Please read: Welcome back letter and important reminders from Principal Laster
Skip to: Tawasentha 6E | Tawasentha 6F | Tawasentha 7C | Tawasentha 8
To access the Cross Team Supply List, click here.
Tawasentha 6, 7 & 8 House Office: Phone: 456-6010 ext. 2060
Tawasentha 6 & 7 House Principal: Ms. Willetts willettsk@guilderlandschools.net
Tawasentha 8 House Principal: Mr. Laster lasterm@guilderlandschools.net
House Secretary: Ms. Chase chaset@guilderlandschools.net
School Counselor Tawasentha: Ms. Heigel heigeld@guilderlandschools.net
Tawasentha 6E
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Welcome to the Tawasentha 6E Team and Farnsworth Middle School! We are excited to begin this journey with your child and look forward to meeting them at 6th Grade Orientation on Thursday, September 3rd.
We understand that the transition to middle school brings new academic and social challenges. On our team, we prioritize not only academic success but also the social-emotional well-being of our students. Our goal is to foster strong relationships with each student while creating a positive, safe, and engaging learning environment. We also look forward to working closely with you and your family throughout the year. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns as they arise.
This year, our Tawasentha 6E team includes the following teachers:
Christine Huestis (Special Education): huestisc@guilderlandschools.net
Marissa Matteo (Math & Science): matteom@guilderlandschools.net
Meg Polino (ELA & Social Studies): polinom@guilderlandschools.net
Michael Laster (Team Administrator): lasterm@guilderlandschools.net
Summer Reading Assignment
We ask all incoming 6th graders to read at least one book over the summer. During the first full week of school (beginning September 8th), students will complete a graded follow-up assignment based on their summer reading. To help with preparation, we recommend jotting down some notes while reading.
- Use this template to track your thinking as you read.
- Browse The FMS recommended reading list for book suggestions.
Parent Letter Request
Parent Letter Request
To help us get to know your child better, we would love for you to fill out this form. This information helps us build connections early and meet the unique needs of each student. We kindly ask that responses be submitted by Wednesday, August 31st so we can review them before Orientation.
Stay Connected
- Be sure to sign up for ParentSquare and log in to eSchoolData to ensure that all of your contact information is up to date.
We are excited for a wonderful school year ahead and can’t wait to welcome your child to our team. We also look forward to meeting you at our 6th Grade Parent Open House on Tuesday, September 22nd. More details will follow soon.
Warm regards,
Christine Huestis, Marissa Matteo & Meg Polino
Tawasentha 6E Team
Download and print the Tawasentha 6E welcome letter
Tawasentha 6E Supplies
Core Subject Supplies
- ELA & SS: 1 BLACK 1½-inch binder
- Math & Science: 1 BLUE 1½-inch binder
- Math: 1 Texas Instrument Scientific Calculator (TI-30 XIIS)
Travel Supplies
(Note: Students will carry these supplies in their laptop bags for daily use across all classes.)
- 1 backpack (large enough to fit daily supplies)
- 1 zipper laptop bag with pockets for travel supplies – Example 1, Example 2
- 1 combination lock for hallway locker – Example 1, Example 2
- 1 pair of wired earbuds
- 1 pair of scissors
- $6.00 towards assignment notebook & homework folder
Shared Classroom Supplies
(Note: Some of these items will be collected and stored in homeroom classrooms for use during core activities while others will be added to travel cases as needed throughout the year.)
- 2 packages of pre-sharpened pencils
- 2 packages of eraser caps
- 1 large eraser
- 2 packages of colored pencils
- 2 multi-color packs of highlighters
- 1 pack of BLACK skinny dry-erase markers
- 2 glue sticks
- 1 large box of tissues
Download and print the Tawasentha 6E supply list
Tawasentha 6F
Dear 6F Families,
Welcome to Farnsworth Middle School and Tawasentha House Team 6F for the 26-27 school year! We are excited to be your sixth-grade teaching team and look forward to getting to know each of you. This year, the team teachers are Natalie Russo (ELA/Social Studies) and Emily DeCrescenzo (Math/Science). Although we are both new to FMS, we are excited to navigate this journey through middle school together! We are committed to creating a team where students feel safe, supported, challenged, and encouraged to do their best every day.
