Handbook

Middle school students compete district-wide against each other in 11 different sports. 6th through 8th graders can participate at the varsity, junior varsity, and c-team level, gaining invaluable experiences through competition.

1. Complete forms through online portal Final Forms
2. Submit proof of current physical exam signed by your physician (physicals are good for 13 months)
3. Maintain academic eligibility Find details in the Interscholastic Athletics and Activities Regulations 2151.
4. Pay the required ASB membership fee $15 through the family app or at Truman Middle School office.

ASB: Students who participate in sports, ASB clubs or the Associated Student Body Government must have an ASB membership in their account. Free and reduced lunch students will not be charged but must request an ASB membership be added to their account. Other students will need to pay $15.00 for their ASB membership. Students with ASB membership receive free entrance to TPS high school games. 

Athletic Seasons

•   Session 1: Boys' basketball: Girls' soccer: Baseball
•   Session 2: Volleyball: Boys' soccer
•   Session 3: Football: Cross country: Girls' basketball
•   Session 4: Track: Wrestling: Fastpitch

Athletic Eligibility
Students must have a 2.0 with no failing grades throughout the season to be eligible to participate in inter-school competitions. This eligibility will be determined by the school's regular grading cycle or formal progress reports.

Review of each student's academics will be monitored by the athletic director. Students' ineligible based upon the school's regular grading cycle or formal progress reports will be placed on suspension from competition for one week. If at the end of one (1) week, a formal progress report for the student reflects that they are meeting the requirements, they may then be reinstated for competition. Only one progress report will be allowed per week. If the student does not meet the requirements, they will remain ineligible and on suspension from competition. During the suspension period, the student will be allowed to practice but not play a game until the student meets the academic standard stated above.

The academic standard may be waived by the building administration upon written request by the teacher and/or athletic director.

Sportsmanship

• Respect decisions made by contest and school officials
• Refrain from taunting, booking, heckling and the use of inappropriate language
• Recognize and acknowledge outstanding performance by athletes on both teams
• Respect athletes, coaches, officials, and other fans

Excused Absence/Tardy
An absence should be excused by a guardian within 2 days of absence. The following reasons constitute an excused absence or tardy

• Personal illness (includes mental health, more than 5 days will require a doctor note)
• Medical or Dental Appointments
• Appearances in court when required by law
• Disciplinary actions including Short/long term suspensions, In-school suspensions, and expulsions
• Religions observance
• Family emergency approved by Principal (i.e. funeral, death, hospitalization with Dr. note)
• School activities (I.e. Field trips, ASB meetings)
• Pre-approved family activities approved by Principal.

Policy for Pre-Planned Family Activity / Extended Absence
For absences exceeding 3 days, we request an email to our Attendance Office, TrumanAttendance@tacoma.k12.wa.us before the event to be approved by the Administration prior to leaving.

Early Dismissal
If a student must leave school during the day for any reason a dismissal slip must be obtained from the Attendance office by Guardian permission.

If a student is checked out of the nurse’s office the guardian will sign the dismissal slip in the health room. A student will only be allowed to walk home with special permission.

All who are picking up a student will be required to show I.D. and verify they are on the student’s approved contact list. WITHOUT I.D. or not on the Approved Contact List, NO RELEASE WILL BE GRANTED pursuant to district policy. We cannot release a student by verbal request over the phone from the parent/guardian to anyone not on student contact list or ever to anyone under 18 years old.

Be on Time
Being on-time to class and present throughout all classroom instruction is the first step to academic success.  When students are absent or late, they miss valuable instruction.  Additionally, being late interrupts the learning environment for others.

The State of Washington mandates parents and guardians have the responsibility of ensuring their child attends school. Missing school for any reason negatively impacts learning and academic achievement The attendance procedures at Truman Middle School are designed to assist parents and guardians in carrying out this responsibility.

To excuse your student, the parent or guardian on record can enter the absence on ParentVue, or call the attendance office 24 hours per day, 7 days a week by phone (253-571-5677), or send a legible note with the student, or e-mail the Attendance Office at TrumanAttendance@tacoma.k12.wa.us using your verifiable e-mail address on record. Other contact or unverifiable information cannot be used.

