T
homas Street Middle School
February 2015
VOLUME 15, ISSUE 6
2640 Thomas Street, Mississauga, ON L5M 5G8
Phone: 905-812-3725 Fax: 905-812-3716
Visit our Website regularly for updated information
http://schools.peelschools.org/1654
KISS'N RIDE
Please ensure that you are using our Kiss and Ride area on the west side of the school to
drop off your son or daughter in the morning and to pick them up after school. There has been
some concern that students have been dropped off across the parking lot and in the bus loading
area with on-coming cars. We have also had reports of students being dropped off on Thomas
Street in front of the school. Remember we encourage students who are within walking
distance to walk to school. The benefits of walking to school include exercise for the students
and the opportunity for students to get some fresh air. Some days we have over 350 cars
entering and exiting the parking lot area. Patience and time are required to ensure student
safety. Your help in this matter is greatly appreciated.
For consistency those students who stay for after school events should also be picked up
in the Kiss and Ride. Please do not wait for your children at the front of the school.
An Overnight at the Youth Leadership Camp Canada
(June 2015)
It has been a tradition at Thomas Street Middle School for all grade sixes to have an opportunity to attend an
organized overnight excursion at an outdoor camping facility in Orillia. This camp is situated on Lake Simcoe
surrounded and protected by nature and all its beauty. For the past 6 years, Thomas Street has journeyed to the
Youth Leadership Camp Canada (YLCC) and this year, in June, we are planning to attend again.
At this camp, kids get to experience and take part in many problem solving activities that challenge them to
overcome fears and obstacles either as individuals or as a team. Some of these activities require physical
strength and endurance (the Wall Climb) while other activities require oral communication with other
teammates in order to succeed. There will also be games that the students will play. These games test the
student’s math skills, like adding columns of numbers in the Probability Dice game or use their spatial sense in
the Peg Board challenge or their creativity with the Scavenger Fashion Show. An overall stimulating
experience!
This is a great opportunity for your kids to experience camping with their friends and classmates in an
environment other than school or the mall! They will return with many fond and memorable moments that will
be remembered and shared for many years.
A letter and waiver form should have gone home with your child already. If you would like more information
or have any questions regarding this fantastic trip, there will be a Parent Info Night on February 10th, in our
library. It will start at 7:00pm and there will be a representative from the camp to address any of your concerns.
Sincerely, The Grade 6 Team
We are pleased to announce that all plans are finalized and the Gr. 7 Niagara Trip
will go ahead as planned. Thank you Mrs. Stanley for all your hard work
negotiating this trip.
February 18th is "IN SUMMER" spirit day.
It has been a cold winter and it is hard to imagine what summer is like. On the 18th bring your picnic baskets,
water wings, and sand pails. Wear your hula skirts, your sunglasses, and your Hawaiian shirts. Come on
Thomas Street let's bring back summer!!
SHOW YOUR TSMS PRIDE!!!!
Did you miss out on purchasing a #tsmspride t-shirt? Well here is your chance to get one. During the month of
February we will be taking orders for the shirts. If you want one please come to the POD and place your order
with a Dance and Spirit rep during homeroom or lunch. All shirts are $10 and you will receive your shirt before
March break so you can participate in the TSMS GPS spirit activity.
Mrs. Amy Smith
From the Phys. Ed. Dept.
Our PE classes are well into our basketball units and students are trying hard so far to develop their skills. At
the same time, all students are completing an at home fitness challenge attempting to improve their flexibility.
"Flexibility is needed to perform everyday activities with relative ease. To get out of bed, lift children, or sweep the floor, we
need flexibility. Flexibility tends to deteriorate with age, often due to a sedentary lifestyle. Without adequate flexibility, daily
activities become more difficult to perform. Over time, we create body movements and posture habits that can lead to reduced
mobility of joints and compromised body positions. Staying active and stretching regularly help prevent this loss of mobility,
which ensures independence as we age. Being flexible significantly reduces the chance of experiencing occasional and chronic
back pain."
This is an excerpt from Foundations of Professional Personal Training With DVD by canfitpro.
We will retest before March Break to see how everyone does. Please look for their PE books and have a
look...or even better, join them!
The Sr. Boys and Girls Basketball teams are both 2-0 in our seasons. Great start teams and great work coaches!
Games are Tuesday after school. Congratulations to our Sr. Girls for their gold medal at the Mentor College
Tournament. The boys worked hard and can be proud of their silver medal. The boys next tournament is on
Feb. 26 at Edenwood.
Both the Jr. Boys and Girls are working hard to get ready for their tournaments. TSMS is hosting the Jr. Girls
tournament at John Fraser on March 9th.
This year's Science Fair takes place from Tuesday, March 24 - Friday, March 27 in the hallways of our school!
The Science Fair is open to all grade 6, 7, and 8 students, and prizes will be awarded to the top three projects at
each grade level. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Sebecic.
Ecosource Waste Watchers Program:
Are you ready for a challenge?
The Waste Watchers Program has officially launched at Thomas Street Middle School and we are excited to
share the many exciting initiatives planned for the school year!
Our first major Waste Watchers event was on Jan 14th 2015 when a number of classes participated in a schoolwide waste audit! About 175 students and staff suited-up in safety gear and help sort one day’s worth of
garbage and recycling. This team-building, hands-on learning activity gave our students an opportunity to see
firsthand the type and quantity of waste produced at our school every day.
After the waste-audit, we will be taking on the TSMS Waste-less Lunch Challenge!
Every day during the week of Tuesday Feb 17th to Friday, Feb 20th, we are asking each student to pack a
Waste-less Lunch. This is a lunch containing at least 3 reusable items that do not create any waste (recyclable
items are also waste). On the other hand, students are encouraged to try and avoid packing lunches which
create a lot of waste.
Waste-less Lunch Items TO BRING:
Lunch Items TO AVOID:
 Food items packed in reusable containers
(containers with compartments are
encouraged!)
 Drinks in reusable bottles
 Hot items in Thermoses
 Cloth napkins/towelettes
 Reusable spoons and forks
 Food items in disposable material like plastic wrap,
foil, wax paper, sandwich bags, paper cups or
individual packages (e.g. yogurt cups, snack packs
etc.)
 Drink boxes, pop cans, and juice pouches
 Paper napkins
 Disposable spoons and forks
We are challenging everyone to bring a total of 1000 waste-less lunches during the challenge week. There will
be a special prize for the classes with the highest overall participation as well as a grand prize of for the entire
school if we reach our goal of 1,000! Make sure to pack Waste-less Lunches and help Thomas St and its
students reach their goals!
Students are encouraged to pack waste-less lunches throughout the school year!
If you have any questions about the Ecosource Waste Watchers Program, please feel free to contact Tooba Shakeel, School Waste
Action Coordinator at 905-274-6222 or tshakeel@ecosource.ca
Highlights from the Ecosource waste audit at Thomas St:
Thomas St is generating a lot of waste!
In one day, Thomas St makes 56kg of waste! This means, in one school year Thomas St is producing 10,920 kg
of waste (the same weight as 44 adult grizzly bears!).
Using and discarding too much paper!
20% of Thomas St’s waste (by weight) was paper and cardboard. This means that 2,172 kg of paper and
cardboard is being discarded each year. Sadly, a majority this paper is also Good On One Side (GOOS) paper.
Both recycling and garbage are contaminated!
Currently, 19% of garbage is contaminated by recycling and 10% vice-versa. Contaminated recyclable waste is
sent to the landfill which is why it is important to sort our waste properly. Visit wheredoesitgo.ca to learn more.
So much food waste!
In a day, 19kg of solid and liquid food is being discarded, most of it barely eaten or opened. This equals 3,705
kg of food being thrown away every school year! Plan meals according to your daily needs & appetite. Excess
food should be shared, taken home or saved for later.
LET’S BECOME WASTELESS!
30% of Thomas St’s daily waste from made up of food and beverage packaging. Packing food and drinks in
reusable containers can significantly reduce waste and the amount of resources and money spent on them.
A big special thanks to all the teachers and students who participated in the audit and have
been supporting waste reduction. Special thanks to Ms. Eberley’s classes 606 & 608 for
becoming Waste Watchers student leaders!
T.S.M.S. Winter Concert
Please join us for an evening of Music.
Performances by Grade 6, 7 and 8 Bands, Chamber and Concert Choirs.
Wednesday, February 25th, 2015 at 7:00 P.M.
Cheerleading at TSMS:
On Saturday, January 30th, the Cheerleading Team travelled to St Catharines to participate in
the Winterfest competition. Our girls put on the performance of a lifetime, hitting every stunt
and wowing the crowd. The team placed 1st out of 8 teams in the Senior Novice Division,
which is an amazing accomplishment. Perhaps what was more impressive though, was their
incredible sportsmanship and positive attitude they displayed throughout the day. What a way
to kick off the season, girls! Well done! Thank you to all the parents and alumni team members
who made the trip to support us on the weekend. Next up for the team is JamFest on February
14th. Let's go Thunderwolves!
Thomas Street is now on Twitter! Please follow us @thunderwolves98 for up to the minute news and
updates at TSMS.
All Peel District School Board newsletter attachments, usually included in the monthly newsletter, are available through
our school website at: http://schools.peelschools.org/1654
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Principal: Mrs. C. Lord
Trustees: Robert Crocker
Brad MacDonald
Nikha Dakroub
905-890-1010
905-828-6929
905-890-1010
Vice Principal: Mrs. T. Tymkiv
Vice Principal: Ms. L. Rosatone
Superintendent: Dr. Pertia Bent
905-366-8800