March Edition of the Twality Spotlight

March Edition of the Twality Spotlight

Cheaper by the Dozen

It's March!  It's Springtime! It's time for the Twality Musical, Cheaper by the Dozen!  

Please join us March 5-7 at Deb Fennell Auditorium at Tigard High School for the Twality Middle School production of Cheaper by the Dozen.  All shows are at 7pm.  Tickets are $10.00 each and are available in the main office of Twality, at the door on show nights or you may also purchase tickets online by clicking here.  

There is a wonderful article in the Portland Tribune about our musical.  Click here to read the article.

CLASSIFIED APPRECIATION WEEK

Here at Twality, we love our classified staff members.  March 2-6 is Classified Appreciation Week. Our Secretaries, Custodians, Instructional Assistants, and Kitchen Staff keep our school running.  If you get a chance, say "Thank You" to these hard working employees! 

Band Bake Sale

Our Band program will have a Bake Sale to benefit the Jazz, Concert and Cadet Band programs.  

Tuesday, March 17th

5:30pm-6:30pm - Bake Sale
Followed by 7th and 8th Grade Band Performances

Tigard High School Deb Fennel Auditorium

Please bake an item for the bake sale!  Help us finish the year strong!

We are working towards the purchase of a Baritone Saxophone and a piano amplifier.  Thanks to generous support from community, band families and PSO we have purchased the Timpani Drum Set.  

No time to bake?  Ask for a donation from your favorite bakery! 

• Dozen Cookies
• Dozen Cupcakes
• Pies, Cakes, Cobbler

• Please package your item to capture the eye of the buyer - a festive place, pretty packaging, attached recipe card, etc. 

• Invite friends and family to attend the Bake Sale and free concert! 

• In order to plan for our sale, please email Raylea Pickett to volunteer / bake / set up:  pickettcm@comcast.net.  Baked goods may be delivered to the auditorium lobby between 4:45pm-5:30pm.

Thank you for supporting Twality Middle School Band Programs!

Spring Conferences

 

Spirit Week is Coming!

March 16-20, 2015

Monday - BLACK OUT DAY

Tuesday - TWIN DAY
Wednesday - SWEATS DAY
Thursday - SPORTS DAY (Hats are OK)

Friday - FLANNEL DAY

March 2015 Events

March 2-6 - Classified Appreciation Week
March 2-3 - Pastini Pasteria Restaurant Fundraiser
March 3 - Band Solo Night at Tualatin High School
March 5 - ASA Basketball Jamboree at Hazelbrook Middle School
March 5 - ASA Volleyball Jamboree at Fowler Middle School
March 5 - Common Core Info Night in Spanish 6:30pm-8:30pm
March 10 - Strengthening Families - Twality Library 5:30pm
March 12 - No School
March 12 - Spring Conferences 5:00pm-8:00pm
March 13 - No School
March 13 - Spring Conferences 8:00am-12:00pm
March 16-20 - Spirit Week
March 17 - 7th / 8th Grade Band Concert
March 19 - Family Engineering Night - Twality Commons - 6:00pm-8:00pm
March 20 - 8th Grade TAG field trip to Tillamook State Forest
March 23-27 - SPRING BREAK! 
March 30 - Twality Springfest Online Auction Begins
March 31 - 8th grade forecasting begins
April 1 - 8th Grade Parent Night at Tigard High - 6:00pm-8:00pm
April 1 - 8th Grade Parent Night at Tualatin High - 6:00pm-8:00pm

February Edition of the Twality Spotlight

February Edition of the 

Twality Spotlight

Smarter Balance Testing

Twality staff is preparing for the Smarter Balanced Assessment, which will be given to all middle school students this Spring.  Below is an article from our Curriculum & Instruction Department with more information and details about the Smarter Balanced Assessment.  We have added some additional Twality specific information as well.  Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.  Carol Kinch, Principal 503.431.5208

GETTING TO THE CORE OF THE MATTER

What is the New Smarter Balanced Test?

All students deserve an education that prepares them for their next step in life, whether it is going on to college or starting a career.  In the past, Oregon students have taken the OAKS test (Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) to measure their academic skills.  In 2014-2015, Oregon will replace OAKS with a test called Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBAC).  The SBAC is designed to measure how well students meet the new Common Core state standards.

How does Smarter Balanced compare to OAKS? 

Students will take the SBAC on a computer.  The first part of the test is very similar to OAKS and consists of multiple choice questions.  The test is untimed. The second part of the SBAC is called "performance tasks."  Performance tasks are activities and responses that measure depth of understanding, analysis, research and writing skills.  Students will be asked to do an activity.  After, they will be given a question or a prompt to respond to.  The purpose of this type of assessment is to measure skills that cannot be measured on a more traditional multiple choice test, like analytical and problem solving skills. 

