Hello Titan Families,

Please note the following announcements:

The deadline for this year's PTA Reflections Contest is Monday, November 2nd by 3:40 p.m.  Your entries should be turned in to Mrs. Gardner's Art classroom.  Please remember that all entries MUST be accompanied by a completed 2009-2010 Student Entry Form.  If you need an entry form, they are available in the front office.  If you have any questions, please contact Keli Garrett at garretts4@1scom.net or 817-741-7357 or Mrs. Marcy Gardner, TSMS Art Teacher.

Phillip Pruitt is a current 7^th grader here at Trinity Springs. Around the age of 9, while he and his mom were driving around the streets of Ft. Worth, Phillip noticed that the people on the streets did not have adequate clothing. This concerned him, so he and his mother decided to start Phillip’s Wish - a nonprofit organization that collects coats and blankets, as well as mittens, hats, gloves, and toiletries to hand out to homeless people.  Each year TSMS does a community collection for an organization during Red Ribbon Week, and this year we are supporting Phillip’s Wish.  We are asking the kids to bring any extra coats, blankets, toiletry items, sweatshirts, shoes, etc. to donate to Phillip’s Wish. We will gladly accept anything you can send.

I have attached information on Veteran’s Day.  If you are a veteran or know of a veteran that would be willing to speak to our students during History classes, please fill out the attached form.

Here is our Red Ribbon Week spirit events:

Tuesday, Oct. 27^th

Wear Red to Kick Off Red Ribbon Week

Start Phillip’s Wish Coat Drive

Wednesday, Oct. 28th

“Give Drugs the Slip.”

Wear Pajama Pants and Slippers

Thursday, Oct. 29^th

“Taking Drugs is Crazy.”

Wear Crazy Socks and Hats

Friday, Oct. 30^th

“Even Nerds are Cool When They Say NO to Drugs.”

Dress up like a Nerd

Hello Titan Families!

It is hard to believe we are wrapping up our first nine weeks!  Please note the following information:

Students do not have school on Monday!!

For families who  have been impacted by medical absences, please note the following information:

Students who have recently been absent and are still within their KISD-approved make-up days will receive “incompletes” on their report cards if they have not turned in all assignments.  These students can still participate in UIL events next week.  If before they leave Friday, October 30, they still have incomplete assignments out, then they will lose the ability to perform in UIL events until the make-up work is turned in.  Once the missing assignments are turned in, and they are passing each class, the child will regain the ability to participate.

A reminder that our TSMS PTA Fundraiser is under way.  The fundraiser is selling cases of Coca-Cola and Papa Murphy discount cards.

Here is what is on the Papa  Murphy discount cards:

$2 off Large pizza

$3 off family size pizza

$5 off 2 family size pizzas

Large pepperoni or 1 topping $6.99

$1 off any salad

$2 off any Gourmet deLITE pizza

$3 off any family size pizza

FREE cookie Dough with purchase of regular priced pizza

The cost of the card is $5.00.  The card is good for all DFW locations.

Lindsay Anderson

Principal, Trinity Springs Middle School

Titan Families—

Please note the following information:

Tonight the public boundary forum will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the TSMS cafeteria. 

This week is CBA testing. Our testing schedule is attached.

The PTA kicks off a Coca Cola / Papa Murphy fundraiser today.  The fundraiser runs through October 29^th.

Every child that sells one case gets a prize.  The class that sells the most gets a Papa Murphy pizza party on Oct. 30th

The top ten sellers get an hour on a party van in our parking lot with games, lights, and music.  The money collected is  for front-door floor mats with the TSMS logo on them and spirit cups that go on our front chain-link fence to promote our Titan pride.

Attached (see Campus announcements)

“Student Flyers”—yearbook order information

“Photo Upload”—if you want to submit pictures to be in our yearbook, please follow these steps!

“TSMS PTA-Fund Raiser”—order form (Students are bringing home a copy today.)

“Coke Cola fundraiser parent letter”—information about the PTA Coca Cola fundraiser (Students are bringing home a copy today, too.)

