy Superintendent for Finance, has earned the Certified Administrator of School Finance and Operations® (SFO®) by the Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO). School business professionals who earn the SFO certification have proven that they have the required knowledge, expertise, and fiscal credibility to lead their school district and effectively manage the district’s finances.

“Even though I’m going into my twentieth year in school finance for Thomas County Schools, I wanted reassurance that I had the knowledge and professional competencies to lead the school district in not only finance, but other areas of school operations,” Holland said.  “I was also eager to find out if my finance and operations knowledge was on par with other school finance officials across the country.”

ASBO International’s SFO certification is an internationally recognized standardized assessment for school business officials.

The Thomas County Middle School Science Fair was held on December 9, 2020. More than 70 projects were entered by 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students. Winners will compete in the Region Science Fair at ABAC in February of next year. Click "More Information" for details.

The Thomasville Center for the Arts recently allowed Stacy Hayes' fifth-grade class to visit (virtually) with author, Carole Boston Weatherford, and her son/ illustrator, Jeffery. Weatherford spoke to students about how she decided to become an author, and specifically write about African Americans in history. Her son, Jeffrey, told of how he began drawing, and later teamed up with his mother to become an author/illustrator team.

Pictured below is the Zoom virtual visit in progress and students eagerly listening to the author/illustrator team.

Just a reminder:

Retake Picture Day is Thursday, December 10, 2020 from 7:30 -12:00 broken down into the following time slots:

Faculty and Staff: 7:30-8:00

Traditional Student Retake or New to Traditional: 8:00-8:45

Remote/Virtual Last Name A-G: 9:00-9:45

Remote/Virtual Last Name H-R: 10:00-10:45

Remote/Virtual Last Name S-Z: 11:00 - 11:45

The Thomas County School system recently held its annual Fall Parent Advisory Council meeting via zoom. Each school was represented by parents and stakeholders. The meeting is designed to inform stakeholders of system initiatives and request feedback on future planning. A link to the recording and follow up survey are posted below and on the Federal Programs page. If you have questions or input, you may contact Dr. Bob Dechman by email bdechman@tcjackets.net or contact the parent involvement coordinator at your child’s school.

Zoom link

Survey link

Cadence Curnalia recently received the recognition of Runner of the Week in the South of the Border cross country honors through MileSplit Georgia.  MileSplit Georgia recognizes the top middle school runners in the region.  Through this recognition, Cadence was also nominated for 2020 South of the Border Runner of the Year.  

Just in time for Christmas . . . TCMS is hosting its online book fair from November 30 - December 13, 2020! Due to COVID-19, we are unable to host an in-person book fair, so please support our online fair. Orders over $25 will ship directly to your home for free! The link to visit the fair is:

https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/.../cptoo.../homepage.do...

Students in Mrs. Lanatta's class recently participated in a lab during class that demonstrated chemical and physical changes, as well as showing the differences between mixtures and solutions. Students had a mixture of goodies and had to demonstrate how a physical change takes place. Students then had the opportunity to make pancakes to explain how a solution is made and taken apart. This demonstration also explains how chemical changes are taking place during the cooking process.

Thomas County Middle School seventh grade student, Jack Taylor, is making a name for himself through his woodworking.  Taylor’s love of the outdoors and learning to whittle sticks at a young age helped turn his hobby into a lucrative business.  

To read the entire article, click 'Read more' below.

Parents, join us for an Online Safety Workshop via Zoom with Erin Rehberg, Digital Learning & Media Services Coordinator, for Thomas County Schools.

We celebrated National Parent Involvement Day giving us the opportunity to recognize the many contributions parents and caregivers provide on a daily basis. We appreciate your continued support of our school system!

https://youtu.be/HiFMuwKMsLg

Please watch the following tribute to honor our veterans.  We thank you for your service so that we may enjoy our freedom!

Veterans Day Video

Kendra Reeves, Thomas County Middle Schools' seventh grade MERIT teacher, was recently awarded a $500 Envision Classroom Grant. Envision Credit Union donates more than $24,000 in grants every year to teachers to help implement projects that enhance student education. Ms. Reeves is planning to use the money to purchase bouncy bands for her classroom. Thank you, Envision, and congratulations, Ms. Reeves!

Students learning remotely or virtually will have the option to do a front lobby drive up, contactless picture on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020 at the following times:

8:00 - 9:00: A-F

9:00 - 10:00: G-K

10:00 - 11:00: L-R

11:00 - 12:00: S-V

12:00 - 1:00: W-Z

TCMS FFA is currently selling poinsettias through Friday, October 30th. There are a variety of sizes and colors. Use the Google form link below to order. You may then pay online using MyPaymentsPlus or bring a check or cash to TCMS.

Delivery is expected the week before Thanksgiving but is subject to change due to the supplier. You will be notified of the exact date of delivery, and all orders can be held for up to two weeks. Pick up will be at the TCMS greenhouse.

Poinsettia Order Form

Students and staff from Thomas County Middle School recently volunteered throughout Thomas County during Hands on Thomas County Day.

Parents please join us for our first APTT Parent Night. The meeting will be a Zoom meeting. Please fill out the form in order to receive the Zoom link. The dates and times are as follows:

5th grade- Monday, Oct. 26th- 5:30pm

6th grade- Tuesday, Oct. 27th- 5:30pm

7th grade- Wednesday, Oct. 28th- 5:30pm

8th grade- Thursday, Oct. 29th- 5:30pm

https://forms.gle/cnqAz21i25sYSpKF6

The Thomas County School System decided to "GO GOLD" during the last week of September which was Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Faculty, staff and students wore gold or yellow on Friday, September 25, to share awareness and show support for kids and families impacted by childhood cancer. 

Each school in the system also participated in Caps for CURE by paying one dollar to wear a hat on Friday. Thomas County Schools raised a total of $2,178.61. Each school showed their support by donating the following: Hand-In-Hand, $241.23; Garrison-Pilcher, $412.30; Cross Creek, $634.08; TCMS, $351; TCCHS, $500; and Bishop Hall, $40.

Superintendent Dr. Lisa Williams said, "I am very appreciative of the compassion that our students, staff, and parents have demonstrated in their support of Childhood Cancer Awareness and Research as shown through their actions and contributions. Together, we were able to make a difference for such a worthy cause." 

The money raised was donated to CURE Childhood Cancer. Sharon Johnson and Kathy Pipkin visited the school system recently to accept the check on behalf of CURE. 

“‘Caps for CURE’ was started by my family's friend, Sarah Barr, from Locust Grove," said Johnson. "Her idea to encourage students to raise awareness and funding for childhood cancer continues today.  Sarah fought Ewing’s sarcoma for seven years and passed away just before her 20th birthday. We appreciate the continuing support of ‘Caps for CURE.’”

The Rose City Foundation, associated with Envision Credit Union, recently donated money to Thomas County Schools to buy books for the elementary schools. The foundation donated $1 per student in grades Pre-K through fifth grade with the total being $2,794. Kellie Merck, left, Envision's Georgia Community Development Manager, recently presented the check to Thomas County Schools Superintendent Dr. Lisa Williams.   

TCMS will host our first APTT (Academic Parent/Teacher Team) night. Parents, please join us via Zoom to get a better understanding of Google Classroom, Parent Portal, and more!

Please see the following information concerning baseball tryouts:

Did you know that Thomas County Middle School is a Title I school? Watch the Title I informational video to find out what that means and how it benefits your student.

Annual Title I Parent Meeting/ Reunión anual de padres de Título I

From September 21 until October 2, FCCLA is selling popcorn! Follow this link to place your order: Popcornopolis

Funds raised will help defray costs of classroom activities and FCCLA leadership events. 

Visit the Thomas County Schools Remote Learning page for more information on remote learning. Scroll down for the 'Frequently Asked Questions' to find answers to commonly asked questions, such as 'How can I support my child as a remote learner?' or 'What is the Clever page?' There are also links on the right side of the page to fill out for meal order forms, back to school forms, etc.

If your child is a virtual learner, please visit The TCMS Virtual Flex page for more information and to find links to these forms, as well.

Parents can also sign up for the free webinar series entitled 'Remote Learning Basics for Parents' offered Monday, September 14, 2020 - Friday, September 18, 2020. This series is offered through EdTechTeam and features tutorials on several Google Apps.

Please see the attached schedule for TCMS Open House opportunities for 5th Grade & New Students, as well as supply pick-up times for Remote and Virtual Flex Learners.

For parents of TCMS remote and virtual flex students, please fill out the Chromebook Agreement form prior to checking out a Chromebook:  https://bit.ly/32SZwCn

For Virtual Open House for all returning students, please visit your homeroom teacher's webpage to find the welcome video: https://www.thomas.k12.ga.us/2/Content2/teacherwebsite

TCMS FFA is excited to begin the new school year! Some activities may look a little different, but FFA is still dedicated to developing “premier leadership, personal growth, and career success” for all students. Starting last year, FFA membership was included for every student enrolled in an agriculture class. That will continue this year for all agriculture students (traditional and virtual). If you are interested in joining the FFA but are not enrolled in agriculture this school year, please contact Ms. Davis.

Please click "Read More" below to learn more.

Please watch the following video to learn more about Thomas County Middle School's return to school options:

https://youtu.be/UDLtKOV1lg0 

https://secure.georgia4h.org/enrollment/register/?county=Thomas%20County

Due to the delay in the start of this school year, our 20-21 school calendar had to be revised. Please make note of the changes. Fall break has been eliminated, Thanksgiving break was shortened, and the end of the school year has been extended one week with the last day of school on Friday, May 28. We are looking forward to our students starting back to school on Tuesday, September 8, either traditionally, through our remote classrooms, or our virtual school option. We are greatly missing our students and are counting down the days until we are able to see them again soon. Please continue to monitor the system and school websites and social media pages for continued updates.

2020-2021 School Calendar

TCMS Cross Country will host an informational Zoom meeting this afternoon. The information to join is as follows:

Topic: TCMS Cross Country

Time: Aug 4, 2020 05:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://tcjackets-net.zoom.us/j/86868898123?pwd=eW1WR2RkTm5hNjBJdEZqT3JWRkNOZz09

Meeting ID: 868 6889 8123

Passcode: 355382

Dear Thomas County Schools Families,

After many recent discussions with the local and regional health departments regarding Thomas County's current COVID-19 data, along with Archbold's announcements of rising COVID-19 case numbers, and the Governor's announced recommendation for systems to reopen after Labor Day, the start date for pre-planning has been moved to August 17 with students scheduled to return on September 8. The changes in dates will cause some changes to our 20-21 school calendar, which will be shared once it has been revised.

The postponement of school reopening will allow further development of our remote learning plans, computing device deployment for our digital learners, teacher preparation, continued discussions with health and local officials, and to ensure that our families and employees are fully prepared to start school in a successful manner.

We realize that the delay may not be the ideal solution for everyone, but please know that we did not make this decision lightly. The health and wellbeing of all of our students, staff, and families are vitally important to us. We are all eager to get back to traditional learning in our schools because that is where the majority of our students and staff thrive.

Our remote classroom and virtual school options will continue to be available for families who are not ready to have their child return to traditional learning.

Open house dates will be communicated to families through their child's school.

Thank you for your continued patience and understanding as we work to provide the safest learning environment for our students and staff.

Please continue to monitor our district website and social media pages for system updates.

Please click 'Read more' below to view the TCMS Dress Code for the 2020-2021 school year.

Survey results are in, and parents' voices have been heard so now it's time to choose the best learning opportunity for your student! You will be choosing between the Traditional Option, the Remote Classroom Option or the Virtual School Option. Click below to access a flyer that contains more information and the necessary links such as the Superintendent's Letter, the Registration Form, and Frequently Asked Questions. Please complete the registration form by Friday, July 17.

Time to Make a Choice - Registration Form 

Please call our Buzz Helpline at 229-413-1234 for more information.

6/24/2020

Dear Thomas County Schools Families,

We only have a few weeks before school is scheduled to start back. I realize that this Back to School season is weighing heavily on your minds, as it is ours. Please rest assured that the leadership of our system has been working hard to stay current with agency guidelines related to the safe operation of schools. We are continuing to use the guidelines received from the Georgia Department of Education, Department of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to prepare for the reopening of our schools.  One of the most challenging aspects of this work is that the guidelines and restrictions continue to evolve. We greatly appreciate your patience and understanding during this time as we continue to plan for a safe re-entry for all students and staff.

We are planning for our schools to reopen for in-person instruction for our students as scheduled on August 3rd.

We hope that the majority of our families will feel safe returning to a fairly traditional school setting with health screening and enhanced hygiene measures in place. Thomas County Schools will be implementing additional measures to address COVID-19 concerns and to keep our students and staff as safe as possible within the school environment.

