Tillicum Times
September 4, 2023
Dear Tillicum Families,
Ready or not, school starts on Tuesday 9/5 at 7:45 am. Tillicum staff are so excited to welcoming each and every student and family back to school! Find below loads of helpful information to ensure a great start to school.
Dusty Steere
Principal – Tillicum Middle School
IMPORTANT DATES
September 4 Labor Day – No School
September 5 1st day of school
September 15 Picture Day
September 18 Tillicum Curriculum Night @ 6:15 pm
Please remember to regularly visit the Tillicum website for the most current information. https://bsd405.org/tillicum
- Getting to and from School.
- Driving to school? Please review and follow Tillicum Drop Off and Pick Up Procedures.
- Riding the bus? Find your bus route
- Final Class Schedule.
- All students must collect a paper copy of their final class schedule upon arriving to school Tuesday morning beginning at 7:25 am.
- 6th grade students pick up schedules in the Commons
- 7th and 8th grade students pick up schedules in the gym
- Daily Bell Schedule
- Building Map
- All students must collect a paper copy of their final class schedule upon arriving to school Tuesday morning beginning at 7:25 am.
- Lunch
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- Students can bring their own lunch or buy at school (even on the first day).
- Meal Prices: Lunch = $4.00; Milk Only = $0.50.
- Set up payment for student meal purchases using PayPAMS. Families may also pay for meals by check or cash at their student’s school.
- View September menus and nutritional information.
- The application for school meal benefits (free and reduced priced meals) is now available.
- Students can bring their own lunch or buy at school (even on the first day).
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- School Supplies
- Tillicum’s Suggested School Supply List for 2023/24 is available on our website.
- School Computers
- Laptop computers will be distributed to 6th graders and new to TMS students on Friday 9/9.
- Taking Care of Business Online
- Review and complete all necessary paperwork and payments identified in our online Taking Care of Business document.
After School Activities and Sports Signups. The registration window for Fall Sports is now open (August 30 – September 12). Fall sports offerings include: Boys soccer, Girls Basketball, Co-ed cross country, Girls Golf. Click here for Fall Sports Registration.
Tillicum also offers a variety of after school clubs and activities in addition to the Jubilee Reach sponsored sports above. Additional information about Tillicum clubs/activities/sports can be found here: https://bsd405.org/tillicum/tigers.
Volunteer as a Coach with Jubilee Sports. Engage with your student and peers in news ways as an assistant or head coach for their school sports team. Jubilee REACH sports focus on respect and becoming a stronger player through practicing good sportsmanship. This fall, Jubilee is offering girls basketball, boys soccer, coed cross country, and girls golf. We need head coaches, assistant coaches, and weekly helpers (e.g. game day scorekeeper, XC meet set-up, etc.). Most sports run daily during activity time (3:00 – 4:00). Contact Patrick Davis ([email protected]) for more information.
Cell Phones- Away for the Day. Research shows that access to cell phones at school has a negative academic and social impact on students. When students do not have the freedom of accessing their phones during school hours, they are more engaged socially and academically. Per BSD Policy, Telecommunication devices will be turned on and operated only before and after the regular school day and during the student’s lunch break, unless an emergency situation exists that involves imminent physical danger.
This means, students may use cell phones only:
- Before school in the Commons until 7:40 a.m.
- During Lunch in the Commons
- After school to communicate about after school plans.
Parents/guardians that need to send an emergency message to their students may contact the Tillicum office at 425-456-6700. Students are expected to keep cell phones, earbuds, and electronics powered off and out of sight.
The following process will be followed when students violate these expectations.
- Step 1: Device held in main office until after school, picked up by student.
- Step 2: Device held in main office until after school, and parent/guardian contacted.
- Step 3: Device held in main office until after school, and parent/guardian is contacted. Conference with administration and one week with device left at home or kept in office during school hours.
School Year Calendar. Stay on top of events and activities and plan for important dates by reviewing the district calendar. Previous and current printable calendars, including the 2023-24 Family Calendar, are available online. The 2023-24 BSD Cultural Calendar is also available. Learn about the cultures, traditions and significant days in our learning community.
Update Your SchoolMessenger Preferences for Important Notifications. Tillicum MS and BSD uses the SchoolMessenger communication notification system to send regular announcements and urgent alerts such as school delays and closures. Families may receive SchoolMessenger communication via phone call, text message and email. You do not need to create an account to receive notifications, as you will automatically receive them to the phone number and email address listed in your student’s record (see below for information about online student data verification).
However, if you choose to set up a SchoolMessenger App account, you may adjust how you prefer to be notified. You may also view messages from the last 30 days online website or by setting up the app on your IOS or Android smartphone.
Important: Families should sign up with the same email address used for Online Student Data Verification through ParentVUE.
Learn more about SchoolMessenger and create/update your account.
Social Media. How does your student use social media? How do you know? Tillicum, like other schools nationally, has seen a rise in bullying and harassing behavior between students via text and social media. It is important for families to be aware of the social media activities of their children, to be aware of the apps installed on their devices, and to know what is in their feeds.
Resources:
Parenting, Media, and Everything in Between | Common Sense Media
What Are Some Basic Social Media Rules for Middle Schoolers? | Common Sense Media
2023-24 Official Notices for District Families. Find linked below the BSD Official Notices including our Weapons Policy, Truancy Notice and Student Video/Photo Form preventing the use of photographs and/or videotapes of students. Per district policy these notices and documents must be shared with all district families. Hard copies of these policies and forms are also available in the Tillicum main office.
https://bsd405.org/about/resources/notices