Students bringing notes to school will deliver them to the Attendance office before school or they will receive an unexcused tardy or absence.

Notes need to include:

• Students full name
• Date of absence or tardy
• Reason for absence or tardy
• Parents name (printed and signature) and phone number
• Note from medical professional (if required)

Washington State BECCA Bill

Pursuant to RCW 28A.225, the parent or guardian is responsible for their student’s attendance and for contacting the school to make sure all absences are excused.

In accordance with the state's mandatory attendance laws:

• Once a student has 2 unexcused absences the BECCA law process will begin.
• After 7 unexcused absences a conference with school administration or the student’s guidance counselor, parent/guardian, and student will be required. We work together to remove any barriers to attendance.
• If a student has 7 or more unexcused absences in a month, or 15 in a year the school must file a petition with the juvenile court seeking the court’s jurisdiction over the student’s attendance in school.

Skipping & Closed Campus

• Tacoma Public Schools has closed campuses to maximize student safety during the school day. Once a student arrives at school, they are not permitted to leave the school grounds until the end of the school day without permission from the main office.
• Students who are found to have left campus without communication from the office will receive immediate administrative follow-up with their families.
• Students who skip a class period will receive immediate administrative follow-up with their families.
  • Skipping includes both not attending a class without the permission of the school while on campus and leaving a classroom without the permission of the teacher.

Tardies

• Starting Monday, 9/16, we will implement our tardy pass policy.
• If a student is late for periods 2-6 (after already arriving to school), they will be required to have a tardy pass to enter the classroom.
• Tardy passes will be distributed by the admin and security team from the sections of the hallway they supervise during transitions
• When a student receives a tardy pass, they will provide their id number for a robocall that will go home that day informing their family they were late for a class (automated calls only go out for unexcused absences).
• When a student is marked tardy 3 times for a class (in a week), they will be assigned a lunch detention.
• If a student continues to demonstrate a pattern of tardiness after a lunch detention, the school admin team will contact the family to set up an attendance intervention meeting.
• Students with a pass from Ms. Cady should be marked tardy while students who have the daily tardy passes from admin and security should be marked unexcused tardy.
• The admin and security team will re-collect passes from teachers every 1-2 weeks to use again so please hold onto them.

Student Expectations

• Work toward mastery of knowledge and skills in the classroom.
• Contribute positively to the classroom and school community as a student body member.
• Show respect for all school community members.
• Know and follow school guidelines and expectations.

Family Expectations

• Reinforce students at home for positive school engagement.
• Collaborate with school staff to support student success.
• Communicate with school staff if there are barriers impacting your student’s ability to engage at school.

School Staff Expectations

• Provide a safe, supportive program for learning where all students can achieve rigorous learning targets.
• Maintain a progressive plan for instruction, community expectations, and incentives.
• Communicate with students and parents regarding academic progress and student behavior.
• Be aware of student rights and provisions of the school district and state.
• Collaborate with families and community partners to support student success.

Mr. Parks’s Core Values

• Compassion: How we care for one another.
• Empathy: How we understand one another.
• Hope: How we lift and inspire one another to achieve awesome, ambitious goals.

Bell-to-Bell Instruction 
At Truman, we will optimize learning time in pursuit of rigorous academic goals. Students should have materials out and be actively engaged in classroom instruction throughout each class period. 

Academic Support
Truman teachers are eager to support student learning needs. If you need extra help with an area of learning in a class, please start by going to your teacher. We also plan to have after school tutoring available along with staff who support students with 504, special education, and multilingual learner needs.

Our purpose: At Truman Middle School our Dress Code supports a welcoming and safe learning environment. The Dress Code also supports expression of identity through dress and accessories. In addition it enables us to quickly identify students and allow for unrestricted two-way communication free of distraction. Students who do not adhere to the Dress Code Policy will be given school appropriate attire to wear for the remainder of the day.

