TOMLIN MIDDLE SCHOOL TIGER INFORMATION 2015-2016

TOMLIN MIDDLE SCHOOL TIGER INFORMATION 2015-2016 August 2015 Dear Parents and Students: Superintendent of Schools Jeff Eakins School Board Members Susan L. Valdes, Chair Doretha W. Edgecomb, Vice Chair April Griffin Sally A. Harris Carol W. Kurdell Melissa Snively Cindy Stuart Tomlin Administration Principal Traci Durrance Assistant Principal Dale Hawke Assistant Principal Megan Braglin Assistant Principal Abeba Salter-Woods,Ed.S. Tomlin Middle School 501 N. Woodrow Wilson Plant City, FL 33563 Telephone (813)757-9400 FAX (813)707-7024 Web http://tomlin.mysdhc.org MISSION: To provide an education that enables each student to excel as a successful and responsible citizen. VISION: To be a top performing middle school. CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS Aug. 25 First Day of School Sept. 7 Labor Day Oct. 23 End of 1 st Nine Weeks Oct. 26 Non-Student Day Nov. 11 Veteran s Day Nov. 23-27 Thanksgiving Holidays Dec. 21- Jan. 1 Winter Holidays Jan 15 End of 2 rd Nine Weeks Jan. 18 MLK Holiday Jan. 19 Non-Student Day March 3-13 Strawberry Festival March 7 Non-Student Day March 14-18 Spring Break April 1 End of 3 rd Nine Weeks May 30 Memorial Day Holiday June 10 Last Day of School My name is Traci Durrance, the new principal at Tomlin. It is a privilege and honor to return back to Tomlin where I taught for fourteen years. I spent the past eight years as an Assistant Principal at Plant City High. I am energized and deeply committed to making a positive difference in the lives of your children. My main goal is to ensure that every student is provided the highest quality of education possible in a safe and supportive learning environment. We will set high academic expectations for your child and provide supportive systems to assure they are met. By addressing school culture, setting high standards for teacher performance, and engaging the community, we will assure our students are prepared for high school. In order to accomplish this goal, we need to focus on the 4 A s to Success. These are: Attendance, Academics, Attitude, and Activities. I sincerely believe that by adhering to the basic ideas embedded in these four concepts, our students will become well-rounded individuals. When we, as adults and role models, also adhere to these concepts, our students will better see the value of these concepts. Included in this newsletter is a great deal of important information regarding policies and procedures. Student handbooks will be distributed on the first day of school. Included in the handbook is information concerning every facet of Tomlin life, from academics to athletics, to procedures and policies. Every parent and student should become familiar with this handbook. You are invited to attend our Open House on Friday, August 21 st (schedule included). This is an opportunity to meet your child s teachers, locate their classes, become familiar with our campus, and join PTSA. Parent Involvement is imperative to your child s educational success. Please get involved in our active PTSA. Tomlin has a wonderful staff of committed professionals who are always available to assist you. Please do not hesitate to call on us. I look forward to meeting you and working with you to provide a wonderful educational experience at Tomlin. Sincerely, Traci Durrance, Principal

HOMEROOM ASSIGNMENTS On the outside of this packet, in the upper right hand corner of the address label, you will find your homeroom section and the room number where you are to report. The last three digits indicate the room number. The first four digits indicate the homeroom section. Example: 0801-215 (Section 0801- Room #215.) Please bring this information with you to orientation on August 21. If you are unable to attend orientation, please have your child report to this assigned homeroom when arriving at school on August 25, 2015. ORIENTATION Friday, August 21, 2015 Students should report to their homeroom where they will receive their class schedule. Parking will be on the bus ramp, agriculture field, the north end of the school and the festival lot across from the front entrance. 6 th GRADE 9:00 10:50 A.M. Students will follow their class schedule by the bell 11:00 PTSA General Meeting followed by Title One Information Meeting in the Auditorium 7 TH AND 8 TH GRADE 11:30 12:30 - REPORT TO HOMEROOM TO RECEIVE A SCHEDULE Students and parents will be able to walk through and meet teachers but will not be on a formal schedule. 