Our House System
At Thurgood Marshall Middle School, each student and staff member proudly belongs to one of our four Houses: Justice, Truth, Supreme or Legacy. Students are placed in Houses according to their grade-level and students from all Houses work together during the school year, building upon traits of each House.
House activities and assemblies (town halls) are spirited and filled with fun competition. Students earn points for participating in House events and also for modeling our school values. House events include contests and challenges, themed field trips, competitions, and games.
House names are aligned with our namesake, Thurgood Marshall, and all align to traits that he modeled and stood for. Houses are also affiliated with a color that is representative of the values that will be highlighted in House activities and expectations. Those colors are green (hope & rebirth), gold (sophistication & success), purple (royalty & creativity) and blue (peace & inspiration). At the school’s 1st townhall of the year, TMMS hosts a “reveal party,” in which each student receives a House t-shirt, representative of the House they have been inducted into. Students are expected to wear their House t-shirt on school spirit days and when our students are in the community on field trips or completing service learning activities.
Each year, one House is awarded the Casa Cup!
Why Houses Are Important
By creating smaller, more connected communities within the broader school community, students have a built-in place where they belong. Working together as a team and to gain points means that students must recognize and encourage each member’s talents and abilities. Once a student is placed (or sorted) into a House, he/she becomes a part of a little family that will become his/her support network to reach specific goals. This can be extremely positive for new students or those struggling to fit in—because a sense of belonging can have a tremendous impact on a child’s happiness, identity, and even academic engagement.