Click on READ MORE to see other options and access survey

The School-Based Health Center on the TCMS campus reopened June 1.  In light of COVID 19, and PCSG’s desire to keep our patients and staff safe, patient appointments will be limited to two per hour.  PSCG is working with the School’s Athletic Director and Archbold Medical Group in providing the community-wide sports physicals (dates to be determined).  If you are unable to make those dates, PCSG will provide sports physicals in the clinic for $10. 

The clinic will be open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday – Friday. In addition to offering in-clinic appointments, PCSG offers telehealth visits.   

To help maintain physical distancing rules, all appointments must be scheduled in advance.  To schedule your appointment, please call  229-227-2936.

For the safety of our patients and staff:

1.      Before entering the clinic everyone must be screened.
2.      Only one person may accompany a minor for a visit.
3.      All patients and accompanying adult must wear a mask.
4.      PCSG staff will be wearing a mask as well as other protective equipment.
5.      PCSG will limit the number of individuals in the clinic at any one time.   

Students and parents interested in cross country:

We will have a cross country ZOOM meeting for anyone interested in running next school year. We will meet on 6/4(Thursday) at 4 PM. Use the link below to join the meeting(password is 1234). We will provide information about our summer running program and answer questions about running next year. If anyone has any questions, please email Coach Whatley(awhatley@tcjackets.net) or Coach Wilson(awilson@tcjackets.net).

Topic: Cross Country Interest meeting

Time: Jun 4, 2020 04:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://tcjackets-net.zoom.us/j/87395974929?pwd=OVRaVDlqTkEzemRRUE9aVHJMeTlEZz09

Meeting ID: 873 9597 4929

Password: 1234

The Thomas County School System wants students to READ this summer!  Did you know that students can have up to a 2-3 month loss in reading ability over the summer?  It's important for students to spend time sharpening their reading skills!

Each school has developed a summer reading challenge for students.  We would like for students to read for 15-30 minutes everyday this summer. The guidelines and requirements vary by school.  Please click the link below for more information about each school's guidelines and a list of eBook resources.  If you need more information, please talk to the media specialist at your school.  The guidelines are for the school the students will be attending in the 2020-2021 school year.

Summer Reading Challenge Website

Thomas County Middle School fifth grade student Saathvik Ankarapu recently placed third in the state in robotics in the Georgia Student Technology Competition.  Ankarapu built a robot that can deliver warehouse packages using a color-coded system.  “First, I built the robot that only had a claw in the back.  Then I made it so that it could hold deliveries in the back and front,” Ankarapu said.  

To read the entire article, click 'Read more' below.

GARRISON-PILCHER

Chromebook Drop-Off
May 26 - 29 - Hall Road side of Cross Creek
Tuesday, May 26 -  9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday, May 27 - 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Thursday, May 28 - 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Friday, May 29 - 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Yearbook Pick-Up
Wednesday, May 13 – 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. on sidewalk outside PLC

*Teachers have already collected needed work packets & dispersed student belongings. Questions concerning packets should be discussed with teachers.

CROSS CREEK

Chromebook/Work Packet Collection
May 26 - May 29 – Clark Road side
Tuesday, May 26 -  9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday, May 27 - 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Thursday, May 28 - 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Friday, May 29 - 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

TCMS Chromebook Collection will take place at the following dates and times in the front lobby of TCMS:

Tuesday, May 26: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Wednesday, May 27: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Thursday, May 28: 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Friday, May 29: 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Items to return: Chromebook and charger. You may also return textbooks, library books, graphing calculators, and other items belonging to the school.

There will be four lines for return, divided by last name. Signs will be posted to determine where to enter the building. We will make every effort to follow social distancing guidelines.

Because we always want the very best for our students, Thomas County Schools has found a way to provide meals during the month of June. The new program will deliver meals to your doorstep for free. This program is called Emergency Meals-to-You, and students who attend Thomas County Schools are eligible to participate in the program. However, you must enroll your student in the Meals-to-You program in order to have meals shipped to your home during the month of June.

All you have to do is fill out and submit an online form.

Please hurry because the enrollment period ends at midnight on May 18.

Even if you enroll in the Emergency Meals-to-You program, please remember that our local meal distribution will still take place every Wednesday through May 27. 

Two TCMS students, Maston Whigham and Melia Saunders, recently received an honorable mention for their outstanding service learning and community involvement through Hands on Thomas County. Nominated by their teachers, both students go above and beyond to help their community. Maston works with Toys for Tots, and Melia works with her church and with the Builders Club. Congratulations to both of these students!

TCMS students won many awards in The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Junior American Citizens annual competition.  There were thirty-eight winners from Thomas County Middle School for the Thomasville chapter. Thirteen of those winners took first place and advanced to state competition in January. This year’s theme was  “The 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment--American Women Rise and Shine.”  Students were able to compete in the following categories: poster, stamp design, photo essay, banner, poem, short story, or community service. 

To read the entire article, click 'read more' below.

Thomas County Schools is distributing meals for the week and the weekend. Pick up breakfast and lunch for seven days! Distribution for meals is ONLY on Wednesday of this week. Students no longer have to be present. Visit TCMS from 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. or our various community locations from 11:00 - 12 noon. We are still here for you! Please call the Buzz Helpline at 229-413-1234 for questions or information.

​

SECOND HARVEST PROVIDING MEALS MONDAY & WEDNESDAY

Please don’t forget to stop by Hand-In-Hand tomorrow, Monday, April 6, from 3:00 - 6:00 p.m. to pick up meals. Students do NOT have to be present during the meal pick-up. We are very appreciative of Second Harvest’s willingness to help feed our families during spring break.

We will be distributing ready-to-eat meals ONLY on Tuesday & Thursday starting this week (Tuesday, March 31 & Thursday, April 2). NO meals will be distributed during spring break (week of April 6 - 10). Please visit our main location at the Thomas County Middle School during the limited times below. The time for community distribution sites will remain the same.

Meal Distribution Schedule Week of March 30 - April 3

For the week of March 23-27: Meal Boxes (10 meals) are available for distribution on MONDAY ONLY.  A snack and a meal provided by Second Harvest will be available on WEDNESDAY. Our meal distribution sites will remain the same.

Meal Updates:  This week we will only be able to provide the meal boxes containing 5 breakfasts and 5 lunches on Monday (3/23). Please plan to pick up a box with your child(ren) on Monday. We want to ensure that all of our students receive a box of food for the entire week. A snack and a meal provided by Second Harvest will be available on Wednesday. Our meal distribution sites will remain the same.  

See schedule below:

Monday & Wednesday
TCMS - 8:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.*
Bus deliveries - 11:00 a.m. - 12 noon
*On Wednesday while supplies last

Please continue to monitor the district’s web page and Facebook daily for important updates. We are here for our families. For assistance, call the Buzz Helpline at 229-413-1234. 

As a result of the school closures due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19), the Thomas County School System plans to distribute items needed to provide instruction to our students in a variety of formats. Chromebooks will be provided  for any student in grades 2-12 who needs a device to complete digital learning assignments. 

A distribution site will be located at each of our schools during the times below:  

Monday, March 16: 1:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, March 17: 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Parents and Guardians,

The Thomas County School System is working diligently to provide services to your children in order to minimize, as much as possible, disruptions in your child’s education due to the school system closure.

To help us better serve your child, we have developed a short on-line survey.

Please complete the survey at the following link as soon as possible: Thomas County Schools Closure Survey 
Spanish version of survey: Thomas County Schools Encuesta de Necesidades de Cierre

Please continue to check our website and/or Facebook page daily for updates regarding services that will be available to your child during the closure.

The Thomas County School System is in the initial phase of the system's strategic planning process. We value the input of our stakeholders and want to take into consideration the thoughts, ideas, wishes, and dreams of those who are invested in our system. Your input will help establish the system's goals and priorities, which will guide the system over the next five years. If you were unable to attend the Community Engagement Session on Thursday, February 20, to provide your input, please complete the short survey below by 11:45 p.m. on March 5. Thank you for your time, and we greatly appreciate your feedback. 

English survey:    https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CE20-Thomas

Spanish survey:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CE20-Thomas-Spanish

Those who need translation may email Emily Ross eross@tcjackets.net for assistance.

The Thomas County Health Department will host a DTaP and Meningitis clinic at TCMS on Tuesday, April 14th.  Both the DTaP and Meningitis vaccines are required for all students entering 7th grade in the fall of 2020.  Parental Consent Forms will be sent home soon and are due back on or before March 10th.  There is no out-of-pocket cost for receiving the vaccines and the Thomas County Health Department will bill any insurance accordingly. 

Thomas County Schools will be closed Thursday, February 6, due to the threat of high winds and inclement weather. The safety of our students, teachers, and staff is very important to us.

TCMS recently held a school-based health clinic "Be Healthy" ceiling tile contest where students painted ceiling tiles to be judged in hopes of earning a spot in the school-based health clinic.  The following students earned recognition and the honor of having their ceiling tile displayed.

1st Place: Nayeli Badillo, 8th grade

2nd Place: Kaylie Yawn, 8th Grade

3rd Place: Aniya Nixon, 6th Grade

Honorable Mention:

Skye Hopkins, 7th Grade

Heaven Richards, 7th Grade

Alana Brinson, 6th Grade

Each year, Thomas County students in fourth, fifth, and sixth grade participate in the Georgia National Fair's Fair Bear Writing Competition.  Students compete at the school level, and first place winners from each grade compete at the state level.

Morgan Cullison from fifth grade and Zach Williams from sixth grade will compete at the state competition.  State-level winners will be announced on April 15, 2020.  

To read the entire article, click 'Read more' below.

The Thomas County Middle School High Techs Lego League Team competed on Saturday, January 27, 2020 at the Columbus State Super-Regional at Columbus State University. The team won best overall (Champions Award) and highest robot performance out of 32 teams. The team is advancing to compete at the Georgia 2020 State Championship hosted by Georgia Tech on February 1st.

The theme this year is City Shapers, where teams have to address a problem with a building or public space in their community. The High Techs chose to address the lack of equipment and activities for people with special needs at our local parks. These students developed an outdoor sensory wall in collaboration with multiple local experts, and are exploring ways to implement their solution.

Students from Thomas County Middle School and Thomas County Central High School put their technological skills to the test and earned numerous medals and a special recognition in a variety of areas at a recent competition.

Fifteen students entered fourteen projects in the 3rd annual Southwest Georgia Technology Competition held January 25 in Bainbridge.  All Thomas County students were winners at the event and brought home 6 first place medals, 4 second place medals, and 4 third place medals.  

To read the entire article, click 'Read more' below.

The Thomas County School System is initiating a strategic planning process and invites you to participate! It is vital that we hear from our stakeholders on the future direction of the school district before the plan is developed.

When:  February 20, 2020, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Where:  Thomas County Central High School   

Who:  All Thomas County School System employees, parents, senior citizens, businessmen and women, civic leaders and residents. High school students are also encouraged to attend.

What:  A Community Engagement Session to gather input from parents, citizens, district employees and students. Everyone is invited: parents, all district employees, high school students and community members. No special experience or knowledge is required. We will present information on the district, the strategic planning process and then break into small groups for discussion.

NOTE: Sandwiches and beverages will be served at the event. Please RSVP using the link below to help us plan how much food to prepare.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CommunityEngagementEvent                                                              

On December 12-14, 2019, ten Thomas County Middle School students attended the University of Georgia Middle School Band Festival (Midfest) in Athens, GA. During their stay, these students rehearsed and performed with one of eight bands led by nationally recognized clinicians from around the country.

In addition to being selected to participate, each student auditioned for chair placement in each band. Of those who auditioned, Tyler Laidman was selected to be a member of the prestigious Midfest Honor Band conducted by UGA Associate Director of Bands, Dr. Jaclyn Hartenberger. Tyler represented one of the top four overall trombonists from Georgia, the Carolinas and Tennessee participating in the event. Tuba player, Ethan Mainprize, was selected as first chair in the band conducted by Luther Harris.

On December 7, 2019, students from Thomas County Middle School auditioned for the Georgia Music Educators Association District 2 Honor Band. Out of hundreds of middle school students in the district who auditioned, twenty-six TCMS musicians earned a seat. TCMS had the most students in the district to make the Middle School Honor Band. These students will participate in the GMEA District Honor Band Clinic at ABAC on February 7 & 8, 2020.

The Thomas County Sheriff's Department has blocked westbound traffic from US19 to the entrance of TCMS because of an accident at the intersection of US 19 and the bypass.

Your children are safe!

We are asking you to enter the school campus using the entrance located off of County Line Rd. Our 7th and 8th grade pick up procedures will remain the same. Our 5th & 6th grade will drive behind TCMS and between TCMS and the soccer fields to the roundabout in order to get to our normal pick up area. Keep in mind that Hand N Hand will use this route as well.

Thank you for your support!

TCMS 7th and 8th grade football players were recently honored by Coach Landing and his coaching staff. Coach Henderson welcomed rising 9th graders to "The Nest" and encouraged 6th and 7th grade players to continue to work hard.