How does Smarter Balanced support student needs? 

SBAC offers accommodations for students with disabilities and who are English Language Learners.  For example, SBAC is offered in Braille and with closed captioning.  It is also offered in Spanish, and has a special dictionary section for other languages.  

How does Smarter Balanced affect graduation requirements?  

Oregon students will continue to have many ways to meet graduation requirements.  If a student does not meet the standards on the SBAC, he or she can meet the requirements on another test or through work samples.  Schools work closely with parents and students to make sure that students have every opportunity to complete their graduation requirements.  

Using the SBAC test will allow Oregon students to compare their performance across the state and the nation.  For the first time, we'll see how prepared our students are to compete with their peers from around the country.

When will Twality students take the Smarter Balanced Assessment?  

• 6th grade students will be taking the test during the weeks of April 27th and May 8th.
  
• 7th grade students will take most of the assessment during the week of May 11-15, and the math performance task May 26-29. 
• 8th grade students will take most of the assessment during the week of May 18-22, and the math performance task May 26-29.

When will we receive the results?

We do not have a definitive timeline, but we anticipate receiving test scores during the summer of 2015. 

Common Core - February / March Newsletter

Please click here for the current newsletter about Common Core state standards.

ART IN THE BURBS - 2015

OPEN BOARD POSITIONS AVAILABLE

Yearbook and 8th Grade Baby Pictures

 The very last day to pre-purchase a yearbook will be on Friday, February 27th.  The cost is $30.00 and is due to Miss M. in the Main Office.  Order forms are available on our Twality website. There will be a very limited number of yearbooks available for purchase on yearbook distribution day in June.  If you are a parent of an 8th grade student and would like to have your child's baby picture in the yearbook with a message from you, please turn in the baby picture, the form and $15.00 to Amy Meisch in the main office by Monday, March 2nd.

Cheaper by the Dozen

Our Spring musical will be Cheaper by the Dozen!  The musical will be March 5-7.  Our students have been working hard to make this production spectacular for you! Tickets are on sale now in the main office.  Tickets are $10.00 per person with open seating at the Deb Fennel Auditorium at Tigard High School.  You may also purchase tickets online by clicking here.  

 

 Twality Springfest Auction

The Twality Springfest Auction will be held March 30-April 12.  This auction is one our most successful fundraisers!  Please help the PSO raise money for our school so we can fund our programs, field trips, classroom expenses, teacher hospitality and much more.  This helps PSO to support students and staff by providing resources to enable us to do amazing things, so please help.  If you have any services that you would like to donate to the auction, please contact Amy Meisch, Twality Bookkeeper at 503.431.5203

Val-O-Grams on Sale Now

 Val-O-Grams are on sale now through Feb 9th.  All grams will be delivered Friday, Febraury13 through RV class.  You can purchase grams from Miss M. in the Main Office.  1 gram for $.50 or 3 grams for $1.00.  Money collected goes back to Twality students for student store and student activities.  Thank you for supporting Twality students. 

 February 2015 Events 

February 9-13 - Val-O-Grams on sale in the main office and during all lunches
February 10 - Pizzacato Restaurant Fundraiser

February 11 - After School Soccer Jamboree at Hazelbrook
February 13 - 6th Grade Spelling Bee
February 16 - No School - Happy President's Day
February 18 - Exclusion Day for Immunizations
February 24 - Battle of the Books Competition at Fowler Middle School
February 24 - Parent Advocates of African American Students (PAAAS)
February 25 - After School Soccer Jamboree vs. Hazelbrook at Twality
February 26 - After School Volleyball Jamboree at Fowler Middle School
February 27 - LAST DAY TO BUY A YEARBOOK!  $30.00 to Miss M. in the main office 
March 2-3 - Pastini Pasteria Restaurant Fundraiser (Bridgeport)
March 2 - 8th Grade Baby Pictures DUE!  $15.00 and photo due to Miss M. in the main office
March 2 - Common Core Spanish Information Night 6:30pm
March 3 - Band Solo Night at Tualatin High School 6:00pm-9:00pm
March 5 - After School Basketball Jamboree at Hazelbrook Middle School
March 5 - After School Volleyball Jamboree at Fowler Middle School

January Edition of the Twality Spotlight

January Edition of Twality Spotlight! 

Happy New Year!  We hope that you had a relaxing time with your family over the holidays.  We are excited to be back with your students!  January is off to a great start.  

Important Information Regarding Immunizations

Immunization records are due into the guidance office at this time.  The State of Oregon requires an additional Diphtheria Tetanus Booster and Hepatitis A vaccine for students age 11-12.  

