School Information
Core Purpose/Values | School Improvement Plan | Quickfacts | SSL | Pyle Parent Guide | School History | Emergency
To ensure that students achieve their academic and personal potential, staff members at Thomas W. Pyle Middle School model a passion for learning and create a nurturing environment where the unique talents and backgrounds of individuals are valued and respected. Staff members at Thomas W. Pyle Middle School are committed to:
- DEMONSTRATING A PASSION FOR LEARNING
- ENCOURAGING ACADEMIC AND PERSONAL GROWTH
- SUSTAINING A NURTURING AND RESPECTFUL ENVIRONMENT
- HONORING DIVERSITY
Core Purpose and Values
To ensure that students achieve their academic and personal potential, staff members at Thomas W. Pyle Middle School model a passion for learning and create a nurturing environment where the unique talents and backgrounds of individuals are valued and respected. Staff members at Thomas W. Pyle Middle School are committed to:
- Demonstrating a Passion for Learning
- Encouraging Academic and Personal Growth
- Sustaining a Nurturing and Respectful Environment
- Honoring Diversity
School Improvement Plan
Each year the school improvement team reviews how well students are performing, sets goals for increased achievement and plans how to help students and teachers reach those goals. During the school year, the team reviews progress and adjusts the plan as necessary.
2011 -2012 Pyle School Improvement Plan
Pyle Quickfacts
- One of the largest middle schools in Montgomery County
- Our students continue to be among the highest achievers in the state on all standardized tests
- Sixth graders scored well over the national percentile rank for the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills and have met local standards
- Mobility rate: 5.7
- 11% of population are International Students
- Block scheduling with 4 blocks a day on an odd/even day rotation. Class time is 90 minutes per block (with the exception of a daily 50 minute first block).
- 74% of our students are on the honor roll
- Over 60% of our students are enrolled in enriched or accelerated subjects
- 94% of our parents are involved in the PTSA
- Our students produce a school news program on our own TV station
- Average SAT score at Walt Whitman (our cluster high school) is 1248 with 87% of students taking the SAT
- Attendance rate is 96%; rating excellent in the state standard
Thomas W. Pyle Middle School at a Glance (PDF)
Enrollment, staffing, facility and budget information from the Department of Reporting and Regulatory Accountability.
Thomas W. Pyle Middle School Environment Survey
This web site contains the most recent results from Surveys of School Environment completed by parents.
Master Plan/CIP Data for Thomas W. Pyle Middle School
Boundary map and capital plan details from the Department of Planning and Capital Programming.
Student Service Learning
In conjunction with MCPS, PTSAs across the County are trying to help make Student Service Learning (SSL) requirements better understood and opportunities better advertised.
Beginning with the Class of 2011, MCPS has increased the SSL graduation requirement to 75 hours. For students enrolling in MCPS during middle school there is a prorated basis for required hours. If you enroll in 6th grade, your student is required to complete all 75. If you enroll in 7th grade, your student is required to complete 65 hours. If you enroll in 8th grade, your student is required to complete 55 hours in order to graduate from an MCPS high school.
There are 3 ways to accrue SSL hours:
1) The curriculum for each grade incorporates an SSL component. Teachers will discuss with students the nature of the projects. Students will submit a plan to their teachers, get approval, and work towards their hours. Sixth grade SSL projects will be done through the Science curriculum, Seventh grade SSL projects through the English curriculum, and Eighth grade SSL projects through the Social Studies curriculum.
2) Students can do work at one of the pre-approved MCPS SSL organizations. Please visit the web site www.mcpsssl.org with your student to see what organizations/activities are pre-approved. Make sure to check age requirements for activities listed in the write-ups. At the end of work for pre-approved organizations, a student completes MCPS Form 560-51, Student Service Learning Activity Verification, has it signed by the supervisor, and submitted to Ms. Baran, Pyle SSL coordinator, by the semester deadline.
3) Students can do work for organizations that don’t have MCPS pre-approval status if they submit MCPS Form 560-50, Individual Student Service Learning Request to Ms. Baran before the activity occurs and she approves the organization/activity. Please note: each time work is done for an organization that is not on the MCPS SSL site a student must receive pre-approval even if that same student has received approval in the past.
Copies of both forms are available in the main office and by clicking the link above. If your child has never submitted an SSL form, we recommend that you review the form with your student to make sure that it is complete. Please remind students that an important component of student service learning is the Student Reflection.
Deadlines for 2011 - 2012 school year
- Any hours billed during the 2011 Summer must be turned in by September 30, 2011 or else the student will not receive credit for hours served.
- Any hours billed during the 1st semester must be turned in by January 6, 2012 or else the student will not receive credit for hours served.
- Any hours billed during the 2nd semester must be turned in by June 1, 2012 or else the student will not receive credit for hours served.
Encourage students to turn in forms before the deadline so if there are any issues (incomplete form, etc) there is time to try and get them resolved. Students may earn a maximum of 8 SSL hours within a 24 hour period. SSL hours are provided without any financial compensation. Holidays and early release days are great times to get involved in SSL activities.
If you have a question about your hours please email Ms. Marlyn Baran, Marlyn_A_Baran@mcpsmd.org. Alternatively, Eve Mills, PTSA SSL Liaison, southboundmills@comcast.net is available to answer any questions you may have regarding SSL.
Frequently Asked Questions: MCPS has a very useful list of answers to frequently asked questions on the MCPS SSL webpage.
Helpful tip : Keep a copy of all SSL forms that you turn in to the Main Office to use as a check when hours are credited on report cards.
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Pyle Parent Guide
The Pyle Parent Guide is a project of Pyle Middle School, the Principal's Guidance Advisory Committee and the Pyle Parent-Teacher-Student Association. Newly revised in the fall of 2010, the Parent Guide will be updated as needed and new information added to this online version. A hard copy may be downloaded and printed using this link.
Access the Table of Contents for the Pyle Parent Guide.
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School History
Find out who Thomas W. Pyle was and learn more about the history of the school.
Did you know Pyle has a school song? View the music for it (PDF). Note that the lyrics reference Pyle's original school colors - orange and white - not the stylish black and red we have today.
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Emergency
MCPS Emergency Information - Emergency preparedness, school closings, etc.
School's Out - Emergency Closings-Email Notification- Sign up for email notification of school closings by subscribing to QuickNotes.
Parent Reunification form (PDF) - the form used by the school to reunite students with a parent or an appropriate caregiver during an emergency.
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