Guest Speaker, Coach Lovejoy, spoke to the players about the importance of the three A's: Academics, Accountability, and Athleticism. All three are key components to the success as young men and players.

The Thomas County School System is offering an anxiety seminar entitled, "Beyond Survival: Helping Families Cope with Anxiety." The hour-long seminar will be held in the Thomas County School Board Auditorium on Tuesday, January 14, at 6:00 p.m. 

We hope that each of you had a wonderful break and enjoyed special time with friends and family. We look forward to our staff and students returning next week. As a reminder, Monday, January 6, is a teacher workday and a student holiday. Our students are scheduled to return on Tuesday, January 7. Happy New Year!

Eleven Thomas County students were announced winners of the statewide Fire Safety Contest. They were recognized at the 27th Annual Life, Fire, and Safety Awards luncheon sponsored by the Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner at the Monroe Conference Center in Forsyth, Georgia.

With 72 schools participating from all over the state, Thomas County Schools had four first place winners, three second place winners, and four third place winners. First place winners received a $50 cash prize, a variety of other prizes, and a visit from the fire safety house to his or her school.

Students from Hand-In-Hand Primary, Garrison-Pilcher, Cross Creek, and Thomas County Middle School brought home awards.   

This year’s poster theme was, “Not Every Hero Wears a Cape. Plan and Practice Your Escape.” The Poster Contest is open to grades K through 5 and must focus on fire prevention in the home and reflect the National Fire Protection Association theme.

The essay contest theme titled, “What I Want to Learn and Know About the Fire Safety House,” is broken down into two age groups. The Fire Safety Tips Calendar Contest is designed for grades K through 5, and each essay should consist of at least 75 words. Students in grades 6 through 12 must write an essay of at least 500 words.

The Thomas County Middle School Science Fair was held on Wednesday, December 11, 2019.  More than 70 projects were entered by 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade students. The overall Science Fair Winner was Spencer Webb.  Webb was also named the overall Engineering, Computers & Mathematics Category Winner; Brady Whatley was the Overall Life Science Category Winner; Ella Coffee was the Overall Physical Science Winner; and D'atra Lomax was the Earth and Environmental Sciences Overall Winner.  All students who placed in the fair will compete in the Region Science Fair at ABAC held in February.   

The third annual TCMS 8th grade MERIT Christmas Ornament Night was attended by teachers, students, and their families on December 5th in the school media center. Entertainment was provided by the TCMS band. After remarks from MERIT director Dana Studdard and teacher Nancy Rogers, students presented their puzzle piece ornaments that they designed to represent their unique contributions to the MERIT family.

To read the entire article, click 'Read more' below.

Fifth through eighth-grade students are getting in the holiday spirit by helping their community by participating in the annual Salvation Army Kettle Bell Ringing Campaign. Over 200 students have signed up for one hour shifts for two weeks during the month of December.

Students in Mrs.Floyd’s Georgia Studies classes recently participated in a Civil War escape room activity, facilitated by museum staff from the Thomasville History Center. Amelia Gallo and Tyler Kemarley visited the 8th grade MERIT program social studies class, bringing activities using primary sources that allowed students the opportunity to review and reinforce what they had been learning in their unit of study on the Civil War.

To read the entire article, click 'Read more' below.

It's National Computer Science Education Week, but in Thomas County, we are proud to have computer science as a part of our curriculum all year long! Cross Creek Elementary School was featured in this video from the Georgia Department of Education about Computational Thinking. Take time to watch this short video!
https://youtu.be/BAxW5vzREr8

The Thomas County Middle School High Techs Lego League Team competed on Saturday, December 7, 2019 at the Southwest Regional Competition hosted by Monroe High School in Albany Georgia. The team won best overall (Champions Award) and highest robot performance, coming away with two trophies. Twenty-two teams were present at the event, and split into two groups for competition.

The theme this year was City Shapers, where teams had to address a problem with a building or public space in their community. They chose to address the lack of equipment and activities for people with special needs at our local parks. These students developed an outdoor sensory wall in collaboration with multiple local experts, and are exploring ways to implement their solution.

On Saturday, December 7, 2019 the Thomas County Middle School Quiz Bowl team went undefeated and won first place by earning the most points at the PAGE regional quiz bowl competition held at TCMS.  Middle school teams from across South Georgia participated in this event.  

Questions were composed from topics in all academic areas as well as current events, sports, and entertainment.  The TCMS team qualified for the state competition that will be held on Saturday, February 8, 2020 at River Trail Middle School in Johns Creek, Georgia.   

Girls’ Conditioning classes recently performed various exercises throughout the Christmas parade.  These students were also rewarded with a field trip to Skate World and lunch at Golden Corral for practicing strong work ethics in class.

TCMS Lady Jackets are Bright, Brave, and Beautiful!!!

TCMS students won many awards in The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Junior American Citizens annual competition.  There were thirty-eight winners from Thomas County Middle School for the Thomasville chapter, with several of those students placing in multiple categories. Thirteen of those winners took first place and will advance to state competition in January. This year’s theme was “100th Anniversary of World War I - Service on the Homefront.”  Students were able to compete in the following categories: poster, stamp design, photo essay, banner, poem, short story, or community service.

To read the full article, click 'Read more' below.

Students from Gail Trotter's fifth-grade class recently wrote letters of thanks to active military and veterans for their service to our country. These letters will be sent to Operation Gratitude, who will distribute the student letters with care packages.

Jenna Coffee, seventh-grade science teacher at Thomas County Middle School was recently recognized for her work in coaching future teachers.  Each of Georgia's nine P-20 Regional Collaboratives selected one mentor teacher who, in addition to fulfilling his/her primary obligation as an educator, has also served as a mentor to the upcoming generation of Georgia teachers. These mentor teachers model, instruct, encourage, and invest in the development of future teachers, and others have noticed their extraordinary work.  

To read the full article, click 'Read more' below.

Thomas County Middle School held grade level Spelling BEES on Tuesday, November 19, 2019. First place winners for each grade level received a $50 Visa gift card.  First, second, and third place winners will advance to the Thomas County Schools Spelling BEE that will be held on Thursday, January 15, 2020.  

Pictured below seated from left to right:  5th grade 1st place Anaya Patel, 2nd place Myrakle Williams, 3rd place Georgia Myrick; 6th grade 1st place Eliza Herrin, 2nd place Christian Long, Clover Siddell.  Standing from left to right is 7th grade 1st place Jackson Nestale, 2nd place Alayna Houston, 3rd place Saralynn Fielder, 8th grade 1st place Owen Petrey, Britto Blankenship, 3rd place Megan Barnes.

Matt Casper, Digital Learning Specialist at TCMS, takes time out of his busy schedule to deliver a special lesson to fifth graders in the new Coding and Engineering exploratory class taught by Tammy Sharpe. Students have been working on self-selected projects like 3D modeling, robotics, graphic design, animation, and multimedia applications.

Pictured below from left to right is Andrew Robertson, Dylan Parker, Matt Casper, Donkerious Smith, Hayden Johnson, and Kyle Davis as Casper uses a 3D design project, created by Hayden Johnson using a TinkerCad plan of a dragon, to show students firsthand how a digital design becomes a 3D object.

Five Thomas County Middle School (TCMS) students recently signed to be a part of the Realizing Educational Achievement Can Happen (REACH) Georgia program, a needs-based scholarship designed to promote academic success and expand access to higher education. The TCMS students chosen to join REACH Georgia are Jesus Altamirano, Mariyha Davis, Jenyla Johnson, Malachi Thomas, and Nicholas Whigham.

As a part of the program, students signed contracts to agree to meet attendance and behavior requirements, maintain a certain grade point average, participate in REACH Georgia related activities, and meet weekly with a mentor. Their parents or guardians also signed contracts to support their student through their education.

Congratulations to TCMS Assistant Principal, Todd Creech, for recently being awarded The Hal Beaver Georgia Outstanding Assistant Principal Award by The Georgia Association of Middle School Principals! A special thanks for all of your hard work in helping to ensure student success at TCMS!

TCMS MERIT students recently completed several jobs for Hands On Thomas County. Though the original date was cancelled due to weather concerns, students, teachers, parents and community members worked together to complete the tasks. Over 230 volunteers represented the MERIT program throughout the volunteer efforts. Volunteers worked at the Pollinator Garden while learning more about invasive insects and plants while others cleaned the running trails behind TCMS, worked in the media center to organize materials, and spread pine straw on both TCMS and HNH campuses.

Other groups worked at the Cassidy Road Pond and with Second Harvest. A favorite task was creating holiday cards for troops stationed around the world in conjunction with the local chapter of the Red Cross. We appreciate each and every volunteer who helped make this event successful. 

The Thomas County School System's BEE Partners of the Quarter were recognized for the first nine weeks. These businesses and industries support the school system in so many ways, and their support is very appreciated.
Hand-In-Hand -Dawson Street Baptist Church WMU
Garrison-Pilcher - Barnett's Creek Baptist Church
Cross Creek - Dog World
Thomas County Middle School - McDonalds
Thomas County Central High School - Thomasville Dental Center (Dr. Sanders)
Bishop Hall - Donathan Photography
If a business or industry is interested in partnering with Thomas County Schools, please contact Erin Rehberg for more information. See pictures of our Partners of the Quarter by clicking the link below.

Thomas County Middle School fifth grade students recently participated in an in-class field trip facilitated by Georgia Power. Students were able to explore electricity, conductors, and insulators with Ms. Denise James from Georgia Power, and completed many hands-on activities that helped students understand how electricity flows through a circuit.

Envision Credit Union recently awarded Amanda West, sixth-grade teacher at Thomas County Middle School, with a $500 classroom grant.  West was awarded the grant based on community impact. West is in charge of organizing service learning for TCMS MERIT students and coordinates activities where students are able to access volunteer opportunities within our community.  The award was actually given while West was volunteering through Hands on Thomas County and Second Harvest. 

West plans to use the money from the grant to help deter the cost of field trips as well as to obtain literacy resources, including novels and primary sources, for students to use in the classroom.  

Pictured below is Mandy West, photographed and awarded at Second Harvest, as she worked with a group of students to help stock and organize the food bank.

Seventh-grade students at TCMS recently took a real live Magic School Bus trip into the digestive system through Google Expeditions on VR goggles.  Students in Mrs. Coffee, Ms. Holder, and Mrs. Coppola's classes were able to explore the digestive system and learn the path that food travels from the time that it enters until it leaves the body.

Fifth through eighth-grade students in Kathy Payne and Kamie Thompson's classes recently helped with Hand-In-Hand's Healthy Habits Day. These students ran a water station and assisted at other stations throughout the Healthy Habits event.

The middle school students were able to interact with the primary students, as well as provide them with water on their break. It was a great experience for these students as many would like to work with small children one day.

TCMS students selected to be a part of the FCCLA Leadership Council recently participated in a training day at Camp Crosspoint in Pelham, GA. Students completed team-building exercises and learned how important it is to work together to achieve goals.

TCMS Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) members recently worked with teachers' children to create ghoulish creations that would make the Great Pumpkin jealous! Middle school students worked with children from 2 years to 4th grade, painting pumpkins and enjoying activities in the Family & Consumer Science classroom.

Hand-In-Hand Primary School is competing for a $2000 Envision grant that will allow the school to further develop their "Beecoming Your Best" program through social and emotional learning. The school made it to the top nine, and we want them to be in the top 3! See details below about voting.

How to Vote:
Share with your family, friends, and coworkers and encourage them to cast their vote. Come back and vote once per day. Voting ends November 11! To vote, visit the link below. Simply click on the video frame or the circular button in the top left corner of the video to select your choice, enter your email at the bottom of the page, then click the "Vote" button.

www.EnvisionCU.com/VOTE   

Students in Nancy Rogers' eighth-grade MERIT class at Thomas County Middle School created masks using color symbolism to describe themselves. Students first selected words that described themselves and then used colors associated with those words to construct a mask to reveal their "true self."

Students in Mrs. Lanatta's 5th Grade Merit Class recently participated in an investigation to identify the Monster Muck and help them understand more about the unit on matter.

Monday, Oct. 21st - Team up Against Drugs (Wear your Favorite Team Colors)
Tuesday, Oct. 22nd - Let's Outsmart Drugs (Dress Nerdy)
Wednesday, Oct. 23rd - Wear Red Day
Thursday, Oct. 24th - Too Bright for Drugs (Wear Neon or Bright Colors)
Friday, Oct. 25th - Too Spirited to do Drugs (Wear Blue & Gold)

Thirty-one seventh-grade students from TCMS were recently selected to take the PSAT on October 17, 2019, an increase in the number of eligible students from last year by 19%. All students chosen to take the assessment scored at or above the 95th percentile on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) taken during their sixth-grade school year. The students are also eligible to take the ACT and/or the SAT as well as to have the opportunity to participate in the Duke TIP Program. Duke TIP is offered as a club at TCMS and is sponsored by Retha Lee and Kendra Reeves, seventh-grade MERIT teachers.