Lindsay Anderson

Principal, Trinity Springs Middle School

Titan Families-

I have attached the CBA testing schedule, which begins October 21.  CBA stands for Curriculum Based Assessments.   These tests will assess student learning for the first nine weeks!

Some of our families will be affected when  the boundaries are redrawn for the new intermediate/middle school that is scheduled to open in August, 2010.  Dr. Veitenheimer and Bob Templeton will be at TSMS to present how this will affect our area on Monday, October 19, at 6:30 p.m.  Please note that the proposed boundary changes have been posted on the KISD website..  As I receive additional information, I will let you know. 

Below is a letter that all 7^th grade students are bringing home today.  This only applies to 7^th grade students:

Dear Parent or Guardian:

The spring of 2007 brought a cluster of suicidal activity to the high schools in Keller ISD, tragically resulting in two student deaths. Nationally, suicide rates among adolescents have doubled in the last ten years, and depression (among the most common of mental illnesses) seems to be a common link in many suicide attempts.

To address this issue, Keller ISD will be doing depression screenings and suicide prevention training as part of the SOS Suicide Prevention Program. This program has been used by thousands of schools over the past six years. It has proven successful at increasing help seeking by students concerned about themselves or a friend and is the only school-based suicide prevention program to show a reduction in suicide attempts in a randomized, controlled study (American Journal of Public Health, March, 2004).

Our goals with this program are straightforward:

Ø  To help our students understand that depression is a treatable illness, and help them assess whether or not they may have symptoms consistent with depression,

Ø  To explain that suicide is a preventable tragedy that often occurs as a result of untreated depression,

Ø  To provide students training in how to identify serious depression and potential suicidality in a friend, and,

Ø  To impress upon teens that they can help themselves or a friend by taking the simple step of talking to a trusted adult about their concerns.

The depression screening tool that we are using concerns thoughts and feelings, which a parent may be unaware their child is having. This tool cannot provide a diagnosis of depression, but does give an indication of whether a young person should be referred for evaluation by a mental health professional. If you are concerned, we encourage you to speak with your son or daughter and follow up with a mental health professional for a complete evaluation.

If you do NOT wish for your child to take a written screening test for depression and participate in SOS: Signs of Suicide intervention training in school, please indicate as such on the bottom portion of this letter and return it to the counseling office on campus. If we do not hear from you, we will assume your child has permission to participate in this program.

If you have any questions or concerns about this program please do not hesitate to contact me at 817-744-1051 or by email at scott.kessel@kellerisd.net.

Sincerely,

Scott Kessel, Director of Guidance & Counseling

Keller ISD

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

□   I do not wish for my child to participate in the S.O.S. program.

______________________________                ______________________________­­­­­­_________                        _______________

                Student Name                                                                  Parent Signature                                                              Date

Lindsay Anderson

Principal, Trinity Springs Middle School

Titan Families-

I hope you are staying as dry as possible!  Please note the following information:

Progress reports will come home with your child today. 

The school fundraiser ends tomorrow.  Please make sure all forms and money are returned to school tomorrow!

Attached to this email is the quarterly PTA Newsletter.  Don’t forget about the internet safety presentation on Tuesday, October 6, at 6:30 p.m!

Some of our families will be affected when  the boundaries are redrawn for the new intermediate/middle school that is scheduled to open in August, 2010.  Dr. Veitenheimer and Bob Templeton will be at TSMS to present how this will affect our area on Monday, October 19, at 6:30 p.m.  Please note that the proposed boundary changes will be posted on the KISD website by the end of the day, Friday, October 9.  As I receive additional information, I will let you know. 

Lindsay Anderson

Principal, Trinity Springs Middle School

Hello Titan Families,

Please note the following two topics from our PTA:

The TSMS PTA  Arts In Education would like to announce that the annual PTA Reflections Contest is underway here at Trinity Springs Middle School.  For those of you who are new to Reflections let me say that this is a National PTA contest that promotes the fine arts, music composition and creative writing in our youth.  This year's theme is:  "Beauty Is. . ."  

