Tillicum Times
October 16, 2023
Dear Tillicum Families,
I trust your children enjoyed the long weekend. I know what an impact it can be on families when we have a non-student day, but I can also tell you that the professional learning that our teaching staff engaged in on Friday was rich! Thank you for your support.
This week is full of opportunity for you and your child to be involved at Tillicum. Wednesday is Unity Day where we explicitly model and practice kindness, acceptance, and inclusion. Students are invited to wear orange and get to know someone new during our “mix it up” lunch. We’ve got Tiger Points and Raffle Prizes for those who join in!
On Friday, our amazing Tillicum PTA is sponsoring the Orange & Black Social at 6 pm. This is a great opportunity for students and families to engage socially with food, games, movies, and more. Check out all the details below.
On a more somber note, the BSD Middle School Consolidation Study releases demographer reports this Friday (10/20) with community engagement forums beginning next week. Specifically, the Tillicum Middle School Community Engagement Forum is scheduled for Tuesday October 24th at 6 pm here at Tillicum. Participants will review the demographer findings, discuss the implications, and share thoughts with district leaders. These meetings are open to all members of the public and participants at each forum will have the option to attend smaller sessions for groups that will be impacted such as Dual Language and Spanish Immersion. Additional details on the community forums and the consolidation process can be found on the Middle School Consolidation Study website.
Thanks in advance for reading this message and the accompanying details below. I hope to see you all in person at some point in the coming weeks.
Dusty Steere
Principal – Tillicum Middle School
IMPORTANT DATES
- 10/18 Unity Day – wear ORANGE
- 10/19 6th Grade WEB tutorial meeting
- 10/20 Picture Retake Day
- 10/20 Black & Orange Social @ 6 pm (details below)
- 10/24 Middle School Consolidation Community Forum @ 6 pm
- 10/24 TMS Choir MOD Pizza Fundraiser @ Factoria location
- 11/8 – 21 2023-23 Yearbook sale
- 11/10 Veterans Day – Federal Holiday – no students
- 11/23 & 24 Thanksgiving Holiday – no students
Please visit our Tillicum website for the most current information. https://bsd405.org/tillicum
Tillicum Middle School PTA Presents: Orange & Black Social! Tiger Students and Families are invited to attend this Fall social event this Friday, October 20th, at Tillicum MS at 6pm.
Students and their families are welcome! Join in on the fun and wear orange and black as an option. Hang out with friends or meet new families. Enjoy some yummy treats: every attendee gets 2 tickets for snacks and drinks or there will be pizza for purchase (while supplies last). Bring your own comfy seating (sleeping bag, lounge chair, etc) and check out the movie we will be showing … Princess Bride! There will also be a game area with board games for both grownups and kids. We will even have a Nintendo Switch area where kids can game together on their own consoles (note: we will not be responsible for lost or stolen items). Lots of fun to be had. Hope to see you all there! More info about the Orange & Black Social on the PTA website.
Picture retake day Friday October 20th. For more information or to order pictures please follow this link: Picture Retake Day.
TMS Choir MOD Pizza Fundraiser on Tuesday, October 24th. Help support the TMS Choir as they prepare for their trip to New York! Available at the Factoria MOD location. More information and the in-store flyer can be found here. Use the fundraiser code is MODGIVES20 if you order online through the app or website.
Costumes on October 31st. With Halloween fast approaching, please know that Bellevue School District’s Student Dress Policy 3224, https://bsd405.org/wp-content/pdf/policy/3224.pdf will remain in effect, promoting an inclusive learning environment. Students are permitted to wear costumes on October 31, and Tillicum Middle School will operate as a typical school day. School Staff will regulate student dress when:
- A health or safety hazard is presented
- Damage to school property will result from the student’s dress, and/or
- A material and substantial disruption of the educational process will result from the student’s dress or appearance (may exist when a student’s conduct is inconsistent with any part of the educational mission/learning of the district).
Examples of student dress that are prohibited include, but are not limited to, what is listed in Student Dress Procedure 3224P: https://bsd405.org/wp-content/pdf/policy/3224P.pdf
Given full-face masks and full-face paint pose a health or safety hazard, and conceal the identity of students – they are not allowed at school at any time, including Spirit Days or Holidays. Weapons (fake or otherwise), blood & gore, or displays or dress featuring references to drug/alcohol are also not permitted. Students are to refrain from dress that mocks/mimics another culture or race as costume.
If students are unsure whether their costume is permitted at school, they are encouraged to ASK a staff member at school BEFORE October 31! Thanks in advance for your understanding, and support of a positive school climate and culture.
Veterans Day Assembly Slide Slow Submissions. Tillicum Middle School’s Veteran’s Day Assembly is coming up on Thursday, November 9th at 10:10am in the school gymnasium. We will be showing a slideshow of all our Veteran loved ones from our Tillicum Community. If you would like your loved one to be showcased in the slideshow, please email [email protected] and include:
- Name of Veteran
- Picture of Veteran (if available)
- Rank, branch of military, years served, etc.
- Relation to Tillicum MS student/staff
Join the next School Board Study Session on Thursday, October 19th at 6:00 p.m. to hear the Board discuss the process for launching the development of the next strategic plan.
Previous Posts
Parents are asked to partner with us in promoting physical safety by following our posted Drop-Off and Pick-Up Procedures. In particular, if you drop your child off in the morning before school:
- Follow the indicated drop off route with a RIGHT TURN ONLY after entering the school off 160th AVE SE.
- As you arrive in front of the school, pull all the way forward and have your child exit from the right side of the vehicle.
- The right lane (curb) will always be drop-off and pick-up. The left lane is “thru” traffic.
- NOTE: When entering the school off of 160th, turning left appears to bypass the drop-off line but puts you onto a 1 way road and endangers students when you drop them off in the middle of the parking lot.
- DO NOT pull over or stop on 160th AVE and let your child out of the car to scamper across the street to school. This is incredibly unsafe for students, for you, and for other vehicles. If you are running late, don’t worry. I care a whole lot more about your child arriving safely than I do about them being 2 minutes late to class. If you, as parent, really want to avoid the drop off line, then consider letting your kid out of the vehicle a block or more away from school.
Thank you families for doing your part to help ensure student safety at Tillicum. If you want to be further involved, consider signing up to volunteer 20 minutes of your time in the morning from 7:25 – 7:45 as part of our Safe Arrival For Everyone (SAFE) team. We’ll provide you with a fancy yellow safety vest, clipboard, safety flyers, and some training. You’ll get to welcome students as they are dropped off and help encourage safe dropoff behaviors. Click here to learn more and signup as part of the SAFE team.
Last Chance for 2022-23 Yearbooks. Did you miss getting a yearbook from last school year? We have some remaining yearbooks on sale NOW through October 23. You can purchase one online here or in the office.
This year’s yearbook, for 2023-24, will have three more sales windows including November 8-21.