TCMS seventh-grade students recently went on field trip to the Thomasville Center for Arts where they were able to view a live theater opera with music and dance. After the show, Foxtrot students learned to play string instruments taught by Dr. Boyan Bonev.

TCMS Girls Cross Country finished first place at the Baconton Invitation Cross Country Meet out of 13 teams, while the boys claimed 4th!  Cadence Curnalia finished 1st overall and Paige Parkerson was 2nd overall for the girls. Robert Lindquist finished 2nd overall for the boys. 

The seventh-grade football team came back with 32 points in the second half to defeat Bainbridge Middle School 44-40 in the championship game held on Wednesday afternoon, October 2, 2019 at TCMS football stadium. This win gives the Jackets a perfect, undefeated 10-0 season and the championship title ~ Go Jackets!

Seventh-grade students in Mrs. Coppola's class recently enrolled in Project Lead The Way (PLTW).  Through the coding software, students are learning to create algorithms and flow charts in order to code a blinking message on a microbit using makecode software.

Students in Ms. Marcinski's sixth-grade science class are gearing up to blast off by creating comets! Students were recently given the challenge of creating a comet, known as a "dirty snowball", and made observations about the comet. Students were able to manipulate the temperature to discuss the effects.

State School Superintendent Richard Woods has selected 130 Georgia students to serve on his Student Advisory Council. Owen Petrey, an eighth-grader at Thomas County Middle School, was selected from a pool of more than 1,000 students who applied to serve on the council. Students were chosen based on the strength of their essay answers, which focused on their ideas for public education as well as their community service experience. The students selected attend public schools all over the state, in every RESA district in Georgia.

Petrey is a member of the National Junior Honor Society, the 4H shotgun team, science academy and the middle school football team. He is an active participant in several community service activities throughout the year including Hands on Thomas County, Backpack Buddies, Second Harvest, Project Backyard, Salvation Army and the Humane Society. Petrey was also selected as a Duke TIP finalist last year.

"I Can, I Will, and I Shall!"

Sharon Edwards recently encouraged the future entrepreneurs in Ms. Crawford's 5th grade class at Thomas County Middle School to believe in their dream. Edwards, the founder and CEO of the Community Outreach Training Center of Thomasville, was excited about sharing information about entrepreneurship. Edwards discussed the process of developing business plans and the significance of "writing the vision."

Students shared their business ideas while earning "frog" money and making "monkey" progress. Edwards instilled the fact that business owners might fail, but failure could lead to the first step in making progress.

The students will present their entrepreneur "Shark Tank" projects later this month, and Edwards plans to attend. The projects are due September 27th. 

Students and staff at TCMS have pulled together to collect over 150 donation items for the families affected by Hurricane Dorian in the northern islands of the Bahamas. The drive ends Friday, Sept. 13th, but the outpouring of help has been phenomenal!

Students from three TCMS Lego League teams took part in a once in a lifetime field trip opportunity on Friday, September 6, 2019. The group of twenty-four students met with Thomasville's City Engineer and Planner while touring downtown's West Jackson's streetscape construction site.

This trip was used to support this year's Lego League challenge of "City Shapers". The theme asks students to think like scientists and engineers in order to solve real-world problems within city development. After getting a behind the scenes look at Thomasville's engineering departments in action, the students also toured the local landfill.

A federal grant is providing fresh fruits and vegetables to Thomas County students.

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) is a federally assisted program that provides all children in participating schools with a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the school day. It is an effective and creative way of introducing fresh fruits and vegetables as healthy snack options. The FFVP also encourages schools to develop partnerships at the state and local levels for support in implementing and operating the program.
 

The Thomas County School System’s MERIT program is providing daily afternoon writing workshops to prepare MERIT students at Thomas County Middle School (TCMS) for the rigors of Advanced Placement (AP) classes and to support MERIT students at Thomas County Central High School (TCCHS) who are enrolled in AP classes.

Thomas County’s MERIT program spans grades 5 through 12 and includes students from both Thomas County Middle School and Thomas County Central High School. The workshop is part of an initiative to bridge the MERIT program between the two schools.

Students from Kathy Payne and Kamie Thompson's classes recently visited the fire station to learn more about fire safety and prepare for the upcoming 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb being held at the Thomas County Jackets' Nest. These students will climb alongside first responders to honor and remember the firefighters, police, and EMS who selflessly gave their lives so that others might live on 9-11-2001.

Homecoming Week is September 9-13!

Students in Mrs. Grim & Ms. Martin's Georgia History classes recently participated in workshops conducted by Amelia Gallo, programs and membership manager of Thomasville History Center. Mrs. Grim's students learned about primary and secondary sources during the workshop. Students worked in groups to examine primary sources related to historical events such as the Civil War, World War II, and Reconstruction. This workshop was designed to introduce students to various forms of primary sources similar to those that they will be using during their Georgia History class throughout the year. 

Ms. Martin's classes participated in an American Indian workshop, comparing the differences between historic and pre-historic artifacts during the Paleo, Archaic, Woodland, and Mississippian Periods.  Students also participated in a game of "Chunkey" where students threw a wooden spear to try to get closest to the game stone.

A Hurricane Dorian donation drive has begun at TCMS. The items below are needed by the Bahamian families impacted by Hurricane Dorian. Entire islands were completely leveled and families have been left in devastation. Let’s work together to help these people in a time of need!

All donations can be dropped off to Mrs. Sturrup on the 6th grade hall in room 614. All students and staff are encouraged to contribute to the donation drive.  MERIT students will receive 1 service learning hour per item with a max of 3 hours eligible. 

• 5th grade - 75-100 count cleaning wipes

• 6th grade - 20 count diaper packs

• 7th grade - large hand sanitizer

• 8th grade - 8 pack paper towels

Character Ed students for the month of August were treated to lunch at Dairy Queen with Parent Involvement Coordinator, Terry Dukes. Students were chosen by their teachers for being kind. Students portraying kindness are courteous, helpful, and understanding of others. These students always show care, compassion, friendship, and generosity to others, and treat others as they would like to be treated.

Thirty-one students from Thomas County Middle School recently completed the requirements for the Summer Reading Challenge.  These students were treated to an ice cream party in the media center on Friday, August 23.  Click "read more" to continue reading.

Students competed to be named one of two 'Membean Masters' in each of Ms. Eaves' classes on August 21, 2019. Students were chosen based on their accuracy and minutes trained on Membean over the last couple of weeks. Membean is a vocabulary program designed to allow students to work at their own pace to build a robust vocabulary bank.  Students were rewarded by being able to sit and do their work in the inflatable chairs during class!

TCMS boys and girls cross country teams recently won first place at the Winnersville Cross Country meet held on Saturday, August 17!

Students in Mrs. Trotter's fifth-grade class are using the PALS reading strategy to build stronger readers!

Sixth grade MERIT has a lot of students new to the MERIT program and new to TCMS. To help the students meet new people and make new friends, the teachers designed a scavenger hunt. Students had to ask each 45 questions to find out who has a dog, loves to swim, plays basketball, etc.

Once the scavenger hunt was complete, students worked in small groups that were randomly assigned to decide five things they had in common. Students came up with things such as We all love Chic-Fil-A, We all have brothers, We all play sports, etc. This was a great end to the second week of school and helped students get to know each other a little better.

A parent informational meeting will be held in the TCMS cafeteria on Thursday, August 29, 2019 at 5:30 P.M. for those interested in Rose City Wrestling Academy.  Please see the informational flyer for more information.

Students in Mrs. Lanatta's MERIT fifth-grade science class got their hands dirty with the first science lab of the year. Students were making rainbows to practice skills with different science tools and to practice lab safety procedures.

Students on seventh-grade Gold Company recently competed in a Lab Safety Escape Room. Seven out of ten groups "escaped" in under ninety minutes while having fun learning about the importance and procedures of lab safety!

Students in Mrs. Layne's eighth-grade Algebra 1 class used their knowledge of simplifying radicals with and without variables to complete an escape room. All students were able to escape within 45 minutes!

During the first week of school, students from Dr. Billie Campbell’s 5th-grade MERIT Social Studies class participated in a week-long activity culminating with a STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) lesson.

The project combined integrated themes in Social Studies of group work and conflict management. Students were encouraged to find methods of working together while facing various challenges. After the group assignment, the fifth-graders completed a writing reflection that highlighted the project’s outcomes. Students did a great job as they rose to the change and the activity was a success!

Students in Ms. Crawford's fifth-grade class labeled the elements of a plot diagram. Students had to work collaboratively to master the standard.

Thomas County Middle School FFA will host an information night for all interested 5th-8th grade students and parents on Monday, August 19th at 5:30 P.M. in the TCMS Agriculture classroom. Come and learn about all of the opportunities that FFA has to offer and the new membership guidelines this year (no membership dues required). For more information, contact Ms. Davis at davisa@tcjackets.net.

Thomas County School Superintendent Dr. Lisa Williams has appointed Dr. Lauren Duplantis to serve as the district’s health and wellness coordinator.

Duplantis will chair the system’s wellness committee and will help market the school-based health center as an option for parents who do not have a primary-care provider.

The Thomas County School Board has approved administrative personnel changes for the 2019-2020 school year upon the recommendation of Superintendent Dr. Lisa Williams.

Richard Potter has been named principal of the Renaissance Center for Academic and Career Development. The Renaissance Center is Thomas County’s alternative school, serving students in grades 5-12 whose home schools are Thomas County Middle School, Thomas County Central High School, or Bishop Hall Charter School.

Dr. Dale Graham who returned to the Thomas County School System in 2018 as the district’s math coordinator was named District-wide Director for the MERIT Program last fall and is rolling out several initiatives for the new school year.

MERIT, short for Maximizing Education to Realize Intellectual Transformation, provides a rigorous curriculum and enrichment opportunities for gifted and academically high-achieving students in grades 5-12. The program spans both Thomas County Middle School and Thomas County Central High School. 

Under the new structure, the program has a middle grades coordinator, Dana Studdard, and a high school coordinator, Erin White.

Thomas County School Superintendent Dr. Lisa Williams has appointed Michele Dechman instructional coordinator of Bishop Hall Charter School.

Dechman joined the faculty of Thomas County Schools in 1999 where she has taught elementary education, special education, gifted education, and computer coding.  She earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Florida State University and an educational specialist degree from Valdosta State University.
 

The Thomas County School System is pleased to announce the introduction of a string orchestra program for the 2019-2020 school year serving students in grades 4 -12.

Dr. Boyan Bonev has joined the faculty of Thomas County Schools and will lead the formation of the string orchestra program with classes held during both the school day and after school.

The next school year is approaching fast! If you have a son or daughter attending TCMS, please view the 2019-2020 school dress code.

Dress Code 2019-2020

The Thomas County School System is always seeking ways to meet the needs and interests of our students. Several parents have requested that the school system consider starting a string orchestra program for grades 5 through 12. In order to gauge the level of interest in such a program, the school system is conducting a survey. Please complete the survey found using the link below.

http://bit.ly/tcstringsinterest

The survey will close June 25.

Thank you for your support of our school system and for taking time to complete this quick survey.

In order to recognize the teachers who have gone above and beyond with implementing the effective use of technology in classroom instruction, this year the Thomas County School System named the second annual Digital Learning All-Star Teacher at each school and for the district. Daphney King, a fourth grade teacher Cross Creek Elementary School, was selected as the district winner.

“The Thomas County School System has made a significant investment in technology for our students and teachers as a result of having E-SPLOST funds and receiving other grants," said Erin Rehberg, Digital Learning Coordinator for Thomas County Schools. "It is important to reward those teachers who have used the technology provided to them to effectively transform the learning process in their classrooms.  Not only do all of our Digital Learning All-Star Teachers effectively use technology with their students, they are also known for helping their peers with various technology tools.”

Each school held a nomination process with the winner for each school completing an application in order to compete for the district title. This year, the district winner was awarded a Google Chromebook courtesy of Firefly Computers and will be able to attend an educational technology conference in the fall.  

Important upcoming dates for Milestone Retest & Summer School:

Milestone Retest:
ELA Retest: Thursday, May 30, 2019 from 7:30-12:00
Math Retest: Friday, May 31, 2019 from 7:30-12:00

Summer School:
Monday, June 3, 2019 - Thursday, June 6, 2019 7:30-12:00
Monday, June 10, 2019-Tuesday, June 11, 2019 7:30-12:00

All students should report to the cafeteria upon arrival.

Student Google accounts will be disabled from June 17 - August 2, 2019. If a student needs account access during this time, he or she should complete the form below.   Please allow 24 hours for access to be granted. Student accounts will continue to be monitored for inappropriate usage during the summer months.  Questions should be directed to Erin Rehberg at erehberg@tcjackets.net.

