Takoma Park Middle School

Meetings

|

January 2026 PTSA Monthly Meeting Notes

January 19, 2026 | Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) General Meeting Minutes

Meeting slides: 2026.01 – PTSA General Meeting

 

Link to meeting minutes from last General Membership Meeting: 

Attendees

TPMS PTSA Board: Jesse Loznak, Emily Modde, Summer Smith, Mic Murphy, Chris Campbell, Ramata Diop, Heather Brown – Palsgrove

 

TPMS Teachers / Staff : Ms. Soriano, Ms. Steinberg, Ms. Lever, Mr. Einhorn, Ms. Martinez, Ms. O’Connell, Lara Finklea

 

Other Guest: Kaysi-Ann Webley- City of Takoma Park Transit Planner

 

Public attendance: At the peak of the meeting, there were 132 members participating in the Zoom call, including the Board, community members, and students.  

Agenda

  • Upcoming Events (Chris Campbell)
  • Multicultural Night Information (Ramata Diop)
  • Books & Basketball and Silent Auction Information (Celine Allard, Ann Gordon)
  • Update from Student Climate Survey (Principal Loznak)
  • Budget (Mic Murphy) 
  • Financial Review Committee Findings (Kristin O’Planick)
  • Present the findings from the Observations of pickup and dropoff (Kayci-Ann Webley – the TPk Transit Planner)
  • Shifts in the traffic / pedestrian flow (Principal Loznak)
  • The class selection process for rising 7th & 8th graders (Vice Principal Soriano)
  • Open Q&A with Mr.Loznak and the PTSA

 

Meeting Minutes

Welcome & Important events

Chris Campbell welcomed everyone to the meeting at 7:03. He thanked everyone for attending our first meeting of 2026. He gave a brief overview of the agenda and what we would be discussing tonight. He asked that any students put their name in the chat and indicate that they are a student so we can offer SSL hours. Ramata welcomed everyone in Spanish and offered a breakout room if needed. No one asked for the Spanish room. 

 

Chris reminded everyone of important upcoming events that have been shared by the school, the PTSA, and in our communication channels. 

 

January

  • January 16: Parent Workshop: MyMCPS Classroom and Canvas 
  • January 19: No School (MLK Day)
  • January 23: Deadline to submit elective choices for next year (6th and 7th graders only)
  • January 23: End of marking period 2
  • January 26: No School 
  • January 27: Parent Workshop: Stress Management for Middle School Students and Parents
  • January 29: National History Day Competition

 

February

  • February 4: Report cards distributed
  • February 6: Multicultural Night
  • February 6–13: Book Fair
  • February 16: No School (Presidents’ Day)
  • February 17: No School
  • February 25: Scripps Spelling Bee
  • February 27: Early release day
  • February 27-28: Books and Basketball events

 

Multicultural Night – February 6, 2026

TPMS annual Multicultural Night will be Friday, February 6, 2026 from 6-8 PM. The event will celebrate the richness of our diverse cultures. The night will feature music, dance, delicious food, and traditions from all around the world – all at our wonderful school. Please bring your family and friends to this unique TPMS event.

 

We need students and families to sign-up to sign-up to present their cultures. For more information / sign up  https://bit.ly/45TrzCO see the QR code in the slides and/or reach out to: mutchad@yaoo.com. 

 

Books and Basketball – February 27th (game and book presale) – February 28th (book sale and community event)

Taking place over two days in the last weekend of February, this is our biggest community event and fundraiser of the year – and it’s a ton of fun!   It’s a used book sale event combined with a student vs teachers basketball game, silent auction AND a community showcase of student activities including the jazz band and horticulture club, the Difference makers and more!

 

Why you should definitely not miss this event:

  • A thrilling basketball game, and fantastic performance by “We will rock you” band ahead of the game
  • Treasures and bargains at the book sale
  • Concerts by the school Jazz Band and Flute Choir 
  • An Art Show by students
  • Plants for purchase by the Horticulture Club
  • Amazing prices at the Silent Auction (more in two slides)
  • Yummy Bake sale
  • And plenty of other fun activities…

When

  • Friday February 27, 6-8:30 pm: Student v Teacher basketball game and book presale (Gym)
  • Friday February 27, 5-9 pm: Book Pre-sale open to TPMS families (Cafeteria)
  • Saturday February 28, 10-1 pm:  Book sale, Community event with amazing activities, and Silent auction (Open to the entire community, bring your friends! Cafeteria) 

Book Sale – how you can help 

We need your book donations! We take all types of books (picture books, first readers, chapter books, Young adults, fiction, non fiction, cookbooks, travel books, etc). There are several ways you can donate books:

  • A donation box outside the main office 
  • Drop-off sessions on Saturday January 24 and Saturday January 14 (10 am to 1 pm). Drive and drop your boxes by the school. 
  • Let your friends and neighbors know about the call for book donations (and the event!). If you collect books from your neighbors, you can contact me (celineallard@yahoo.com) and I can come and pick them up, if that helps.
  • Drop books on my porch, 409 Beech Avenue or on the porch of 902 Gist Ave, Silver Spring (summersmith100@gmail.com )

Silent Auction – how you can help

The Takoma Park community will have the chance to bid on outings and experiences in the D.C. area, food and beverage donations from local retailers, and various items. 

We need your help to make it a success!

  • Volunteers needed!
    • 2-3 hours of work to solicit donations and build the auction catalog. Ideal for students who want fundraising experience. Reach out to Ann Gordon ann.w.gordon@gmail.com for details.
  • Items needed! 
    • Fill out the form with your contribution for event tickets,  handmade items, experiences, etc. Reach out to Ann Gordon with questions.
  • Reach out to Ann Gordon (ann.w.gordon@gmail.com) with questions and/or to volunteer.