We will communicate with families in several ways throughout the school year:
- Throughout the school year, information will be sent to the email address(es) you’ve provided in eSchool.
- Please make sure your preferred phone number and email address is correct so that you don’t miss out on announcements about school procedures and opportunities for you and your child to visit FMS as the summer progresses. We appreciate you filling out this Google form sharing insights about your child prior to the first day of school.
We have attached a list of school supplies needed for the upcoming school year. We ask that you unwrap and label everything at home as best you can using the attached list so that we can get off and running smoothly in our first few days. We will be organizing supplies and lockers in the first few days.
We look forward to meeting our new students at the Sixth Grade Orientation Day. More information about this day will be shared with you later in the summer via ParentSquare. School officially begins the following day. Your child can bring supplies with them to school on either day. Until then, enjoy the summer!
Sincerely,
Natalie Russo & Emily DeCrescenzo
Download and print the Tawasentha 6F welcome letter
Tawasentha 6F Supply List
Math/Science (Ms. DeCrescenzo)
- One 1½ inch binder with pockets (yellow, if possible)
- 1 pack of binder dividers with tabs
- 1 package of loose leaf paper
- 2 two-pocket folders
- 1 Texas Instrument Scientific Calculator (TI-30 XIIS) (not required, optional)
ELA/Social Studies (Ms. Russo)
- One 1½ inch binder with pockets on the inside cover and a clear cover sleeve on the front and back
- 1 pack of binder dividers with tabs
- 1 pack of Post-It Tabs (or similar)
- 1 composition notebook (We will be decorating it, so plain is best!)
- 1 two-pocket folders (blue, if possible)
General Team Supplies
Homeroom
- 2 large boxes of Kleenex tissues
- 1 plastic two-pocket homework folder
Traveling Supplies for ALL CORE Classes
- 1 backpack (large enough to fit supplies needed for the day)
- 1 supply container/pencil case or pouch (plastic or fabric)
- 3 packages of pencils
- 1 large eraser
- 2 packages of pens (blue or black only)
- 2 multi-color pack of highlighters
- 2 packages of eraser caps
- 2 glue sticks
- 2 packages of colored pencils (24 count)
- 1 pair of earbuds (not bluetooth headphones or airpods, must be usb compatible)
- 1 pair of scissors
- $6 towards a Team Assignment Notebook
- 1 combination lock for PE
Please label all binders and notebooks with your child’s first and last name and homeroom. Materials should be kept in the student supply container in the classroom. Extras can be left at home and replenished as needed during the school year. On the first day of school in September, please have your child only bring in the following:
- Chromebook
- Pencil
- Composition notebook
- Plastic homework folder
Download and print the Tawasentha 6F supply list
Tawasentha 7C
Dear Tawasentha 7 Families,
Welcome to Tawasentha 7C! We are excited to meet all of our new and returning students and look forward to a fantastic school year together.
To help your child start the year prepared and organized, we have compiled a list of required school supplies. If you need assistance obtaining any of these materials, please contact the House Office or one of the team teachers listed below.
Please label all supplies clearly with your student’s name, including folders, notebooks, highlighters, and other personal items. Students are welcome to use any leftover supplies from previous years that are still in good condition.
Students will also need two combination locks. Please have your child practice opening their locks and memorize the combinations before the first day of school to ensure a smooth start to the year.
All returning 7th-grade students were issued a Chromebook at the beginning of last school year and are expected to bring the same device back to school in September. Please make sure the Chromebook is fully charged for the first day.
We look forward to welcoming everyone back in September and beginning a successful school year together!
