Upson-Lee Middle School

After consultation with the Sheriff’s Office, local EMS, and the TU transportation department, we have made the decision to close school again tomorrow, Friday, January 24. This decision was made out of an abundance of caution for our buses, parent/staff drivers, and our young student drivers who may be driving themselves to school on secondary roads that could be icy and dangerous in the morning after refreezing overnight. As you know, we will always put student and staff safety first when making decisions such as this one. All schools will return to a regular schedule on Monday, January 27. Thank you for your support of Thomaston-Upson Schools!

Due to the probability of icy and hazardous road conditions, particularly on secondary roads, and our safety concerns for students and staff, the Thomaston-Upson School System will be closed on Thursday, January 23.

Due to severe weather and the probability of adverse driving conditions in the morning, all Thomaston-Upson Schools and Central Office will be closed on Wednesday, January 22. We will continue to monitor the weather and will release information about Thursday’s plans as soon as possible.

The TU School System has been monitoring weather reports and gathering the information necessary to make an informed decision about this week’s predicted storms. In order to ensure the safety of students and staff, all Thomaston-Upson Schools and central office will be closed Tuesday, January 21. We will release information about Wednesday’s plans on Tuesday afternoon after assessing the weather situation. Please know that the Thomaston-Upson School System will always put safety first when making decisions that affect our students and staff.

Don't miss "An Enchanted Bookshop Christmas" - a ULMS Knight Theatre production - this weekend (Dec. 13, 14, & 15) at the FAC!!! Revisit or discover anew the beloved literary characters of the bestselling "The Enchanted Bookshop" in this VERY MERRY prequel. This time, they’re joined by a whole crew of Christmas themed characters, including the Nutcracker Prince, Amy March, the Velveteen Rabbit, the Little Match Girl, and even Ebenezer Scrooge himself! (Run time is approximately 1.5 hours.) Book Drive!!! - ULMS Knight Theatre will also be accepting donations of new and gently used books to donate to children. Donate in the lobby before the performances. ULMS drama teacher is Ms. Susan Musser. See you at the FAC!!! #ULfinearts

Press release from the Thomaston-Upson School System with information about Math Leader Schools and SB 233 the Promise Scholarship Act

So excited to welcome State School Superintendent Mr. Richard Woods to Upson-Lee Middle School on Thursday, December 5, to recognize ULMS as a Math Leader School for outstanding achievement in 8th grade Enhanced Algebra and to present Principal Mrs. Rhonda Gulley with the 2024 GA Masters of Mathematics banner to hang in the school! Congratulations to ULMS!!!

Our 6th Annual Family Engagement Night will be Thursday, November 21, from 5-7 PM at the UL Agriculture Center. We can't wait to see you there!

All schools have completed their school lockdown drills and will be returning to their regular class schedules. Parents and guardians, please take a moment this evening to talk with your children about the lockdown experience. Ask questions about the process, such as “What do you do first?” and praise your children for listening to the teacher and doing the things that they have been taught to do during a drill. You may want to explain that safety is something that we must practice, just like we practice reading or math. And, the more we practice, the better and more confident we become. We want safety drills to be a confidence-building experience, not a scary experience. Thank you for entrusting us with the education and safety of your children, and thank you to the Upson County Sheriff's Office for their assistance today! #weareUL

School Lockdown DRILL: At 9 AM this morning, all Thomaston-Upson Schools, with the assistance of the Upson County Sheriff’s Office, initiated a school lockdown DRILL. During a lockdown drill, all exterior doors are locked and no entry or exit is allowed. Phones at the school are not answered during a lockdown drill.

At the September 10 Board of Education meeting, the Board approved the 2025-26 school district calendar.

Upson-Lee Middle School Girls' Volleyball Team Kicks Off Season Against Lamar County The Upson-Lee Middle School girls' volleyball team is set to kick off their season on Monday, August 12th, with a highly anticipated home game against Lamar County. This marks the second year of the program, led by Coach Perdue and Coach Jordan, who are eager to build on the foundation they established last year. With a roster filled with returning 8th graders, the team is poised for a successful season. These young athletes have been working hard in practice, honing their skills and building team chemistry. The coaches are confident that their experience and dedication will translate into strong performances on the court. As the season unfolds, fans and supporters are encouraged to follow the Upson-Lee Middle School girls' volleyball team closely. With a mix of returning players and new talent, the team is ready to make their mark and aim for a winning season. Be sure to show your support and catch the excitement of middle school volleyball as the Upson-Lee girls take on their opponents. Go Knights!