 

Communications

Chris reminded attendees on all the ways you can stay in touch with the PTSA: newsletters (Announce and Discuss) and multiple Whatsapp groups (see the slides for QR code to join the groups). Chris reiterated that if you are a student, please put your name in the chat so we can record your SSL hours. 

https://www.tpmspta.org/abouttpmspta/mailinglists/ 

 

Update from Student Climate Survey

Mr. Loznak presented a quick update on the Climate Survey. He thanked members for responding. There will be another chance to provide input in the Spring. Positive growth was shown in 14 of the 15 categories and in 11 of the 14 went up by 12%. One area of concern is homework. He presented overall homework timeframes for each grade:

6th

He also addressed concerns over finding assignments and upcoming assignments. 

 

Budget Update

Mic Murphy, Treasurer, presented a budget update for the PTSA. We have raised $ and we have spent. We have  in the bank.

 

The TPMS PTSA is now current with the Maryland Secretary of State Charities Registry. This was a priority for this BOard and we are pleased to have met this goal. 

 

At the end of the PTSA’s fiscal year (June 30, 2025) the treasurer closes out the financial records 

 

Mic provided a summary of the 2024-2025 of the findings of the independent review committee. Kristin O’Planick presented the results of review. She thanked Megan and X.

 

Certify the results of the review and made sure that the 2024-2025 Board met their requirements last year to make sure funds were being spent as appropriate. They found that the Board met their requirements. There were minor errors that were easily addressed by the Board. One check was missing, but the proper documentation was presented to account for this. There had been findings in the past review that were all addressed by the 2024-2025 Board, which shows they not only met the requirements. 

 

Summer Smith, PTSA Secretary called a vote to approve the review. The majority of members approved the review and no one indicated that they did not approve the review.

 

Pick-up and Drop-off observations and Recommendations

Emily introduced our new Safe Routes to School Chair – Kelly Doordan. Please reach out if you have concerns…

Findings from the Observations of pickup and dropoff Review

Kayci-Ann from the City of Takoma Park presented the observations from the October 8, 2025 review. The review looked at two locations including at pickup and dropoff to see what a typical day at TPMS is like related to the movement of our students.  Find out more at our website:  https://www.tpmspta.org/pick-up-drop-off-observations-oct-2025/ 

 

There were many things that were working well: 

  • Students generally follow crossing rules
  • Crosswalks and signals functioning as designed
  • Bus stop locations appropriate with good visibility
  • School staff actively assisting where possible

 

Challenges: the primary safety concern is related to heavy congestion blocking intersections. THis was worse in the afternoon because the dismissal is all at once. There were also concerns about vehicles making unsafe actions including …

Piney Branch Rd

  • Vehicles stuck in intersection due to congestion
  • Crossing guard arriving late / leaving early
  • Guard not actively crossing students or using hand signals
  • Red light violation exiting school.

Grant Ave

  • Drop-off line backing onto Grant & Chestnut
  • Students exiting vehicles into traffic lanes
  • Mid-block crossings between parked cars
  • Three-point turns and idling reduce roadway width

 

Another issue was the crossing guard did not arrive early enough and was not using appropriate signals and engaging students in safe behavior.   This crossing guard has since been dismissed and is no longer working as a guard. 

 

The recommendations are focused on things that can quickly improve student safety. There isn’t a crossing guard at Grant, but the school does a great job picking up the need for assistance. 

 

Reinforce no-exit and no-turn

 

Assess if Grant Ave can be one way and improve visibility. The overall goal is to make sure students, caregivers, staff, and community members are making sure that everyone is safe. The students are mostly operating in a safe manor with the cars having the largest negative impact. The City looks forward to continuing to work with the PTSA, the School, and others to make sure that everyone is safe. 

 

Mr. Loznak thanked Kaysi-Ann, the TPMS Police Department, and the City for all their help and support to make sure our kids are safe. He also shared some adjustments that have already been made related to traffic flow. There were some students observed walking to parked cars across Piney Branch. This has been eliminated. There was also observed walking on Grant Ave, where our buses come up for pickup. Students have been asked to stay on the sidewalks. The school has already seen a difference in student and caregiver behavior. THere is a new crossing guard at the Piney Branch location to help students move safely to and from schools. 

 

There is a QR code that has the full report provided by the City on our website. https://www.tpmspta.org/pick-up-drop-off-observations-oct-2025/ 

 

There is also a place for feedback – we want to hear more about what you think and what TPMS and the PTSA Board can do to keep our kids safe. These links will also go out on our channels. 

Submit feedback on the report here: https://forms.gle/DbgdKh6ArqpDDiV4A 

 

Next PTSA Meeting

Our next PTSA meeting will be Tuesday, February 10 7-8:30 over Zoom. More information on the School Climate Survey and a conversation on Generative AI and Digital LIteracy with a panel discussion. 

 

Rising 7th and 8th grade Class Choice Discussion 

If you are an 8th grade family, you can drop off if you would like. The conversation will focus on Elective choices for next year’s 7th and 8th grade students. Today, the Administrators went into math classes today to present electives for next year. 

TPMS Parent Articulation Meeting for Rising 7th & 8 (2026-2027) – Google Slides 

 

https://www.canva.com/design/DAG7Vdb2rzw/LZ5Z9J5Ush7JuLZY7EUX2g/edit

 

Required classes for 7th grade:

Advanced English

Math

Historical Inquiry 

 

Required classes for 8th grade

 

Detailed information on Math classes at TPMS: Depending on what class your student is in now, will depend on what course they will take next year. All information is reviewed to see if students should be moved. Math courses are decided by the math content specialist and teachers: grades from previous math courses; MAP-M scores; teacher recommendations; and student interest. If you have questions or concerns about your students’ math course for next year, reach out to your students’ teacher or Administrator. There is also a Math Intervention Course Math 180…and Reading: EBLI and ILit. If a student needs these classes the Administration will reach out to discuss with families. If a student is in the class now, there will also be a conversation if the student should stay in this class. 

 

Opportunities for Extensions – for 8th grade students only

 

Electives next year will be paired to make scheduling easier and make sure that electives are not overcrowded. This means that electives come as a set, you have to choose both of them.

 

7th grade electives: The students get to chose what they want to take, but they have to chose the pair. There is one exception: if they did not take a foundational class in 6th grade (because they were in Band, Orchestra, Chorus, or World Language). If they decide to drop Band, Orchestra, Chorus, or World Lange, they can pick the arts rotation. 

