REMINDER: Pets are not allowed on school property unless they are a CERTIFIED & TRAINED Service Animal, this includes during sporting events or other after school activities.

TROY HOWARD MIDDLE SCHOOL

Principal Alta K. Seekins, Ms. Ed.

August 14, 2025

Dear THMS Parents and Guardians,

Happy (and hot!) August! Our custodians and staff have been hard at work preparing the school for

students' return, and there’s been quite a bit of movement throughout the building this summer. We’ve

seen teachers changing grade levels, moving to new classrooms and wings, as well as retirements,

resignations, and new hires. It’s certainly been a busy season at THMS!

We’re excited to welcome several new staff members to our school community. Ms. McKenzie Wing

and Ms. Jillian Porter will be joining the 6th-grade team, partnering with Ms. Paul and Ms.

Conway-Cole, respectively. In 8th grade, we welcome Ms. Amanda Roy and Ms. Danielle

Woodrow-Meyers as our new science teachers. Ms. Alison Smith joins the 7th-grade team as our new

resource room teacher, and we’re pleased to officially welcome back Ms. Luna, who worked with us

part of last year in the Pathways program.

In addition to our new teaching staff, we’re thrilled to have several new educational technicians joining

us as well. We look forward to getting to know each of them and are proud to welcome all our new team

members into the THMS community!

A little bit about the BIG changes in our school this year. As part of our commitment to better serve the

unique needs of young adolescents, our school is beginning the journey toward adopting middle level

best practices—guided by the nationally recognized document This We Believe from the Association

for Middle Level Education (AMLE).

This framework reminds us that students in grades 5–8 are going through critical growth—intellectually,

emotionally, and socially—and schools should be designed to meet those needs. That means creating

a safe, supportive environment, offering engaging and meaningful learning, and building strong

connections between students, teachers, and families.

This is just the beginning, and we look forward to partnering with you to create the best possible

experience for your child during these important years.

Finally, I want to note that due to some unforeseen circumstances and changes in enrollments a few

students' team placement may have changed from June. You will be able to check this through the

parent portal early next week.

We look forward to seeing you and your child(ren) very soon.

Best,

Alta Seekins