UL ATHLETIC PROJECTS: PHASE I Superintendent Dr. Larry Derico and the Thomaston-Upson Board of Education are excited to inform the community that Phase I of the T-U School System Athletic Facilities Projects has begun. Phase I involves upgrades to Matthews Field, home of the Upson-Lee Knights football and soccer teams. Brickwork and some minor electrical work are ongoing, but things will kick into high gear following ULHS graduation on May 24. Over the summer, major changes will occur: • Artificial turf (See art rendering of field.) • Stadium lighting + entertainment package • Fencing around field • Minor construction to the visitors’ stands The tentative completion date for Phase I is August 30, 2024. This will not mark the completion of Matthews Field renovations, but most work will pause at that site for the duration of the 2024 football season. Phase II begins on September 2, 2024, and includes ULMS Baseball & Softball Complex (north side of Matthews Field), Upson-Lee Athletic Complex (behind ULHS, to include Track & Field facility, etc.) and the completion of Matthews Field. More information about Phase II will be released as Phase I nears completion. The tentative completion date for Phase II is December 31, 2025. Information about Matthews Field sod giveaway: Once graduation celebrations are completed on Friday night, May 24, crews will begin removal of the sod from Matthews Field. Pieces of sod will be cut and stacked and available to the public on Saturday morning, May 25 (1st come, 1st served, 1 per person while supplies last). If you would like to pick up a piece of Matthews Field, we will have detailed information about this process as we get closer to the date.

The Thomaston-Upson School System will be closely monitoring the weather throughout the school day. Current reports do not predict severe weather during school dismissal times this afternoon. Please review our district protocol for student dismissals during a tornado watch or warning: 1. Students may be checked out or picked up at school during a Tornado Watch. 2. Students may NOT be checked out or picked up at school during a Tornado Warning. 3. If a Tornado Warning occurs during release time on a school day, students will be held at school until it is deemed safe by the National Weather Service or the Georgia Emergency Management Association. This protocol is in effect to ensure the safety of our students, staff, and parents/guardians/others who may be picking up students at the end of the school day. This information is also available on the T-U School System's Severe Weather Guide webpage at: https://www.upson.k12.ga.us/page/severe-weather-guide

ULMS Spring Football Information DATES: 4/29-5/2 and 5/6-5/9 TIME: 3:30-5:00 p.m. LOCATION: Players are to report to the field house 1st wave PICK-UP: At the field house(behind the school) Ride must be here by 5:00 BRING: Everyone MUST HAVE cleats, tennis shoes, gym shorts, t-shirt, mouthpiece, and a football girdle or you will NOT be allowed to practice *WE WILL BE IN FULL PADS* INFO: Everyone must have created an account in Rank One by April 22nd, directions are located on the ULMS web page under athletics. *CANNOT BE FAILING MORE THAN ONE CLASS FROM THE 1ST SEMESTER TO BE ELIGIBLE*

Catch up with the latest student stories, events, and news updates. It's everything Thomaston-Upson Schools, in your pocket. If you haven't already, download the app! Download for Android https://bit.ly/3tLlM2j Download for iPhone https://apple.co/48F2Gd0

Hello! The Thomaston-Upson School System is required to administer stakeholder surveys as a part of an annual comprehensive needs assessment. These surveys gather perception data regarding many facets of the school district, identify strengths and weaknesses, determine the professional learning needs of staff, and set goals for our FY25 Continuous Improvement Plans (CIPs). The surveys are administered through Cognia, an accreditation, professional learning, and assessment organization that supports districts through customized improvement services. All survey responses are completely anonymous. There are 2 surveys available - 1 for parents & guardians and 1 for community members. Thank you in advance for assisting TU Schools in this process! Parent Survey: https://eprovesurveys.advanc-ed.org/surveys/#/action/249297/1804/1 Community Survey: https://eprovesurveys.advanc-ed.org/surveys/#/action/249252/1804/1

We are loving our new app! Access documents, news updates, and even emergency notifications, right from your pocket. Download for Android https://bit.ly/3tLlM2j Download for iPhone https://apple.co/48F2Gd0

This is Georgia School Board Appreciation Week, and we are extremely fortunate in our community to have school board members who embrace and embody our vision for the future of Thomaston-Upson Schools. We want to offer a BIG THANK YOU to Ms. Jacqueline Hollis, Board Chairperson – District 2; Mr. Jaye Eubanks, Board Vice-Chair – District 7; Ms. Angeline McGill, Board Member - District 1; Ms. Sheila Hall, Board Member - District 3; Mr. Brian Salter, Board Member - District 4; Mr. Scott Roberts, Board Member - District 5; Mr. Stephen Sadler, Board Member - District 6. We appreciate you all!

BIG shoutout to the TU Grounds Crew for the FANTASTIC JOB they did on the UL Soccer Field today!!! Isn't this beautiful?!! #ULProud