If you have been notified by the school or County Health Department that your child needs immunizations, please contact your child's regular medical provider right away.  

Your physician can fax these records to 503.431.5210.

Students without the required immunizations will not be allowed to attend school after February 18, 2015.  The staff needs time to get the records posted to the Oregon Health Authority, so please submit the documents to the attendance office as soon as possible.  

In addition to your regular doctor, you can call the Washington County Health Clinic at 12250 SW 2nd Avenue, Beaverton.  Their phone number is 503.846.8855.  You can also try the School Based Health Center at Tigard High School at 503.431.5775.

If you have any questions about immunizations, please contact Joyce Loper in the Guidance Office at 503.431.5220.

Thank you!

2nd Semester Schedule Change Process

The first day of the new quarter is Tuesday, January 27th.  Student schedules for the 2nd semester will be distributed to students starting at 8:15am.  7th graders will pick up schedules in the Multi-Purpose Room and 8th graders will pick up schedules in the Commons.  6th graders do not receive new schedules. 

Student change requests will be accepted beginning February 3rd and will close February 5th.  

Students will be expected to attend second semester classes as scheduled until their request has been approved and processed. 

Counselors will process the requests and approve changes February 9-11, 2015.

Students whose schedule change request was approved will receive their new schedule in RV class on February 12th. 

 

Qdoba Fundraiser begins January 14th!  

Join the Qdoba Standoff Fundraiser

Twality vs Hazelbrook

When:  January 14-16, 2015

Where:  Qdoba Mexican Grill

             7132 SW Hazel Fern Road

             (Across from Bridgeport Village)

What:  Drop your receipt into the Twality container.  The school that raises the most money receives a 25% donation and the school that comes in 2nd receives a 20% donation.  

 January 2015 Events

January 14 - Online Auction Meeting - 6:00pm in the library

January 14 - PSO Meeting - 7:00pm in the library
January 19 - No School - MLK Day
January 22 - Latino Parent Night - 6:30pm in the library

January 23 - Last Day of the 2nd Quarter

January 26 - No School - Teacher Work Day
January 27 - 8th Grade East Coast Meeting - 5:00pm in the library
January 27-30 - Krispy Kreme Fundraiser Pre-sales
February 2-3 - Krispy Kreme Collection Day

February 5 - Krispy Kreme Delivery Day

February 5 - Common Core Information Meeting - 6:30pm in the Commons 

December Edition of the Twality Spotlight

December Edition of the Twality Spotlight

Twality Students Give Back 

Students at Twality are embracing this Holiday season by giving back to our community in many different and heartfelt ways. 

Mrs. Baird's RV class is collecting toys for the KGW Toy Drive.  This event has become a tradition for our students.  If you would like to donate new toys for the toy drive, please drop them off in the main lobby here at Twality.

Mrs. Belknap, Mrs. Levin & Mrs. Waddell's RV classes participated in the "Fill a Stocking, Fill a Heart".  This organization distributes handmade Christmas stockings to families in need.  The students had a great time filling the stockings with personal necessities and gifts.  

  

 Ms. Rupp's class will continue their tradition of adopting a family this holiday season.  The students will shop for necessities for a family in need.  The family will receive items such as toys, clothing, shoes, coats, stocking stuffers, and some grocery gift cards for the family.

 Winter ASA is coming soon!

Winter ASA will begin January 12, 2015 and end on March 5, 2015.  Permission forms will be available in the main office on Monday, December 15th.  Some of the activities we will have will be: 

Basketball
Volleyball

Dodgeball
Indoor Soccer

Homework Help
Weight Training
Cartooning & Illustration
Instrument Practice
Dr. Who Club
Scream Team
Jewelry Making
Battle of the Books
Art Journaling

Here are some photos from the fall session of our After School Activities for you to enjoy. 

Volleyball Team

Cross Country Team

Soccer Team

Awesome Soccer Players!

Exciting things happening with the 

Tigard Tualatin Foundation

Trailblazer tickets!
Blazers vs. LA Clippers
Wednesday, January 14th at 7:30pm

Come join Tigard-Tualatin School District students, staff, families, and friends for a night of high-flying basketball action to benefit The Foundation for Tigard Tualatin Schools.  

Everyone purchasing tickets through FTTS can come onto the court after the game and take a foul shot!  Select children will also get the chance to high-five the Trailblazers as they enter the court before the game! 

Click here to buy tickets.

Dirty Dancing at the Keller Auditorium

Sunday, January 18th, 6:30pm

A portion of ticket sales benefits FTTS.

Great seats available from $38-$88.

Click here to buy tickets! 