12:30 Athletic Meeting in the Auditorium SCHOOL SUPPLIES On the first day of school students will bring home a first day packet containing important information, including several forms that will need to be completed, signed, and returned to the student s homeroom teacher the first week of school. Students will need basic school supplies such as paper, pens, and pencils. However, they will get a specific list from each teacher. TOMLIN INFORMATION School Hours - Our school day is from 8:50 a.m. until 4:15 p.m. The first day of school (Tuesday, August 25th) will be a regular school day. Students will be dismissed at 4:15 p.m. Please DO NOT DROP OFF students before 8:35 a.m. Students dropped off before 8:30 will be enrolled in our HOST Program. Teacher supervision is not available before this time. All students are to report to school before the 8:50 bell and remain at school until the final bell rings. Students may leave school grounds only when signed out by a parent or guardian in the main office. Every Monday is early release, students will be dismissed at 3:15 p.m., the first early release day is August 31, 2015. HOST Hillsborough County Public Schools Out-of School Time Programs Program fees are approved by the school district. The program accepts Federal Government Subsidized Child Care Vouchers and are staffed by district certified teachers. All staff members are screened, processed and fingerprinted through the school district s human resources department. All students are carefully supervised and are only released to authorized persons indicated on the family registration form. Tomlin HOST Program Hours/Fees host@mysdhc.org Hours 7:00 8:30 a.m. Early Release/After School on Mondays 3:15 6:00 p.m. - $20.00 a month Annual Family Registration Fee $15 Weekly Fee before School Only $15 (per child, per week) (drop-off between 7:00 7:30 a.m.) $10 (per child, per week) (drop-off between 7:30 8:30 a.m.) After School $25.00 (per child, per week) (4:15 6:00 p.m.) Bus Information Bus Schedules are available on the Tomlin Website at http://tomlin.mysdch.org They will also be available at Orientation and in the Main Office at Tomlin. The Transportation Department for Hillsborough County can be reached at (813)707-7318. All Students will be picked up at designated bus stops the first day of school. If a student is not on the roster for that bus, the student should go to the office.

ATTENDANCE Attendance at school every day is a necessity to student success. Attendance will be taken in all seven classes. In order to achieve perfect attendance, students must be at school all day, every day. When students are absent they miss valuable instructional time that cannot be made up. TARDIES In order to be on time for school, students must be in their homeroom when the 9:00 a.m. bell rings. If students arrive after 9:00 a.m. a parent will need to sign them in through the main office. Please provide dental or medical notes to excuse their tardy (all other tardies will be unexcused). When a student is late to school three times a nine weeks, there will be disciplinary consequences. Being on time is one of those skills we work hard to instill in our students. The passing time between classes is four minutes. This is ample time to go to their locker, the restroom, and the next class; this does not allow for socializing or long errands. Habitual tardiness is a hindrance to the student s educational progress and a distraction and disturbance to the instructional program. Continued tardies to classes will result in disciplinary action. PROCEDURES FOR REPORTING ABSENCES It is the responsibility of each student s parent or guardian to call the school by 11:00 a.m. on EACH DAY of an absence. In order for the absence to be excused, the school must be notified within 72 hours of the absence. Please call 757-9400-----Option #1 leave reason for absence, child s name, and grade level. Parents and guardians are to follow this procedure for EACH absence Notes will NOT be accepted If your child needs to be absent for a reason other than illness, a pre-arranged absence should be initiated by the parent through the assistant principal s office at least three (3) days in advance. Sign-Out - If your child must miss part of a day for medical or dental reasons she/he must bring a written note from you stating where she/he is going, and what time you will be picking her/him up from school. This note should be brought to the office by the student, before school, to obtain an excuse from class permit. When he/she checks out, the parent must come into the main office with photo ID and sign the student out. Students will not be allowed to leave with anyone not listed on the emergency card. We CANNOT check out students after 4:00 p.m. Tuesday Friday or 3:00 p.m. on Monday. We do not interrupt classes to page students to the office for phone calls or visits. Locker rentals - Locker rental fees will be collected during the second week of school during homeroom. Make checks payable to Tomlin Middle School. Lock rental fees are $2.00 for a hallway locker and $2.00 for a P.E. locker, these fees will need to be paid separately. Any time a lock is lost or not turned in at the end of the year, the student will be charged an additional $2.00. PE will collect their locker money during PE class time. There are no rental refunds for locks. Cafeteria- Lunch will be served for $2.75 in the cafeteria along with additional ala carte items. A free breakfast is provided to all students, which is served from 8:25 8:50. Students are encouraged to prepay on Monday mornings before school in the lunchroom. Students may not charge lunches. Checks are to be made payable to Tomlin Middle School and should have the student's legal name and student ID number on the front. Lunches may also be prepaid via the internet at http://apps.sdhc.k12.fl.us/sns/meal_prepay.htm. Tomlin also offers an ala carte menu (pizza, chicken fingers) as well as healthy meals (yogurt, salad, sandwiches/wraps). Prices vary depending on selections. Applications for Free/Reduced lunches have been mailed to your home and will also be sent home in the first day information packet. This application must be completed every year, even for students who qualified last year. All students should complete this form and submit it to their homeroom teacher as soon as possible or complete the Free/Reduced lunch application online at www.sdhc.k12.fl.us/sns, as Federal funds are determined by the number of students who qualify. Applications should be completed as soon as possible to ensure that free lunch is available at the beginning of the year. Paper applications should be returned to the homeroom teacher as soon as possible to be processed by the School Nutrition Department. Students previously on the free/reduced lunch program that do not complete the online form or return the paper form will only be allowed free or reduced lunch for 10 days. PE Uniforms- All Tomlin students will take physical education and be required to dress out. Uniforms will be available through the P.E. department for the cost of $17.00 for the set, which includes a shirt and pair of shorts, or $9.00 for a shirt and $9.00 for the shorts if purchased separately. You may choose to provide your own ALL WHITE or GREY t-shirt (no writing). Please put the student s name in permanent marker in the upper left corner. Shorts must be solid blue or black and proper school length; name must be visible on the left side. Parent Input Forms - Forms are available in the main office for parents to give input or comments regarding faculty and staff. These forms will be kept in the principal s correspondence file for a period of one year following the current school year.

Fees - Orchestra, band, chorus, and art may have additional fees to cover uniform, instrument rental or supplies. Emergency Contacts Parents must furnish the school with a daytime telephone number where they can be reached in the event that their child becomes ill or injured at school. Students will be allowed to leave school only if you (or the persons you designate on the emergency card) pick them up. Parents should also check to make sure all information on the emergency card is accurate. These cards will be sent home in the first day packet. Only persons listed as emergency contacts will be allowed to check students out of school. Bicycles/Skateboards - All students riding bicycles must bring a lock, and lock their bicycle to the bike rack during school hours. Skateboards are NOT permitted on campus. Books and Personal Property Books and personal property should not be left unattended. When textbooks are found, they will be returned to the classroom teachers. Lost or damaged books must be paid for by the student to whom the book is issued. Tomlin will not be responsible for lost or damaged personal items brought to school. Electronic devices such as CD players, game systems, mp3 players, and ipods are not permitted to be in use on campus. School board policy states that cell phones and other electronic devices are not to be used on campus unless directed by a teacher for instructional purposes. Cell phones or electronic devices that are being used during the school day without permission will be