There are going to be several notices today to ensure a smooth first day with students.
7th grade Parents and Guardians - This is a reminder that ALL 7th grade student must have their required immunizations before they come to school Monday. There is no grace period as in the past.
Parents and Guardians of all Students - All life saving medication that your student needs must be at the school before they can attend.
Thank you and Go Knights!
UPDATED Bus Schedules are now available. You can find them located on the TCS App under Documents and Transportation or from the TCS Website. https://5il.co/xxwv
TCMS can't wait to meet our 7th and 8th students and parents tomorrow night! Doors will open at 4:45 pm. Tables will be set up with schedules for students to pick up before or after Mr Hage speaks in the gym at 5:10 pm. Go Knights!
Taylor County Schools will welcome back students on August 30, 2021 with guidelines in place to offer five days of instruction. Check out the news article for further information.
I promised for those not able to make it to post my remarks. I did go a little off-script, but these are the main points I went over with everyone. And yes, I take full responsibility for having a few room numbers wrong!
Good evening students, parents, and guardians. My name is Scott Hage and I am the new principal here at TCMS. I put a little out about me on social media when I started on July 1st. That I did my student teaching almost 20 years ago in this very building. That I served in Iraq with many of your family members while in the 363rd MP Co. But the truth is that I stand before you as a father of a student in this school. I share your hopes, your fears, and your expectations for what our schools can and should do for our children.
I also am nervous about what that first day will bring. Will my child love her new school? Will she like her teachers? Will she be looked after and cared for and inspired to learn? What will school look like in the days and weeks ahead. I wish, and hope, and have fear about all of these things. And that is what I bring to my leadership of this building, your very own perspective.
I am going to share my philosophy of leadership that I told my teachers their first day. Everything is my fault. Things that go wrong in this building are my fault. I know I am setting myself up for failure. I know I am opening myself up to criticism to anyone upset with me. And that is ok. Because I do not want to give them a reason to attack faults in this school. I want to work tirelessly behind the scenes to fix issues before they become obvious to "us" as parents.
And yet, I am still setting myself up for failure. Because I will not catch everything, anticipate every issue, foresee every catastrophe. So why would I even try? There are a couple of reasons behind this philosophy and why I do not mind sharing it with you.
We model what we expect. I expect my teachers to take ownership of their rooms. That they perhaps adopt my philosophy, that everything that happens in their rooms is their fault. I have to support them, but if they can anticipate an issue in their room and work ahead of time to prevent it, everyone benefits. I want my students to do the same thing. I have operated by the 6 P's since I was in the army. Prior planning prevents piss poor performance. A little crude, but it has prevented me from looking foolish time and time again. Plan ahead, anticipate what you need or issues you might face, and act accordingly.
Sometimes, the lesson is in the journey, not the accomplishment. When we were sitting where your child sits today we all wanted to be doctors, lawyers, GI Joe, and rock stars. Sometimes all at the same time! We are supposed to set ambitious goals and work tirelessly towards them. It doesn't mean we will achieve them, but we grow as we pursue. I want to be perfect for your children, they at least deserve that effort.
In all the battles and all the wars in human history, how often do we remember and even celebrate the losing side. Almost never. But I would remind you of the 300 Spartan Knights that marched forward, facing impossible odds knowing that they were not going to "win." So, everything that goes wrong in this building is my fault. I state this in front of you today knowing I can't possibly live up to this. But I take up this challenge to do exactly that, anticipate every issue or, failing that, to correct as quickly as possible issues that go against my goal of giving your children the best education possible. My hope is that my sincerity, my effort, and my follow-through are what are remembered about your children's time here at TCMS.
So yes, I have asked my teachers to set the example. To lead by example. To demonstrate with their words and their efforts the habits we want your children to copy. We want them to set large goals. We want them to strive for perfection. We want them to hold themselves to high standards. Try your best, be ambitious in your goals, and be sincere in your efforts.
