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 Dear Middle Level Educator,
I recently had the pleasure of visiting Balmorhea State Park. While watching my kids play in the famous pool there, I had the opportunity to visit with a number of families, some of whose members were educators. It was interesting to see the common experiences shared by the educators present, who were all 5th through 9th grade, but from diverse content areas, types of schools, and sizes of schools.
We all know the stories of frustration that inevitably surface, from assessment's overriding role, tough parents and families, behavioral issues and "these kids" today, to our sometimes crazy responses to all of the above. As we visited around the pool at Balmorhea, the conversation shifted, and eventually one vignette after another came forth. Each vignette showed the overriding care and concern for the students these diverse educators worked with. Tales of perseverance in the face of behavioral or academic struggles and joyous or hysterical student stories became the order of the day.
This experience reminded me of the magic of the Texas Middle School Association. We come together annually at the spring conference and forge these connections with each other based on our common experiences. The connection to other middle school people who share similar concerns and struggles in the name of our students is what makes the TMSA experience so rewarding. To further spread these magical moments, TMSA has aadded a presence on Facebook and Twitter, and is working to continue our tradition of strong regional one day trainings.
Middle school education is a calling, and the Texas Middle School Association is proud to help you meet the needs of young adolescents throughout the state. As an organization, we are working to focus on those areas that can provide the best service to you and your students. Come learn more about what's going on at our Annual Conference.
I hope to see you in March in Arlington!!!
Chris Huber, TMSA President
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We are proud to announce the launch of the new TMSA website at www.tmsanet.org. With direction from a special member task force, TMSA has been hard at work creating a new, updated website for members to call home, and we are so excited about sharing the new site we didn't want to wait any longer!
We want this new site to be your "one-stop-shop" for all things "in the middle." In giving the site a facelift, we took great pains to preserve all of the useful features from the existing version of the site. With few exceptions, everything you are accustomed to is still here, just in a different, easier-to-use format. The new design brings sharper graphics and simplified navigation.
You'll find new features as well. There are more opportunities for dialogue with links to our Facebook Group, Twitter and our new TMSA blog. We have added more visible, eye-catching spots for breaking news. We have added extensive resources, both on the local and national level. New features, such as our TMSA Professional Development Cadre and our Consultant's Corner are being added daily. And, our Annual Conference section is easy-to-access and more informative than ever before!
The site has been the product of extensive planning, but we don't plan to stop here. We will continue to enhance and add to the site in the coming months... Soon, we will complete an Online Store where you can purchase the latest and greatest in educational titles. You will be able to renew your TMSA membership and register for conferences and events online! We will be adding video links of our great conference speakers as well as adding new Podcasts. All of these great features (and more!) will put the world of TMSA right at your fingertips.
So roll your mouse over to www.tmsanet.org and give it a click to take the new website for a spin. Just be sure to bring it back in one piece! If you have any comments or suggestions about the new site, please email us! This site is YOUR site!
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NOT A TMSA MEMBER? JOIN TODAY!
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Since 1975, Texas Middle School Association (TMSA) has been the state's premiere association for middle level educators.
We are a voluntary, nonprofit, statewide educational association that serves and represents Texas educators, administrators, children and parents... anyone who works with children ages 11-15.
We truly are a team effort... so join our winning team!
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