Students may compete in a variety of genres.  These include: Literature, Visual Arts, Photography, Musical Composition, Dance Choreography, and Film Production.  Students may submit entries in one or more categories.   The contest is open to all TSMS 7th and 8th graders.  Student wishing to participate may pick up a copy of the rules and entry form in the front office.   

 ALL ENTRIES are due to Mrs. Gardner's Art Classroom, November 2nd by 3:40pm and MUST be accompanied by a completed 2009-2010 Student Entry Form.   If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Keli Garrett, at garretts4@1scom.net or 817-741-7357, or Mrs. Marcy Gardner, TSMS Art Teacher.

From the PTA President:

At the beginning of the school year I heard something on the local news that concerned me.  Two popular 14 year old girls had taken their grandmothers car and fled across country to meet a man that they had met on face book.  They were turned in by a woman who saw them on the news in North Carolina.  I watched as the mother cried over what took place.  I watched her in awe as she saw her daughters face book page for the first time.  There it was, pictures of her daughter half dressed and personal information.  This mother had no idea.  She did not even have a computer in their house.  Her daughter set up the account at a friend’s house behind her mother’s back.  This really made me think about my own children and their safety and as I talked to teachers and parents they all have the same concerns.  The internet can be a very scary place and do children really know how to keep safe on the computer?  Do I know how to keep them safe? Studies have shown that the number of teens that use the internet to make negative comments about peers increased from 14% to 28% between 2000 and 2005.  Another study found that 34.5% of students between the ages 10 and 15 had been harassed through some form of Internet Communication.  (However, these numbers are low, because most students will not report an incident of cyber bullying.) A common fear for parents and educators of middle schoolers is the exposure to predators in an online environment.  The targets of Internet predators are often young adolescents.  Statistics show that in 2004, 76% of the  victims of predators were between 13 and 15, and 75% were female.* Statistics found in the Middle School Journal September 2009 issue

With this in mind the TSMS PTA and Farmer’s Insurance has set up a very special speaker to come and speak to parents about internet safety.  Please see attached flier.

Because of the content being talked about, no one under 18 is allowed to come in.  This gives you as a parent control over what your child needs to know.  You can talk to them and let them know how to keep safe on the computer.  I know every parent wants to keep their child safe.

Thanks for all your support!

TSMS PTA

Lindsay Anderson

Principal, Trinity Springs Middle School

Hello Titan Families,

The following information is coming home with your child today!

Dear Parent/Guardian,

At Keller ISD, creating and maintaining a safe and healthy learning environment for your student is one of our top priorities. We realize concerns remain about the presence of the H1N1 Influenza virus, especially in environments such as school campuses. At KISD, we are receiving confirmation of positive cases of Influenza Type A on most of our campuses. Though Influenza Type A may not be H1N1, most of the recently reported cases are assumed to be so.

Please note the following information regarding influenza:

• The flu is spread through respiratory droplets produced when someone sneezes or coughs as well as contact with a surface or object contaminated with the virus and then touching the nose or mouth.
• Typical symptoms of the flu include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, chills and fatigue and typically last 4 to 7 days.

Children and adults with certain health conditions, including asthma, diabetes, and pregnancy are more likely to get complications from the flu. Contact your healthcare provider to discuss medication options to prevent illness or lessen the severity of symptoms. Medication against the virus is most effective if given within two days of feeling ill.

Please seek emergency care if you or your child experiences any of the following symptoms:

• Fast breathing or trouble breathing
• Bluish or gray skin color
• Not drinking enough fluids
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Not waking up or not interacting
• Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
• Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and a worse cough

Ways to prevent the spread of the flu:

• Get vaccinated against seasonal and the 2009 H1N1 flu
• Wash hands often especially after covering a cough or sneeze
• Cover your cough or sneeze with the sleeve of your shirt or a tissue
• If your child becomes ill, please keep him/her out of child care at least 24 hours until he/she no longer has a fever without fever reducing medication

Keller ISD is continuing to take steps to reduce the spread of any illness, but at the same time, we need your continued assistance. It is important that you closely monitor your child’s health and vital that you keep him/her home from school should they exhibit any flu-like symptoms.