Dress Code Violations If students violate the Truman Middle School Dress Code, they will be asked to immediately correct the violation. In addition, students may receive further disciplinary action for Dress Code infractions. These actions will depend upon the seriousness and frequency of the violation(s). We reserve the right to determine acceptable dress when questions arise. All students are expected to comply with any decision of Truman Middle School Staff related to Dress Code

• Students are required to get the permission of their teacher, use a classroom pass, and sign out to leave the room for any reason.
• Students who arrive late for school will have a pass from the attendance office.
• Students who have already arrived to school and are late for class will be required to get a pass from either Mr. Purnell, Mr. Thompson, or Mr. Parks in the hallways they are supervising immediately after transitions. These students will be counted as unexcused tardy.
• Students who are late (either arriving to school late or tardy after arriving) require a pass to enter the classroom.

Harassment, intimidation or bullying means any intentional electronic, written, verbal, auditory or physical act, including, but not limited to one shown to be motivated by any characteristic of race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, including gender expression or identity, mental or physical disability or other distinguishing characteristics such as, but not limited to, physical appearance, clothing or other apparel, socioeconomic status, marital status or weight, when the intentional electronic, written, verbal, auditory or physical act:

• physically harms a student; or
• damages the student’s property; or
• has the effect of substantially interfering with a student’s education; or
• is so severe, persistent or pervasive that it creates an intimidating or threatening educational environment; or
• has the effect of substantially disrupting the orderly operation of the school.
• Harassment and bullying are grounds for immediate school disciplinary action.

TPS Harassment, Intimidation or Bullying (HIB) Reporting Form

The School Nurse is available for students who are not well enough to be in class, need to take medications at school, or need to talk to the nurse.  Before going to the Nurse, students must obtain a hall pass from their teacher.  If students are too ill to return to class, parent/guardians will be contacted and arrangements made for early dismissal.  The Nurse is here daily during school hours.  Off campus injuries requiring wraps, braces, crutches or other accommodations need to be referred to the nurse. Providers orders are required for any medical devices or accommodations.

Immunizations

All Tacoma School District students must provide proof of up-to-date immunization records before enrolling in school.

Medication

When necessary, oral medications may be administered at school by a school Nurse, Assistant nurse or trained staff.  All medications and permission forms brought to school (including traditional “over the counter” medications such as Tylenol, cough drops, etc.) must be stored in the Nurse’s Office and must have a medication form on file signed by the student's physician and parent/guardian.  The medication must be in a current labeled container from the pharmacy.  Students are not allowed to carry medications with them.

Forms

Medication forms may be obtained from your health care provider.

Health Concerns

If parents have any health concerns regarding their child, please call 253-571-5633 to discuss with the school nurse.

Main Office

The main office staff is here to support most building needs.  Any concerns about the facilities or school grounds should be brought to the attention of the main office so the problem can be corrected. 

The Main Office is open at 7:15 a.m. and closes at 2:30 p.m. Services provided by the Main Office include:

• Visitor’s check-in/passes after checking I.D.
• ALL VISITORS MUST HAVE I.D. TO ENTER SCHOOL
• Payment of fines for lost textbooks, sports uniforms, library books etc. 
• All purchases OR use MySchoolBucks
• Lost & found for small items like keys, glasses, wallets and other valuables.

The cash register in the main office is open from 7:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. for all fees, fines and purchases. We accept debit/credit cards, or cash for purchase amount only. No checks accepted.

Yearbooks

Yearbooks are distributed in June, but must be pre-paid earlier in the year as notified. 

 Last minute purchases may not be available if Yearbooks are sold out as they are pre-ordered and specially printed. Preorder is highly recommended to assure a copy is available.

Guidance Office

The Guidance Office staff processes new students and those withdrawing from school.  They maintain student files, schedule classes and handle distribution of final grades and progress reports.

If for any reason a student’s telephone number, address, or parent contact information changes, even temporarily, please notify the Guidance Office 253-571-5682.  Truman must have current information for contacting and for school reporting and emergency purposes. 

Students may go to the Guidance Office before school, during their lunch, after school or during classes only with the permission of their teacher and communication with the counseling center. If counselors are unavailable, students may sign-up for an appointment.

All students will be required to sign in and out when going to the Counseling Center.

