Thompson Friday Forecast

From the Principal...Steve Morrill

Student Support Team (SST) Presentations

During the opening weeks of school, our Thompson student support team (counselors, social workers, psychologists, clinicians, and administrators) visited all of our Thompson students during tutorial periods. This brief presentation provided students the opportunity to put names with faces while also learning how to access any member of the Student Support Team. During these presentations, students were attentive as they were provided specific information regarding how to access support beyond the classroom at Thompson. I am often heard saying, “Middle school kids don’t care what you know until they know that you care.” Our outcome for these presentations was just that.

Hopefully a take away students had from this presentation was that they feel important and cared for. If you have a moment this weekend to talk about school with your child, I encourage you to ask them about Thompson’s student support resources and if they know how to get in touch with a counselor, social worker, or administrator if there ever is a need.

Morning Parent Drop Off of Students

In addition to dropping students off in the morning in the East lot off of 7th Street, parents are also able to drop off their child on Indiana Street just west of the tennis courts. Students can then enter through Door #5.

Please remember that students should not be dropped off before 8:00 am as access to the building and supervision begins at 8:00 am. Any student arriving for a pre-arranged meeting with a staff member or morning club should enter through the main entrance, Door #1.

Upcoming Non Attendance Days for Students

Next Friday, September 3rd and the following Monday, September 6th will be non attendance days for students. Friday is an Institute Day for teachers and Monday is the Labor Day Holiday.

Safety Day at Thompson

Working alongside district officials and local authorities, Thompson will implement our first safety drills of the year next Thursday, September 2nd. Throughout the day, students will be reminded of and will practice the procedures in place for how the building responds during fire, weather emergency, and lock down situations. The safety of our students will always be a top priority!

Enjoy your weekend! We’ll see everyone back in school on Monday!

Steve

Coming Soon! Thompson Parent-Guardian Open House!

We are happy to announce that Thompson Middle School will be hosting a Thompson Open House at which parents and guardians will have the opportunity to walk through Thompson and meet Thompson teachers. We will be communicating details about the event in next week’s Friday Forecast.

Clubs and Activities

Our Thompson Clubs are already starting! Please encourage your middle schooler to get involved with school activities away from the classroom to truly take advantage of all that middle school has to offer! Click here to see our long list of clubs/activities. Parents can subscribe by clicking here to receive our daily announcements as week to week club announcements are frequently posted.

After School Activity Bus

An activity bus is available for students involved in Thompson clubs and activities on Tuesday and Thursday after school beginning September 7th. Students should sign up during the club, telling the club adviser each day a ride is needed. The activity bus will drop students off at elementary schools or Renaux Manor. Note that drop off times can be earlier depending on the number of riders for the day. The estimated bus route and times are posted on the Thompson website under Activities.

St. Charles High School Football Games

Tonight is the first home high school football game at St. Charles North and St. Charles East will have their home opener the following week on September 3. Middle School students who attend high school football games must have their student id and be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Parents and guardians are also asked to remain in the stadium and be responsible for the supervision of their children throughout the game. It is important for each of the spectators to abide by stadium rules and act appropriately at all times.

Fall Indoor Sporting Events at Thompson

Spectators will be allowed to attend sporting events in Thompson's gym this fall. Anyone 2 years or older will be required to be masked and maintain social distancing throughout their attendance. Thank you for your cooperation with these District and State protocols. We are looking forward to a great athletic season. Go Thompson Thunder!!

Fall Food Service Information

OrganicLife is once again providing food service to our middle school. Please click here to view the menus. Students in grades kindergarten through 8th grade who attend in-person classes are eligible for free breakfast and lunch. Lunch choices are typically a hot lunch, a deli sandwich, or a grab bag.

Students should pre order their food using a Google form which is posted on our website. Students can order meals between 6 pm the night before until 9:30 am that day. To order a meal, students need to be in a Chrome browser (or on their Chromebooks) logged into their D303 Google account. Only students can order meals.

Also students will have the opportunity to order breakfast for the next day and pick it up as they leave school. We will be reminding students to place their orders in the morning and pick up pre ordered breakfasts at the end of the day!

Great News! The cafeteria will be able to accept cash payments this year! They will not be making change for students. Any unspent funds will be added directly to the student's PushCoin lunch account as available funds for future purchases.

