Hello Thunder Families!

End of the 2nd Quarter

Wednesday, December 21st, marks the end of the second quarter. Please have a discussion with your child to make sure that this date is on his/her radar. It is important that students are aware of this date so action can be taken to ensure that all assignments and activities are completed and turned in before Winter Break.

3rd Quarter Schedule Changes

All students should check HAC on Monday, January 9, 2023 for changes to their schedules with the start of the 3rd quarter and the M4 Health Rotation. Please call the main office with questions at (331) 228-3100.

Upcoming Non-Attendance Days

Winter Break for students begins on Thursday, December 22nd. Students' first day back after Winter Break will be Tuesday, January 10, 2023. Looking ahead schools will be closed on Monday, January 16th in observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.

Thank you for your ongoing support of Thompson Middle School and have a wonderful weekend!

Eight graders, are you looking for a high school experience that offers:

• the chance to join a small learning community?
  
• a choice and voice in learning activities?
• opportunities to explore career pathways?
• project-based seminars with hands-on learning?
• a flexible schedule with a later start or earlier end to the day?
  

If any of these criteria match your academic goals or vision for school, Compass Academy could be an excellent option for you. Compass Academy students can choose to attend either part-time or full-time at Compass, and they still have access to courses, sports, activities, and events at St. Charles East/North as well.

To learn more about Compass, please attend the Open House on December 13th from 6:30-8:00 pm. This brief information video may also provide helpful information.

If you are unable to attend the Open House but would like to attend a tour at Compass, please complete this form and someone from Compass will contact you soon.

Dear Parents of 8th Graders Attending East,

Peer Leadership is an extracurricular program that matches selected incoming freshmen with juniors and seniors who make the transition into high school fun and easy and mentor them throughout the year. Because this program meets during the school day, it has to be put into a student’s schedule when registering for next year’s classes. Although we would like to be able to offer this to all interested incoming freshmen, our numbers are limited by available classroom space and our budget.

In order to start the selection process, interested students should apply using this application (make a copy and fill it out.) Please email the application to Jim Reed, the Peer Leadership Coordinator (James.Reed@d303.org). Completed applications must be received no later than Tuesday, January 17, 2023. For more information about Peer Leadership, please attend Future Saints Night on January 11, 2023 from 6:30 - 8:20pm.

The buzz around Thompson Middle School is that there will be an informational meeting on Tuesday, December 13th from 3:45 - 4:30 pm in Room 212 for any student who is interested in participating in this year’s TMS Spelling Bee. At this meeting, students will be given more information, a permission slip, and a practice guide to support them as they prepare for this big day!

Spelling Bee Practice Rounds will also take place on Tuesday, December 13th from 3:45 - 4:45 pm in Room 212. An additional practice round will take place in early January. The schoolwide Spelling Bee is scheduled for Wednesday, January 18, 2023 beginning at 4:00 pm in the LRC. If you have any questions, please contact Michelle Gupta at Michelle.Gupta@d303.org.

Please make sure the contact information you’ve provided the District is up-to-date. We want to ensure you’re getting timely alerts on inclement weather operations and other important notifications.

District 303 will send notifications to families through the ParentLink system by text message, phone call and email based on your settings. Parents/guardians can view and edit their contact settings through the Home Access Center.

To receive timely emergency communications, we strongly encourage families to enable text notifications. For most people, this is the fastest way to receive and view important messages. Here’s how:

• From the HAC main menu, select the “registration” tab to view your contact settings
• Select the “edit” button to change your contact settings
• To enable text message notifications, enter your cell phone number in the SMS/text message field
• Select the “save” button

'North Stars Helping Thunder' is an after school tutoring program where St. Charles North High School Honors students help our Thunder students with their homework. This program runs from 3:45 - 4:30 pm every Tuesday and Thursday in the LRC. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Sarah Romano (Sarah.romano@d303.org) or Diane Pollilo (Louise.polillo@d303.org), Thompson Staff Facilitators. Please consider encouraging your child to take advantage of these resources!

• Monday, December 12 - Friday, December 16 - TMS Spirit Week
• Tuesday, December 13 - Compass Academy Open House for 8th Grade Families - 6:30 - 8:00 pm
• Wednesday, December 21 - Last Day of the 2nd Quarter
• Thursday, December 22 - Monday, January 9 - Winter Break
• Tuesday, January 10 - School Resumes for Students
  
• Tuesday, January 10 - Start of the 3rd Quarter
• Tuesday, January 10 - School-wide Assembly - 2:56 - 3:40 pm
• Wednesday, January 11 - PTO Meeting (Virtual) - 9:00 - 10:00 am
• Wednesday, January 11 - Future Saints Night for 8th Grade Families @ SCE - 6:30 - 8:20 pm
• Thursday, January 12 - Future North Stars Night for 8th Grade Families @ SCN
• Monday, January 16 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday
• Wednesday, January 25th - Middle School Early Release Day