South Georgia usually ex-periences some “crazy weather.” Temperatures could vary from the 80’s to freezing within a couple of days. Although we are used to varying temperatures, not many people ex-pected what happened one Friday in February. Many stu-dents were able to ex-perience snow for the first time. Flights were delayed and many schools were can-celed as students across South Georgia crossed their fingers, toes, and eyes in hopes of getting some snow. Thomas County Middle School students

were among those awaiting the snow’s arrival. We asked TCMS students how they spent their “snow day”. Here is how they responded.

“We went to Albany and played on the side of the road.” -Danielle “I ate some snow.”

-Samantha

“I tried to build a snowman.”

-Mya

“I had a snowball fight.”

- Max

“I didn’t see any snow.”

-Maggie “I was excited because it was the first time I had seen snow.”

-Earnest “We stood outside and caught snow flakes.”

-Courtney

-Kelsey Our students did not have an official snow day. How-ever, they did not mind. The day was still special. Especially since it had not snowed in some places since the 80’s. Students were able to enjoy the day in many ways, and it will be a day they will not soon forget.

South Georgia’s “Crazy” weather

Grant for Growth

It is important to ensure that students have the best teacher and school possible. However, it is essential that the facility being used is properly maintained creat-ing an inviting environment. Thomas County Middle School has received a $5,000 grant from Lowes to

help with this type of main-tenance. This grant comes from the efforts of Mrs. Dukes, EXPLO Science teacher for grades five and six. Mrs. Dukes stated, “The plan is to construct raised garden beds in the front and back of our cam-pus.” Having this design will

definitely complement our learning environment. The group is asking for volun-teers to help throughout this process; parents, teach-ers, and students. Together we can make this project for growth exceed our highest expectations.

NewsCentral

March

Volume 1, Issue 1

CRCT 2

8th Grade Challenger Trip 2

Black History Month 2

5th Grade DAR & Seuss 3

Hoops for Heart 3

Driftwood 4

Folk Festival 4

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Special points of interest:

• Check out our school website for more informa-tion.

• Support our sports.

• The school store is open daily for your academic needs.

• Exploratory Fun Day is March 12.

• Club Day is March 30.

TC

the Cultural Center. Students had mixed emotions as they laughed, cried, and remembered together. The students recall how the pre-senter discussed the rights of Afri-can American women in the past.

One student stated that, “It was fun!” Another stu-dent said, “[the actor] should comeback every year.” The slavery song sing along

seemed to be a hit with the stu-dents. The dance at the end was also something they will not soon forget. The reaction of another of our students is the reason these field trips are so important. This student stated, “She inspired me to like Georgia History.” Although the students participated in different events in various ways throughout our school, they each learned that history should be important to us all.

February has been selected as Black History Month. To celebrate, many teachers have presented lessons about famous African Americans who have contributed to society. We have also had morning trivia questions during announcements in which students were able to win prizes. Another event for this cele-bration was a play which was held at

TCMS students traveled to Tal-lahassee, FL to participate in the Challenger Learning Center ex-perience. Students were able to learn about various aspects of science through hands-on activities including the Space Shuttle Simula-tor, Planetarium, the IMAX theater, and a collection of Flight Director Activities. Our eighth graders were asked to share their experiences, here is how they responded.

“Someone” opened the door and killed the crew.”

-Justin

-Hannah

“We learned about electricity and it shocked us.”

-Justice

“I blew the probe up.”

-Shiloh

“I worked as one of the support peo-ple.”

-Cheyenne

“I had fun. I can’t wait to go back.”

Keyuanna

Overall the students had a great learning experience which has increased their interests in Sci-ence.

cause the percentage of incorrect answers being changed to correct answers. Fortunately, Thomas County Middle School did not have this problem. The administration and staff take extra pre-cautions to ensure that the materials are

The Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) is the standardized test used for Georgia to ensure that all students are academically prepared. During testing time, many students are openly nervous because this test could determine their grade placement. How-ever, many teachers also feel the pres-sure of the test since the results could be seen as a reflection of their abilities. As a result of this combination, many schools in GA were investigatived be-

handled properly. These precau-tions have allowed us to have less than 1% problems in testing. In addition, our 8th grade scores showed that our students scored better than 88% of students across the state of Georgia. With the continued efforts of parents, administrators, teachers, students, and the community we believe that we will continue to excel in the future.