Counseling Services

• Talk with students about their schoolwork, career plans, their personal, social or emotional needs and assist students in addressing peer conflicts. 
• Talk with parents about school progress, behavior and social or emotional growth.
• Talk with teachers and other staff members about students. 
• Refer parents, students, and staff to community resources or special programs. 
• Interpret and explain standardized tests and school records.
• Schedule students into classes.
• New student orientation.

Student Withdrawals (for student transfers)

To withdraw a student the parent or guardian contact the Guidance Office.  A withdrawal slip will be issued to the student to be taken by the student to all classroom teachers, the librarian, Attendance Office and Main Office for notice and settlements.  The school will forward transcripts of a student’s grades when all obligations, financial and otherwise have been fulfilled and school property is returned

Add and Drop Class Policy

Once the student schedule has been determined, changes in the schedule are only made in rare circumstances. Once school has started, requests for changes must be submitted to Student’s Counselor before any changes are considered.

Grades and Progress Reporting

Truman staff make every effort to keep students and parents informed about student progress. Please regularly check grades online in Synergy with ParentVUE and StudentVUE for updates.

Parent Conferences

May be scheduled with the school team anytime as needed.

In the fall and spring, Truman holds arena style conferences where parents have the opportunity to meet with each teacher for a few minutes to discuss student’s progress along with individual conferences.

Grades

Letter grades are used in almost all classes.

View TPS Grading Policy

Smoking & Vaping

All Tacoma Public Schools properties are smoke-free. Students found to be smoking/vaping on school grounds or in possession of materials for smoking/vaping will be subject to immediate disciplinary action.

Drugs & Alcohol

Students found in possession or under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or paraphernalia will be subject to immediate disciplinary action up to and including a long-term suspension through the remainder of a school semester.

Weapons

Possession of a firearm, knife, air gun, other projectile weapon, tasers, or “look a-like” weapon is strictly prohibited on Tacoma Public Schools properties. Possession of weapons on school grounds will result in disciplinary action up to and including expulsion from any Washington State Public School. This includes personal spray devices (students who are 14 and older may store personal spray devices in the main office with parent consent but may NEVER carry them into the school building or else there will be disciplinary action).

Fighting (Including Fight Promotion & Recording)

Fighting involves participating in an incident involving physical violence and is grounds for immediate school disciplinary action. Additionally, encouraging or promoting a fight presents a major school safety risk and is also grounds for immediate school disciplinary action. Recording a fight is also considered a form of fight promotion and is grounds for immediate school disciplinary action.

Sexual Harassment

It is the policy of Tacoma School District No. 10 to maintain a working and learning environment for all its employees, students, parents, volunteers and others involved in school district activities which provides for fair and equitable treatment, including freedom from sexual harassment. This policy also covers anyone else who engages in sexual harassment on school property or at school activities. Sexual Harassment is grounds for immediate school disciplinary action.

Non-Discrimination

Tacoma Public Schools does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups.

Truman students are respectful, responsible young people.  Therefore, Truman staff acknowledges and honors achievement and good citizenship.  As a responsible Truman student, you can look forward to being honored in many ways, among them:

• Positive phone calls home
• Participation in reward activities
• Notes or letters of special recognition
• Fireside Chats
• 100% Club
• Honor Roll
• No Tardy to the Party
• Tremendous Titan Accolade

• Tacoma Public Schools is a 1:1 technology school district. Student laptops are a valuable resource for accessing educational opportunities. Students are expected to use technology for educational purposes in class. Students who use school technology inappropriately during class time may be subject to redirection and administrative action.
• School administration will support each teacher’s classroom policy for cell phone use.  An administrator or designee may collect an electronic device from a student and hold it in the office if that student does not follow district, school and classroom expectations. Repeated issues with an electronic device may lead to progressive administrative intervention.
• Outside of the classroom, cell phones are not to be used by students in the hallways at school. Students should have cell phones put away during all transitions between class periods.
• The only permitted times for cell phone use during the school day are lunchtime and before school in the main gym.
• Families, if you can avoid it, please do not text your child during school hours. Please contact the school directly (253-571-2400) if there is an emergency.
• Truman Middle School teacher will use the stop light graphic organizer below to communicate to students on the expectations for cell phone use during class periods. Refusal to adhere to the device expectations for a class period will result in redirection and intervention from school administrators if the behavior continues.