Keller ISD currently is recommending the following procedures:

• Students and staff with a temperature of 100 degrees or greater are asked to stay home for at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever – or signs of a fever – without the use of fever-reducing medication. These individuals should stay home even if they are using antiviral medications.
• Students and staff with ill household members should stay home for five days from the day the first household member got sick. This is the time they are most likely to become sick themselves.

The district will continue to take the following actions:

• Hand sanitizer will be provided in ever KISD classroom.
• Masks are being distributed to be used as needed during the critical care of students with flu-like symptoms.
• Students with a temperature of 100 degrees or greater will be sent home. Please be prepared to pick up your child immediately should he/she come down with flu-like symptoms while at school.
• Encouraging the following prevention measures: frequent hand-washing, covering nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, or if a tissue is not available, coughing/sneezing into your shirt sleeve or elbow.
• Cleaning crews will continue to give special attention to all touch surfaces at campuses and on buses.

We appreciate your continued support and assistance, and would ask for your help in the following ways:

• Do not send your child to school if he/she is sick. Absences due to flu illness are recognized and will be considered as such by campus attendance committees should violations of the 90 percent rule occur.
• Plan for childcare at home if your child gets sick or in the event that school is dismissed.
• Plan to monitor the health of the sick child and any other children by checking for fever and other symptoms of the flu.
• Update your emergency contact information at the school.
• Identify a separate room in the house for care of sick family members.

Keller ISD will continue to utilize parent and staff notification tools to communicate any major developments or changes to our campuses’ prevention strategies. These outlets include www.KellerISD.net, campus Web sites, local media, Twitter and E-News. If you are not subscribed to the district’s weekly E-News bulletin, you can do so by clicking the link at the bottom of KellerISD.net.

For additional information and any updates, click on “H1N1 Flu Info” under Hot Topics on the front page of KellerISD.net. You can also visit the KISD Health Services Web page, www.flu.gov, www.cdc.gov, or www.Texasflu.org which allows you to monitor H1N1 activity in your community. You can also consult your personal physician if you have any further questions.

Sincerely,

Dr. James R. Veitenheimer

Keller ISD Superintendent

Titan Families-

Today your child will bring home information on our school Fall fundraiser.  This year we will be selling Gourmet Café’ frozen products.  Money raised will purchase technology equipment for student use and TSMS floor mats.  Fundraising forms and money are due back to school October 6^th.  The products will be delivered November 10^th from 3:40-6:30 pm.

Casey's Kids Fun Run early registration deadline Oct. 2

http://www.kellerisd.net/community/communications/news/Pages/Casey%27sKids5KFunRunregistrationdeadlineOctober2.aspx

The 13th Annual Casey's Kids 5K Fun Run will be held Saturday, November 7, 2009 at Bear Creek Park.

The run begins promptly at 7:30 a.m. This event is sponsored by the Keller Council of PTAs. All proceeds benefit Casey's Kids, a program dedicated to serving economically disadvantaged children in KISD. It is an opportunity for us to show that all children in the KISD are important, and valued members of our community.

Janie Casey was a counselor at Keller Middle School when she began Casey's Kids. She became aware of a student who was attending only three days of school each week, and found this was because the student had only enough clothes for this many days. Janie felt that it was important to make sure all children fit in and not feel different. 

Advanced registration for the Fun Run is preferred. Please click on the following registration form links to print the registration form or visit www.kellercouncil.txpta.org.

Registration Form (English)
Registration Form (Espanol)

Entries are due by Friday, October 2, 2009 to guarantee a T-shirt. Late registration will be held the morning of the event from 6:30-7:15 a.m. Please make checks payable to Casey's Kids. Please mail the registration form and payment to:

Diane Newbury
417 Durand Oak Dr.
Keller, TX 76248

The Keller Council of PTA's will also be collecting can goods for the Community Storehouse.