Black History is American History

8th Graders meet the Challenge

CRCT percentage low

“She inspired me to like Georgia “She inspired me to like Georgia “She inspired me to like Georgia “She inspired me to like Georgia History.”History.”History.”History.”

NEWSCENTRAL Page 2

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1

diverse variety of sources available thorough books and the internet, teachers are not having any prob-

lems incorporating this reading celebration within their lesson plans. Our very own 5th grade teacher, Mrs. Nancy Grieb, illuminates the classroom as she encour-ages her students to read. Dr. Hatcher-Hill has also planned an exciting en-

richment lesson about Dr. Seuss. Although today has been selected as a special day of reading, teachers want their students to know that it is important to read everyday. Since many people are experiencing hard financial times, it is also impor-tant to remember what Mary Schmich said, “Reading is a discount ticket to everywhere.”

March 2nd has be designated as “Read Across America Day.” This day was chosen because it is the birthday of one of America’s most beloved authors, Dr. Seuss. Today, people are en-couraged all over America to take time and read, especially to chil-dren. With the

Thomas County Middle School 5th graders have been busy preparing for the Writing Test. One event that helps with this preparation is the Annual National History Essay Contest which is sponsored by the Daughters of the American Revolu-tion (DAR). This organization is committed to promoting education and patriotism and conducts an essay contest each year for stu-dents in grades 5 - 8. National win-ners receive monetary awards. This year, members of our 5th grade participated and the winners are the following:

1st Place– Christina Magitas, MacKenzie Brown, Jensen Clements, Haiden Hall, Maggie Mar-tin, Taylor Brinson, Doug Evans, Tia

Wynn, Eric Hudson, Martin Medina, Bailey King, & Cheyenne McCrimon

2nd Place-Ethan Hop-per, Logan Covington, Ben Pyle, Emily Hast-ings, Aubrey Brinkley, Maria Davis, Jacqkeria Jefferson, Alex Dorsey, Desiree Powell, J.B. Smith, Nicholas Cooper, Peyton Miller, Andrew McClellan, & Tyler Williamson

3rd Place-Taylor Searcy, Skylar Gandy, Grace Fletcher, Christopher Cervantis, Brian Odom, Jaylen Leak, Chelsea Jones, Keyton Smith, & Madison Morgan.

Honorable Mention– Palmer Nesmith, Logan Covington, Alexis Simpson, Sheldon Ellis, Ellen Ponder, Ally Davis, & Roberto Cruz. We are proud of

our teacher and student accom-plishments, and look forward to seeing more winners in the future.

Students had a great time cheering on their favorite teams. We raised over $1,000 for this great cause. Participants were also awarded medals.

According to the Mayo Clinic, Heart Disease is the number one killer of males and females in the United States. Hoops for Heart is an organization designed to raise money to fight against this disease. Thomas County Middle School has once again joined in to fight through the recent basketball game fundraiser. Students in grades 5– 8 participated in a basketball game against their peers and/or teachers.

Sam I am...

5th Graders remember

Hoops for Heart

“If you can read this, thank “If you can read this, thank “If you can read this, thank “If you can read this, thank a teacher.”a teacher.”a teacher.”a teacher.” ----AnonymousAnonymousAnonymousAnonymous

Caption describing picture or graphic.

Page 3

Sixth Graders will be traveling to

Driftwood Education Center. This center offers students

unforgettable learning experiences while developing social

skills. Driftwood, St. Simons Island, is a “coastal classroom”

where students explore

information discussed in

traditional classrooms

through hands on experi-

ences.

can have a more authentic learning experience that coincides with Georgia Performance Standards.

The Folk Fair is spon-sored by the Val-dosta Asian Cultural Association, Inc. Events for this Folk Fair include the follow-ing: Asian Cultural Experience, African Cul-tural Expo-sition, Latin American Exploration,

Hundreds of Thomas County Middle School 7th grade students will be traveling to Valdosta, GA to participate in the Azalea Interna-tional Folk Fair. This is a three day event that allows visi-tors to travel the world with-out leaving Georgia. Middle school stu-dents are allowed to experience the event before the public so that they

Global Bazaar, Puzzle Game Workshop, Games & Toys, Artist of the World showcase, Middle East Discovery, and Arts & Crafts. There will even be places where students can taste the various fla-vors of the world through the di-verse selections provided. This was one of the favorite stations from some of last year participants. No matter which station is visited, the visit is sure to be one that our stu-dents will gain valuable knowledge while having fun.

7th Grade World Tour

Where Hustle and Harmony Abound & Student Learning is #1!

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