 

FACS 1 is new to all rising 7th grade students because they could not take it as 6th graders. 

 

8th grade elections: the students have to pick pairs. The pairings have not been decided what semester they will be offered to your student. Note that for some rising 8th graders, they may not have the experience for (they can’t take Art 3 Ceramics if they have not taken Art 1 and Art 2). If none of these pairings work then they can provide that information. IF your student CAN take a paring (even if they don’t necessarily want it) they should try and choose that paring. If none of these options work, they can indicate that on their sheet. Remember, if ANY option works, they should request it (as in, if they don’t like it, they can’t not choose it). 

 

World Language: If you are already in a language, they will be placed in the next level (in most cases). If they haven’t started a language, Dr. Finklea suggests that students start now.  These classes go on their high school transcript and count towards the MCPS requirement for 2 years of the same language in high school. It must be the same world language for two years. If you have specific questions, please reach out to Dr. Finklea. 

 

For rising 8th grade students: there is a virtual school option. This is a small program with very specific requirements. Ms. Soriano will share an interest form. This is for students who are coming off the Block Schedule as 6th graders who might need/want to take another class to fulfill a requirement. It is the responsibility of the student to stay on top of this class.

 

High School Credit Classes: World Language, math, and technology education. The requirements for high school credit taken in middle school: … see slide.

 

The process for selecting the electives are on the form that was shared with students today. They will either be choosing two one semester pairings and one year elective. OR they might select two one year electives. There will also be a place to indicate backup electives. 

 

Link for course registration to make decisions for electives. 

https://sites.google.com/mcpsmd.net/tpmscounseling/tpms-registration 

 

Next Tuesday the students will register on the google form to collect the final information. 

 

After the deadline, there is no guarantee that requests to change electives will be granted. Please discuss these options with your students so they are excited about them for next year. 

 

Student Service Learning

Students must earn 75 hours before they can graduate from any public High School in Maryland. Hours can be earned during the school year and during the summer. They are updated as they come up, but sometimes there is a lag. The best place to see current SSL hours will be quarterly. 

 

Emily Modde, PTMS PTSA President suggested that folks put questions in the chat and/or come off mute. Slides and notes will be posted soon. 

 

Emily adjourned the meeting at 8:25. 

|

November 2025 PTSA Monthly Meeting Notes

2025.11.11 – PTSA General Meeting Outline

In person at TPMS. 

Attendance: The full PTSA board, Ms. Martin, Mr. Loznak, and 19 members of the community, including students. At the peak of the meeting, there were 30 people present.

 

PTSA Meeting slides: November 11, 2025 PTSA Slides

 

Mr. Loznak Meeting Slides: November 11, 2025 Mr. Loznak Slides 

Meeting minutes from last General Membership Meeting: 2025.10.14 – PTSA General Meeting Minutes

 

Meeting Minutes

Welcome

At 7:03 Emily, PTSA President, opened the meeting and welcomed families, community members, TPMS Administration, students and the PTSA Board. She told participants that Ramata would be translating in Spanish today, if needed (translation services were not needed during this meeting).

 

Upcoming Events

Emily shared key upcoming events including:

November 17: SpED Workshop on Special Education Transition Services 

Focused on 8th grade families who will be transitioning their Special Education Needs to a new school. Note all are welcome. 

 

November 21:  Student Government Association Dance 

The PTSA provides snacks for this event. We also need volunteer chaperones. 

 

November 24:  Parent Teacher Conferences

If you are new to Middle School, this is a different format than you are probably used to. Conferences are run “arena style” where teachers are all located in the cafeteria. A caregiver mom asked about how you navigate the arena style parent teacher conferences with multiple students. Emily said that you can prioritize where you students need the most help. Mr. Loznak suggested caregivers focus on teachers that you don’t have as much contact with.

 

The PTSA provides dinner for teachers, the administration, and staff. After a successful event last year, we will again provide soup and pie. Please sign up to make (or buy) soup and pie. 

Please see the slides for QR codes to register for these events. Emily highlighted the school calendar that shows what is going on at our school. It’s a great resource to learn details of events, get zoom links, and stay connected: TPMS Calendar 

 

Regional Analysis Update 

Liz Ryan, MCPSPTA Representative, and Jamie Koppel, Blair’s PTSA representative, gave an update to the MCPS boundary study. At the last PTSA Meeting, we had a detailed discussion of the proposals and discussions. One main area of concern is that the MCPS BoE can’t articulate how they will make sure the new proposal is equitable to all students. The County Council PTA passed a proposal that formally asked the MCPS BoE to slow down the process so families, caregivers, teachers, and others can really grasp what is going on. There are many unanswered questions, especially around impacts to autism programs, bussing, and resource management. The Teachers Union also voted, and passed, a resolution formally asking for the process to slow down. 

It was noted that at the MCPS BoE meeting hosted last night at Blair High School, the BoE refused to take notes of the input and questions that were offered.

Jamie said that there are still lots of opportunities to offer feedback on this ongoing process. The TPMS PTSA has a regional WhatsApp group (please join us and ask questions or give input!). In addition, the MCCPTA (who represents all  211 MCPS PTSA) is encouraging people to testify at the next BoE meeting, which will be November 29, 2025. Starting Thursday, November 20, 2025 people can sign up to testify. 

In addition, Ramata said that before the public meeting there was a 2 hour meeting with selected members of the Community. MCPS BoE expressed that they were very concerned about a significant decline in enrolment at MCPS schools and they expect this decline to continue. They are also concerned over the status of school buildings, and the impact of these changes on our students, staff, and community. Ramata said that the group stressed that MCPS needs to listen to us and the consensus from those who were in the smaller group meeting is that not a lot of information is being shared. The few people in the small group meeting asked questions and they didn’t feel that MCPS answered questions that were asked.

 

Emily asked those in the room to raise their hands if they knew about the proposed boundary study. About half of the participants raised their hands. One caregiver said that there was so much information, it was hard to know what to read and what to follow. She suggested that more concise information be made available. 

