A Thanksgiving Homecoming
Last Tuesday, during the elementary classroom international feasts, we had a number of former students/graduates return “home”. The “returnees” included the entire graduating class of 2018 as well as middle and high school students currently enrolled in area public, charter, and private schools.
During their visit, I had the opportunity to sit down and chat with some of the 2017 & 18 grads about life after TMA. Here are some of the sound bites from our 30-minute conversation:
- There was consensus that they were “overly prepared” for school beyond TMA. Specific examples shared included:
- Math: An 8th grader remarked that all math last year was a review. The 2018 grads are enrolled in 7th or 8th grade pre-AP math.
- Creative Writing: All agreed they were “well prepared”.
- Socially: “Socializing (at their new schools) is not a problem” as a result of Upper Elementary experiences including simulations, Young Authors’ Day, many opportunities to speak in front of people, and trips to Heifer Ranch in Arkansas & Nature’s Classroom Institute (NCI) in south Texas.
- What they now appreciate and miss:
- The Wildscape
- Freedom in the classroom
- Conflict Resolution classes (while they don’t use “I” phrases now, they do use anger management strategies for themselves and others).
Over the years, our graduates, their stories, and their on-going connection to TMA are wonderful sources of encouragement to me. I do tell them that TMA is their “forever” home and they have a standing invitation to return and share their challenges as well as their accomplishments. They just smile as if to say, “thank you, but we really don’t need an invitation…this is home.”
-- Pam
New Parent Orientation - RESCHEDULED
Wednesday, December 12, 5-6 pm
If your family joined TMA after the first day of school in August or if you missed our first orientation, you will soon receive an email from Amanda inviting you to the New Parent Orientation. Please refer to the email for details. We hope to see you all there!
Log Community Service Hours by December 13
ParentsWeb has been updated and finally brought into this century! It is easy to log Community Service hours, which can now be done on your phone or tablet:
- Visit ParentsWeb. We also have a link on the main menu of our website.
- Type TMAA-TX under District Code.
- Enter the email address you provided to the school.
- Enter your password. If you cannot remember, you can click on the link “Forgot Username / Password?”.
- Click on 'Family'.
- Choose parent name from drop down menu.
- On right side, click on 'Add +'.
- Enter in your community service info.
- Click 'Save'.
While you are logged into ParentsWeb, please review your demographic information to make sure it is accurate. You can also modify your emergency contact and transportation pick-up lists all in one visit!
Winter Break
December 24 - January 4
Our Winter Break Holiday is Monday, December 24, through Friday, January 4. The spring session will begin on Monday, January 7. Unfortunately, we will not be able to offer Holiday Care January 2-4 because the minimum enrollment was not reached.
Have you seen our New Website?
We have completed a refresh of our website which includes easy to use features. On the left side of every page, there is a menu option for Upcoming Events which is directly linked to our Google calendar. Under About TMA you will find links to the:
- Calendar
- Family Guide
- Meet our Staff (includes email links; please note we are waiting for updated pictures from MonteB for a few staff members)
- Parenting Resources (Toileting Independence, Interdependence, etc.)
- Gallery of Student Work (posts from our public Facebook page)
- Videos (a few videos of students at TMA)
On the right side of the menu (bottom on mobile devices), you will find a link to ParentsWeb. ParentsWeb has also been updated to be mobile friendly and includes a Staff Directory with email addresses.
With a major change like this, there may be minor glitches or missing information. If you notice something that is wrong or needs to be changed, please let Lynette know so she can correct it. Happy surfing!
Review TMA and Earn Community Service Hours
Community Service hours are due by December 13! One way to earn hours is to share your perspective about TMA on local sites by clicking on the links below:
You can log one hour of Community Service for each of your reviews. YES, REALLY! You may not realize it, but reviews impact how Google lists our school and how close we are to the top on search results. The more reviews we have, the closer to the top we will get. So please, let the world know how much you love TMA!
Download Upcoming Events Directly to your Calendar
Make Your Purchases Count:
