08/12/2026
August 12, 2026
Dear TMS Families,
Welcome to the 2026-2027 school year at Talawanda Middle School! We are excited to begin the year with you and your family. As your new administrative team, we look forward to getting to know you and your student and working in partnership to provide a safe, supportive, and engaging learning environment where every child can grow, learn, and become the best version of themselves.
We hope you and your family had a relaxing and enjoyable summer break. Our teachers and staff have been working hard to prepare the building for another successful school year, and we can't wait to welcome our students back. The information below will help you prepare for the first days of school. Additional details can be found in the TMS Student Handbook.
TMS will distribute Chromebooks starting on Monday, August 24, 2026. All Chromebooks should be distributed by Wednesday, August 26, 2026.
To ensure students are able to take their Chromebooks home for learning, a minimum Chromebook insurance payment of $20 is due by Friday, October 2, 2026. The full insurance cost is $40 and may be paid by cash, check (payable to "Talawanda Middle School"), or online through PaySchools Central. If the minimum $20 payment has not been received by October 2, students will be required to keep their Chromebook at school until the payment is made. If your family needs a payment plan, please contact the TMS office. We are happy to work with you to ensure every student has access to their Chromebook.
Important Upcoming Events:
Monday, Aug. 17th, 3:00-6:30 - 6th Grade and New Student Open House.
Tuesday, Aug. 18th, 3:00-6:30 - Open House for 7th and 8th Grade Families - Students must be accompanied by a Parent or Guardian
Wednesday, Aug 19th, First Day of School for Students
What will take place at Open House?
o Students will obtain their finalized Class Schedule
o Opportunity to complete Final Forms - https://talawanda-oh.finalforms.com/
o Students can walk their schedules, practice their locker combination, and tour the building
o Complete the 26-27 Free & Reduced application (assistance will be available)
Final Forms
Families should complete their FinalForms for each student prior to the beginning of school. Some important elements of that are the following:
Update your email address. We will use email for important school information, newsletters, and updates.
Update your phone numbers. These will be used for more immediate or emergency notifications either by school staff or our School Messenger.
Review the Student Handbook and Code of Conduct with your child.
Review and have your child sign the Acceptable Use Agreement
If you are not able to complete this prior to Open House, you may stop in the office and ask for assistance with this process that evening.
Student Handbook
Please familiarize yourself with the Student Handbook and Student Code of Conduct to help your student to be familiar with the expectations and what to expect here at TMS. These can be found in Final Forms and on the Website.
Student Cell Phone Usage: Compliance with Senate Bill 158
Ohio Senate Bill 158 seeks to promote a focused, respectful learning environment free from personal cell phone distractions during the entirety of the school day.
Expectations
All student cell phones must be powered off from the first bell/arrival until dismissal.
Phones may be stored in a student locker (private combination) or in a personal bookbag.
They may not be out/on in classrooms, hallways, restrooms, or the cafeteria during the school day.
Additional connected electronic devices may also be stored should they present a disruption.
We will utilize a progressive discipline model to address cell phone violations. These procedures are outlined in the TMS Student Handbook. Refusing to comply with a request related to cell phone procedures will result in additional consequences.
All parent/guardian contact should go through the main office. Students are never without access to communication. The school can always connect a student with a guardian using the office phone. In the event of a personal emergency, students may be permitted to access their phones in a supervised space. Once the emergency has been addressed, the student will power down and secure their device as per policy.
Student safety comes first. We will not send students to hallways/lockers during an active emergency. Communication with families will be handled centrally by administration, SRO, or district personnel. If students need to access their phones after an emergency to contact family, they will be given permission and time to do so once it is safe. In some situations (e.g., prolonged shelter-in-place or reunification), supervised phone retrieval/usage may be allowed once the situation is stable.
Transportation
Since the transportation application window is closed, the transportation company, Petermann, will now begin to work on finalizing bus routes during the first week in August. Notifications will be sent to families regarding pickup and drop off times. This information will also be posted to the TSD website.
Once school starts, it will take up to 4 business days to add or change a transportation service. Those changes must be made through the Transportation Department.
More information may be found at https://www.talawanda.org/departments/transportation/
Please remember that bus transportation may run a little early and a little late the first couple of weeks of school while drop off and pick up times are adjusted. Thank you in advance for your patience.
Student Drop Off and Pick Up
TMS MORNING DROP OFF
Talawanda Middle School will open doors for students at 7:10 am. Students will go to class at 7:25. School begins at 7:30.
When you enter the parking lot to drop off your student, enter the upper parking lot to the immediate left. The lower lot is for buses only. When dropping off, please have your student exit the vehicle once you are parallel to the building (see the pink section). This allows several cars to drop off at once and keeps the line moving significantly faster. Vehicles should not park but move continuously unless students are exiting the car or crossing in front of cars at the crosswalk. If getting out in the lane closest to the building, your students should walk toward the grassy area and head to the crossing area. It is important to remind your students that if they exit the car in the second lane (on the left), they need to walk along that center line to the staff member at the marked crosswalk to cross so they are not crossing between cars. We have added light sticks and reflective vests to our gear in order to be seen more clearly by parents and students. Staff members are on duty at the two lanes at approximately 7:10 am. We have yellow striping marking the two lanes. After passing the crosswalk, the lanes will then merge to exit. Adjustments will be made as needed and notifications will come home concerning any changes.
Please watch for staff and the students who are being directed to cross to the building. Safety for our students and staff is always a priority.
TMS AFTERNOON PICKUP
All students will be dismissed through the front entry doors. Dismissal is at 2:15 pm and can get very congested. Please be mindful and watch for students as they are traveling to their rides.
Again, families will enter the upper parking lot to the immediate left. Families are asked to park upon arrival if they are at school prior to student dismissal. Remember to back into the parking space to ensure student safety. As students are dismissed, they will enter the upper lot and find their vehicle. Proceed cautiously as students navigate the parking lot getting to their vehicles.
If you cannot find a place to park and your child is not outside for pickup, you must circle out of the lot and enter again. Students will be waiting at the center crosswalk area of the lot if their ride is not at school yet. Students must be picked up no later than 2:25 pm as there is no staff supervision beyond that time unless they are enrolled in an after school program or detention.
We look forward to working with you and your child as they travel on their middle school journey with us this year. It is going to be a great year with a variety of learning opportunities! We are glad you are a part of the TMS family.
Sincerely,
Jason Merz, Principal
Mary Schulte, Assistant Principal
Transportation Information for Eligible Students: K-12 students living outside of the 1-mile no transportation zone beginning with the 2025-2026 school year!