Student Account Request Form

Students at Thomas County Middle School in Kathy Payne and Patty McDonald's classes traveled to the Florida Capitol on Tuesday, May 14, and met in a one-on-one session with Florida's Attorney General, Ashley Moody, and staff members. During the session, Attorney General taught students about her role, duties, and responsibilities for the people of Florida. Students in both classes asked knowledgeable and informed questions regarding governmental duties as they had recently been discussing government in class.

The session ended with Attorney General Moody giving each student a commemorative challenge coin to remember their visit. After their visit, students explored the Capitol Complex and visited the viewing deck on the 22nd floor where they were able to see much of Tallahassee, including Florida State's campus and a variety of local art on display. 

Each year, eighth-grade members of the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) at Thomas County Middle School are rewarded for their hard work in middle school by having the opportunity to travel to the nation’s capital for a week in April. Thirty-nine members of the NJHS, along with three chaperones, toured Washington, D. C. April 22-26. Charla Floyd, MERIT Georgia Studies teacher, Meggin Nix, middle school teacher, and Jeff Brinson, resource officer at Cross Creek Elementary, chaperoned the group. The eighth-graders visited sites such as the Holocaust Museum, the Smithsonian Museums, the National Zoo, Ford’s Theater, Mount Vernon, the National Archives, the Library of Congress, and Arlington National Cemetery. 

To read the entire article, click 'Read more' below.

The Thomas County School System wants students to READ this summer!  Did you know that students can have up to a 2-3 month loss in reading ability over the summer?  It's important for students to spend time sharpening their reading skills!

Each school has developed a summer reading challenge for students.  We would like for students to read for 15-30 minutes everyday this summer. The guidelines and requirements vary by school.  Please click the link below for more information about each school's guidelines.  If you need more information, please talk to the media specialist at each school.  The guidelines are for the school the students will be attending in the 2019-2020 school year.

Guidelines for all schools

Click here for information about programs at the Thomas County Public Library this summer!

Free eBooks are provided for all students this summer -- Click here for more information

Tips to avoid the summer reading slump

Thomas County Middle School students in sixth grade MERIT recently toured Atlanta. Their tour began with discovering how Coca-Cola has impacted Georgia and the world. The students enjoyed the World of Coca-Cola including visiting the Polar Bear mascot, seeing the secret vault with the only hand written copy of the recipe, and tasting flavors from around the world.

The next day students spent time at Stone Mountain Park. Their day began with a science lesson on simple machines and how those machines are used in the Skyride. Students rode to the top of Stone Mountain and enjoyed views of Atlanta's skyline. After a hike to the bottom, students learned more about simple machines while completing a ropes course.

The following day students toured the Breman Jewish Center. While there, they met and listened to second generation survivors of the Holocaust. After sharing their stories, the survivors and other docents toured students through the museum.

The Thomas County School System recently announced that two of its middle school students were recognized as a part of the 2018-2019 Duke University Talent Identification (TIP) Program.

Ally Moore and Owen Petrey, seventh graders at Thomas County Middle School, were among a select group of students statewide to meet the criteria to be Duke TIP students.

To read the entire article, click "Read more" below.

Mrs. Carrie Holland, 5th grade ELA teacher, was recently named Thomas County Middle School's Digital Learning All-Star Teacher!

TCMS students won many awards in The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Junior American Citizens annual competition. There were thirty-eight winners from Thomas County Middle School for the Thomasville chapter. Fifteen of those winners took first place and advanced to state competition in January. This year’s theme was “The 50th Anniversary of the Lunar Landing – America’s Great Move Forward in Exploration and Technology.”  Students were able to compete in the following categories: poster, stamp design, photo essay, banner, poem, short story, or community service.

To see a list of winners and to read the entire article, click 'Read more' below.

Thomas County School System officials have named Jill Grimes, first grade teacher at Garrison-Pilcher Elementary School, as the District Teacher of the Year.

“Being named Teacher of the Year for the Thomas County School System is such an honor,” Mrs. Grimes said. “I am incredibly grateful to work with the most amazing and supportive colleagues. Our system is composed of phenomenal people on every level. The support of my coworkers, family, and friends is what has shaped me into the educator I am today. To represent our system at state will be a privilege.” 

Grimes has been a teacher for three years with Thomas County Schools. She began her teaching career in Mitchell County in 2008 first as a fifth grade teacher in math, science and social studies, and then as a Pre-K teacher at Mitchell County Elementary School where she taught for eight years.

On April fourth through sixth, three Thomas County Middle School band students participated in the GMEA All-South Region Honor Band Clinic which took place in Perry, GA.  Tyler Laidman (trombone), Caleb Kinneer (French horn), and Rebekah Horton (French horn) were selected after competing in both district and state-wide auditions. At the clinic, these students rehearsed music conducted by Cecilia Fraschillo.  The clinic culminated in a concert which took place at Houston County High School on Saturday, April 6. Congratulations to these students!

Thomas County Middle School fifth and eighth-grade students will resume the Social Studies Milestone on Tuesday, April 23, 2019.

Due to the threat of high winds and inclement weather, the Thomas County School System will be closed Friday, April 19.

Sixth Grade Victor MERIT Company recently had a full day of service learning in partnership with Hands on Thomas County. Sixth-graders began the day by volunteering at Hand-in-Hand Primary School where they read to Pre-K and Kindergarten students, helped with craft activities, and played outside with the younger students.

Afterwards, groups of students worked at five different locations, including Hands & Hearts for Horses, Miss Kitty's Feline Sanctuary, Vashti, Cherokee Lake Butterfly Garden, and Second Harvest. Following a morning of service learning, students ate lunch at a local park and then picked up litter around the park.

Mrs. Amanda West , sixth-grade social studies teacher at Thomas County Middle School,was recently nominated for the Hannah E. (Liz) MacGregor Teacher of the Year History Teacher Award. The MacGregor Teacher of the Year award is sponsored by James F. Harris in honor of his sister and is awarded to one middle and one high school teacher annually.

To read the entire article, click 'Read more' below.

The Thomas County Middle School Blue & Gold Concert Bands recently traveled to Atlanta to participate in the Southern Star Music Festival and Competition.  Out of the seven states represented in the competition, the TCMS Gold Band received the National Gold Standard rating.  The TCMS Gold Band also won the Best in Class Sweepstakes Trophy for the competition.  The TCMS Blue Band, consisting of more than half 6th graders, earned the National Silver Standard rating.  

To read the entire article, click 'Read more' below.

Diamond Del's mobile gem mining adventure recently stopped by TCMS for a hands-on learning experience. Sixth-grade students mined for minerals and broke open geodes to discover beautiful quartz formations.

All interested parents of rising 5th - 8th graders are invited to a Meet & Greet MERIT Night!

Thursday, April 11
6:00 p.m.
TCMS Cafeteria

Topics include: Introduction to the MERIT program; the application process; experienceing MERIT through a student's viewpoint; and the impact of MERIT beyond middle school. Guided tours of TCMS will follow the meeting!

Nine students in sixth and seventh-grade from Thomas County Middle School recently competed with fifteen other middle schools at Valdosta State University’s Middle School Mathematics Tournament. The seventh grade team came in 2nd place overall in the tournament, and Owen Petrey, also in seventh grade, came in 5th place overall.

Seventh-graders, Hayden Groom and Owen Petrey, along with sixth-grader, Kinsley Rhodes, all finished in the Top 10.

Parents of seventh and eighth-grade students, please take the following Thomas University GEAR UP (Gaining Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) parent survey:

Parent Survey

The Thomas County Middle School Track Team, coached by Deborah Miles-Anderson, Gavin Wilson, and Frankie Ponder, recently competed in a home meet at the Jackets' Nest against five other schools including MacIntyre Park, Brooks County, Early County, Cook County, and Grady County. Both the boys and girls dominated the competition, with the girls scoring more points than any other TCMS track team in the past 15 years!  To see individual scores, click 'Read more' below.

The end of February brought the annual trip to the Challenger Learning Center in Tallahassee for all eighth grade students at Thomas County Middle School. The students cooperated as teams to successfully complete a simulated Mars Mission. Students in Mars Command directed students in a spacecraft headed to Mars as the crew tried to build a remotely operated vehicle and discover if there is water on Mars. Students also had the opportunity to view a 3D IMAX movie and some fascinating demonstrations that reinforced physics concepts that they have learned about in the classroom. “Doing the simulated mission was so much fun. It really added to the way we learn things in the classroom and showed me there is a use for what we’re learning,” said Jesse Benton, an Alpha Company student.  

Once again, Flowers Industries funded the trip for every student. “When my sister was in eighth grade, she went to the Challenger Center as well. She told stories about the activities offered there, and it always sparked my interest. I’m thankful that Flowers Industries still funds this trip and allows us to have this experience,” said Hailey Atkinson, a Zulu Company student.

Pictured below is De’Shaun Lovejoy and Logan Brock participating in the simulated Mars mission at the Challenger Learning Center.

The Thomas County School System's financial system was recently targeted by criminals who sought to steal funds from a school system account. Security procedures that the school system and its banking partner have in place prevented the loss of any funds. Click on the link below for more information. 

IMPORTANT SECURITY AND PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION NOTIFICATION

Thomas County Middle School (TCMS) has recently named Amanda West, sixth grade MERIT social studies teacher, as its 2018-19 Teacher of the Year.  West has taught sixth grade social studies at TCMS since 2004. “Mrs.West is well deserving of the accolade of Teacher of the Year. She is a diligent and gifted teacher who works to ensure that her students succeed in the classroom,” said Thomas County Middle School Principal Jamie Thompson.  “Mrs. West is a leader at Thomas County Middle School and in the community. She works to educate students on the benefits of service and giving, both in the school and community in which they reside.”

To read the entire article, click "Read more" below.

The TCCHS CTAE department is in the process of reviewing a textbook for possible adoption for the 2019-2020 school year for the Allied Health course/pathway. Samples of this text will be on display in the TCCHS Media Center. Parents are invited to stop by during normal school hours (from May 9-May 17) to review these materials and leave any desired feedback.

Please contact Robin Cartright, Curriculum Director, if you have any questions (rcartright@tcjackets.net or 229-584-9158).

Thomas County Middle School recently held Bingo for Books night for fifth-grade students and their families.  With over seventy in attendance, and more than one hundred books given away, the night was a huge success.  "It's great to see so many families supporting literacy and encouraging their students to read," stated Kathie Craven, Media Specialist at TCMS.  

Five rounds of Bingo were played, with five winners from each group selecting a book of their choice as the prize.  At the end of the five rounds, all of the students were then allowed to select an additional book to take home. 

Seventh-grade students in Chris Hunt's class at Thomas County Middle School recently participated in a Google Meet (similar to Skype) with seventh-graders in Hannah Shierling's class at Camden Middle School.  The first online meeting was held to introduce students in preparation for an upcoming debate to be held between the two classes.

Girls' Conditioning Classes at Thomas County Middle School recently learned about famous African American female athletes including Alice Coachman, Wilma Rudolph, Althea Gibson, Debi Thomas, and Florence Joyner. Celebrating the lives of these women athletes allows students to learn about the adversities that they faced while commemorating their achievements.

After the enrichment lesson, the TCMS Lady Jackets practiced African Dance Aerobics to further celebrate Black History Month. To read the full article, click "Read more" below.

In light of the recent news stories concerning hacking on YouTube and other websites that provide children's programming, we urge parents to monitor what their children are viewing by way of Internet connections. The Internet can be a wonderful educational tool, but the online world can also be dangerous. Please protect your children by supervising their Internet exposure.

The Thomas County School System has services that monitor all student web searches, email messages and storage of files for inappropriate or dangerous content. We are diligent in protecting students while they are using accounts and devices provided by the district whether they are at school or off-campus. We urge parents to monitor their students’ use of all Internet connections, especially those that occur outside of the school system’s monitored network.

Please feel free to contact your child’s school or the school district if you ever have concerns about Internet content that your child accesses by way of a school system owned device or connection.

Each year, Thomas County students in fourth, fifth, and sixth grade participate in the Georgia National Fair's Fair Bear Writing Competition.  Students compete at the school level, and first place winners from each grade compete at the state level.

This year’s topic was “Fair Bear's Family Traditions” where students were asked to write a story describing Fair Bear's family traditions that he looks forward to each year, and new memories that he looks forward to making at the annual family reunion.  

Kayden McLain from fifth grade and Spencer Webb from sixth grade will compete at the state competition.  State-level winners will be announced on April 15, 2019. Click "Read More" below to see all winners.