 

TPMS PTSA Budget Update

Mic Murphy, PTSA Treasurer, presented an overview of the PTSA Budget. To date, we have spent about 11 percent of our budget, around $3,000. The PTSA has been able to raise over $15,000 in donations. We currently have enough funds to pay for our 2025-2026 budget and provide next year’s PTSA with money to spare. Ramata, a PTSA Board Member, proposed that we passed the monthly budget. Kristen, a caregiver, seconded the motion. Everyone in the room agreed to the monthly budget via raised hands. The motion passed.

 

The School Improvement Plan, Mr. Loznak

Mr. Loznak asked those in attendance to think about 6 areas of focus for a school, and which one area would be the most important area. The areas were: safety, math, english, special education, emergent multilingual learners, and positive climate. He encouraged the group to discuss with those around them the most important issue to them. One caregiver said that positive climate was most important because it impacted all the other areas. A student said safety was the most important issue because of the boys bathrooms. Another caregiver said that a positive climate was important because it impacted overall learning.

 Mr. Loznak explained that the Maryland Report Card is an accountability system that measures relevant, actionable aspects of school performance. It has been used since 2018 for all Maryland schools. The administration is focusing on this now because there is a shift in MCPS to use this report as our measure of success at all MCPS schools, including TMPS. There is an increased focus to dig into the report and really look at where we are as a school, and where we can do better. The superintendent is also focusing on this report, which will help the school system and schools be on the same page. Mr. Loznak said that they are often asked what they do over the summer. Reviewing this report and planning how to take action; who is having success at TPMS, and who needs more support. This is what they are doing over summer break. 

 

There are 4 components of the report:

Indicator Weight Description
Academic Achievement 20% Student performance on MCAP state assessments in English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics: percent proficient or higher + average performance level. These are the English and Math tests the students take in April/May of each school year.  
Academic Progress 35% Growth of students on state assessments (ELA, math) compared to peers with similar prior performance; and for middle schools, includes 8th-grade science/social studies state assessment performance and credit-earning in core coursework. This area measures growth and takes into consideration where students are and if they are making progress. Information is broken down within groups of students and by demographics. It also includes the 8th grade science and social studies state assessments. 
Progress in Achieving English Language Proficiency 10% For students who are English learners: the percentage on track toward English language proficiency. This measures the progress of English learning for students. 
School Quality & Student Success 35% Measures include: percent of students not chronically absent (15 possible points), results of student/educator surveys (10 points), access to a well-rounded education curriculum (10 points) in middle/elementary level. This area focuses on school quality – what do students and teachers say about the school. Portions of this area were the focus of the rest of the meeting. 
Total 100% —

*Italicized information is context from the PTSA meeting. 

Mr. Loznak continued and shared that TPMS is a 4-star school this year. A few years ago, we were a 3-star school, so progress has been made. There are currently no 5-star middle schools in MCPS, which means our 4-star rating is a good one. The goal of the administration is to get a 5-star rating next year. Some areas of focus will be: increased strategies for reading comprehension; a focus on what students will need later in life; and working together to solve math problems, think about math in different ways, like you would in the real world. In addition, increased support for English learners and Special Education students.

Mr. Loznak said that there are three key areas where TPMS scored low, and we want to discuss them tonight. The administration wants to know what is working well, and where they can make improvements. All the areas listed above have the potential for progress at TPMS. During the meeting, we focused on three areas: peer to peer interactions (how students relate to each other); bullying; and physical environment (the physical spaces in the school – classrooms, hallways, cafeteria, outdoor area, etc). 

Those in attendance were divided into breakout groups. Notes were taken and shared with the administration (we will focus on responses at a later PTSA meeting). There were 3 caregiver groups, and 1 student group. Mr. Loznak said that the school is focusing on these areas because they received the lowest scores on our report card. The school is currently highlighting teachers and students who show STRIVE values, highlighting the good behavior that they want modeled. They are also focusing on having students embrace each other and their differences, working on how they work through conflict, and trying to reduce bullying and peer to peer conflict.

Mr. Loznak said the feedback received during the meeting will help the school reach the goal of becoming a 5-star school. 

Action Item: please take the MCPS survey sent out to all caregivers on October 29, 2025 (the link will be shared again in the newsletter). This is a change from past years when feedback was asked for at the end of the year, and action could only be taken the following year. This year MCPS is asking for feedback on the school now, so the administration can make changes this year. There will be another survey in the spring. The feedback goes to TPMS, so please take that into consideration.  

 

A community member asked a specific question about skipping lessons if their student already knew the content. Mr. Loznak said to reach out personally and they could discuss. 

 

Interim Principal Update

Starting in December 1, Mr. Loznak will be the Principal at TPMS. Dr. Gadsden, current Principal at Takoma Park Elementary School (TPES), will join Mr. Loznak at TPMS. Ms. Martin will be principal at TPES. These changes will go until January 31, 2026. 

 

Adjourn the Meeting

Emily thanked everyone for coming to meet in person. Our next PTSA meeting will be in January via Zoom. At 8:21 Emily closed the meeting.

|

October 2025 PTSA Monthly Meeting Minutes

October 14, 2025 | Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) General Meeting Minutes

Meeting slides: 2025.10 – PTSA General Meeting

Link to meeting minutes from last General Membership Meeting: 2025.09.09 | PTSA General Meeting Minutes

Attendees: 

TPMS PTSA Board: Erin Martin, Summer Smith, Emily Modde, Jesse Loznak, Chris Campbell, Becca Jones-Albertus, Heather Brown – Palsgrove, Monisha Shah, Mic Murphy, and Ramata Diop.

At 7:18 there were 76 members participating in the Zoom call, including the Board, community members, and students.  

 

Meeting Minutes

Welcome

Chris Campbell, VP of Communications, opened the meeting and welcomed members of the TPMS community and students. He encouraged people to use the chat to ask questions, and members of the Board will do their best to answer them during the meeting. He outlined the meeting agenda and reintroduced the Board to the community. Chris noted that we still need a VP for Fundraising (if you are interested, please reach out to TPMS.PTA.president@gmail.com). 