taken. Parents may pick up these items on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00 5:00 p.m. in the Assistant Principal s office. In no case should an expensive watch or expensive piece of jewelry be worn to school. We discourage your child from having more than $5.00 in his/her possession at any time. Mark all books, purses, billfolds, jackets, coats, etc. with your child's name. For physical education, purchase inexpensive tennis shoes. Clearly mark the student's name on the outside of the shoes. Tomlin will not be responsible for damaged, lost or stolen items. Students should lock all personal property in their hall or PE locker. Immunization Requirements For all students entering the 6 th grade, the immunization record must show that the student has met the minimal state requirement. 5 DPT (diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus) 4 Polio 2 MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) Hepatitis B series For students entering 7 th and 8 th grade, the immunization record must show that the student has met the requirements stated above as well as: 1 Td Booster (tetanus, diphtheria) Contact your doctor or the Hillsborough County Public Health unit (757-3840) to receive these immunizations. If this applies to your child, please attend to this matter immediately. Any 6 th or 7 th grade student not in compliance with this state requirement will be refused entry on the FIRST DAY of school. Medication Whenever possible, medication schedules should be arranged so all medication is given at home. Only prescription medication will be administered at the clinic. Over-the-counter or sample medication must be accompanied by orders from the physician. If the medication requires equipment for administration (cup, spoon, or dropper) the parent is responsible for supplying the articles, labeled with student's name. The label must indicate the student s name, name of medication, physician s name, dosage (amount) and time (frequency). Medication must be delivered to the school clinic in the container in which it was purchased (dispensed) by the parent/or other responsible adult. New parental authorization forms will be requested periodically. A separate supply of medication must be kept at school. Medication will not be transported between home and school on a daily or weekly basis. When medication is discontinued (or left at the end of the school year) it will be destroyed.

STUDENT DROP OFF/PICK UP PROCEDURES Morning Drop Off Beginning at 8:30 a.m. Students dropped off earlier will be enrolled in the HOST Program Parents will drive west on Oak Street and drop off their student in the parking spaces that line the south side of our campus (along the tennis courts, basketball court and gym). We unload approximately 10 cars at a time. Students will walk across the basketball courts to their designated area. Cars will then proceed to Edwards where they can turn right (north) to Hwy 92 or turn left (south) to Hwy 574. Afternoon Pickup We encourage students to ride the bus home as our busses leave the ramp by 4:20 most afternoons. However, if you decide to pick them up, please don t arrive before 4:00 p.m. and be patient. Car Rider Line is completed usually by 4:30 p.m. Parents will line up headed west on Oak Street in the parking spaces on the south side of the school and continue lining up down Oak Street back toward Bryan Elementary. Students will wait on the basketball courts until parents pull into the parking areas to get in their car. After loading, parents will proceed west on Oak to Edwards where they will be allowed to turn left (south) to Hwy 574 or continue west 1 block to Ritter to turn right to get to Hwy 92. Parents will be unable to turn right on Edwards due to bus dismissal. Rainy day Procedures If it is raining at dismissal, students will be held in the gym then moved to the bus ramp where there is shelter once the buses vacate it. ***If you have your child walk off campus to be picked up at Taco Bell or Bryan track, please remember that we cannot provide security or be responsible for incidents that occur after leaving campus. We encourage all students to be picked up on Oak Street where there is adult supervision. GUN-FREE SCHOOL ACT Any student who is determined to have brought a firearm, as defined in 18 U.S.C.s921, to school, any school function, or on any school-sponsored transportation will be expelled, with or without continuing educational services, from the student s regular school for a period of not less than 1 full year and referred for criminal prosecution. DRESS CODE STANDARDS AND RULES In order to facilitate learning, Tomlin students should wear clothing that is comfortable and modest. The dress and grooming of students shall be that which contributes to the health and safety of the individual, promotes a positive educational environment and good school spirit, and is non-disruptive of the educational activities and processes of the school. 