Weekly Community Message from Mr. Lawrence

Weekly Message to the Community, 2022-2023

August 21, 2022

Good evening Topsail Middle families, this is Mr. Lawrence with the first announcement of the 22-23 school year.  I hope everyone has had a great summer break!  We will be kicking off the beginning of the school year on August 29.  We have some updates and important back to school announcements that I wanted everyone to be aware of.  Be sure to check your email or the school website for our TMS back to school community message.

  • Pender County Schools 22-23 Calendar

  • Have a question about how to use PCS technology?  Use the Techbytes link.

  • Open House for students in grades 6-8 will take place on Wednesday, August 24 from 4pm-6pm.  We have a number of new families in the Topsail area and so we will also host a “New to Topsail” meeting for families new to Hampstead at 3:30 in our Auxiliary gym. Homeroom lists will be posted outside of the grade level buildings.

  • Open House for students in 5th grade will be on Thursday, August 25 from 4pm-6pm.  Homeroom student lists will be located in the main building. 

  • TMS PTO will have food trucks available on the 24th in front of the school for 5th Grade open house.  Wendy’s in Hampstead will also be hosting a Spirit night for TMS on August 25th from 4-8 pm. We look forward to seeing you. 

  • Our website has changed, if you search for Topsail Middle using google you will be directed to our old website.  Please use this link to be directed to our new school website.  We are suggesting that our families download our PCS app.  It can be located at the bottom of the homepage of our new district website.  This app will allow you to receive news messages and updates, while also paying cafeteria balances for your student(s).

  • A change this year is Chromebooks will not be handed out during Open House.  Instead, students will receive Chromebooks during the first week of school after the 1:1 Student Parent Agreement form has been signed.  Homeroom teachers will have these forms available during Open House.

  • The Parent Portal in PowerSchool will be available for parents after our 20th day of school.

  • Breakfast and Lunch will NOT be free for students this school year.  Lunch prices will be $2.45 and Breakfast will be $1.45.  All families who would like to apply for a free and reduced lunch application use this link.  Families can also check out the lunch menus and make payments by using the Aramark link.

  • If your child is riding a bus this year you can find the estimated pick and drop-off time using bus stop look-up.  Information about bus routes will also be available during Open House.

  • Do you have a student interested in participating in athletics this year?  We have created a sports page on our school website.  ALL students who would like to participate in athletics will be required to complete a physical and submit athletic forms.  All forms have moved online this year which you can find using this link.  More information on how to submit paperwork can be found on our athletics page.  Just a reminder that only students in grades 6-8 can participate in middle school athletics and only 7th and 8th grade for football.  Tryouts for cheer, football, and softball will take place during the first week of school.

  • Operation Military Kids Club is looking forward to another great year! If your family is military- connected be sure to register for the club at operationmilitarykidsclubs.com. Yearly registration is required, even if you have participated previously. OMKC meets on the 3rd Friday of the month to give military-connected students a chance to connect in a fun and relaxed atmosphere.

  • TMS Bands- 7th and 8th-grade band members need to bring their instruments on the first day of school.  6th-grade bands will get information during the first few days about acquiring an instrument.  If you have any questions, please email Mr. Norem.

  • In an effort to increase the safety of our campus, we have painted our back parking lot to help support drop off and pick up processes.  Morning procedures have changed, parents will not be able to park when dropping students off in our big parking lot.  There are 3 ways for students to be dropped off or picked up from school:

    • Buses, which will drop off students in the front of our school

    • Big Parking lot North of our campus.  Parents will turn right when entering the campus and follow the traffic when dropping off 5-8 grade students only.

    • If you have a child that attends both TAES and TMS you will be able to drop them off at the South end of our school near the Topsail Elementary drop off location.  Parents using this option will enter at St. Johns and Country Club intersection, which is the high school entrance.  Then parents will follow the traffic around the back of Topsail High before entering the small parking lot to drop off both elementary and middle school students.

Grade level newsletters:

  • 8th: Find our newsletter  HERE