 

Upcoming Events

There are many events offered at TPMS. For the most up-to-date information, check out the school calendar here: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/takomaparkms/calendar-index/ :  

 

Upcoming TPMS events:

October 

October 16: Vaccination Clinic (2:00 pm – 8:00 pm)* 

October 16: MOCOCAP Career Advising Lesson*

October 17: No School

October 20: No School

October 22: Cross Country Meet @TPMS (3:30 pn)

October 24:  Last day to submit assignments

October 27 – 29: Grade 7 Finance Park Simulation

October 30: Grade 8 Annapolis Field Trip

October 31: End of Marking Period 1

*more info on these events here: https://app.smore.com/n/gjwx6

 

November 

November 5:  Student photo make-up day

November 12: Next PTSA meeting IN PERSON 

November 17: SpED workshop on Transition Services workshop  

TBD:  Parent Teacher Conferences

 

Information on Survey Data From the Last PTSA Meeting. 

Emily Modde, PTSA President, presented the survey data we collected during our last meeting. She presented ranked survey results of what members wanted from the PTSA:

  • Upcoming events and key issues at TPMS
  • Updates from Ms Martin and the school administration
  • Upcoming changes in MCPS
  • Opportunities to share ideas and concerns for the PTSA
  • Spaces to build connections with other TPMS families
  • Volunteer opportunities at TPMS
  • Discussions on community needs
  • General parenting education

 

Additional topics that were brought to the PTSA include (note these are not in rank order):

  • Mental Health topics (eg.emotional changes)
  • Understanding how the DCC works for HS
  • Insights into curriculum (esp if changes)
  • Technology issues – too many platforms, how do we use them?!
  • Boundary and Programming study
  • Enrichment opportunities
  • Bus Sched / Transportation issues
  • SSL opportunities: How parents can help
  • Ensuring an inclusive environment, and school culture, building community
  • Resources for the unexpected needs created from recent DC  area disruptions
  • Online and media safety

Emily noted that during this PTSA meeting we will discuss some of the topics and we have left time at the end for open questions/answers. As we continue to meet, the PTSA Board will continue to cover topics that are important to our community. If you have additional ideas, please reach out: TPMS.PTA.president@gmail.com.

 

Putting the “S” in PTSA

Monisha Shah, Co-Executive VP, explained that the Board really heard from our members at our last meeting that we should really engage the “S – Student” in PTSA and make that partnership stronger. One of our first steps is to work with the Principal’s Advisory Council (Council) to bring their voices to the PTSA. The Board will also reach out to other groups at the school and other students who have individually joined the PTSA.

Mr. Loznak, Principal Intern, said that the Council students have been working on how to make STRIVE time better. Mr. Joznak welcomed the students who joined the meeting tonight. He asked a few students why they wanted to be members of the Council. Bralin said that he wanted to join the Council because he has ideas that will make school better including adding sports teams to make school more fun. Anushka wanted to join the Council to have a close knit group to work with Ms. Martin and Mr. Loznak to share ideas to help improve the school. She’s excited to work directly with them on issues that can only be fixed by students. She also said that as a current student, she’s excited to help students for many more years at TPMS. 

Mr. Loznak then asked about the mission of the Council. What is it that student members want to get out of this and what do they want the Council to do? Saron said that her mission was for students to get their voices heard, especially related to STRIVE. She said it’s important to make sure everyone is included. Khaia said her main idea of what the Council is for is to understand the unique backgrounds of students and to bring everyone together to make decisions – that many people should be involved in decisions being made at the school. She said that as an 8th grader who has been at the school for 2 years, she has a view on how to make the school better. 

Mr. Loznak presented the last question to the Council Students: what ideas do you have for putting “S: in PTSA: Chloe said that the biggest idea discussed at the last Council meeting was to add bigger activities at the school. Things like expanding the selling of merch and lanyards. She said that a lot of students don’t have time to buy things before school starts. She added that things like pep rallies, poms/dance, food trucks, and general student excitement for school sports events would be great. STRIVE themes could also be incorporated, including wearing House colors or sitting with your House. She also mentioned fundraisers and prizes for winning including a day of doing House activities on a day that isn’t normally a STRIVE day or spending the day one-on-one with a teacher. Elliot said there are multiple ways to incorporate student’s voices into the PTSA and these activities would benefit students. For example, if students have an interest they join an after school activity. They join because they are interested in something. For the PTSA, there needs to be a reason why they should join. He said that the voices of students need to be more present in the PTSA. He also mentioned that for many students, SSL hours are an important reason why they show up and get involved. He suggested making sure that students know about what the PTSA does and that they can. Willa said that there is a lot of important information that is shared with students, but it’s sometimes hard to process it. For example, there is a lot of important information brought to students in STRIVE, but there isn’t a place to process it. She would like to see more interaction. Mr. Loznak said they will continue to work with the Council and will report back in the future. He thanked the student who came to talk today.

Ms. Martin also thanked the students who joined the meeting and offered the Board and community feedback. For some context, she said that the staff does a lot of planning for students – instruction, afterschool activities, and other activities. The default is to engage with adults and we hope that things hit well with students. Things are happening for them, but also to them and their voice hasn’t been part of the process. The dive and passion for the Council is to get their views and hear their voices. The big areas include: “S” in PTSA; STRIVE advisory – making it more engaging; collecting ideas and feedback on what’s happening in the building (one takeaway from the Council students’ applications was “adults are old and don’t know how to work the channels that kids can relate to”); and looking for their voices to elevate the planning process for activities. Emily thanked everyone for their ideas and being here tonight. 

 

Membership Drive Update

Heather Brown-Palsgrove, VP of Membership, shared that we met our fundraising goal by 100%. Our membership goal was four times our previous fundraising goals and we met it! Heather thanked Rahel Allison, TPMS mom, who gave her advice on how to better run the campaign. Heather also thanked others who helped us reach our goal. The PTSA now makes up 20% of the TPMS population. She presented slides on who our members are (teachers and staff; parents and caregivers; students). We also did a friendly competition with the Houses to see who could sign up the most members. Triumph House won!