Students from Thomas County Middle School have been working diligently throughout the school year to complete National History Day projects. The theme for this year was "Triumph and Tragedy in History".  “National History Day is a year-long academic program focused on historical research, interpretation and creative expression for sixth- to twelfth-grade students. By participating in NHD, students become writers, filmmakers, web designers, playwrights, and artists as they create unique contemporary expressions of history,” explains the National History Day website (www.nhd.org).

Students compete in various categories including documentaries, exhibits, historical papers, performances, and websites.  Students listed below placed in the competition and will move on to the state competition held at LaGrange College on Saturday, April 13, 2019.

To see a list of all winners by category, click "Read more" below.

Thomas County Middle School kicked off their “Be The Voice” campaign Friday morning. “Be The Voice” (BTV) is a program designed to empower students to bypass the bully and support the victim in a safe, non-confrontational way. The program was purchased by the Thomasville Rotary Club. Ms. Ashley Vincent, eighth-grade counselor, formed a BTV group of students to lead the campaign. The BTV group welcomed students to school on the bus line and car drop off lines with stickers on the kick off day. Videos were shown in every classroom at TCMS that morning explaining the program. Our BTV program will run over the next several weeks with each Friday being the day that teachers show a video that will help empower students in kindness, compassion, and inclusion.

In Mrs. Singletary's sixth-grade math class, students completed an interactive/kinesthetic learning activity. The students lined up to make a human coordinate plane by forming the x and y-axis. Then another student stepped in each quadrant and the class called out the quadrant for the location of the student. This activity served as a review of quadrant and axis locations.

Maddie Mitchell, a student in Rhonda Grim's Georgia history class, recently brought two World War II-era newspapers that belonged to her great-grandfather. This coincided with the class' study of World War II. The paper that Maddie is holding is dated February 21, 1938 - exactly 81 years ago! 

Do you have a budding scientist in your family?  Join us for a night filled with fun activities for the whole family.  

Cross Creek Elementary Cafeteria:
Monday, February 25th from 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Garrison-Pilcher Elementary Gymnasium:
Tuesday, February 26th from 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Thomas County Middle School Gymnasium:
Wednesday, February 27th 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM

Thomas County Middle School’s Astro Avengers recently secured a spot to state during Super Regionals held in Warner Robins. The TCMS team, led by Kim Simmons and Samantha Sturrup, beat 36 others for their first place title of the Champion's Award. This title allowed the team to travel to Athens for state competition on the first of February.

This year, the LEGO challenge was to explore living and traveling in space and solve problems that may arise during that endeavor. The team is made up of sixth through eighth-grade students who exemplified the core values of First Lego.

Six Thomas County Middle School students competed against five other schools in the MATHCOUNTS competition series recently held at Albany State University. Briley Chapman, TCMS seventh-grade student, qualified for the state competition to be held on March 18 in Atlanta.

On February 8-9, twenty-five students from Thomas County Middle School participated in the GMEA District 2 Honor Band Clinic. These students competed with hundreds of other students from around the Southwest District for chairs in this prestigious band. TCMS had the highest number of students participating in District Honor Band (DHB) out of the 15 middle schools participating this year.  To read the entire article, click 'Read more' below.

Pre-game festivities will begin at 3:40 P.M.

All sixth, seventh, and eighth-grade students from Thomas County Middle School recently attended a Motown performance at The Thomasville Center for the Arts. Seventh-grade students began the first phase of comparing a stage production to a written work by attending "A Trip to Motown" performance, and will continue this comparison by reading a short story about Motown.

High school students also presented a song and dance show accompanied by singing by a local artist. Historic information accompanied the musical selection.

Character Education students are chosen once a month by their teachers for portraying the selected character trait for that month.   Students chosen are treated to lunch with our Parent Involvement Coordinator, Terry Dukes.  This month, students were treated at Whataburger.

For the month of January, students were chosen for their Good Judgement -  students with this trait tend to choose worthy goals and set priorities.  They think through the consequences of their actions, and base decisions on practical wisdom and good sense.   

Students in Mr. Wiggins' science class had the opportunity to build their own electromagnets using an iron nail, copper wire, and a battery. Students were able to investigate factors that increase the strength of the magnetic force. There was also a competition to see which group could construct the strongest electromagnet.

Twelve students from Thomas County Middle School and Thomas County Central High School traveled to Bainbridge to participate in the annual Regional Technology Fair on January 26, 2019.  There were over 100 participants in the fair competing in various technology categories and age divisions from Thomas, Grady, Decatur, and Lee Counties. Our students did an outstanding job bringing home 5 first-place medals, 5 second-place medals, and 2 third-place medals.  Every student from Thomas County placed in the top 3 of their category and division. All first place medalists will advance to the state competition held in Macon on March 9.

To read the entire article, click 'Read more' below.

Students from Mrs. Phillips' 8th-grade science class recently joined 7th and 8th-grade students in Mrs. McDonald's class for a science lab. In an effort to provide authentic learning opportunities for all students, the teachers collaborated to create a hands-on lab examining the effects of static electricity. A multitude of skills were tied into the lesson, and most importantly, students thoroughly enjoyed working with one another in such a dynamic and meaningful way.

Congratulations to Sara Connell for placing first in the System-wide Spelling Bee! First runner up was Jackson Nestale, and third place was awarded to Jesse Benton. Sara will represent our system in the regional bee held on Saturday, February 23 in Bainbridge.

Fifth and eighth-grade MERIT students recently had the opportunity to collaborate on an electromagnetism lesson in the media center.  To read the entire article, please click "Read more" below.

Hand-In-Hand Primary School is holding Pre-K and Kindergarten registration for the 2019-2020 school year on Monday, February 4, and Tuesday, February 5, from 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. both days. Registration will take place on the Board of Education campus in the Professional Learning Center. For Pre-K, your child must be 4 or 5 years old ON or BEFORE September 1, 2019. All eligible students signed up for Pre-K on these days will be guaranteed a slot. Click on the link below for more information.

Hand-In-Hand Pre-K/K Registration

Honors Assemblies for the second nine weeks will be held Thursday, January 17th, at the following times:
6th grade: 8:15 A.M.
7th grade: 10:00 A.M.
5th grade: 11:30 A.M.
8th grade: 1:30 P.M.

Envision Credit Union recently awarded Kendra Reeves, fifth-grade teacher at Thomas County Middle School, with a $500 classroom grant.  Reeves applied for the grant in August and was notified on January 9th of the decision to name her proposal as the grant winner for Spring 2019.  

Reeves' proposal was for the purchase of the premium version of the program, Splash Math, to cover all 79 of her math students.  Students currently have access to the free version, but the premium version would allow students to access the program as often as they would like from home or school.  Splash Math is aligned to the Georgia Standards of Excellence, so students can work on all standards, striving towards mastery of each.  Reeves stated that "the premium version of the program would allow students to download the app and access the program offline.  For our students that need the extra help in math and have a device but do not have internet access at home, this will provide unlimited access and will help improve their skills tremendously."

Pictured below in the forefront is Megan Lee, Envision Community Development Assistant presenting the grant money along with a gift basket to Kendra Reeves, along with Assistant Principals Deann Garcia and Lisa Clements.

Students in Mrs. Sharpe's fifth-grade class went on an in-class virtual field trip using Thomas County Middle School's new VR headsets to explore the Great Barrier Reef, Borneo Rainforest, and get up close and personal with bacteria. Students were able to classify plants and animals encountered along the way and identify adaptations of each. Students also learned about different types of bacteria, how bacteria are transmitted, and how antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections.
   

Students at TCMS donated over 6,722 canned food items to the Salvation Army this Christmas. The TCMS Student Council sponsors this annual event. The top winners for each grade-level are: 
5th grade: Mrs. Ryan's Homeroom (250 cans)
6th grade: Mr. Braswell's Homeroom (257 cans)
7th grade: Mrs. Simmons' Homeroom (365 cans)
8th grade: Mr. Wiggins' Homeroom (407 cans)

Top donating student school-wide: Jordan Bass (204 cans).

During the assembly, a dedication ceremony was also held to honor Earl & Faye Williams, who served many tireless years serving Thomas County Schools. The Thomas County Board of Education Administration Offices was officially renamed the Earl & Faye Williams Administrative Offices, to recognize and remember their hard work and dedication to Thomas County Schools. Mr. Williams started the Salvation Army canned food drive when he served as principal of the middle school. We wanted to honor Mr. Williams during a ceremony that meant so much to him.

During the 5th and 6th grade assembly, Sandra Maroney's name was drawn to win the TCMS Soccer gift basket - congratulations!

All students in Ms. Eaves' fifth-grade class received a book for Christmas, thanks to the generous donations from Ms. Eaves' family members, friends, and co-workers.  Each 'sponsor' received a student (or more than one student) in Ms. Eaves' homeroom to purchase a book for.  On the morning of December 18, 2018, students walked into Ms. Eaves' room and were surprised to see a book on their desks! Each student received a brand new book with an encouraging note personally addressed by the donor inside. Students loved their books and wrote thank you notes to their anonymous sponsors. #thomascountyreads

We are pleased to announce that the Thomas County Health Department will be coming to your child's school during the month of January to offer the flu vaccine. There will be no out-of-pocket cost for your child to receive the vaccine given during the school flu clinics. If you would like for your child to get vaccinated at the school flu clinic, please click on the link below for more information and to access the consent form: 

Flu Packet to return by January 15, 2018

On Tuesday night, December 11th, the 8th-grade MERIT team at Thomas County Middle School gathered to celebrate the students' accomplishments as part of the MERIT family. Most of these students were celebrating their fourth year in the program for gifted and high achieving students.  To read the entire article, click 'Read more' below.

Eighth-grade MERIT students recently delivered blankets that they had collected for the high school's annual Shop with a Yellow Jacket (SWAY J) event. The middle schoolers called their program WULY J, Warm Up a Little Yellow Jacket, with the goal of helping to provide needed items for the children who would be served through SWAY J. Students collected over 140 blankets and numerous pairs of socks.  Because of the great response, blankets and socks were also donated to Homeless Hookup in Thomasville and Hospice of Southwest Georgia.

Middle school students also donated over 350 books for children served through the SWAY J program. Three members of the Reading Bowl team, Walker Cobb, Addison Weiss, and Meghan Moncrief, helped to pass out books; and eighth-grade grade MERIT student, Kaytlyn Prevatt, helped to pass out blankets during the event.

Pictured below is Meghan Moncrief, Addison Weiss, Buzz, Kaytlyn Prevatt, and Walker Cobb at the SWAYJ event showing some of the great books to be given away in the first picture. 

In the second picture, eighth-grade MERIT students are delivering blankets to the high school administration to be given out at SWAYJ.  To see more, click 'Read more' below.

The Thomas County School System has been named a Google Reference District. In order to become a reference district, Google must recognize the work being done by a district with G Suite for Education and send an application to the system.  

Thomas County Schools began using G Suite for Education in 2015. Since that time, the district has adopted Google Chromebooks at a rate of one device per student in grades 2-12.  Students in grades 9-12 are allowed to check out a Chromebook for use both at home and at school.

“Adding G Suite tools and Chromebooks in our district has allowed our teachers to do many things that they have never been able to do in the past,” said Erin Rehberg, Digital Learning and Media Services Coordinator for Thomas County Schools. “Technology truly has the power to transform learning by allowing students to easily collaborate, communicate, and create.  Being named a Google Reference District is confirmation that our teachers are using technology to help prepare Thomas County students for their futures.”

Students in fifth through eighth-grade in the MERIT program rang the bell for the Salvation Army for two weeks at the start of December. Each group spread Christmas cheer by playing their instruments, singing carols, and passing out candy canes. Together the students raised over $700 for the Salvation Army.

Students in Mrs. West’s social studies class recently completed a study of international winter traditions. Students selected their favorite tradition, wrote a summary, designed an ornament and shared their findings with their classmates. The ornaments are currently on display at the Lapham-Patterson House as part of their annual Christmas displays.

Whataburger recently provided free milk and cookies for students who participate in the Special Olympics at Butler Mason YMCA.  Students were able to participate in various athletic competitions and enjoy these snacks during their party afterward.

The Thomas County Middle School Science Fair was held on Wednesday, December 5.  More than 70 projects were entered by 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade students. The overall Science Fair Winner was Bishop Jackson.  Jackson was also named the overall Physical Science Category Winner and Nathan Jarrett was the Overall Life Science Category Winner.  All students who placed in the fair will compete in the Region Science Fair at ABAC held on February 15.   

Pictured below is Bishop Jackson as the overall Science Fair Winner.  Pictured in the upper left is Overall Category Winner for Physical Science, Bishop Jackson, and Overall Category Winner for Life Science, Nathan Jarrett.  In the bottom picture is each grade-level winners; from sixth grade on the upper left, seventh grade on the upper right, and eighth grade on the bottom row.  Click "Read More" to see all winners.

