I am thrilled to share that we have had a fantastic start to the school year! It has been wonderful to see our students back in the classrooms, engaging with their teachers, and diving into new adventures. TEMS teachers have worked hard to create a positive and welcoming environment, and it is clear that their efforts, combined with your support, are making a significant impact. As we continue to build on this momentum, I encourage you to stay involved and communicate with us about your child’s progress. Together, we can ensure a successful and enriching year for every student. Thank you for your continued partnership and enthusiasm as we embark on this exciting journey.

This newsletter aims to provide important updates about important happenings in September. You can expect regular updates at the end of each month with news for the upcoming month in addition to any time sensitive school announcements on ParentSquare.

Enjoy the Labor Day weekend!

Please click here to reference the school event's calendar that can be found on ParentSquare. Follow TEMS on Facebook, Twitter, and Threads.

We are happy to be welcoming families to the grade 6 open house scheduled on September 3rd. The schedule below outlines the planned activities for this evening. Please report to the designated area in the schedule below by 6:10 following the rotation of your child's team. The primary audience for open house is adults so your middle schooler does not need to attend.

Timothy Edwards Middle School is excited to invite all of our 6th graders to attend our annual back-to-school Ice Cream Social!

The event will take place on Thursday, September 11th and will take place in the cafeteria from dismissal to 4:00PM. Late buses will be available. If you are picking up your student, we ask you to park in the B-Lot (front of the school in the lot farther away from the school) or the D-Lot (traditional parent pick-up lot).

Tickets will cost $5 each and will be sold during lunch periods throughout the week. If you would like your child to attend, we ask that you fill out the form at the following link to RSVP for planning purposes.

During the week of September 22-26, TEMS will once again be participating in “Starts with Hello”, a Sandy Hook Promise program. The goal of the week is to help everyone feel included and accepted, the easiest part of which is to greet each other with a hello! See the school calendar for daily schoolwide activities.

The PTO is excited to launch the year with everyone and invite everyone to join as a member. For just $10 per family, you can become a member of the TEMS Parent-Teacher Organization and help us make a difference! Click here to join.

The purpose of the TEMS PTO is to aid the students and staff for educational and recreational needs, to promote open communication between all members, and to encourage school spirit and pride. The PTO uses its resources, both manpower and monetary, to support all efforts of the staff of our school. We encourage you to not only join our organization; but participate in our many events as well!! Everything we do is based on volunteers and we are always looking for many of you to help make a difference in the lives of our children. Every positive imprint we make on our children can go a long way.

The first meeting is scheduled for September 25th at 6:00. This meeting will be held virtually. Click here to join. Be sure to stop in to see the PTO in the library during Open House!

We’re kicking off our biggest fundraiser of the year, and we need to raise $20,000 to support:

What’s a Move-A-Thon? Each student will get 30 minutes outside during the school day to enjoy music, games, and movement. No pressure, no competition—just pure fun in the sun (or whatever weather we get in CT).

Why $20,000? Because our kids deserve amazing opportunities, and these funds go right back into making that happen. But let’s be real… without your support, field trips, books, and special events can’t happen.

How can you help? Every dollar makes a difference. Donations are tax-deductible and can be made online or sent in with your student. Ask family, friends, neighbors—anyone who wants to support our school! https://www.zeffy.com/donation-form/move-a-thon-2

Let’s show our school spirit, support our students, and SLIME some administrators while we’re at it. TEMS, let’s MOVE!

As a reminder, the district is transitioning from SchoolMessenger to ParentSquare, unifying all district and school-level notifications into one secure, user-friendly platform. ParentSquare is used to deliver important updates, emergency alerts, school news, classroom messages, and more via email, text message, and app notifications. Please ensure your contact information in the PowerSchool Parent Portal is accurate and up-to-date, as ParentSquare draws its contact details directly from PowerSchool. 

Thank you to all families who have already registered in ParentSquare. If you have not registered yet, please see below.

Each parent/guardian has a ParentSquare account automatically generated using the email address and phone number on file in PowerSchool. If you have not already registered, we ask that you:

It is important to note that if you do not complete registration, you will still continue to receive alerts and messages (like this one) from the district; however, you will not be able to view previous posts, access the app or web portal, or customize your notification settings.

The CHET Dream Big! Competition has returned and will run through November 5, 2025. This Competition is brought to you by the Connecticut State Treasurer’s Office as Trustee of the Connecticut Higher Education Trust (CHET). Dream Big! is open to all Connecticut students in grades K-12.

This year they will be awarding $350,000 in CHET 529 College Savings Plan – Direct Plan (“CHET 529 Direct Plan”) account contributions to over 250 students in grades K-12. Younger students will be asked to answer a question focusing on their future plans or a time they were inspired to do good, and older students will be asked about an experience or person that has impacted them and how that will influence their future goals.

This year we will be awarding the following in CHET 529 account contributions:

A TEMS student won the grand prize last year! For Official Rules and eligibility, visit chetdreambig.com.