Early Release Days

Early release days this year will be on Wednesdays instead of Mondays and approximately once per month. Students will be dismissed at 2:42 pm on these days and buses will be leaving Thompson at approximately 2:50 pm. The following are the eight 2021-2022 Early Release Days for Middle School:

September 1
September 29
October 27
December 1
January 26
February 23
March 23
April 27

These dates can also be found on the Thompson calendar on our website.

School Fees & Food Waivers for 2021-2022

SCHOOL FEES WAIVER: The school fees waiver will ONLY be a PAPER application since there is financial documentation required for income verification. A family can only qualify for a free waiver of fees; there are no reduced fees. The application is on the district website. Questions regarding school fee waivers - Sharon Wlezien at 331-228-5417

FOOD WAIVER: Only one application needs to be completed for each household. Please include ALL family members that live in the household (even those not attending a school). Applications are posted on the district website. In addition, paper applications are available at the schools and the Administration Building as in years past. Unlike the school fees, families can qualify for Reduced. Questions regarding food waivers - Patti Townsend 331-228-6529

Families directly certified by the State of Illinois for the 2021-2022 school year will receive FREE FOOD and their FEES will be WAIVED. If your family is qualified by the state, do NOT need to complete either application. You should have received an approval letter in the mail in July.

D303 Parent University

Parent University was developed in response to the need for programming to address the social and emotional needs of students in District 303. We continue to strive to provide information on topics that are relevant, timely, and beneficial for all parents and guardians.

District 303 regards parent engagement as fundamental to the success of our students both inside and outside of the classroom. Parent University is designed to create partnerships between school and home and provide a place where parents and staff members can learn together.

Based on information gathered from parent surveys and the work on the Parent University Committee, the district designs and offers programming that is timely, meaningful, and easily accessible. Over the last several years, we have heard parents when they have requested programs that can be consumed on their schedule such as videos, webinars that are also available after the meeting, and voiced presentations. At the same time, we will also continue to host in-person programming.

If you have ideas about programming, please contact Carol Smith at carol.smith@d303.org or Cindy Ruesch at cindy.ruesch@d303.org.

Parent University - Mental Illness: The Silent Epidemic

September 2, 2021
Mental Illness: The Silent Epidemic
Zoom at 6:00 pm; Recording to be posted

Mark Potter is a nationally recognized basketball coach and speaker who is bringing his message to families in St. Charles. Mark grew up in Kansas, where he was a basketball and baseball stand-out. He played both sports at the collegiate level before moving into a career as a high school teacher and coach for 11 years. He then served as Head Men’s Basketball Coach at NCAA Division II Newman University for 19 years and has the distinction of being the winningest basketball coach in Newman’s history.

Thirteen years ago, Coach Potter began a downward spiral into a world of darkness. He missed eight games and 25 practices due to severe depression. He now brings his story to businesses and schools to promote education about mental illness. His passion is to share his story in hopes that people will also pursue treatment and find a way to live productively with mental illness.

Join the District 303 Parent University Webinar on September 2 from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. as we welcome Coach Potter. Click here to register!

SOS for Parents in the Trenches

October 6, 2021

Debbie Reber, NY Times bestselling author

Zoom Webinar, 6:30 pm; Recording to be posted

Click here to register!

When parents are feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, and burned out, it’s hard to show up in a way that best supports their child’s development, especially if/ when our kids are struggling, too. In this practical and actionable talk, Debbie shares ten powerful “tilts,” a.k.a. practical ideas to help parents shift their thinking, responses, and actions in a way that will help them feel more confident and peaceful as they parent their unique children.

Supporting Kids Who Learn Differently: Back-to-School Edition

October 13, 2021

Debbie Reber, NY Times bestselling author

Zoom Webinar, 6:30 pm; Recording to be posted

Click here to register!

School always presents certain challenges for students who learn and think differently (kids with ADHD, dyslexia, giftedness, autism, anxiety, or other neuro-differences). But the COVID-19 pandemic has created even greater obstacles. Debbie shares ideas on how parents can best prioritize and plan in the pandemic-era school landscape. She also offers advice on how to support differently wired children’s cognitive, social, and emotional needs during this atypical time, while also taking care of one’s own emotional health and well-being.