December's Upcoming Events

December 9 - PSO Meeting - Library - 7pm
December 10 - 6th Grade & Concert Band Concert - THS Auditorium - 6pm

December 11 - Panda Express Fundraiser - 99W & Durham Location
December 17 - 7th / 8th Choir Concert - Commons - 7pm

December 18 - 6th Grade Orchestra Concert - Multi-Purpose Room - 2:00pm
December 18 - Concert Band Concert - Tigard High School - 6pm

December 19 - Treble & Concert Choir Field Trip to the Oregon Capitol Building

December 22-January 2 - WINTER BREAK - Enjoy your Holiday! 

January 5, 2015 - School Resumes

November Edition of the Twality Spotlight!

November Edition 

Twality Spotlight!

Student and Staff Safety Training at 
Twality Middle School

As part of a statewide initiative to adopt common school safety practices, Tigard-Tualatin School District implemented Standard Response Protocols for initial staff and student actions in the event of an emergency at all of our schools.

Standard Response Protocols include four actions: Evacuate, Shelter, Lock Out and Lock Down. Each protocol has been taught and practiced during the months of September and October and will continue to be practiced throughout the year.

We encourage you to view the training materials presented to students in Rendezvous and discuss the importance of taking training activities seriously with your students. It is our intention to prepare for an emergency situation without raising the level of anxiety for you, our students and our staff.

Standard Response Protocols are adopted universally in Colorado schools and across the country. Standard Response Protocols are developed by the “I love u guys,” foundation. Additional details can be found by clicking here.

Our next safety drill will be on Tuesday, November 25th.

If you have questions about Standard Response Protocols, please e-mail Associate Principal, John Wayland (jwayland@ttsd.k12.or.us) for additional information.

THANK YOU VOTERS! 

Tigard-Tualatin voters have renewed the district's Local Option Levy. Unofficial returns have the measure passing by more than 70% of the vote! It is not a new or additional tax. It continues the existing levy that was originally approved by voters in 2000 and renewed in 2004 and 2008.  

 The Local Option will:

-        Provide funding for approximately 70* classroom teachers and the     classroom programs provided by the expiring levy; 

-        Protect class sizes from increasing;

-        Provide approximately $6M* in 2015-16; 

-        Continue the existing levy rate (which cannot exceed $1 per $1,000 of assessed value) for another five years.  The exact amount varies from property to property.  For a home assessed at the maximum rate (above), the cost would continue to be $200 per year or about $16.67 per month.

Do you need some help for the Holidays?

Tualatin Family Resource Center is coordinating Christmas/holiday assistance again this year.  Applications are in the main office and need to be turned in no later than November 14.  If you have question feel free to call Rachel Rivera 503-431-5189 or Cindy Villanueva 503-431-5195.

Twality Middle School's Spring Musical 

                      

The show will be March 5, 6, and 7 at Tigard High School.

Auditions are Nov. 17th, 18th and 19th.

Callbacks are Nov 20th.

Auditions are open to the entire student body.  Students must fill out an audition packet in order to audition.  Please pick those up from Mrs. Thielen, Mr. Lee or Ms. Muehleck.  Forms are due Nov. 12th.

Break a leg!!

Outdoor School was a great success!

We had about 300 students attend Outdoor School this year.  We went to Camp Trickle Creek and Camp Cedar Ridge.  Yes, it was a little wet this year for our campers, but they didn't let a little rain dampen their spirits.  

Twality's Annual Food Drive

 Starry Nights and Holiday Lights! 

 

Our choir will be performing at the Starry Nights and Holiday Lights on December 5th in downtown Tualatin at The Lake at Tualatin Commons.  Please come and support our wonderful choir as we kick off the holiday season. 

November's Upcoming Events! 

November 6 - ASA Volleyball Jamboree @ Fowler 3:45pm-5:00pm

November 6 - ASA activities end.  Winter ASA forms will be available

                     mid December  

November 7 - End of the 1st Quarter
November 10 - No School - Teacher Workday
November 11 - No School - Happy Veteran's Day
November 14 - Chill Ride to Cold Stone for Magazine Sale Winners!
November 17-24 - Musical Auditions 3:45pm-7:15pm
November 17-25 - Annual Food Drive - Thank you for your support!
November 17 - Report cards mailed home
November 20 - Common Core Night in Spanish - Commons - 6pm

November 21 - Honor Roll Breakfast
November 21 - Jazz Band Dance and Dessert Night - Twality Commons - 6pm

November 22 - Barnes and Noble Book Fair at Bridgeport

November 27-28 - No School - Happy Thanksgiving
December 1 - No School - Teacher Work Day
December 3 - Orchestra Concert - Twality Commons - 7pm
December 4 - 7th / 8th Grade Band Concert - Tigard High - 7pm
December 4 - 8th Grade EXPLORE test