1. Shoes shall be worn. Due to safety issues, slippers and skate shoes are not allowed. 2. Underwear shall not be visible. 3. Pajamas shall not be worn. 4. Clothing that exposes the entire shoulder (tube tops, spaghetti straps, halters) or low cut shirts that are revealing are not allowed. 5. No miniskirts, mini dresses or short shorts will be permitted. Hemlines shall be mid-thigh in length. 6. Clothing not properly fastened or with tears that are indecent shall not be worn. (Tears should fall below finger tip line. All pants and shorts shall be secured at the waist. 7. Boys shirts shall have sleeves (No tank tops or muscle shirts). 8. Head coverings are not allowed. No hats, bandannas, or sunglasses are permitted. (Except at PE) 9. Garments and/or jewelry which display or suggest sexual, racial, vulgar, drug, gang, tobacco, or alcohol-related wording or graphics, or any message or symbol that may tend to provoke violence or cause a school disruption will not be allowed. 10. Tattoos of any type MAY NOT be displayed. Dress code is checked daily in homeroom. Students not in compliance will change into their P.E. clothes. Parents please monitor and assist with dress code standards. Repeat offenders will be assigned disciplinary consequences. ***Above policies shall be enforced by the administration and staff**

2015-2016 Tomlin PTSA Orientation Form *Fill this out and bring to Orientation PTSA Membership Family Membership Member Name Relation Member Name Relation Member Name Relation Email Address Student Membership Homeroom Teacher/Grade Member Name Member Name Member Name Tomlin Gold Cards $15/each Student receiving credit for Tomlin Gold Card Sale: Name Homeroom Teacher/Grade # of cards # of cards # of cards Number of Tomlin Gold Cards at $15 each= Number of PTSA Memberships at $5 each= Total Amount Due Check # Cash Received Business Sponsor Incentive(s) Received Membership Card(s) Received Homework Pass (if student membership) Received Tomlin Gold Card(s) Please make checks payable to Tomlin PTSA. Please include the student # on the check.

IMPORTANT PTSA INFORMATION Attend Our First PTSA General Meeting On August 21 (Orientation Day) At 11:00 in the Auditorium We will Present and Vote on the Budget *You Must be a PTSA Member to Vote **You Can Join at Orientation! SUPPORT OUR PTSA FUNDRAISER THIS YEAR! TOMLIN GOLD CARDS ARE BACK!! Great deals with local businesses for only $15 per card! 100% profit goes directly to Tomlin PTSA to benefit our students. The cards will first be available at Orientation. All students will have a chance to sell and win great prizes. Visit the PTSA table at Orientation to purchase or check cards out. More details will be available then and in your first day packs. WHY JOIN PTSA?? Membership is only $5.00 annually. Memberships help fund our Programs which all support our students and teachers! Be sure that you AND your student sign up to become members of the PTSA. Every student who is a member will be eligible for monthly raffles and receive various treats every month throughout the school year. Every student who joins by October 9, 2015 will also receive one homework pass. Every Tomlin PTSA membership also includes several coupons and value savings donated by our local business partners. The homeroom that has the most total memberships, including parents, grandparents and students for each grade level will win a Hot Breakfast from Chic-Fil-A! You can Join at Orientation. Envelopes will also be in 1 st Day Packs! STAY CONNECTED AND INFORMED! Visit our Website and Register at www.tomlinptsa.com Find us and Like us on Facebook: Tomlin PTSA Follow us on Twitter @tomlinptsa

TOMLIN MIDDLE SCHOOL 501 North Woodrow Wilson Street Plant City, Florida 33563 Phone: 813/757-9400 24 hour absence line: press opt. 1 FAX: 813/707-7024 VISIT OUR WEB SITE!!! HTTP://Tomlin.mysdhc.org Unlocking Your Potential ORIENTATION: FRIDAY, AUGUST 21st, 2015 6 th GRADE: 9:00 A.M. 10:50 A.M. 7 th & 8 th GRADE: 11:30 A.M. 12:30 P.M. PTSA/Title I MEETING 11:00 A.M. IN THE AUDITORIUM Athletics Meeting: 12:30 P.M. in the Auditorium Parking is available on the bus ramp, Ag field, the north end of the school and the Festival Field across from Main Entrance.