Tumwater
Middle School
School Learning Plan
Tumwater Middle School
Who Are We Now:
Tumwater Middle School’s mission is that TMS students acquire the knowledge and skills that empower them to change the world. Our motto is We Share, We Care, We Dare. Through this lens our staff, students, and families are working together to build an inclusive community where all feel welcome.
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We share our ideas, our voices, our stories, and our perspectives.
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We care for ourselves and each other, for our communities, about our future, and about multiple perspectives.
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We dare to innovate, to create, to uplift others, to challenge ourselves, to be open to changing our minds, and to change the world.
Opened in Fall 2021, in its second year TMS serves 1,005 students in Grades 6-8, whose success is supported by a range of programs including the Independent Skills Center, Structured Learning Center, and Summa. Forty-two languages in addition to English are spoken in our students’ homes, comprising twenty-seven percent of our student body. Forty-nine percent of our students report their ethnicity as other than white. This diversity is valued by and enriches our school community.
As an IB Middle Years Program (MYP) Candidate School, we are pursuing authorization as an IB World School. This process includes staff development and implementing the structures and philosophy of the MYP, which includes all students. The MYP offers a holistic approach to the adolescent learner, emphasizing their growth as a learner, in language arts, math, science, social studies, pe/health, language acquisition, design, and the arts.
We are also seeking school certification for Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID). The core belief of AVID’s mission is that “all students can successfully achieve when they are held to high expectations and properly supported.” AVID provides a framework for school systems and instruction that drive consistent, high level, learning opportunities for all students. Implementing the complementary programs of MYP and AVID strengthens the access and support provided to all students.
We serve students from 5 feeder elementary schools. Most of our students live in the attendance area for Sunset High School, creating an opportunity for vertical articulation. As a relatively new school our efforts this year are intended to continue to build a cohesive, inclusive community that offers engaging and challenging academic and co-curricular opportunities for all students, while providing support for all students to be successful.
Date of Last Revision: November 9, 2022
District Goal: WE empower all students to achieve post-high school success.
WE Expect Excellence
- WE teach students knowledge and skills for our evolving world.
- WE seek, support, and recognize world-class employees.
WE Innovate
- WE engage students with a variety of relevant and challenging learning experiences.
- WE create learning environments that promote student achievement.
WE Embrace Equity
- WE build honest, safe, and inclusive relationships with our diverse students and their families.
- WE provide needed support so that every student succeeds.
WE Collaborate
- WE work and learn in teams to understand student needs and improve learning outcomes.
- WE partner with our community to educate and serve students.