Frequently Asked Questions
The student/teacher ratio is currently 22:1
.TCMS serves students in Grades 6, 7 and 8.
How many classes are there per grade level?
Yes, all of our faculty members have their Florida Professional teaching certificates. Most have received their gifted and ESOL endorsements, and the remainder are working towards theirs.
Charter schools are allowed to design their own curriculum. Ours adheres to the Sunshine State Standards and is aligned with the Department of Defense curriculum. We offer a back-to-basics curriculum and our Curriculum Guide is available on this website.
Yes, all students are required to wear uniforms. Uniforms are purchased through Risse Brothers.
Students are expected to bring their own lunches from home, or order, on a monthly basis, lunches from vendors such as Chick-Fil-A, Pappa Johns and others. Bagged lunches will be available for emergency purposes only, and the families will be billed monthly if their children require this service. Mrs. Cynthia Johnson is the TCMS lunchroom manager, and is available to answer questions about the program. You may contact her at cynthia.johnson@tcmstornadoes.com
What is your school grade history, as assigned by the Florida Department of Education?
TCMS has, once again, received an "A" (2009.2010) from the Florida Department of Education. TCMS also achieved AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) under the Federal No Child Left Behind act. TCMS was also named as a 2007 National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education. TCMS was also recognized recently by the Florida Department of Education for its science program.Back to Top
Do you have an after school program?
TCMS provides an after school program for its students. Information is located on the Aftercare page on the school's website (link is available on the home page).
What are the school hours?
School will begin at 8:20AM and end at 3:05PM. There are a variety of extracurricular activities in which students will be able to participate, and will take place immediately after the school day ends.
No, transportation is not available. We strongly encourage our families to carpool. A Carpool Database is created each year through a registration form.
How do I register my child?
What criteria is required?
None. We know nothing about the student – test scores, extracurricular activities, etc. Please do not send head shots, newspaper articles, report cards, or letters of recommendation with your application. It will all be returned to you. We are a public charter school; therefore, we cannot select students based on the criteria listed above.
How are students selected?
If applications exceed the number of openings, a random lottery is held. As applications are received, the students are assigned a "lottery number" by grade level. Once the deadline has passed, students whose applications are received will be added to the end of the waiting list that will be established the night of the lottery, in the order in which they are received.
We use a software program that randomly selects the the numbers assigned to the applicants. Student names are placed in alphabetical order and then assigned an ID number (1 through however many number of applicants there are). The number of available seats is announced prior to the selection process. Families are notified by email within a few days of the selection process. Parents who wish to attend may do so and they may request their child's lottery number via e-mail.
Priority is given to siblings of currently enrolled students, and children of board or faculty members. The students are then balanced by demographics (i.e., race, gender, etc.)
Example #1: 6th grade student’s name is pulled in the 1st position. This student has a sibling in Grade 7. The sibling in Grade 7 will automatically gain admittance to the school if there is an opening available. If not, sibling will become #1 on the waiting list.
Example #2: Student, last name Jones, is pulled in the 66th position in Grade 6. Lottery moves through 7th and into 8th grade. Student, last name Smith, is pulled first and there is an opening in Grade 8. Smith has a sibling in Grade 6 who did not get in the top 66. Student Smith is moved into the 66th position and Student Jones is bumped from 66th position to 67th position.
The above is just a small sampling of the different scenarios that can evolve from this process. The lottery is held in the "sunshine" and we welcome anyone who would like to attend. Again, we caution everyone in attendance that the order in which their child's lottery number is selected is not necessarily the final outcome.
If my child is accepted, do I have to reapply each year?
No…once your child has been accepted to TCMS, he/she may stay the entire time without a new application. You will be asked to sign a letter of "Intent to Return" each year, which will be sent home via e-mail. The Intent to Return forms must be returned by the deadline established by administration. No follow up phone calls will be made. It is the responsibility of the parent to complete the form and return it in a timely manner. If the form is not returned by the date, it is understood that the child will not be returning to TCMS for the following school year.
If my child is on the waiting list, what are his/her chances of getting into the school?
It varies from year to year. It is not something we can predict.
Will you give information over the phone the day after the lottery?
. Per administrative policy, lottery results may not be given via e-mail or by phone.
Lottery results will be e- mailed to families.
Where do TCMS students attend high school.
Our students attend quite a variety of different neighborhood, IB and magnet programs. (updated 6/09). Please click here to view this information.
We hope that this page has assisted you in answering questions regarding our school! Please feel free to contact Helen Ratcliffe, Director of Student and Personnel Services with questions at helen.ratcliffe@tcmstornadoes.com.