Sincerely,
The Tawasentha 7C Team
Allison Teal – co-taught ELA/SS (TealA@guilderlandschools.net)
Curt Roscoe – Math(roscoec@guilderlandschools.net)
Elizabeth Pasinella – co-taught Math/Science (pasinellae@guilderlandschools.net)
John Hart– Social Studies (hartj@guilderlandschools.net)
Lisa Ball – ELA (balll@guilderlandschools.net)
Jess Hennessy – Science (hennessyj@guilderlandschools.net)
Tawasentha 7C Supply List
- Individual Supplies for Core Classes
Send your student in with $5 for the team assignment notebook.
- Science: two 2-Pocket plastic folders in different colors
- Math: 2-Pocket plastic folder and a 3-ring binder
- ELA: 2-Pocket plastic folder
- Social Studies: 2-Pocket plastic folder
- 2 Pocket “Take Home” folder
- Pencils & Blue / Black Pens will be needed for all classes
- Calculator: TI – 30
- Earbuds or headphones (to be shared among ALL CLASSES)
- A regular plug-in pair of earbuds/headphones
- Combination Lock for hallway/homeroom locker
- 2 boxes of tissues (specific for homeroom)
Shared Team Supplies – as you are able, choose one or more to share
- Markers or Colored Pencils (2 packs if possible)
- Highlighters (2 packs if possible)
- Tissue Boxes (2 packs if possible)
- Glue sticks (2 packs if possible)
- Post-it notes (2 packs if possible)
- Expo dry-erase Markers (2 packs if possible)
- Team Donations are welcome!
Download and print the Tawasentha 7C letter and supply list
Tawasentha 8C
Dear Parents/Guardians and Students:
We are so excited to welcome you to eighth-grade Tawasentha this year.
Eighth grade brings many challenges and added responsibilities as we work toward your (exciting!) transition to high school. Below this welcome letter is a list of the supplies you’ll need to start the year. In September, we will spend time in each class talking about our individual supplies, where you should keep them, and what we expect students to bring to class each day.
While not a physical item on our supply list, eSchool is also an important tool students will need to be successful in 8th grade. That will be your single greatest resource regarding class assignments, including missing work. (Please take a moment to log into eSchoolData to make sure that all of your contact information is up to date and accurate). We also utilize individual Google Classrooms, a whole-team Google Classroom, and ParentSquare.
We would also like to take a moment to highlight the updated cell phone policy, as required by state law. At no point during the regular school day are students allowed to use cell phones; they may not even carry the cell phones on them. Phones must be left at home or stored in students’ lockers. Please take a moment over the summer to teach your student to use a combination lock if necessary. Students are encouraged to visit the house office to use the phone (and will be allowed to do so) if they need to contact home for any reason during the school day. We have found that removing cellular devices encourages students to be more present with their peers and more engaged in class.
We are eager to meet all of our new students and are looking forward to everything this school year will bring! We look forward to meeting many of you at our open house, Tuesday, September 15, from 6:30-8:30 pm.
Sincerely, your team of teachers,
Mrs. Blanchard, Mr. Hanson, Mr. Lagios, Mrs. Pollack, Mrs. Albright
Tawasentha 8 Team Supply List
The following is a list of supplies we are requesting students have for their core classes.
HOMEROOM
- 2 Boxes of Tissues
- 1 Combination Lock
ALL CLASSES
- Pencils
- 24 pkg Colored Pencils
- Multi-color Highlighters
- Earbuds*** (Very important!)
- Pencil Pouch containing: Pens/pencils, earbuds, dry erase marker (1), colored pencils (above package)
ELA
- 2-pocket folder
- Lined composition notebook
- 1 pkg post-its (any color)
MATH
- 2” 3-Ring Binder
- 3 Binder Dividers
- 2 Thin Dry Erase Markers
- Calculator (which type depends on which Math Class):
- MATH 8: TI-30 SXII
- ALGEBRA 1: TI-84 Plus Graphing Calculator
SCIENCE
- 1½” – 2” 3-Ring Binder with 5 dividers
- 24 Color pencils
- Highlighters
SOCIAL STUDIES
- 2” 3-Ring Binder with Pockets
- 10 Binder Dividers
If purchasing a calculator or any other supplies creates a financial burden, please contact your child’s teacher or school counselor to work on a plan. Solutions can and will be found.