This leads me to the final part of my message. The "why" of this philosophy. Why take blame for someone not posting grades in a timely fashion? Why take the blame for a teacher not returning a call? My "why" is simple. It wastes my time. I would rather spend my time fixing the problem and providing support so it doesn't happen again than to investigate and try to find who is responsible for something that I should have anticipated in the first place.
Your children are going to learn that we set goals for what we want to accomplish, because striving to achieve your goals improves you as a person. I want to be perfect for your children. I want to anticipate all issues and all problems. My goal is to make their experience the best it can possibly be. Will I be successful, I hope so. Just know that I hold myself to this higher standard, and if I am not 100% know that me and my staff are working as hard as we can to make this a meaningful and positive experience.
If you have not already, get your child’s schedule. Visit any of the tables in the commons area to speak with our nurse, counselors, SOS group, Community in Schools liaison, our Family Outreach Facilitator. Word is Todd Bolyard is here to answer or assist transportation questions. So explore the building. Meet the teachers and staff. This building is amazing. It has so much potential and I want you to see and experience all of it. My 6th grade parents, you were robbed of this last year so in many ways, I have two grades of “new” people exploring the building. Be excited, because this is exciting. Good evening and enjoy.
TCMS can't wait to welcome our 5th and 6th grade parents tonight, Aug 24th. Front and back doors will be open. Mr Hage speaks at 4:10, but his remarks will be posted this evening if you are not able to arrive at the beginning. Doors open at 3:50.
TCMS Open House 8/24 Info
3:50 Doors open (Please park safely on the grounds. The front and back doors will be open to enter the building.)
4:10 Welcoming remarks from Mr. Hage (gymnasium) – the speech will be posted on social media for parents not able to attend or be at TCMS at 4:10
4:25 Parents released to explore the building, pick up schedules and info (we will have several information tables set up in the cafeteria) and meet teachers
7:00 Open house concludes
*Those not able to attend may call the school to get their schedule but we are prepared on the first day for students that haven’t gotten schedules ahead of time
Virtual Students Gr. 6-12 iPad Distribution:
An iPad distribution time, date, and location will be announced once the list of virtual students is finalized and approved.
Virtual School Grades 6-12 registration closes today at 4:00PM.
Next week is the week for our TCMS Open House(s)!!!
5/6th grade is Tuesday from 4pm to 7pm.
7/8th grade is Thursday from 5 pm to 7pm.
TCMS teachers visited a Partner in Ed today, MHIRJ in Clarksburg. Your teachers are seeing the potential for our students right here in our own area! Whatsup GHS!
Central Office Caravan bringing the message of "Our Best Year!" to all of our schools on opening day! Sharing that it is our pleasure to offer our "menu" of services to support their needs kicks off a great start to a great year!!
TCMS Administration is super excited to welcome teachers and staff back for their first day, tomorrow Aug 19th!
See the latest news article on Taylor County Health Departments days and times for COVID testing and vaccines. Together we can make the difference for our students safe return to school.
Be sure to check out the mitigation strategies Taylor County Schools will implement for the 2021-2022 school year. Together we will make this "Our Best Year."
Curious about what’s for lunch on the first day of school? Check out each school’s dining menu on the TCS new app! Download the app on
Android: https://bit.ly/3wWqoyb or iPhone: https://apple.co/3Bl62lO
Band Camp is cancelled for tomorrow (friday). Please check the message on the remind app.
Be sure to download the new Taylor County Schools app for quick and easy access to items like this for your school! It’s everything Taylor County Schools, in your pocket.
Download the app on
Android: https://bit.ly/3wWqoyb or iPhone/iPad: https://apple.co/3Bl62lO
Students go back to school August 30, 2021. Make it a great year!
Update: Parents and guardians this is a reminder of our Open Houses to be held two weeks from now. The 5th and 6th grade Open House will be August 24th from 4 to 7 pm. The 7th and 8th grade Open House will be August 26th from 5 to 7 pm. To help parents avoid conflict with the high school Open House on Tuesday we are opening our building at 4pm. Schedules will be available for pickup on those days for those grades, so come meet your new teachers and tour the building!