• Backpack

• Water Bottle

• Pencils

• 1 Pack Loose Leaf Notebook Paper

• 2 Black Composition Books

• Independent Reading Book of Student's Choice for ELA (optional but encouraged)

TCS will provide every student with a student device, folder, TCS T-shirt, and any other specific materials required for class. Students are welcome to bring other supplies they like to help keep themselves organized, but TCS will supply what is needed for class.

If you'd like to contribute to school-wide supplies, we can always make use of: 

• Kleenex

• Black Expo Whiteboard Markers

• Pencils

• Cap Erasers

For the Student Handbook and all TCS policies and procedures, please visit catamountschool.wcu.edu - Click HERE 

TCS will continue to use Remote Learning Days for inclement weather/snow days. This plan will allow the day to be counted as an instructional day and maintain instructional continuity. While we recognize and appreciate the tradition of "snow days" as well as the potential for power outages, internet limitations, and other interruptions during inclement weather, we hope all students make a reasonable effort to engage in academic activities and enjoy the snow. Schedule and expectations for students on these days will be flexible. If a student is not able to complete an assignment, adequate time will be provided by the teacher. 

• REMOTE LEARNING DAY: Students should do the following NO EARLIER than 10:00am

  • Access Canvas and email through Catamount Commons and review messages and assignments provided by teachers. 

  • Mark their attendance in Canvas.

  • Communicate with teachers via email with questions regarding tasks or assignments for asynchronous support. 

TWO-HOUR DELAY: School day will begin at 10:00am. See the two-hour delay schedule on the Calendars & Schedules page.

TCS SPONSORSHIP INFORMATION 

Sponsorship FORM 

Parent Engagement Opportunities will be posted here! Stay tuned!

Jackson County Public Schools will provide free breakfast and lunch for all students again this school year, 2025-2026!

• Jackson County Public Schools Child Nutrition Services Home 

• School Lunch Menus 

At TCS, our Mastery Model, Standards Based Grading and Project Based Learning methods ensure your child is able to demonstrate everything they understand, receive critical feedback while they are learning, and assess often to continue to mark growth in their knowledge and skill sets. We value these aspects of our school and feel it makes our learning environment equitable and accessible to every learner. 

• Standards-Based Grading – Standards-based grading is the grading system we use at TCS that promotes student progress. It reports the proficiency and mastery level (1-4) a student performs on specific learning standards provided by the Department of Public Instruction. For example, if a specific math standard is “solving one step equations” students will receive a numerical proficiency level in which they performed the task, 1-4, one needing the most support and 4 being ready to move on to something more complex and rigorous. As with our mastery learning method, these grades are not permanent if the student displays growth on a specific task or skill. 

• Project Based Learning (PBL) – PBL is a teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging, and complex question, problem, or challenge. They demonstrate their knowledge and skills by developing a public product or presentation for a real audience. As a result, students develop deep content knowledge as well as critical thinking, creativity, and communication skills in the context of doing an authentic, meaningful project. 

• Mastery –We do not believe every student learns at the same rate or on the same schedule. Mastery learning supports re-teaching information in new ways for struggling learners, allowing them to re-assess materials and update grades often. Mastery allows them try again and prove their knowledge. 

• Metacognition – Teachers will push students to think about how they, as unique individuals, learn, retain information, and succeed in their work. They will begin to investigate their difficulties, strengths, and strategies utilized in their work. 

• Formative Assessment – Low-stakes assessments used to gather data from learners and adjust curriculum in the learning environment to better support students. They do not negatively affect a student’s grades, instead they positively influence the teacher to personalize learning for each student and their needs, provide critical feedback on their learning and progress, and allow the student to take ownership of their education by tracking their proficiency and setting personal goals in their education. 

• Summative Assessment –Cumulative assessments often found at the end of a learning unit. These do occur at TCS, just not as often as our other forms of assessment. 

If you are having problems with your school-issued device, call the TCS main office (828-227-2500) or email akarup@wcu.edu

If you have difficulty with your WCU email account, your parent can contact Mrs. Tatham at statham@wcu.edu.

With the passing of the “Healthy Youth Act of 2009,” schools are directed to provide age specific Reproductive Health and Safety Education to students in grades 4-9. TCS's offers lessons through our health and physical education program lead by the WCU Health and Physical Education Department. These lessons developed by the NC School Health Training Center focus on the Healthful Living, Interpersonal Communication, and Personal Relationships standards in North Carolina for each grade. Additionally, we acknowledge that parents are the best and primary sex educators for their children. We want to support your efforts, honor your wishes and work with you to provide a quality program and the best outcome for your child while still meeting the mandates of the law. Please preview the standards and lessons to better understand the focus for each grade. If, after you have previewed the materials and objectives, you wish for your child to be removed from this instruction, please notify Mr. Adeimy directly in writing at dadeimy@wcu.edu before the unit begins. 

6th Grade Standard: 6.ICR.2 - Apply strategies and skills for developing and maintaining healthy relationships.

Clarifying Objective 2.1 - Explain the impact of early sexual activity on physical, mental, emotional, and social health. Lesson 

Clarifying Objective 2.2 - Summarize the responsibilities of parenthood. Lesson 

7th Grade Standard: 7.ICR.3 - Apply strategies that develop and maintain reproductive and sexual health.

Clarifying Objective 3.1 - Recognize common STDs (including HIV and HPV), modes of transmission, symptoms, effects if untreated, and methods of prevention. Lesson 

Clarifying Objective 3.2 - Summarize the safe and effective use of FDA-approved methods of preventing sexually transmitted diseases. Lesson 

8th Grade Standard: 8.ICR.3  - Analyze strategies that develop and maintain reproductive and sexual health.

Clarifying Objective 3.1 - Explain the health, legal, financial, and social consequences of adolescent and unintended pregnancy and the advantages of delaying parenthood. Lesson 

Clarifying Objective 3.2 - Evaluate methods of FDA-approved contraceptives in terms of their safety and their effectiveness in preventing unintended pregnancy. Lesson 

Additional Resources

North Carolina School Health Training Center

Parent Resources | North Carolina School Health Training Center 

North Carolina Healthful Living Essential Standards

Simplified Chart - NC Curriculum Standards for Reproductive Health 

NC GS 115C-81(e1): Basic Education Plan/Healthy Youth Act

Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) is a framework for integrating levels  of academic and behavior support to promote the success of all students. The ultimate goal of a MTSS is to provide high-quality instruction and the degree of support each student needs to be successful. MTSS is not a special program, class, or intervention, but rather a way of organizing instruction and intervention to help ALL students and promote early identification of students needing additional academic or behavioral support to be successful. MTSS is also used to help identify students who may need exceptional children's services. 

TCS is an inclusive enviroment that welcomes all learners to the general education classroom. The exceptional education teacher AND the general education teacher provide service to students with disabilities and share for ALL students in the general education classroom.

For the 2025-26 School Year, the School Improvement Team will meet at 3:00pm on September 9, January 13, March 10, and April 14 in-person on the TCS campus or via Zoom. Guests may access the continuous improvement plan through www.indistar.org using the following credentials: GuestS18622 : GuestS18622

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