Please use this form to give us feedback on how the fundraising campaign went from your perspective. Feedback form. brownpalsgrovefamily@gmail.com can yo add the form?

 

Budget Update

Mic Murphy, Treasurer, presented the 2025-2026 budget update. He presented what will be supported by PTSA this year:

  • Mini-grants to Teachers and Staff to Enrich Curriculum 
  • Welcome Picnic Potluck
  • 6th Grade Outdoor Ed Reptile Man
  • 7th Grade Family Winter Social
  • 8th Grade Family Winter Social 
  • 8th Grade Promotion Dance
  • 8th Grade Promotion
  • Student Dances
  • 3x Heritage Month Enrichment Performances
  • International Multicultural Night Event
  • Books & Basketball Community Building Event
  • We Shine Night 
  • Speakers and Presenters
  • Music Program
  • Teacher & Staff Appreciation Events and Meals
  • Teacher & Staff Professional Development Augmentation Materials
  • …And A Whole Lot More!

He also presented our expense categories and a high level on the major PTSA incomes and expenses. 

Income (money the PTSA brings in)

Member Donations

  • Our largest source of income. Successful 2025 membership drive reduces pressure on fundraising. Thank you members!

Fundraising

  • e.g., Silent Auction, Bake Sales.
  • Still need to raise ~$6k to meet budget target

Program Revenue

  • e.g., Books and Basketball, 8th Grade dance

Grants and Reimbursements

Expenses (money the PTSA spends)

PTA Objectives

  • This is where the bulk of spending goes to ~$13k budgeted for 25-26
  • e.g., Mini-grants, staff appreciation, Music Department, staff development

Event Sponsorship

  • About ~$9k budgeted for event sponsorship 
  • e.g., Heritage Month performances, Outdoor Ed (Reptiles), Student dance, welcome picnic and lots more.

PTA Expenses

  • Operating expenses. E.g., Insurance, Website, software etc.,
  • Organizational expenses. E.g., bank fees
  • Fundraising expenses.

Mic then gave an overview of the 2025-2026 budget:

Summer Smith, PTSA Secretary, asked for someone to propose we pass the 2025-2026 PTSA Budget. Becca Jones-Albertus (Co-Executive VP) proposed the budget be passed. Chris Campbell (VP of Communications) seconded the motion. Summer then asked members to give a “green check – yes” reaction if they agreed we should pass the budget. She then asked if anyone objected using the “X – no” react button or to come off mute to verbally object. At the time of the vote, there were 70 members of the PTSA, including members, the Board, and students. There were no objections, and the 2025-2026 budget passed. 

 

PTSA Board Needs

Becca Jones-Albertus, Co-Executive VP, presented current open roles:

  • Financial Review: Need 3 volunteers for review of PTSA finances due in October
  • VP of Fundraising 
  • Grant Writer

Please contact Becca if you are interested in any of these roles (beccaj@gmail.com) 

 

Boundary and Programming Study Information

Emily opened the discussion of the Boundary Study. The TPMS Board strongly encourages everyone to do their own research on this complex topic. Please see the slides (listed at the top of this document for details on what was presented. In addition, please visit the TPMS PTSA website for documents, discussions, and more.

Emily said there is currently an ongoing Boundary Study. This is because there are two new schools opening in MCPS and there needs to be a decision on where students will go. The final decision will happen in Spring 2026. 

There is also another analysis being conducted in MCPS, the Academic Programming Analysis (Analysis). The Analysis will create six regions each with 4 to 5 high school clusters in each. Right now we have three regions, and TPMS is part of the Down County Consortium (DCC). The new Analysis will end the DCC. According to MCCPS, the Analysis is intended to increase access to services to all students across the county. There is currently an issue that some students are able to attend popular schools with highly sought after programs. According to MCCPS, the Analysis will redistribute these programs across the county and offer more students access to these programs. There is also a plan to update the admission process so students can change tracks during high school, if needed. Originally the Boundary Study stood alone. On October 3, the Analysis was attached to the boundary study. 

A few things that the Board has noted: the Boundary Study went through three rounds of review, included many comment periods, and occurred over a year. The Academic Programming Analysis came out of the boundary study (from what we can tell). The Analysis has had no public review or comment. This means that families, students, principals, staff, and others, have not been part of the process.

From our review and others, there are some key pieces of information missing from the Analysis:transportation analysis (how will students move throughout the county); staffing analysis (how will some schools scale up staff, while others scale down staff); financial analysis (what will this cost and how will it be paid for); and feasibility (how will the changes ensure that the quality of programming is maintained in every school). In addition: these decisions impact all our families with students who are part of MCCPS (we all have a vested interest in these decisions); there is no requirement that changes to academic programming be done concurrently with boundary changes (why now, why so fast?); while there is general acknowledgement that exploring changes to programming for better access and admissions movement is good – it needs more time to be designed, shaped, and feasibility of implementation understood (again, why so fast?).

Liz Ryan, TPMS MCCPTA Delegate offered some context on who she is, the role she plays, and what we are looking for from families. Every elementary, middle, and high school in MOCO has a PTA/PTSA. Each of these PTA/PTSA is a hyper local group of people who are focused on their school. They roll up to the MCCPTA which operates much like local PTA/PTSAs with monthly meetings that focus on issues that impact all schools in MOCO. MCCPTA, like our PTSA, is made up of community people who are volunteering their time (they are NOT MCPS). In addition, MCCPTA advocates at the county level for all students and on behalf of local PTA/PTSAs. Liz emphasized that MCCPTA and local PTA/PTSAs have a strong voice. We are the largest parent/guardian/teacher organization and one of the largest public education stakeholders in the county. This is why we are asking for your involvement and attention to this important change being proposed for our schools. 

What are we asking of you? MCCPTA is proposing a resolution to MCPS to basically ask for more time. A resolution is “a position statement on a particular issue either for or against. It must be approved by the Delegates Assembly and be consistent with MCCPTA’s guiding principles. Anyone within MCCPTA or within any local PTA/PTSA unit can put forth a call for a resolution.”