For more information, or if you or your business is interested in sponsorship opportunities, please contact Diane Newbury at 817-427-8637 or email newburys1@verizon.net.

 indsay Anderson

Principal, Trinity Springs Middle School

Dear Titan Families,

This is a message for 8^th grade families.  Our 8^th graders have earned an “Hour Lunch” reward for Wednesday, September 23, 2009.  They will have an hour to eat lunch in the cafeteria or outside (weather permitting) and walk on the track from 12:07-1:07.  We wanted to let you know in case your child has an appointment.  It takes a little bit longer to locate your child when they are outside.  7^th grade students will have this opportunity soon.  We will let you know in advance, as well. 

Stay healthy…

Lindsay Anderson

Principal, Trinity Springs Middle School

Dear Titan Parents,

Thursday, September 17, is picture day at TSMS.  Students should be bringing home order forms today.  Make sure money and order forms are brought to school on Thursday for pictures.  Students will take pictures during their History classes.

In spite of a rough week of weather, our 8^th grade games will be played tonight; however, due to Keller Middle School’s game fields being soaked, the location has changed from KMS to Keller High School Stadium. We will bus students to and from the game site, and parents may either pick their athletes up from Keller Stadium by signing them out with a coach or pick them up at Trinity Springs once all games are over and we return on the bus.

B and C teams will each scrimmage Keller on opposite ends of the Keller High field beginning at 5:30 p.m. Immediately after, at 7 p.m., the Trinity Springs and Keller A teams will play one another. B and C teams will scrimmage simultaneously, rather than playing two separate full games, because Keller High will be using their field to practice until around 5:00 p.m. Knowing that our athletes have school tomorrow, we wanted everyone to still have an opportunity to play without keeping them all out until 10:00 p.m. or later, so this was a compromise that allowed us to do so.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but we are looking forward to our teams getting their first opportunity to play a real opponent in spite of this weekend’s downpour. As always, we thank you for your support of Titan athletics, and we hope to see you tonight at Keller Stadium!

Sincerely,

Trinity Springs Boys’ Coaching Staff

Please see the address below, or click on the link for a map of Keller Stadium.

Keller High School

601 Pate Orr Rd N
Keller, TX 76248-4209

http://maps.google.com/maps?rls=com.microsoft:en-us&oe=UTF-8&rlz=1I7ADFA_en&safe=active&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=keller+high+school&near=Keller,+TX&fb=1&split=1&gl=us&cid=0,0,13283319723791407786&ei=u7yvSsPIOpX0MfjA7PIN&sa=X&oi=local_result&ct=image&resnum=1

Lindsay Anderson

Principal, Trinity Springs Middle School

Dear Titan Parents,

As of right now, tonight’s games will still be played; however, due to our game fields being soaked, the location has changed from Trinity Springs Middle School to Fossil Ridge High School. We will bus students to and from the game site, and parents may either pick their athletes up from Fossil Ridge by signing them out with a coach or pick them up at Trinity Springs once all games are over and we return on the bus.  B and C teams will each scrimmage Keller on opposite ends of the Fossil Ridge field beginning at 5:30 p.m. Immediately after, at 7 p.m., the Trinity Springs and Keller A teams will play one another.   We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but we are looking forward to our teams getting their first opportunity to play a real opponent in spite of this weekend’s downpour. As always, we thank you for your support of Titan athletics, and we hope to see you tonight at Fossil Ridge high school!

Please see the address below, or click on the link for a map of Fossil Ridge High School.

Fossil Ridge High School

4101 Thompson Rd.

Keller, Texas 76248

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=4101+Thompson+Rd+Keller,+TX+76248&fb=1&geocode=9043634628632258477,32.890723,-97.295200&ei=M26uSsm6FZWIMafd1PIN&sa=X&oi=manybox&resnum=3&ct=14&safe=active

Additionally, since the game is not on our campus, the cheerleaders will not cheer.

Finally, please note that progress reports will be coming home with your child today.  We are also sending home a short survey for parents to complete.  We ask that you complete this survey and return it to your child’s 4^th period teacher.

Until next time….

Lindsay Anderson

Principal, Trinity Springs Middle School