TCMS Academic Bowl Team took first place in the PAGE Academic Bowl for Middle Grades on Saturday, December 1, held at Thomas County Middle School.  The team, coached by Heather Ward and Gail Trotter, competed against other schools where questions consisted of all academic areas, as well as sports, entertainment, and current events.  Thomas County Middle School was the only undefeated team of the tournament and will be advancing to the State competition held on January 26 in at Georgia College.

Pictured below in the back row from left to right is Coach Gail Trotter, Hayden Groom, Alex Ward, Grayson Jones, Logan Bell, Campbell Smith, Sara Connell, and Coach Heather Ward.  On the front row is Brady Whatley, Makayla Johnson, Logan Griffin, and Ayden Webb as the team received the first place trophy.

TCMS students won many awards in The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Junior American Citizens annual competition. There were twenty-six winners from Thomas County Middle School for the Thomasville chapter. Eleven of those winners took first place and will advance to state competition in January. This year’s theme was “The 50th Anniversary of the Lunar Landing—America’s Great Move Forward in Exploration and Technology.”  Students were able to compete in the following categories: poster, stamp design, photo essay, banner, poem, short story, or community service.

To see the full list of winners, click 'Read more' below:

TCMS students on the 8th-grade MERIT team recently visited Andersonville National Historic Site as part of their unit study of the Civil War. Students took a ranger-led tour of the prison site and learned about the life, and causes of death, of the prisoners held there. The camp was originally built to house 10,000 Union soldiers, but when prisoner exchanges broke down between sides and the Confederate capital fell, the prison held as many as 33,000 prisoners at one time. Conditions, including overcrowding, poor diet, and sanitation led to over 13,000 deaths. The ranger had students perform an experiment, simulating the passage of deadly diseases in such close quarters. Students were also able to tour the Prisoner of War museum on site. Cody Johnson, an 8th-grade student said, "Seeing the site helped me better understand what the prisoners went through and their living conditions. I can't believe people actually survived this place."

Pictured below in the first image is Brooke Lancaster and Kristina Bristow Kennedy taking notes as they tour the museum.  In the second image is Daviyon Johnson, Brooke Lancaster, David Harlow, and Park Guide Ryan O'Connell as they perform an experiment using goggles, aprons, and gloves to simulate passing a disease from one to the other using chemicals.

Students from Thomas County Middle School recently auditioned for the Georgia Music Educators Association District 2 Honor Band.  Out of hundreds of students who auditioned, twenty-four promising young musicians from Thomas County Middle School earned a seat.

Pictured below on the front row from left to right, playing the clarinet is Morgan Loper, Alicia Sholar, Sommerleigh Cromer, Hannabelle Fulgencio, Alyssa Bradshaw, and playing the flute is Jordan Coaker, Savana Manning, Phoebe Esra, Jazmyn Barber, and Janaye Bell.  On the second row from left to right playing the clarinet is Leigha Hunt and Brooke Lancaster, playing the trumpet is Jack Emmett and T.C. Cone, playing the tuba is Ryan Swearingen, playing the trombone is Tyler Laidman, Jenna Coaker, and Maddie Anderson, playing the bass clarinet is Mason Powell, playing the tenor sax is Shelby Bryant, playing the alto sax is Mallory Bustle, playing the french horn is Rebekah Horton and Caleb Kinneer.  Standing in the back from the left is TCMS Band Director Ryan Booth, percussionist Tessa Thomas, and TCMS Band Director William Majors.

To read about other honors received, click 'Read More' below:

This is an UPDATED schedule for middle school soccer tryouts:

-12/6/18 (Thursday): Final player assessments (4:00-5:30 PM) Players will release with the 4th load to the front lobby.

-12/7/18 (Friday): Post the Team

-12/10/18 (Monday): Boys ONLY First Team practice 4:00-5:30 PM/ PARENT MEETING FOR BOYS AND GIRLS @ 6:00 PM in the front lobby.

Dr. Scott Sweeting, Thomas County's System Math and Science Curriculum Coordinator, recently visited Thomas County Middle School to help students through the process of dissecting frogs. Students from Alex Hollingsworth's and Yvette Morrell's classes experienced a hands-on approach as they explored the internal organs and body systems that they have learned about in class. According to Dr. Sweeting, hands-on labs like this help cement information previously learned in class. 

Five Thomas County Middle School (TCMS) students recently signed to be a part of the Realizing Educational Achievement Can Happen (REACH) Georgia program, a needs-based scholarship designed to promote academic success and expand access to higher education. The TCMS students chosen to join REACH Georgia are Logan Baxter, Keasia Horton, Daviyon Johnson, Selena Diego and Evan Wynn.

As a part of the program, students signed contracts to agree to meet attendance and behavior requirements, maintain a certain grade point average, participate in REACH Georgia related activities, and meet weekly with a mentor. Their parents or guardians also signed contracts to support their student through their education.

Thomas County Middle School held grade level Spelling BEES on Wednesday, November 14. First place winners for each grade level received a $50 Visa gift card.  First, second, and third place winners will advance to the Thomas County Schools Spelling BEE that will be held on Thursday, January 24, 2019.  

Pictured below on the bottom row from left to right:  5th grade 3rd Place Cheyenne McMurphy, 5th grade 2rd Place Kaden Edwards, 5th grade 1st Place Katelyn Bradshaw, 6th grade 1st Place Necholas Reddick, 6th grade 2nd Place Lydia Glass, and 6th Grade 3rd Place Jackson Nestale.  On the back row from left to right:  8th grade 3rd Place Jesse Benton, 8th grade 2nd Place Bishop Jackson, 8th grade 1st Place Keaton Stephens, 7th grade 1st Place Britton Blankenship, 7th grade 2nd Place Kattie Bivins, and 7th grade 3rd Place Sara Connell.  

Eighth-grade December Company students recently went "back in time" to Mission San Luis in Tallahassee. Students were able to see reconstructed buildings from when the Spanish lived among the Apalachee Indians in North Florida. Students (L-R) Cameron Bates and Shelby Bryant got to help blacksmith Francisco in his shop. Students were also able to visit the Apalachee Council House, the Spanish Fort, and the Catholic church.

Dr. Scott Sweeting recently visited TCMS to help students from Mrs. Hollingsworth and Mrs. Morrell's classes to dissect frogs. Students experienced a hands-on approach as they explored the internal organs and body systems that they have learned about in class. Hands-on labs like this help cement information previously learned in class. 

Pictured below in the first image is Dr. Scott Sweeting explaining to students how to begin the dissection.  In the second image, Mrs. Hollingsworth demonstrates how to open the frog's mouth.

Eighth-grade MERIT students on Zulu Company recently visited the National Infantry Museum in Columbus, GA to explore the world of the U.S. Infantry and their impact on history in this country. Students had a guided tour of various exhibits within the museum related to different time periods in the US and watched a 3D movie about the D-Day invasion.

Pictured below, students listen as the tour guide explains the air cavalry's role in the Vietnam War as well as the contributions of the air cavalry commander's wife to military families.

TCMS FFA will host a livestock interest meeting on Tuesday, October 23rd, at 5:30 pm in the Ag Room. This meeting is for any FFA member interested in showing a pig this school year. A parent must be in attendance with each student.

Students in Mrs. Sharpe's fifth-grade MERIT science class are having fun learning about physical properties of matter in the lab. Traveling to nine stations, students learned about solubility, density, conductivity, and magnetism among other properties. Using the science lab, students use tools and scientific inquiry to investigate and explore, teaching students to become real scientists!

Pictured below, students are making observations about density using a density column.

October 22-26 is Red Ribbon Week at TCMS.  Please join us in dressing up for our theme days as a reminder to say no to drugs!

Monday - "Team up against drugs" - Wear your favorite team colors

Tuesday - "Join the fight against drugs" - Wear your camouflage!

Wednesday - County-wide RED day - Wear red for Red Ribbon Week

Thursday - "Superhero Day - Have the power to stay drug-free" - Dress like a Superhero!

Friday - "Too bright to do drugs" - Wear bright colors!

The TCMS Cross Country meet is cancelled this Saturday due to several trees and lots of debris still covering the course.

Eighth-grade MERIT students helped distribute ice and water following Hurricane Michael at Thomas County Central High School.  Semi trucks loaded with ice and water were brought in by GEMA (Georgia Emergency Management Agency) to distribute supplies to those in need.  Pictured below from left to right is Gavin Melnick, Whit Finch, Cable Willis, Luke Pierce, Trace Morales, and Jacey Keyton. 

A drive-thru flu shot clinic scheduled for Monday, October 15 at Thomas County Central High School has been canceled until further notice.  

Students in Mrs. Holland's 5th-grade MERIT class participate in Google Hangout conversations with Mrs. Neal's 8th grade IB MYP (International Baccalaureate Middle Year's Programme) students. The collaboration between the two classes is designed to promote the understanding of service learning projects. Mrs. Neal's students spend a semester investigating, designing, implementing, and reflecting on an independent project that will meet needs in their community of Bartow, FL. Through the weekly Google Hangout conversations, Mrs. Holland's class has an opportunity to witness the process and ask questions. Both classes are excited to work together as problem solvers.

Pictured below: Dallas Pitts asks a question about the process of designing a service learning project.

Ms. Ferrel's student, Valerie McCall recently made posters to hang around the school in recognition of Anti-Bullying Month in October.   She also asked students and staff to wear a blue shirt on Monday, October 1 to support anti-bullying.

Pictured below is Valerie with Ms. Ferrel displaying her anti-bullying poster.

Character Education students are chosen once a month by their teachers for portraying the selected character trait for that month.   Students chosen were treated to lunch with our Parent Involvement Coordinator, Terry Dukes, and one of our principals at Dairy Queen.  

For the month of September, students were chosen for their Kindness.  Students with this trait have been recognized for showing honor for the feelings and rights of others, being considerate, and always using good manners.  Mrs. Dukes stated that "students demonstrated kindness to each other at lunch, as well.  Everyone was included and the tables were full of awesome students!"

Pictured below on the bottom row from left to right is R.J. Dukes, Madison Dickerson, Wyatt Pritchard, Malachi Gaskins, Ayvah Kelly, Angelina Vazquez, Haven Myrick, Ian Perry, Marx Gaines, and Paige Parkerson.  On the back row from left to right is Parent Involvement Coordinator Terry Dukes, Kiersten Jackson, Chance Davis, Cam'ren Graham, Charley Creager, Ja'Miracle Thompkins, William Morris, Shantel Brown, Kalai Brooks, Kevin Solano, and Clay Croft.

Each year, Thomas County MERIT students serve and volunteer throughout the community. This school year, MERIT has formed a partnership with the Thomas County Humane Society. MERIT students are in the process of receiving training in order to volunteer at the Humane Society.  To read the entire article, click 'Read More' below.

Congratulations to Bishop Jackson, an eighth-grade student at Thomas County Middle School in the MERIT program, for recently being named as a Jack Kent Cooke Young Scholar.  As a recipient, Bishop is eligible to receive up to $40,000 in scholarship funds upon high school graduation per year of college as well as the opportunity to attend Cooke-sponsored summer programs, internships, and other learning enrichment opportunities.  To read the entire article, click 'Read more' below.

The Thomas County Middle School FFA Officer Team recently attended the 4th Annual South Region Leadership Rally held at the Georgia Museum of Agriculture formally known as the Agrirama in Tifton, GA.  

Pictured below from left to right are TCMS FFA members who attended the Region Rally: RJ Dukes, Gracie Adams, Gracelynn Lima, Caroline Knight, Emma Rae Smith, and Cody Johnson.   

To read the entire article, click 'Read more' below.

Fifth-grade students in Ms. Eaves' class learned about the events and watched a video of the news on 9/11. Students were then given a piece of construction paper that was red, white, or blue, and given the opportunity to draw pictures or journal about the tragedy. Students displayed their work in the hallway.

Students in Mrs. Floyd's eighth-grade Georgia Studies classes participated in a simulation where they were taxed on their pay, using Smarties, by the king and his tax collectors. The students discussed the injustice of taxation without representation as an introduction to their unit on the American Revolution.

Pictured below is the king, Fisher Clements, and his tax collector, Bishop Jackson, as he collects taxes from citizens, Ayden Webb and Caden Reagan.

Students on the 8th-grade MERIT team recently visited Valdosta State University library where they received instruction and assistance with their National History Day research. While at the college, students also took a tour of the campus.

Pictured to the left are students as they began their tour of the VSU campus.  Pictured below in the first image are J.J. Potts, Aubrey Eaton, Trace Morales, Reagen Anglin, and Caylee Harrison in the back row.  In the second image below is Charlize Scudder, Haley Anderson, Cadence Allen, Mallory Bustle, and Khia Futch.

Students constructed a model of a comet in Mrs. Sturrup's sixth-grade science class. In particular, they were able to illustrate the length and direction of a comet's tail in relation to our Sun.  Using dry ice, students constructed a model of a comet. Pictured below is Jordan Tillman and to the left is Deonna Thomas acting as the Sun's solar winds and blowing back it's tail!

If a parent or business owner is interested in serving on Thomas County Middle School's School Council, please contact Mr. Jamie Thompson, jthompson@tcjackets.net.

Students in Ms. Marcinski's sixth-grade science classes are 'Blasting off into Outer Space!' Students were recently involved in a hands-on learning experience where they created models as they learned about the different sizes of the planets in our solar system. During this demonstration the students had the opportunity to experience a fun, tangible illustration where they created and compared models of each planet.  

In a follow-up lesson, students were able to 'visit space' and interact with the planets and even a comet or two. The students were able to build a comet, known as the 'dirty snowballs' of space. They  used dry ice, glitter (representing dust), and soil to build the comets. After the comets were built, students applied heat which simulates what a comet looks like when it is near our sun. 

Pictured below is 'Dr. Gatlin Majors' as she is comparing the size of each planet.

If you were not able to attend the Social Media Safety Seminar entitled Social Media Safety:  How to Keep Your Kids Safe in a Digital World, please watch the video below to learn more about how to protect your child in a digital world.

https://youtu.be/9qyiQ0B5eAo

Thomas County Middle School students from Kathy Payne's class recently participated in the Tutus and Tennis Shoes Fun Run sponsored by South Georgia Ballet on Saturday, September 8 held in Thomasville. Runners began at the Thomasville Center for the Arts and followed part of the course for the Rose City Walk.

This event helps to fund the Special Steps program that provides dance classes to special needs students once a week at The Thomasville Center for the Arts. Each Tuesday, students from Kathy Payne and Patty McDonald's classes benefit from this program. Students enjoy learning different types of dance from hip-hop to ballet along with essential skills such as hand-eye coordination, balance, teamwork, and following simple directions.

Pictured from left to right is Kaylee Collier, Gavin Weier, Christain Jones, and Christianna Bender following the Tutus and Tennis Shoes Fun Run.

Monday – Generation Swap

Tuesday – Villians vs Superheroes

Wednesday – Color (Grade) Wars

5th Blue      6th Gold

7th Blue      8th Gold

Thursday – Dress for Success

Friday – Jacket Pride

Parents...Are you familiar with vault apps? Do you have questions about cyberbullying and dangerous social media trends? Thomas County Schools is sponsoring a FREE Cyber-Safety Seminar with nationally recognized speaker, Sgt. Jesse Hambrick of the Douglas County Sheriff's Office.  Please make plans to attend on September 11 at 6:00 PM at the Thomas County Board of Education.

Attention all grandparents of TCMS 5th and 6th graders:  You are invited to a celebration assembly on Tuesday, October 30, 2018 at 9:00 a.m. in the TCMS gym.  Please see the attached flyer for more information:

Students on the 8th grade MERIT Zulu team at Thomas County Middle School recently visited Kolomoki Mounds State Park in Blakey, Georgia. The site is the oldest and largest Woodland Indian site in the Southeastern United States. The students are studying the prehistoric cultures of Georgia, as well as early European contact with the natives in the region. Students climbed 57 feet to the top of Georgia’s oldest temple mound, visited the museum, and toured the inside of an excavated mound. Rangers shared information about the history of the site, and demonstrated tools and weapons used by the Woodland Indians.

Students in Mrs. Holland's 5th grade ELA class analyze a title page to find information that is included in a bibliography. Mrs. Craven lead the lesson and students learned the importance of giving credit where credit is due.

The first Fellowship of Christian Athletes meeting was held on Wednesday, August 29th at TCMS where eighty-five students were in attendance.  Four students from the high school FCA Leadership Team came (Caleb Clark, Landon Trotter, Abigail Witcher, & Langley Wooten) and talked about FCA and the charge for student leadership. Students played a game and finished the meeting with prayer. There is an upcoming student leadership training in September at Wild Adventures and an FCA Game Day opportunity coming up soon.  Students may join us Wednesday mornings anytime after 7:30 A.M.  Listen for morning announcements for more information and remember, you don't have to be an athlete to attend!

Character Education students are chosen once a month by their teachers for portraying the selected character trait for that month.   Students chosen were treated to lunch with our Parent Involvement Coordinator, Terry Dukes, and one of our principals at Dairy Queen.  

For the month of August, students were chosen for being Respectful.  Students with this trait have been recognized for treating others with honor and dignity, treating others the way that they want to be treated.  

Pictured below in the first row from left to right is Jhordan Taylor, Tristen Rudolph, Mackenzie Joiner, Peyton Thurman, Jocelyn Love, Terry Sullivan, Karen Kraft, Nora Mitchell, and D'Mayas Williams.  On the second row from left to right is Jailen Davis, Madison Neville, Jake Jamison, Audrey Joiner, Nayeli Badillo, Caden Reagan, D'Andre Frazier, Joseph McKinney, Darquez Lee, Christian Stockholm, Paris Murry, and Parent Involvement Coordinator, Terry Dukes.

Twenty-seven students from Thomas County Middle School completed the requirements for the Summer Reading Challenge.  These students were treated to an ice cream party in the media center on Friday, August 24.  One student, Alyssa Bradshaw, won the drawing for $50.00 to spend at the first book fair of the year.  To read the entire article, click 'Read more' below.

Students in Mrs. Coffee's seventh-grade science class completed a lab comparing the size of gummy bears in plain water, salt water, and no water. This demonstrated the phenomenon of osmosis & allowed students to develop background knowledge and a deeper understanding before learning about it more in depth.

Thomas County Middle School MERIT parents gathered recently to learn "How to Avoid MERIT Mania", in order to become educated about the MERIT program and how to encourage and support their children as they learn to excel in a rigorous and accelerated learning environment. Parents were given information and attended break-out sessions, lead by MERIT teachers and geared toward parental involvement in the success of their child. "MERIT is a family commitment and our Thomas County MERIT parents are very supportive of this program," says Dana Studdard, MERIT Coordinator. There were over two hundred parents in attendance at this event.

Recently, TCMS MERIT students traveled to the Thomas County Board of Education Auditorium to meet their first VISIONS speaker of the 2018-2019 school year, Dr. Kevin Shirley. Dr. Shirley is a professor of History at LaGrange College and Co-Coordinator of National History Day in Georgia. His research has been published internationally.  To read the entire article, click 'Read More' below.

The TCMS Cross Country Teams recently traveled to Tallahassee, Florida, to compete at the Cougar Cross Country Challenge at  Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park.  This popular trail in Tallahassee is considered a moderately challenging course.  Runners Grace Adams and Evan Kelley lead the Yellow Jackets, with Evan finishing 3rd overall and Grace taking the 25th overall spot in the competition.

Students in Mrs. Sturrup's sixth grade science class recently completed experiments to begin their scientific method lessons. Students had to determine if an orange could pop a balloon without touching it directly! Small groups stated their claims, found evidence to support their claim, and used reasoning to prove their claim.

Pictured below in the first image are Sam Stewart and Ty Palmer following the steps in the scientific method to conduct their experiment.

In the second image is Alison Miller and Rhi'Anna Mitchell completing the experiment to see if the orange would pop the balloon.

Parents….Are you familiar with vault apps?  Do you have questions about cyberbullying and dangerous social media challenge trends?  

Thomas County Schools is sponsoring a FREE Cyber-Safety Seminar with nationally recognized speaker, Sgt. Jesse Hambrick of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.

Please make plans to attend on September 11 at 6:00 PM at the Thomas County Board of Education.

The Thomas County Public Library will be on hand at the following open house events to register you and your children for public library cards:

Thursday, August 1 - Thomas County Middle School
2:30-4:00 PM - 5th and 6th grade
3:30-4:30 PM - 5th grade MERIT

Friday, August 2 - Hand in Hand 
8:00-10:00 AM - PreK and Kindergarten

Garrison-Pilcher Elementary School - 10:00 AM -12:00 PM - 1st and 2nd grade

Thank you for your support of Thomas County Schools and the Thomas County Public Library.  

Visit The Sports Hut to create your own Thomas County spirit wear. You select your item of clothing and then add a design (type in Thomas). You place the order and the item ships directly to your door. 

https://tcspiritwear.com/

They will have free shipping during the weeks of August 6 and August 13. 

Please click "...Read More" for all open house dates and times.  

The next school year is approaching fast! If you have a son or daughter attending TCMS, please view the 2018-2019 school dress code.

Dress Code 2018-2019

The Thomas County Elementary Schools supplies/wish list is now available. The Thomas County School System has not made any changes to the bookbag/backpack policy. For questions, please contact the Thomas County Board of Education at 229-225-4380.

Thomas County Elementary Schools Supplies/Wish List

Save the date for the annual Back to School Blitz! This year's event will take place in the gym at Thomasville High School on Saturday, August 4, from 9:00 AM until 11:00 AM.

In order to recognize the teachers who have gone above and beyond with implementing the effective use of technology in classroom instruction, this year the Thomas County School System named the first ever Digital Learning All-Star Teacher at each school and for the district.

“With the help of local E-SPLOST funds as well as several grants received over the past several years, the Thomas County School System has made a significant investment in technology for our students and teachers," said Erin Rehberg, Digital Learning Coordinator for Thomas County Schools. "This year we thought it would be very beneficial to reward those teachers who have used the technology provided to them to effectively transform the learning process in their classrooms. Not only do all of our Digital Learning All-Star Teachers effectively use technology with their students, they are also known for helping their peers with various technology tools.”  

Each school held a nomination process with the winner for each school completing an application in order to compete for the district title. This year, the district winner was awarded a laptop computer courtesy of ByteSpeed Computers and will be able to attend an educational technology conference in the fall.  

Thomas County School System officials have named Lacey Howard, fourth grade special education teacher at Cross Creek Elementary School, as the District Teacher of the Year.

“I was very surprised and felt very honored to be named Teacher of the Year,” Howard said. “There are always so many wonderful things happening in the Thomas County School System. To be given the opportunity to represent our amazing system is such a privilege.” 

Three Thomas County Middle School ESOL students recently presented their published books before a candid audience. ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages) students have worked diligently on their books for several months along with the help of their instructor, Ms. Argen Loaisiga. Students have learned to identify story elements as part of the Georgia Standards of Excellence and applied those elements when writing a story of their own.

To read the entire article, click 'Read more' below.

Thomas County Middle School Character Education students were recently treated to lunch at Dairy Queen.  Each team selects one student that has best displayed the Character Education quality of the month.             

The character quality for the month of May was SUCCESSFUL.  Students were selected because their teachers recognized them as always giving their best in order to achieve success. Lisa Gilligan, Parent Involvement Coordinator and manager of the Character Education program says, "These students always work hard and go above and beyond what is expected to achieve success."  Students were treated to lunch at Dairy Queen by TCMS Principal, Jamie Thompson.

Fifteen Thomas County Middle School MERIT Math scholars worked their way to the National Mathfest Competition along with 300 other middle school students from across the country. The competition was recently held in Birmingham, Alabama where students were asked to work rigorous math problems with a tight time constraint. Two TCMS students earned the distinction of placing in the top 20; 5th grader Charlie Dunbar and 6th grader Hayden Groom. Another 6th grader, Cam Jones, made it all of the way to the top ten! All three students received special recognition and a National Championship t-shirt for this honor.

Pictured below in the first image is Cam Jones, who placed in the top ten in the nation, along with Hayden Groom and Charlie Dunbar who both placed in the top  twenty in the nation at the National Mathfest Competition.

Pictured below in the second image are all fifteen Thomas County Middle School MERIT students who participated in the National Mathfest Competition. In the back row from left to right is Caroline Knight, Hailey Atkinson, Carina Johnson, Bishop Jackson, Cam Jones, Charlie Dunbar, and Hayden Groom. On the front row is Cody Wolfe,  Connor Reagan,  Jackson Nestale, Amerys Lewis, Natalie Carlisle, and Kinsley Rhodes.

Student Google accounts will be disabled from June 15 - August 3, 2018. If a student needs account access during this time, he or she should complete the form below.   Please allow 24 hours for access to be granted. Student accounts will continue to be monitored for inappropriate usage during the summer months.  Questions should be directed to Erin Rehberg at erehberg@tcjackets.net.

Student Account Request Form

The Thomas County School System wants students to READ this summer!  Did you know that students can have up to a 2-3 month loss in reading ability over the summer?  It's important for students to spend time sharpening their reading skills!

Each school has developed a summer reading challenge for students.  We would like for students to read for 15-30 minutes everyday this summer. The guidelines and requirements vary by school.  Please click the link below for more information about each school's guidelines.  If you need more information, please talk to the media specialist at each school.  The guidelines are for the school the students will be attending in the 2017-2018 school year.

Guidelines for all schools

Click here for information about programs at the Thomas County Public Library this summer!

Free eBooks are provided for all students this summer -- Click here for more information

Other free learning resources for the summer