So what does the current MCCPTA resolution say? Well, it’s long and complicated (please read it yourself here: MCCPTA Draft Resolution: More Time for Programs Analysis). It basically asks MCPS to slow down the process and give students, families, staff, more time to provide input and understand what is going to change. 

Why are we asking for more time? According to MCCPTA, MCPS does not have a strong record of success with regional programs. In addition, there is a lack of a comprehensive proposal being put to the community. For example, the information MCPS has shared to date lacks: full cost analyses, stated educational outcomes and metrics for “success,” regional programs transportation study, curriculum development, robust staffing and training plan, safeguards to ensure each region will have comparable programs with equivalent quality, evidential data to support the regional interest level in the chosen programs, and plan to ensure proportionate seat availability between regions. Further, MCCPTA says that MCPS has not appropriately engaged students, staff, and community stakeholders for input and feedback and that there are questions around procedures related to BOE policies and MCPS regulations (more info: Resolution FAQs). 

What’s next? From October 3 – October 28: Delegates engage their communities (this meeting and more information to come from our PTSA Board), solicit feedback, and submit proposed revisions to resolution language. October 29: Delegates Assembly meeting @ 7PM where all local PTA Presidents, Delegates, and MCCPTA Board of Directors are invited to review the resolution language and vote on the resolution.

What happens if the motion is passed? If it passes, it will have the weight of the full MCCPTA. The MCCPTA will then have a large backing to formally ask MCPS Superintendent, Board of Education, and the County Council to pause the study. Note bringing it to the County Council is not something that usually happens (they are being included because they are the ones who will have to fund the BOE). There’s a good chance this will make the news and generate press. 

What else? Even with so much uncertainty, it is thought that current 8th graders will be able to complete whatever program they attend as 9th graders. However, the resources that are allocated to those schools will change. The schools will lose critical funding as resources are reallocated. One thing that most of us want is to ensure students across the county can access classes that not all students currently have access to. We want all the great things that MCCPS has to offer to be available to everyone. That’s why the MCCPTA is asking for more time to make sure critical questions are answered. 

What now? We, as a Board, know this is a lot. We hope we have given you a high level of the basis of what is going on. We encourage families to review the proposals, watch presentations from MCPS, and get involved. We provide all links to all the information we have on our website, and encourage you to do what is right for your families.There are additional webinars scheduled, information and dates can be found in links on our website. https://www.tpmspta.org/mcps-boundary-programming-study/

Please provide us feedback so we can make sure TPMS PTSA thoughts are being brought to the MCCPTA.  We created a new WhatsApp group for discussion around this important topic. 

Liz added that there is no current plan for how the new schools will be allocated. In addition, there would be no more magnet program at TPMS, and there is no replacement for the DCC. A lot of the confusion is because there is no full plan. During the MCCPS Meetings, the MCCPS Board controls the questions they are answering. It is thought they are doing this so they can control the narrative. This means that it’s hard to understand what the true questions are coming from the community. Someone asked in the chat about the impact of ARS. Ms. Martin said that she doesn’t have any additional besides what is being given to the community. 

 

Open Q&A with Ms. Martin and the PTSA

Emily asked if there were any other topics that people wanted to discuss. One member said that their family has been impacted at Wood Middle School, with the tragic death of a student last week. She asked if there was any discussion of this at the principal level. Ms. Martin said that principals are working to support the school. No additional guidance has been provided around student transition from home to school and back. She said that the TPMS administration team and Emily have been working with The City of Takoma Park Police to assess the situation at the school. Last week, instead of walk and roll to school day, the school took a more thoughtful approach on how students get to school. One difficulty is having one parking lot with two access points where everyone comes together. Ms. Martin said they continue to find solutions for our community as students come and go to school. Another member asked about the preference survey for HS for 8th grade. The message says before you open, make sure you read this. Emily said that she thinks you can complete the form many times, and Ms. Martin said to check with the counselor. 

At 8:32 Emily closed the meeting. She thanked everyone for attending and said all information will be shared tomorrow. 

|

March PTSA Meeting Slides

Takoma Park Middle School (TPMS) PTSA General Membership Meeting

March 12, 2024
7:00 – 8:30pm

View the slides and what we discussed at the meeting here or click on the image below.

|

January PTSA Meeting Slides

Takoma Park Middle School (TPMS) PTSA General Membership Meeting

January 9, 2024
7:00 – 8:00pm

View the slides and what we discussed at the meeting here or click on the image below.

|

October PTSA Meeting Notes

Takoma Park Middle School (TPMS) PTSA General Membership Meeting

October 10, 2023, 7:30 – 8:30pm

TPMS PTSA Participants:

  • Erin Martin, Principal
  • Patterson Breeze,
  • Ramata Diop, President
  • Emily Modde, Treasurer
  • Emily Pickren, Correspondence Secretary
  • Jackie Quan, Recording Secretary

Participants TPMS community:

  • Approximately 50 parents
  • Approximately 25 children (ages 8 – 13+ years old)

Guest Speaker: Kaysi-Ann Webley, City of Takoma Park

  1. Welcome – Opening Remarks
    • Ramata Diop, PTSA President
    • Erin Martin, Principal
    • Faye Navabian, MCPS Parent Community Coordinator. Advocate for parents at TPMS, can assist parents in setting up Parent Vue account.
      • Started kindness corner started at TPMS and Blair

Kaysi-Ann Webley, Advocate for Pedestrian Safety, City of Takoma Park

  • Safe Routes to School Coordinator: provided education on safety for pedestrians and bicyclists to and from school.
  • Educate and improvement of safety programming for walking and biking in the City of Takoma Park
  • Hand-outs / cards available for programming
  • “Walktober”  and “Walk to school day”
    • School and city put together program
      • Wednesday, Oct. 4 was Walk to School Day. Urged parents and kids to continue walking and have “Walking Wednesdays”
      • Overcoming barriers and encourage walking: feasibility for parents/students to walk to school
      • Walk to school bus: group of parents may rotate to walk a group of students and have an adult present
    • Walking: prepares students for more optimal focus and mindset before the start of the school day:
      • Helps students expend excess energy for students and better focus on school work
      • Improves brain function due to improved blood flow, which is linked to better academic performance
    • Fall 2023 Parent Survey:
      • 1 survey per household per school, takes 5 – 10 minutes
      • Survey asks: what could it more safe to walk to school?
      • Any safety issues encountered? Survey responses help the city to plan for improvements to promote walking or cycling throughout the city
    • Direct cash assistance program for families who qualify.  If household income is $50K or less can be eligible for direct cash assistance from City of Takoma Park.
    • 2 requirements: live in Takoma park and household income of $50K or less:  applications close Oct 31, 2023
    • Volunteer for safe routes to school program – participants needed for “walk to school day” and “bike to school day” and to make city safer to cycle and to walk!
  • Erin Martin: System-wide Training – Professional learning for staff
  1. School improvement planning
  • TPMS addressing teacher/staff professional learning
    • Part of school improvement plans
  • Student outcomes are predictable by typical historical factors : MCPS is re-envisioning a great need for school improvement plans in an effort to improve student outcomes and improve past trends
  • TPMS improvement planning spans 3 years
  • Digging into conditions to disrupt, dismantle and re-create
  • Planning started spring 2023 via data collection from students, families, staff regarding how students feel about education at TPMS
  • “School improvement” = facility / how human resource and focus improvement focusing on improvement staff practices to improve students / student outcomes
  • “System” typical trends: kindergarten through 12th grade and look at bench mark data points –students at grade level are more likely to graduate.
  • MCAP = metric is a single data point.
  • Question from parent: magnet program students?   Magnet metrics are factored in
  • Parent and caregiver data:
    • “Talking points” : messaging platform
    • Identifying parents engaging with platform
    • Mechanism to view parent engagement and effectiveness and impact of “talking points”
    • Anti-racist audit survey
    • May 2023 PTSA meeting : rich feedback and lots time spent over Summer 2023
    • Academic data: MAP data:  math and reading
    • Intervention data: students enrolled with interventions.
  • Anti-racist audit survey
  • Listening circles: groups by affinity-based groupings – level of support staff needs.  Opportunity for decision-making for school operations
  • Student listening sessions – students are truthful and speak from heart: valuable feedback for school improvements
  • “Referrals” and suspension: “referrals” defined as requests from staff and administrators regarding student behavioral situations – chronic tardies, well-being issues, etc.  What causes students to be late to school?  Such students may need additional support.

TPMS is Top 3 in county in number of after school activities offered

 CARES tutoring: funding for tutoring

    • CARES funding running out
    • Volunteer tutoring to address CAREs funding gap
    • Tutoring to work through missing work from students
    • Some Saturday tutoring sessions to do work
    • Data determined who did outreach : multiple “D’s” and “E’s”
    • Engage in partnership with Univ of MD or Howard – volunteer bodies, numbers, etc.

 TPMS Leadership:

    • Data utilized for TPMS story
    • Staff engaged in root cause analysis to Identify underlying issues / conditions that are roadblocks / barriers to student success – leadership can then address such issues to overcome barriers and improve student outcomes and achieve success
    • Created goals in four focus areas below (see “E”)
  • What dominant culture are serving as barriers: systemically, personally, interpersonally, etc.
  • Deepen understanding processes, ways of being, etc.
  • Create goals: align with county around focus areas

 

  1. School improvement goals / focus areas which are closely interrelated :
    1. Culture and climate
    2. Student well-being : well-being matters, some students have trauma, trauma from COVID – how ensure students are well for learning
      1. Social-emotional needs must be met
    3. Literacy
    4. Math

 

  • Next Steps:
  • Goals to be posted end of October 2023
  • Engage in staff bi-weekly check-ins with staff leadership
  • Engage in quarterly school improvement reflections.
  • Professional development focus
  • Re-envisioning core values at student level: courtesy, safety and integrity (CSI)
  • Parents goals : empathy was critical core value
  • Students needs and goals: they felt less safe in physical education – sport education model revisited based on student feedback:
    • Structure enhanced in P.E. (physical education) curriculum
    • Addressed how to build empathy.
      • Now achieving higher levels of engagement – more teacher presence and feedback as well
  • Parent question: MAP testing
    • Kids good grades but don’t test well : how to prep for MAP similar to SAT prep?
    • Practice assessments available : a lot of information out there – “ iEXCEL “ – personalized intervention and practice : students take pre-assessment and score gives them areas to work on and they also have access to learning modules.
    • Every 2 weeks they can take pre-assessment and they know which skills to work on
    • Not just computational – fact fluency, word problems in there also
  • Emily Modde, Treasurer Update:
    • $22K needed for revenue 2023-2024 school year
    • $1K in this year so far
    • Donations welcome and needed
    • Expenses to date – $2K
    • $36,500 for 2023 – 2024 school year
    • Helped fund kindness corner in the counseling office
    • 6th grade BBQ and a few other events upcoming this month
    • Dance performance for Hispanic Heritage month
    • Financial review: independent group reviewed finances from prior year and all OK and in good standing.  Submit to state PTA.
    • Need parent volunteers for international night!!

 

|

September PTSA MEETING

Tuesday, September 12th, 7-8:30 pm – in person in the TPMS cafeteria

Pizza and child care provided!

TPMS PTSA General Meeting Agenda 

  • 7:00 pm: Welcome remarks from PTSA President Ramata Diop
  • 7:05 pm: Introduction of 2023-2024 PTSA Board
  • 7:10 pm: Principal and team introduction
  • 7:20 pm: PTSA Treasurer’s report
  • 7:30 pm: Presentation from George Simms, Maryland Assistant State’s Attorney on cyberbullying and internet and social media safety
  • 8:00 pm: Parent feedback, next meeting, closing remarks

Translation available in person in the following languages: 

  • Spanish
  • French
  • Amharic

TPMS PTSA 2023-24 Volunteer Form: